State Champ Radio

by DJ Frosty

Current track

Title

Artist

Current show
blank

State Champ Radio Mix

1:00 pm 7:00 pm

Current show
blank

State Champ Radio Mix

1:00 pm 7:00 pm


Music News

Page: 9

On Wednesday (Dec. 18), SZA unveiled the album artwork for Lana, the long-awaited deluxe edition of her blockbuster album SOS. On the cover, the superstar metamorphosed into a shimmering bug-eyed creature with a golden camouflage jacket and cargo pants in her natural outdoor habitat. SZA officially announced Monday that Lana would arrive Friday via Top […]

Nick Jonas and Elon Musk might be at the start of a new bromance, with the singer/songwriter playfully reacting to the billionaire using an old Jonas Brothers meme on Tuesday.
The interaction started with Musk retweeting a post from the Tesla Owners Silicon Valley account that claimed the automotive company is “up 100% since Donald Trump won” the 2024 presidential election. “My, how the tables have turned!” the X owner wrote in response, adding a GIF from a beloved old video of Nick and Kevin Jonas lifting up a brown coffee table and rotating it 180 degrees.

In the original clip, Joe Jonas then bursts into the room and announces: “Oh, how the tables have turned.”

Trending on Billboard

After seeing that Musk had used a GIF of him and his brothers, the “Jealous” singer retweeted the post with a photo of the businessman knowingly smiling and wrote, “Take us to the Year 3000.”

The exchange was enough to get some people talking, as Musk is one of the world’s most polarizing figures — in large part due to his partnership with the current president-elect. Shortly after beating out Kamala Harris in November, Trump appointed the tech titan as the co-head of a new U.S. government department of efficiency with Vivek Ramaswamy; now, some fans are interpreting Nick’s post as a subtle endorsement of Musk and, by extension, the twice-impeached ex-POTUS.

“Is this a trump post?!” one person commented, tagging Nick’s wife, actress Priyanka Chopra, and adding, “get your man.”

“tweeting at elon musk is definitely a choice,” another person replied, while a different upset fan wrote, “I DID NOT HAVE A CRUSH ON NICK JONAS FOR THIS TO HAPPEN OH MY GOD.”

Billboard has reached out to Nick’s reps for comment.

The Camp Rock alum is currently gearing up to star in The Last Five Years on Broadway, opening March 18. He also stars in Robert Schwartzman’s The Good Half, which premiered in theaters over the summer and became available for streaming on Hulu in November.

Nick hasn’t dropped a solo album since 2021’s Spaceman, but he and his brothers did release The Album in May 2023, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Two and a half months after wrapping their world tour in Poland, the Jonas Brothers are now slated to perform on this year’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

Part of the new wave of Latin artists testing tropical waters, Rauw Alejandro is back on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart, as he wraps a four-year hiatus and returns with his second top 10 since 2020.
The classic salsa romantic “Tú Con Él” by the late Frankie Ruiz, covered by Rauw Alejandro, makes its top 10 entrance on the Tropical Airplay chart (dated Dec. 21) as the song flies 14-7 in its second week assisted by a robust 107% gain in audience impressions, to 2.6 million, on the Dec. 6-12 tracking week, according to Luminate.

While the late Ruiz placed 11 entries on Tropical Airplay, including seven top 10s and two No. 1s, the 1985-released “Tú Con Él” did not enter as the chart officially launched almost a decade later, in 1994. The cover by Rauw Alejandro takes the Puerto Rican to his second entrance and top 10 on the ranking, after “Fantasías,” with Farruko, sent both artists to No. 2 in 2020. (The Latin rhythmic tune arrived before Tropical Airplay changed from a station-based to a genre-based tally).

Trending on Billboard

It’s not the first time a song by Ruiz finds its way to a Billboard chart after his passing. Victor Manuelle incorporated excerpts from his 1989 hit “Deseándote” into “Otra Noche Más,” which added a new top 10 to both salsa singers’ Tropical Airplay careers in March. Further, it gave Ruiz his first entry since 2012 and first top 10 after the No. 7-peaking “Vuelvo a Nacer” in 1998. For Victor Manuelle, meanwhile, the time-traveling collaboration turned into a record-extending 65 top 10s.

Further, Charlie Cruz’s take of Ruiz’s “Tú Con Él” peaked at No. 19 on Tropical Airplay in 2018.

“Tú Con Él” also grants Rauw Alejandro a 32nd entry on the overall Latin Airplay chart, where it opens at No. 45. There, the song joins another Rauw track from his No. 1 album Cosa Nuestra: “Que Pasaría,” with Bad Bunny, surges 43-31 with 4 million audience impressions, up 28% from the week prior. Rauw’s fifth studio album debuted atop Top Latin Albums and Tropical Albums charts (Nov. 30) with the largest streaming week of 2024 for a Latin album.

In sum, “Tú Con Él” has translated into a profitable revival for Rauw Alejandro, with multiple entries across Billboard charts. Let’s look at those recaps:

Peak Position, ChartNo. 69, Billboard Hot 100No. 65, Billboard Global 200No. 98, Global Excl. U.S.No. 6, Hot Latin SongsNo. 45, Latin AirplayNo. 7, Tropical AirplayNo. 5, Latin Streaming SongsNo. 5, Latiin Digital Song Sales

Over on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, while radio airplay surges, streams for “Tú Con Él” drop by 1%, to 3.4 million, and sales rise by a 6%.

SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers for Rhythm + Flow season 2 are included in the content below.
First came American Idol and shows like The Voice, and then Netflix put its own spin on the format with its first hip-hop competition series Rhythm + Flow in 2019. Following a five-year hiatus, the streaming giant rolled out the red carpet for season 2’s return of Rhythm + Flow in November.

R+F fielded aspiring artists auditioning across the country, from Atlanta to a basement music hall in Michigan that Eminem once roamed, with a check for $250,000 on the line.

Although their fate would be held in the judges’ hands as Netflix tapped the trio of DJ Khaled, Latto and Ludacris to step into the hot seat and find the last one standing, they had some help in discovering the next star with guest judge appearances from Eminem, Big Sean, GloRilla and more throughout season 2.

Trending on Billboard

“I think it gives people an inside look at what really goes into becoming an artist,” Latto — who won The Rap Game in 2016 — tells Billboard. “I think social media gives this perception that you blow up overnight and some people are lucky enough to do that, but I think a lot of times all three of us can attest that this is blood, sweat and tears. It’s a lot of being put on the spot and come up with the plan.”

While the judges dished out plenty of constructive criticism and praise throughout the season, the process was also reciprocally rewarding for Ludacris, who was inspired creatively by some of the contestants’ hunger.

“It’s so good for me being in the game for so long to get that hunger and energy of when you are trying to prove to the world that you are that motherf—–r,” Luda explains. “I was loving every minute of just from that perspective of putting myself in a room full of people that had so much to prove.”

Back when he had a fear of flying, DJ Khaled grinded for years on the road before becoming the We The Best mogul he is today. He preaches that same mantra to emerging artists to not skip steps and embrace the process laying the foundation for what’s to come.

“When you win overnight, you win so big on top and now you gotta find a way to keep going,” the Miami hitmaker says. “You might be going down now. I want to remind artists: Don’t try to skip the steps. Enjoy it, enjoy every moment of it.”

Khaled continues: “We gotta make sure that we tell the young artists make that music that will play forever. You might not be able to make that record today. But your process will and then you’ll enjoy it more. I always look at that blueprint with Quincy [Jones]. It doesn’t matter how old you are… They always try to put a time cap on hip-hop… You could do this forever.”

John Legend also returns as a producer of the rap competition series. “What I love about this show is you really get to know these artists and they’re creating original music that’s based on their real life,” he relays to Billboard. “I think that’s something that no other competition show can offer.”

Season 2 champion DreTL ended up hoisting the trophy and taking home the six-figure check after edging out California native Jay Taj in the final round, which the judges described as “a close call.”

Every time Ludacris attempted to put a ceiling on DreTL’s ability, he surpassed expectations and eventually couldn’t be denied.

“He just kept surprising me in areas where I thought he would only reach a certain amount of expectations,” Luda says of giving Dre the nod. “If your trajectory is starting a certain way, but you continue to ascend, that lets me know I don’t know how far you can get past someone I’m looking at that’s already considered great. You might go into another stratosphere of greatness. I just saw him ascend the entire show.”

From the camaraderie to the competition and bars, all 10 episodes from the rap competition series are now available for streaming on Netflix. Watch our full interview with the three superstar judges below.

Flavor Flav was down in Washington D.C. this week as he celebrated the festive season at the White House’s holiday party on Tuesday afternoon (Dec. 17). The rapper seemingly went back to the presidential home a day later when he got the honor to play piano at the historic residence. Explore Explore See latest videos, […]

Rising J-pop singer Hibiki dropped a digital EP called “Desire (Latin Mix)” that includes a Latin-flavored mix of her first original number that was featured as the festival song of the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival this year.
Listen to it below.

The lyrics are all in English, and the budding star notes that the song expresses her will to be heard by music listeners not only in her home country but also around the world, and to expand her work as an artist on a global scale.

It’s Billie Eilish’s 23rd birthday, and to celebrate, Vanity Fair released its eighth annual interview with the superstar on Wednesday (Dec. 18) in which she answers the same questions a year apart.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

In this year’s clip, the black-haired singer reflected on her “big, big year,” which included the release of her album Hit Me Hard & Soft and her first Oscar win for her Barbie track, “What Was I Made For?” When asked what the “biggest thing to happen” in 2024 was, Eilish responded, “I had the most monthly listeners on Spotify in the entire world. […] I released my album, went on tour again, made so many new friends, adopted another dog. It’s been a friendship-filled year.”

At one point in the clip, she watches her past self list off the things she wants to accomplish, including skydiving (which she still hasn’t done yet), bungee jumping and more “adventure.”

Trending on Billboard

Eilish also mentioned wanting to make new friends and “be having good sex,” both of which she checked off the list. “I’ve done nothing but make friends all year and got so close with people that I wasn’t with before,” she noted, before cheekily adding, “And, yes, I’ve had a lot of good sex.”

In the music world, the multi-Grammy winner shared that she’s been enjoying listening to throwback Lady Gaga songs, including “Alejandro,” “Poker Face” and “Born This Way.” “It’s so good,” Eilish said.

Ultimately, Eilish is proud of how far she’s come this year. “I really trust myself now,” she says of how she’s grown in comparison to previous years. “It’s always scary when you fall in love and you dig someone or like someone or whatever it is. It’s hard to know what the hell is going on because you’re blinded by this curtain of lust and admiration. I’ve been very cautious, and I’ve been a really good girl.”

She concluded, “I can’t believe the way my life is gone, and where it is now.”

Watch Eilish’s eighth annual Vanity Fair interview in full below.

In November, legendary German techno fest Time Warp touched down for its annual bash in Brooklyn, N.Y. Held at the Brooklyn Storehouse, the two-day event featured a techno league of legends, with Ricardo Villalobos, Sven Väth, Indira Paganotto, DJ Tennis playing b2b with Jimi Jules all gracing the stage.
Among these many stars was American-born, Germany-based producer Afriqua, who played a two-hour set that took its time warming up, before getting wonderfully spatial and far out, then blooming into a full on groovefest. Russian titan Nina Kraviz played 90 minutes of her characteristically sharp-edged techno, while Dutch star Kevin de Vries played two hours of pummeling and undeniable melodic techno.

Hear all three of these sets exclusively below.

Trending on Billboard

Time Warp USA 2024 was part of the German festival’s 30-year anniversary celebrations, with the party first making the jump to the U.S. in 2014, in partnership with New York City-based promoter Teksupport. Teksupport founder Rob Toma first encountered Time Warp in Germany back in 2010, and was immediately convinced he needed to bring the party and its music to the States.

“In America, it’s usually, like, nine EDM stages and a dubstep stage, [but] this had all great artists,” Toma told Billboard in 2023 of the U.S. electronic events market back in 2010. Determined to shift things, he got in touch with the festival’s owner, Steffen Charles, to see about bringing Time Warp across the Atlantic.

As Toma recalls, Charles’ response was icy: “I’ll never do New York. America is not ready.”

Toma eventually convinced him otherwise, and in 2014 Time Warp made it’s U.S. debut in Brooklyn. The show was a logistical nightmare. Toma lost his license for the Brooklyn Armory days before the festival, and had to relocate to another venue, The Shed. The event lost $400,000. Toma considered it a success.

“It was just kind of a dream,” he said in 2023. “I looked at it as, ‘This is not a loss, this is an investment.’”

A decade later, the investment has clearly paid off.

Kevin de Vries

Nina Kraviz

Afriqua

Xavi adds a fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Flores” rises 3-1 to lead the Dec. 21-dated list with the Greatest Gainer honors of the week. Notably, he’s landed all his No. 1 songs in 2024, dating to his first, “La Diabla,” in February. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and […]

Daft Punk‘s Coachella 2006 performance is widely considered to be one of the best shows to ever happen at the festival, turning everyone in the packed Sahara tent into dance-music believers and helping set the stage for the genre’s coming explosion in the United States.
But how did the French duo even end up at the festival?

New documentary Busy P Says Oui explores the dynamics that brought the show to life, via interviews with Busy P (real name Pedro Winter), the founder of Ed Banger records who also managed Daft Punk for 12 years, starting when he was 20 years old.

Trending on Billboard

The documentary as a whole celebrates Winter, one of dance music’s most crucial and beloved figures, while looking at the relationship he and Ed Banger have had with Coachella over the years with artists including Justice, DJ Mehdi and more.

Shot on location at and near Coachella 2024, the documentary is a project by Coachella producer Goldenvoice and one in a series of upcoming pieces (with many more to come) from the original content initiative at Coachella led by Ike Adler, Mikhail Mehra and David Prince. The doc also features an interview with Goldenvoice’s vp of festival talent Stacey Vee, who was instrumental in getting the robots to the desert for their performance on April 29, 2006.

It wasn’t easy. “Daft Punk really wanted to focus on their own career, own music,” Winter says in the doc, “so my job mostly during those 12 years was to say no to everybody, everything.”

“We really didn’t want a no; we really wanted this one to happen,” Vee says of sending Daft Punk’s agent the offer, which would provide the duo with $350,000, plus airfare, hotel and ground transportation.

The pair, of course, ultimately said “oui,” with the documentary unpacking how the show came together, with Sahara tent mastermind Wiley Dailey recalling that “people showed up and lost their minds.”

“Magic happened,” Winter concurs of the performance, which unveiled Daft Punk’s iconic pyramid stage production and more or less changed the course of electronic music forever.

“Whenever I’m given an opportunity to make a film about music, I’m always on board,” the doc’s director Garfield tells Billboard. “I was excited about this project because I am a fan of Pedro Winter’s as well as Coachella’s, but I also knew it came with a challenge. How could I cover everything about the dopeness that is Pedro and his long relationship with the festival in 10 minutes or less? The answer was not to go for all but to go for small. So I chose to focus on just a moment in their shared history and springboard out from there. 

“Busy P Says Oui is as much a metaphor for taking chances as it is about the gravitational pull between two musical forces who continue to support each other to this day,” Garfield continues. Hopefully when you watch you will catch a glimpse into the ball of energy that is both Coachella and Busy P. Who knows, maybe it will inspire you to try something too.”