Music News

26 Feb 2025

BigXthaPlug Arrested on Marijuana Possession Charge in Texas

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 Department spokesperson said that the vehicle BigXthaPlug was driving was pulled over for having expired tags. When an officer approached the vehicle, he smelled marijuana and ordered BigX and a male passenger out of the car.

Officers discovered cigarettes and a “green leafy substance” in the console, along with a “handgun in the passenger door pocket,” according to the Arlington PD spokesperson.

Police identified the passenger as Cleodist Landum. The 22-year-old has an active felony warrant in Bexar County, Texas. The spokesperson also noted that officers found marijuana on him and booked him on possession of marijuana and unlawful carrying of a weapon charges.

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Billboard has reached out to reps for BigXthaPlug for comment.

BigX, 26, has become one of the rising stars out of Dallas. His breakout hit “Texas” served as an ode to his home state in 2023. Last year, he made his Billboard Hot 100 debut with “Mmhmm” (No. 63).

The rapper unleashed his Take Care project in October which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and contained Billboard Hot 100 entries such as “2am,” “Change Me” and “The Largest.”

“I feel like for the past decade it’s been a lot of mumble rap. People not talking about nothing,” BigX told Billboard in January. “I’m talking about something. A lot of the older people who love music, that’s what they grew up on — actual substance. Here’s this young dude that sound old, but he on these young-old beats. I literally mixed everything up so everybody could love it.”

26 Feb 2025

Gracie Abrams, aespa, GloRilla, Tyla & More to Perform at Billboard Women in Music 2025

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 at this year’s show — taking place at 10 p.m. ET on March 29 — are Ángela Aguilar, aespa, GloRilla, Gracie Abrams, Megan Moroney, Muni Long and Tyla. As previously announced, each of those names will be honored with one of Billboard‘s several WIM titles, with the “Que Agonia” singer set to receive the Breakthrough Award and the K-pop quartet taking home Group of the Year. The Memphis rapper and former Eras Tour headliner are 2025’s Powerhouse Award recipient and Songwriter of the Year, respectively, while the country crooner will accept the Rulebreaker Award, the “Made for Me” artist will receive the Rising Star prize and the South African pop princess will take home the Impact Award.

Joining those women onstage will be Tanner Adell, Julia Michaels, Mickey Guyton, Kali Uchis, Madison Beer, Summer Walker and Zara Larsson, each of whom has been tapped to present.

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Additional performers will also be announced in the coming weeks.

Hosted this year by Laverne Cox, the 2025 Women in Music ceremony will take place at YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif. Fans can purchase tickets to the event on Ticketmaster or tune in live on VIZIO WatchFree+.

The aforementioned performers aren’t the only influential women receiving awards: Erykah Badu is also set to receive the Icon Award, JENNIE of BLACKPINK will be recognized with the Global Force Award and Meghan Trainor will accept the Hitmaker Award. The announcement for 2025’s Woman of the Year is coming soon.

26 Feb 2025

j-hope of BTS to Team Up With Miguel on New Solo Single ‘Sweet Dreams’: Here’s When It Arrives

No, j-hope fans, you aren’t dreaming — he really is releasing a new solo project. On Wednesday (Feb. 26), the BTS star announced a new single titled “Sweet Dreams,” featuring Miguel. 

Arriving March 7, the duet will find j-hope and the “Sure Thing” musician’s voices blending over a soulful R&B-pop track as they sing about the “desire to love and be loved,” according to the press release. The collaboration will mark the two stars’ first time working together. 

On the idyllic cover, which j-hope also shared Wednesday, the South Korean performer kicks back in a blue convertible, magically driving through sheets of clouds in the sky. The title dominates the artwork in fluffy, pastel yellow lettering. 

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“Sweet Dreams” will mark j-hope’s first proper release since his special album HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1, which arrived in March last year. The project reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200, his highest solo peak on the chart to date. 

The “More” vocalist also paired the LP with a docuseries of the same name. Traveling to New York, Paris, Osaka, Seoul and his hometown of Gwangju in South Korea, j-hope explored his passion for dance in the six-part Prime Video project.  

He’s now gearing up to hit the road again, this time on a tour kicking off one week before “Sweet Dreams” drops. The 31-date HOPE ON THE STAGE trek will begin with a three-night stay at Seoul’s KSPO DOME starting Friday (Feb. 28). 

Not counting his February feature on Don Toliver’s “LV Bag” alongside Pharrell Williams, “Sweet Dreams” also marks j-hope’s first proper solo release since he was discharged from the South Korean military. All seven members of BTS have spent the past two years or so fulfilling mandatory service requirements in their home country, during which the chart-topping boy band has been on a break from group activities that’s set to end this year. Jin was the first band member to finish his military duties in June, followed by j-hope in October. 

See the art for “Sweet Dreams” below:

26 Feb 2025

‘Bono: Stories of Surrender’ Doc About U2 Singer’s One-Man Show Headed to Apple TV+

Apple Original Films announced that the documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on May 30. In addition, the “lyrical, bold exploration” of the U2 singer’s one-man show of the same name based on his 2022 memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs One Story, will also be the first feature-length film available on the Apple Vision Pro in Apple Immersive Video.

The movie directed by Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James) is described in a press release as, “a vivid reimagining of Bono’s critically-acclaimed one-man stage show, Stories of Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief…, as he pulls back the curtain on a remarkable life and the family, friends, and faith that have challenged and sustained him, revealing personal stories about his journey as a son, father, husband, activist and rockstar. Along with never-before-seen, exclusive footage from the Beacon Theatre shows, the film features Bono performing many of the iconic U2 songs that have shaped his life and legacy.”

The Apple Vision Pro version will present the film in 8K with Spatial Audio, producing a 180-degree visual that, “places viewers onstage with Bono and in the center of his story. With this special edition of the film available only on Vision Pro, viewers will feel completely immersed in the music and storytelling of Surrender.”

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The movie was produced by RadicalMedia’s Oscar- and Emmy-winning duo of Jon Kamen and Dave Sirulnick (Summer of Soul, Hamilton), along with Plan B Entertainment’s Oscar-winning actor/producer Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner (Moonlight, 12 Years a Slave), with Bono executive producing with Jennifer Pitcher (Kiss The Future) and Kelly McNamara (V-U2 an Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas).

An abridged and updated edition of Bono’s memoir — described as “introspective, intimate and irreverent in equal measure… refined to mirror the arc of his one-man show and featur[ing] a film tie-in book cover and new introduction by the author” — will be released in conjunction with the documentary.

26 Feb 2025

Liam Payne’s Blood Alcohol Content At Time of Death Near Lethal Levels

Liam Payne‘s blood alcohol level was more than three times the limit allowed while driving in the United States at the time of the singer’s death from a 40-foot fall in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October. The results were included in a report from the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 14 released on Friday, which showed that an autopsy found that the former One Direction member and solo star had “alcohol concentrations of up to 2.7 grams per liter in blood” at the time of his death.

While Payne, 31, was not driving at the time, for context, the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) in the U.S. for drivers over 21 is 0.08%; 2.7 grams per liter translates to 0.27% BAC, which is more than three times the U.S. driving limit.

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According to the American Addiction Centers’ Alcohol.org, that BAC can cause, “confusion, feeling dazed, and disorientation… Sensations of pain will change, so if you fall and seriously hurt yourself, you may not notice, and you are less likely to do anything about it.” Other potential effects include: blackouts, nausea, vomiting and impairment of the gag reflex, “which could cause choking or aspirating on vomit.”

The Cleveland Clinic also notes that while a BAC of 0.15%-0.30% can cause the above symptoms and drowsiness, Payne’s measured level was just below the BAC (0.30%-0.40%) that can cause alcohol poisoning, “a potentially life-threatening condition… [which can cause a] loss of consciousness.”

The Argentinian report noted that in addition to the dangerous BAC, the autopsy revealed that Payne — whose death it said was a result of “multiple trauma and internal and external bleeding” caused by a fall from a three-story hotel balcony — also had cocaine metabolites, methylecgonine, benzoylecgomine, cocaethylene and the medication sertraline (Zoloft).

The prosecutor’s office announced in November that a toxicology report said Payne had “alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants” in his system when he died on Oct. 16.

Last week, an Argentinian court dropped charges of criminal negligence against three of the five people indicted in connection with Payne’s death. The court cleared the head receptionist at the CasaSur Hotel, Esteban Grassi, Argentinian-American businessman Rogelio Nores, a friend who accompanied Payne on the trip, and Gilda Martin, the hotel’s manager. Grassi made two emergency calls prior to the deadly accident, first reporting that a guest was “trashing the entire room” and later expressing concerns that the guest “may be in danger.” 

In a recent Rolling Stone exposé, Payne’s former girlfriend, model Maya Henry, described the singer’s longtime struggles with depression and addiction, saying he became “someone unrecognizable” when he was using substances.

26 Feb 2025

Five Finger Death Punch, Breaking Benjamin & Shinedown to Headline 2025 Rocklahoma Festival

The 2025 Rocklahoma festival will feature headlining sets from Five Finger Death Punch, Breaking Benjamin and Shinedown. The hard rock throwdown in Pryor, OK slated to take place from Aug. 29-31 will also feature first-night sets from embattled rocker Marilyn Manson, OG shock rock icon Alice Cooper, The Darkness, Ramones drummer Marky Ramone playing a set of the punk godfathers’ most iconic songs, as well as Hinder, Dorothy, Saliva, Orianthi, The Band Feel, Paralandra and many more.

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Among those joining Breaking Benjamin on night two at the Rockin’ Red Dirt Ranch Festival Grounds will be: Three Days Grace, Knocked Loose, Rage Against the Machine guitarist and solo performer Tom Morello, Starset, Citizen Soldier, Ayron Jones, Drowning Pool, 10 Years, Return to Dust, Zero 9:36, Fan Halen, Fox N’ Vead and others.

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Night three will pair Shinedown with 311, Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, Flyleaf with Lacey Strum, The Struts, Of Mice & Men, Sunami, Barbarians of California, The Funeral Portrait, Mike Tramp’s White Lion, Chained Saint and Wargasm UK, among others. There will also be a Thursday Night Throwdown kick-off concert with sets from Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider, along with Trixter, Sebastian James, Rocket Science and Crimson Love.

Tickets for the festival will go on sale on Friday (Feb. 28) here.

Last year’s Rocklahoma featured sets from Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Slipknot, Evanescence, A Day to Remember, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Skillet, Mastodon, Clutch, Kerry King, Coal Chamber and a reunited Anthrax.

Check out the full Rocklahoma 2025 Festival lineup below.

26 Feb 2025

After ‘Drinking All Day’ With Taylor Swift at a Chiefs Game, Tennis Star Frances Tiafoe Says Singer Was ‘So Cool’

Frances Tiafoe never considered himself to be a Swiftie. But after the world’s No. 18-ranked tennis pro met Taylor Swift at a Kansas City Chief’s game at Arrowhead Stadium last November — where the singer was cheering on her boyfriend KC tight end Travis Kelce — he came away super impressed, and seemingly pretty buzzed.

In an interview with Tennis TV this week, Tiafoe revealed that not only is Taylor a great hang, she can also toss ’em back like a pro. “We go into this suite, and the first person we see in this suite is Taylor,” Tiafoe, 27, said of the game he attended with his girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield.

“We were drinking all day together. She was so cool. One of the most humble people for who she is. Super down to earth. Hopefully, we can do that again,” Tiafoe said, admitting he wasn’t a big fan of the singer before they met. “It’s crazy because, you know like, I’m not even saying I’m a Swiftie, but like, I appreciate greatness so much,” he admitted. “Seeing how cool she was, she’s got my ultimate respect.”

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Not only did they enjoy a few beverages, but singer/songwriter/actress/baker Swift also impressed Tiafoe by being “very knowledgable” about tennis, he said, noting that the singer told him she’d wanted to see him play in the final at last year’s U.S. Open, which he narrowly missed after losing in five sets to fellow American Taylor Fritz.

“And she was like, ‘Trav loves you,’” he added.

After wrapping her historic Eras Tour in December, and falling to the Eagles in this month’s Super Bowl LIX, Swift and Kelce, respectively, are seemingly taking some well-deserved time off to recharge.

26 Feb 2025

Tate McRae Recalls First Time Singing With The Kid Laroi

Tate McRae is having a moment. With her latest album, So Close To What, surging toward the top of the Billboard 200, the singer-songwriter stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday (Feb. 25) to reflect on her whirlwind year.

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During her chat with Fallon, McRae reflected on her first time performing with boyfriend and fellow singer, The Kid Laroi, who appears on her new album, as well as the shock of discovering her entire project had leaked weeks before release.

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McRae and Laroi’s collaboration, “I Know Love,” marks their first official duet, but the singer admitted to Fallon that singing together didn’t come as naturally as some might expect.

“It was a little nerve-wracking,” she told Fallon. “I mean, the first time we ever sang in front of each other was actually at my MSG show last year.”

She described the awkwardness of rehearsing for that moment. “You just, like, fake sing in front of each other all the time,” she said. “So, like, even when we were at our show last year, we were sitting in soundcheck like, ‘Are you going to sing first?’”

McRae laughed as she recalled their time in the studio together. “It was the same kind of situation in the studio. I was just like, ‘Can you, like, not listen?’”

Beyond the excitement of her new album and collaboration, McRae also opened up about a nightmare scenario for any artist—her album leaking weeks before its official release. “I was sitting in the bathtub, and I get a DM from one of my fans, and they were just like, ‘Here’s the link to the whole album,’” she revealed. “And it was like five weeks till the album was gonna drop.”

“I call my mom, call my therapist,” she admitted. “I mean, it’s just hard because I feel like it takes away all your control as an artist. You want to deliver your art exactly how you want it to come out.”

Despite the setback, McRae took the situation in stride. “I feel like we turned it around and added some more songs,” she said. “I think that’s the only thing you can really do in a situation like this, is just take advantage of it.”

Fallon then shifted gears, bringing up an unexpected feature on the album—Sydney Sweeney’s surprise cameo on So Close To What track “Miss Possessive.” “I was in Pilates and ran into Glen Powell,” McRae explained. “He was like, ‘Oh my God, I was just talking about you with Sydney Sweeney!’”

To her shock, Powell pulled out his phone to reveal that Sweeney had sent him a voice memo about McRae. “Sydney was like, ‘I’m obsessed with Tate McRae!’”

That moment led to McRae recruiting the Euphoria star for a voice cameo. “So, I got her to be on the song!” she said.

26 Feb 2025

Millie Bobby Brown Supports Britney Spears Telling Her Own Story

Millie Bobby Brown knows what it’s like to grow up under a microscope after catapulting to fame for her role in Netflix’s Stranger Things, so it’s no surprise she once felt a connection to pop icon Britney Spears, who also found herself navigating worldwide stardom as a teenager.

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While Brown has expressed interest in portraying the pop icon previously, she’s now making it clear: Spears’ story is one only Spears herself should tell.

Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere of The Electric State on Feb. 24, Brown revisited whether she’d like to play Spears in an upcoming biopic in an interview with Access Hollywood. “I mean, she is an absolute icon. I would love nothing more than to be a part of her story,” Brown said. “But that’s her story, and I am in full support of her bringing her story to life how she wants to.”

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Brown’s comments come after a 2022 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, where she first revealed that her “dream role” would be playing Spears on screen. At the time, she explained why she felt connected to the singer’s journey.

“Growing up in the public eye, watching her videos, watching interviews of her when she was young… I see the scramble for words,” she told Barrymore. “And I don’t know her, but when I look at pictures of her, I feel like I could tell her story in the right way — and hers only.”

The response from Spears was swift. The following day, the “Toxic” singer took to Instagram with a post many assumed was directed at Brown. “I hear about people wanting to do movies about my life… dude, I’m not dead!!!” she wrote.

Since then, Spears has taken control of her own narrative. Universal Pictures secured the rights to her best-selling memoir The Woman in Me and announced in August 2024 that a biopic was officially in development, directed by Wicked filmmaker Jon M. Chu.

Spears herself confirmed the news, writing on X, “Excited to share with my fans that I’ve been working on a secret project with #MarcPlatt. He’s always made my favorite movies … stay tuned.”

Meanwhile, The Electric State, Brown’s latest film, arrives on Netflix on March 14.

25 Feb 2025

Rilo Kiley Expand Reunion Tour, Announce Greatest Hits Compilation

Just weeks after confirming a reunion tour, Rilo Kiley have expanded their tour and announced a new compilation album.

After having their plans for a reunion tour announcement prematurely leaked due to an early reveal of the lineup to California’s Just Like Heaven festival, Rilo Kiley officially confirmed their comeback in early February by detailing a ten-date run of U.S. shows.

“It’s going to be wonderful for us, like going back to the purest version of yourself, that early 20s place where everything is possible,” explained vocalist Jenny Lewis. “You’re in a van and Jason’s got the map, Pierre is behind the wheel, and I’m on the shitty acoustic guitar on the bench seat working out a new song with Blake. I don’t think it’s ever been as good as that, when it was just us against the world.”

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Dubbed the Sometimes When You’re On, You’re Really Fucking On Tour in honor of their track “A Better Son/Daughter,” the tour’s announcement also came accompanied by word the band would be reissuing their second album, The Execution of All Things. This new version – subtitled the Frozen Lake Edition – will arrive via Saddle Creek Records on April 25.

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Now, the band have expanded their plans further, continuing their reunion with an additional series of shows in September. Expanding their original run with an extra date in Seattle on May 24, Rilo Kiley will reconvene after summer and perform 13 shows throughout September. Few support acts have been announced for the upcoming gigs, with the band’s May date at Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre seeing them joined by Julien Baker and Torres, and their performance at Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater featuring the Mountain Goats.

“Planning this reunion over these past months has been like reconnecting with family. We haven’t missed a beat,” bassist Pierre de Reeder said in a statement. “The stakes are only to have a good time, to revel in this nostalgia. Getting to revisit and celebrate the music from that special time of our lives while experiencing it alongside a lot of people that lived it with us back when, and new folks alike.”

The new dates have also been paired news of a new greatest hits-style compilation album, with That’s How We Choose to Remember It scheduled to arrive via Saddle Creek on May 9.

Rilo Kiley first formed in 1998 with actress and musician Lewis joined by Reeder, guitarist Blake Sennett and drummer Dave Rock. Jason Boesel would replace rock in 2001.

The group rose to fame throughout the ’00s, releasing a total of four albums, including their 2001 debut Take Offs and Landings and its 2002 follow-up The Execution of All Things. While 2004’s More Adventurous would give them their debut on the Billboard 200 (albeit at No. 161), 2007 album Under the Blacklight was their most commercially successful, reaching No. 22 on the charts.

The group would play their final show in June 2008, later announcing they had embarked upon a hiatus. In 2013, however, it was confirmed they had in fact disbanded. During their hiatus, Lewis focused on her solo career, releasing a total of four albums since 2008, and reuniting with The Postal Service for shows in 2013 and 2023.

Rilo Kiley – Sometimes When You’re On, You’re Really Fucking On Tour Dates

May 5 – Fremont Theatre, San Luis Obispo, CA
May 7 – Libbey Bowl, Ojai, CA
May 10 – Just Like Heaven, Pasadena, CA
May 12 – The Van Buren, Phoenix, AZ
May 14 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
May 16 – Kilby Block Party, Salt Lake City, UT
May 17 – Treefort Music Fest, Boise, ID
May 19 – Center for the Arts, Jackson, WY
May 21 – Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC, Canada
May 23 – McMenamins Grand Lodge, Portland, OR
May 24 – Chateau Ste. Michelle, Seattle, WA
September 3 – College Street Music Hall, New Haven, CT
September 4 – The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
September 7 – MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Boston, MA
September 8 – SummerStage @ Central Park, New York, NY
September 10 – The Anthem, Washington, DC
September 11 – Roxian Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
September 13 – Bourbon & Beyond, Louisville, KY
September 16 – Palace Theatre, Saint Paul, MN
September 17 – The Astro, La Vista, NE
September 21 – Sing Out Loud Festival, St. Augustine, FL
September 23 – The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN
September 24 – Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC
September 26 – The Eastern, Atlanta, GA