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Six months ago, Ryan Tedder experienced a fortuitous full-circle moment.
His longtime friend, Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer Savan Kotecha, texted him about an artist he thought Tedder should be aware of: pioneering Punjabi artist Karan Aujla. “He sends me a link and I was like, ‘Yeah, I already know who this guy is,’” recalls Tedder today, sitting in his West Hollywood home studio.
While performing with OneRepublic at the second edition of Lollapalooza India in January 2024, Tedder was asking locals and the band’s promoter “who’s popping” in India. They all mentioned Karan. “I went and listened to the music and I was like, ‘Oh, this is super tight. This is different,’” he says, explaining Punjabi as an Indian language that is emerging as its own subgenre and growing rapidly both locally and globally. At the time, Tedder mentally bookmarked Karan and carried on – until Kotecha came along and filled the gap.
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Kotecha introduced Tedder to Karan’s friend and producer, Ikky, “and that’s where the whole thing connected,” says Tedder. The two met in L.A. and Ikky played Tedder in-progress tracks, including one that was called “Dassde” at the time. “I was like, ‘Oh, this is crazy.’ I asked him what the phrase meant, and he said it means ‘tell me.’ I wish all sessions went that quick.”
“Before this collaboration, Ikky and I always used to talk about how we wanted to do something out here with our music,” says Karan, 28, who is seated next to Tedder while on a quick trip to Los Angeles to shoot the song’s music video. “And then he had mentioned you guys were talking and I thought he was just kidding. Like, it’s not gonna happen. And then I remember being on tour Ikky sends me a rough draft and the first thing I hear is [Ryan] singing. And then it’s me jumping in with my Punjabi verse. And I was like, ‘Oh shit, it’s a Punjabi-English track.’ I was so excited at that point.”
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And now, on Wednesday (Feb. 19), their historic collaboration finally arrives, marking both OneRepublic and Karan’s first English-Punjabi collaboration. The song’s music video, starring Indian actress Disha Patani, is out the same day.
“Sometimes,” Karan continues, “we feel like we manifested doing this with you, Ryan.”
You two just met in person for the first time – what brought you together?
Ryan: We were supposed to shoot the video, [when we] had enough of a finished version [of the song]. We just got back from Asia – we were in China and Vietnam and Japan and Korea, and we started in Bangkok for a few days. [Karan] wrapped his tour in India doing this massive sold out tour. And we were originally going to shoot the video in Little India, in Bangkok, and he got sick. It was the end of the tour. We punted and so we just now shot it this week.
Karan, you moved to Canada in your late teens. When did you become aware of OneRepublic as a music fan?
Karan: When I heard [hums “I Ain’t Worried”]. Ikky told me, because obviously I’m born in Punjab and I wasn’t aware of how the music worked out here. So, I came to Canada, met Ikky back in the days but before this collaboration me and Ikky always used to talk about how we wanted to do something out here with our music. But just being in Canada, that’s how I heard there’s this band called OneRepublic.
It only took six months for this song to arrive from the time Savan connected you, Ryan, with Ikky. Tell me about that timeline.
Ryan: Initially, we were racing: “Can we get it out in November, December?” I was like, what are we thinking? It’s Christmas. It’s a death trap, you’re gonna get smashed by Mariah [Carey], you’re gonna get smashed by Ariana [Grande], and just all the other stuff. So then we punted to February, which I’m really happy about because we’re going to be back in Asia a couple of times this year and India is going to be part of that. So the time is perfect and this is one of those where it’s like, I didn’t expect to love a bilingual record as much as this. I’ve probably listened to this demo more than anything, honestly, because it just feels good. And I think we’re even talking about doing an English language version as well. Most of our fans don’t speak Punjab.
Karan, why do you think Punjabi music is up next and, thanks to OneRepublic, catching on in the States?
Karan: I feel like people are more open now, even artists, to new languages, working with people, creating new ideas and it just helps artists like me to bring what they have [to] the table. This is the time for artists like me to actually experiment. My main thing is I just want to make the first Punjabi record that goes everywhere. My Spotify wasn’t like this always. It’s just happening over the last three-four years [of gradual growth]. We can see it happening in front of our eyes; if people want it, why don’t we just serve them what they want? Like, people in India want English on Indian records. They love these collaborations. They love when I’m singing in Hindi or Punjabi and then a verse in English comes. Even some rappers from India are rapping in English and Hindi. People are already into it. And we just need to do it more in a proper way.
Ryan: And one of the main reasons Punjabi music has exploded, including in cities and regions of India – because Punjabi is from the north – like Bombay, where five years ago, nobody knew what Punjabi music was…
Karan: They didn’t want to hear it, honestly.
Ryan: He’s the reason. Honestly, he’s one of the main reasons that Punjabi music has exploded. He was the right person at the right time. Anyone who’s not paying attention to India or Southeast Asia right now, on a cultural tip, is asleep at the wheel.
Karan: Our first thing was to actually take Punjabi all over India. And now, a few songs have blown up in India. And now this song is for the States or any place where they don’t care what language it’s in, it’s just a good song. And that’s all we’re trying to do here, man, and hopefully it’s going to work.
Ryan: Teach people some Punjabi too.
Karan: If Ryan understands it… it’s not that hard. Yesterday we made some content for social media and he’s speaking Punjabi fluently. Hopefully, in our next song, I’ll be singing a verse in English and you’ll be singing a verse in Punjabi.
What are the key production elements of a Punjabi song?
Ryan: In this record there was a learning curve for me. I’ve obviously heard Punjabi music and Hindi music, and musically there’s a lot of similarities in Punjabi and Hindi. The language is different, obviously. But you’re using a tabla. There’s hand drums that are being used, some of which exist in the States, some of which don’t. One of my favorite sections of the whole record Ikky did, which is a drum break in the bridge that’s just a jam, it’s just a dance moment. It’s so festive and full of life and it’s layers of tabla and Indian hand drums and Punjabi instruments. The only time I’ve ever used any of that was if I’m doing Timbaland style hip-hop stuff because he leaned heavy into East Indian and Punjabi instruments. It’s not a mandolin. It sounds like a mandolin to us, but it’s basically an Indian version of a mandolin that’s a key element throughout the whole song. We’re not using a sitar or anything like that, it’s a little too shtick. And then the cadence, it’s all swung. If you think about it, all their music is played by hand. So I used all live kicks when I did the drums. It’s weird to reference, but I was thinking of stuff from like, 10-12 years ago. I didn’t want it to feel too modern. I love Sabrina Carpenter, but we’re not making “Espresso.” It’s a different style. So I had to lean into the cadence of what his verses were and Ikky helped a ton because I was like, “I’m not going to be the white idiot that steps foot into a culture and misappropriates it.” It has to be exact.
Karan: And the way you did it, it doesn’t sound forced. It’s one of my favorite tracks that I’ve ever worked on.
Tell me about filming the music video together with the band.
Karan: It’s like a story of our concert that’s [hopefully] happening in the future, in India…
Ryan: That’s really what it is.
Karan: It was two days [of filming] in a row. Kind of tiring, but we made a lot of memories there. I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.
Ryan: We were in a Hollywood backlot, which was pretty cool. I mean, from my perspective, I was like, this is a Bollywood video. There’s big time elements of Bollywood happening on camera.
Karan: It’s a mix.
What are your hopes for the song and video once they arrive?
Karan: Honestly, this is just the beginning and I’m just happy that we have this relationship now. I feel this big brother vibe from Ryan and I know if I need some guidance in the future…
Ryan: Just text.
Next summer, the goal is I want to go [to India] and be in a taxi cab or a Tuk Tuk and I want to hear this playing somewhere in the streets.
I’ve had things like this happen once in a blue moon. Everything happened so effortlessly and so seamlessly, including even now, the video getting cancelled and coming together and [getting] Disha who’s massive and just crushed it. All of those things threaded the needle for a multicultural record like this, it’s so exciting. I know people are going to love it.
Donnie Wahlberg is heading back to TV. CBS announced on Tuesday (Feb. 18) a new drama series with the working title Boston Blue, which will star the New Kids on the Block member, for the 2025-26 broadcast season. The show will expand on the popular, long-running show, Blue Bloods, in which Wahlberg appears as NYPD […]
Will Smith has a couple of eerie coincidences that he doesn’t like talking about too much. During a sit-down with the Broken Record podcast with co-host Justin Richmond, the entertainer revealed that he talked to The Notorious B.I.G. and Prince before their untimely deaths, with his run-in with Biggie being the first time he and […]
LISA‘s upcoming album Alter Ego might explore the five different sides of the BLACKPINK star, but in a new project coinciding with the LP, she’s downsizing to the two-dimensional world of comic-book panels.
As announced Tuesday (Feb. 18), the singer-rapper is launching a new venture, Lalisa Comics, in partnership with Zero Zero Entertainment, beginning with a 56-page graphic novel titled Alter-Ego: The Official Comic. Authored by LISA and illustrated by MINOMIYABI, the book will give fans a deeper understanding of the five personas the K-pop star individually channels throughout the songs on Alter Ego — Vixi, Roxi, Kiki, Sunni and Speedi — through comic-style storytelling.
“When three ruthless bullies trap Vixi in a virtual reality nightmare, her friends dive headfirst into the digital battleground,” reads a description on the product’s website. “Proving that while Vixi may work alone, she never has to fight alone.”
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Now available for purchase, the comics will ship out March 24, about a month after the Feb. 28 release of Alter Ego. LISA has been teasing the release of her debut solo LP for months, getting fans hyped up with singles “Rockstar,” “New Woman” featuring Rosalía and “Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me).” Most recently, the White Lotus Season 3 star dropped “Born Again” featuring Doja Cat — whom LISA once called her “dream” collaborator — and Raye.
LISA has been teasing the five-persona concept behind Alter Ego since she first announced the LP in November, at which time she dropped an album trailer hinting at each of the alter egos’ contrasting aesthetics. In a January interview with Capital Breakfast‘s Jordan North, the Thai musician revealed which identity is her favorite: Vixi, because “she’s the bada–, she’s a villain.”
“I was trying so many different kinds of music styles while I was recording,” she added at the time. “I was like, ‘Oh, well I’ve never done this kind of stuff before, but it sounds great. Why not just kind of like put all the different styles into the album and call it Alter Ego?’”
A lawsuit accusing Bassnectar (born Lorin Ashton) of sexually abusing three underage girls has been settled ahead of trial. According to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Tennessee on Tuesday (Feb. 18), the case against the electronic music producer was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled, after the two sides reached […]
Central Cee, Ayra Starr and Vybz Kartel were all winners at the MOBO Awards (Music Of Black Origin) in Newcastle, England, on Tuesday evening (Feb. 18). The ceremony honors homegrown and international artists from diverse scenes including hip-hop, R&B, grime, jazz, and Afrobeats.
First held in 1996, the MOBOs were founded by Kanya King and Andy Ruffell to provide representation for Black artists at a dedicated ceremony. The awards were held every year up until 2017. Following a brief hiatus, they returned in 2021 and 2022, but took a fallow year in 2023 and resumed once again in 2024.
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Central Cee scooped the best male act prize for the second year in a row, and gave the Londoner his seventh MOBO trophy overall. The win puts him level with Stormzy as the most-decorated UK rapper in the Awards’ history.
British-Nigerian Afrobeats star Darkoo was victorious in the best female act category, earning the 23-year-old her debut MOBO Award. She also performed at the ceremony alongside Spice, Krept & Konan, Odeal, Nova Twins, Bashy and more.
The ceremony was hosted by comedian Eddie Kadi and Love Island star Indiyah Polack and broadcast live on YouTube. Highlights from the ceremony will air on BBC One on Friday evening (Feb. 21).
There were also wins in major categories for Bashy, who scooped best album for Being Poor Is Expensive, which featured in Billboard U.K.’s albums of the year list in December. Song of the year went to Darkoo for her Dess Dior collaboration “Favourite Girl,” while Benin-born, Nigeria-raised Ayra Starr won best international artist (the first African female to win the prize) and best African music act (the first female to win for 16 years).
Vybz Kartel won the honorary MOBO impact award, which in recent years has been awarded to pop trio Sugababes and boxer Frank Bruno. Ezra Collective prevailed in the best jazz category for the third time in their career; the London group are nominated for four awards at this year’s BRIT Awards on March 1.
In recent years the MOBOs has broadened its categories to recognise the contributions made by Black artists to the U.K’s rock scene and its club culture. At 2025’s ceremony, rock duo Alt Blk Era won the best alternative act, while DJ and producer TSHA picked up best dance act.
See the full winners of the MOBO Awards 2025 below.
Best male act
BashyWINNER: Central CeeD-Block EuropeGhettsNemzzzSampha
Best female act
Cleo Sol
WINNER: Darkoo
Jorja Smith
Little Simz
Nia Archives
Raye
Album of the year
WINNER: Bashy – Being Poor Is ExpensiveCleo Sol – GoldGhetts – On Purpose, With PurposeJorja Smith – Falling Or FlyingSampha – LahaiSkrapz – Reflection
Song of the year
Central Cee Feat. Lil Baby – “Band4band”
Chase & Status, Stormzy – “Backbone”
WINNER: Darkoo Feat. Dess Dior – “Favourite Girl”
Jordan Adetunji – “Kehlani”
Leostaytrill – “Pink Lemonade”
Odeal – “Soh-soh”
Best newcomer
Chy Cartier
Elmiene
Fimiguerrero
Flowerovlove
Jordan Adetunji
Len
Leostaytrill
Myles Smith
WINNER: Odeal
Pozer
Video of the year
Meekz – “Mini Me’s” (Directed By Kc Locke)
WINNER: Mnelia – “My Man” (Directed By Femi Bello)
Raye – “Genesis” (Directed By Otis Dominique & Raye)
Sampha – “Only” (Directed By Dexter Navy)
Skepta – “Gas Me Up (Diligent)” (Directed By Steveo)
Unknown T Feat. Loyle Carner – “Hocus Pocus” (Directed By Felix Brady)
Best R&B/soul act
Cleo Sol
Elmiene
Flo
Jaz Karis
Jorja Smith
Nippa
WINNER: Odeal
Sasha Keable
Shae Universe
Sinead Harnett
Best alternative music act
WINNER: ALT BLK ERA
Bob Vylan
Hak Baker
Kid Bookie
Native James
Spider
Best grime act
Chip
D Double E
Duppy
Kruz Leone
Manga Saint Hilare
WINNER: Scorcher
Best hip hop act
WINNER: Bashy
Cristale
Headie One
Nines
Potter Payper
Skrapz
Best drill act
163MargsCentral CeeHeadie OneKairo KeyzK-trapWINNER: Pozer
Best international act
AsakeWINNER: Ayra StarrBeyoncéGloRillaKendrick LamarLattoMegan Thee StallionNicki MinajTemsTyla
Best performance in a TV show/film
Angela Wynter As Yolande Trueman In EastendersCaroline Chikezie As Noma In Power Book II: GhostDiane Parish As Denise Fox In EastendersDionne Brown As Queenie In QueenieGhetts As Krazy In SupacellWINNER: Jacob Anderson As Louis In Interview With The VampireJasmine Jobson As Jaq In Top BoyJosh Tedeku As Tazer In SupacellKingsley Ben-adir As Bob Marley In Bob Marley: One LoveTosin Cole As Michael In Supacell
Best media personality
WINNER: 90’s Baby ShowAJ OduduChuckie OnlineCraig MitchHenrie KwushueMadame JoyceMicah RichardsSpecs GonzalezThe Receipts PodcastZeze Millz
Best African music act
Asake (Nigeria)
WINNER: Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Bnxn & Ruger (Nigeria)
King Promise (Ghana)
Odumodublvck (Nigeria)
Rema (Nigeria)
Shallipopi (Nigeria)
Tems (Nigeria)
Tyla (South Africa)
Uncle Waffles (South Africa)
Best Caribbean music act
Popcaan
WINNER: Shenseea
Skillibeng
Spice
Valiant
Yg Marley
Best jazz act
Amy Gadiaga
Blue Lab Beats
Ego Ella May
WINNER: Ezra Collective
Kokoroko
Yussef Dayes
Best electronic/dance act
Eliza Rose
Nia Archives
Pinkpantheress
Salute
Shygirl
WINNER: Tsha
Best producer
Ceebeaats
Inflo
WINNER: Juls
M1onthebeat
P2j
Sammy Soso
Best gospel act
WINNER: Annatoria
Imrhan
Limoblaze
Reblah
Still Shadey
Volney Morgan & New Ye
MGK is looking forward to his second round of fatherhood. The rocker, who is expecting a child with his ex-fiancée Megan Fox, took to his Instagram Stories on Sunday (Feb. 16) to share a photo of a church stage, which showed the projected message, “Your past is not your purpose—your priority is ahead of you.” […]
Cynthia Erivo‘s next role is the exact opposite of wicked. As announced Tuesday (Feb. 18), the singer/actress is locked in to star as the titular role in Jesus Christ Superstar, running three nights in a row at the Hollywood Bowl this August. The Pinocchio star personally shared the news of her casting on Instagram, as […]
Farruko is back atop Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart as “Cables Cruzados” lifts 2-1 to rule the Feb. 22-dated tally. The Puerto Rican returns with his first song to rule in over a year.
“Cables Cruzados” was the focus track on Farruko’s 26-track studio album Cvrbon Vrmor (2024), his first full-length since the No. 1 set La 167 (2021). The song was a full embrace of the pop side he periodically showcased on past releases and arrived following his transformative spiritual conversion.
“Cables Cruzados” lands at No. 1 on Latin Pop Airplay, where it vaults 5.8 million audience impressions across U.S. pop radio stations in the tracking week ending Feb. 13, according to Luminate; that’s a 22% boost in weekly plays from last week.
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The song dethrones Shakira’s “Soltera” from its 18-week-straight coronation, the third-longest reign in the 2020s decade (Rauw Alejandro’s “Todo De Ti” and Karol G’s “Provenza” dominated for 28 and 21 weeks, respectively, in 2021 and 2022).
“Cables” becomes Farruko’s eighth win on Latin Pop Airplay among 40 career entries. The single also gives him a first champ since 2023, when “Pasa_je_ro” seized the No. 1 slot for five consecutive weeks in 2023, his longest-leading song there.
Farruko’s winning streak began with 2016’s “Obsesionado” (two weeks in charge). That same year, “Chillax,” featuring Ky-Mani Marley, led for one week.
As it has become a norm for Farruko’s leading songs on Latin Pop Airplay, “Cables” lands at No. 1 in its 17th week, a two-digit run to the penthouse as the rest of his eight champs. Let’s take a closer look at those eight winners and their journey to No. 1, from least to most:
Weeks to No. 1, Song, Weeks at No. 1, Year11, “Obsesionado,” two (2016)13, “Perfecta,” with Luis Fonsi, two (2020)13, “Me Pasé,” with Enrique Iglesias, one (2021)16, “Si Me Dices Que Sí,” with Reik & Camilo, two (2020)17, “Cables Cruzados,” (2025)21, “Chillax,” featuring Ky-Mani Marley, one (2016)22, “Pasa_je_ro,” five (2023)25, ‘Calma,” with Pedro Capo, one (2019)
Thanks to a winning performance across radio pop stations, “Cables Cruzados” delivers its first top 10 appearance on the overall Latin Airplay chart, where it climbs 18-10, Farruko’s 18th top 10 there.
All charts (dated Feb. 22, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Feb. 19, a day later than usual due to the Presidents’ Day holiday in the United States Feb. 17. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Sabrina Carpenter started the month of February by winning her first two Grammys ever, and as it turns out, she was just getting started.
Last week, Carpenter graced the cover of Vogue for the very first time — earning praise from Madonna for her Marilyn Monroe-inspired photo shoot that recalled Madge’s own Vanity Fair spread from the early ’90s (“Is this a Valentine’s present to me?”). Then first thing Friday, she dropped the deluxe edition of her Short n’ Sweet album that included a remix of her Billboard Hot 100-topping “Please Please Please” with none other than Dolly Parton.
Then on Sunday night, Carpenter got not one, but two looks on the blockbuster Saturday Night Live 50th-anniversary special, opening the show alongside Paul Simon with “Homeward Bound” and then joining a Domingo sketch alongside Bad Bunny and Pedro Pascal. Whew.
On the new Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking all about Carpenter’s big week and recapping all the music moments on the SNL50 special.
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Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on Kendrick Lamar’s post-Super Bowl splash on both the Billboard 200 albums chart and Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, as the GNX album returns to No. 1 on the former and “Not Like Us” is back at No. 1 on the latter. Plus, could Drake — the subject of the diss track “Not Like Us” — actually replace Lamar at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 next week? His new collaboration album with PartyNextDoor, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, came out last Friday, so it could happen.
And we finally got our first pop headliner at the Sphere in Las Vegas, with the announcement of a Backstreet Boys residency in July.
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)