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For rising British pop star Artemas, Lovercore – the title of his new mixtape – encompasses entirely how he presents his music to the world. “I’m kind of coining my genre – if I have one – and deciding what the wave is with this mixtape,” he tells Billboard U.K.
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That genre, or vibe, is one of serious intensity, in-your-face production and the 26-year-old taking big swings with his emotional, impulsive lyricism. It’s informed by his love of The Weeknd (an all-time hero) but also a number of synth-pop and electronic icons; Lovercore shares the same bleak shades of Depeche Mode’s 1986 monster Black Celebration. “Superstar” and “Southbound” both reflect on intoxicating relationships, set to Nine Inch Nails-sized beats: “Choke me to the point where I can barely breathe, my love/ You’ve got me in the palm of your hands,” he sighs in the former.
“I don’t like writing about mundane or overly-sentimental stuff, all my lyrics are big and instinctive,” Artemas Diamandis says. “Like when you meet someone and you become f–king obsessed with them or when someone breaks up with you and you just f–king hate them. That’s what I like to sing about.”
Lovercore is the British musician’s first mixtape since his explosive breakout year. In late 2023, his self-released single “If You Think I’m Pretty” started rising up streaming charts, and March 2024’s follow-up “I Like the Way You Kiss Me” topped numerous charts in Europe, peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has since racked up 1.4 billion streams on Spotify alone. He became a rare British breakout story in an otherwise slow year, and proved that strong creative convictions over following standard music industry checkmarks could pay dividends.
Artemas began self-releasing music in 2020 with material that bordered on softer indie-pop. By 2023, he’d grown disillusioned with the advice he was receiving from industry advisors and decided to be true to his own sound. “If You Think I’m Pretty” was worlds away from the approachability of his earliest singles, favouring distorted vocals and drums, and a menacing air of intrigue. “I Like the Way You Kiss Me” was even more enthralling and stuffed with hooks atop an electro beat. “You have to be a little bit fearless and OK with being judged,” he says of upending his sound and reaping the rewards.
The success of the songs and his two 2024 mixtapes Pretty and yustyana sent him on tour around the world, including packed shows at festivals such as Coachella. He’s met famous fans such as Finneas O’Connell, brother and producer of Billie Eilish (“that first album f–ked me up so bad,” Artemas says), and is collaborating with his heroes like Illangelo, producer of The Weeknd’s 2011 Trilogy collection – Artemas’ creative north star. “Illangelo reached out ages ago, but I’ve been too scared to do the session, because he’s like my favourite producer ever,” he laughs.
As he releases Lovercore and gears up for a fruitful new era of music and performances, he tells Billboard U.K. how staying true to his vision helped him build an army of fans – and create his strongest music yet.
There’s a Depeche Mode feel to this mixtape. Is that a fair comparison?
Yeah I think so. I grew up on ‘90s alt music like Nirvana and Radiohead. Then I put out “I Like the Way You Kiss Me” and I knew I was doing a fake shitty Robert Smith [The Cure] impression, but then I got all of these comments like, “This is like the new romantics in the ’80s.” My mum used to play a bit of Tears for Fears, but I never really properly dived into it, and then I got obsessed with Depeche Mode and all of this ’80s synth pop.
The main purpose of this record is to just get that s–t out of my system. Every time I’d sit down and write a song I’d just start playing synths. I’m obsessed with this stuff, but I just know there’s a whole other side to my artistry that I’ve been neglecting, so I’m gonna put this out and then we can move on a bit.
How’s 2025 been for you geberally?
It’s been good. I would say that I definitely felt myself getting quite tired being on the road. I didn’t realize that as soon as you have an audience, they just put you in a van and send you around the world, so I feel like I’ve had barely any time to make music but I’ve had a great 2025.
Coachella was a highlight – that was pretty wild. I had such a great time and the show was packed. I also got snubbed for Glastonbury — and I’m not being salty because I didn’t get chosen, if I had to pick I’d have genuinely chosen Coachella anyway! It feels a lot more on brand for me.
What have you learned about yourself as a performer through these shows?
I was so worried when I was told that I had to start performing. I’d traditionally been in a band set-up and it was all soft indie-pop and it was all very live. The stuff I’m singing now is actually really difficult to perform live, and I was worried it would sound bad. But I’ve got better at controlling the audience and being more confident with that.
Artemas
@eleonoramur
What felt different about making Lovercore compared to your previous work?
I handed this project in two months ago, which is a first for me. With “I Like the Way You Kiss Me,” I made it, posted it four days later, and a week later it was the most viral track on TikTok – and the most-listened to song in the world. From there, I’ve just put music out and been quite impulsive and instinctive when it comes to releasing, but this was the first time that I decided I was going to make songs and hand them in and let them breathe.
Did you enjoy that more traditional A&R process and release strategy?
The problem I was having before was that I was kind of spoiling the songs for myself. It’s nice to have the song and hold onto them for a bit longer. Your relationship to a song is naturally going to be different once other people hear it. I’ve enjoyed having these songs for longer – they mean a lot to me. Sometimes you put a song out that you’ve made a week ago, and it almost feels like a violation of your own privacy. Inevitably when you put them out, you do go off them a bit.
I can imagine that period of writing a song and it hitting straight away being a bit of a whirlwind…
It was extremely surreal. It kind of felt like a joke. [“I Like the Way You Kiss Me”] just wouldn’t stop rising. I think my brain got a bit fried by how quickly everything moved last year, and how suddenly I was an artist with a massive streaming audience. That came out of being obsessed with making songs and not really thinking about an audience. Lovercore is the first time I’ve made music with an audience waiting for it, and I’ve kind of been trying to go back to my old mindset and not caring and making a project for me.
That must be nice to have people respond, though, especially when you’ve been through the grind…
That side of it is so nice. I had three or four years of putting music out and no one listening to it – which is something that every artist has to go through – but it’s not a nice place. So I’m very grateful to have what I have going on. But you’re also not making stuff with that innocence, and where there’s no judgement and if it fails, f–k it, who cares?
Up to that moment it’s like everyone is just rooting for you. I never read a single negative comment in that whole time, and it was just a lot of positivity. But as soon as you have a song that people can’t escape off their feed, that’s when you start getting pushback, and that was a wild thing to deal with. It was surreal and scary as f–k, but also the best thing in the world. Like, everyone knows that song now, and I can be sure that at a festival set that I have a moment where the crowd is going crazy.
Did it change the way the industry was looking at you? You’d been releasing material for years but hadn’t made much progress.
I’d been listening to every piece of advice from people in the industry for years. I would sign these distribution deals and make these EPs and music videos. I was doing all this bollocks and it wasn’t working.
And then I had this epiphany/breakdown moment where I was like, ‘F–k it, no one in this industry knows what they’re talking about, this traditional s-–t doesn’t work’. So I just put out a song every single month and posted every single day on TikTok, and just started to make the s–t that I love.
I completely changed what I was releasing, too. The music that is now Artemas, these dark R&B songs, I was just making on the side for myself. I’d play them to friends and they’d say this s–t was way harder than what I was releasing. I started putting this stuff out and ignored everything the industry was saying that I had to do… and it pretty instantly started working.
Artemas
@nicolemasri
How does Lovercore fit into your long-term plans?
In the short-term it’s about putting this mixtape out, another one at the top of next year, another one in May and then put them together and inspired by The Weeknd’s Trilogy as my first official album-type release. Beyond that, it’s hard to say. It’s like a ouija board, I just let the world come back to me with messages; I don’t like being too prescriptive with long-term goals and plans.
And how are you dealing with the creative process alongside the increased attention?
Staying focused on all the right things can be difficult when you’re constantly traveling the world. There’s naturally a lot of other stuff that has come my way that I wasn’t having to think about before. Previously I wasn’t having to tour and manage an audience, I was just making music and thinking about what’s the next chapter and how to keep pushing myself there. Now, it’s about making sure the music-making process doesn’t get affected by all the other stuff.
I just want to make the most undeniable music that I can – I don’t think I have many more aspirations. I don’t feel like I’m part of a scene; I exist on my own. I don’t think my songs are obvious smashes, they just became them. I would never want to be writing songs with the intention of making a massive song, I want it to be a crossover from my own world.
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When T-Pain and Clinton Sparks call in to Billboard, Pain is on his tour bus, and Clinton is in his car on his way to meet Howie Mandel. Yes, Howie Mandel — the former Deal or No Deal host and current America’s Got Talent judge. According to Sparks, Mandel is secretly an avid gamer and was interested in talking about the Global Gaming League — T-Pain, Ne-Yo, Sparks’ and Jeff Hoffmann’s new e-sports community.
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The idea was simple: Competitive e-sports teams have long been reserved for elite, top-tier gamers, but what if there was a league comprised of just average people who love video games — and a random celebrity?
“I mean, everybody games, from the Jonas Brothers to Terry Crews to Snoop Dogg,” Sparks says. “None of those people are gonna stop what they’re doing and be hardcore e-sports players. They’re not quitting their day jobs to compete for years, but they all game! There was nothing built for them to be a part of.”
On Wednesday (Oct. 29), Mandel was announced as another celebrity team owner, along with Million Dollaz Worth of Game hosts Gillie and Wallo267. Mandel’s “Howie Do It” team will face off against “Million Dollaz Gaming” in Las Vegas on Nov. 18. However, neither of these teams are comprised entirely of celebrities; in fact, most of the players will be just average gamers from around the world.
“There could be a team where it’s T-Pain, a 12-year-old from Madagascar, and a 41-year-old from Cleveland,” Pain explains. “Everybody games, it’s for everybody, and I’m trying to make it where everybody can get to this.”
This communal approach to gaming also doesn’t mean corners need to be cut regarding fanfare. The Global Gaming League hosted its first event in Las Vegas earlier this month, and it was as high-budget a celebration as any other gaming event. As T-Pain’s Nappy Boy Grizzlies faced off against Ne-Yo’s Gentlemen’s Gaming Team with back-to-back rounds of Call of Duty, Tetris and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, Rich the Kid popped out for a halftime show, and Flava Flav, who is also a team owner, even stopped by to hype up the crowd.
Even without all the celebrity glamour, the event itself was incredibly high stakes. Ne-Yo and T-Pain were forced to face off in the event’s closing moments for a tiebreaker. Unfortunately for T-Pain, the game of choice was Tekken, which Ne-Yo is apparently unbelievable at playing. Pain never stood a chance.
“Being part of the Global Gaming League as a team owner has been incredible,” Ne-Yo says in a statement. Billboard could not reach him for an interview due to his hectic tour schedule. “I’ve always had a passion for gaming, but this league is really taking the competition to another level while bridging the intersection between gaming and entertainment in a creative way. The championship match is going to be a special one, but I really believe this league has the potential to shift the entertainment landscape and open new doors for gamers worldwide.”
Below, T-Pain and Clinton Sparks talk about how the Global Gaming League came together, what it means to bring celebrity culture and gaming under one roof — and why Pain lost so badly to Ne-Yo.
Tell me about how the idea of Global Gaming League came together, and why did you guys feel so enthusiastic about committing to this program in such a big way?
T-Pain: [Clinton], you can give him the interview version.
Clinton Sparks: [Laughs.] God d–n it, Pain. Alright, here comes the AI version. We both are in the entertainment space, we both care about people. We both enjoy bringing opportunities and people together, so nothing really does that quite like gaming does. As you know, Pain’s been a gamer for a long, long time. I had experience building gaming companies from FaZe Clan to other organizations, and when I was building those I recognized that as big as gaming is, it’s still disconnected form mainstream pop culture and definitely the streets.
How is it so big and we’re all connected to it one way or another, and there isn’t anything set up that we can have an authentic footprint within it in a more communal way, that’s not just in our own streaming set up? How do we create something where [everyone] can participate and be a part of it just like any other sports, where you start in football and go to high school and go to college and hopefully make it to the NFL? There isn’t anything like that [for gaming].
So what’s the non-interview version, Pain?
TP: The non-interview version is: We saw e-sports and we were like, “Bro, why the f—k aren’t we doing that with the homies?” We saw a part that just was missing. E-sports seemed so unattainable. You have to be a pro, you have to be amazing at this s—t, but what about the guys that are just there? That just play all the time because they want to?
Once I got into this part of my career where I became independent, like — no shade to where you work at — but I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t have to chase Billboard No. 1s anymore.’ I can actually just f—kin’ do this s—t because I like doin’ it and still be in the ranks with the people that are hitting No. 1 on Billboard. I can still be around them and do s—t with them. So I was taking that approach back to gaming, something we all love and when we think about music and are really good at it, We do this s—t for free. But how cool would it be to get paid for it?
What are the kind of conversations you want to see the music industry having?
TP: When you bring this conversation of e-sports to celebrities, the first thing they say is: “How do I make money off of this?” When we bring them the Global Gaming League they say, “Oh, s—t, sounds fun, we outside!” It’s such a casual thing that we don’t even care if we make money. We’re going to, but it’s such a turn-key thing. We want the conversation to turn away from, “How do I make money from video games?” into “How do I make this bigger than what it is right now and still get the bonus of making money?”
Like I lived with an e-sports team for two days for a journalistic piece, and I got out of there immediately. It was supposed to be five days and I was like, “All right, that’s enough of that.” They gotta wake up at 7:00 a.m., work out, work on their hand-eye coordination, it’s crazy bro. I was like, “Yeah, I only brought leather pants with me, I’m not doin’ this s—t.”
CS: You’re here for the fun. We know the business of it is gonna happen. Dope doesn’t chase money, money chases dope. We’re building dope and bringing other dope friends along with us so that not only is it giving them an outlet to do something they’re passionate about and excited about. For the universal community that have been waiting for an opportunity to compete, to make money, to build business, that’s what we’re creating with our entire league system.
How did you guys make that model sound appealing to celebrities though?
TP: It seems unbelievable, you know what I mean? Because when people come to celebrities like that they’re like, “Alright, how many f—kin’ days do I have to show up in this. How much money do you want me to invest?” So when you do that initial pitch you have to let these people know they don’t have to spend any money, and they get to own part of the company. We’re not looking for any money, we’re looking for you to come have fun. That’s it, you know what I’m sayin’? It’s honestly unbelievable because the gaming industry has gone so deep into, “How do we make money off of this?”
CS: From a celebrity standpoint, I totally agree. From an investors stand point, it’s educating them and making them understand it’s the biggest entertainment platform in the entire world that makes more money than music, movies and television combined.
TP: That’s even harder! Cause when you get the celebrities and say we don’t want your money, then go to investors and say we got a team with T-Pain, Snoop Dogg and Kevin Hart, the first thing they say is, “Why the f—k didn’t you take their money?” Bringing those two parts together was the worst.
T-Pain, you’re no stranger to streaming or gaming at this point. How has utilizing these new age entertainment platforms changed your life and your career?
TP: I mean, I’ve been on Twitch since 2014, and I’ve been streaming since then. From 2014 to 2019 I was streaming to like 20 to 200 people. Nobody knew I was doing it, nobody understood. Then when the pandemic hit and I got to make my production value real dope, I started getting interviews about being on Twitch. I’m like, “Man, it’s six years I’ve been sitting here doing nothing…”
But I was already in it, I was already taking my PlayStation and Xbox everywhere. I was already playing games in my hotel rooms, and I would talk to myself. I would be screaming at my screen, raging out in my hotel room, security is getting called. Then when I went and did an interview with PlayStation, while we were doing the interview we were playing a game and also streaming on Twitch. I was like, “Well, what is that now? How can they see what I’m sayin’?”
But the thing that caught me is that [on Twitch], they’re like minded people. A community of people who actually like the s—t you’re doing. It kinda gave me an out, it gave me more expression. It gave me a way to let out this side that my managers at the time thought was the corniest f—kin’ thing in the world. If I pulled out a PlayStation or a handheld gaming thing in the studio, I would literally get reprimanded like, “You’re supposed to be making music! Put that s—t down, you’re supposed to be making us money. These video games are gonna kill your f—kin’ career.” Once I got rid of my managers all of my gaming s—t has been this whole other side of me.
What were some of the most influential games from your childhood?
TP: 007 GoldenEye. That was the first one. When we got that game I never got to play it cause my brother, it was his game. He wasn’t about to let his little brother play the new s—t. But then, he had to get a job. So every time he went to work I finally got to load that thing up. Ah man, that s—t… [and] SEGA’s Lion King, that was the f—kin’ Elden Ring of the SEGA days. That was the toughest game in the world.
CS: Mine ranges a lot, ’cause I’ve been gaming since the ’80s. I remember getting my first Atari and just being hooked on Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. Frogger, Pitfall! Then moving into the Nintendo days we see Super Mario, Street Fighter, and honestly I still play Tetris every day. I could be on the toilet, and I’m playin’ Tetris.
TP: That’s why Clinton’s so big on the business side, ’cause all the games he play actually help your brain.
As 2025 comes to a close, what is your game of the year pick so far, and what game were you surprisingly disappointed by this year?
TP: Black Myth: Wukong was bats—t. I think that changed my blood pressure medication, in sort of an Elden Ring way. I wasn’t big into Souls-type games, so it wasn’t really on my radar, but man the sound design, presentation, everything that went into it I was hooked.
As for disappointed? I think I wanna get further into Borderlands 4 before I start talking s—t. But Borderlands 4 is teetering that f—king line right now with me.
CS: I’ve been so busy building this thing, but I will say Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, Mario Kart World—
TP: Yeah, Clinton’s more of a cozy guy.
After watching you and Ne-Yo face off on Episode 1, I gotta ask — what happened man? Were you surprised at all by Ne-Yo’s gameplay?
TP: Honestly, not at all. I’ve watched Ne-Yo stream and I was hoping we wouldn’t have to play each other. When it came to the tie and we actually did, I was like, “Oh, we lost guys, it’s over.” Before we even picked up the sticks [I knew]. Ne-Yo is cracked at Tekken, bro. I was really hoping that part of the show wasn’t gonna happen.
Well, either way, episode 1 was a wild spectacle. You guys pulled out all the stops. I’m excited to see what you guys got in store for episode 2.
CS: Look, if you invite someone to a party, the first thing they’re gonna ask is: “Who’s gonna be there?” It’s not just about the party! So we wanted to converge music with fashion, sports, celebrity, competition, culture. We may have a rocker, rapper, influencer, do a halftime show, because when you bring in an audience to a “gaming event,” you’ve already limited that and made a lot of people say, “I ain’t goin’ to that s—t.” But maybe they’re coming cause some girl is a fan of Bryce Hall, or they’re a fan of the halftime performer, or a fan of someone playing on the teams. Gaming is here to bring communities together.
So Pain, will fans see you bust a move at Ne-Yo’s next show now that you lost the bet?
TP: Yep, I gotta do it, but joke’s on him I woulda done it without the bet. I was ready to go, but I’ve been on tour with Ne-Yo four times already and I’ve kept telling him, “I’m comin’ up there one day bro!”
CS: We gotta set that s—t up man!
TP: It’s gotta happen.
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What’s better than weekly ? A TNF football game followed by exclusive live music performances, this time, with the Foo Fighters.
Amazon Music Live is back for a fourth season and the performances are hot. First up we had a barn-busting Shaboozey performance Oct. 23. This week, legendary band Foo Fighters will take the stage on Oct. 30 9pm PST, while the livestream will be available for our east coast folks on Oct. 31 at 12am EST. From their greatest hits to latest tracks, this is your chance to gain a front-row seat to one of rock’s most electrifying bands all from the comfort of your home. You can watch the act perform live on Prime Video, along with the Amazon Music Twitch channel.
Foo Fighters will honor Amazon Music’s “Alternative Hits” playlist, delivering a smattering of the iconic songs that have made them one of the most-streamed rock artists on the service. The performance will also be a key moment for the band’s newest member, former Nine Inch Nails drummer Ilan Rubin, who joined Foo Fighters after the devastating 2022 death of Taylor Hawkins. The band has had 10 songs hit Billboard’s charts, the highest of them being “Best Of You,” a 2005 track from their album In Your Honor.
To stream the show on Amazon Prime Video, you’ll need a Prime subscription. If you don’t have one already, a membership to the service will run you $14.99 per month, or $139 a year. With a subscription to Prime, you’ll have access to Amazon Music, which includes their livestreams, along with a slew of blockbuster TV and film titles via Prime Video. Of course, you’ll also have access to Prime perks, including savings on groceries and fast, free delivery on eligible items.
Followed by the Foo Fighters performance, Mexican-American band Fuerza Regida will grace the stage with a medley of their Billboard chart-topping hits across a slew of genres, all grounded by their signature approach to regional Mexican music.
Finally, Aespa will close out the season with a Nov. 13 finale featuring the tracks that have made them mainstays on the service’s “K-Pop Now” playlist. At the top of 2025, aespa earned group of the year honors at Billboard Women in Music, marking the second year in a row that a K-pop group took home that award.
“[Shaboozey, Foo Fighters, Fuerza Regida, and aespa are] crafting a unique, unforgettable set that showcases why live music remains such a powerful force,” notes global head of content at Amazon Music Kirdis Postelle. “By uniting sports and music after Thursday Night Football, we’re creating an experience that puts fans at the center of culture.”
Actress and entertainer Liza Koshy, who presented at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards, is also set to reprise her role as the official Amazon Music Live social host, bringing fans exclusive behind-the-scenes content with each week’s performer.
Past Amazon Music Live seasons have included performances by Post Malone, A$AP Rocky, Ed Sheeran, GloRilla, Keith Urban, Feid, Machine Gun Kelly and Offset. Fans can catch the season four premiere via Prime Video and the Amazon Music Twitch channel, immediately following Thursday Night Football.
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Once upon a time, NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson attempted to try his hand as a rapper in the early 2000s, but he eventually scrapped plans for his debut album amid backlash, and couldn’t help but feel embarrassed when looking back on his brief time rapping.
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AI joined Joe & Jada earlier this week, where he recalled feeling humiliated when meeting the late NBA commissioner David Stern, who read explicit lyrics aloud from Iverson’s “40 Bars” single.
“When I did that bulls—t-a— rap album,” he began. “I was so embarrassed when I hear that s—t now. But we don’t spend no time on that. The most embarrassing s—t was when I did the album, I had to come here to meet with [David Stern].”
For context, Iverson rapped under the alias Jewelz, and sparked controversy with his “40 Bars” single in 2000, which some believed contained sexist and homophobic lyrics.
The Philadelphia 76ers icon met with Stern to discuss his budding rap career and the backlash surrounding his upcoming Misunderstood album, which was originally titled Non-Fiction and was scrapped by late 2001.
“I’m sitting there looking like, ‘Yo, f—k is he doing?’ The man start reading the lyrics,” AI recounted. “Man, I wanted to crawl up under the table. I was so embarrassed, man. The curse words, everything. That s—t was so embarrassing.”
As if the weight of the 76ers franchise and city of Philly wasn’t enough, Iverson was often butting heads with Stern. The NBA even implemented an official dress code in 2005, which was seemingly instituted to put an end to Iverson’s streetwear style.
While his rap career is in the rear-view, Iverson has done plenty of reminiscing in October. The NBA legend released his Misunderstood memoir and Allen Iv3rson documentary on Amazon Prime Video earlier this month.
Watch a clip from the interview below:
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Kelsea Ballerini posted one of her epic photo dump updates on Tuesday (Oct. 28), in one of her first personal posts since announcing that she’d broken up with Outer Banks actor Chase Stokes in early September.
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Though the Instagram photo reel didn’t make any reference to the split or Stokes, it provided fans an inside track on what the “Cowboys Cry Too” singer has been up to lately. “brought to you by hot dogs, porch painting, bed by 9pm, friendship, parks, kenny chesney, and lexapro,” she wrote in the caption that opened with an image of her face obscured by a Polo baseball hat as she listened to music on wired headphones.
The next slide provided the “hot dog” portion of the caption via a picnic pic of a trio of women in jeans enjoying a dog, chicken wings and fries, followed by the “porch painting” bit where she is taking a nap on a sun-flooded outdoor space with a paintbrush and palette sitting on the table.
There were also snaps of Kelsea in a white terry cloth top and matching bottoms wearing an opaque silicone sheet mask, a pic of a pumpkin painted with a tree, her seemingly hugging a black cowboy hat-wearing Chensey from on stage during a show and some snuggle time with her beloved goldendoodle Dibs.
Ballerini and Stokes began dating in 2023 and a rep confirmed to Billboard that they broke up in early September. “They’re two adults who gave it their all and tried to do everything they could to make it work, but ultimately couldn’t. It happens,” sources close to Ballerini and Stokes told People at the time.
Fans were seemingly caught off guard by the Sept. 15 news since just three days earlier, Stokes celebrated Ballerini’s 32nd birthday with a celebratory Instagram post that included several photos and videos of the couple’s private life. Stokes captioned the post, “Although you keep saying you’re not excited for 32, id say I’m lookin forward to more of this. happy birthday my love.”
The new post from Ballerini also featured a snap of her and friends painting their pumpkins at night and saying hello to a horse and ended with a silly clip of the singer emerging from the mouth of a blue hippo see-saw on a playground.
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Billboard turned its attention to the biggest titans in the Latin music space during our Latin Power Players 2025 event, hosted by Johnnie Walker, and the support throughout the celebration was strong.
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On Monday, October 20, some of this year’s most influential names in the business gathered at Casadonna Miami for specialty cocktails, mingling, and tributes to this year’s honorees as part of Billboard Latin Music Week. After taking photos on the carpet, attendees were treated to mini Carajillos made with Johnnie Walker Black Label as they entered the celebration. With the Miami waterfront as its backdrop, music filled the venue as industry leaders networked, nibbled on appetizers, and posed for photos in front of a flower wall provided by Johnnie Walker. Additional Johnnie Walker cocktails included a Bad Johnnie served in a branded coconut, as well as full glasses of Carajillo.
Hannah Karp, Editorial Director, and Leila Cobo, Chief Content Officer of Latin/Español, kicked off the honors of the night, sharing a few brief words with the crowd. Double P Records co-founders Peso Pluma and George Prajin took home the Top Regional Mexican Albums Label of the Year award, while the Regional Mexican Airplay Label of the Year was awarded to Universal Music Latin Entertainment, presented by Ela Taubert to Angel Kaminsky and Ana Martínez. Meanwhile, the Top Latin Rhythm Albums Label of the Year and Hot Latin Songs Label of the Year awards went to Rimas.
Later in the evening, all eyes were on Nir Seroussi, head of Interscope Capitol Miami, who received the Latin Power Players Executive of the Year award. And it was none other than J Balvin, Xavii, and John Janick, CEO of Interscope, who took to the stage to show him love ahead of his acceptance speech.
Scroll below to relive all the highlights from the evening, including the custom cocktails, honoree speeches, and more!
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Nowadays, BTS is the biggest boy band on the planet, K-pop or otherwise. But not too long ago, the genre was seen as niche in the Western world, a mindset that group leader RM credits ARMY with changing.
At this year’s APEC CEO Summit in South Korea — which gathers some of the most influential executives and economic leaders across Asia to discuss the future of business and innovation — RM delivered the keynote address and called on those in power to invest in artistic endeavors. “I’m not sure how familiar you are with K-culture or K-pop,” he told the crowd in Gyeongju-si on Wednesday (Oct. 29).
“But I’m sure you all agree that the cultural industry has great economic value and growth potential,” the performer continued. “As a creator and an artist of this generation, I would like to use this opportunity to make a request … there are creators all around the world. Please help them. Give them the financial support so that their own creativity can bloom. Give them the opportunities so that their talents can really shine.”
The global star emphasized how when BTS started, the group was called a “foreign culture” and that their music felt like a test to see if K-pop could enter the “global stage.” People didn’t ask about their music, he added, but instead, wondered whether the group was from North or South Korea.
“But we overcame those barriers, and now I’m here today sharing this precious moment with you.ARMY was the force that broke down those barriers,” he declared. “They use our music as the medium to carry out conversations that cross borders and languages. They were inspired by the message in the music of BTS to give to charity, to run social campaigns. And finally, the world was amazed. Back then ARMY was seen as ‘supporters of a minority culture from Asia.’ Now, they shake the world as a new community and a fandom culture.”
Elsewhere in his speech, RM emphasized how fortunate he feels to have his fans and bandmates Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook in his life. “I’m a very lucky person,” he gushed. I’m lucky to have met the six other members of BTS … And most importantly, I’m lucky I met ARMY, who accept our music not just as a diversion, but as our shared language of life.”
According to a release, this year’s summit marked the first time cultural and creative industries have been treated as key agenda items by APEC. In a world where the arts are undervalued all too often, RM drew on his own success as part of BTS to show the investors at the event how lucrative it can be to back music and other artistic endeavors.
RM’s appearance at the event comes as BTS is gearing up to make a major comeback in 2026. After spending some time apart to fulfill their respective service requirements in the South Korean military — during which time many of the members dropped solo projects, with RM dropping his album Right Place, Wrong Person in May 2024 — the band reunited this past July and promised that a new full-length and tour were in the works.
The following month, RM shared his thoughts on the comeback in a letter to ARMY on Weverse. “Making something ‘together’ with these friends,” he wrote of his bandmates at the time. “I’m going to commit myself to this moment. I’m going to thank you … I’m looking for what I’ll become. Something I’ve forgotten for too long.”
Read RM’s full speech at the 2025 APEC CEO Summit below.
Hello. I’m RM, the leader of BTS.
It’s an honor to be here and to meet the leaders of APEC here in Korea, where I was born and raised. I’m honored to tell you about myself, and to share my message. I’m proud and excited that this year, for the first time, the “cultural industry” was chosen as a key agenda for APEC.
I’m not sure how familiar you are with K-culture or K-pop. But I’m sure you all agree that the cultural industry has great economic value and growth potential. But I’m just an artist. I’m not a business leader. I don’t think you want to hear any numbers or figures from me.
So, today I want to speak to you as a creator and an artist. I want to share my thoughts on how K-pop crossed borders to move the hearts of people. It’s not something we can calculate or measure. It’s a bridge that connects worlds, and I want to bring your attention to how we can work together to build this connection for tomorrow’s creative cultural ecosystem.
I’m a very lucky person. I’m lucky to have met the six other members of BTS. I’m lucky that I met our producer “Hitman” Bang, who gave us his full support that we could make the music we love. And most importantly, I’m lucky I met ARMY, who accept our music not just as a diversion, but as our shared language of life.
Oh, by the way, ARMY is the name of the official BTS fandom. Further information, the army is where I just finished my military service. I was there for 18 months. Just wanted to make sure.
ARMY’s support and passion crossed all borders and opened up brand new paths for me. They gave me a voice that was heard at the Billboard Music Awards, at the Grammys, at the United Nations and even at the White House. At such historic and symbolic events, like right here at the APEC.
BTS first started to go outside Korea about 10 years ago. Back then, we didn’t dream of what we see today. Nothing was like this. Did you ever turn on your TV or radio and hear a song that’s not in your language or English? Probably not very often. I felt how hard it is to ever hear a Korean song in an English-speaking country. I saw how high a cultural barrier could be.
At that time, the music of BTS was quickly called “non-English, foreign culture.” Trying to get on mainstream media through our music was like doing an experiment and a huge challenge. It was a test to see if “music in Korean can work on the global stage.” We tried to get on TV to show the world our music, but the doors were closed and would not move.
But, as you know, we couldn’t just sit around and wait. We tried to make our own opportunities. we danced in the streets. We handed out flyers to free shows. But there was something even more difficult than those. When we said, “We are artists from Korea.” They didn’t ask us about our music. They asked, “Are you from North Korea or South Korea?” “Where on Earth is Korea?” So, we had to explain where Korea was before we could even talk about music. And that was reality.
But we overcame those barriers, and now I’m here today sharing this precious moment with you. ARMY was the force that broke down those barriers. They use our music as the medium to carry out conversations that cross borders and languages. They were inspired by the message in the music of BTS to give to charity, to run social campaigns. And finally, the world was amazed. Back then, ARMY was seen as “supporters of a minority culture from Asia.” Now, they shake the world as a new community and a fandom culture.
Even at this very moment, they are crossing borders and breaking down barriers through the pure power of cultural solidarity. Solidarity and tolerance that know no borders. And it’s an endless source of creative inspiration for me as well.
There is so much cultural content around the whole world. But why K-pop? Why is it so unique? Why does K-pop create this powerful and inclusive community?
It’s because of the special principle of unity of K-pop. This is what enables people from such diverse backgrounds to come together, just through the medium of K-pop.
I like to compare K-Pop music to bibimbap. Bibimbap is a traditional Korean dish. You have to taste it. You take “bap,” which is rice. Then you put all kinds of vegetables, meat and flavorings on top, and mix it all up. That’s the “bibim.”
K-pop is much the same. You take Korea’s unique aesthetics, emotions and production system. But you don’t turn away elements of Western music, like hip-hop, R&B and EDM. Just like bibimbap, these parts all keep their unique identities but mix together to make something new and fresh and delightful. K-pop is not just a genre of music. It’s a 360-degree, total package of music, dance, performance, visual style, story-telling, music video and even social media.
K-pop’s success didn’t happen because one single culture was better. K-pop’s success came from respecting diversity and embracing world cultures, but still holding onto Korea’s unique identity. When cultural barriers come down and different voices harmonize together, there’s an explosion of creative energy. This is where ARMY’s borderless solidarity came from. And this is why K-pop is loved everywhere.
Culture is like a river. It flows freely, different streams sometimes coming together in harmony, just like K-pop. Coming together to carry itself far away and create something new. I would like to see this creative flow of culture happen everywhere around the world. The Asia-Pacific region has incredible dynamic cultural diversity. K-pop’s shining success is proof that cultural diversity and creativity are the greatest human potential — a force with no borders, no limit to growth.
Ladies and gentlemen, leaders of APEC, let me ask you a question: What is your favorite song? Do you remember seeing a painting that took your breath away? A book you read over and over again? We all know, we all love culture and art. And we are connected by the emotion and resonance that they awaken in us.
As a creator and an artist of this generation, I would like to use this opportunity to make a request to the leaders and distinguished guests of APEC. There are creators all around the world. Please help them. Give them the financial support so that their own creativity can bloom. Give them the opportunities so that their talents can really shine. When you think about investing in tomorrow’s generations, think about culture as well as economics. Culture and art are a powerful force that moves hearts. They are the fastest messengers that carry diversity and resonance.
As the leaders of APEC, your policies and support will be the canvas and playground for all the creators. The foundation for creators all over the world to pour out their creativity. When creators flourish, other elements of culture gather to form some brand new aesthetics. Their content will go beyond all kinds of “differences.” They will blaze a road of true understanding and tolerance. They will create the power of solidarity for the future.
I, too, stand by the vision of APEC. A vision that will drive diversity, inclusion and growth through culture and creativity. As an artist, I promise that I will also let my imagination fill the canvas you will create. I will play my heart out in the playground you will build for us. I promise that I’ll do my part by sending a message of courage and hope and a lot of emotions through music. A message of embracing our differences to make something better together.
I would like to ask for your support for this future. I believe you can make this happen. Your support can make creators let their creativity soar. With your help, their creations will resonate around the whole world.
Thank you.
Want to see everything that BTS has said about its upcoming reunion? Click on the image below!
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With Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s 13-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Luther” falling off the Hot 100 dated Oct. 25, 2025, there were officially no rap songs in the chart’s top 40 last week.
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The highest-ranking rap song — defined as a song deemed eligible for charting on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs listing — on the Oct. 25 Hot 100 was YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s “Shot Callin,” at No. 44. Cardi B’s “Safe” (featuring Kehlani) and BigXthaPlug’s “Hell at Night” (featuring Ella Langley) also ranked in the 40s, at Nos. 48 and 49, respectively.
The last time before that when there were zero rap songs in the top 40 of the Hot 100? You have to go back all the way back to Feb. 2, 1990, when the top-ranking rap song was Biz Markie’s eventual top 10 hit “Just a Friend,” which had just climbed to No. 41 on the chart. The next week, “Just a Friend” jumped to 29, starting a Hot 100 streak of rap songs in the top 40 that would last for the next 35 years, eight months and three weeks.
Recent rule changes to Billboard’s Hot 100 methodology did play a part in the streak coming to an end. For the chart dated Oct. 25, descending songs were deemed recurrent and removed from the chart if they had exceeded certain durations on the chart while also falling below certain updated chart thresholds — for instance, if they had fallen below No. 25 after spending over 26 weeks on the chart. That particular change resulted in the departure of “Luther,” which had fallen to No. 38 on the previous week’s Hot 100 in its 46th week on the listing.
However, with “Luther” and seven other songs in the Hot 100’s top 40 going recurrent on the Oct. 25 chart following the rule change, there was also extra opportunity for songs below them on the chart to rebound into the top 40, or to reach it for the first time. No rap songs were close enough to the threshold to be able to make that jump. (Also in the way: all 12 songs from Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl, have been lodged in the top 40 the past three weeks, further limiting room for rap hits in the region.)
The lack of rap songs in the Hot 100’s top 40 is the latest sign of a recent dip in rap’s commercial dominance. Hip-hop’s overall market share reached a peak in 2020, when it neared 30%. That had slipped to just over 25% in 2023, and has been at 24% so far in 2025, through the week of Oct. 23. In the Hot 100 chart for the equivalent chart week five years ago (dated Oct. 24, 2020), a whopping 16 of the top 40 were rap songs, while in the equivalent chart two years ago (Oct. 28, 2023) there were eight rap songs in the top 40.
It is worth noting that the rap world is currently in a bit of an in-between moment with some of its biggest names. Drake, the biggest chart mainstay of the past 15 years (and the artist with the most Hot 100 hits of all time), has not yet released his much-anticipated Iceman album, while his 2024 foe Lamar is finally somewhat dormant following an 18-month period of cultural and commercial domination. However, the last few months have not been totally without big rap releases: both Cardi B and BigXthaPlug (two of the rappers currently closest to the top 40) have released new albums since August, and even without a new album, Drake has released a steady stream of new singles since announcing the album in July.
“Luther” is also the most recent rap song to appear in the Hot 100’s top 10, last doing so on the chart dated Aug. 2, when it ranked at No. 9, before falling to No. 12 the next week. In the two months and three weeks following that chart, the closest another rap song got to the Hot 100’s top 10 was BigXthaPlug’s “All the Way” (featuring Bailey Zimmerman), which ranked at No. 22 for the Hot 100 dated Sept. 6, after peaking at No. 4 in April.
On this week’s Hot 100 (dated Nov. 1, 2025), the rap song-less streak is extended to a second week, as once again no rap songs rate in the chart’s top 40. However, “Shot Callin” does get one spot closer to ending the drought by breaking into the region, climbing No. 44-43 this week.
Additional reporting by Dan Rys.
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Coi Leray is clearing the air after Cardi B name-dropped her on Am I the Drama?‘s “Pretty & Petty.”
Coi joined the Bootleg Kev Podcast on Tuesday (Oct. 28), where she explained her reaction to Cardi referencing her in a bar on the bristling track. “They only hit you when they can’t afford Coi,” Cardi seemingly snipes at BIA on the song.
The “Players” rapper showed plenty of love to Cardi, calling the Bronx native “amazing” and saying that she respects Cardi “all the time.”
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“I don’t think it was a diss,” she said, which Bootleg Kev agreed with. “I mean, I don’t got nothing to do with anything else, but as far as me, you know, I don’t think it was a diss at all.”
Coi continued: “I f—k with Cardi. Me and Cardi, we got each other real information. Like we speak offline, we real people before we industry.”
Leray detailed how she has an open line of communication with Cardi, as she’ll text her randomly to show love or get advice about things such as real estate. “I hit her all the time. I’ll hit her and be like, ‘Love you,’” she said. “Or sometimes, like, when I’m moving to Jersey, I’m like, ‘Yo, I need a realtor. You got a realtor for me?’”
The 28-year-old previously debunked rumors that she was upset or annoyed at Cardi name-dropping her on “Pretty & Petty.” “I never said anything about anything. They literally made this s—t up. Get a life,” she wrote on Instagram. “Cardi whole album fire.”
It’s been a busy year for Coi Leray as well, as she became a mom earlier in 2025. On the music side, she teamed up with Shoreline Mafia for her “Act Like You Know” single in October.
Watch the interview with Coi below. Talk about Cardi B’s “Pretty & Petty” takes place just shy of the 24-minute mark.
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Nobody is saying there is a direct connection, but it sure seems like whenever Brad Paisley performs the national anthem before a World Series game things tend to go long. The “When I Get Where I’m Going” singer sang the “Star-Spangled Banner” at Dodger Stadium on Monday (Oct. 27) in game three of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays, there was no way to know that the contest would stretch into a record-tying 18 innings over more than six-and-a-half hours, with the Dodgers ending up with a 6-5 victory.
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Well, unless you’ve been paying attention and clocked that it was the fourth time Paisley had done the honors, with each one of those games going into extra innings: 11 innings for game 2 in 2017, 18 innings for game 3 in 2018 and 10 innings in game one in 2024.
Speaking to the Associated Press on Tuesday (Oct. 28), Paisley revealed whether, given his track record, he suspected Monday’s game would go long. “No, I fully, I fully expected this to actually be over in nine for maybe the first time in a while, you know,” he said, adding, “I am cursed. No, I don’t think so. … It’s wild. It’s fun. I think it’s a really fun thing.”
Paisley said that actually, instead of being a curse, he considers his extra inning run as one of those “weird fun facts that baseball excels in… It’s what Brad Pitt says in Moneyball. It’s like, ‘How can you not be romantic about baseball?’”
In fact, Paisley is so into his unique status as baseball’s extra inning man that he’s given himself a new nickname: “Mr. More Baseball.”
“It’s kind of cool to know that I sang the anthem at a couple, at the two of the four total Dodger walk-off games that ever happened. The other two were before my time anyway. … And especially the one that was 18 innings,” Paisley said, noting that around the 16th inning on Monday he thought, “‘There’s no way this is happening again.’” The day after, the singer said he saw a couple of statisticians note that he’s never performed at a World Series game that didn’t go into extra innings. “I’m available for football games, too,” he joked. “If anybody wants, you know, another quarter or two out of their team.”
Though Paisley is a West Virginia native, he said marrying wife actress Kimberly-Williams Paisley in 2003 and having a home in the Los Angeles area has made him a de facto Dodgers die-hard. “I would take the kids to these games. I got to know so many people there. … It was just an easy transition into that. I grew up going to Pirates games. My dad liked the Indians,” he said of his other go-to teams.
He noted that he’s also become friendly with a few Dodgers players, including pitcher Clayton Kershaw and infielder Justin Turner, as well as team manager Dave Roberts. “We’ve had adventures together,” Paisley said. “It’s a slow progress to where you’re addicted to something. And I got there pretty quick a while back.”
