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Billboard is expanding its Rookie of the Month interview series by highlighting rising stars from more genres like dance and rock. But the new crop of artists emerging out of the African continent have continued making it clearer that their music can exist beyond the borders of “Afrobeats” and should not be broadly and lackadaisically labeled as such. “It has African intonations in it,” Tems said of her genre-bending music during her Women in Music interview last year.
Like Tems, many African artists have discovered one-of-a-kind ways to express themselves that cannot fit into one box while staying true to their roots. And Billboard is dedicating a spotlight to them through our new African Rookie of the Month series, which Odeal kicked off in January and Qing Madi is continuing in February.
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Qing Madi learned in high school that “the only reason a queen exists is because of the king.” But her majestic moniker – pronounced “King” and spelled with a “Q” to symbolize her femininity – honors her rapid ascent in the African music space, and foreshadows her lasting reign.
Upon graduation, the Benin City native (real name Chimamanda Pearl Chukwuma) moved to Lagos with her family and started writing songs for the country’s stars like Skales, Iyanya and Larry Gaaga. While she was grateful her pengame paid the bills, she also posted covers on TikTok and freestyles with guitarist and producer Wademix on Instagram. “He created this safe space where I could create my music even though I didn’t have a platform or anyone that was going to download it,” Madi, now 18, tells Billboard at Soho Warehouse in downtown Los Angeles, California.
One day, she went to the studio to record backup vocals for Blaqbonez, and his producer Ramoni played her the beat’s warped acoustic guitar loop and subtle trap hi-hats. Madi asked Ramoni if she could freestyle over it, and her poignant debut single “See Finish” was born in 2022. “I never put out anything original, because I wasn’t bold enough and didn’t think people would like it,” she told Billboard in an interview last year.
The viral TikTok success of “See Finish” eventually landed Madi a label deal with JTON Music and Columbia Records via BuVision. With only three singles to her name – “See Finish,” “Why” and the saucy standout “Ole” – Madi opened her “Ole” collaborator BNXN‘s six-date U.S. tour in October 2023, before dropping her eponymous debut EP the following month. The seven-track project melds her sweet R&B melodies and innocent, imaginative lyricism about embracing love and what the future holds while not letting her enemies get the best of her with irresistibly smooth Afropop production. “Vision” – a mesmerizing Afrobeats/R&B track Madi believes is “the most perfect thing I’ve ever written” – received an even dreamier remix treatment from her Columbia labelmate Chlöe for the deluxe edition of Qing Madi.
But for her debut studio album I Am the Blueprint, which dropped at the end of January, there’s only room for the Qing. She’s self-assured in the artist she’s always meant to become, and incredibly in tune with her emotions when it comes to love.
“You can tell that this is coming from a teenager, someone who’s lived a certain life and is trying to open her heart to the public,” she says. “My music is euphoric, it’s timeless. It’s going to live 100 years, even when I’m gone.”
Below, Billboard speaks with February’s African Rookie of the Month about the years-long journey of making I Am the Bluepint, the meaning behind her blue motif, how “The Rumble in the Jungle” inspired her single “Ali Bomaye,” and why “love songs are the easiest songs to write.”
My first question has to be about Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show performance since you’re a superfan of his. What did you think about it?
There were a lot of things were I was like, “Kendriiick.” I liked the Easter eggs, especially with the [Laughs] “A minor” necklace. I liked the coordination of Uncle Sam. There was a lot of stuff I pinpointed and was like, “Wow, this is so tough.” I like the fact he didn’t start with “Not Like Us,” because that was such an expected move. It was so sick.
When did you know music was your calling?
I genuinely believed songwriting was my calling because I loved it so much. I liked impressing other people because I would sing what I had written and everyone was like, “Oh, this is so sick!” I felt fulfilled. I never had stage fright, I was quite confident, but I didn’t think the world would put me in a position where I had to sing my own lyrics. But when I blew up on TikTok, and I got signed and started performing, I was like, “Ooh, this is definitely what I’m meant to do.”
I read in your OkayAfrica interview that you were “very jealous” of people who got to sing your lyrics, because “people appreciated it way more, because they had a familiar face in front of it.” How did you eventually transition from songwriter to the stars to a star in your own right?
It was really God — because originally, I hated the fact that I couldn’t really be a face to my music. I felt like I was selling a part of me, and I couldn’t argue with it because I was getting money off of it. But then I was always intimately hurt by the fact that I couldn’t really say, “Yo, these are my lyrics you’re singing!” I didn’t think it was possible, because at the time I was doing all of this, there wasn’t a lot of African female artists that were being appreciated. This space was very small for us. Once the new people started popping up, and I popped up, I was like, “Oh, OK, y’all letting us in? Thanks.” [Laughs.]
What kind of music did you grow up listening to, and how did that influence the music that you make?
I grew up listening to Kendrick Lamar, Brandy and a lot of other artists that I’m not even certain I know their names, because I lived next to a bar [that] used to play music all night. I would fall asleep to ‘90s R&B. And then I fell in love with rap music. Because of how much storytelling Kendrick has in his songs, I always want to think my songs should have a direction, a storyline, a target. I’m trying to hit a particular nerve or emotion. I’m like, “OK, if I’m writing a heartbreak song, there has to be a reason, a subject and a person.” I also listened to a lot of Wande Coal – he’s an African GOAT, melodic genius.
And what kind of music do you listen to now?
Kendrick Lamar. I was listening to GNX, DAMN., To Pimp A Butterfly. It’s a nostalgia thing, because I grew up on him. Listening to him puts me back in Benin [City], in that house.
You’ve also sung background vocals for other artists. How did you get on Wizkid’s 2023 “Diamonds” track?
My friend P. Prime called me and told me he needed assistance on a particular record. I pulled up to put my vocals on the song — but when I got there, I met Wizkid and Wande Coal. I was like [nervously chuckling], “Hi.” That is such a random thing to do on a Tuesday. Growing up, [I was] in school and trying to have discussions about these artists, and now I’m right in front of them [and] on their songs. It was an insane feeling.
They really did a good job of making me feel comfortable. [Wizkid] vocally led me on what he wanted, because he knows exactly what he wants on his record. He loved it, he was like, “Yeah, this is it. It’s perfect.”
How did you get Chloe on the “Vision” remix?
For my deluxe, I remember my team saying we have to get a feature on a record. And I’m like, “Oh, ‘American Love.’” And they were like, “No, no, no, no. We can’t hear nobody on it. We want to get a feature for ‘Vision.’” At the time, I was like, “I cannot hear anybody on ‘Vision.’ That is my baby, do not put nobody on that record.” I was so against it. Then they went ahead and reached out to Chloe’s team and sent her the record. She recorded her verse, and they sent it to me.
I loved it a lot, I can’t even lie. I was like, “Wow.” I never thought anyone would sound good on ‘Vision’ ‘cause it’s such an alternative track, and I’m like, “What are you going to add to it? It’s perfect.” But she really brought out a different perspective, and because she’s an R&B-based artist, it was such a perfect blend.
When you toured the U.S. for the first time with BNXN in 2023, how was seeing your fans live and the way they received your music?
It was great. I had never traveled to America before in my life, so [it’s] my first time in America and I’m going on tour. I got to meet fans, like, “How do people even know me?” I was shocked.
BNXN [is] the best big brother in the entire world. He would always hype me up on stage and say, “Everybody say, ‘Go Madi! Go Madi!’” It was less of a performance and more of a family reunion. It felt great being on stage and knowing that music is beyond my geographical area. The world is actually paying attention.
What’s your favorite place that you’ve performed at, and why?
Uganda. It was my concert, and as a new artist, that is an insane thing to do. Having a whole country that I’ve never been to – I don’t have any relatives from there, I don’t know anyone from there, it’s a place that is so alien to me – and receiving so much love, it’s definitely a significant place in my mind.
Take me back through the making of your debut album I Am the Blueprint.
There are songs from different versions of me as a person. There are songs I wrote when I was 14, when I was 16, when I was 18. I’m 18 now. It’s like a letter to myself. The first record is called “Bucket List.” It’s me prophesying a bunch of things I want to achieve, and saying, “I hope I become that artist.” And the last record is called “Right Here.” It’s me being more confident and being like, “I’m that artist.” It’s a confirmation.
I Am the Blueprint is a journey of me growing to discover that I am the blueprint. It doesn’t start with so much confidence. It starts with this 14-year-old girl confirming that, “This is who I am, this is who I believe I am” — and it ends with this is who I’ve become.
Explain the blue motif that’s not only been central to I Am the Blueprint but your overall aesthetics, from your hair to your style.
According to my mom, I’ve loved blue since I was literally conscious. It’s funny, because I was born left-handed, so she would beat my hand and tell me, “No, no, you’re doing things the wrong way. You’re supposed to use your right hand. Pink is for girls.”
I never changed. Every time, I’d be like, “I want it in blue.” Whenever I talk about blue or I implement blue in my hair or my album, it’s me putting in that little piece of me, that younger version of me, in everything I’m doing. If I have blue hair, I’m trying to say Chimamanda is still there. That blue is a remembrance of her.
Love plays a paramount role in this album, from feeling that intense chemistry for the first time with someone special on “Goosebumps” to questioning if your feelings are even valid or reciprocated on “It’s a Game.” Are you singing from personal experiences, or where does your source of inspiration come from?
Love songs are the easiest songs to write, because when I used to write for other artists, I prioritized putting myself in different people’s situations because they were very specific. They would say, “I want to buy a love song about this,” and tell you exactly what they wanted. I play with it sometimes. I have songs like “Ole” that talk about wanting another person’s partner. I’m like, “How crazy would it be to talk about love from this perspective?” So when it comes to love songs, it’s just me playing with my imagination and trying to talk about love in every way possible because it’s such a broad topic.
Considering this album reflects the emotional roller coaster that comes with being in a relationship, how did you figure out the sequencing of the tracks?
I purposefully arranged them to tell a story. We have “Bucket List,” “Ali Bomaye” and “Akanchawa,” and you can tell that slowly this person is growing from a very positive, energetic person to a very rage-filled person. From there, you slowly lurk into songs like “Pressure” and “Damn It All” that are so aggressive that you’re like, “Where does she come from?” In the beginning of the album, it was so welcoming and we’re just trying to lure you into this person who was so sweet and saw the world from this angle, and now she’s growing into realizing not everyone is as pure as she imagines.
It’s a journey of my emotions as a person and how I’ve seen life. The album sequencing is very intentional. I feel like we got the perfect arrangement to tell that story.
“Ali Bomaye” is derived from the chant yelled during Muhammed Ali and George Foreman’s 1974 match in Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of Congo), also known as “The Rumble in the Jungle.” How did you find inspiration from that?
I learned that in school, and I was like, “That is so tough.” Having a word that is so significant to a violent sport put into love was something I thought would be so sick. Some people say, “You knock me off my feet,” like the wind. And I’m like, “You knock me off my feet,” because literally he knocked his opponent off. It’s wordplay for me — and then, obviously, referencing the legend Muhammed Ali is. It shows how deep in knowledge I am about being descriptive about my love toward you.
If you grew up in Lagos, Lagos is such a busy place, everything is always on the go. The record “Ali Bomaye” is about living in this place where there’s so much stress — but when you meet that person, it just knocks you off your feet.
BNXN, Chloe and Kizz Daniel were all featured on the deluxe version of your self-titled EP last year. Why did you decide to not have any features on I Am the Blueprint?
With the album, I really wanted to be selfish. I wanted to show the world, “This is about me. This is not about any other artist.” There are so many artists that would have sounded so great with a lot of the records, but I’m more concerned about showing you who I am. It’s a statement, it’s a movement, it’s a whole confirmation. That’s the artistic part of it.
On the business side, you could put a bunch of artists and say it’s for promotion. But I’m a true artist — I really care more about making sure that my message is heard and I’m able to accomplish the artistry I’m going for.
“Bucket List” mentions some things on your bucket list that you want to accomplish, like winning a Grammy and buying your mom a mansion. What else is on your bucket list?
Definitely tour. I want to go on tour so bad. There are so many countries I’ve never been to, and the fact that I’m not going as a regular person is intriguing to me. I want to meet my fans all over the world. I would try different aspects of art – acting, maybe screenwriting.
What’s been the biggest “pinch me” moment of your career so far?
Naomi Campbell followed me on Instagram. I was like, “No freaking way!” And then I saw she commented, and I was like, “OK, stop.” It was a lot for me, because it’s Naomi Campbell.
Who would you love to collaborate with this year?
I would love to collaborate with Wande Coal, Fave, Chris Brown, Billie Eilish. Kendrick Lamar. I would love to collaborate with him for sure.
What’s next for Qing Madi in 2025?
More collaborations — so many surprises that me and my team are working on. I can’t wait for the whole world to be a part of it.
Lauryn Hill paid loving tribute to the “beauty and brilliance” of late quiet storm singer Robert Flack on Tuesday (Feb. 25) in a lengthy post in which the Fugees frontwoman and solo star described the world-changing, enduring impact the “Killing Me Softly With His Song” singer had on her life and career.
“Whitney Houston once said to me that Roberta Flack’s voice was one of the purest voices she’d ever heard. I grew up scouring the records my Parents collected. Mrs. Flack was one of their favorites and quite instantly became one of mine as soon as I was exposed to her,” Hill, 49, said of Grammy-winning singer Flack, who died on Monday at 88 of undisclosed causes.
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“She looked cool and intelligent, gentle and yet militant. The songs she recorded from ‘Compared To What’ to ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ to her version of ‘Ballad Of The Sad Young Men’ fascinated me with their beauty and sophistication,” Hill continued in an Instagram post that featured a gallery of Flack in her 1970s prime, as well as a shot of the two women together as part of one of the many emotional tributes to the singer, pianist and lifelong educator.
“Mrs. Flack was an artist, a singer-songwriter, a pianist and composer who moved me and showed me through her own creative choices and standards what else was possible within the idiom of Soul,” wrote Hill, who noted that though Flack did not write her Grammy-winning, career-defining 1973 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Killing Me Softly With His Song” — it was penned by Charles Fox, Norman Gimbel and Lori Lieberman — she made it “hugely popular.”
In fact, not only did Flack score a No. 1 with the track and win record of the year and best pop vocal performance, female Grammys for “Killing” in 1974, she also gave Hill and her group the song that “catapulted myself and the Fugees into household phenomena.”
The hip-hop group recorded their own version of the song in 1996 and also hit No. 1 around the world — though not in the U.S. because it wasn’t officially released as a commercial single — topping the Pop Airplay and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts on its way to winning the group a Grammy for best R&B vocal performance by a duo/group and an MTV Video Music Award for best R&B video. Flack and the Fugees performed the song together at the 1996 VMAS.
“We wanted to honor the beauty and brilliance of this song and her performance of it to our generation,” Hill wrote. “I will forever be grateful for the sensitivity and delicate power of her Love and Artistry. Rest in Grace Beloved One.”
Check out Hill’s tribute here.
Billie Eilish is moving full steam ahead in 2025, with the pop star teasing in a recent interview that she’s ready to get back in the studio following last year’s hit album Hit Me Hard and Soft — that is, whenever she finds the time while on tour this year, something she hinted might not end as soon as fans think.
While in Australia for the latest leg of her global Hit Me Hard and Soft trek, Eilish was candid about her plans for the next 12 months in an interview with Hit Network posted Wednesday (Feb. 26). “Definitely getting back into the studio and doing stuff,” she began. “I mean, I definitely have more tour.”
“Lots of tour to do,” she added, before teasing, “Probably more than I’m even scheduled for that’s going to come, which I’m excited about.”
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Eilish is currently booked through the end of June, with the “Lunch” singer scheduled to embark on a European leg shortly after her Australian run of dates ends in March. So far, she’s completed four shows in Brisbane and two of four nights in Sydney.
Before that, the nine-time Grammy winner spent about two months touring through North America before closing out with five shows at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Just before shipping off to Australia, Eilish performed her hit single “Birds of a Feather” at the 2025 Grammys, where the song was also nominated for song and record of the year, while Hit Me Hard and Soft was up for album of the year; she ended up losing to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” for both song categories, and Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter for AOTY.
The “What Was I Made For?” artist has still had a banner year with her third studio album, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. “Birds of a Feather” — which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 — was also one of the most streamed songs of 2024, with Spotify reporting in January that the buoyant love song beat out all other tracks on the platform last year.
While speaking to Hit Network, however, Eilish revealed that she truly had no idea the LP would be received so well. “I’ve definitely learned that I never have any idea what people are gonna like or not like,” she told the outlet. “In the making of this album, I had a couple moments of like, ‘They’re not going to like it; people aren’t going to like it; it’s not good enough; what if it’s not universal?’”
“And then, I gave it up and thought, ‘You know what? I don’t care at all,’” she added. “‘I’m not making this for anyone but myself.’”
Watch Eilish hint at getting back in the studio and adding more tour dates above.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA land new No. 1s on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart – Lamar his seventh, SZA her third – as “Luther” rises to the top of the March 1-dated ranking.
“Luther” enjoys its coronation in its 13th week on the tally with 45.2 million official U.S. streams in the week ending Feb. 20, a boost of 6%, according to Luminate.
Originally released as part of Lamar’s album GNX on Nov. 22, “Luther” finally climbs to No. 1 on Streaming Songs after it was performed during Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show set on Feb. 9, plus continued success on user-generated content apps such as TikTok.
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Lamar replaces himself atop the survey; “Not Like Us,” also performed during the halftime show, ascended back to the summit on the Feb. 22 list via 49 million streams Feb. 7-13; it ranks at No. 2 on the latest ranking (39.2 million streams, down 20%).
All told, Lamar boasts seven No. 1s on Streaming Songs, which began in 2013. With his seventh ruler, he assumes sole possession of the third-most No. 1s in the chart’s history, breaking out of what had been a three-way tie with Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber.
Most No. 1s, Streaming Songs
20, Drake
9, Taylor Swift
7, Kendrick Lamar
6, Ariana Grande
6, Justin Bieber
5, Travis Scott
Lamar first reigned in 2017 with the four-week rule of “Humble.” Four of his No. 1s have occurred in the past year, beginning with the reign of Future, Metro Boomin and Lamar’s “Like That,” which led for three weeks beginning last April.
As for SZA, “Luther” is her third leader, following four weeks at No. 1 for “Kill Bill” in 2022 and 2023 and one frame atop the survey in 2023 for Drake’s “Slime You Out,” on which she’s featured.
Concurrently, as previously reported, “Luther” rises to No. 1 on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100.
The 2025 Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, KY will feature headliners Slayer, Rob Zombie, Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones and Bring Me the Horizon. The 11th edition of the four-day event (Sept 18-21) at the Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Exposition Center will welcome more than 160 bands, marking the biggest lineup in the fest’s history, including a number of reunions, anniversaries, farewell shows and runs through classic albums.
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Among the other acts slated to take the six stages are: Lamb of God, Down, Cavalera (performing 1993’s Chaos A.D. in full), Carcass, Municipal Waste, Winds of Plague (reunion), Rob Zombie (playing an exclusive 25th anniversary celebration of White Zombie’s 1995 classic Astro-Creep 2000), Marilyn Manson, Cannibal Corpse, Exodus, the Black Dahlia Murder and Fear Factory (celebrating 30th anniversary of Demanufacture) on night one alongside the reunited Slayer.
Night two will find A7X (in their only U.S. headlining show of 2025) joined by: Breaking Benjamin, Mudvayne, Insane Clown Posse (farewell set), Static-X, Dope (25-year anniversary set), Nonpoint, Sleep Token, Spiritbox, Dayseeker, All Time Low and Hollywood Undead, among others. The third night will feature Deftones along with A Perfect Circle, Stone Temple Pilots, Acid Bath, Failure, Superheaven, Quannic, Bad Omens, I Prevail, Motionless in White, Black Veil Brides, Machine Head, Trivium (playing 20th anniversary celebration of Ascendancy), Chimaira (reunion), August Burns Red, Cypress Hill, Kittie (25th anniversary of Spit) and more.
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The final night pairs Bring Me the Horizon with Evanescence, Knocked Loose, Bilmuri, $uicideboy$, Three Days Grace, Wage War, We Came As Romans, Tech N9ne, Sleep Theory, Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm, Hinder, Crossfade (reunion), Testament, Sebastian Bach, Accept, Yngwie Malmsteen and Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson.
“Louder Than Life has always been about showcasing the future of rock and heavy music while honoring the legends who paved the way. Bands like Bring Me The Horizon, Sleep Token, Bad Omens, $uicideboy$, Motionless In White, Spiritbox, I Prevail, Slaughter To Prevail, Lorna Shore, Wage War, Dayseeker, and Knocked Loose aren’t just performing — they’re defining the next generation of headliners,” said promoter Danny Wimmer in a statement. “At the same time, pioneers like Slayer, Deftones, A Perfect Circle, and Avenged Sevenfold have set the standard, proving that this music is always evolving. This is where the past, present, and future of heavy music collide.”
“We’re coming back to Louder Than Life in Louisville. Get ready f*ckers!” said Slayer bassist/singer Tom Arraya.
Four-day and single-day GA, VIP and Angel’s Envy Top Shelf passes are sale now here.
Check out the full Louder Than Life 2025 poster below.
Like millions of Swifties everywhere, Travis Kelce‘s emotional-support artist is Taylor Swift — especially following his recent heartbreak at the 2025 Super Bowl. On the latest episode of their New Heights podcast posted Wednesday (Feb. 26), the tight end and his older brother, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, opened up about the music they […]
Michael Mejía, the winner of a Lamborghini in a giveaway by Shakira, has decided to sell the coveted custom car.
The Colombian-American artist, based in New York City, won the vehicle in December after entering a competition organized by Shakira coinciding with the release of her song “Soltera.” Participants had to create a social media video, and Mejía’s winning TikTok entry featured his illustrations of Shakira mixed with scenes from his life, which was revealed on Univision’s Despierta América.
While snagging the 2022 purple Lamborghini Urus — valued at $280,000 — was a dream come true, the reality of maintaining such a luxury vehicle soon hit home. Mejía received the car just last week and shared his struggles with the ongoing costs. “Not only did she gift me a car, but she also gave me money to maintain it, $90,000!” he explained in an interview on El Gordo y La Flaca. “However, that $90,000 was only enough to cover very little.”
“So far, all the taxes for transferring the car, legal matters and insurance for six months have been paid. And now the federal taxes are due at the end of the year, and yes, that will be about $95,000,” he continued, detailing the financial struggle. “The insurance for the car costs more than $2,000 a month, and that’s just the way it is. So, with the money she gave me, the car is maintainable for a while, but it’s always quite expensive to keep it.”
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Mejía also mentioned that it costs $70 to fill up every two days.
The winner claims he has received offers to sell the car in parts, such as the rearview mirror, the tires and the steering wheel. “Someone offered roughly between $700,000 and $800,000. Can you believe it? That is wonderful. I think it’s anyone’s dream to have their million. A million and one dollar, I’ll be happy,” he added with a chuckle.
Additionally, the show’s host disclosed that Mejía is penning a book about his experience of winning the prize. He also discovered a jacket in the car, purportedly belonging to Shakira, and is exploring the possibility of auctioning it off.
Watch the full interview (which is in Spanish) below.
Pink Floyd‘s beloved 1972 live film, Pink Floyd at Pompeii — MCMLXXII — will return to movie theaters worldwide beginning on April 24. The film directed by Adrian Maben, will also be screened on IMAX in a digitally remastered, 4K version taken from the original 35mm footage, with enhanced audio that has been newly mixed by Steven Wilson, representing what a release said is the “definitive version of this pioneering film.”
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“Since 1994, I have searched for the elusive film rushes of Pink Floyd At Pompeii, so the recent discovery of the 1972 original 35mm cut negative was a very special moment,” said Lana Topham, Floyd’s director of restoration in a statement. “The newly restored version presents the first full 90-minute cut, combining the 60-minute source edit of the performance with the additional Abbey Road Studios documentary segments filmed shortly after.”
The movie’s re-release will be accompanied by a Legacy Recordings release of the live album on CD, digital audio and for the first time in Dolby Atmos and on vinyl on May 2, featuring performances of the songs “Careful With That Axe, Eugene,” “Something Else,” “Syncopated Pandemonium,” “Storm Signals” and “Echoes – Part II,” among others.
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The film preceded the release of the psychedelic warriors’ landmark 1973 Dark Side of the Moon album, with the band setting up in the ruins of the ancient Roman Amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy in October 1971 for a gig without an audience. It was the first live concert set in one of the oldest surviving amphitheaters in the world, built in 70 B.C.
According to a release, the movie “documents what Pink Floyd did before they became giants of the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic – where their music remains celebrated to this day. Set in the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the ancient Roman Amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy, this unique and immersive film captures Pink Floyd performing an intimate concert without an audience… The breathtaking visuals of the amphitheatre, captured both day and night, amplify the magic of the performance. Additionally, the film includes rare behind-the-scenes footage of the band beginning work on The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road Studios.”
Former Floyd drummer Nick Mason said in a statement that Live At Pompeii is a “rare and unique document of the band performing live in the period before” Dark Side of the Moon. The original has been hand-restored, frame-by-frame from the original 35mm cut negative, which was discovered in five “dubiously labeled” cans in the band’s archive and scanned in 4K using “advanced techniques to ensure the finest, sharpest detail.”
Detailing the new 5.1 and Dolby Atmos mix — intended to match how the band sounded on those “scorching hot days in 1971” — Wilson said, “Ever since my dad brainwashed me as a kid by playing The Dark Side of the Moon on repeat, Pink Floyd has been my favourite band. They are my ‘Beatles,’ deeply ingrained in my musical DNA. I first saw Pompeii from a grainy print at a local cinema. It made an incredible impression on me with its untethered and exploratory rock music made by four musicians that seemed to epitomise the notion of intellectual cool. It was an honour to remix the soundtrack to accompany Lana Topham’s incredible restoration of the film, which looks like it could’ve been filmed yesterday.”
Tickets for the film will go on sale beginning March 5 at 9 a.m. ET here.
Check out the album tracklist and a preview of the band’s “Echoes – Part 1” performance below.
Side A
1. “Pompeii Intro”
2. “Echoes – Part 1”
3. “Careful With That Axe, Eugene”
Side B
1. “A Saucerful of Secrets”
2. “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”
Side C
1. “One of These Days”
2. “Mademoiselle Nobs”
3. “Echoes – Part 2”
Side D
1. “Careful With that Axe, Eugene – Alternate take”
2. “A Saucerful of Secrets – Unedited”
BigXthaPlug (born Xavier Landum) has been arrested on a possession of marijuana charge in Arlington, Texas. The Arlington Police Department tells Billboard BigX was booked into Arlington City Jail early Wednesday (Feb. 26) following a traffic stop shortly after midnight, and was charged with possession of less than two ounces of marijuana. An Arlington Police […]
Billboard‘s Women in Music event wouldn’t be complete without a lineup of powerhouse musical performances, nor would the awards be nearly as meaningful without a slate of accomplished women on hand to present them. And on Wednesday (Feb. 26), the list of names for both were announced ahead of the 2025 ceremony. Among the performers […]