Music News
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Spotify playlists are officially getting sticky. The streaming giant rolled out its new “Create Cover Art” feature on Wednesday (Feb. 19), which will allow fans to craft custom cover art tailored to their listening preferences. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The new function features a collection […]
It’s been nearly 16 years since Lady Gaga and Beyoncé made a Thelma & Louise-style getaway in their “Telephone” collaboration, with the music video ending with the message, “To be continued…” Now, the story really is continuing. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Lady Gaga sat down with […]
Mahershala Ali is more than just an actor. The Bay Area native used to also have a rap career and still continues to champion the genre. He was recently asked by TikTok user @rohnthugsnharmony about which hip-hop story he would like to see on the silver screen, and the actor gave an intriguing answer. “There’s […]
Abbey Road Studios has shared details of this year’s Equalise Festival, which will return for its sixth annual edition March 3-8.
In conjunction with International Women’s Day, the London event will provide young creatives with the opportunity to work with female and non-binary artists, producers and engineers through hands-on learning.
This year’s Equalise programme features workshop sessions from rising names including Aziya, Divorce, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Fiona-Lee and Flowerovlove, with a final act to be announced.
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The respective acts will each record a new piece of music as part of their studio session, while aspiring engineers and producers will be invited into the room to observe the creative process. Producer and harmonica player Sarah Meyz will oversee the sessions alongside Marta Di Nozzi, assistant engineer at Abbey Road Studios.
Those interested in participating in Equalise Festival 2025 are encouraged to enter a ballot, where they can submit their work for consideration using the official form here. Entries will close this Sunday (Feb. 23) at 11:59 p.m., and winners will be notified the following day (Feb. 24).
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Speaking about Equalise 2025, the studios’ managing director, Sally Davies said in a statement: “I am incredibly proud that the Abbey Road Equalise program is entering its sixth year. At Abbey Road, we believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive music industry and Equalise plays a vital role in creating opportunities for talented young women and non-binary individuals.”
She continued: “By providing young talent with access to our facilities and mentorship from our engineers, we hope to empower the next generation of creative talent to shape the sound of tomorrow. Equalise is not just about providing technical skills; it’s about fostering a supportive community and breaking down barriers for underrepresented voices.”
Since its inception in early 2020, Abbey Road Equalise has delivered a multitude of events coinciding with International Women’s Day, Pride and Trans Day of Visibility, all with the intention of highlighting the need to drive greater gender balance in the music industry.
The site of the world’s most well-renowned recording studio, over 93 years, Abbey Road has welcomed the likes of The Beatles, Oasis, Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga and Florence + The Machine into its hallowed recording spaces. Last year, it played host to the official live ceremony for the Mercury Prize.
Tyla becomes the first African solo artist to hit one billion streams on Spotify with her 2023 breakout smash “Water,” Spotify confirmed Wednesday (Feb. 19). “Water” was released as a single on July 28, 2023, via FAX and Epic Records ahead of her self-titled debut album last March. The song, which included official remixes featuring […]
A$AP Rocky celebrated both in the courtroom on Tuesday (Feb. 18) after a jury ruled he was not guilty in his 2021 felony shooting case — the rapper jumped over the courtroom rail into the gallery where he and Rihanna embraced after hearing the verdict.
Turns out, Rocky wasn’t the only one celebrating. Many artists across hip-hop showed their support for Rocky after the verdict came down, including 50 Cent, Nicki Minaj, Ye (formerly Kanye West), Papoose and more.
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“To God Be The Glory,” Minaj posted to her Instagram Story with a photo of RiRi and Rocky holding their two kids Riot and RZA.
West, who teamed up with Rocky for “Jukebox Joints” in 2015, posted a black-and-white photo of the Harlem native in court, which he captioned with a praying hands emoji after learning the not guilty verdict. Ye’s Instagram post has compiled over 1.6 million likes in 14 hours as of press time.
50 Cent took a break from trashing Joe Budden to take a victory lap regarding A$AP Rocky’s case as he allegedly predicted that Rocky was going to beat the case and was willing to bet $500,000 on it.
“Not Guilty I told [ninja]’s I would bet 500,000 K he gonna beat it when ASAP Tellie started getting tired of telling 5 days straight BOOM Now stay sucker free,” he wrote to IG.
Filmmaker Spike Lee celebrated the verdict and thanked the judge and jury for their ruling. He also took the chance to promote his upcoming Highest 2 Lowest movie starring A$AP Rocky alongside Denzel Washington, which is coming to theaters this summer.
“Good Morning, Thanks To The Judge And Jury For The NOT GUILTY VERDICT,” he wrote. “A$AP And DENZEL WASHINGTON Are [fire] In HIGHEST 2 LOWEST. DA New SPIKE LEE JOINT This SUMMER. And DAT’S DA ‘ 40 ACRES AND A MULE’ TRUTH,RUTH.,YA-DIG SHO-NUFF.”
Papoose posted the viral clip of Rocky diving into the courtroom gallery. “I know on the internet everything is a joke. But man I’m so happy for this dude. Peace to Asap & his family! God is good,” the rapper added in his caption.
If found guilty, Rocky faced up to 24 years in prison, but prosecutors were seeking an eight-year sentence. Rocky and Rihanna celebrated the verdict outside the Los Angeles Superior Court as the three-week trial came to a close. “THE GLORY BELONGS TO GOD AND GOD ALONE! THANKFUL, HUMBLED BY HIS MERCY,” she wrote in an Instagram Story.
The rapper thanked the jurors in a brief post-verdict presser. “First of all, we want to thank God,” he said. “We really want to thank the jury for making the right decision … We’re blessed to be here right now, to be a free man talking to y’all.”
Rocky was arrested in April 2022 at Los Angeles International Airport after being accused of firing a handgun twice at former friend A$AP Relli (born Terrell Ephron) near a Hollywood hotel in November 2021. He faced two felony counts of assault with a firearm.
The Jennifer Hudson Show has been renewed for a fourth season. Warner Bros. Television Group announced the news on Wednesday (Feb. 19), revealing that the Emmy-nominated syndicated daytime talker will be back for the 2025-2026 season on Fox Television stations.
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“It is an unbelievable privilege to spend your days being able to engage with inspiring people from all walks of life; to hear their stories and connect on shared experiences; and to hopefully leave audiences a little more joyful than when they arrived,” said EGOT-winner Hudson in a statement. “This show is a testament to what happens when you do what you love, and when you do it alongside an unstoppable team who creates magic in new ways every single day. I’m so excited to take this adventure to new heights in season 4!”
To date, the series has earned a number of industry honors, including two NAACP Awards — Outstanding Talk Show Series (2024) and Outstanding Talk Show Host (2023) — as well as the Excellence in Media Award at the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards, where it also took home the Outstanding Variety of Talk Show Episode prize. Hudson also won the 2024 National Association of Broadcaster’s TV Chairman’s awards in 2024 for the series that has racked up 10 Daytime Emmy nominations since its debut in September 2022.
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“Audiences and our great television station partners agreed – JHud is must have television. We believe in great programming, and Warner Bros. Television Group always delivers for our business and fans,” David Decker, president of content sales at Warner Bros. Discovery said in a statement.
Lauren Bincoe, SVP or current programming at Telepictures added, “Jennifer Hudson’s extraordinary talent and ability to connect with people have made The Jennifer Hudson Show a standout in daytime. This season, the show has seen incredible growth, creating moments that resonate beyond the screen – like the viral sensation Spirit Tunnel being a powerful example. Jennifer embodies the show’s Choose Joy message in every episode, and as we head into season 4, we’re grateful for the continued support of our station partners and proud to build on this momentum with Jennifer and our award-winning production team.”
Guests this season have included former First Lady Michelle Obama, Usher, Angela Bassett, Keke Palmer, Gwen Stefani, Cynthia Erivo, Kelly Rowland, Jimmy Kimmel, Smokey Robinson and Keith Urban, among others. Upcoming guests include: Kevin Hart, BLACKPINK’S Jennie, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Tina Knowles, Regina Hall, and Big Sean, among others.
Hudson celebrated the the news by doing one of her show’s signature celebratory spirit tunnel walks with her staff, who sang about the good news and the good vibes they keep spreading.
Watch Hudson announce the renewal below.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ recorded masters catalog is up for sale, and sources say the band is seeking upwards of $350 million from suitors. The catalog includes such hit songs as “Under The Bridge,” “Dani California,” “Snow (Hey Oh), “Californication,” “Otherside,” “Can’t Stop” and “Give It Away.”
Sources say the band owns the 13 studio albums and other releases issued by the Warner Music Group (WMG) in the U.S. Billboard couldn’t determine if the band also owns its first four studio albums, which were issued through EMI in the U.S., although one source says they do. Whatever rights the band owns in those EMI records, those rights are also a part of what’s being offered for sale, sources say.
Billboard estimates that the Red Hot Chili Peppers master recording catalog generates about $26 million in revenue annually, with the bulk of that coming from the WMG portion of the catalog and about $1 million in revenue coming from the EMI portion. While some sources suggest that a potential deal for the recorded music assets has already been reached and that WMG is the most likely buyer, other sources say a deal has yet to be struck.
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The news comes four years after the band sold its music publishing to Hipgnosis for about $140 million to $150 million. That means that if the Red Hot Chili Peppers realizes its $350 million asking price for the recorded music catalog, it will have snared about $500 million for selling its music assets. Sources say Eric Greenspan of the law firm Wyman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobster Younger & Light has been shopping the band’s recorded music catalog deal, just as he did for its publishing assets.
While sources say the deal includes all of the rights for the band’s recorded music catalog, Billboard couldn’t determine if the deal also includes merchandising and name, image and likeness rights.
What’s more, it’s also unclear if all the suitors were shopped the same set of recorded music assets, based on the math involved in the deal. With $26 million in revenue, after subtracting production, distribution, shipping, warehousing and reserve expenses, Billboard estimates that net label share (NLS), or gross profit, for the catalog would be about $20 million. But non-strategic suitors who are aware of the assets say that they hear that the catalog’s NLS is about 3/4 of that, or about $15 million.
While the band is seeking upwards of $350 million, it’s more likely the deal will go for $325 million to $340 million, some sources say. If the band were to achieve $340 million for the sale of its recorded catalog, on a NLS of $20 million, that would imply a 17-times multiple, which is pricey for recorded music assets — even for a steady high revenue earner like the Chili Peppers. Moreover, at the $15 million NLS cited by some sources, a $340 million potential sale price would work out to a 22-23 times NLS multiple, which music asset traders would describe as a “frothy” valuation. Consequently, sources suggest that the deal makes more sense for a strategic suitor, like one of the majors, than a private equity firm or a music asset buyer backed by private equity.
WMG declined to comment for this story. Greenspan, the band’s lawyer, didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Offset isn’t letting anyone shake his confidence following his split from Cardi B — especially fans claiming his famous ex is the only reason other women have dated him since.
In a since-deleted post on X Tuesday (Feb. 18), the Migos rapper shut down a troll who wrote that “the only reason” he’s attractive to women is “because he was married to Cardi B.” “Incorrect lol I’m him,” ‘Set simply replied, according to VIBE.
Earlier in the thread, another person had pulled up five-year-old screenshots of posts by Atlanta model Melanie Jayda — whom Offset is rumored to be dating — praising the “WAP” hitmaker back in 2019. “Just excited to get Cardi’s leftovers,” the user had written of Jayda.
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Another Cardi fan also got a reaction out of the “Stir Fry” artist by writing, “Offset is operating from a bruised ego!! Cardi not only moved on, she upgraded … with another man who is better looking and has more money,” potentially referring to the Grammy winner’s rumored new boyfriend, Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
“You b—hes delulu wouldn’t I be the perfect n—a if …,” Offset wrote in another now-deleted reply. “Stop talking bout money baby u delusional.”
The exchanges come about seven months after Cardi filed to divorce ‘Set for a second time. Just over a month later, the couple’s third child arrived Sept. 7, 2024.
The exes have been going back and forth on where they stand ever since. While the Whipshots founder has said she wants a “healthy co-parenting relationship” with Offset, both hip-hop stars have put each other on blast online multiple times. In December, for instance, the “Ric Flair Drop” musician accused Cardi of focusing on “d—” and trying to “make me look bad,” after which she fired back, “So dating because I’m single means I’m just worried about d—?? You sound like a dummy … F–k off and sign the papers TODAY.”
Cut to Valentine’s Day, and Offset appeared to air out his grievances on a new single titled “Ten.” “I don’t need you, I got money/ I don’t miss you, I got money,” he spits on the track. “Love you, but not like money/ Love all my hoes the same.”
Less than two years after first appearing on a Billboard chart, Sleep Theory hits No. 1 on a ranking for the first time, jumping three spots to the top of the Mainstream Rock Airplay list dated Feb. 22 with “Stuck In My Head.”
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The four-piece reigns with its third charted song on Mainstream Rock Airplay, following “Fallout” (No. 2 peak last August) and “Numb” (No. 9, January 2024).
Sleep Theory, which formed in Memphis in 2020, is the first act to land an inaugural Mainstream Rock Airplay since The Funeral Portrait led with “Suffocate City,” featuring Spencer Charnas, in November.
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Concurrently, “Stuck In My Head” becomes Sleep Theory’s first song to reach Alternative Airplay, debuting at No. 38.
On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, the single lifts 15-13 with 2.6 million audience impressions, up 6%, in the week ending Feb. 13, according to Luminate. It’s a new best rank for the band, eclipsing the No. 14 peak of “Fallout.”
On the most recently published multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart (dated Feb. 15, reflecting data accrued Jan. 31-Feb. 6), “Stuck In My Head” ranked at No. 8, after reaching No. 6 in January. In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 728,000 official U.S. streams.
“Stuck In My Head” is the third single from Afterglow, Sleep Theory’s debut full-length, due May 16 via Epitaph. The band is set to follow with more than 30 U.S. tour dates between May 18 and July 18.
All Billboard charts dated Feb. 22 will update Tuesday, Feb. 18, on Billboard.com.