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Trending on Billboard Nicki Nicole talks about the surprising success of her album NAIKI, nominated for both a Grammy and a Latin Grammy, her gratitude towards Billboard for supporting her when she was a rising star, how she managed to rap with an orchestra, and how Rosalía’s new album is inspiring her today. Nicki Nicole: […]
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Glitz and glam took over the Mandalay Convention Center in Las Vegas on Wednesday (Nov. 12), where industry leaders and Latin music stars alike gathered for a night of celebration at The Latin Recording Academy’s 2025 Person of the Year gala honoring Raphael.
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“We are celebrating a living legend of Latin music,” Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy, said to attendees before inviting the 82-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter to the stage. “Let’s welcome an iconic artist who is undoubtedly a legend in Spanish-language music. He created a personal style that has transcended generations and borders. Today, we will be telling your story through your music. We’ve invited friends and colleagues, but also artists from the new generation who recognize your career.”
The invite-only gala that finished around midnight included a three-course dinner, a two-hour long tribute to Raphael, and a five-minute video that showcased Raphael’s more than 65 years in music: “I see colleagues of mine retiring. I’m not going to retire,” he said in one of the clips. “I still have many countries to visit, and as long as my voice holds up, I’ll be singing.”
At 9:30 p.m., Enrique Bunbury opened the show with a soft rock version of Raphael’s 1966 classic “Yo Soy Aquel.” He was then joined by Carin León for some jaw-dropping harmonies during a performance of “Ahora.” León then stayed to perform 1988’s “Toco Madera.” Later in the evening, Fito Paez and Rozalen performed “Enséñame a Olvidarte”; Rozalen brought out Susana Baca for a “Chabacano, Limeña” duet; and Pepe Aguilar was joined by Myriam Hernandez for a sweet rendition of “Procuro Olvidarte.”
Cafe Quijano, Gaby Moreno, Elena Rose, Ivan Cornejo, Jesse & Joy, Pablo Lopez, Aitana, Kiki Morente, Angeles Toledano, Vanessa Martín, Kany Garcia, and Carlos Rivera, were among the many artists who also honored El Divo de Linares with their captivating vocals. “I would clone you,” García told him. “You are a magical human being. Long live Raphael, this is your night!”
The highlight of the night, however, was when David Bisbal performed the timeless 1980s ballad “Como Yo Te Amo.” At one point in the powerful performance, Bisbal walked off stage and sat across Raphael at the dinner table, where he was joined by his loved ones. Bisbal passionately sang to him as a teary-eyed Raphael smiled and sang along.
“The truth is, Raphael, we’re friends, and thank you for leaving a legacy of discipline, effort, and sacrifice… I don’t know how many times you sang while sick,” Bisbal said to him. “That’s the legacy you’ve left for all artists. You can count on me to always carry your word. I promise you.”
The evening wrapped up with the rhythmic 1992 tune “Escándalo” performed by tropical stars Willy Chirino (who composed the song for Raphael’s Ave Fénix album), Eddy Herrera, and Victor Manuelle.
Raphael — who was diagnosed last year with primary brain lymphoma — then briefly took the stage to remind his family, friends, and colleagues in the room: “I hope to return for many more years.”
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Ben Stiller was reminded of Wicked: For Good star Ariana Grande‘s prodigious talents when the singer signed on to play his future daughter-in-law in the upcoming episode in the Fockers quadrilogy, Focker-in-Law. “It’s crazy how talented [she is],” Stiller told Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday night’s (Nov. 12) Tonight Show.
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“She’s so sweet. I didn’t know her before,” Stiller said, before quickly realizing that they had previously had a meet-weird on set. “Actually, I had met her before because she did a cameo in Zoolander 2 10 years ago. She was in an orgy scene we had. But I haven’t seen her since the orgy. She’s so great with comedy. She’s amazing in Wicked and she’s such a good singer, obviously, too,” he recalled.
Stiller described how Grande would wander around set humming and singing to herself, mimicking the vocal exercises the singer would do to keep her instrument prepped. He described the murmurations as “incredible, operatic… kind of soliloquy. And that’s just her humming. It doesn’t sound like I just did it. That sounds like I was possessed or something.”
Though Grande’s dramatic chops are on full display in both Wicked movies, the 32-year-old superstar who got her start in light comedy on Nickelodeon’s Victorious and Sam & Cat more than 15 years ago still has her comedy chops fully intact according to Stiller. “She’s so good with comedy. She’s just like a total natural,” he told Fallon. “I feel like she could do anything.”
Grande recently confirmed that she’d finished her time on the Fockers-in-Law set while sharing a sweet message to her co-stars and some pics from the shoot. “these past few months have been so, so unimaginably special. i love my Fockers, and i love my Byrnes… so, so very much. i will miss this bunch terribly. see you next november!” Grande wrote on on Oct. 31 in a post that featured her pointing to a nameplate with her character’s name (Olivia Jones) and hugging Stiller.
Fockers-in-Law, which also stars returning cast members Robert De Niro, Teri Polo and Blythe Danner, will be in theaters on Nov. 25, 2026.
Watch Stiller talk working with Grande on The Tonight Show below.
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Liam Gallagher is clearly having a blast on Oasis‘ reunion tour. You can tell the band’s lead singer and former enfant terrible is enjoying himself because he keeps dropping bread crumbs suggesting that he’s excited for the good times with older brother guitarist/songwriter Noel to roll on.
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Gearing up for the final push of shows in South America that kick off on Nov. 15 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Liam hopped into the comments on an X user’s post on Wednesday (Nov. 12) asking: “are you sad that tour is ending soon?” The unrelentingly cheeky singer replied in a way that once again gave hope to all the fans who weren’t able to catch this year’s shows, or who just can’t wait to see the Britpop legends again.
“I’m not actually as I know things you don’t know,” Liam wrote, before muddying the waters again when another fan begged to know “LIAM WHAT DOES THAT MEAN.” Without explaining, the singer said, “Google it.” Aware of rampant speculation that the band could be on the road again next year — including incessant rumors that they plan to make a triumphant return to mark the 30th anniversary of their legendary 1996 Knebworth gigs in front of 250,000 fans — Liam was evasive again when asked if that was “code” for “we’re going on tour next year.”
That latter question was tied to an earlier tease, in which Liam said the brothers’ rapturously received reunion was “only starting.” Liam, being Liam, threw a wet blanked on that, writing, “Next year might be a little enthusiastic.”
With no solid information relayed, Liam did weigh in once more, brushing aside a question about those who’ve claimed that reunion was just “for the money.” Gallagher tut-tutted that assertion, replying, “Nobody think that it’s just fake news everybody knows we’re in it for the people and the good vibrations.”
To be perfectly clear, at press time no additional dates have been announced for the band after the planned final show at MorumBIS in São Paulo, Brazil on Nov. 23 and spokespeople for Oasis have not responded to previous requests for comment on whether the tour will continue. But Gallagher has continually raised hopes, telling Australian fans last week, “You’ve got a lovely f–king country. See you again.”
Last month, after a fan complained about one of his favorite songs (“The Hindu Times”) not making the tour’s rigid setlist this time around, Gallagher cheekily responded, “Chill Winston it’s not even HALF TIME yet it’s a tour of 2 half’s.” To be fair, Gallagher has appeared to be playing a long game from the beginning, ending a Sept. 28 gig at Wembley Stadium in London with the first tease of what’s (possibly) to come when he said, “see you next year.”
After a legendarily sibling rivalry-fueled break-up in 2009, Gallagher reunited with Noel earlier this year to reform the group for a sold-out run that kicked off on July 4 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. They followed up with a five-night run at Heaton Park in their hometown of Manchester, U.K. and gigs in London, Edinburgh and Dublin before moving on to North America, Mexico City, South Korean, Japan and Australia.
Check out Gallagher’s tweets below.
I’m not actually as I know things you don’t know— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) November 12, 2025
Next year might be a little enthusiastic— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) November 12, 2025
Nobody thinks that it’s just fake news everybody knows we’re in it for the people and the good vibrations— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) November 8, 2025
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The Osbourne family shared some of their collective grief on this week’s episode of The Osbournes Podcast. Wife Sharon and children Jack and Kelly revealed the secret health crisis Ozzy Osbourne suffered before his final, triumphant Back to the Beginning performance, as well as the kind words of condolence the family received from two world leaders following the rock icon’s death on July 22 at 76 years old.
On the first episode of the podcast since Ozzy’s death the trio talked about the rocker’s difficult final year, his “living wake” curtain call show and the powerful way grief has bonded them even more. They also revealed that after years of health struggles that included a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, pneumonia and a botched spinal surgery, Ozzy took a turn for the worse last December when he took “a little fall.”
Then, just two weeks before the all-star Back to the Beginning show at Villa Park in the rocker’s hometown of Birmingham, England, Jack said Ozzy was hospitalized. “The story, I don’t think even you know it, we had him in the hospital and we were just terrified that people were going to find out,” said Sharon about the unnamed ailment that threatened to derail the triumphant last bow.
“So we had all the security and the hospital… the hospital was amazing, they really were. The people at the front desk were told ‘nobody, if they ask for Ozzy, he’s not here. Nobody’s allowed up’, all of that,” she said during the emotional 90-minute pod that had the trio seated around a large wooden dining table strewn with piles of magazines featuring the rocker on the cover. “They had pictures of all of us who were allowed up, and names, and this guy comes up and says ‘I want to see John Osbourne [Ozzy’s legal name]’ so of course there’s a red light and they go ‘who are you?’ and he goes ‘I’m his brother.’”
When someone from security called up to say that Ozzy’s brother was there to see him, Sharon said she replied that there was “no way” that was true because his brother didn’t even know he was there. “His sisters, his brother didn’t know. So I sent security down and I said ‘find out who this guy is, he’s definitely from the press,’” Sharon said, revealing that, as it turned out, there was another John Osbourne at that hospital and it was that John’s brother. “[We] felt so terrible,” she said.
And while it’s shocking to think that Ozzy essentially went from hospital to stage for his final gig, Jack made it clear that his dad was determined to make it to the massive gig that featured solo and Black Sabbath sets featuring Ozzy, as well as an all-star group of metal offspring, including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains Anthrax and more. “It’s not like we forced him, wheeled him out there… to do this gig,” Jack said. “He was adamant… he was running the show. He said he knew exactly what he wanted. Yeah, and he was determined to do it.”
Amid the torrent of well-wishes and condolences that poured in after Ozzy’s death from friends, fellow rockers and longtime fans was a voicemail from Donald Trump. Sharon — who competed on the 2010 season of Trump’s reality show Celebrity Apprentice — revealed that the American president reached out with kind words before playing the message in which Trump said, “Hi, Sharon, it’s Donald Trump, and I just wanted to wish you the best. Ozzy was amazing. He was an amazing guy. I met him a few times, and I want to tell you he was unique in every way and talented. So I just wanted to wish you the best, and it’s a tough thing. I know how close you were, and whatever I can do. Take care of yourself. Say hello to the family.”
Sharon also noted another message from a world leader: a personal letter the family received from England’s King Charles. “We got a lovely letter from the king,” Jack said, with Sharon adding: “Our king, he’s an amazing person. Not just because he wrote to us when Ozzy passed… if he did it for us, you know he does it for many, many, many people.”
It wasn’t the first time King Charles has reached out to wish Ozzy a happy birthday, according to Sharon. “When Ozzy was sick in hospital with the motorbike accident, he reached out. He’s a good, caring man with a good heart,” Sharon said of the King. “Ozzy, as me… we’re royalists. We respect him, we respect his family. He took the time out of his day to write us, have it hand-delivered to us, a note from the king for Ozzy’s passing with his condolences. And that says so much.”
Watch the Osbournes podcast below.
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With the single “Quagmire,” Mandarin singer Zi Yu claimed the top spot in the Vol.01 September Selection of “Star Power Monthly Selection” (held by Billboard China, Tencent Music’s QQ Music and JOOX platforms).
From constant experimentation to commanding the stage, from wearing the “newcomer” label to earning “champion” recognition, Zi Yu has achieved a striking breakthrough with “Quagmire,” emerging as one of the most promising new voices in Chinese music.
The sound of “Quagmire” now lingers as the defining memory of this past September. We look forward to seeing the boy who once rose from the mud continue to dig, through his music, toward a vaster world.
Below, Li Shi Jue, the songwriter of “Quagmire,” speaks with Billboard China to decode the creative force behind the very first “Star Power Monthly Selection” champion song.
Zi Yu
Billboard China
The song Quagmire has resonated widely with listeners. Were you surprised? What do you think made it so moving?
Li Shi Jue: I was a bit surprised, yet not entirely, because our team actually wrote this song a few years ago. Its theme and melodic line have a retro, catchy quality, the kind that naturally evokes emotional resonance. Songs from that same creative period included Dislocated Space-Time, which later became a big hit. I think what really touches people is the combination of a simple, memorable melody and straightforward, relatable lyrics, brought to life by Zi Yu’s heartfelt performance. The overall listening experience just flows smoothly. When we wrote it, we only wanted to capture honestly the feeling of being stuck in a certain emotion or situation. We never imagined it would be embraced by so many people. Looking back now, perhaps what moved listeners was its authenticity — that tangled obsession of “wanting to break free yet sinking deeper,” a struggle everyone encounters at some point in life. The song doesn’t preach any grand truths; it simply passes on the feeling of “breathing inside the Quagmire,” and somehow, someone out there heard their own echo in it.
When writing “Quagmire,” what core emotion or idea did you most want to express? Where did the original inspiration come from?
What I wanted most to convey was a state of emotion—it could be my own feelings, or projections of many different kinds of emotions. It’s about recalling past experiences, being overwhelmed by sadness, crying awake in the middle of the night, falling asleep only to wake up crying again. That cycle of repeating pain mirrors the song’s looping melody. The inspiration naturally came from life: once you’ve lived through something like that, you can’t help but write it down. I believe everyone has their own “Quagmire moment”—a low point in life. It’s not about the inspiration of “getting out of the Quagmire,” but about the courage to “stand firm within it”. The earliest ideas came in fragments: seeing friends torment themselves over a goal that fell through; watching someone repeatedly edit and delete late-night social media moments out of confusion; or even my own frustration when I get stuck—when the harder I try to write, the less I can. These scattered moments came together like scenes of many people circling in their own “Quagmires,” and suddenly I wanted to write a song to tell listeners: It’s okay to be stuck. You don’t have to force yourself to climb out right away. Take a look at the soil beneath your feet—maybe something can grow from it.
When creating music, what do you value most? Does “Quagmire” reflect this philosophy?
When I write songs, I care most about the completeness and directness of the story, and about how catchy the melody is. I used to pursue more avant-garde arrangements or melodies to create relatively niche works, but as I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that what sounds truly good is often simple. “Quagmire” embodies exactly that belief. What I value most is accuracy—not technical precision, but emotional accuracy, staying true to the feeling. For example, the line “tears reach my lips, a little salty” wasn’t written just to rhyme; it’s meant to capture that physical detail of “trying to hold back your tears halfway through crying”. That kind of specific pain carries more weight than simply shouting “I’m so sad”. Quagmire achieves that—it doesn’t rely on ornate language. It sings of tangible emotions: “the darkness when you turn away,” and “the sweetness in dreams and the tears upon waking”. It’s like laying bare the creases of your heart for others to see, without hiding, without pretense.
What special charm do you think Zi Yu’s performance brings to this song?
Zi Yu truly infused this song with a special kind of magic. He’s a young, energetic singer of the new generation, while I wrote the song with a deliberately retro sensibility in mind. That collision between the “new” and the “old” gave “Quagmire” a fresh soul. There’s a kind of restrained resilience in Zi Yu’s voice that fits the song’s temperament perfectly. He doesn’t use explosive power to express the pain of being trapped in the Quagmire; instead, he shapes the details with soft, airy tones. In the line “repeating the sorrow again and again,” you can catch a faint, almost imperceptible tremor. That choice to hold back instead of crying out actually makes the struggle within the “Quagmire” feel more real. It’s like how, in real life, people in distress don’t always scream; more often, they wrestle silently with themselves. And Zi Yu managed to sing out the weight of that silence.
For listeners who found resonance in “Quagmire” and those who might be going through their own “Quagmire moment,” what would you most like to say to them?
If you happen to be living through your own “Quagmire” right now, tell yourself: let the storm rage on. Only time can heal, and there’s no other cure. If you’ve parted ways with someone, don’t disturb their life again. This experience might one day become one of the most beautiful memories on your journey. And when you emerge from the storm, safe and whole, you’ll no longer be the same person you once were. Stay strong!
At the same time, I want everyone to know: you’re not the only one sinking. Every life has stretches of road where people just can’t seem to move forward. Don’t rush to deny yourself, wondering “why haven’t I climbed out yet,” and don’t envy others who seem to have it easier. First, acknowledge “I’m here, right now,” and then take a look beneath your feet—those things that hurt you or twist and hold you down may quietly be helping you put down roots. And perhaps one day, when courage returns, you’ll be ready to step out of the mire—slowly, but surely.
In your songwriting process, are there any particular habits or principles you always stick to, and how do you deal with doubts or criticism?
In my songwriting process, I don’t worry about whether the lyrics or the melody come first. Sometimes I start with the words, sometimes with the tune, but most of the time they emerge together. What I care most about is the first feeling. When a melody suddenly comes to mind, I usually decide on it right away, because the more you revise, the further you drift from your original intention. That’s why I tend to write songs quickly.
With “Quagmire,” for example, the image of the Quagmire came first, and from there the melody and lyrics gradually grew. For me, letting emotions flow naturally is far more important than following a rigid process.
In fact, every song carries its own unique expression and emotion—each differs in theme, harmony design, and arrangement style. There are plenty of works out there that sound similar in mood or atmosphere, but art ultimately comes from life—and respecting originality matters most.
Zi Yu
Billboard China
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Radiohead’s second live album, Hail to the Thief: Live Recordings 2003-2009, makes a top 10 debut across four Billboard album charts (dated Nov. 15), including a No. 8 bow on Top Album Sales, marking the band’s ninth top 10. The set also enters the top 10 on Indie Store Album Sales (No. 4), Vinyl Albums (No. 5) and Top Current Album Sales (No. 8).
On the overall Billboard 200 chart, the set squeaks in at No. 200, landing the group its 17th chart entry. The set also bows at No. 30 on Independent Albums and at No. 48 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums.
In the tracking week ending Nov. 6 in the United States, the album earned a little over 8,000 equivalent album units, of which essentially all were in traditional album sales (purchases of digital and physical copies of the album).
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album (TEA) units and streaming equivalent album (SEA) units.
Radiohead’s new live album is one of six debuts or re-entries among the top 10 on the latest Top Album Sales chart, where Florence + the Machine’s Everybody Scream debuts atop the list. Tyler, The Creator’s chart-topping CHROMAKOPIA reenters at No. 2 after its one-year anniversary reissue on CD, vinyl and in two deluxe boxed sets (each containing branded merch and a copy of the CD). Grateful Dead’s latest archival live set Dave’s Picks, Vol. 56: Rainbow Theatre, London, England, 3/20/81 & 3/21/81 enters at No. 3, while Taylor Swift’s former No. 1 The Life of a Showgirl slips 3-4. The KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack rises a spot to No. 5, while Hamilton: 10 Shots (Highlights From the Original Broadway Cast Recording) bows at No. 6. Stray Kids’ chart-topping KARMA climbs 9-7, Bob Dylan’s from-the-vaults compilation Through the Open Window: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 18, 1956-1963 debuts at No. 9 and Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack returns to the top 10, rising 14-10.
Trending on Billboard Spotify is rolling out music videos to its users in the U.S. and Canada, the company confirmed with Billboard. The feature was previously beta-tested in nearly 100 overseas markets last year. A Spotify representative says music videos will be integrated into the service in the coming weeks for U.S. and Canadian customers, […]
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French streaming service Deezer reported on Wednesday (Nov. 12) that roughly 50,000 songs delivered to the platform daily are now fully AI-generated, in what amounts to the company’s fourth report on the surge of AI-generated content on its service this year.
Along with that statistic, Deezer also released the findings of a new survey about AI’s use in the music industry, including the stat that 97% of people can’t tell the difference between human-made and fully AI-generated musical works.
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According to Deezer’s proprietary AI detection tool — which only searches for fully AI-generated songs from select popular models, including Suno and Udio — the number of fully AI-generated songs delivered daily has been rapidly increasing throughout 2025. In January, it reported that the figure was 10,000 songs a day; in April, it noted the figure was 20,000 songs daily; and in September, it reported the number had risen to 30,000 songs daily.
In an interview with Billboard about the company’s AI research in May, Aurelien Herault, Deezer’s chief innovation officer, and Manuel Moussallam, its director of research, said that part of the reason why they were finding a growing number of fully-AI generated songs was simply that their “data got better” — as well as the fact that the overall volume of fully AI-generated songs had increased as more users adopted AI tools like Suno and Udio.
Beyond flagging AI use, Deezer has taken a proactive approach to regulating this content on its platform. To create transparency, Deezer adds a tag to any fully AI-generated work it detects on the platform, while removing it from algorithmic and editorial recommendations and playlists.
To continue its research into the emerging technology and its impact on the music business, Deezer also produced a new survey on the perceptions and attitudes around AI music. The study was executed by Ipsos with a total of 9,000 participants across eight countries — the United States, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Japan. Below, you can check out the study’s top findings.
General perceptions about AI:
98% have at least heard of AI
72% used AI at least a few times
55% of the respondents place curiosity as one of their first overall sentiments towards AI
19% place trust among their first feelings towards this new tool
Music discovery creation with AI:
46% think that AI can help them discover more music they like
51% think that AI will play a significant part in music creation in the next 10 years
51% think that AI will lead to the creation of more low-quality, generic-sounding music on streaming platforms
64% believe that AI could lead to a loss of creativity in music production
Recognition and consumption of AI-generated music:
97% couldn’t tell the difference between fully AI-generated music and human-made music in a blind test with two AI songs and one real song
52% felt uncomfortable with not being able to tell the difference between AI and human-made music
66% of music streaming users say they would listen to 100% AI-generated music at least once, out of curiosity
45% of music streaming users would like to filter out 100% AI-generated music from their music streaming platform
40% of music streaming users say that they would skip without listening to 100% AI-music if they came across it
Transparency:
80% agree that 100% AI-generated music should be clearly labeled to listeners
73% of music streaming users would like to know if a music streaming service is recommending 100% AI-generated music
52% of respondents feel that 100% AI-generated songs should not be included in charts alongside human-made songs on the main charts
Only 11% believe that 100% AI-generated music should be treated equally on charts
58% of music streaming users believe that their music streaming platform never recommended 100% AI-generated music to them, while 25% are uncertain
