Music

11 Dec 2023

Inside Noah Kahan’s Major Year: The Moments That Made It ‘Stick’

Noah Kahan has had a nonstop year — and as a result, the artist has enjoyed a never-ending string of successes. Below, we chart the milestones that propelled the singer-songwriter through a breakout 2023.

Jan. 6: Kahan’s Stick Season summer tour sells out.

March 31: Kahan begins an 11-night opening run on the U.K. dates of Dermot Kennedy’s Sonder tour.

May 25: Kahan announces The Busyhead Project, which supports and funds mental health organizations that provide care to underserved communities.

June 9: Kahan releases Stick Season (We’ll All be Here Forever), the deluxe edition of his 2022 third album.

June 24: Stick Season hits a new peak of No. 3 on the Billboard 200 (after debuting at No. 14); Kahan makes his Billboard Hot 100 debut with “Dial Drunk,” which enters the list at No. 43.

July 8: Kahan teams with Ranger Station on a Stick Season candle.

July 17: Kahan releases the “Dial Drunk” remix featuring Post Malone, which they later live debut during one of Post’s tour stops.

Sept. 9: Kahan earns his first No. 1 on a Billboard airplay chart as “Dial Drunk” climbs to the top of Adult Alternative Airplay.

Sept. 13: Kahan hits 1 million followers on Instagram.

Sept. 15: Kahan releases a new version of “Call Your Mom” featuring Lizzy McAlpine.

Sept. 20: Kahan announces his We’ll All be Here Forever World Tour, including stops at the Hollywood Bowl, Madison Square Garden and Fenway Park.

Sept. 22: Kahan features on Zach Bryan’s Boys of Faith EP, guesting on the track “Sarah’s Place.”

Oct. 2: Olivia Rodrigo covers Kahan’s hit “Stick Season” on BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge.

Oct. 6: Kahan teams with Kacey Musgraves for a new duet rendition of “She Calls Me Back.”

Oct. 10: The Busyhead Project announces it has raised $1.9 million for mental health services.

Nov. 10: Kahan earns his first Grammy nomination, for best new artist; a “Northern Attitude” remix with Hozier arrives.

Dec. 1: Kahan and Gracie Abrams team up for a new version of the former’s “Everywhere, Everything.”

Dec. 2: Kahan makes his musical guest debut on Saturday Night Live.

This story originally appeared in the Dec. 9, 2023, issue of Billboard.

11 Dec 2023

What Unconventional Wins Taught Us About The Future Of Country Music

Something unusual happened at the 2023 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards: A song written over three decades ago won the award for song of the year.

While Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” first became a pop hit in 1988 — when it reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 — the song experienced a renaissance over the past year thanks to country singer Luke Combs’ faithful cover. Combs released his rendition to pop radio in April and country radio in June, helping it became a juggernaut that ultimately reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 and spent five weeks atop the Country Airplay chart.

“The success of ‘Fast Car’ is mind-blowing. But should it be?” asks Combs’ manager, Chris Kappy. He calls Combs’ connection to the song (the artist has said that it reminds him of his father) and his ability to deliver it to a new generation of fans “the perfect chemistry to create this moment.”

The fact that Combs scored one of the biggest hits of his career with a cover is illustrative of the unconventional success stories that defined country music in 2023 — all of which helped propel the genre to one of its most prominent years in Billboard chart history. Jason Aldean’s politically charged “Try That in a Small Town”; outlier Oliver Anthony’s out-of-nowhere hit, “Rich Men North of Richmond”; and Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’ somber duet, “I Remember Everything” all ruled the Hot 100. Along with Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” which spent 16 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1, 2023 marked just the second time in Hot 100 history that four country songs reached the chart’s summit in a calendar year. And for the first time since the chart launched in 1958, country hits occupied the top three spots (“Small Town” at No. 1, “Last Night” at No. 2 and “Fast Car” at No. 3) in a single week on the Hot 100.

Yet in the same way that a decades-old single winning the song of the year CMA Award (a feat that also made Chapman the first Black songwriter to win that honor) marked an uncommon achievement, the biggest wins of country’s huge year all contained atypical wrinkles in their narratives. The success of “Try That in a Small Town” — and in particular, the song’s accompanying music video — was mired in controversy. Footage of Black Lives Matter protests was seemingly edited out of the original clip, while critics noted the performance itself was filmed in front of the site of a 1927 lynching. CMT ultimately pulled the video from its rotation — a move that led many to view the clip on YouTube and stream the song, some out of curiosity alone, which helped push it to No. 1 on the all-genre Hot 100.

In late August, independent artist Anthony broke through with one of the year’s most unexpected hits, the polarizing “Rich Men North of Richmond.” The song — with lyrics centering on greedy politicians, inflation, rising taxes and welfare abuse — was uploaded to YouTube out of the blue. And a little more than 10 days later, it debuted atop the Hot 100, making him the first artist to enter at No. 1 without any prior Billboard chart history. The video has been viewed over 98 million times on YouTube.

“Rich Men North of Richmond” stayed atop the Hot 100 for two weeks, during which time it became a lightning rod of controversy for political pundits on both the right and left. “The most special thing about it being on the chart at all is that it made it [there] without some big, corporate schmucky schmuck somewhere pumping a bunch of money into making it get there,” Anthony recently told Billboard. “It actually got to the top of the [Hot 100] because people genuinely wanted to listen to it and support it.”

As Country’s Radio Coach owner/CEO John Shomby says, “Now he’s going on a 40-plus-city tour next year. That tells you a lot.”

Then there’s the alternative, genre-fluid Bryan, who prior to signing with Warner Music in 2021 built a fan base with his independent releases and constant touring, and has a history of shucking industry expectations. He capped 2022 with a live album titled All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster and throughout his breakout 2023 has largely avoided press. In September, he and Musgraves each earned their first Hot 100 No. 1 with “I Remember Everything” off his self-titled album. The duet became the first song to simultaneously debut atop the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts — proving Bryan’s wide appeal.

A surplus of country artists have experienced similar crossover success, with hits that have both topped country charts and entered the upper echelon of the Hot 100. Jelly Roll’s “Need a Favor” hit No. 13 on the Hot 100, Bailey Zimmerman’s “Rock and A Hard Place” entered the chart’s top 10, and Lainey Wilson’s “Watermelon Moonshine” reached No. 21 — and all three songs were Country Airplay No. 1s. Meanwhile, a few Hot 100 first-timers included rising stars like Hailey Whitters and Warren Zeiders along with Americana stalwart Tyler Childers.

“This year has shown us that the genre is not as painted into a corner as it was years ago,” says Shomby, who credits a younger generation of programmers moving into decision-making roles at radio stations as a driving factor in the span of country music sounds dominating charts in 2023. “The bigger companies, it’s going to take a little while, but some of these smaller organizations, you can see it already, with people taking chances on songs like the Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves duet, or Tyler Childers or the Post Malone song [titled “Pickup Man,” off HARDY’s HIXTAPE and featuring the late Joe Diffie, which debuted on Country Airplay in November]. They look at it as, ‘It sounds good, so I’m going to play it.’

“I come from the generation where we couldn’t care less whether it was rock or pop or country,” Shomby adds. “Then we started putting people into lanes. Thankfully, it’s starting to open up a little more. I’m not saying we’re there, but it’s the beginning of it.”

This story originally appeared in the Dec. 9, 2023, issue of Billboard.

11 Dec 2023

Ariana Grande Gifts Fans With ‘Naughty Version’ of ‘Santa Tell Me’: Stream It Now

Ariana Grande might just land on the naughty list this year. That’s because the 30-year-old pop star dropped a revamped version of her 2014 Christmas hit “Santa Tell Me” on Monday (Dec. 11), this time tweaking a couple lyrics to make them steamier. 

The nice-to-naughty changes are subtle, with Grande singing during the song’s bridge: “Oh, I wanna let him unwrap me like oh-oh-oh/ Get on top of him by that fire place, oh-oh-oh.” 

Originally, the Grammy winner sang, “Oh, I wanna have him beside me like oh-oh-oh/ On the 25th by that fire place, oh-oh-oh.”  

The new version of “Santa Tell Me” marks Grande’s first release under her new management company, Good World Management. The “Positions” singer recently signed with Brandon Creed, following her highly publicized split from Scooter Braun’s SB Projects in August. 

Grande first teased the festive release in late November, when she inconspicuously shared a few behind-the-scenes clips from the “Santa Tell Me” music video shoot in honor of its nine-year anniversary. “tis the season!” she captioned the video at the time. “♡ Santa Tell Me ♡ almost ten years ago ??” 

But while the song is nearly a decade old, “Santa Tell Me” reached a new peak of No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 last year. Grande might be gunning for a higher spot in 2023 with her new, naughtier version. 

Regardless, the Wicked star is a seasoned Christmas music veteran. Not only does she have two holiday EPs under her belt — 2013’s Christmas Kiss and 2015’s Christmas & Chill — but the vocalist has also teamed up with other stars for a number of wintertime collaborations. Most recently, she and Kelly Clarkson released “Santa Can’t You Hear Me.” 

And in 2020, she appeared with Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson on “Oh Santa!” — which the trio reunited to perform together Saturday night (Dec. 9) for Carey’s “Merry Christmas One & All!” show at Madison Square Garden. 

Listen to “Santa Tell Me (Naughty Version)” below: 

11 Dec 2023

Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2022: No. 10 — Drake

For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard is counting down our staff picks for the top 10 pop stars of 2023 all next week. At No. 10, we remember the year in Drake — a veteran superstar whose current work longtime fans are increasingly divided over, but who can still always just point to the scoreboard for proof of his rap and pop supremacy.

The turn of the year was quiet for Drake, by the prolific megastar’s standards— after dropping his eighth studio album Her Loss at the top of November, he sat back and watched the album top the charts— but by December, the hype was dwindling. Only three songs remained in the Hot 100 by December 31: “Rich Flex,” “Spin Bout U,” and “Circo Loco,” with the highest placing at No. 20. The only things that Drake had left on his agenda for the year were two highly-anticipated sold out shows at the Apollo Theater. A week before they were slated to take place in November, Migos rapper Takeoff tragically passed away, and production issues set the performances back further. Perhaps it was appropriate that the rap game was silent.

Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2023:
Introduction & Honorable Mentions | Rookie of the Year: Peso Pluma | Comeback of the Year: Miley Cyrus 

Drake started 2023 on a high note: he returned to the stage at the Apollo, delighting fans with a career-spanning mix of his biggest hits and deep cuts and giving fans a taste of what was to come. Shortly after, he announced the It’s All a Blur tour with 21 Savage in March, with 29 shows scheduled across the U.S. and Canada. He quickly capitalized upon the excitement by expanding his tour with an additional 15 shows – and for a moment, everything surrounding Drake was good, clean fun. In true Drake style, that did not last for long. 

Greatest Pop Stars, Drake

Prince Williams/Wireimage

Greatest Pop Stars, Drake

Courtesy OVO/Republic Records

One of Drake’s greatest star strengths is his ability to create headline-worthy moments that are controversial, but not career-jeopardizingly damning. He once again stirred the pot in his on-and-off relationship with Kanye West with the single “Search & Rescue” by including audio of Kim Kardashian talking about her former husband. This left fans wondering if the soundbite was just fitting of the track’s theme, or if it was a deeper dig at Drake’s frenemy. Regardless of intent, discussion of the potential beef helped propel the track to a No. 2 debut on the Hot 100.

Interestingly, though, the biggest controversy the superstar had around this time didn’t even involve music: seemingly out of nowhere, Drake appeared on Bobbi Althoff’s The Really Good Podcast, giving fans a rare sit down with the rapper that showcased his humor while skyrocketing Althoff to fame. The general population was not particularly familiar with Althoff – who transitioned from making content for moms on TikTok to rebranding with a new podcast and a new aloof, deadpan persona in 2021 – so, when Drake sat down with her, the intentionally awkward conversation broke the internet. Should Drake have given such a platform to such an amateur talent who was unfamiliar with hip-hop? Was Bobbi’s interview insulting? The internet debated for months following the episode, further fueled by the fact that the full video was later taken down from Althoff’s channel.

Summer was when things started to pick up for Drake in 2023: a string of buzzy guest appearances and collaborations kept fans on the hook: “Who Told You” with J Hus, “On the Radar Freestyle” with Central Cee, “Oh U Went” with Young Thug, and “Meltdown” with Travis Scott each had their moments. Despite the hype surrounding each of these releases, none of them took off quite like the rapper’s previous work. Instead, Drake found success in entertaining his audience with the It’s All a Blur Tour, earning $147.5 million for the year, according to numbers reported to Billboard Box Score.

The It’s All a Blur tour was a massive success beyond numbers: It further proved that Drake remains an undeniable pop star. Each show generated new viral moments, both positive and negative. Some fans complained that Drake was ranting for too long or forgetting his own lyrics, but the tour was widely praised overall. Fans were surprised by the visuals, including a drone-powered flying sperm, and Drake personally surprising audience members with luxury gifts including $50,000 and an Hermès Birkin bag. Attendees of the tour were even given the chance to grab a pair of NOCTA Nike Hot Step Air Terras, courtesy of Drake’s partnership with Shopify, Drake Related. It seemed as if Drake had an infinite number of tricks up his sleeve— and then came his next album, For All The Dogs. 

Pressure was high for Drake to release a strong album. After experiencing a dip in both fan enthusiasm and chart performance with Honestly, Nevermind, and regaining his footing with Her Loss, the Toronto rapper came back with a lot to prove on Dogs. Its lead single, “Slime You Out” featuring SZA, excited fans due to the artists’ shared history. The superstar pairing and exchange of jabs on the track helped it soar to No. 1 on the Hot 100. But ultimately, fans found the track disappointing — as did legendary actress Halle Berry, who was featured in the cover art without her approval, and co-star SZA, who claims her best vocals were not incorporated. It quickly fell down the chart. Still, fans were excited to hear Drake’s latest body of work, which was first promised to drop a week after. However, after debating whether he should cancel his final tour dates to finish the album, Drake pushed back the release from Sept. 22 to Oct. 6.

Once released, For All The Dogs proved that Drake remains commercially bulletproof. Critics poked holes in the 23-track release, saying that it was too long, that the lyrics were too corny and surface level and that Drake’s sentiments felt glaringly misogynistic. Still, the album debuted at No. 1, tying Michael Jackson’s record for solo males on the Billboard Hot 100 with J. Cole team-up “First Person Shooter.” The varied offering with a stacked list of featured artists had several strong moments, mainly tied to collaborations with Cole, Yeat and Sexyy Red, but fans continue to cite Drake’s older works as his prime. One featured artist was unexpected and refreshing for everyone: the incorporation of Adonis, Drake’s 6-year-old son, now a burgeoning visual artist. Adonis’ drawing was used as the cover artwork for Dogs, and that drawing was further integrated into the Dogs era via inclusion in the music video for “8am in Charlotte.” 

Following the release of Dogs, Drake’s moves were unpredictable. He said that he would be taking a hiatus to focus on his health – a claim that made sense as it came on the heels of Drake revealing that he suffered from stomach issues on tour, on top of the many previous years of nonstop grinding. The world was ready to give Drake a break. But then he dropped Adonis’ “My Man Freestyle,” and just a few weeks after that, he dropped the video for “First Person Shooter,” an elaborate production laden with pop culture references to things like the Spider-Man meme and the famous photo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi playing chess. 

But the biggest curveball of all came on Nov. 17: Drake dropped the surprise Scary Hours Edition reissue of For All the Dogs, adding six new songs to the tracklist, and dates for a 2024 U.S. run titled the It’s All a Blur Tour – Big as the What? with support from J. Cole. In hindsight, Drake might have foretold this change of plans on new Scary Hours track “Stories About My Brother,” as he described a return: “the storm before the calm, we’ll get to the vacation later.”

Once again, Drake has reminded us to expect the unexpected – it’s what’s made him omnipresent in both 2023 and in our lives for the past decade and a half, for better or worse. With a tour on the horizon, we’re not too likely to stop hearing from the 6 God in 2024, either.

11 Dec 2023

CMA Touring Awards Nominees Announced: Full List

The Country Music Association has announced the nominees for the 2023 CMA Touring Awards, spotlighting those behind-the-scenes members who keep country music’s touring industry going.

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Final-round voting for the 2023 CMA Touring Awards opens Wednesday, Dec. 13 and closes Thursday, Dec. 28. This year’s CMA Touring Awards will again be hosted by Keith Urban and will take place Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Nashville.

Ron Baird, industry veteran and former head of Creative Arts Agency’s (CAA) Nashville office, will be posthumously honored with the CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors an individual who has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of touring throughout the years.

“Honoring our touring community is something I look forward to every year,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA chief executive officer, in a statement. “Each time I attend a show, hear a new tour being announced, or see footage from an unforgettable night, I am reminded again of the importance, dedication and resilience of our touring community. I am also especially excited to add five additional categories this year, including a Crew of the Year honor. They are the road warriors that keep Country Music alive all over the world, and I can’t wait to celebrate them on February 12!”

“As someone who spent years not only setting up all my own equipment at shows, but was also for a time a lighting guy and crew member for a band, I know the hard work that goes in to keeping shows on the road,” Urban added. “I’m honored to once again be asked to host the CMA Touring Awards and acknowledge and shower some love on all the hard workers behind the scenes that make it all happen.”

This year, the CMA Touring Awards have expanded, adding five categories. CMA members will have the opportunity to vote for Backline Technician, Stage Manager, Support Services Company, Unsung Hero and Crew of the Year. All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization, Deloitte.

The CMA Touring Awards, originally called the SRO (Standing Room Only) Awards, were created by the CMA Board of Directors in 1990 to honor outstanding professional achievement within the touring industry. The first awards were presented at a black-tie gala hosted by K.T. Oslin and Roger Miller during CMA’s Entertainment Expo, also known as the Talent Buyers Entertainment Marketplace. Ten awards were presented at the first gala and the number swelled to 19 over the years before settling at the current 20. The SRO Awards were renamed the CMA Touring Awards in 2016.

See the full list of nominees below:

Crew of the year

“All American Road Show Tour” Crew – Chris Stapleton
“The Outsiders Revival Tour” Crew – Eric Church
“I Go Back Tour” Crew – Kenny Chesney
“Country On Tour” Crew – Luke Bryan
“2023 World Tour” Crew – Luke Combs
“One Night At A Time World Tour” Crew – Morgan Wallen
“No Bad Vibes Tour” Crew – Old Dominion
“Home Team Tour 23” Crew – Thomas Rhett


Backline technician of the year

Jason Baskin – Zac Brown Band
Melvin “Melvis” Fults – Kenny Chesney
Carlos Gutierrez – Dierks Bentley
Jason Herndon – Blake Shelton
Joel “Tico” Jimenez – Thomas Rhett
Jeremiah Langdon – Jelly Roll
Chris Miller – Keith Urban
Zach Rickard – Brothers Osborne


Business manager of the year

Renee Allen – Arnie Barn, Inc.
David Boyer – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
Duane Clark – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
Catherine Morris – Farris, Self & Moore, LLC
Caleb See – Curo Financial, LLC
Michael Vaden – Vaden Group/Elliott Davis
Kris Wiatr – Wiatr & Associates, LLC


Coach/truck driver of the year

Ronnie Brown – Zac Brown Band
Josh Easter – Morgan Wallen
Rhett Evens – Thomas Rhett
Caleb Garrett – Luke Bryan
Justin Pullin – Old Dominion
Erin Siegfried – Lainey Wilson
Chris Simms – Jelly Roll
Wayne “Wayno” Sullivan – Blake Shelton/Keith Urban


FOH (front of house) engineer of the year

Brendan Hines – Jelly Roll
Aaron Lain – Morgan Wallen
Todd Lewis – Luke Combs
Ben Rigby – Eric Church
Arpad Sayko – Chris Stapleton
Trey Smith – Thomas Rhett
Ian Zorbaugh – Old Dominion


Lighting director of the year

Zac Coren – Morgan Wallen
Philip Ealy – Kenny Chesney
Kevin Lichty – Old Dominion
Mac Mosier – Chris Stapleton
Kevin Northrup – Luke Combs
Taylor Price – Miranda Lambert
Austin Strain – Jelly Roll
Alec Takahashi – Thomas Rhett


Manager of the year

Narvel Blackstock – Starstruck Entertainment
Virginia Bunetta – G-Major Management
Martha Earls – Neon Coast
Kerri Edwards – KP Entertainment
Clint Higham – Morris Higham Management
Marion Kraft – ShopKeeper Management
Mandelyn Monchick – Red Light Management
John Peets – Q Prime South


Monitor engineer of the year

Bryan “Opie” Baxley – Kenny Chesney
Mark Davis – Jelly Roll
Logan Hanna – Brothers Osborne
Andy Hill – Zac Brown Band
Nathan Lowe – Eric Church
Jimmy Nicholson – Thomas Rhett
Dean Studebaker – Old Dominion
Scott Tatter – Dierks Bentley


Production manager of the year

Chris Alderman – Blake Shelton
John Garriott – Chris Stapleton
Meesha Kosciolek – Eric Church
Erik Leighty – Miranda Lambert
Chris Nathan – Jake Owen
Earl Neal – Jason Aldean
Kevin Twist – Thomas Rhett
Ed Wannebo – Kenny Chesney


Publicist of the year

Janet Buck – Essential Broadcast Media
Paul Freundlich – PFA Media
Quinn Kaemmer – Big Machine Label Group
Tyne Parrish – The GreenRoom PR
Carla Sacks – Sacks & Co.
Jessie Schmidt – Schmidt Public Relations
Wes Vause – Press On Publicity
Jennifer Vessio – 1220 Entertainment Publicity


Stage manager of the year

Sam “Sambo” Coats – Eric Church
Donnie Floyd – Morgan Wallen
Todd Green – Chris Stapleton
Matt Hornbeck – Luke Combs
Josh “Dude” Marcus – Jason Aldean
Tom Nisun – Kenny Chesney
Richard Rossey – Old Dominion
Justin Sumrall – Thomas Rhett


Support services company of the year

4 Wall Entertainment
Clair Global
Dega Catering
Master Tour by Eventric
Moo TV
Richards & Southern


Talent agent of the year

Meredith Jones – CAA
Joey Lee – WME
Jonathan Levine – Wasserman Music
Darin Murphy – CAA
Adi Sharma – The Neal Agency
Aaron Tannenbaum – WME
Elisa Vazzana – UTA
Jay Williams – WME


Talent buyer/promoter of the year

Bradley Jordan – Peachtree Entertainment
Patrick McDill – Live Nation Nashville
Louis Messina – The Messina Group
Rich Schaefer – AEG Presents
Aaron Spalding – Live Nation Nashville
Ed Warm – Joe’s Concerts
Adam Weiser – AEG Presents


Tour manager of the year

Matt Anderson – Old Dominion
Jason Hecht – Chris Stapleton
Luke Holton – Brothers Osborne
Chuck Hull – Keith Urban
Meg Miller – Lainey Wilson
Ethan Strunk – Luke Combs
Chris Thacker – Dierks Bentley
Jon Townley – Thomas Rhett


Touring musician of the year

Rob Byus (Bass Guitar) – Blake Shelton
Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar) – Chris Stapleton/Vince Gill
Ben Helson (Guitar) – Dierks Bentley
Lee Hendricks (Bass Guitar) – Eric Church
Harmoni Kelley (Bass Guitar) – Kenny Chesney
Chris Kimmerer (Drums) – Thomas Rhett
Danny Mitchell (Piano) – Miranda Lambert
Kurt Ozan (Guitar) – Luke Combs


Tour videographer/photographer of the year

Mason Allen – Old Dominion
Andy Barron – Chris Stapleton
Zach Belcher – Dierks Bentley
David Bergman – Luke Combs
CeCe Dawson – Lainey Wilson
Tanner Gallagher – HARDY
Grayson Gregory – Thomas Rhett
Andy Pollitt – Jelly Roll


Tour video director of the year

Josh Clark – Miranda Lambert
Jay Cooper – Kenny Chesney
Houston Creswell – Dierks Bentley
Ron Etters – Chris Stapleton
Nate Fountain – Zach Bryan/Blake Shelton
Chris Jones – Jelly Roll
Ricky Krohne – Thomas Rhett
Michael Todd “M.T.” Stembridge – Eric Church


Venue of the year

Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TN
BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, NH
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
Choctaw Casino Resort – Durant, OK
Grand Ole Opry House – Nashville, TN
Joe’s on Weed Street – Chicago, IL
Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, OK
Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO


Unsung hero of the year

Dallas Bowsier – Eric Church
Josh Castle – Dierks Bentley
RJ Estrella – Luke Combs
Kayla Carter Greear – Luke Bryan
Kelsey Maynard – Old Dominion
Todd Molle – Jake Owen
Mel Murphy – Live Nation Nashville
Tyler Rhodes – Thomas Rhett

11 Dec 2023

What SZA’s Long-Awaited Return Taught Us About The Future of R&B

In the five years that followed the release of SZA’s groundbreaking debut album, Ctrl, the acclaimed artist teased fans with the occasional one-off or collaboration — as the wait for the official follow-up continued to grow. So when she finally did return at the end of 2022 with her much-anticipated second album, SOS, the stakes were high. And throughout 2023, her record-breaking chart wins exceeded expectations.

With SOS, SZA ventured outside R&B’s boundaries by diving into gospel, grunge, pop-punk and rap; meanwhile, as her producer-engineer, Rob Bisel, previously told Billboard, “Her pen got sharper and more personal.” SOS debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spent 10 nonconsecutive weeks there, the most of any R&B/hip-hop album by a woman since Mariah Carey’s self-titled debut spent 11 weeks at the top in 1991. Instead of its impact being limited to the final weeks of 2022, SOS became one of this year’s biggest releases.

It started with the groovy yet gruesome “Kill Bill,” which arrived as a single in January and eventually became SZA’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; it also made history with an unprecedented 21-week siege atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The following month, she embarked on the SOS tour, telling Billboard at the time that she was “deeply excited to pop ass and cry and give theater” during her first-ever arena headlining stint, compared with her more intimate, stripped-down shows in the past. “When I finally saw the tour and how insane she was going with her choreography, range and stamina … it really hit me,” her producer Carter Lang previously told Billboard. “The transformation was super apparent.”

SZA found ways to keep SOS in rotation while on the road. In April, “Snooze” was released as the album’s sixth single and slowly grew into its next smash. It was serviced to (and succeeded at) rhythmic, R&B/hip-hop and pop radio, all of which culminated in a star-studded music video that arrived in August and featured Justin Bieber. Soon after its release, she recruited him for the song’s acoustic version. “Snooze” ultimately peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and dethroned “Kill Bill” on Hot R&B Songs, where the former had ruled for 16 nonconsecutive weeks.

By September, SOS became the longest-running No. 1 title on Top R&B Albums, logging 50 weeks and counting at the summit. And to top it all off, SZA finished at No. 1 on four major Billboard year-end R&B/hip-hop rankings: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriters, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (SOS) and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (“Kill Bill”). SZA was also crowned the No. 2 Hot 100 artist of the year and No. 5 Hot 100 songwriter of the year, while SOS landed at No. 3 on the year-end Billboard 200 recap.

“We had a lot of really big moments in R&B this year, obviously SZA being one of those,” says Alaysia Sierra, head of R&B at Spotify. “She’s pop, alternative, R&B. She doesn’t want to be put in a box, but she can’t deny her foundation.”

But SZA wasn’t the only R&B artist earning rave reviews following a prolonged album break. Janelle Monáe returned with The Age of Pleasure, which is Grammy-nominated for album of the year and blends more Afrobeats, reggae, funk and soul sounds compared with her 2017 left-of-center pop album, Dirty Computer. Jorja Smith released the kaleidoscopic Falling or Flying five years after her critically acclaimed debut, Lost & Found. And Kelela dropped the rapturous Raven, the follow-up to her first full-length album, Take Me Apart, from 2017. Taking their time to further develop their sound — regardless of expectations to make a specific type of music — wasn’t just better for their peace of mind but also for their artistry.

“It’s hard making music as a Black woman [because] we don’t get the luxury to try something and have it be something that’s genuinely part of us,” SZA previously told Billboard. “You have to allow people to get to know different parts of it.”

She’s following the trajectory laid out by artists like Beyoncé and Usher, who have R&B roots but later crossed over and found mainstream pop superstardom. Decades into their careers, they are dominating the world’s biggest stages: Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour grossed $579.8 million, according to Billboard Boxscore — making it the highest-grossing tour by a woman, a Black artist and any American soloist — while Usher will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show next year in Las Vegas, the home of his two residencies that combined are expected to exceed $100 million in earnings by early December, according to Billboard’s estimate.

SZA is well on her way. She is the most nominated artist at the 2024 Grammys, with SOS up for album of the year and six different songs nominated in various genre categories. More Black women R&B artists are present in the Big Four categories: Victoria Monét is the second-most nominated, with seven nods, while Coco Jones has five.

Sierra believes that R&B artists like Monét and Jones, both of whom are up for best new artist, have the best shot at elevating to pop music’s upper echelon. “Our next superstars are R&B artists,” Sierra says. “When you think about a pop star, they’re going to be making R&B music.” 

This story originally appeared in the Dec. 9, 2023, issue of Billboard.

11 Dec 2023

What Hip-Hop’s 50th Birthday Told Us About Its Future

There’s no agreed upon birthdate of the term “rock’n’roll.” Ohio DJ Alan Freed is widely credited with popularizing it in the early 1950s to describe a new upbeat version of R&B music that was gaining traction with young audiences throughout America. Almost 70 years later, in 2017, it was R&B/hip-hop that surpassed rock as the country’s dominant music. And unlike rock, hip-hop does have an agreed upon birthdate, resulting in the current 50th-anniversary celebration.

Despite chatter to the contrary, a large segment of rap sounds very similar to what it was like at 30, 25 or even 15 years old. A clear line can be drawn between Big Daddy Kane or Rakim and the deliveries of Jay-Z, Nas, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. The aesthetics may have changed a bit, as well as the effectiveness of the techniques, but the artistic values shared by the first group of MCs are also shared by the latter.

And yet, until this September, hip-hop had gone an entire calendar year without a song topping the Billboard Hot 100, for the first time since 1993. The concern was understandable, but when it’s considered that the artist who broke the streak isn’t even a traditional rapper — Doja Cat, whose “Paint the Town Red,” the Dionne Warwick-sampling single from her most recent rap-flavored project, Scarlet, did the honors — the genre seems to be just fine. And to be fair, when the genre’s most consistent hit-makers did return — Drake and Cole’s collaboration “First Person Shooter” debuted at No. 1 in October — things more or less went back to normal.

And that’s what has been so remarkable about this yearlong celebration of hip-hop’s anniversary. The palpable sense of doom and gloom between the innumerable star-studded events — the pop-up performances, special segments on airings of the BET Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards and a multigenerational gathering at Yankee Stadium that capped off the festivities — all just proved that the principles that catapulted the genre into the mainstream are alive and well. Some aspects of the music’s past have even miraculously returned to the forefront — like a strong contingent of women rappers.

For years, fans and critics alike have decried the fact that hip-hop didn’t make enough space for women artists to thrive. It may have taken a few years, but that’s what they’re getting today. As a matter of fact, outside of “The Big Three” (Drake, Cole and Lamar) it’s the women — rappers like GloRilla, Cardi B, Ice Spice, Nicki Minaj and Latto — who seem to be carrying on the tradition the most. They’re the artists rapping as if they’re standing 10 toes down in the middle of a cypher. And their fixation on bars has netted them great success.

Minaj is already one of the most successful artists of her generation and Cardi B can’t seem to make a song that doesn’t turn into a hit, while Latto and GloRilla, two relative newcomers, have both managed to land top 10 hits and sell out their own shows. Even Doja Cat, an already successful pop artist, has released a rap album to critical acclaim and commercial success. To top it off, she took arguably the hottest new female rapper in the game, Ice Spice, on tour with her.

Meanwhile, a new generation of rap stars like Lil Uzi Vert and Playboi Carti have taken the music in a different direction that eschews its traditional form and most resembles a new brand of punk. They don’t focus on crafting 16-bar verses or making sure to stay within the pocket of the beat. Hell, fellow newcomer Yeat doesn’t even use real words at times. But it seems to be working. Uzi’s Jersey club-influenced “Just Wanna Rock” dominated radio, and their Pink Tape album went No. 1 earlier this year. Carti’s last full-length, 2020’s Whole Lotta Red, debuted at No. 1, and Yeat has notched two top 10 entries on the Billboard 200, while hitting No. 1 on the Hot 100 with his recent collaboration with Drake, “IDGAF.” Traditional rap fans may feel that, if this is the future, then hip-hop won’t last another 50 years.

But hip-hop has always been this way — a fearless cultural and artistic lab that works to push itself forward. If anything, it’s the world that has changed the most. “Rap has always come in waves,” says Maurice Slade, SoundCloud’s head of marketing, artist relations. “Similar to a garden, rap needs rain for things to grow. And whenever it gets real rainy — which I think is the time we’re in right now — shortly after that there’s fertile soil and sunshine, and then you see the fruit after.”

According to Slade, the state of the world is responsible for the type of music new hip-hop artists are creating. “The rain right now is post-pandemic — these kids went through some crazy shit with that. You got a recession, you got high interest rates, you got wars going on. The world is f–ked up. When the world is really f–ked up, right after that is when we get some of the best sh-t when it comes to rap and hip-hop.”

This story originally appeared in the Dec. 9, 2023, issue of Billboard.

11 Dec 2023

Top 10 Highest Grossing K-Pop Tours of 2023

Last week, Billboard revealed its year-end Boxscore charts, ranking the top tours, venues and promoters of 2023. That coverage included analysis of the new wave of genre diverse artists crashing stadium stages, and in turn, our charts. This week, we are breaking down the year’s biggest tours, genre by genre. Today, we begin with K-pop, spotlighting artists who primarily perform in Korean.

Among all the genres we’re recapping this week, K-pop is the youngest, at least in terms of the global box office. In the last 10 years (excluding COVID-impacted years of 2020-21), there were no K-pop artists on the overall top 100 in 2012-14 and 2016, and the genre took up less than 1% of the overall gross in another three year-end periods.

BTS broke ground first, ending 2019 at No. 3 and helping spike the genre’s share from 0.3% to 4%. Off cycle as its members serve in the South Korean military (their last reported show was on April 16, 2022), that share backed down to 1.6% in 2022. But as the group’s international impact spreads further among its peers and reporting increases, the genre’s widespread popularity comes into fuller focus.

K-pop’s share of this year’s top 100 is up to an all-time high of 5.1% thanks to a long list of idol groups selling out venues in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the U.S.

Scroll to check out the top 10 highest grossing tours by K-pop artists, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. All reported shows worldwide between Nov. 1, 2022 – Sept. 30, 2023, are eligible.

11 Dec 2023

‘Barbie,’ Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras’ Film Score in 2024 Golden Globe Nods: Full List of Nominations

Barbie led the film nominees for the 2024 Golden Globe Awards, which were announced on Monday (Dec. 11). The blockbuster received nine nominations, including three of the six nods for best original song, motion picture.

“Dance the Night,” “I’m Just Ken” and “What Was I Made For?” are all nominated in that category, along with three non-Barbie songs – Bruce Springsteen’s “Addicted to Romance” from She Came to Me, Lenny Kravitz’s “Road to Freedom” from Rustin and Jack Black’s “Peaches” from The Super Mario Bros. Movie (which he co-wrote with four other writers).

All three Barbie songs may be on the shortlist of 15 songs vying for the Academy Award for best original song, which will be released on Dec. 21, but no more than two of them can be nominated, per Oscar rules.

Barbie is also nominated in the Globes’ new category, cinematic and box office achievement, along with six other feature films and Taylor Swift‘s Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which quickly became the highest grossing concert film in history. The other feature films nominated in this category are Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, John Wick: Chapter 4, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, Oppenheimer, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

The late Robbie Robertson is nominated for best original score – motion picture for his work on Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. The other nominated scores in that category are Jerskin Fendrix’s Poor Things, Ludwig Göransson’s Oppenheimer, Joe Hisaishi’s The Boy and the Heron, Mica Levi’s The Zone of Interest and Daniel Pemberton’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

On the film side, Barbie was followed in overall nominations by Oppenheimer (eight), Killers of the Flower Moon and Poor Things (seven each), Past Lives (five), and Anatomy of a Fall, Maestro and May December (four each).

On the TV side, Succession was the leading nominee with nine nods. It was followed by The Bear and Only Murders in the Building (five each) and The Crown (four).

Cedric “The Entertainer” and Wilmer Valderrama announced the nominations in 27 categories.

The 81st annual Golden Globe Awards will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on Sunday, Jan. 7, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Emmy-winning producing duo Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner of White Cherry Entertainment will serve as executive-producing showrunners, with Weiss also set to direct. Produced and owned by Dick Clark Productions, the Golden Globe Awards is one of the few awards ceremonies to include both motion picture and television achievements.

Following is the complete list of nominees for the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards:

FILM

Best original song – motion picture

“Addicted to Romance” — She Came to Me; Music & Lyrics by: Bruce Springsteen

“Dance the Night” — Barbie; Music & Lyrics by: Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Dua Lipa, Caroline Ailin

“I’m Just Ken” — Barbie; Music & Lyrics by: Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt

“Peaches” — The Super Mario Bros. Movie; Music & Lyrics by: Jack Black, Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond, John Spiker

“Road to Freedom” — Rustin; Music & Lyrics by: Lenny Kravitz

“What Was I Made For?” — Barbie; Music & Lyrics by: Billie Eilish O’Connell, Finneas O’Connell

Best original score – motion picture

Jerskin Fendrix, Poor Things

Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer

Joe Hisaishi, The Boy and the Heron

Mica Levi, The Zone of Interest

Daniel Pemberton, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Robbie Robertson, Killers of the Flower Moon

Cinematic and box office achievement

Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate)

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 (Paramount Pictures)

Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures)

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (AMC Theatres Distribution)

Best motion picture – drama

Anatomy of a Fall (Neon)

Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple Original Films)

Maestro (Netflix)

Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)

Past Lives (A24)

The Zone of Interest (A24)

Best motion picture – musical or comedy

Air (Amazon MGM Studios)

American Fiction (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)

Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)

The Holdovers (Focus Features)

May December (Netflix)

Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures)

Best performance by a female actor in a motion picture – drama

Annette Bening, Nyad

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall

Greta Lee, Past Lives

Carey Mulligan, Maestro

Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla

Best performance by a male actor in a motion picture – drama

Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon

Colman Domingo, Rustin

Barry Keoghan, Saltburn

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers

Best performance by a female actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy

Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple

Jennifer Lawrence, No Hard Feelings

Natalie Portman, May December

Alma Pöysti, Fallen Leaves

Margot Robbie, Barbie

Emma Stone, Poor Things

Best performance by a male actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy

Nicolas Cage, Dream Scenario

Timothée Chalamet, Wonka

Matt Damon, Air

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Joaquin Phoenix, Beau Is Afraid

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Best performance by a female actor in a supporting role in any motion picture

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple

Jodie Foster, Nyad

Julianne Moore, May December

Rosamund Pike, Saltburn

Da’vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Best performance by a male actor in a supporting role in any motion picture

Willem Dafoe, Poor Things

Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Charles Melton, May December

Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

Best director – motion picture

Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Greta Gerwig, Barbie

Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Celine Song, Past Lives

Best screenplay – motion picture

Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Barbie

Tony Mcnamara, Poor Things

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Celine Song, Past Lives

Justine Triet, Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall

Best motion picture – animated

The Boy and the Heron (GKids)

Elemental (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures)

Suzume (Crunchyroll / Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Wish (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Best motion picture – non-English language

Anatomy of a Fall (Neon) – France

Fallen Leaves (Mubi) – Finland

Io Capitano (Pathe Distribution) – Italy

Past Lives (A24) – USA

Society of the Snow (Netflix) – Spain

The Zone of Interest (A24) – United Kingdom / USA

TELEVISION

Best television series – drama

1923 (Paramount+)

The Crown (Netflix)

The Diplomat (Netflix)

The Last of Us (HBO | Max)

The Morning Show (Apple TV+)

Succession (HBO | Max)

Best television series – musical or comedy

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Barry (HBO | Max)

The Bear (FX)

Jury Duty (Amazon Freevee)

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

Best television limited series, anthology series or motion picture made for television

All The Light We Cannot See (Netflix)

Beef (Netflix)

Daisy Jones & The Six (Prime Video)

Fargo (FX)

Fellow Travelers (Showtime)

Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)

Best performance by a female actor in a television series – drama

Helen Mirren, 1923

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

Sarah Snook, Succession

Imelda Staunton, The Crown

Emma Stone, The Curse

Best performance by a male actor in a television series – drama

Brian Cox, Succession

Kieran Culkin, Succession

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses

Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us

Jeremy Strong, Succession

Dominic West, The Crown

Best performance by a female actor in a television series – musical or comedy

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Elle Fanning, The Great

Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building

Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face

Best performance by a male actor in a television series – musical or comedy

Bill Hader, Barry

Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building

Jason Segel, Shrinking

Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Best performance by a female actor in a limited series, anthology series, or a motion picture made for television

Riley Keough, Daisy Jones & The Six

Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry

Elizabeth Olsen, Love & Death

Juno Temple, Fargo

Rachel Weisz, Dead Ringers

Ali Wong, Beef

Best performance by a male actor in a limited series, anthology series, or a motion picture made for television

Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers

Sam Claflin, Daisy Jones & The Six

Jon Hamm, Fargo

Woody Harrelson, White House Plumbers

David Oyelowo, Lawmen: Bass Reeves

Steven Yeun, Beef

Best performance by a female actor in a supporting role on television

Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown

Abby Elliott, The Bear

Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets

J. Smith-Cameron, Succession

Meryl Streep, Only Murders in the Building

Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

Best performance by a male actor in a supporting role on television

Billy Crudup, The Morning Show

Matthew MacFadyen, Succession

James Marsden, Jury Duty

Ebon Moss–Bachrach, The Bear

Alan Ruck, Succession

Alexander Skarsgård, Succession

Best performance in stand-up comedy on television

Ricky Gervais, Ricky Gervais: Armageddon

Trevor Noah, Trevor Noah: Where Was I

Chris Rock, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage

Amy Schumer, Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact

Sarah Silverman, Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love

Wanda Sykes, Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer

DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.)

11 Dec 2023

What ‘Ella Baila Sola’ Taught Us About The Future Of Latin Music

The sound that dominated popular Spanish-language music in 2023 wasn’t represented at all on the Billboard Hot 100 until two years ago, when Gera MX and Christian Nodal’s country-tinged “Botella Tras Botella” debuted at No. 60 and made history as the first regional Mexican song on the chart. Since then, the genre’s presence on the ranking has exploded as a new crop of stars has evolved the music’s sound and look, borrowing from hip-hop, trap and rap to build on its traditional instruments of guitar, accordion and more. As a result, these artists have nurtured a new generation of fans for a genre with foundations that date back over a century.

This year, more than 35 regional Mexican tracks have entered the Hot 100, highlighted by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s blockbuster smash, “Ella Baila Sola,” which also made history when it reached the chart’s top five. This record year for regional Mexican music, or música Mexicana, has been powered by not only superstar collaborations — like Grupo Frontera’s team-up with Bad Bunny and Fuerza Regida pairing with Marshmello — but also support from major labels eager to partner with the independents that have long dominated the genre. In the first half of 2023 alone, overall consumption of regional Mexican music jumped 42.1%, topping all other genres but K-pop, according to Luminate.

“For decades, Mexican music has played a significant role in Latin music, leaving a profound impact on the global musical landscape,” says Manny Prado, vp of marketing and A&R at Interscope Records. “Finally, it has gained the acknowledgment it deserves.” This year in particular, international collaborations have propelled the sound into uncharted territories, and no other Latin genre has gained the traction of regional Mexican.

Its newfound popularity is rooted in many things, but particularly in its indie support, followed by multinational distribution partnerships with major labels. In June, Fuerza Regida frontman Jesús Ortiz Paz signed a worldwide deal with Cinq Music to distribute his own label, Street Mob Records, which he launched in 2018. The move followed a deal that Fuerza Regida signed with Sony Music Latin last year through a partnership with its indie label, Rancho Humilde. The strategy also worked for Washington state-based sibling trio Yahritza y Su Esencia, which signed to Columbia Records in partnership with Sony Music Latin and its indie Lumbre Music (which had discovered and signed the act eight months prior).

While indies have historically dominated the genre — and continue to do so — such partnerships indicate that alliances will be key to the music’s continued growth in 2024.

“We saw Mexican music grow because artists started to collaborate, and it’s the same thing when companies start joining forces,” says Maria Inés Sánchez, Sony Music Latin’s new vp of West Coast operations. “Major labels like Sony can reach a broader spectrum of the business in general. We have eyes where indies perhaps don’t with offices internationally.”

At the center of the regional Mexican revolution is Peso Pluma, whose raw and raspy vocals and signature sound of punctuated trombones and charchetas — along with a quirky haircut — made him the unwitting face of the genre. After a few collaborations with fellow corrido artists at the beginning of the year, he struck gold when he teamed with Eslabon Armado for “Ella Baila Sola.” Arguably this year’s biggest Latin hit, with 617.3 million on-demand official streams in the United States, it proves how a powerful song can propel a local genre to global recognition, as well as the importance of catering to a broader audience. The two indie artists are stylistically opposites; Peso Pluma is known for his swaggy, attitude-heavy corridos and Eslabon Armado for its romantic sierreño ballads. “Ella Baila Sola” became the first regional Mexican song to dominate the Billboard Global 200 (holding the top slot for six weeks) and is No. 1 on the year-end Hot Latin Songs chart.

Another head-turning team-up arrived in April, when Bad Bunny joined Tejano act Grupo Frontera for “un x100to,” a cumbia/norteña song that scored a top 10 debut on the Hot 100. It was perhaps a catalyst for other unorthodox collaborations that followed, including Peso Pluma and El Alfa, Grupo Frontera and Manuel Turizo, and Banda MS and Ice Cube.

“The [Mexican] movement is now taking advantage just as reggaetón did” in the early 2000s, says Sergio Lizárraga, founder of indie label Lizos Music and manager of Banda MS. “But in the end, the root is the same, the themes they address are the same — just sung differently.”

Uriel Waizel, the editorial lead for Mexico at Spotify, compares this wave of success to another genre entirely: Afrobeats. “The biggest lesson regional Mexican music has taught is that the ‘traditional’ format had to make concessions to impact the U.S. and global charts,” Waizel says. “Which is what we saw happen with Rema and Selena Gomez [with “Calm Down”]. It’s a great example of music that becomes more digestible for global audiences.”

He cites recent Latin hits like “Qlona” by Karol G and Peso Pluma and “Harley Quinn” by Fuerza Regida and Marshmello as further proof. “After several iterations that have been happening evolutionarily over the past five years,” he says, “música Mexicana has finally found its way into the global market.” 

This story originally appeared in the Dec. 9, 2023, issue of Billboard.