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Kenshi Yonezu’s “IRIS OUT” tops the Billboard Japan Hot 100 for the fifth consecutive week, on the chart released Oct. 22.
The Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc theme continues to dominate streaming, video views, and karaoke this week, while hitting No. 3 for downloads, No. 7 for radio airplay, and No. 14 for physical sales. Points have declined in most categories except radio, which gained 159% from the previous week. Yonezu’s longest consecutive run at No. 1 to date was five weeks with “Lemon” in January 2019 (seven weeks at No. 1 in total). If “IRIS OUT” tops the overall chart again next week, it will mark his longest consecutive No. 1 streak yet.
Debuting at No. 2 is FRUITS ZIPPER’s “Hacha Mecha Wacha Life!” The lead track from the girl group’s fourth single “Hacha Mecha Wacha Life! / JAM” sold 381,464 copies in its first week, marking the group’s highest-ever first-week sales and earning them the No. 1 spot in physical sales. The track also placed at No. 43 for downloads, No. 38 for streaming, and No. 16 for video. FRUITS ZIPPER’s previous peak on the Japan Hot 100 was No. 1 with “Kawaiitte Magic,” making this their second entry in the top 10.
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At No. 3 is Yonezu’s “1991,” the theme song for the live-action movie 5 Centimeters per Second. The track moved 20,002 downloads in its first week, putting it at No. 1 for the metric, while also hitting No. 3 for streaming, No. 6 for video, and No. 9 for radio. Following at No. 4 is Yonezu and Hikaru Utada’s collaborative hit “JANE DOE.” This week, three songs by the J-pop hitmaker are charting in the top 5, and he also sweeps the top 3 spots on the streaming list.
At No. 5 is GNJB’s “Paranoid Rendezvous.” The seven-member boy band’s first single since signing with Universal Music launched with 234,269 copies — their highest yet — to hit No. 2 for sales, No. 28 for streaming, and No. 54 for radio.
In other chart news, RADWIMPS’ “World End Girlfriend,” from the band’s first album in four years called Anew, climbs 85-53 in its second week on the tally. Streaming for the track gained 171% and radio 111% week-over-week. Meanwhile, Fujii Kaze’s “I Need U Back” jumps 80-67 after the accompanying visuals premiered on Oct. 9.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Oct. 12 to 18, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
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Redman revealed to Black Thought that The Roots once hurt his feelings after rejecting a guest verse he submitted for an album.
As part of Rolling Stone‘s Musicians on Musicians interview series that published Tuesday (Oct. 21), Redman was candid with Black Thought about how he was upset when The Roots — of which Black Thought is a member — never included his verse on one of their albums.
“I did a verse for The Roots, and I ain’t never tell you this,” Redman said to kick off the interview. “I did a verse for The Roots, and I ain’t never heard back from you guys. I said, ‘Damn, you know what, I was cursing a little bit too much. I might have said ‘b—h’ or something derogatory that they probably didn’t like, and yo, I was actually hurt from that, bro.’”
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Black Thought explained that the rejection was due to The Roots’ late manager Rich Nichols, who was known for being cutthroat about decisions regarding the band’s records.
“You know what happened? Rich, rest in peace, who was very much the brains of The Roots’ operation, ran such a tight ship,” Black Thought explained. “It was hard for me to place verses on The Roots’ albums. He would shoot down every submission, and there was something about that verse — something that Rich didn’t like about it. I can’t remember what it was. I’m gonna find that verse. I was over the moon! I loved that s—t.”
Thought then added that Redman would have a placement on Black Thought’s upcoming solo album, Streams of Thought Vol. 4.
“I mean, in many ways, I feel that it’s my opus,” Thought explained. “It’s got the most features, the most elaborate beats, crazy samples. A part of that is trying to get all this stuff cleared, but yeah, your verse on that song and on that record is definitely coming out.”
Check out the full conversation below.
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This holiday season is about to be particularly golden. As announced Wednesday (Oct. 22), the singing voices behind KPop Demon Hunters girl group HUNTR/X will reunite on stage for iHeartMedia’s Jingle Ball 2025.
Though the trio consisting of EJAE, AUDREY NUNA and REI AMI has previously performed together on stage, their showcase at the annual 102.7 KIIS FM event will mark their first-ever live concert appearance. They join a bill that also features Alex Warren, Audrey Hobert, Conan Gray, Feid, Jackson Wang, Jessie Murph, The Kid LAROI, Leon Thomas, Renee Rapp and Zara Larsson.
This year’s Jingle Ball will ring in Christmastime at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Fans can purchase tickets to the event now on Ticketmaster.
The festive news comes as the momentum behind KPop Demon Hunters continues to ramp up. The group’s signature song, “Golden,” has spent a total of eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 so far, marking the first time an all-woman K-pop group has reached the chart’s summit. The Netflix film’s full soundtrack also reached the top of the Billboard 200.
In the movie, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA and REI AMI respectively sang for characters Rumi, Mira and Zoey, who form a fictional band called HUNTR/X that slays demons on the side. In the months since KPop Demon Hunters premiered in June, appetite for the three ladies’ music has only grown, leading to them making their real-life performance debut on The Tonight Show on Oct. 7.
Still, the question remains: Will there be a sequel?
“The sequel has not been confirmed,” REI AMI told Billboard in a recent interview. “We are, you know, looking forward, and we will know once we get that email.”
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Lyor Cohen, global head of music at Google/YouTube, joined Billboard editor-in-chief Hannah Karp on Wednesday (Oct. 22) for a compelling fireside chat during Billboard Latin Music Week 2025.
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Cohen reflected on his decades-long career shaping artists’ journeys and ushering in the digital music revolution. He offered invaluable insights into the evolution of music consumption, the impact of streaming on today’s artists and the importance of harnessing technology such as AI to amplify diverse voices in the global music industry.
When asked about the secrets to creating standout music videos, Cohen shared what he believes to be the most important thing: “Authenticity. Being genuine and finding your voice. A lot of people think there are shortcuts, and do this [signals a selfie] all day long. Being a real artist takes time. You have to love what you do. You have to find that beautiful, important record. You have to keep practicing. You have to build and go on tour. You have to be a real artist. All that fake stuff is going to get flushed out.”
Have you played Billboard’s Latin Music Week Crossword?Play now!
Karp probed further about “fake stuff,” prompting Cohen to clarify that those who ascend are those who are “thirsty for the human connection — and the human connection is music. Ultimately, you’re gonna have to get on the stage. You’re gonna have to go mano a mano with your fans.” He added that “AI is an additional tool, and the generation of AI is desperate for human authenticity to help guide it and use it as a tool.”
“Spain is the gateway to Europe, and everyone wants to get this Latin action,” he said, emphasizing the global potential of Latin music. “Why does [South Korea] have such weight outside of Korea? It’s because they work at it, showing up, crafting amazing music. I think the same for the Indians – what’s happening with Indian music, the power of these global platforms.”
Cohen continued to highlight the importance of global platforms such as YouTube — which sees more than 2 billion logged-in viewers watching music videos each month — in sharing Latin music with audiences worldwide, emphasizing the opportunity to spread “Latin love” across borders and cultures.
Spanning more than 30 years, Latin Music Week is the single-most important and largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Latin Music Week coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock.
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Danny Ocean sat down with Billboard’s Leila Cobo at Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 for “The Sony Music Publishing Iconic Songwriter Q&A” panel to discuss how he’s crafted his biggest hits, including “Me Rehuso,” and the power of his songs to transform society.
Presented by Sony Music Publishing, the Venezuelan singer-songwriter — whose artistic name is a nod to George Clooney’s character in the Ocean‘s trilogy — spoke candidly about looking inward and trusting his intuition when crafting songs. It’s what was key for “Me Rehuso” (“I Refuse”), Danny’s breakout hit, a love song he wrote for a girlfriend as a Valentine’s Day gift that also captures his migration journey from Venezuela to Miami.
“I had no way of getting something to my girlfriend back in Venezuela, so I wrote her a song — not knowing when I would see her again,” Danny said. “I didn’t overthink things, it was what I was living at the moment. ‘Me Rehuso’ was also a feeling of having to leave Venezuela.”
The track was released while he was working at a pizzeria in Kendall, Fla., but he eventually doubled-down on songwriting, taking inspiration from personal relationships, including the one with his beloved Venezuela.
“Having to migrate had a huge impact on my life and made me question things, such as how we can make Venezuela have that outlet like other countries,” he explained. “I see Venezuela as my partner, [my songs] are a direct, personal conversation with Venezuela. But I also don’t want to romanticize it, it’s my relationship with Venezuela, and everyone has their own relationship with their own country. I don’t see it as a manifesto or something political.”
Have you played Billboard’s Latin Music Week Crossword?Play now!
For “Caracas en el 2000,” Danny collaborated with fellow Venezuelans Elena Rose and Jerry Di. “Putting Venezuela on the radar started out as something very personal between us,” he said. “We’d go out for a beer, talk about how we were feeling, and those conversations would end up in the studio, then in a song. It’s been very natural.”
When asked by an audience member what he’d do when he returns to Venezuela, Danny Ocean said, “Everything I didn’t do when I was there, and hang out with people, find out what they think, what they’re up to. I want to spend some time at home, hang out with my family, connect with the streets. And visit Los Roques, I’ve never been.”
Spanning more than 30 years, Latin Music Week is the single-most important and largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. This year’s event once again hosts panels, marquee conversations, roundtables, networking and activations, in addition to its celebrated Billboard En Vivo showcases.
This year’s star-studded lineup includes Aitana, Alofoke, Anuel AA, Bebeshito, Carlos Vives, Carín León, Danny Ocean, DJ Khaled, Daddy Yankee (DY), Emilia Mernes, Ivy Queen, Gloria Estefan, Grupo 5, Kapo, Laura Pausini, Luck Ra, Netón Vega, Olga Tañón, Óscar Maydon, Ozuna, Pablo Alborán, Rawayana, Suzette Quintanilla, Tokischa, Xavi and Yailin La Más Viral, to name a few.
Latin Music Week also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.
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Ed Sheeran is used to playing for tens of thousands of rabid fans in stadiums around the world. But how does his emotional music play in a New York classroom of third graders? Check out the latest episode of the heart-warming series Celebrity Substitute, in which Sheeran pops into PS20 in Brooklyn to teach students how to transform everyday sounds into fully fledged songs.
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Host Julian Shapiro-Barnum sits down with Sheeran in the Clinton Hills classroom’s small chairs to observe as the singer teaches his young charges about rhythm and sound using his trusty loop rig, even as Ed laments that perhaps he’s “not the best substitute teacher.” Or, he offers, maybe he is just that because, he recalled (before the students arrived), sometimes when a sub comes in you feel like, “‘f–k, you’re not my real teacher… don’t tell me what to do!’”
Well aware that he doesn’t command authority and is basically a big Pokemon-loving adult kid himself, Sheeran recalled the nasty names he got called in school, helping to prove Shapiro-Barnum’s credo that “weirdos make the coolest adults.” (See the full video below.)
After getting affixed with his official “Mr. Ed” sub name tag — and getting warned by teachers Mr. Chung and Mr. Hampton that his lesson plan was “ambitious” at best — Sheeran dug into his curriculum of teaching the importance of rhythm, finding your own sound and, most importantly, rehearsing.
Sheeran got right to work, playing his 2015 Billboard Hot 100 No. 15 hit “Photograph,” which was met with mixed reviews from kids who were fans, some who were not so much, and one girl who recalled seeing him in a book about Taylor Swift once, but having no idea why he was in it. “I like the music… a lot,” said one young man named Theo, who admitted that he wasn’t familiar with Sheeran’s ouvre, but does love soccer and had a friend who was the fastest player on his team before he moved to England.
After teaching the kids the basics of the waltz and 4/4 rhythms by noting that pal Swift’s “Style” is in 4/4 by clapping his hands in time, Sheeran set about making sure the kids were picking up what he was laying down by asking them to clap their hands and stomp their feet at the same time in rhythm.
One-by-one the students came up to the mic to say silly phrases that Sheeran looped together to form a rhythm, earning praise from the teachers for his pedagogical skills. Busting out a box of instruments that turned the room into a riot of noise, Sheeran then encourage each student to share their unique sound into the mic, from saxophone bleats to fart sounds.
The 15-minute clip ends with a command Show & Tell performance of “The PS20 Kids and the Morning Routine” original song about brushing your teeth which is guaranteed to be the cutest thing you see all day.
Watch Sheeran on Celebrity Substitute below.
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Shakira is ready for Bad Bunny to headline the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show — but she says the Puerto Rican superstar should have been tapped for the gig a long time ago.
When asked about the news that Benito will perform at the big game in February during a Variety interview published Tuesday (Oct. 21), Shakira replied, “It’s about time!”
“I’m so proud that Bad Bunny, who represents not only Latin culture, but also how important Spanish language music has become on a global scale and how universal it has become, is getting to perform on the biggest stage in the world,” she continued. “It’s the perfect moment for a performance like this. I can’t wait to watch it.”
Benito previously performed on the Super Bowl stage as a guest artist alongside joint headliners Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. They performed part of their set in Spanish, which Shak told the publication was a “bold move” at the time.
“Acceptance of Spanish-language music as part of the mainstream has come so far from when I started,” she added. “I hope and like to think that all the times my music was met with resistance or puzzlement from the English-speaking world before it was embraced, helped forge the path to where we are now.”
It’s true that millions of fans are excited to see Bad Bunny perform at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., next year, but his appointment as Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner has also received backlash — primarily from political conservatives, who take issue with the fact that the singer-rapper’s music is all in Spanish. President Donald Trump called the choice “absolutely ridiculous,” White House advisor Corey Lewandowski claimed Benito “hates America” — despite the fact that the musician is an American citizen — and Turning Point USA announced plans to host an alternate, MAGA-approved halftime program.
But, as Billboard‘s chief content officer of Latin/Español Leila Cabo pointed out, there is nothing inherently political about the selection of Bad Bunny for halftime. “As those of us who speak Spanish daily can attest, many still look down on Spanish as a language, and definitely on the people who speak it,” she wrote in a recent op-ed. “Let’s acknowledge that having Bad Bunny headline the Super Bowl is a bold choice — but let’s also be real about the reasons.”
Shakira’s latest interview comes amid her 30th anniversary celebrations of her album Pies Descalzos, as well as the 20th anniversary of Oral Fixation, Vol. 1. Elsewhere in her conversation with Variety, she shared which Gen-Z star she’d love to collaborate with on a reimagined version of one of her Oral Fixation tracks.
“I would love to hear Chappell Roan on ‘La Pared,’” she said. “I think she would do an incredible rendition. Her voice and her artistry are incredible.”
Billboard’s Live Music Summit will be held in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. For tickets and more information, visit the event’s website.
Trending on Billboard Benson Boone is preparing to blast off for one of the most exciting shows of his career. On Nov. 29, the “Mystical Magical” singer will perform as part of Visa Live at the Rocket Garden, a one-night-only special event at the Rocket Garden at Kennedy Space Center visitor complex in Merritt Island, […]
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An explosion of urban and flamenco sounds from artists including Chilean Katteyes and Los Ricos, and an unexpected birthday celebration from Argentine singer Yami Safdie sealed the “Latin Music Week Opening Night Showcase” presented by Boombastic at Miami’s MAD Club Wynwood on Monday night (Oct. 20).
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The showcase that kicked off the week of the prestigious annual music industry gathering also featured Asturian Mateo Eraña with his folk-rock offering, singer and actress Yas Gagliardi with her pop ballads, Puerto Rican GALE with her enchanting electropop and Argentine Luck Ra with an exciting fusion of trap and cumbia. In addition, the show also spotlighted one of the newest urban music stars, Puerto Rican J Álvarez.
GALE performs at the Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 Opening Night Showcase presented by Boombastic at Mad Club Wynwood in Miami on October 20, 2025.
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Yami Safdie was surprised by the event organizers, who brought her a cake for her 28th birthday. The emotional moment also included a duet between Safdie and her colleague and compatriot Soledad, with whom she performed “Alma, corazón y vida” (Soul, Heart, and Life) by the composer of the Creole waltz Adrián Flores.
The event was hosted by Bröther, the Argentine musician, producer, DJ and founder of Bresh, the global phenomenon known as “The Most Beautiful Party in the World,” who livened up part of the evening and the breaks between performances with a lively mix of the best of current Latin music.
Another surprise came with the presence of Puerto Rican urban music star Álvaro Díaz, who was seen among the VIP guests.
Spanning more than 30 years, Latin Music Week is the single-most important and largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. This year’s star-studded lineup includes: Aitana, Alofoke, Anuel AA, Bebeshito, Carlos Vives, Carín León, Danny Ocean, DJ Khaled, Daddy Yankee (DY), Emilia Mernes, Ivy Queen, Gloria Estefan, Grupo 5, Kapo, Laura Pausini, Luck Ra, Netón Vega, Olga Tañón, Óscar Maydon, Ozuna, Pablo Alborán, Rawayana, Suzette Quintanilla, Tokischa, Xavi, and Yailin La Más Viral, among many others.
Latin Music Week also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.
Billboard’s Live Music Summit will be held in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. For tickets and more information, click here.
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Last week, Billboard’s R&B/hip-hop team shared our nominee predictions in three of the five R&B categories for the 68th annual Grammy Awards: best R&B performance, best traditional R&B performance and best R&B song. Here, we’re going to forecast which projects are most likely to make the cut in the best R&B album category.
Recent best R&B album winners include Jazmine Sullivan (Heaux Tales, 2022), Robert Glasper (Black Radio III, 2023), Victoria Monét (Jaguar II, 2024) and Chris Brown (11:11 [Deluxe], 2025). Before we predict the five nominees for the 2026 Grammy derby, which will be presented Feb. 1, here’s a quick refresher regarding the Recording Academy’s category definition for best R&B album.
It’s been four years since the Grammys’ best contemporary R&B album category was discontinued and its name changed to best R&B album. The revamped category brought together albums featuring infusions of contemporary hip-hop and those featuring more traditional R&B leanings under one roof. According to the academy’s current rulebook, best R&B album — vocal or instrumental — “recognizes artistic excellence in albums of R&B music.”
This year’s crop of R&B albums represents a diverse range of styles, long-anticipated returns and breakthroughs by a mix of established and rising stars — including several prior Grammy winners and nominees.
Among the long-anticipated returns is that of Teyana Taylor. Winning raves for her role in the Leonardo DiCaprio thriller One Battle After Another, she elicited strong buzz this summer for her BET Awards performance of “Fire Girl” and “Long Time.” Those songs plus the single “Bed of Roses” are from her anticipated first new album in five years Escape Room.
Another long-awaited moment arrived this year with the release of Justin Bieber’s seventh studio album SWAG. While one of its notable tracks, “Yukon,” is entered in the R&B category, the album is instead among the pop vocal album entries. This calls to mind the 2020 Grammys when Bieber questioned his Changes album being placed in the pop category versus R&B.
On the breakthrough front, one of this year’s heralded arrivals was Ravyn Lenae with the R&B/pop crossover lead single “Love Me Not,” alongside another popular track “Love Is Blind” — both from her critically acclaimed sophomore set Bird’s Eye. Her album, however, isn’t eligible for a nod as it was released Aug. 9, 2024, and the eligibility period for the 68th annual Grammys was Aug. 31, 2024-Aug. 30, 2025.
Additional artists who received attention this year include Alex Isley (WHEN), Thee Sacred Souls (Got a Story to Tell) and Eric Benét (The Co-Star).
So now let’s have a drumroll, please, as we share our fearless forecast of who will comprise the five slots when the best R&B album nominations are revealed on Nov. 7.
Leon Thomas, Mutt
