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DJ Peggy Gou is putting her own spin on Don Julio’s 1942 tequila bottle. The limited-edition artwork is emblazoned with a unique “194구” (구 is pronounced “Gou”) motif, which is inspired by her Korean heritage and love of fashion and art.
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The unique bottle itself features a light blue-meets-mint-green hue that feels like chrome, as well as a glistening chrome cap that replaces the traditional wooden style. It also comes in a stunning iridescent purple keepsake box that features an illustration of Gou’s tattoo-clad hand holding a cowboy hat. Inside, the box features a brightly colored drawing of Gou and a message from the artist. “The design captures the essence of my artistic spirit, alongside the iconic legacy of Don Julio Gonzalez,” it says.
Don Julio
We caught up with Gou during the launch party celebrating the brand’s first-ever global collaboration — and a line formed around the block of the Tribeca location with fans who were excited about the potential of seeing Gou up close. At the party, VIP guests were treated to a “Gouvenier Shop” that had cowboy hat-shaped incense-holders, tote bags, T-shirts, baseball caps and other fun, whimsical goodies that were somehow perfectly on brand for the artist. Gou opened up about designing the one-of-a-kind bottle, and even shared her favorite clubs to party at on a night off.
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Looking at the bottle, its design feels very much like you. Can you explain its look?That’s exactly how I wanted people to feel. I mean, it’s iconic, but I wanted people to feel like there’s a little Peggy in there.
I wanted this to be a bottle that you want to keep even when you finish it. I wanted this bottle to be a kind of souvenir that you keep in your house, you know? And I tried to put my identity to it, as well as respecting Don Julio’s Mexican culture as well.
What musical elements and genres would you say go along with the bottle?I would say — just because I was talking about my identity — it would be dance and electronic music. [Pointing at the lid] And this was supposed to be like a little disco ball!
You know, when I first saw it from a distance, I thought it was because a disco ball just makes so much sense!Really?! That’s nice. It is like a mini disco ball.
Do you have a favorite tequila-based cocktail?I just discovered it yesterday! It was something … I don’t think there’s a name. Maybe we need to give it a name. It was 1942 — well, 194Gou — butterfly pea and yuzu.
What’s one experience you wish everyone could have when drinking this bottle?I’m always thinking to myself, “I want to worry about today tomorrow.” I want everybody to feel that way because as soon as you start drinking it, it’s a kind of a sign of [saying] let’s have fun. You know? Let’s not worry about what’s happening today.
What shows are you performing this summer that you’re most excited about?I’m pretty excited about every show that I do, but I’m very excited to come back to New York in May. I’m coming to the Brooklyn Mirage on May 18. They renovated the whole thing and it’s just opening new and I believe I’m doing the opening. But the new space looks insane.
What’s your favorite club in NYC, and then around the world?I personally haven’t been there when I wasn’t working, so I can’t say, but I really love Knockdown Center [in Queens]. I loved it — it was a kind of club that made me feel like I would love to come here on my day off.
And then around the world, there’s a club called OHM in Berlin. It’s a very tiny club and only has a capacity of 150 people, but that’s a very sick club.
The limited-edition 194구 bottle is available worldwide for $225, and is being released in limited quantities. It will be a true collector’s item for tequila enthusiasts and Peggy Gou stans alike. You can also find the regular edition of Don Julio 1942 on sites such as ReserveBar.com.
Don Julio 1942 añejo tequila
Three months after dropping his prideful and tropical-leaning set DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, Bad Bunny visited the NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., for his Tiny Desk debut.
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Surrounded by seven musicians — cuatros and congas in the mix — the Puerto Rican artist kicked off the nearly 35-minute set with his holiday-themed “Pitorro de Coco.” “I swear I didn’t know there were going to be so many people here … and even a few Puerto Ricans. The next song is so that — I don’t know how many people travel to Puerto Rico – I can take you there,” the artist said before performing a saucy plena version of his hard-hitting perreo “Voy A Llevarte Pa PR.”
Sipping coffee, vibing with the musicians and connecting with the intimate crowd, the artist born Benito Martínez Ocasio performed a bolero-version of “Kloufrens” before joking about the school desk he was sitting on. “I don’t know whose idea it was to give me this desk. It was mine, and I’m starting to regret it,” he laughed.
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He then performed the somber “Lo Que Le Paso A Hawaii,” telling the audience that he wrote this song after dreaming about it. “The song didn’t let me go back to sleep, so I wrote it completely and that’s when I fell asleep,” he shared. After the tune, he admitted to having rehearsed the song outside of the White House before the Tiny Desk concert.
“The next song is not a song, it’s not a movie, it’s true … I think my story comes from the same place that many of ours come from. We’re proud to bring our music and culture to the whole world,” he said before delivering the salsa-heavy “La Mudanza,” during which each of his musicians flaunted their vibrant solos.
After telling heartfelt and witty anecdotes, Bunny and his colleagues proudly chanted the song’s popular line “yo soy de P f–king R!” before an impromptu and quick grand finale of the album’s title track, “DTMF.”
The 17-track set, released on Día de Reyes (Three Kings Day) on Jan. 5, hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Currently, the album is in its 12th week at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart. Meanwhile, the title track, “DTMF,” is No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs and Latin Streaming Songs; and “Baile Inolvidable” tops the Tropical Airplay chart.
Watch his full Tiny Desk concert below:
Benny Blanco is just as confused as others are about having been mixed up with Bad Bunny at the 2025 Oscars.
About a month after a photo of himself and his superstar fiancée walking the red carpet at this year’s awards was mistakenly captioned “Selena Gomez and Bad Bunny” on The Academy’s official X account, the producer swung by The Jennifer Hudson Show Monday (April 7) and revealed that he had no idea the snafu occurred — but he isn’t complaining.
“They did?” he replied incredulously when Jennifer Hudson informed him that he’d been confused for the Puerto Rican superstar. (The post was quickly edited to correctly state Blanco’s name, though screenshots and replies immortalize the hilarious oopsie.)
“I like that,” the “Eastside” musician continued, laughing. “What do you mean? He’s so hot! I’ll take it, I’ll take it. What do you mean?”
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“Look at how pretty he is — are you kidding?” Blanco added, looking at a photo of the “Titi Me Pregunto” displayed behind him. “Yeah, I’m Bad Bunny now.”
The producer’s visit to the talk show comes just a couple weeks after the March 21 release of his and Gomez’s joint album, I Said I Love You First, which recently debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The couple attended the 2025 Oscars together earlier that month in honor of Emilia Pérez, in which the Only Murders in the Building actress starred. The film had received 13 nominations, including best picture, which ultimately went to Anora.
Of attending the ceremony, Blanco told Hudson, “Every woman deserves a Purple Heart for going — you guys gotta get ready, it’s so much, it’s so long.”
“That dress weighed 35 pounds!” the hitmaker added, pointing to a phot of himself and Gomez on the red carpet. “And when we were traveling there, she couldn’t sit down — she had to stand up in the car, and a man is sewing her in!”
Speaking of fancy occasions, Blanco also shared the special celebration he planned for his 37th birthday last month. “Selena had never been to a prom before, so I thought I’d throw us a prom for my birthday,” he said, smiling. “She didn’t even know. She was like, ‘What am I supposed to wear? What am I supposed to do?’ It was like she was really going to prom. I got her a little corsage.”
Watch a clip of Blanco’s Jennifer Hudson Show interview above.
Drake made Justin Bieber’s hotline bling, but there was no reply. The 6 God is claiming that Biebs didn’t respond to his message regarding a potential collaboration on Instagram over the weekend. Drizzy dropped a comment in Bieber’s Instagram post on Sunday (April 6), which saw the “Baby” singer asking his peers to shoot him […]
SXSW London announced the initial batch of showcasing performers for the first-ever U.K. edition of the iconic music festival on Monday morning (April 7). Taking place from June 2-7 in Shoredictch, U.K., the event will feature sets from Mabel, Alice Glass, Sasha Keable, Miraa May and NAO, who will take the stage at more than a dozen venues, including Shoreditch Town Hall, Notion, Soul Surge, The Blues Project, Village Underground, Strongroom Bar, 93 Feet East, XOYO, Brick Lane Tap House, Colours, Juju’s and Jaguar Shoes, among others.
Among the other 100 Afrobeats, dancehall, blues, drill, drum & bass, dub, electronic, folk, funk, grime, hip-hip, jazz, metal, rock and soul acts from around the world slated to perform are: Aja Ireland, Ace Clvrk, Anthonia, Balter, Bemz, Benefits, Bison Rogue, Caleb Kunle, Cheb Mimo, Clara Serra Lopez, Coco & Breezy, Demae, Emmeline, Freddie Lewis, Gender Crisis, Gia Ford, Heartworms, Hiba, Hot Face, Hunnid22, Joejas, Kanis, Last Nubian, Lostchild, Mace the Great, Myylo, Nicole Blakk Sola Akingbola, The Deep, TwstXav and Zems, among many others.
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In addition to the traditional mix of music from all over the world offered at the annual fest in Austin, TX, the first-ever U.K. edition will feature conference programming covering the intersection of AI technology and human creativity and the crafting of branded product experiences, as well as the SXSW London Screen Festival, with appearances from actress Gillian Anderson and screenings of upcoming films and TV series.
Among the other musical acts slated to perform at the event that will feature such themes as “Diasporic Electronica,” “Independent Spirit” and “Future Sounds” are: Blasé, Cooper T, Deca Ota, El Combo De London, Gbrl Prkfv Ensemble, Ivy Lab, Jaz Elise, Korda Korder, Lewis G Burton, Majur, Mayelli, Micromoon, Montanera, Polldarier, Ras-I, Sarah Angel, Sean Focus, Tatyana, SophieGrey and Werkha, among others.
“One of the things I love most about London is that you can step out of any tube station and find yourself in a distinct community,” said SXSW London head of music Adem Holness in a statement. “That’s exactly how I want our festival to feel — each of our music venues will be a gateway into a different international new music scene. We’re collaborating with the most exciting pioneers in underground music movements to present the future of music from their unique perspectives, and I’m beyond excited by the artists they’ve chosen to platform.”
Three-day passes are available now here, with music wristbands slated to go on sale on April 14.
Billboard’s parent company PMC is the largest shareholder of SXSW and its brands are official media partners of SXSW.
Even at the young age of 26 years old, Clairo has done a lot of reflecting on her own life. And now, she’s revealing why she’s kept a “huge” part of it largely undefined. In a new cover story for Seventeen, the “Sexy to Someone” singer explained why she prefers not to put a label […]
“I’m working late, ’cause I’m a singer,” Sabrina Carpenter croons on “Espresso.” And with an avatar of the pop star coming to Fortnite Festival, fans can now experience what that’s like, too. As announced Monday (April 7), Carpenter is the game’s icon for season eight — which starts April 8 — meaning players can virtually […]
Jennifer Lopez is hitting the road this year, making her first official stop in Spain. Jenny from the Block announced dates to her Up All Night Live in 2025 stint on Monday (April 7), teasing an electrifying show during which she’ll be performing some of the biggest hits of her career. “To all my international […]
Founding Blondie drummer Clem Burke died on Sunday (April 6) at age 70. The group announced the passing of their longtime bandmate on Monday morning (April 7), writing, “it is with profound sadness that we relay the news of the passing of our beloved friend and bandmate Clem Burke following a private battle with cancer.”
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The statement continued: “Clem was not just a drummer; he was the heartbeat of Blondie. His talent, energy, and passion for music was unmatched, and his contributions to our sound and success are immeasurable. Beyond his musicianship, Clem was a source of inspiration both on and off the stage. His vibrant spirit, infectious enthusiasm and rock solid work ethic touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.”
Burke (born Clement Anthony Bozewski in Bayonne, N.J. on Nov. 24, 1954) joined punk/new wave pioneers Blondie in 1975, not long after the group was formed by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein.
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Burke performed on all of Blondie’s albums, from their 1976 self-titled debut, to their breakthrough 1978 LP Parallel Lines (which featured their Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Heart of Glass”), 1979’s Eat to the Beat and 1980’s Autoamerican. He was behind the kit during a pivotal, world-changing time in mid-1970s New York when Blondie, along with The Ramones, Patti Smith, Talking Heads and Television, were regularly playing in such legendary bars as CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, setting the stage for the punk revolution in America, and across the world.
Following their string of hit albums, the band announced their split in late 1982 before getting the original members back together for a brief 1997 tour and then a world jaunt the next year and a new album, No Exit, in 1999. The group’s eighth studio album, The Curse of Blondie, dropped in 2003, followed by more touring and 2014’s Ghosts of Download album and their final known recorded set with Burke, 2017’s Pollinator LP.
With an exuberant, high-energy style influenced by the Who’s Keith Moon and Beatles’ Ringo Starr — he played left-handed on a right-handed kit just like Ringo — Burke told Tidal in 2022 that he never thought of his day job as work. “Especially when I do things with my friends and my little side projects that I have with various bands,” he said. “With drumming, you kind of have to keep doing it. You don’t really wanna lose your chops. You wanna be prepared to play when you have to play. So it works both ways. I help people out by playing with them, and they help me to keep my abilities together.”
He also noted in that interview that the thing that initially attracted him to Stein and Harry was that he was on a quest to find his David Bowie, Jim Morrison or Mick Jagger. “I was emphatic about that. I needed to work with people that I felt had that sort of charisma and creativity,” he said. “Debbie was amazing. You could sense that immediately. And I’m not talking about just her beauty. I’m just talking about her whole essence as a human being, as a person. I would put her on the same level as Bowie, as far as the things that she comes up with creatively.”
After Blondie’s split in 1982, Burke stayed very busy performing and recording with a wide variety of bands, including the Romantics, Pete Townshend, Iggy Pop, Plimsouls, Bob Dylan, the Eurythmics, Joan Jett, Wanda Jackson, Dramarama, Nancy Sinatra and Johnny Thunders. He even briefly filled in for a couple of gigs in 1987 for his pals in the Ramones under the stage name Elvis Ramone. During his eight-year (1980-1988) run with the Eurythmics, Burke performed on three albums with the group, including on their 1986 Grammy winning single “Missionary Man.”
He also teamed up in 1983 with another ’80s punk icon, former (and again) Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, to form the group Chequered Past with vocalist Michael Des Barres and bassist Tony Sales and former Blondie bassist Nigel Harrison. In keeping with his indefatigable work ethic and affection for fellow punk-era players, Burke formed another all-star group in 2011, the International Swingers, which featured another Sex Pistols refugee, bassist Glen Matlock, as well as Generation X guitarist James Stevenson and Supernaut singer Gary Twinn.
Burke is featured on all of the Blondie’s No. 1 hits, which also included “Call Me,” “The Tide Is High” and “Rapture,” providing whatever the songs needed, from funky disco-leaning rhythms to reggae, funk and pop beats. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 alongside bandmates Harry, Stein, founding keyboardist Jimmy Destri and bassist Gary Valentine and guitarist Frank Infante.
In their tribute to their lost friend, Blondie honored Burke’s many side gigs, writing, “Clem’s influence extended far beyond Blondie. A self proclaimed ‘Rock & Roll survivalist,’ he played and collaborated with numerous iconic artists, including Eurythmics, Ramones, Bob Dylan, Bob Geldof, Iggy Pop, Joan Jett, Chequered Past, The Fleshtones, The Romantics, Dramarama, The Adult Net, The Split Squad, The International Swingers, L.A.M.F., Empty Hearts, Slinky Vagabond, and even the Go-Go’s. His influence and contributions have spanned decades and genres, leaving an indelible mark on every project he was a part of.”
The message ended with condolences for Burke’s family, friends and fans across the world. “His legacy will live on through the tremendous amount of music he created and the countless lives he touched,” Blondie said.
See Blondie’s post here and check out some of the classic tunes Burke played on below.
https://bsky.app/profile/blondieband.bsky.social/post/3lm7zdctjts2x
Superstar Rauw Alejandro kicked off his highly anticipated Cosa Nuestra World Tour in Seattle on April 5. Produced by Live Nation, the Broadway-inspired set — a nod to Rauw’s new musical era that symbolizes elegance, maturity and glamour — took place at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena. With a live band in tow, marking the artist’s […]
