Music
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Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale has been in the music industry for over three decades, but even he admits he’s baffled by how young artists can sustain themselves financially in today’s streaming-driven landscape.
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Speaking on Canada’s Q with Tom Power, the rocker didn’t hold back on his concerns about the modern music business.
“I’ve been a musician my whole life, and I’m at a loss to explain to someone how to do it, how to build from the ground up, how to get a career in that,” Rossdale said. “It’s just terrifying because how do musicians, how do young bands get paid? I can’t work it out.”
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The 58-year-old rocker, who is preparing to hit the road with Bush this spring alongside Rival Sons and Filter, He went on to describe the industry’s longstanding financial imbalance, calling it “the same deal—artists getting screwed, record companies making a fortune.”
While streaming may offer exposure, Rossdale pointed out that it doesn’t always translate to sustainability. “Maybe you get one song with loads of streams, but we know that barely pays.”
“You just do the best you can. And you can obviously make money touring, but it takes a while to build up a catalog, so if you wanna come and see you, that’s a crap shoot.”
Rossdale, who rose to fame in the ’90s when CD sales and MTV airplay could catapult a band into the mainstream, pointed out the stark difference between then and now.
“I think it’s much, much harder now, and it was nearly impossible then. So, I don’t know what the odds are, but they don’t feel good for young musicians, which breaks my heart for them because we always need music.”
He added,”We always need people’s opinions. A.I. can take care of many things, but you talk about people relating to other people, it’s by writing that brutally painful, honest lyric that other people can relate and get strength from.”
Rossdale isn’t alone in his concerns. Artists across genres have been speaking out about streaming payouts, with industry veterans and rising stars alike calling for better compensation structures. The issue has even led to policy debates, as musicians advocate for reforms in how streaming revenue is distributed.
Rossdale rose to widespread fame as the frontman for British rock outfit Bush, who reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with their 1994 debut album, Sixteen Stone, which included charting singles such as “Comedown” and “Glycerine”. Two years later, they would best their previous accomplishments and top the chart with 1996’s Razorblade Suitcase. Their latest album, The Art of Survival, arrived in 2022.
Bush will embark on a North American tour this spring, kicking off in April. Tickets are available now.
Head in the Clouds is returning to its spiritual home of California for its upcoming 2025 edition.
Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival, put on by music and media company 88rising and Los Angeles concert promoter Goldenvoice, will return to Brookside at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena for the weekend of May 31 and June 1, with G-Dragon, 2NE1, Dean, and DPR Ian set to headline the event.
The two-day affair will also feature Rich Brian, a Porter Robinson DJ set, a long-awaited reunion of Higher Brothers, and 88rising’s 10-year Anniversary Finale, though specifics are yet to be announced as to what it will entail.
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The list of headliners also features a “mysterious set” described only as ‘The Magic Show?!?’, with a press release noting it “calls to mind a certain similarly titled smash album”. Online speculation has already arisen as to whether this will be a set from 88rising artist Jackson Wang, whose 2022 album Magic Man resulted in a Coachella appearance the next year where he was joined onstage by magician Kevin Li.
As always, producers have promised to turn the Rose Bowl into a “celebration of Asian-centric music, art, and cuisine”. First launching in 2018 at Los Angeles State Historic Park, Head in the Clouds has since expanded globally, with events in Jakarta, Manila and China in recent years.
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In 2023, it also ventured over to the east coast of the U.S., with the inaugural Head in the Clouds New York Music & Arts Festival marking a homecoming of sorts for 88rising, which was founded in New York City back in 2015. The New York debut welcomed NIKI, Rich Brian, Beabadoobee and more.
Presale registration is live from today (Feb. 4) with the general on-sale launching Feb. 7 at 11 a.m. ET and tickets can be purchased at the festival website.
New York City outfit Big Thief are doing their part for those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, sharing their new Passional Relations benefit EP
The five-track EP is described by the band as a collection of unreleased recordings, with all tracks taken from studio sessions in either 2018 or 2020. Opening songs “Imagination” and “Light as Light” were made in 2020 with Dom Monks on recording duties, while “Waiting on Blue” was laid down with Dr. Dog’s Scott McMicken that same year, with Mat Davidson providing vocals.
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“Zombie Girl” was recorded with Sam Owens at Flying Cloud Studios in 2020, presumably months before the song emerged on vocalist and guitarist Adrianne Lenker’s Songs later in the year. Final song “Shadow Too” dates back to 2018, with the band’s own James Krivchenia handling recording while in Topanga, California.
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“Our hearts are broken for everyone affected by the fires in California,” the group wrote in a statement. “We’ve put together some of our favorite unreleased songs into an EP called Passional Relations, only available on our webstore, and all proceeds will go toward providing relief for those impacted by the fires in Los Angeles.”
According to Big Thief, a majority of the EP’s proceeds will be donated to the PLUS1LA Fires Fund, which aids local nonprofits offering shelter and care to those who have lost their homes. The remainder of the proceeds will be given directly to local musicians, artists and community members who need support in the aftermath of the fires.
“Our hope is that these contributions will not only help address the crucial and immediate needs of affected communities but also help sustain the work, identity, and culture of the artists within them,” they concluded.
The Passional Relations EP is currently available for digital download via Big Thief’s webstore.
Big Thief’s last body of work was released in 2022, with fifth album Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You hitting No. 32 on the Billboard 200 – their highest position to date. In 2023, they released “Vampire Empire” and “Born for Loving You”, while Lenker released her Bright Future solo album in 2024.
In July 2024, the group announced the departure of bassist Max Oleartchik, citing “interpersonal reasons” for his exit. “It’s a big change for us and the four of us ask for your trust, respect, and care as we grow into the next chapter of our lives,” the band wrote in a statement at the time.
Teddy Swims scores his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated Feb. 8) as his latest album, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2) debuts atop the list with 26,000 sold in the U.S. in the week ending Jan. 30, according to Luminate. That marks Swims’ best sales week yet and first top 10, following three previous entries.
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Also shaking up the top 10: Kane Brown, FKA twigs and Central Cee all see their latest albums debut in the region, while blink-182’s chart-topping One More Time… reenters at No. 4 after a deluxe reissue.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album (TEA) units and streaming equivalent album (SEA) units.
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Of Swims’ first-week sales, physical purchases comprise 19,000 (with 12,000 on CD and 7,000 on vinyl) and digital download purchases comprise 7,000. The set’s sales were bolstered by its availability across eight vinyl variants (including a signed edition), and two CD variants (including a signed edition). The effort also debuts at No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums chart, as well as No. 5 on the Indie Store Album Sales chart.
Kane Brown lands his fifth top 10-charting effort on Top Album Sales as The High Road drives in at No. 2 with 19,000 sold in its first week. The album’s first-week sales were aided by its availability across nine vinyl variants (including a signed edition), four CD variants (including a signed edition), and three digital download variants (a standard version, plus two with alternative cover art). On the Vinyl Albums chart, the set enters at No. 9.
FKA twigs notches her biggest sales week ever and first top 10, as Eusexua enters at No. 3 on Top Album Sales with nearly 12,500 sold. It also launches at No. 3 on Vinyl Albums and No. 2 on Indie Store Album Sales. The album’s opening-week sales were aided by its availability across six vinyl variants, signed and unsigned CDs, a cassette and two digital download variants (one an artist webstore exclusive with a bonus track).
Blink-182’s chart-topping One More Time… reenters Top Album Sales at No. 4 with a little over 11,000 sold (up 9,089%), following the set’s deluxe reissue on two vinyl variants and CD with additional bonus tracks. U.K. rapper Central Cee makes his Top Album Sales chart debut with the No. 5 entry of his new studio album Can’t Rush Greatness (nearly 10,000 sold).
Mac Miller’s Balloonerism falls 1-6 in its second week on Top Album Sales (9,000; down 78%), the Wicked film soundtrack dips 3-7 (nearly 9,000; down 8%), Stray Kids’ chart-topping HOP falls 4-8 (just over 8,000; down 9%), Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us falls 2-9 (8,000; down 62%) and Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess falls 5-10 (7,000; down 11%).
Close to 17 years since their last live performance, reunited Los Angeles indie rock outfit Rilo Kiley have announced a run of tour dates for 2025.
News of the band’s reunion was officially confirmed on Jan. 27, close to two weeks after the leaked lineup for California’s Just Like Heaven festival inadvertently shared the news. The group are one of the highest-billed names on the lineup, appearing alongside the likes of Vampire Weekend, TV on the Radio, Bloc Party, and Empire of the Sun.
“We are so very excited to come back together for Just Like Heaven in Pasadena, California—Los Angeles,” the band shared in a statement. “As a band, we began here, and we feel so fortunate to return among so many artists and friends, to this community we hold so dear, in such a beautiful and meaningful place.”
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After also joining the lineup to Salt Lake City’s Kilby Block Party, Rilo Kiley have confirmed details of their first tour since 2008, lifting a lyric from their song “A Better Son/Daughter” to dub it the Sometimes When You’re On, You’re Really Fucking On Tour.
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“It’s going to be wonderful for us, like going back to the purest version of yourself, that early 20s place where everything is possible,” explained vocalist Jenny Lewis. “You’re in a van and Jason’s got the map, Pierre is behind the wheel, and I’m on the shitty acoustic guitar on the bench seat working out a new song with Blake. I don’t think it’s ever been as good as that, when it was just us against the world.”
The ten-date tour also features an appearance at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre with Julien Baker and Torres.
Rilo Kiley first formed in 1998 with actress and musician Lewis joined by guitarist Blake Sennett, bassist Pierre de Reeder, and drummer Dave Rock. Jason Boesel would replace rock in 2001.
The group rose to fame throughout the ’00s, releasing a total of four albums, including their 2001 debut Take Offs and Landings and its 2002 follow-up The Execution of All Things. While 2004’s More Adventurous would give them their debut on the Billboard 200 (albeit at No. 161), 2007 album Under the Blacklight was their most commercially successful, reaching No. 22 on the charts.
The group would play their final show in June 2008, later announcing they had embarked upon a hiatus. In 2013, however, it was confirmed they had in fact disbanded. During their hiatus, Lewis focused on her solo career, releasing a total of four albums since 2008, and reuniting with The Postal Service for shows in 2013 and 2023.
Alongside their upcoming tour dates, Rilo Kiley will also be reissuing their second album, with The Execution of All Things (Frozen Lake Edition) being released via Saddle Creek Records on April 25.
Rilo Kiley – Sometimes When You’re On, You’re Really Fucking On Tour Dates
May 5 – Fremont Theatre, San Luis Obispo, CAMay 7 – Libbey Bowl, Ojai, CAMay 10 – Just Like Heaven, Pasadena, CAMay 12 – The Van Buren, Phoenix, AZMay 14 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, COMay 16 – Kilby Block Party, Salt Lake City, UTMay 17 – Treefort Music Fest, Boise, IDMay 19 – Center for the Arts, Jackson, WYMay 21 – Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC, CanadaMay 23 – McMenamins Grand Lodge, Portland, OR
Ms. Lauryn Hill, Toni Braxton, New Edition and newly minted Grammy Award winner Doechii are among the established and rising stars booked for Jazz in the Gardens (JITG). The 18th annual music festival will take place March 8-9 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens (Florida). Explore See latest videos, charts and news See […]
Fresh off a Grammy sweep for “Not Like Us,” which won all five of its nominations, Kendrick Lamar piles on another win as his single “TV Off,” featuring Lefty Gunplay, darts to No. 1 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart dated Feb. 8. The track jumps from No. 3 to crown the list after a 12% surge in plays that made it the most-played tune on U.S. panel-contributing monitored rhythmic radio stations in the tracking week of Jan. 24 – 30, according to Luminate.
“TV Off” detaches Tyler, The Creator’s “Sticky,” featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne, from the Rhythmic Airplay summit after the latter’s one week in charge. Last week’s champ drops to No. 2 after a 2% decline in plays for the week.
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With “TV Off,” Kendrick Lamar achieves his eighth Rhythmic Airplay No. 1 and second of 2025, after “Squabble Up” ruled for two weeks in January. Here’s the updated review of his chart-topping collection on the radio ranking:
“Humble.,” three weeks at No. 1, beginning June 6, 2017“Loyalty.,” featuring Rihanna one, Sept. 30, 2017“Love.,” featuring Zacari, one, Dec. 30, 2017“Pray for Me,” with The Weeknd, two, April 18, 2018“Like That,” with Future and Metro Boomin, four, May 18, 2024“Not Like Us,” 12, June 15, 2024“Squabble Up,” two, Jan. 18, 2025“TV Off,” featuring Lefty Gunplay, one, Feb. 8, 2025
Featured artist Lefty Gunplay earns his first Rhythmic Airplay No. 1 through his maiden entry on the chart. The rapper is one of several California-bred rappers with supporting spots on GNX, Lamar’s 2024 album that includes “TV Off” and “Squabble Up.”
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Beyond the No. 1 title, Kendrick Lamar claims plenty more prime real estate on Rhythmic Airplay. The previous champ “Squabble Up” slides 2-3, while “Luther,” a collaboration with SZA, leaps 9-4 with a 12% improvement in plays. With the trio, Lamar is the first act — in a lead role — to have three of the top five concurrently on the Rhythmic Airplay chart. In total, five acts, including Lamar this week, have had three of the top five at the same time, but the other four – Ashanti, 50 Cent, T-Pain and Drake – all needed a combination of songs in both lead and featured billings.
Moreover, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Lamar enjoys a fourth appearance in the week’s top 10 – for a second week in a row – with a different collaboration with SZA, “30 for 30,” which repeats at its No. 10 peak. A week ago, he became the fifth act to have four of the top 10 titles concurrently, and the first ever with four of the top 10 in a lead role. The only other acts to claim four of the top 10 at the same time are 50 Cent, T-Pain, Lil Wayne and Drake.
While “TV Off,” “Squabble Up” and “Luther” all appear on Lamar’s GNX, “30 for 30” is from SZA’s SOS Deluxe: LANA edition of her chart-topping album.
Elsewhere, “TV Off” holds at its No. 10 best on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart (up 3% in weekly plays) and slides 2-3 from its peak on Rap Airplay, though it added 7% in weekly audience listenership. On the all-genre Radio Songs chart, “TV Off” lands a third nonconsecutive week at its No. 30 high, with an 8% boost to 21 million audience impressions across all formats.
LISA is less than a month away from unveiling her debut solo album, Alter Ego, but the superstar isn’t done with teasing the project just yet. The BLACKPINK singer took to Instagram on Tuesday (Feb. 4) to reveal the sleek cover art for her upcoming collaboration with Doja Cat and Raye, “Born Again.” In the mysterious […]
Pardison Fontaine revealed on Tuesday (Feb. 4) that his highly anticipated “Toot It” collab with Cardi B is arriving on Friday, Feb. 7. “You guys keep asking for ‘Toot It.’ Where’s ‘Toot It’? Where’s ‘Toot It’ at? Can we get ‘Toot It’? Here go the song, here go ‘Toot It.’ Take it, play it, do […]
Kai Cenat had a great time at the Grammys and now he seems to be buddies with Jay-Z. The popular streamer recapped his experience on Twitch and talked about meeting Jay-Z and Beyoncé for the first time. “I go up to Jay, I say, ‘What’s up, bro?’” Cenat said before giving their oldest daughter a […]