State Champ Radio Music
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Macklemore’s Seattle home was the target of a robbery early Saturday (June 7). According to The Seattle Times, the pair of burglars stole thousands of dollars worth of jewelry, shoes and designer watches after bear-spraying a nanny inside the Capitol Hill residence. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and […]
MGK‘s next album will be a tribute to Americana, and it seems that he tapped one of the subculture’s biggest heroes, Bob Dylan, to narrate the project’s trailer.
In a clip previewing the August-slated LP posted Tuesday (June 10), a voice sounding very familiar to Dylan’s can be heard reading a description of the rapper-turned-rocker’s Lost Americana, calling it “a personal excavation of the American dream.”
“It’s a sonic map of forgotten places, a tribute to the spirit of reinvention and a quest to reclaim the essence of American freedom,” the Dylan-esque drawl says over fuzzy shots of MGK smoking, riding motorcycles, hanging out with friends, taking in a mountainous landscape in awe and walking the Las Vegas strip. “From the glow of neon diners to the rumble of the motorcycles, this is music that celebrates the beauty found in the in-between spaces. Where the past is reimagined, and the future is forged on your own terms.”
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MGK further teased that Dylan is in fact the featured voice by cheekily writing in the video’s caption, “narrated by …” without revealing any names. Later, the “My Ex’s Best Friend” artist not-so-randomly shared a black-and-white photo of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer on Instagram Stories Tuesday.
Billboard has reached out to Dylan’s reps for comment.
Arriving Aug. 8, Lost Americana will mark MGK’s seventh studio album, following 2022’s Billboard 200-topper Mainstream Sellout. Leading up to its release, the artist born Colson Baker has dropped singles “Your Name Forever” and “Cliche,” which followed his 2024 collaborations with Jelly Roll, “Lonely Road” and “Time of Day.”
And while a collaboration with the famously elusive Dylan might seem random, the Lost Americana trailer wouldn’t be the first time he and MGK’s worlds have collided (assuming that it really is the legend’s voice in the narration). In February, Dylan left fans confused when, without explanation, he posted an old video of the “I Think I’m Okay” artist rapping in a Florida music store in 2016 on Instagram.
Whether that was Dylan’s way of declaring that he’s a fan of MGK or just a random moment, the younger musician was amused by the post. “you having a phone is so rad,” MGK commented at the time.
See MGK’s Lost Americana trailer, seemingly featuring the voice of Bob Dylan, below.
On a drizzly Monday (June 9) night in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! summer series kicked off with a knockout double bill of Grace Jones and Janelle Monáe that also served as an unofficial Pride Month party.
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“Grace Jones is the most original, innovative artist of our time,” Monáe said toward the end of the night, saluting the Jamaica-born musician who went from singing disco in Studio 54 to pioneering a spiky, brash blend of reggae and art rock in the ‘80s. Standing in the park after nightfall, gazing up at the inimitable Jones under the dramatic stage lights in all her imposing, undaunted glory, you’d be a fool to argue semantics with Monáe or attempt to insert a qualifier. Jones is undoubtedly one of the most wildly underappreciated living pioneers, a Black woman whose experimental and experiential art pop was decades ahead of its time. And at 77, Jones is still sowing the wildest of oats, bucking the narrative that edgy musicians need to settle into some kind of well-coiffed adult contemporary mold after crossing a certain age.
Bashing on cymbals throughout “Demolition Man,” straddling a metal gate while singing “My Jamaican Guy,” prancing around matador-style during “I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango)” and letting her tongue run amok the entire evening (“I do like to stick out my tongue; don’t make it make you crazy?” the contralto purred), Jones is as uninhibited as ever. Not to mention inscrutable. When she chugged a glass of wine and belted out “Amazing Grace,” it was hard to parse whether it was an earnest expression of faith, a cheeky brag about how wonderful she is or both.
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“Nobody’s hurt, right?” Jones asked her band and backup singers after sending a cymbal sailing across the stage. After ascertaining that everyone was fine, she hugged her singers. “You can take a beating,” she said with a wide grin. “I’ve taken a lot. And I’m still here.”
In addition to playing a new, unreleased funk song called “The Key” which found her in her characteristic sing-speak mode augmented by a vocoder or talk box effect, she delivered the lion’s share of her catalog favorites, including her full-throated, hard-hitting “Love Is the Drug.” In a shimmering bowler hat under a spotlight, Jones whipped the crowd into a sing-along fervor at the end of the Roxy Music cover, declaring, “It’s wake up the neighbors!” and urging the all-smiles audience to pump up the decibels and “wake ‘em up!” with every fresh round of whoa-ohs.
“Curfew? Who’s ever heard of a curfew?” Jones snarled as she put on a massive, seashell-esque red headpiece and began slinking around to the flirty funk guitar of “Pull Up to the Bumper” (a gay club favorite for reasons that become clear when you pay attention to the lyrics). “Bumper” stretched out into an extended jam session for her nimble band, with Monáe – who had opened the show with her own indefatigably funky brand of pop&B – joining Jones onstage. It was ostensibly a duet on the 1981 reggae-disco classic, but in practice, it was an excuse for the two to let loose: they offered up some French kicks; Jones licked the microphone while Monáe sang into it; they collapsed into each other’s arms, laughing; and one point, Monáe, on all fours, climbed through Jones’ legs, with Jones proceeding to drum on Monáe’s backside and then swivel around and ride her La Dolce Vita-style. Not long after, Monáe pantsed Jones (how often do you get to pants your music and style icon?) and then attempted, unsuccessfully, to free Jones from her slacks. “You’re a naughty, naughty girl,” Monae told Jones after the escapade, wagging her finger in cartoonish disapproval.
Jones shouted out “Brooklyn Pride!” a few times during the show, and while it wasn’t an official Brooklyn Pride event, the playful, resilient spirit of the LGBTQ community – from the audience to what was happening onstage – undoubtedly elevated the evening.
Curfew be damned: after that duet, Jones came out for an encore despite the house lights having already come up.
And what an encore. Jones crooned, cooed, barked and spat the lyrics to her Billboard Dance Club Songs No. 1 “Slave to the Rhythm” while hula-hooping for the entire classic (and she did the long version, too, introducing her band and bringing out her backstage crew during the song). When the show was finally over, the ebullient Brooklyn audience was ecstatic but fully danced out – and left with a lingering suspicion that at 77, Jones is still running circles around us all.
Jessica Pratt, Fontaines D.C., MJ Lenderman and MF DOOM were multiple winners at the 2025 Libera Awards, which honored the best in independent music. This 14th annual awards ceremony took place on Monday, June 9 at the historic Gotham Hall in New York City.
Pratt’s Here in the Pitch (Mexican Summer) won three awards – record of the year, best singer-songwriter record and best folk record.
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MF DOOM (Rhymesayers Entertainment) also won three awards – MM..FOOD (20th Anniversary Edition) won best reissue and creative packaging. “One Beer (Madlib Remix)” won best remix.
Fontaines D.C. (XL Recordings) won two awards – best rock record for Romance and music video of the year for “Starburster.”
MJ Lenderman (ANTI-) also won two awards – breakthrough artist and best American roots record for Manning Fireworks.
Shaboozey, whose “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 weeks, received an Impact Award for his album, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going (American Dogwood/EMPIRE). Shaboozey was nominated for best new artist at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 2 and new artist of the year at the Country Music Association Awards on Nov. 20.
The Libera Awards Presented by Merlin – the official name of the awards – kick off the Indie Week conference, which will run from Tuesday (June 10) through Thursday, June 12 at the InterContinental New York Times Square.
The show was hosted by Delisa Shannon, Billboard’s director of shortform content, and featured performances from American music trailblazer Swamp Dogg (Oh Boy Records), genre-bending singer-songwriter serpentwithfeet (Secretly Canadian), punk-rockers Ekko Astral (Topshelf Records) and Latin pop phenomenon Reyna Tropical (Psychic Hotline).
The nominations were announced on Wednesday (March 19) by FIM (The Foundation for Independent Music) and A2IM (The American Association of Independent Music, Inc.).
Dr. Richard James Bergess, MBE, was honored with a special award celebrating his 10 years as president & CEO of A2IM “The 2025 Libera Awards were a powerful reminder of what makes our community extraordinary,” Burgess said in a statement. “We honored not only remarkable music and artistry, but the spirit and purpose that define the independent sector. These nominees and winners embody the innovation, determination, and authenticity that push our industry forward. Congratulations to all who continue to shape the future of music on their own terms.”
A2IM is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization headquartered in New York City that exists to support and strengthen the independent recorded music sector. Membership currently includes a broad coalition of over 600 independently-owned American music labels.
Here’s a complete list of nominees for the 2025 Libera Awards Presented by Merlin, with winners marked.
Record of the Year
WINNER: Jessica Pratt – Here in the Pitch (Mexican Summer)
Kim Gordon – The Collective (Matador Records)
MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks (ANTI-)
Mk.gee – “Rockman” (R&R Digital)
Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood (ANTI-)
Breakthrough Artist
Jessica Pratt (Mexican Summer)
Magdalena Bay (Mom+Pop)
Mannequin Pussy (Epitaph)
WINNER: MJ Lenderman (ANTI-)
Mk.gee (R&R Digital)
Shaboozey (American Dogwood/EMPIRE)
Music Video of the Year
Caravan Palace – “Mirrors” (Le Plan Recordings)
WINNER: Fontaines D.C. – “Starburster” (XL Recordings)
Justice – “Neverender (starring Tame Impala)” (Because Music)
Porter Robinson – “Cheerleader” (Mom+Pop)
Waxahatchee feat. MJ Lenderman – “Right Back to It” (ANTI-)
Yaeji – “booboo” (XL Recordings)
Best Reissue
Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force – Planet Rock: The Album (Tommy Boy Records)
American Football – American Football LP1 (25th Anniversary Edition) (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
Cocteau Twins & Harold Budd – The Moon and the Melodies (4AD)
John Cale – Paris 1919 (Deluxe Edition) (Domino Recording Company)
WINNER: MF DOOM – MM..FOOD (20th Anniversary Edition) (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
Ray Charles – Crying Time (Tangerine Records)
Sylvan Esso – Sylvan Esso (10 Year Anniversary Edition) (Psychic Hotline)
Best Remix
Fcukers – “Bon Bon (Confidence Man Remix)” (Technicolour/Ninja Tune)
Kelela – RAVE:N, The Remixes (Warp Records)
WINNER: MF DOOM – “One Beer (Madlib Remix)” (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
Shygirl – “mr useless – MK remix” (Because Music)
Slowdive – “kisses (grouper remix)” (Dead Oceans)
Best Alternative Rock Record
Being Dead – EELS (Bayonet Records)
Kim Deal – Nobody Loves You More (4AD)
WINNER: Kim Gordon – The Collective (Matador Records)
Nada Surf – Moon Mirror (New West Records)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Wild God (Play It Again Sam)
Best American Roots Record
Dave Alvin + Jimmie Dale Gilmore – TexiCali (Yep Roc Records)
Fantastic Negrito – Son of a Broken Man (Storefront Records)
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – Woodland (Acony Records)
Joe Ely – Driven to Drive (Rack ’Em Records)
WINNER: MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks (ANTI-)
Swamp Dogg – Blackgrass (Oh Boy Records)
Best Blues Record
Cedric Burnside – Hill Country Love (Provogue Records)
Little Feat – Sam’s Place (Hot Tomato Records)
WINNER: Ruthie Foster – Mileage (Sun Records)
Shemekia Copeland – Blame It on Eve (Alligator Records)
The Taj Mahal Sextet – Swingin’ Live at the Church in Tulsa (Lightning Rod Records)
Best Classical Record
Ensemble Pygmalion, Raphaël Pichon – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem (harmonia mundi)
II Divo – XX: 20th Anniversary Album (Il Divo Music)
Isabelle Faust – Britten: Violin Concerto and Chamber Works (harmonia mundi)
Ju-Ping Song – Monad (Starkland)
WINNER: Kelly Moran – Moves in the Field (Warp Records)
Marc-André Hamelin, Nathalie Forget, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Gustavo Gimeno – Olivier Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie (harmonia mundi)
Michael Torke – Bloom (Ecstatic Records)
Best Country Record
Corb Lund – El Viejo (New West Records)
Fancy Hagood – American Spirit (Fancy Hagood Enterprises)
Johnny Blue Skies – Passage du Desir (High Top Mountain Records)
Shaboozey – Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going (American Dogwood/EMPIRE)
WINNER: Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood (ANTI-)
Zach Top – Cold Beer & Country Music (Leo33)
Best Dance Record
A.G. Cook – “Britpop” (New Alias)
WINNER: Fcukers – Baggy$$ (Technicolour / Ninja Tune)
Peggy Gou – I Hear You (XL Recordings)
Shygirl – Club Shy (Because Music)
SOPHIE – SOPHIE (Future Classic)
Best Electronic Record
WINNER: Caribou – Honey (Merge Records)
Floating Points – Cascade (Ninja Tune)
Flying Lotus – Spirit Box (Warp Records)
Jamie xx – In Waves (Young)
Justice – Hyperdrama (Because Music)
Photay – Windswept (Mexican Summer)
Best Folk Record
Adrianne Lenker – Bright Future (4AD)
Aoife O’Donovan – All My Friends (Yep Roc Records)
Bonny Light Horseman – Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free (Jagjaguwar)
WINNER: Jessica Pratt – Here in the Pitch (Mexican Summer)
Madi Diaz – Weird Faith (ANTI-)
Best Global Record
Altin Gun – “Vallahi Yok” (ATO Records)
Asake – Lungu Boy (YBNL Nation/EMPIRE)
BALTHVS – Harvest (Mixto Records)
Glass Beams – Mahal (Ninja Tune)
Hermanos Gutiérrez – Sonido Cósmico (Easy Eye Sound)
Manu Chao – Viva Tu (Because Music)
WINNER: Mdou Moctar – Funeral for Justice (Matador Records)
Best Heavy Record
Chelsea Wolfe – She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She (Loma Vista Recordings)
High On Fire – Cometh the Storm (MNRK Music Group)
WINNER: METZ – Up on Gravity Hill (Sub Pop Records)
Scene Queen – Hot Singles in Your Area (Hopeless Records)
Speed – “Only One Mode” (FLATSPOT)
Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record
BigXthaPlug – Take Care (UnitedMasters)
Cash Cobain – PLAY CASH COBAIN (Giant Music)
Common & Pete Rock – The Auditorium Vol. 1 (Loma Vista Recordings)
Denzel Curry – King of the Mischievous South (Loma Vista Recordings)
E L U C I D – REVELATOR (Fat Possum Records)
WINNER: Shygirl – “Immaculate” (feat. Saweetie) (Because Music)
Best Jazz Record
BADBADNOTGOOD – Mid Spiral (XL Recordings)
Ezra Collective – Dance, No One’s Watching (Partisan Records)
CO-WINNER: Kamasi Washington – Fearless Movement (Young)
Lakecia Benjamin – Phoenix Reimagined (Live) (Ropeadope Records)
Morgan Guerin – Tales of the Facade (Candid Records)
CO-WINNER: Nala Sinephro – Endlessness (Warp Records)
Nubya Garcia – Odyssey (Concord Jazz)
Best Latin Record
Angélica Garcia – Gemelo (Partisan Records)
Buscabulla – “11:11” (Domino Recording Company)
Chicano Batman – “Era Primavera” (ATO Records)
Dayme Arocena – Alkemi (Brownswood Recordings)
Gaby Moreno and La Lom – “Alma Florecida” (Cosmica Artists)
Girl Ultra – blush (Big Dada/Ninja Tune)
WINNER: Reyna Tropical – Malegría (Psychic Hotline)
Best Outlier Record
Chanel Beads – Your Day Will Come (Jagjaguwar)
Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn – Quiet in a World Full of Noise (Merge Records)
Hakushi Hasegawa – Mahōgakkō (Brainfeeder)
Helado Negro – PHASOR (4AD)
CO-WINNER: Khruangbin – A LA SALA (Dead Oceans)
Moor Mother – The Great Bailout (ANTI-)
CO-WINNER: SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE – YOU’LL HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING (Saddle Creek)
urika’s bedroom – Big Smile, Black Mire (True Panther)
Best Pop Record
Kate Nash – 9 Sad Symphonies (Kill Rock Stars)
Kesha – “Joyride” (Kesha Records)
WINNER: Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk (Mom+Pop)
Sofie Royer – Young-Girl Forever (Stones Throw Records)
SOPHIE – SOPHIE (Future Classic)
Suki Waterhouse – Memoir of a Sparklemuffin (Sub Pop Records)
Best Punk Record
A Place to Bury Strangers – Synthesizer (Dedstrange)
Chubby And the Gang – And Then There Was… (FLATSPOT)
Ekko Astral – pink balloons (Topshelf Records)
Laura Jane Grace – Hole in My Head (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
WINNER: Pissed Jeans – Half Divorced (Sub Pop Records)
SPRINTS – Letter to Self (City Slang)
Best R&B Record
Erika de Casier – Still (4AD)
Fana Hues – Moth (Bright Antenna Records)
WINNER: Mavis Staples – “Worthy” (ANTI-)
NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge) – Why Lawd? (Stones Throw Records)
serpentwithfeet – GRIP (Secretly Canadian)
Yaya Bey – Ten Fold (Big Dada/Ninja Tune)
Best Rock Record
WINNER: Fontaines D.C. – Romance (XL Recordings)
IDLES – TANGK (Partisan Records)
Jack White – No Name (Third Man Records)
Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven (Epitaph)
The Lemon Twigs – A Dream Is All We Know (Captured Tracks)
The Linda Lindas – No Obligation (Epitaph)
Best Singer-Songwriter Record
Adrianne Lenker – Bright Future (4AD)
Christian Lee Hutson – Paradise Pop. 10 (ANTI-)
Faye Webster – Underdressed at the Symphony (Secretly Canadian)
WINNER: Jessica Pratt – Here in the Pitch (Mexican Summer)
Katie Gavin – “As Good as It Gets” (Saddest Factory Records)
Laura Marling – Patterns in Repeat (Partisan Records/Chrysalis Records)
Best Soul/Funk Record
Angela Muñoz – Descanso (Stones Throw Records)
Neal Francis – “Back It Up” (ATO Records)
The Dip – Love Direction (Dualtone)
WINNER: Thee Sacred Souls – Got a Story to Tell (Daptone Records)
Thee Sinseers – Sinseerly Yours (Colemine Records)
Best Spiritual Record
Brother John – Brother John & The GFT Collective (The Blues Preachers/The Orchard)
Flock – Flock II (Strut)
Lauren Daigle – “Then I Will (from Boenhoffer)” (Centricity Music)
Lecrae – “Die for the Party” (Reach Records)
WINNER: The Harlem Gospel Travelers – Rhapsody (Colemine Records)
The Nelons – Loving You (Daywind Records)
Best Sync Usage
Cigarettes After Sex – “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby” (It Ends With Us) (Partisan Records)
WINNER: De La Soul – “Say No Go” (Civil War) (A.O.I./Chrysalis/Reservoir)
Jamie xx & The Avalanches – “All You Children” (Apple) (Young)
Spoon – “The Way We Get By” (A Real Pain Trailer) (Matador Records)
Waxahatchee feat. MJ Lenderman – “Right Back to It” (Tracker S1 E6) (ANTI-)
Label of the Year (15+ Employees)
ANTI- Records
Dead Oceans
Mom+Pop
Ninja Tune
WINNER: Partisan Records
Stones Throw Records
Sub Pop Records
Warp Records
Label of the Year (6-14 Employees)
Captured Tracks
City Slang
Fat Possum
Light in the Attic
WINNER: Mexican Summer
Secret City Records
Label of the Year (5 Or Fewer Employees)
Bayonet Records
Daptone Records
Oh Boy Records
Psychic Hotline
Topshelf Records
WINNER: True Panther
Distributor of the Year
FUGA
IDOL
WINNER: Redeye
Secretly Distribution
Symphonic Distribution
The Orchard
Independent Champion
WINNER: Bandcamp
Infinite Catalog
Marauder
Qobuz
The Bloom Effect
Publisher of the Year
Beggars Music
Downtown Music Publishing
Reservoir
Secret City Publishing
WINNER: Warp Publishing
Marketing Genius
WINNER: IDLES – TANGK (Partisan Records)
Khruangbin – A LA SALA (Dead Oceans)
MF DOOM – MM..FOOD (20 Year Anniversary Edition) (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks (ANTI-)
Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood (ANTI-)
Self-Released Record of the Year
Cheekface – It’s Sorted (Cheekface)
Fancy Hagood – American Spirit (Fancy Hagood Enterprises)
Los Campesinos! – All Hell (Heart Swells)
Orla Gartland – Everybody Needs a Hero (New Friends Music)
WINNER: RAYE – “Genesis.” (Human Re Sources)
TV Girl & George Clanton – Fauxllennium (Blissful Serenity Industries, LLC)
Creative Packaging
Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Expanded Edition) (Warp Records)
Khruangbin – A LA SALA (Dead Oceans)
Mac DeMarco – Salad Days 10 Year Anniversary Edition (Captured Tracks)
WINNER: MF DOOM – MM..FOOD (20 Year Anniversary Edition) (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
The Go Betweens – G Stands for Go-Betweens: Volume 3 (Domino Recording Company)
Various Artists – Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 8 (Sub Pop Records)
Impact Award
WINNER: Shaboozey – Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going (American Dogwood/EMPIRE)
The 20-track Democracy Forward double album will feature songs from R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe, Wilco, Tyler Childers, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and many more on a compilation focused on democracy, resilience and courage. The collection is a partnership between literary magazine The Bitter Southerner and national legal organization Democracy Forward.
“The work of Democracy Forward ensures that people and communities – that all of us – are heard and that our rights are protected,” said Skye Perryman, President & CEO of Democracy Forward in a statement about the collection that will be release on vinyl the week of July 3; pre-sales begin today here.
“At a time when so many communities across the nation are hurting and being targeted, music, art, and expression helps to bring people together in community, which creates the conditions for courage,” read the statement. “We are incredibly grateful to the artists who have dedicated their music to support the American people’s rights and our democracy during this consequential time. Each of us has a role to play in strengthening our democracy, and every voice matters.”
Proceeds from the album will benefit Democracy Forward’s work, which includes free representation for people and communities in defense of their constitutional rights. Since the second inauguration of President Donald Trump, Democracy Forward said in the statement that it has been focused on “some of the most significant issues affecting people, families, and communities to confront anti-democratic extremism head-on. From stopping the federal funding freeze, to blocking the decimation of the Department of Education, to protecting religious liberty, to safeguarding due process, to stopping DOGE and Musk from taking Americans’ sensitive and personal data, and more – Democracy Forward has won court orders for people and is just getting started.”
The album will open with Stipe’s new original spoken word piece “Invocation.” The singer and activist said in a statement, “We believe in the importance of our democracy and also our ability to save it. The world is depending on us. This fight is not over. The day is not done.”
Since Democracy Forward’s formation in 2016, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit has taken the Trump administration to court more than 100 times and worked with dozens of prominent groups to combat some of the administration’s actions by partnering with organizations including: Abortion Fund of Ohio, National Immigrant Justice Center, National Parks Conservation Association, Alliance For Justice, National Resources Defense Council, New York Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The album announcement comes as Trump is attempting to muscle through his so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” a proposed tax and spending package that aims to permanently extend the president’s big tax cuts for the nation’s wealthiest individuals, as well as make deep cuts to social programs including Medicaid and food aid and roll back a wide variety of environmental regulations and green energy initiatives in an effort to focus on climate-warming fossil fuels.
It also coincided with Trump’s provocative deployment of 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Monday (June 9) — without the consent of Gov. Gavin Newsom — in order to quell demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in the city.
Check out the track list for Democracy Forward below.
Michael Stipe – “Invocation” (new)
Sierra Ferrell –“American Dreaming”
Wilco – “Cruel Country”
Tyler Childers – “Long Violent History”
Brandi Carlile – “Speak Your Mind”
Hurray for the Riff Raff – “Colossus of Roads”
Brittany Howard – “Another Day
Tunde Abebimpe – “People”
Kevin Morby and Waxahatchee – “Farewell Transmission”
Fruit Bats – “A Lingering Love”
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – “Something More Than Free” (Live from the ACL Live)
She Returns From War – “Ruthless”
John Prine – “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven” (Live at Fifth Peg Chicago)
S.G. Goodman – “Satellite”
Allison Russell (featuring Brandi Carlile) – “You’re Not Alone”
Langhorne Slim – “Life is Confusing”
Blue Mountain – “Jimmy Carter”
Danielle Ponder – “So Long”
Jim James – “Here in Spirit”
Michael Stipe and Big Red Machine – “No Time For Love Like Now”
Gracie Abrams just teased new music on TikTok, and one of the many fans who shared their excitement in the comments was none other than Olivia Rodrigo.
In the clip posted by the “That’s So True” singer, her face is cut off from the frame as she vibes out while listening to a demo, a friend dancing in the background. “It’s violent how I need you,” Abrams sings on the synthy track.
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In the comments, Rodrigo simply wrote, “hell yeah.”
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Soon afterward, Abrams posted another video of herself in the car, listening to the same snippet — seemingly teasing further that she has a new project on the way. The Los Angeles native hasn’t properly dropped new music since The Secret of Us deluxe arrived last October, bringing with it Billboard Hot 100 hit “That’s So True.”
Abrams and the “Drivers License” artist have been in each other’s corners for years, with the former opening for the latter on the Sour Tour back in 2022. The “Risk” musician gushed about the opportunity in her April Billboard cover story, telling staff writer Hannah Dailey, “She gave me such a shot, opening for her … I adore her with my whole heart for forever and ever.”
Rodrigo also told Billboard at the time, “Gracie has such a singular voice when it comes to songwriting.”
“I think it’s rare to be so young and already have developed your very own lane,” she added. “You can hear a song and instantly know if it’s a Gracie Abrams song even if she wasn’t singing it. That is so special and a real testament to her talent and influence.”
It’s been even longer since Rodrigo last released music, with her Guts deluxe dropping in March 2024. The expanded project featured new songs “Obsessed,” “Girl I’ve Always Been,” “Scared of My Guitar,” “Stranger” and “So American,” some of which the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series alum performed during her headlining set at Gov Ball in New York City on Saturday (June 7).
See Abrams’ new music teaser — and look for Rodrigo’s comment — below.
With an uptick in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and contentious protests against ICE taking place in Los Angeles, Cardi B explained why she didn’t speak out about the events in recent days.
The Grammy-winning rapper spoke up during an X Spaces captured by Complex early Tuesday (June 10) that she doesn’t feel her voice will be heard by the government and believes her condemning Trump could ultimately backfire and make the immigration situation worse.
“Personally, the reason why I haven’t really said anything is because I could say something every single day about it and guess what? Nothing is going to happen,” she said. “Because Trump do not give one f—k about me or what I gotta say. I personally believe that he doesn’t like me. So if somebody don’t like you, and they say something or they do something, they’ll be like, ‘Oh word? Now I’m gonna show you.’”
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“He always gives dictatorship vibe,” she continued. Cardi also said she “tried to warn people that this was going to happen” regarding the aggressive deportation policies under the Trump administration.
“I don’t know nobody anymore in the White House. I don’t know a representative. I don’t know nobody in there. And if I talk about it every single day, he is not going to care,” the Bronx native added. “Actually, I feel like if I talk about it every single day, he’s going to deport more people on purpose to show you… Like, ‘B—h, I run this country.’”
Trump deployed the National Guard in Los Angele as protestors took to the streets to speak out against the recent influx of ICE raids to the city. 42 arrests were made by the Los Angeles Police Department, California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department over the weekend, according to NBC.
Many artists spoke out against ICE and stood in solidarity with the protestors like Tyler, The Creator, Finneas, The Game, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Kehlani and more.
California governor Gavin Newsom announced his plans to sue the Trump administration on Monday (June 9) for deploying the National Guard without his request or consent — the first time an American president has done so since 1965. Newsom called Trump’s actions “illegal, immoral and unconstitutional.”
If you bring together six hot Country artists and add in some ice-cold beer, you get one memorable evening of live music. That’s exactly what fans experienced at Category 10 in Nashville on the first day of CMA Fest thanks to Billboard Country Live presented by Bud Light. Each artist gave fans 20 minutes of some of their top songs with a sprinkle – or three – of unexpected covers to spice things up.
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The Thursday (June 5) event welcomed attendees into the multi-story music venue to kick off an unforgettable weekend of country music. The packed first floor made room for line dancing between acts while DJ Grant Fisher provided country, hip-hop, and EDM beats. On the second and third floors, fans lined up against the railings while sipping on Bud Light to get a glimpse of the Billboard-curated evening.
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Bud Light not only provided the draft pours and tall boys, but they also decked out the venue in vibrant neon decorations, gave fans stylish snap-back hats and bandanas, and created a custom photo moment for attendees to capture a snapshot to remember the epic evening.
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CMT host Carissa Culiner emceed the evening, welcoming everyone in for several hours of entertainment before kicking off the festivities.
Reyna Roberts
Reyna Roberts at the Billboard Country Live concert at Category 10 on June 05, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Many first heard Roberts’ name when she appeared on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album. But this evening’s performance showed she can stand by herself just fine. She rocked her signature red mane under a white cowboy hat, which perfectly matched her bustier, chaps and boots. Possibly taking a note from Queen Bey, her hair flowed as she worked the stage.
Roberts performed tunes including”Lawless”, “Louisiana”, “Raised Right” and treated fans to a performance of an upcoming song “Mustangs Over Bentleys.” She also told a heart-warming story before performing Gretchen Wilson’s “Here For The Party” about how she sang that song for her first on-stage performance at the age of 9 while in elementary school. She brought the party on stage with a Bud Light in hand to share a toast with fans, thanking them for their support at another CMA Fest. She spread the love saying, “I love God, I love Billboard, and I love Bud Light!”
Alexandra Kay
Alexandra Kay at the Billboard Country Live concert at Category 10 on June 05, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
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A shining light of the evening, Alexandra Kay had the audience singing along to her hits, along with an unexpected pop cover song. You could be distracted by her pink, bedazzled mic stand if it weren’t for Kay’s strong vocals and effervescent personality. From turning her songs into sing-a-longs to taking a singing selfie video on a fan’s phone, the energy in the room reached another level.
She had one of the biggest surprises of the evening when she launched into a cover of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” a song about leaving Tennessee for Los Angeles where you find yourself dancing on stage at a gay bar. She sang fan-favorites like “Backroad Therapy” and “Everleave” but paused to take a moment to thank her fans for helping her get to this moment. She also gave Jelly Roll, her tour partner and oftentimes collaborator, a shout out for helping further her career. After years of being an independent artist, she recently signed to BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville.
Drew Baldridge
Drew Baldridge at the Billboard Country Live concert at Category 10 on June 05, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Drew Baldridge’s set was a celebration of hard work and a victory lap for the past year’s accomplishments. He started the show off by shouting out all the country girls and country boys and warming up the crowd. Baldridge quickly raised a Bud Light to give a cheers to ’90s Country music and proceeded to give fans a medley of hits from Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It” to the late Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” and “Brand New Man” by Brooks & Dunn.
Baldridge brought the emotion, performing “Can She Have This Dance” which he wrote for his wife to dance to on their wedding day. After leaving Nashville and performing more than 400 backyard parties during the pandemic, he began to gain the recognition he deserved with “She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” a song he took to No. 3 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as an independent artist (he’s since signed with BBR Music Group). He told fans “I’m not making music for Nashville. I’m not making music for country radio. I’m making music for y’all,” before closing his set with the inspirational “Tough People.”
Max McNown
Max McNown at the Billboard Country Live concert at Category 10 on June 05, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Max McNown kept the show going, bringing energy to the stage and making connections with the audience. He started his set off with last year’s hit “Love Me Back.” Mid-song, he grabbed a fan’s phone to take a selfie with the crowd, then told the audience about having to run a mile through downtown Nashville to get to the show on time, adding that he’d then have to sprint to Nissan Stadium after the performance to make his set and stadium debut on the Platform Stage. He balanced his Billboard/Bud Light set with his own hits and covers of fan-favorite, including leveling up his song “Marley” by injecting it with Marley’s “Three Little Birds.” He also performed his version of “Cover Me Up” by Jason Isbell. Max finished on a high note, performing his hits “Better Me For You (Brown Eyes) and “A Lot More Free” flexing his musicality by whistling into the microphone and whipping out a harmonica.
Ashley Cooke
Ashley Cooke at the Billboard Country Live concert at Category 10 on June 05, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
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The energy in the room became electric as Ashley Cooke took the stage. The audience fed off her spirited set, as she told fans she has registered some of the biggest accomplishments of her career over the past year, from getting her first tour bus to her first award, breakthrough female video of the year at the 2024 CMT Awards for “Your Place.” This year also had some of her lowest lows including the loss of family members and health scares in her circle. The emotional moment teed up her hit “It’s Been A Year.”
For those just getting to know her, she offered to show them who she was through a medley of some of her favorite songs. The audience sang along while Ashley belted out Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone”, Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” and “Life Is A Highway” by Tom Cochrane (and Rascal Flatts’ popular remake) . She ended her set asking who in the room had the craziest ex before performing her break-up tune, “Your Place.”
Mitchell Tenpenny
Mitchell Tenpenny at the Billboard Country Live concert at Category 10 on June 05, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Closing out an epic evening of country music is not an easy task, but Mitchell Tenpenny attacked the opportunity armed with an acoustic guitar, giving fans a solo set that had everyone in the house singing along. He commanded the stage with hits like “Bucketlist” and “We Got History” which he said was his version of Rascal Flatt’s “Bless The Broken Road.” He kicked off his set by telling the backstory to “Alcohol You Later” – inspired by a drunken phone call he overheard in a bar – then launched into the song, changing some lyrics in verse two to “need someone to drink Bud Light with,” paying homage to the evening’s presenting sponsor.
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He thanked the audience for the sing-a-long, adding, “Hearing someone sing your song back to you is the greatest feeling in the world.” They even became an integral part of a fan-requested impromptu performance of “Bitches” where they had to sing the title during the chorus because Tenpenny claimed, “I don’t think I can sing that one here.” But the final song of the night was the perfect crescendo to an evening of amazing performances as he launched into an unexpected cover of “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls. The audience was so engrossed in the performance, he did an encore which had everyone swaying with the lights from their phones over their heads. He then spent several minutes signing hats and greeting the adoring fans.
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“Long live carranga!” shouted Sara Lu. The Carranga Kids were celebrating their big win on the reality show La Voz Kids Colombia 2024, and in the heat of the moment, that was the first thing the teenager could think to say. The other kids joined in, jumping with excitement — they all seemed to agree. After all, it was carranga that got them there.
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Almost a year and a half later, the young group — who had already released an album before joining the competition — dropped their album A Bailar Carranga (or Dance Carranga) in May and are now gearing up for a new one in the coming months, along with a collaboration with their former La Voz Kids coach and Latin Grammy winner Andrés Cepeda.
But what exactly is carranga, and how did it win over this young quartet? Born in the Cundiboyacense and Boyacá of Colombia, this musical genre blends Indigenous, African and European elements while celebrating love for the countryside, ecology, good humor and social critique, with Jorge Velosa as one of its greatest pioneers.
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Sara Lucía, who plays the requinto guitar and sings backup vocals, listens to reggaetón, vallenato, merengue, and salsa — a mix of trendy music and the sounds she picks up from her parents. But it was her grandfather who introduced her to carranga. “It’s a genre that’s purely Colombian, and we feel the need for young people to learn more about it,” says the 14-year-old.
The origins of Carranga Kids trace back to a musical tribute Contreras wanted to dedicate to his late grandfather. The group already existed, having formed during school breaks, but this would be their first big live performance.
Jerónimo Arias Villamizar (guacharaca and backup vocals) recalls that, at first, carranga wasn’t even one of his favorite types of music. But the experience of playing with the other musicians was so special that the 14-year-old decided to stay. At the time, Carranga Kids also included a set of twins who eventually left the group. They were replaced by Juan José González and Esteban de Jesús Suárez, who are 10 and 12 years old, respectively.
“I was invited during a school break, and I’ve been singing since I was three years old — thanks to my dad, who’s a mariachi,” says Arias Villamizar, highlighting that the success of Carranga Kids isn’t just rooted in their deep knowledge of the Cundiboyacense musical genre, but also in their ability to learn from other styles. For example, Jero, as he’s called, shares his deep admiration for the late Mexican legend, Ariel Camacho, leader of the popular group Los Plebes del Rancho.
With their original lineup, they recorded their first EP, Huellas Coloridas, in 2021. However, one of the prizes from the reality show was the chance to record an album with Universal Music Colombia (the other prize was 150 million Colombian pesos, roughly $35,000, which can only be used for their college education). This led to the release of their first studio album, A Bailar Carranga, in May of this year. The most popular song from the album was “Coquetica y Juguetona” (meaning “coquettish and playful”) a response to the hit “Coqueta” by Heredero, which went viral on TikTok.
The song came from a reflection by Contreras that is as simple as it is brilliant: “‘Coqueta’ is a song that men relate to, so we wanted to create a response that offered a female perspective.”
“A Bailar Carranga” and “Al Campo Me Fui” (meaning “to the country I went”) were also songs that were well-received on streaming platforms.
They haven’t even finished promoting this album, and they’re already working on their second record with Universal, which will feature Andrés Cepeda as a collaborator on a version of “Los Sabanales,” a song they performed during the final stage of the popular competition.
One of the reasons behind Carranga Kids’ success is that, as children, they can captivate both the traditional audience of the genre and younger listeners who might not typically engage with this type of music. Sara Lu also recognizes that blending genres has helped them reach new audiences, emphasizing that while carranga is their foundation, rock and urban music can also be part of their fusions.
She also hints that now that they’ve conquered Colombia — or at least a large part of the country — it’s time to expand across the continent. “There are many Latin American rhythms that are very similar, like what’s happening in Peru with its sound, which is highly globalized.” She brings up “Coqueta” again, but this time not to talk about their response song, but to emphasize how Heredero’s hit reached unimaginable places, even in Europe.
She concludes, “Now, taking carranga to the international stage is much easier.”
This story was originally published by Billboard Colombia.
Singer, songwriter, and now producer Ángela Aguilar continues to carve her own path in música mexicana as the youngest of the Aguilar dynasty. In an interview with Billboard, the 21-year-old star spoke candidly about producing her own music for the very first time and launching her producer era with Nadie Se Va Como Llegó, her latest album released May 28.
“It made me really appreciative of my father and everything he’s done for me,” Aguilar says, speaking of her legendary dad Pepe Aguilar, who had produced the her music prior to her new LP. “Have you heard of when someone pushes you into the pool so you learn how to swim? That’s what my dad did. He really said, ‘I have to focus on my album, I have a bunch of things to do, I don’t have time, why don’t you start looking for songs?’ And I was like, ok.”
The new album includes a song with Marc Anthony, the only collaboration on the 12-track set. Aguilar shares the “honest” version of how that collab came about.
“We were at a party, and when I say party, my husband [Christian Nodal] and I don’t have friends so it was just Nadia [Ferreira], Marc, me and my husband, and we were just having fun and drinking and showing each other’s projects,” she says. “Two weeks later, I received a message from tío Marc and it said, ‘Comadrita, is it ok if I bring it down two tones?’ I had not only sent him the arrangement, but the lyrics, everything. I was like, ‘At what [part] of my party did I think Marc Anthony was going to sing with me? At what part of my party did he actually sing with me?’ It was amazing.”
For the album, Aguilar — the granddaughter of the legendary Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre — recruited a handful of Mexican women to help write songs, which was intentional. It’s what she’s committed to do after being “the only woman in the studio” in the making of her previous albums, and other projects she’s been a part of.
“I was recently part of my husband’s songwriting sessions and it was just me and my friend Amanda Coronel. We thought, this is strange. It’s very important to have this platform and give women a voice,” she says.
The new album comes just months after Aguilar was honored at Billboard Women in Music with the Breakthrough Award, where she gave a passionate speech about immigrant rights. “It’s very taboo to talk about things like that in awards and just anywhere,” she says. “And people tell you not to do it but again, I have a responsibility as a Mexican American to speak about injustices that are going on because it directly affects my people, people that go to my concerts and consume my music. There’s nothing worse than to not have a voice and to have people speak for you.”
Watch the interview above where Ángela also talks about an upcoming new tour and her ever-growing family that includes five new pugsitos. “The are the most precious little babies. We now have 20 dogs in total, 40 horses and I’m working on [adding] a few miniature cows, too.”
