Music News
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Jack Black reimagined a classic My Chemical Romance track in a hilarious sketch on Saturday Night Live.
While hosting the iconic sketch comedy show on April 5, the actor and comedian channeled MCR frontman Gerard Way by performing a reggae parody of the band’s 2006 hit “Welcome to the Black Parade.”
The nearly three-minute sketch, titled “Goth Kid on Vacation,” features SNL cast members Kenan Thompson and Ego Nwodim as members of a Jamaican reggae band who cope with their own pain by laughing at goth kids vacationing on their island.
“When there is war and struggle and pain/ How do we fill our souls with joy again?” the duo sings before adding, “We look and we laugh at goth kid on vacation.”
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The camera then cuts to a stereotypical goth teenager (played by Michael Longfellow) dressed in all black with a classic emo hairstyle. He’s shown playing Magic: The Gathering from his hotel balcony, walking the beach in a heavy black leather jacket and combat boots, and belting in frustration after getting hit with a beach ball while painting his nails black.
Halfway through the pre-recorded skit, a long-haired Black joins the scene with a backing band, adding a reggae twist and reimagining the lyrics to My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome to the Black Parade,” which reached reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2007.
“When I was a young boy, my parents took me down to Jamaica for my high school spring break,” Black sings, wearing an outfit reminiscent of Way’s goth-inspired look from the music video. “They said come to the pool, but I stayed in the room with my graphic novels so I could mastur—-.”
Saturday’s episode also featured musical guests Elton John and Brandi Carlile, who performed a pair of songs from their new collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels? Check out their performances of “Little Richard’s Bible” and the project’s title track here.
Watch SNL‘s “God Kid on Vacation” sketch below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Ariana Grande’s 2024 album Eternal Sunshine returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for its third total week atop the list, flying 87-1 on the April 12-dated chart, following the set’s deluxe reissue, dubbed Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead. Bolstered with six previously unreleased songs, the expanded effort — available at streamers, and to purchase as a download, CD and vinyl LP — earned 137,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending April 3 (up 968%), according to Luminate.
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All versions of the album, old and new, are combined for tracking and charting purposes and continue to chart under the title Eternal Sunshine.
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Eternal Sunshine premiered atop the Billboard 200 dated March 23, 2024, and spent its first two weeks at No. 1. The set contains a pair of chart-toppers on the Billboard Hot 100 in the songs “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).” The project also returns to the top 40 on the Billboard 200 for the first time since the Oct. 19, 2024-dated list, when it ranked at No. 34.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new April 12, 2025-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on April 8. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
With Eternal Sunshine’s return to No. 1 after a year and two weeks, it’s the second title in the last six months to jump back to the top after more than a year away. On the Jan. 4, 2025-dated chart, SZA’s SOS shot back to the top after a 22-month vacation from No. 1. It returned to lead the list after its SOS Deluxe: LANA reissue.
Further, Eternal Sunshine has the largest positional jump to No. 1 (bolting 87-1) since last September, when Travis Scott’s Days Before Rodeo vaulted 106-1 on the Sept. 28, 2024-dated list, after the album’s vinyl edition was shipped to customers.
Of Eternal Sunshine’s 137,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending April 3, SEA units comprise 75,000 (up 541%, equaling 98.45 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it reenters at No. 2 on Top Streaming Albums), traditional album sales comprise 61,000 (up 5,338%, it reenters at No. 1 on Top Album Sales for a second total week atop the list) and TEA units comprise 1,000 (up 4,115%).
Sales of Eternal Sunshine were bolstered by its availability in a variety of permutations released for the Brighter Days Ahead launch. The original Eternal Sunshine album had 13 tracks, and the core Brighter Days Ahead album added six cuts: one extended version of the album-opening “Inro (End of the World)” and five new songs.
Grande’s webstore sold three exclusive variants of the download edition of the album: the 19-track edition, a version with the 19 tracks plus instrumentals of the same cuts, and another version with the 19 tracks and a cappella versions of each cut (all with alternative cover artwork). Grande also released two vinyl variants and six CD editions of the reissue (some signed by the artist), containing the 19 tracks plus the three bonus tracks originally found on the album’s “slightly deluxe” reissues last year.
Playboi Carti’s MUSIC falls to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart after two weeks on top, with 91,000 equivalent album units earned (down 31%). It holds at No. 1 on the Top Streaming Albums chart for a third week.
Lil Durk collects his seventh top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200 as Deep Thoughts debuts at No. 3 with 64,000 equivalent album units earned. The set arrives largely from streaming activity, as it was only available to purchase as a standard widely available digital download album. Of its first-week units, SEA units comprise 63,000 (equaling 85.92 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it debuts at No. 1 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 1,000 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
The rest of the top 10 on the Billboard 200 comprises former No. 1s. Kendrick Lamar’s GNX falls 3-4 (58,000 units; down 10%); PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U is down 4-5 (nearly 58,000; down 6%); SZA’s SOS slips 5-6 (56,000; down 7%); Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet dips 6-7 (51,000; down 7%); Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos is a non-mover at No. 8 (45,000; down 8%); Lady Gaga’s MAYHEM falls 7-9 (nearly 45,000; down 15%); and Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time is stationary at No. 10 (almost 45,000; down 2%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
Saturday Night Live took aim at Morgan Wallen following the country star’s abrupt exit during the show’s end credits in late March.
During the NBC sketch comedy show’s cold open on April 5, just a week after Wallen’s headline-making appearance as musical guest, President Donald Trump — portrayed by James Austin Johnson — made a jab at Wallen while discussing his “Liberation Day” tariffs.
“I even put tariffs on an island uninhabited by humans. It’s called Heard and McDonald Island,” Johnson’s Trump said, holding a poster featuring a hamburger in a hula skirt. “I would love to visit there. Can you imagine that? Big Mac and a hula skirt. Get me to God’s country, right? Remember that?”
The “Get me to God’s country” line was a direct nod to Wallen’s comment on his Instagram Story after his much-discussed exit from the show on March 29, when he abruptly walked off stage at Studio 8H during the end credits after whispering something to host Mikey Madison.
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Later in the April 5 episode, SNL‘s Colin Jost poked fun at Wallen during Weekend Update, cracking jokes about the financial state of the country.
“This was the worst week for the stock market since the summer of 2020. But you have to remember — back then, the president was also Trump,” Jost said. “Just in the past two days, investors have lost over $6 trillion. Money is leaving the stock market faster than Morgan Wallen at goodnights.”
During his musical guest appearance on SNL, Wallen performed the title track from his upcoming album, I’m the Problem, along with his song “Just in Case.”
Just days after his controversial appearance, the country singer capitalized on the highly publicized moment by launching a new line of “Get Me to God’s Country” merchandise. Wallen had not publicly commented on the incident or explained the meaning behind the phrase at press time.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly following Wallen’s walk-off, longtime SNL cast member Kenan Thompson called the incident “definitely a spike in the norm.”
“We’re so used to everybody just turning around and high-fiving us, everybody’s saying, ‘Good job, good job, good job.’ So when there’s a departure from that, it’s like, hmm, I wonder what that’s about?” Thompson said, adding that Prince had done the same thing during his appearance on the show years ago.
“I’m not saying Morgan Wallen is Prince, but we weren’t surprised because Prince was notoriously kind of standoffish. It’s just how he was. So we just thought like, ‘Okay, now he’s gone back into fantasyland.’”
Wallen’s forthcoming album, I’m the Problem, is set to be released on May 16 and features 37 tracks, although only a few song titles have been revealed so far.
Watch SNL‘s cold open and Weekend Update sketches below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Elton John and Brandi Carlile paid a visit to Studio 8H to perform a pair of songs from their new collaborative album.
The longtime friends appeared as the musical guests on Saturday Night Live on April 5, with Jack Black taking on hosting duties.
Set against a starry, neon-lit backdrop with their names emblazoned on the walls, the duo opened with the rocking, 1950s-inspired “Little Richard’s Bible,” with John on piano and Carlile on guitar. Later in the episode, they returned for an inspiring performance of the title track from their new album, Who Believes in Angels?
John and Carlile wrote and created the album alongside John’s long-time co-writer Bernie Taupin and producer Andrew Watt. Who Believes in Angels?, which dropped on April 4, features previously released singles “Swing for the Fences,” “Never Too Late” and the title track.
“As my Farewell tour came to an end, I knew I wanted to make a new album with Brandi, I wanted to shift gears and do something different from anything I’d done before,” John previously told Billboard of the project. “I have always found Brandi so inspiring, our friendship was so close, and I just had the instinct that we could produce something really amazing.”
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The iconic musician added, “Creating Who Believes in Angels? was challenging, and I had a lot of self-doubt, but alongside Bernie Taupin and Andrew Watt, we ended up writing 10 songs in 20 days and it was one of the most joyous and exhilarating experiences I’ve ever had in my life.”
This marked John’s first time back on SNL in more than a decade. He last appeared on the sketch comedy show in 2011, when he pulled double duty as both host and musical guest. Prior to that, he made his SNL debut in 1982. Meanwhile, Saturday marked Carlile’s third appearance on the late-night show.
It’s a busy weekend for both musicians. In addition to their SNL appearance, they will also host a one-hour concert special celebrating the new album. An Evening with Elton John and Brandi Carlile will air on CBS on Sunday (April 6), featuring live performances, stories about the duo’s friendship, and an intimate look at the making of their new album.
Watch John and Carlile’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Ed Sheeran and Weezer were two previously unannounced acts spotted on the 2025 Coachella lineup when set times for the this year’s festival were posted on Saturday (April 5). They’ll each pop in for a one-day, daytime set. Weezer will play the Mojave tent on Saturday afternoon (3:10-3:55 p.m.) on April 12, during the festival’s […]
Deshonne Redeaux just made his college commitment official — and he did it with the kind of hometown love story only Los Angeles can write.
The four-star running back from Carson, California, known for his speed, field vision and unshakable confidence, announced his commitment to the University of Southern California in a full-circle moment that brought two L.A. icons into the spotlight: Snoop Dogg and JuJu Watkins.
“It means a lot to have Snoop Dogg support me at one of my biggest moments,” Redeaux tells Billboard. “I played in his Snoop Youth Football League, and it pathed the way for me to reach my goal of getting a Division 1 college scholarship.”
Also featured in the announcement video (seen in the Instagram post above) was JuJu Watkins, USC’s breakout basketball star and a longtime friend. “JuJu supporting me at this time means so much to me because we grew up together and she has inspired me watching her make history in the city that raised her,” he says. “Can’t wait to share a campus with her, impact the community, and bring national championships back to the city!”
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Redeaux says staying home and playing for USC was about more than football. “I choose USC because nothing is more powerful than impacting the hometown community and being the light in my own backyard,” he says. “Some of the determining factors were the amazing USC tradition and legacy — specifically at the running back position — and being a difference maker to bring the winning culture back to USC football and to the city of Los Angeles.”
To mark the occasion, Redeaux shared his ultimate game day hype playlist exclusively with Billboard, highlighting the music that keeps him focused and fired up before he hits the field.
“Drake featuring Rick Ross, ‘Lord Knows’ — the message behind the song is all about motivation and reflection,” he says. “And with the Lord’s guidance, you can accomplish anything. It really gets me in my mode!”
When it’s tunnel time, he turns to NBA YoungBoy’s “Head Blown.” “It puts me into dog mentality to be a lock in the field,” he says.
Other key tracks include J. Cole’s “Love Yourz,” Ginuwine’s “Same Ol G” and Nipsey Hussle’s “Dedication.”
“I’m most excited about strapping it up for the first time at the Coliseum — that will be a dream come true,” he says. “I want to give back to the youth and always show up for the next generation.”
Check out Deshonne Redeaux’s full Game Day Hype Playlist below, featuring Playboi Carti, EBK Jayboo, SWV, Lil Durk, Icewear Vezzo, BlueBucksClan and more.
Tron is back. On Saturday (April 5), Disney unveiled the first trailer for Tron: Ares, the third installment in the Tron franchise, following the original 1982 film and its 2010 sequel Tron: Legacy. The new trailer offers a glimpse of a dark, brooding landscape where reality and the virtual world collide. The minute-and-a-half-long clip opens […]
Days after teasing a new collaboration with Roc Marciano, Grammy-nominated TDE MC Ab-Soul graced the fifth and final Dreamville Fest — and Billboard caught up with him moments before he hit the stage.
“I’m a little offended because me and [J.] Cole are very good friends and I’m a very good rapper, if not the best rapper of all time,” he said in jest. “Why is this my first time on the lineup? It’s beyond me. They really saved the best for last!”
Though it is Ab’s first time performing at the North Carolina festival, it may not be his last opportunity to head down to Raleigh. During a press conference on Thursday (Apr. 3), Raleigh festival organizers surprised fans by revealing that Dreamville Fest will return in the future under a new iteration. Of course, the final (for now) Dreamville Fest is a poignant moment for Ab, who “came up in the same era” as several key Dreamville stars.
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“These are really my guys, Bas was on my first headlining tour, and that’s where I met Earthgang, JID, Cozz, the whole team,” he said. “They’re undeniable. They’re true MCs, true artists. Ari [Lennox] goes crazy. I’m sure [Dreamville Fest] is a dream come true for Cole and for many others in this area. I’m honored to be here [today].”
Last year, Ab dropped his sixth studio album, Soul Burger, a record dedicated to his best friend Doeburger, who passed away in 2021. Stacked with collaborators like Doechii, Ty Dolla $ign and Lupe Fiasco, Soul Burger also features Doeburger as a posthumously credited writer across all tracks.
In the caption of an Instagram post teasing his forthcoming Roc Marciano collaboration and honoring Doeburger’s birthday (Apr. 1), Ab gave a special shoutout to Cole, thanking the “Middle Child” rapper for sharing his perspective. “Preciate the insight Cole. It was much needed,” he wrote, detailing how much the new song means to him. “It’s imperative that I let the world know the impact my brother left on me and so many others. I didn’t do this for views nor to monetize. I did this to honor someone who was undoubtedly ‘none of a kind.’”
At the very end of his caption, Ab-Soul wrote: “Soul Burger: The Odyssey… Stay tuned.” While it’s unclear what exactly he’s teasing, Ab confirms to Billboard that this new project and his 2022 LP are “two different things.”
“Soul Burger is a character, it’s the fusion of me and Doeburger,” he explains. “The Odyssey is… the odyssey. It’s one of the most special pieces I’ve ever put together, I’m very excited about it. It’s very therapeutic — liberating, if you will. It’s a continuous ode to my brother.”
With new music and a performance at Wiz Khalifa’s forthcoming 420 on the Rocks show on the horizon, Ab-Soul is showing no signs of slowing down in 2025.
American composer Philip Glass will be celebrated with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 25th annual World Soundtrack Awards on Oct. 15 and at a film music concert which will close the Film Fest Gent’s three-day Film Music Days 2025 on Oct. 16 in Ghent, Belgium.
Previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award include Marvin Hamlisch, John Barry, Giorgio Moroder and Elliot Goldenthal. (Full list of previous recipients below.)
The celebration will be held at the film music concert “Minimalism in Motion: Glass, Nyman and Beyond,” which will be held at Muziekcentrum De Bijloke in Ghent. During the concert, a selection of Glass’ work will be performed by the Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brossé, who personally presented the award to Glass in New York.
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While initially renowned for his work for opera and his symphonies, Glass has made an equally impressive contribution to film music. He has received three Oscar nominations for best original score for Kundun, The Hours and Notes on a Scandal.
Glass, 88, has received many other accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a Drama Desk Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for four Grammy Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He has also received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1995, the National Medal of Arts in 2010, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2018, and a Trustees Award from the Recording Academy in 2020.
Glass’s work was recognized at the World Soundtrack Awards in 2007 with two nominations for his score for Notes on a Scandal.
This year’s WSA Film Music Days will be held from Oct. 14-16 during Film Fest Gent (Oct. 8-19). Tickets to the film music concert are now available on filmfestgent.be and worldsoundtrackawards.com.
Here’s a complete list of previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipients at the World Soundtrack Awards:
2024: Elliot Goldenthal
2023: Nicola Piovani and Laurence Rosenthal
2022: Bruno Coulais
2021: Eleni Karaindrou
2020: Gabriel Yared
2019: Krzysztof Penderecki and Frédéric Devreese
2018: Philippe Sarde
2017: David Shire
2016: Ryuichi Sakamoto
2015: Patrick Doyle and George Fenton
2014: Francis Lai
2013: Riz Ortolani
2012: Pino Donaggio
2011: Giorgio Moroder
2010: John Barry
2009: Marvin Hamlisch
2008: Angelo Badalamenti
2007: Mikis Theodorakis
2006: Peer Raben
2005: Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
2004: Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
2003: Maurice Jarre
2002: George Martin
2001: Elmer Bernstein
Elton John is sharing a heartbreaking update about his vision.
During a visit to Good Morning America late last year, the 78-year-old rock legend revealed that he lost the ability to see in his right eye after suffering from an eye infection that summer.
In a new interview with The Times of London, published Friday (April 4), Sir Elton got even more candid about his eyesight problems.
“I can see you, but I can’t see TV, I can’t read,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame icon said. “I can’t see my boys playing rugby and soccer, and it has been a very stressful time because I’m used to soaking it all up.”
John, who shares sons Zachary, 14, and Elijah, 12, with his husband, David Furnish, described the situation as “distressing.”
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“You get emotional, but you have to get used to it because I’m lucky to have the life I have,” the iconic artist said. “I still have my wonderful family, and I can still see something out of [my left eye]. So you say to yourself, ‘Just get on with it.’”
While appearing on Good Morning America in November 2024, John revealed that he contracted the eye infection while in the South of France. “It’s been four months since I haven’t been able to see, and my left eye’s not the greatest. I’m, kind of, stuck in the moment,” he told ABC News’ Robin Roberts at the time.
The hitmaker also shared that his eye issues could impact his ability to make new music.
“I can’t see a lyric, for start. We’re taking an initiative to try and get it better, but at the moment, that’s really what we’re concentrating on,” he said. “It’s never fortunate for anything like this to happen. It kinda floored me, and I can’t see anything. I can’t read anything, I can’t watch anything.”
The following month, John addressed his eyesight loss during the stage debut of The Devil Wears Prada in London. “As some of you may know, I have had issues and now I have lost my sight,” he told the crowd at the Dominion Theatre, according to the Daily Mail. “I haven’t been able to see the performance, but I have enjoyed listening to it.”
John also joked about his eyesight problems during the 2025 Golden Globes, where he took the stage alongside pal (and fellow Grammy winner) Brandi Carlile, who co-wrote the song “Never Too Late” for his documentary Elton John: Never Too Late with him.
“It’s a very special night for me to be here because, I don’t know if you know, but there’s been stories going around about my regressive eyesight,” John said. “I just want to reassure everybody — it’s not as bad as it seems. I’m so pleased to be here with my co-host, Rihanna,” he said, pointing to Carlile.
Despite his eyesight struggles, John teamed up with Carlile for a new collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels?, which arrived on Friday. The duo is set to appear on Saturday Night Live as musical guests on Saturday (April 5), and the day after, they’ll host a one-hour concert special in celebration of the new album.