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Justin Timberlake is getting some birthday love from his wife. On Friday (Jan. 31), the pop superstar celebrated his 44th birthday, and Jessica Biel showered him with a heartfelt message on social media.
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“Another year to make memories that I keep sacred in my heart,” Biel, 42, wrote on Instagram. “Another year of joy and challenges being a parent with you. Another year together being curious and creative in the world. Another year growing and evolving and sometimes devolving, with you. Another year laughing about it all. Happy birthday my love.”
The 7th Heaven alum’s post featured a gallery of photos showcasing the couple and their children over the years. The carousel begins with a candid shot of the couple sharing a loving glance under a red archway, followed by a throwback of the “Cry Me a River” singer and Biel embracing.
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Other highlights include a nighttime shot of Timberlake grinning in front of the Eiffel Tower and a festive Halloween photo of the family dressed in Lego-inspired costumes.
Biel and Timberlake, who have been married since 2012, share two children: Silas, 9, and Phineas, 4.
Timberlake’s *NSYNC bandmates also sent birthday wishes. “HBD fam! We gonna keep stacking throw backs!” JC Chasez posted on his Instagram Story alongside a pair of nostalgic photos.
Lance Bass also celebrated his friend, writing on Instagram: “Happy birthday to my brother @justintimberlake! Wouldn’t put ramen noodles on my head for anyone else.” He shared several photos of the pair, including a clip of himself wearing blond curls while singing Timberlake’s iconic line, “It’s Gonna Be Me.”
“Why are we acting like you ain’t go crazy frosting them tips?! 😂 love you, brother!” Timberlake replied in the comments.
In October, Timberlake and Biel marked their 12th wedding anniversary. Timberlake acknowledged the milestone during his Forget Tomorrow World Tour at Montreal’s Bell Centre, where Biel was present.
“It’s also a very special evening for me,” Timberlake told the crowd, as Biel stood on the side of the stage. “My wife is here tonight. And tonight is our 12-year anniversary.” He added, “So be nice to her, Montreal, because she’s sharing me with all of you guys tonight. I love you, baby.
Biel shared the sweet moment on her Instagram Story, writing, “Wouldn’t want to spend it anywhere else.”
“The Grateful Dead are a lot of things. I would venture to say they are the great American band,” declared Andy Cohen at the opening of MusiCares Persons of the Year annual gala on Friday night (Jan. 31) at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
You’d be hard pressed to find any disagreement among the 2,000 or so Deadheads — whether for a lifetime or just for the night — who danced and sang along to the music of the band, who is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
Though there had been some question whether it was appropriate for the evening to proceed as planned given the wildfires that have ravaged parts of Los Angeles County, leaving almost 30 dead and more than 22,000 households destroyed, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr quickly addressed the disaster and the way MusiCares has helped already at the beginning of the evening.
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MusiCares, the Academy’s philanthropic arm that provides financial aid and other services to those in the music community, “launched a relief effort, raising and distributing almost $4 and a half million dollars in grants to over 2,000 affected music professionals,” he said. “Throughout the Grammy weekend, we’ll continue to raise awareness and funds, celebrate first responders and support this city, so as we begin the 2025 Grammy weekend, there’s no better honoree than the Grateful Dead.” (Though the final numbers aren’t in from the evening, MusiCares executive director Laura Segura said during the night that more than $5.2 million had been raised from a paddle auction with the Dead’s Weir donating $100,000 and comedian Bert Kreischer giving $25,000.)
What a long, strange trip it’s been for the Dead, who were represented by guitarist Weir and drummer Mickey Hart, as well as the late Jerry Garcia’s daughter, Trixie, and the late Phil Lesh’s son, Grahame. (Drummer Bill Kreutzmann joined in via video.) Hart and Weir sat together at a front table taking in the 16 performances feting them with Hart often smiling broadly and swaying along while Weir appeared more stoic, though appreciative.
MusiCares, whose past honorees have included Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Gloria Estefan, Bonnie Raitt and last year’s Person of the Year, Jon Bon Jovi, always provides a stellar evening of music and a chance to hear interpretations of the honoree’s catalog filtered through the musicians chosen to fete them. This year was no different. With a crackerjack band led by Don Was that included members of Goose, Dead & Company and Grahame Lesh, a number of performers made the Dead’s uniquely genre-blending sound into their own.
Among the most pleasing performances were those tributes performed by co-ed duos, which brought a refreshing, feminine energy to some of the songs. The War and Treaty opened the evening, accompanied by Mick Fleetwood and Stewart Copeland, to provide a sassy, playful “Samson and Delilah,” once again proving that there’s no musical style that Michael and Tonya Trotter can’t tackle (They, Sammy Hagar and Marcus King were the only three artists who had performed last year for Bon Jovi who appeared again Friday night).
The War and Treaty were followed by My Morning Jacket, who were joined by a very pregnant Maggie Rose for a funky “One More Saturday Night,” as Rose and MMJ lead singer Jim James’ voices wrapped around each other. Lukas Nelson and Sierra Farrell took to the circular rotating B-stage in the middle of the floor for a gorgeous, intertwining “It Must Have Been the Roses,” which felt like a collaboration album must be inevitable. Farrell, sporting a beautiful rose and ribbon headpiece and red velvet gloves, clearly understood the assignment.
Then there were those acts that felt like descendants of the Dead, who put their own stamp on their performances while still hueing closely to the jammy sounds of the originals. Best of the bunch were Zac Brown and Marcus King who united for an exhilarating “Bertha,” while Vampire Weekend brought a lilting airiness to “Scarlet Begonias.” Dwight Yoakam’s version of “Truckin,’” a song he cut nearly 20 years ago, provided a delightful psychobilly turn, while Billy Strings’ “Wharf Rat” and The War on Drugs’ “Box of Rain” (played with Grahame Lesh) both paid homage, while adding their own colors.
Former and current Dead associates also provided highlights: Bruce Hornsby, who played with the Grateful Dead as keyboardist from 1990-1992 following the death of Brent Mydland, turned in a delicate, intimate take on “Standing on the Moon,” while John Mayer soared on “Terrapin Station.”
The varied selection dove deep into the group’s canon and while there’s no way to cover every tune, signature songs like “Casey Jones,” Shakedown Street” and “Uncle John’s Band” went undone often in favor of lesser-known tunes.
Actor and longtime fan Woody Harrelson presented Hart and Weir with their award, humorously recalling his adventures with the group, including “smoking a fatty with Jerry in a bathroom of the vice presidential mansion and the band getting the boot by a very angry Al Gore.”
Hart picked up on the story adding that the event occurred on his daughter’s first birthday, with Gore even presenting her with a cake, but then segued into how the Grateful Dead’s mission has always been communal.
“For me, music’s always been more than just sound. It’s a force, a healer. But music doesn’t exist in a vacuum,” he said. “Music needs a community to play to. And in turn, a community needs its music. We know the power of community because we’ve lived it. Deadheads have kept the dream alive for 60 years now and continue to take this music into the next century.
“The Grateful Dead has always been more than just music,” Hart continued. “It’s about the people who believed in it, supported it and built something bigger than any one of us before the world even knew what to make of us. Our community lifted us up and kept us going. Without their support, there would be no Grateful Dead… [Music] soothes the soul, raises our consciousness and gives us strength when we need it most, because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about — giving back the very thing that’s given us so much.”
Following Hart, Weir took the stage and tied in the evening with the devastating Los Angeles fires. Growing up, Weir said he would spend his summers at camp, which evolved into a summer job as a ranch hand, “which as it turns out, was the only real job I’ve ever had outside of music,” he said. “But in all of this, I learned early on that you’re gonna get a lot more done a lot faster if you can make a team effort of your tasks… What we have here in SoCal these days is a rebuild that’s gonna take some time & effort — and an immense amount of teamwork. My guess is it’s gonna take a few years, but SoCal will be back, stronger and shinier.”
Hart also addressed the Grateful Dead’s long legacy of helping others. “All along, my old pal Jerry used to say, ‘You get some, you give some back.’ And so we did. From early on it was more than apparent to us that we could be of substantial benefit to our broader community — and have big fun doing it. We also learned right away that it was an honor and a privilege to be in this position — something we never took lightly… That brings us back to MusiCares, a beacon of hope in the music industry that provides financial assistance, mental health resources, recovery programs and other support to artists and music technicians facing challenges. Their work ensures that the people who make music — from behind-the-scene professionals to household names — will be able to carry on.”
To close the evening, Dead & Co took the stage for a medley of a Mayer-led “Althea” and then “Sugar Magnolia,” and the band’s only top 40 hit, 1987’s “Touch of Grey,” with Weir on lead for the latter two. It was a tuneful, upbeat set with “Grey’s” “We will get by/ We will survive” refrain serving as the perfect benediction for the night and a reminder that no matter how challenging times get, whether from fires and illness and other obstacles, there is, hopefully, a brighter road ahead.
Check out the Grateful Dead’s MusiCares setlist below:
“Samson and Delilah” (The War and Treaty with Mick Fleetwood and Stewart Copeland)
“One More Saturday Night” (My Morning Jacket with Maggie Rose)
“Ripple” (Norah Jones)
“Bertha” (Zac Brown and Marcus King)
“Ramble on Rose” (Wynonna Judd)
“Friend of the Devil” (Noah Kahan with Bela Fleck)
“Scarlet Begonias” (Vampire Weekend)
“Truckin’” (Dwight Yoakam)
“They Love Each Other” (Maren Morris)
“It Must Have Been the Roses” (Lukas Nelson and Sierra Farrell)
“Wharf Rat” (Billy Strings)
“Loose Lucy” (Sammy Hagar)
“Standing on the Moon” (Bruce Hornsby with Rick Mitarotonda)
“Box of Rain” (The War on Drugs)
“Terrapin Station” (John Mayer)
“Althea/Sugar Magnolis/Touch of Grey” (Dead & Company)
In 2018, Kelsea Ballerini headlined a show at Nashville’s approximately 2,300-seat, revered music venue the Ryman Auditorium for the first time — and soon after, made a promise to herself that she would not headline in Nashville again until she could sell out the approximately 20,000-seat Bridgestone Arena, located just blocks away.
The country singer-songwriter triumphantly reached that goal on Friday night (Jan. 31), when she headlined Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to a sold-out crowd of admiring fans, as part of her Kelsea Ballerini Live on Tour 2025 trek.
“I cannot believe we are at a sold-out night at Bridgestone Arena,” Ballerini told fans early in her headlining set. “One thing about me, I’m not gonna play it cool at all. I’m going to freak out hopefully alongside you all evening. I’ve been in this room a million times. As a fan, this is the room that I’ve seen my favorite artists. I’ve been in here for the CMAs and the CMTs and so many things and this room means so much to me.”
Not only have the past seven years seen Ballerini cement her headliner status as an artist, but the five-time Grammy nominated artist further established herself as a multi-media presence, hosting awards shows, snagging a brand deal with CoverGirl — and further establishing herself with perhaps her biggest television look to date: a role as a coach on the television series The Voice, which launches Monday. Ballerini brought a bit of that television extravaganza to the Bridgestone, as fans lined up across the Bridgestone’s concord for a chance to sit in the famed red coach’s chair from The Voice.
But during her performance, it was Ballerini’s heart-connecting songs and strong rapport with her fanbase that were at the heart of her vivid, high-production arena spectacle. She proved again that she’s as adept at crafting grand-scale anthems as veering toward bone-cuttingly vulnerable ballads. Women have continued to rule pop music over the past few years, with artists ranging from Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter each offering up their own unique brands of songwriting and storytelling to narrate their own perspectives on life and love and everything in between. Ballerini serves up that same ethos in the country music sphere, to much fan acclaim.
The all-women lineup commanding Friday night’s sold-out Bridgestone Arena show also featured openers MaRynn Taylor and Sasha Alex Sloan opening for Ballerini.
Ballerini launched her headlining set with the self-aware ballad “Patterns,” the title track from her October-released album, which debuted atop Billboard’s country albums chart, and at No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Seated atop what looked to be a pile of luggage evoking the image from her album cover, Ballerini asked the crowd, “Are you ready to begin unpacking?”
From there, she led the largely female audience through an emotional and musical whirlwind, chronicling her journey from a wide-eyed newcomer on songs such as “Love Me Like You Mean It” to world-wisened artist who has navigated heartbreak and hard-earned lessons to emerge with a stronger sense of self and a new-found freedom. She also proved her prowess as an engaging and effervescent entertainer as she crafted a show tailor-made for both a fun night out, interspersed with heart-on-her-sleeve, soul-pouring moments.
“We have songs for the girlies, your best friends, your ride or die and love songs,” she said, sailing through songs including the girls’ night out anthems “Hole in the Bottle,” and “If I Go Down (You’re Goin’ Down Too).”
The show had all the accoutrements of a full-throttle country-pop show: massive video screens, a catwalk stage through the middle of the audience, lights and pyro, as Ballerini traversed through an array of spangled outfits throughout the evening, from red bodysuits to sparkly dresses and elegant gowns.
A set equally filled with rancor and romance, with wholehearted love songs (“Heartfirst,” “Love Me Like You Mean It”) and serrated heartbreak songs. But towering above either of these were a bedrock of song threaded with empowerment (“I Miss Me More”), personal growth and friendship (“I Would, Would You”). Her brand of pop-minded country, with songs that trace the diaristic details of Ballerini’s zeniths and lows over the past few years. Her choice to leave those details bitingly intact on projects such as her pivotal Rolling Up The Welcome Mat and its successor Patterns have cemented Ballerini who has evolved as an artist and writer unafraid to reach into the depths, even on songs she dresses up in the shiniest of melodies and sparkliest of stage productions.
And for Ballerini, not always “playing it cool” has been a key element in how she build her strong rapport with her fans — her willingness to share the messy, confused, despairing, and questioning moments alongside those of supreme confidence. Even small moments when the show didn’t go perfectly as planned — a minor outfit mishap that led Ballerini to sit down onstage and fix her shoe, and elsewhere a missed cue — came off as simply the kind of all-too-human moments that have made Ballerini the relatable artist she is.
Ballerini’s exuberant voice, paired with a willingness to tear down emotional barriers between artist, the songs and the fans, have earned Ballerini an ardent fanbase. Reflecting on her decade-long journey from her 2014 breakthrough songs such as “Love Me Like You Mean It,” Ballerini told the crowd, “I made my first four records so honestly, and I really did my best to write songs about my life. When I was writing ‘Dibs’ and ‘Love Me Like You Mean It’ and ‘Peter Pan,’ that was truly, that was the identity of a 19-year-old girl, for sure. But there was part of me that rounded the edges on these songs, because my true want as an artist… I wanted to make music for literally everyone — mainly the girls and the gays,” eliciting rapturous cheers from the audience.
She added, “My way of doing that was I left out the sharpness because I wanted it to be absorbable. And then I made Rolling Up The Welcome Mat and I didn’t do that at all. It was the first record that I made it for me and it changed my life. When I was trying to make Patterns, all I wanted to do was make sure that I didn’t go back to being scared of having edges. I didn’t want to be scared of saying hard truths. I wanted to keep down the path of that.”
Prior to performing her 2016 song “Peter Pan,” she addressed the young girls in the room with the steady assurance of a wiser, older sister, “I want you to know that you are worth of steady, good love.”
The AEG Presents-promoted tour will wrap April 9 in North Carolina.
Below, we look at five top moments from Ballerini’s Bridgestone Arena show.
A Friendship-Celebrating Singalong
On Friday (Jan. 31), ASH DA HERO released New Chapter, the first album to feature the band’s new lineup. The rap-rock quartet, made up of vocalist ASH, bassist Sato, drummer WANI, and DJ Dhalsim, celebrated its third anniversary in September and was reborn with a new lineup. On November 29, it put on its first solo overseas show, ASH DA HERO LIVE 2024 in Taipei, and it has steadily been bringing its sound to a growing circle of listeners.
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Billboard Japan spoke to the band about their mindset as they set out with their new lineup, the creation of their new album and what they focused on when writing new songs, and their upcoming February 1 show at Zepp Shinjuku (TOKYO), titled ASH DA HERO LIVE 2025 “New Chapter,” which will be their first solo show in Japan with their new lineup.
To start off with, could each of you introduce yourselves?
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ASH: I’m ASH, and I’m the vocalist. My specialties are rapping and singing. My roots lie in punk, hip-hop, and reggae.
Sato: My name’s Sato, and I play the bass. My specialty is brewing coffee. We don’t have a guitarist, so I also play bass in the guitar’s pitch range.
WANI: I’m WANI. My specialty is playing the drums. My roots are in punk, and I’m especially skilled at drumming with a rap-rock feel. I also sing, and I’m working on getting in shape, so I’m really into weight training right now.
Dhalsim: I’m the DJ, Dhalsim. My specialty is high-speed scratching. I also program music on computer. I’m responsible for the overall sound design of our songs. We don’t have a guitarist, but we’re taking advantage of that to do all the things that we couldn’t have done if we had a guitarist. We’re completely shifting over to that composition style, so right now we’re in the process of rebuilding our sound.
What advantages have you found in becoming a quartet?
ASH: I think there are more and more bands without a guitarist, especially among younger musicians, but a rap-rock band with a DJ but without a guitarist is still a rarity. I think that’s a major strong point for our band from a global market perspective.
So how does it feel actually having started the next chapter of your band’s history without a guitarist?
Sato: We were originally a five-person band, and now there are four of us, so we each do our own part to make up for the change. That means that we’re each playing more. Looking at it from another perspective, it also means we each have more possibilities to let our own individuality shine. We’re overhauling everything—our makeup, our costumes, our playing styles, and our instruments—based on our own core essence and our roots. Through that, we’re redefining ourselves and becoming a new band, which is an incredibly fun process. We’re creating something new that doesn’t fit into the “rap-rock = guitar” pattern, so all of us can take on lots of new challenges, which is really gratifying.
WANI: At first, I was worried about what would happen. I was sure that we’d lose some fans because the guitar is the core instrument in a band. But the four-person arrangement felt a lot better than I’d expected, and I realized that the fans had their hopes up for this new incarnation of ASH DA HERO, which was tremendously encouraging. We want to live up to everyone’s expectations with the music we create and with our live performances, of course, but Sato and I are also thinking about following up with what ASH and Dhalsim are doing.
ASH: When we were a five-piece band, there was a lot of “this is what a rock band should be like.” Now that there are four of us, there’s a much stronger feeling that we should take a freer approach. Now we’re doing what we want to.
New Chapter will be your first concept album. What kind of album will it be?
ASH: Right now we’re creating our freshest music, with a sound that we could only achieve as a four-person band. The title of the album, New Chapter, is the same as the title of our live show, and we picked it to represent that we’re starting a new chapter as a band, with a new lineup, starting on February 1. I also feel like the music that we’ve created is unquestionably unique in the Japanese rock scene, so the album’s name also represents the fact that we’ve invented a new way of making rock.
“Wrangler Beat” was your first release as a four-piece, and it carried on the feel of the ASH DA HERO of the past.
ASH: Right. It’s got a bit of a vintage rock vibe. It’s a little reminiscent of “Octave.”
After sweeping aside the by-the-numbers approach with this song, you then released “VANDALISM.” The rap lyrics in the second verse really resonate. I feel like the way you encourage people through songs like this is the reason that ASH DA HERO strikes such a chord.
ASH: In life, you’ll suddenly get sideswiped right when things were going well. That’s not just something that’s happened in my life, but something that I think happens to everybody. The question is, when that happens, do you look down in dejection, or do you keep your chin up? I’m the kind of person who’s like, “No, I’m not going to flinch, are you crazy?” So I put all those feelings into the lyrics.
And then you tie it all together with the absolutely wonderful closer, “I’m your rock star.”
ASH: That’s what a rock star is all about, right? It’s cool when someone’s in a hard spot but they’re like “No big deal.” For me, Jack Sparrow (of Pirates of the Caribbean) is that kind of character. Even in impossible situations, he just laughs it off. I put that feeling in words, like, “Don’t you even think about forgetting!”
What can you tell us about the sound production?
Sato: The main riff has a lot of repeating phrases, so I focused on how much swing I could put into those simple phrases. I really vibed on it.
WANI: The drums are simple but catchy. Our older songs had a lot of intricate fills, but on “VANDALISM,” I got rid of all that. I focused on that simple, cool sound. It’s got a really convincing rhythm. When you hear it live, you’ll realize that it’s not just a simple beat.
Dhalsim: I also stripped down my scratching to the limit. What influenced me in the early 2000s were songs with simple scratching. That, and intros.
That’s one of the cornerstones of the song.
Dhalsim: In the 2000s, Kanye West would speed up records and sample them, and I added that same flavor into the song. It was popular, especially in Japanese hip-hop, to record original material to sample in the studio, and then to sample that material and chop it up. I hope that playfulness and historical background come through.
Another song on the album is “BDC.”
ASH: That’s the one where we just shout “botanical dance club.” It’s the kind of song where you clear your head and you just shout and dance.
Dhalsim: The chorus is sung by scratching, which is new. Those are the kinds of new things we’re doing. We’re taking advantage of the lack of guitar to try out all kinds of new ideas.
What can you tell us about “Break Free?”
ASH: Drum and bass has come full circle, so we wanted to see what it would sound like if a rap-rock band without a guitar tried its hand at the sound of groups like Prodigy, which we are huge fans of. Sato’s vicious bass riff loops through the song. Then on top of that there’s rap with a U.S. hardcore vibe, and an emotional chorus.
The rap is super aggressive.
ASH: The lyrics go for the throat, as they should for a rock band. The song is kind of a warning about the consumerism and idol worshipping of society.
How many other songs will there be on the album?
ASH: There’ll be two more songs, which we’re working on now. I think they’ll feature our new four-piece sound even more prominently. It all comes down to February 1. That’ll be a major milestone for us.
What kind of show do you think it will be?
ASH: The answer to the question of how we’re transforming as a band will be clear on February 1. That’s when the new chapter of our history will start. I know all the people reading this interview have their fingers on the pulse of music, so we’ll be seeing you on February 1 at Tokyo’s Zepp Shinjuku.
After you open this new chapter with the show, what are your plans for 2025?
ASH: We’ve already finalized plans for several overseas shows, so we plan to tour the world, while always staying attentive to our fans in Japan.
—This interview by Sachie Tojo first appeared on Billboard Japan
After Selena Gomez shared (and then deleted) a video weeping over the Trump administration’s immigration raids, the White House shared its own response video late Friday (Jan. 31) featuring mothers whose children were reportedly killed by undocumented immigrants.
The White House clip, posted to X, intersperses clips of Gomez crying over mass deportations in her since-deleted video with the mothers, who are critical of the singer/actress and tell her: “You don’t know who you’re crying for.”
In the original clip, Gomez — a Texas-born Mexican-American — says through tears, “All my people are getting attacked, the children. I don’t understand. I’m so sorry. I wish I could do something, but I can’t. I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise.”
In the White House response, Alexis Nungaray — whose 12-year-old daughter Jocelyn was killed in Houston in June 2024 — accuses Gomez of being insincere in her response. “Seeing that video, it’s hard to believe that it’s actually genuine and real because she’s an actress,” Nungaray says.
A September report funded by the National Institute of Justice using data from the Texas Department of Public Safety found that “undocumented immigrants are arrested at less than half the rate of native-born U.S. citizens for violent and drug crimes and a quarter the rate of native-born citizens for property crimes.”
Gomez’s original video was in response to Trump’s promise to begin major deportations as soon as he took office. Last week, Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt took to X to announce that “deportation flights have begun. President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences.”
The two other mothers featured in the video are Tammy Nobles, whose 20-year-old daughter Kayla Hamilton was killed in 2022 in Aberdeen, Maryland, and Patty Morin, whose 37-year-old daughter Rachel was murdered in 2023 in Harford County, Maryland. Hamilton’s killer was an undocumented 16-year-old from El Salvador, while undocumented immigrants are facing charges for the murders of Morin and Nungaray.
Gomez’s video became a political lightning rod in the days after it was originally posted on Monday, with Republican Utah politician Sam Parker suggesting she should be deported as well because her grandparents originally entered the country illegally. “Thanks for the laugh and the threat,” Gomez responded on Instagram.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ decision not to have performances of the nominated songs on the 97th annual Academy Awards on March 2, but to instead focus on the songwriters, has struck a sour note with Ashley Irwin, president of the Society of Composer & Lyricists.
Billboard has obtained a letter that Irwin wrote to the Academy’s board of governors and the producers of the Oscar telecast asking them to reconsider their decision.
“…This decision to exclude the song performances presents as just another example of the devaluation of music, and its creators,” Irwin wrote. “What should be an opportunity to elevate our craft, by an Academy tasked to represent the importance of music to a motion picture’s storytelling, will be lost. A performance shares the creation of a songwriter’s original work. To eliminate the nominee performances is to silence songwriters.
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Irwin also argued, “In a time when Los Angeles, the home of filmmaking, has lost entire communities and with so many people affected, music has the power to inspire and heal — a message reflected in the Oscar-nominated songs.”
The Academy announced its decision to present the best original song category on the Oscar telecast in a different way on Wednesday (Jan. 22), one day before the nominations were announced, presumably after it saw the list of nominees. The roster doesn’t include any songs that have become big hits, like last year’s winner, “What Was I Made For” from Barbie. Billie Eilish‘s recording of the song, which she co-wrote with her brother FINNEAS, had reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 months before the telecast.
This year’s nominees are “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez, “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight, “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing, “Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez and “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late.
In a letter to Academy members on Jan. 22, Bill Kramer, Academy CEO, and Janet Yang, Academy president, said, “This year the Best Original Song category presentation will move away from live performances and will be focused on the songwriters. We will celebrate their artistry through personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life. All of this, and more, will uncover the stories and inspiration behind this year’s nominees.”
In their letter, Kramer and Yang also teased that music will play a role in the show in other ways. “There is so much more in store, including powerful musical moments that connect film’s rich history to its bold and inspiring future.”
Here’s Irwin’s letter, in full:
Dear AMPAS Governors and producers of the 97th Academy Awards,
I am the president of The Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL), the premier organization for professional songwriters and composers working in film and other visual media. All the Oscar-nominated songwriters this year, as in most years, are members of the SCL. Our members, who number over 4,000 in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the majority of the Motion Picture Academy Music Branch, are disappointed over the decision to eliminate the Oscar-nominated song performances at the 97th Academy Awards. Songwriters and composers face many challenges in the current climate, including everything from diminished royalty payments by streaming services to the theft of their intellectual property to enrich “big tech” in the guise of training for AI. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and an award like the Oscar, has always served to amplify and honor the work of talented craftspeople, but this decision to exclude the song performances presents as just another example of the devaluation of music, and its creators. What should be an opportunity to elevate our craft, by an Academy tasked to represent the importance of music to a motion picture’s storytelling, will be lost. A performance shares the creation of a songwriter’s original work. To eliminate the nominee performances is to silence songwriters.
We understand there are reasons behind this decision, but it is my understanding that there was no discussion with the Music Branch. The songs and performances this year would represent a diverse range of artists, including past Oscar winners H.E.R. and Elton John along with Brandi Carlile, Clément Ducol & Camille, Adrian Quesada & Abraham Alexander, as well as 16-time Oscar-nominee Diane Warren. The promotion of these song performances will undoubtedly draw a larger viewing audience. But most importantly, in a time when Los Angeles, the home of filmmaking, has lost entire communities and with so many people affected, music has the power to inspire and heal – a message reflected in the Oscar-nominated songs. [Here Irwin quoted healing lyrics from four of the five nominated songs.]
With the quality of the talent assembled to produce The Oscars, there must be a way to accommodate even abbreviated renditions of the nominated songs during the show. I respectfully urge you to reconsider your decision and let the songs provide the hope and inspiration to the audience that they do in their respective films.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Ashley Irwin
President of the Society of Composer & Lyricists
Kelsea Ballerini believes there’s room for everyone in the country world. While visiting SiriusXM’s Fierce: Women in Music, the “Peter Pan” star shared her support for Beyoncé, who shifted into the country music space with her Billboard 200-topping album Cowboy Carter and faced unnecessary controversy for her decision to do so. The project is nominated for […]
Nobody would confuse Tyler, The Creator for an Olympic athlete, but he’s centering his upcoming “Sticky” visual around the sports world. Tyler delivered the trailer for the self-directed Chromakopia video on Friday (Jan. 31), which jumps from a football team’s huddle on the gridiron to the Grammy-winner playing a brass family instrument in a marching […]
This week in dance music: Jim Barron and Chris Todd of Crazy P reflected on the band’s new album and recent loss of its frontwoman Danielle Moore, a new track from Marshmello and The Jonas Brothers debuted on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Peggy Gou, John Summit, Solomun and more were announced as openers for the final four shows from Anyma at Sphere, Charli XCX remarked that she “wasn’t even on the Grammys’ radar” before her chart-smashing Brat, Shygirl was among our LGBTQ+ artists to watch in 2025, and after two years off, Dirtybird Campout announced that it’s returning in partnership with NorCal’s longstanding Northern Nights festival.
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And beyond, all we need is music. Sweet sweet music. These are the best new dance tracks of the week.
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Jamie xx feat. Erykah Badu, “F.U.”
Having worked on recordings of Gil-Scott Heron, Robyn and Radiohead, collaborating with bonafide legends is not unusual for James Smith, aka Jamie xx. On “F.U”, the British producer teams up with the first lady of neo-soul, Erykah Badu, using a “fully improvised” freestyle vocal recording of Badu from “a Primavera afterparty in Barcelona” in 2019, says Smith in an Instagram post. A departure from Badu’s traditionally emotional, expressive vocals, we hear her rhyming and bellowing over a loose acid house beat with a tension designed for dancing. The music video for “F.U” dropped in line with the release of In Waves (Deluxe Edition) on 29 January, on which the single is featured. “I’m so happy that she is a part of In Waves,” adds Smith. “Thank you, Erykah!”
Gryffin x Kaskade feat. Nu-La, “In My Head”
Channeling the fashionable sound of his collaborator and fellow Illini John Summit, the venerable Kaskade partners up with California’s Gryffin and nu-comer vocalist Nu La for another uplifting melodic techno ballad. The dramatic, emotional build-up of “In My Head” is heightened by Nu La’s soaring vocal, which sings “When you’re gone / You’re still living in my head” before we’re hit with a thumping kick, a growling bassline and piercing synth lead. Released on 10K Projects, “In My Head” follows a handful of tongue-in-cheek TikToks and IG snaps from Gryffin and Kaskade in the studio, letting fans know that, despite the intensity of “In My Head,” the duo still seem to be having a blast together.
Whipped Cream, Careline
The Canadian producer releases her new EP Careline, a six song affair that includes a trio of previously released singles (including the Memba collab “Redline”) and altogether demonstrates a dark, sleek evolution for the artist born Caroline Cecil. Standouts include “Love the Night Away,” a luscious and glimmering peaktime production with airy vocals and a galloping hard techno flourish. “A year and a half ago, I realized I was sitting on a whole world of house and techno tracks,” the producer writes of he project. “I had this vision — Careline, a secret side project, a new alias. But when I wrapped the first master, it hit me… Careline wasn’t separate from Whipped Cream. —this would be the next chapter of Whipped Cream. And I’ve never been more sure of anything.” The project is out on Boom Records.
Anotr, On a Trip
“We rent a house in the middle of nowhere, surround ourselves with nature, and invite friends, family, and musicians to connect. We go for walks, make dinner, and talk a lot. The studio is always there when we feel like it, and the music comes from a place of want, not need,” Dutch duo Anotr say in a joint statement about the creation process behind their second studio album, On a Trip. As the title insinuates, the creative nature hangs were also “fueled by psilocybin mushrooms,” and you can hear the depth and brightness of that perception shifting fuel all over the project, particularly its Afro-infused track “Falling Feels Like Flying,” which is gifted with vocals from the Kabusa Oriental Choir.
Rebūke & deadmau5 feat. Ed Graves, “Endless”
The music video for Rebūke & deadmau5’s “Endless” (also featuring Ed Graves) is stunning. The “Cyberpunk 2077” videogame aesthetic impeccably complements the song’s homage to ’90s trance and techno, with its rolling bassline and gated synths — naturally, the video’s protagonist ends up in nightclub where “a transcendence occurs,” says a statement from Rebūke’s World of Era label. Following Rebūke’s 2018 remix of ‘mau5’s “Not Exactly”, the pair’s new track “Endless” marks their first true collaboration, with Rebūke’s praising his collaborator as “a constant source of inspiration.” The original fate of “Endless” was an instrumental release, until a last-minute conversation with songwriter Melissa De Kleine and Graves led to a vocal recording over the track within 12 hours. That session, says Rebuke, is what “brought the track to life.”
Inaugural leader, biggest song of 2024 and now the final No. 1 of the year: Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” takes the top spot of the TouchTunes Frontline Chart for the fourth quarter of 2024.
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The TouchTunes Frontline and Catalog charts for the fourth quarter of the year track the most played music on TouchTunes jukeboxes from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024, with the Frontline ranking inclusive of music released in the last 18 months, followed by the Catalog tally for any music that was released more than 18 months ago. TouchTunes has jukeboxes in over 60,000 locations worldwide. TouchTunes data is not factored into other Billboard charts.
Since the TouchTunes Frontline and Catalog charts’ existence (beginning with the second quarter of 2024), “A Bar Song” has been No. 1 on the Frontline ranking, as well as the top song on TouchTunes across its entire playable catalog.
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Its reign coincides with the song’s standing as the top-played tune on TouchTunes jukeboxes for 2024, the first song since Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” to be the platform’s most-played song in a year that was considered a frontline (18 months old or less) release at the time.
“A Bar Song” also sports 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 between July and November 2024, tying Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, for the lengthiest rule in chart history. It appears at No. 4 on the latest survey, dated Feb. 1.
The aforementioned “Tennessee Whiskey” retains its hold on the TouchTunes Catalog Chart, and it’s also the second-most-played song on the platform overall. Like “A Bar Song,” “Tennessee Whiskey” has reigned on its respective chart for all three quarters since both rankings were launched.
It does, however, have somewhat of a challenger in Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” which graduates to the Catalog list after previously being part of Frontline. It enters Catalog at No. 2 after appearing at No. 3 on the third-quarter Frontline tally.
Toby Keith’s “I Love This Bar,” Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places” and Brooks & Dunn’s “Neon Moon” round out Catalog’s top five, giving “Lose Control” the distinction of the ranking’s first non-country song.
That said, the Frontline Chart’s top five is all country, with Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen, holding its No. 2 rank, followed by Ella Langley’s “You Look Like You Love Me” (featuring Riley Green), Wallen’s “Cowgirls” (featuring ERNEST) and Zach Top’s “I Never Lie.”
Of those, Langley and Top are debuts, marking the top new entries of the quarter. “Cowgirls,” meanwhile, reaches a new peak, lifting 5-4.
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” represents the highest-ranking non-country song on Frontline, dropping three spots to No. 7.
With the holiday season falling within the fourth quarter, the Catalog Chart also sees a seasonal classic in Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which enters the tally at No. 19.
And once again, it’s Wallen who boasts the most appearances across both rankings, with six songs – as a lead act or featured – on the Frontline ranking and one on Catalog. Jelly Roll follows with four total (two on each).
See both 25-position charts below.
TouchTunes Frontline Chart
1. “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Shaboozey (=)2. “I Had Some Help,” Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (=)3. “You Look Like You Love Me,” Ella Langley feat. Riley Green (debut)4. “Cowgirls,” Morgan Wallen feat. ERNEST (+1)5. “I Never Lie,” Zach Top (debut)6. “Lies Lies Lies,” Morgan Wallen (+5)7. “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar (-3)8. “Pink Pony Club,” Chappell Roan (+9)9. “Beautiful Things,” Benson Boone (=)10. “Too Sweet,” Hozier (-3)11. “I Am Not Okay,” Jelly Roll (+8)12. “Last Night,” Morgan Wallen (-6)13. “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,” Luke Combs (+3)14. “White Horse,” Chris Stapleton (+1)15. “Love Somebody,” Morgan Wallen (debut)16. “Whiskey Whiskey,” Moneybagg Yo feat. Morgan Wallen (-4)17. “The Door,” Teddy Swims (debut)18. “Espresso,” Sabrina Carpenter (debut)19. “Pour Me a Drink,” Post Malone feat. Blake Shelton (-1)20. “Get It Sexyy,” Sexyy Redd (debut)21. “Hot To Go!,” Chappell Roan (debut)22. “Miles On It,” Marshmello with Kane Brown (debut)23. “Million Dollar Baby,” Tommy Richman (-10)24. “You Proof,” Morgan Wallen (=)25. “Wild Ones,” Jessie Murph with Jelly Roll (-2)
TouchTunes Catalog Chart
1. “Tennessee Whiskey,” Chris Stapleton (=)2. “Lose Control,” Teddy Swims (debut, previously No. 3 on Frontline)3. “I Love This Bar,” Toby Keith (-1)4. “Friends in Low Places,” Toby Keith (-1)5. “Neon Moon,” Brooks & Dunn (-1)6. “Son of a Sinner,” Jelly Roll (-1)7. “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink,” Merle Haggard (+5)8. “Fat Bottomed Girls,” Queen (-2)9. “Copperhead Road,” Steve Earle (=)10. “Drinkin’ Problem,” Midland (-3)11. “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Journey (-1)12. “Save Me,” Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson (debut, previously No. 10 on Frontline)13. “Rockstar,” Nickelback (+1)14. “Whiskey Glasses,” Morgan Wallen (-6)15. “Family Tradition,” Hank Williams Jr. (=)16. “Simple Man,” Lynyrd Skynyrd (-3)17. “Something in the Orange,” Zach Bryan (-6)18. “Higher,” Creed (+4)19. “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah Carey (debut)20. “Fast Car,” Luke Combs (debut, previously No. 8 on Frontline)21. “The Joker,” The Steve Miller Band (-5)22. “Thunderstruck,” AC/DC (-3)23. “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” Guns N’ Roses (=)24. “In the Air Tonight,” Phil Collins (re-entry)25. “Brown Eyed Girl,” Van Morrison (-5)
