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Loco Dice materializes on Zoom from his home in Düsseldorf, cheerful, ready for a weekend of shows in Ibiza and Morocco and first ready to discuss his new album.
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The characteristically sleek and funky project, Purple Jam, is out tomorrow (May 23) and is the latest in a stacked catalog that extends back more than 20 years. In a way, the project in fact nods to Dice’s legendary status with a list of old school, newer and new school collaborators that include friends like Carl Cox, The Martinez Brothers, Marco Carola, Skrillex and rapper Trinidad James.
Here, the artist born Yassine Ben Achour discusses the project, linking with Skrillex, playing Coachella and influencing new generations of fans and artists.
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1. Where are you in the world right now, and what’s the setting like?
Right now I’m at home in Düsseldorf, and it’s just my usual day. I just came from training, and this morning I was listening to music for my label — new demos and promos to play for the weekend. This weekend I will have my All Night Long kickoff party for the season at Pacha Ibiza, then on Saturday I play Caprices festival in Marrakech. And I’m packed already, so I’m perfectly ready.
2. What is the first album or piece of music you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?
The first album I bought for myself — I don’t know if it was a Public Enemy album or if it was an Ice-T album, but the medium was wax. I didn’t have much money, but I could afford that.
3. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid, and what do they think of what you do for a living?
My father left us when I was very, very young. I don’t know what he was doing. My mom was basically left alone, trying to survive. She was cleaning offices and later worked her way up to be working as a cashier in a big department store.
For a long time I think she thought I was a drug dealer. She didn’t know where the money was coming from. She didn’t believe in music for a very long time, even when she saw my name on posters or flyers. She she’s pretty old school, and she thought it’s not a real job. I grew up in a very rough neighborhood. But I think she started to believe when I had my own private health insurance and could afford to pay my own rent. She was realizing, “OK, he’s on a legit path.” But it took a long time.
4. What is the first non-gear thing you bought for yourself when you started making money as an artist?
The first money I had I spent it on clothes and sneakers. Gear came very late, because my first gear was a turntable, a Technics MK2, which was a ridiculous amount of money, so I had to play a couple of gigs to afford that.
5. If you had to recommend one album for someone looking to get into dance music, what album would you give them?
It’s very difficult to say. I can only say the first thing that really caught me was Basic Channel, a group from Germany. They were doing a kind of dub techno with a lot of dub and reggae elements with the reverbs. That was the thing where I was first understanding the technology behind dance music. Very nerdy, I would say. If we want to stay cool and easy, I would say the first mix compilation by Danny Tenaglia.
6. What is the last song you listen to?
Let me think, because I was listening to a lot of music just now in the car. I think it was something from Lil Baby.
7. How did you link with Skrillex to make “Heavy Heart”?
I was a fan of his music and his sound from the very beginning. I listen to hip-hop, I listen to all kinds of stuff, and when someone comes with electronic music, no matter what type it is, which is interesting and which combines a lot of elements, my ears are like radars. Like, “Wow, wait a minute. What is that? What is he doing?”
So I was really into his stuff, not the mainstreaming stuff, but more the dubstep and experimental stuff he was doing. Then it was during the pandemic, all of a sudden he was standing in my DJ booth at Space Miami, and it was like we had known each other for ages. He knew so much about my music, so much about so much music, so it was super cool to hang out with him. That day we said “We’ve got to do something together.” But it took us quite while until we came together for the album. All the album features are important features for me, because there is a link with everyone. It’s not fabricated.
8. Yeah, everyone on the project feels really authentic to you and who you are and who you’re naturally surrounded by. You’re not trying to create some pop star moment. How did this crew of collaborators come together?
Exactly. Every DJ means something. Sonny was someone from outside the bubble who I always wanted to do a track with. Carl Cox is the DJ I knew from day one. We’ve been DJing back to back and never did a track, so it was about time. The same goes with Marco Carola, a very good friend of mine. Trinidad James is the only one which was a little bit outside, but he was the rapper who always was special. He was not a superstar, but he’s killed it with his own tracks, and he killed it on the on the remix for a for A$AP Ferg, the “Work (Remix).” All the parts were great, but his part was special.
When I was sitting there creating the album, I was not creating it with features in mind. It was first my music. The other features were looped selections that I sent to these particular artists. I was looking on my Whatsapp like, “Who am I communicating with? Who are the ones I always wanted to do something with?” I combined it and everything worked out.
9. Why purple?
Simple! Very easy! When I was in the studio creating music I didn’t think to make an album. Who does an album these days? The kids don’t listen to albums. All this blah, blah, blah in my head. But I wanted to make music that I can play, not music I like. The old Loco Dice [music] is 80% music that’s not focused on “can I play it, or can other DJs play it?” The focus would be more on after hours, or a crescendo track. Mood driven.
This time, I tried working on music I can play no matter if it’s peak time or off time. And I always organize my music in crates through colors. Red is peak time, green is more chunky, blue is more dubby, gray is very artistic, and purple is the vocal tracks. So purple are the tracks that survived all the testing and that are very special. [Through the testing process] I had a bunch of tracks that I knew I could do an album with, and they are the purple tracks.
10. How is the new generation of dance fans and people who consume your music different from generations that have come before?
Without dissing the new generation, let’s say it this way — the new generation has more freedom. They are not tied to “I have to learn what I am dancing to.” Back in the day, it was a religion. You go to the club, you want to know who the DJ is. You want to know his biography. You want to know his discography. You want to know who are the legends, the creators, the origins of house music, what is the connection to funk and soul, Motown and hip-hop.
Today, you don’t need all this, because you’re just free. You just go to dance, to have a good time. There’s so much distraction in your brain, and there’s so much going on in the world. The world is moving fast, faster than ever before, and with the social media it’s very difficult to understand what’s going on. We don’t have record stores anymore. We don’t have music music magazines anymore. With all due respect, we don’t have many music journalists anymore in our scene. So the kids are kind of lonely.
So I cannot expect the new generation — when I play Kevin Saunderson or when I play Jeff Mills — that they know who it is. I don’t want to be that old guy with gray hair and being the teacher with the finger, so I have to adjust myself to the new generation and the situation. It’s freedom. Everything is allowed. Back in the day when you play a Latin vocal track or maybe a Bad Bunny vocal, people will kill you in the comments. Now, times have changed. Nobody kills you. Everything is allowed, everything is possible.
11. So more freedom for them also means more freedom for you?
It’s a good and a sad thing. The people who really like you and are really are into the music, they will get the information; they will dig deep. But the people who just come to consume it, fair enough, consume it.
12. What does success for the album look like to you?
That a lot of people get this album. These days it’s not like you put it in the record store and people know… These days we are driven by algorithm, so we’re kind of screwed. If we are lucky, we get in your “for you” page. If we are not lucky, you find out a year later, or never.
[At live sets] maybe 20% of people know [who I am], but for sure 50% don’t care. They just come because you’re a badass DJ, or because the party is great. So this is the difficulty, and that’s why, when you ask what is success for the album, it’s that everybody gets a chance to listen to and appreciate it.
13. Speaking of badass parties, you played Coachella last month during a b2b with The Martinez Brothers. What are your most vivid memories of that set?
The stage, the intro, everything. I was looking at the boys like, “Hey, we’re gonna have a good time.” And they look at me like, “Yeah, if some people come.” Because the stage was empty. Then seeing all the people storming in and remembering, “We’re at Coachella and people are doing stage hopping.” Then it was massive. It was huge. All the people came, and the smiles came up. It was like, “We’re good.”
14. What are the proudest moments of your career so far?
Inspiring the new kids. When I meet new artists that are already on their peak and hyped… Most of them are shy to come to your party or say hi. It’s not like it used to be. Then when you get to know them and they tell you story… like, Fisher, we had dinner and he told me how he was dancing with his brother on the dance floor during the old Cocoon days and listening to Loco Dice and being inspired. And Fisher is f–king huge now. That makes me proud. I’m like, “Okay, I’m a piece of your success too, b—h!”
15. What are you currently finding the most challenging element of your career?
Finding good music. There’s too much music. I’m flooded with music on WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram here, there. I can’t follow up anymore. Then you spend like, four hours of your time and don’t find one track. It’s kind of demotivating. Everybody’s trying to do the copy/paste or trying to pick up samples that you played live. It’s devastating. For me this is the most challenging part — finding the right artist, sent to me through the right channel, music that I can play it, release, or just get inspired by to make more music out of it.
16. Are there artists that you want to shout out that are doing things right now that you think are cool?
There’s one guy from Serbia, Mene. He’s on fire. He got badass tracks. There’s another guy from Peru called Sunday Noise. He’s on fire too.
17. What’s been the best business decision you’ve ever made?
Oh, I’m so bad in business. I had a lot of bad business decisions. But the best business decision I made was believing in my feelings, even though I’ve sometimes believed in my feelings but gone the other way, and then I get schooled again to listen to my instincts.
Sometimes you get overshadowed by a lot of people talking, talking, talking: “You should do this, you should do that.” Sometimes your emotions are also low, and you think you have to change. That was always wrong, and the best decisions were always when I knew “I believe in it. It might take a while, but that’s the way.”
18. What’s something you’re proud of?
My career was a lot of ups and downs, but it was solid. I was always there. I survived every hype. This is always my proudest moment when I say, “Okay, I’ve done all these albums, all this music.” It might be not for everyone, but they brought me here. I’m still here. I’m still playing on the big stage. I’m still doing Coachella.
So right now, I’m in a very good state of mind. I’m having the best agency with Wasserman. I have a great new music manager who’s amazing. My team is great. Everybody around me right now is so positive. And I think maybe creating my team, with all the respect to my old teams, was a good business decision.
19. Who’s been your greatest mentor and what’s the best advice they’ve given you?
I was the guy who was always a mentor for other people, but on the street and the way I grew up, I had to lead, and I had to make sure everybody was on the right track. My mom took very good care of me, and she was mentoring me to be a good person, a good boy. She did her best, and I have to thank her for this. So I would say this goes to my mom for just giving me the love and the confidence, to be a confident person in a foreign country, that created who I am now.
Music wise, it’s all the old school cats, all of them. Start from Danny Tenaglia over to Carl Cox, Kevin Saunderson, Mike Banks, Underground Resistance, they’re all my mentors. In hip-hop, it’s the same, Ice-T, Chuck D, Ice Cube, Grandmaster Flash, they’re all my mentors. I was sucking music like no other. Carlos Santana, Frank Sinatra, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, Prince, these are my musical mentors. Even the new generation guys. You only have to be open minded and open to everything and not be the one who’s like, “Yo, I’m the boss. I know how it works.” I’m not that guy.
20. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
Don’t trust other people too much. Trust yourself. It’s very important. Always be yourself, and don’t give that away. When we start getting famous or hyped, all these managers, agencies, labels, best friends, party friends, they come. I think a mistake every artist has done at one point is giving away [responsibilities.] Letting other people do this or that for you, and you become just the act. No. Be aware, and control everything. It’s the right way.
Fat Joe thinks Kendrick Lamar and SZA could eventually dethrone Ja Rule and Ashanti as the greatest rapper/singer duo. During a recent episode of their Joe and Jada podcast, Jadakiss brought up Lamar and SZA’s hit record “Luther” making history by spending the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 among duets […]
So does Mad!, the title of Sparks’ new and 26th studio album, refer to brothers Ron and Russell Mael’s current temperament? Or is it simply a reference to their legendarily idiosyncratic creative comportment that’s made the pair a cult darling for the past 54 years?
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“Maybe a little of each,” Russell Mael tells Billboard as he travels from Philadelphia, where Sparks performed at NON-COMMvention the previous evening, to New York. “There’s the two general meanings of mad, being either angry or being crazy,” he says. “Just the overall ambience of the whole album seemed to lend itself to that title. But then you can exact from it, too, that it also is reflective of the general zeitgeist now, with what’s going on everywhere — in particular here (in the United States).”
The 12-song set, produced by the Maels and recorded with their regular touring band, comes as part of a particularly prolific period in Sparks’ career. It’s the group’s ninth studio album since the turn of the century and its third of the decade, directly following 2023’s The Girl is Crying in Her Latte. It also comes in the wake of Edgar Wright’s acclaimed 2021 documentary The Sparks Brothers and the 2021 release of the Maels’ long-gestating film musical Annette, which produced not only a soundtrack album but also last year’s Annette — An Opera by Sparks (The Original 2013 Recordings).
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All of that, along with touring, has kept Sparks’ profile high, and there’s an undeniably triumphant — as well as defiant — message conveyed as Sparks kicks into Mad! with the forceful opening track “Do Things My Own Way.”
“You don’t like to be heavy-handed with a message like that,” Russell explains, “but it is kind of that statement, in a way. It kind of applies to how we think — from day one, even when we did our first album [1971’s Halfnelson, also the band’s name at the time] with Todd Rundgren (producing). He always encouraged us to keep the eccentricities that we just naturally had and to not smooth over the edges, don’t lose your character and personality. Even on that first album, he thought we’d created our own universe he’d never heard before. He said it was something from somewhere else, which is a nice thing to say, especially with a band that was just a new group.”
Sparks was celebrated last year with an outstanding contribution to music honor at the AIM Independent Music Awards. And though the group has only intersected with the pop mainstream on rare occasions — “Cool Places” with Jane Wiedlin hit the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983, and “When Do I Get to Sing ‘My Way’” went top 10 on the Dance Club Songs chart in 1995 — the fact Sparks is still with us is proof that being a bit “weird” is not a bad thing.
“Things are on the upswing for Sparks,” Mael says. “I think there’s been this — especially in the last few years, since the Edgar Wright documentary, and since the Annette movie — whole new audience, some of whom didn’t even know the band at all but became aware of it through different channels than just us having our own album out. It’s not the typical career trajectory.”
Mad! was created in standard Sparks methodology, according to Mael, without a great deal of forethought — and, according to the vocalist, nothing held over from previous projects.
“Everything was done specifically for this album,” Mael says. “It’s a process where we’re pretty free to work however we want. Sometimes we’ll have a complete song that’s fully formed…or we come in with nothing at all planned and just sit down and see if something can come up from nothing. Having our own studio, you’re free to experiment in that way. We’ve been working together for so long now that we’re able to read what each other’s thoughts are regarding the songs or the recording process. That certainly makes it easier. It’s not starting off with any questions marks.”
The result on Mad! is unapologetically diverse — to its benefit. Musical and lyrical quirks about; “JanSport Backpack” is about just that, for instance, while “Running Up a Tab at the Hotel for the Fab” is a good-humored “mini-movie,” and “I-405 Rules” and “A Long Red Light” show the Maels are well attuned to traffic patterns in their native Los Angeles. The range of sounds, meanwhile, runs from the aggressive attack of “Hit Me, Baby” to the theatrical drama of “Don’t Dog It” to the string-fueled “I-405 Rules,” while a great deal of melodic pop floats through “A Little Bit of Light Banter,” “My Devotion,” “Drowned in a Sea of Tears” and the Mersey-meets-Bacharach majesty of “Lord Have Mercy.”
“I think we both have the same goal in mind… to try to come up with fresh approaches to the universe that Sparks has and has had since the very beginning and try to stretch that, or try to find new angles to be able to do in three-and-a-half-minute songs,” Mael says. “We both really like pop music, and we still feel there are ways to come up with stuff that will hopefully surprise a listener in this day and age. Pop music has been there a long time, so the trick is to see how you can take that form and still come up with something fresh — but not be weird just to be weird, or odd.”
Mad! also finds Sparks with a new label, Transgressive Records, after working with Island on The Girl is Crying in Her Latte. “Sometimes you just have to make moves,” Mael notes. “Transgressive heard the album; even referring back to ‘Do Things My Own Way,’ they told us they thought that was really a kind of manifesto of their label. They’ve all been huge Sparks fans for a long time. They really wanted to be involved not only ’cause they like us as a group, but they responded to this album and really felt a kinship to it. We’ve been lucky enough to work with people like Chris Blackwell at Island in the ‘70s, even Richard Branson at Virgin and of course Albert Grossman with Bearsville Records when we first started. It seems like in today’s musical climate there’s fewer and fewer of those visionary types. Transgressive shares that same kind of spirit, so it’s a good fit.”
Mad! will send Sparks back on the road, beginning June 8 in Japan and followed by an early summer trek through Europe before returning to North America starting Sept. 5 in Atlanta, with dates booked through Sept. 30 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the Maels are also working on another movie musical that John Woo (Face/Off, Mission: Impossible 2, Silent Night) is on board to direct.
“We wanted to do another narrative project, ‘cause we really liked the whole process with Annette so much, really working and channeling our music in other ways,” says Mael, who describes the new piece as “really different in its approach than Annette.” The brothers read in an interview with Woo that he’s long wanted to make a musical and invited him to their studio to hear what they had.
“He said, ‘This is amazing, and I want to direct it,’ so we’ve been working with him to refine the story elements. He’s completely sold on the whole approach and all of the music. We have three really great producers now on the project; they’re out there trying to get all the financing together so we can start the production. We think it’s going to be something really amazing.”
Dolly Parton might just saddle up with Beyoncé on the Cowboy Carter Tour, with the country icon revealing she’s not opposed to sharing the stage with the pop star at one of the latter’s shows this year.
Following the pair’s collaborations on Bey’s Cowboy Carter, Parton reacted to the possibility of performing alongside the Destiny’s Child alum in an interview with HuffPost published Thursday (May 22). “You never know ― anything is possible!” the “9 to 5” singer said.
“Because she really is doing great with that [tour],” Parton added of Bey’s Cowboy Carter trek, which kicked off April 28 in Los Angeles.
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The interview comes more than a year after Cowboy Carter dropped, showcasing the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer as she embraced her Southern roots and tinkered with the country genre. Featuring a spoken interlude from Parton, the album spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and won both best country album and album of the year at the 2025 Grammys.
The LP also featured a new take on the Dollywood founder’s smash hit “Jolene,” with Bey shaking up the lyrics to say, “I’m warning you, don’t come for my man” instead of the original, “I’m begging of you, please don’t take my man.”
“I was very honored that she wanted to do her version of ‘Jolene,’” Parton told the publication. “That’s all a great compliment to me, when somebody wants to do my songs in any version.”
“I was very amused by her take on that, and I got a big kick out of that,” she continued. “She’s not gonna sit back and say, ‘Oh please don’t take my man.’ She’s gonna kick some a–!”
Following stops in L.A. and, most recently, Chicago, Beyoncé is gearing up to play five nights at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. She’ll then spend June touring through England and France before circling back through the United States.
Parton’s new interview also comes as she’s gearing up to publish a new memoir, Star Of The Show: My Life On Stage, on Nov. 11. On a more personal front, the legend also recently lost her husband of 60 years, Carl Dean.
“It’s a big adjustment, just trying to change patterns and habits,” she said of her grief in an interview with TODAY earlier in May. “I’ll do fine, and I’m very involved in my work, and that’s been the best thing that could happen to me. But I’ll always miss him, of course, and always love him.”
05/22/2025
Billboard has rounded up 16 songs by R&B and rap artists that sample old African songs.
05/22/2025
Brandy Senki released their first album, BRANDY SENKI, on May 14. The band, which formed in August 2022, is made up of Hazuki (guitar and vocals), Minori (bass), and Bori (drums). They’ve picked up a tremendous amount of momentum, selling out shows on both their first solo tour of Japan, in January 2025, and their upcoming BRANDY SENKI 1ST ALBUM RELEASE TOUR, which will begin in June.
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Their major label debut album, BRANDY SENKI, is the culmination of their efforts so far. It’s a collection of 13 songs including “Musica,” which brought them to the attention of the world at large, “Coming-of-age Story,” which generated a ton of buzz when it was shared by NJZ’s Minji, and “Fix,” a dramatic song that depicts the weaknesses we all have. Billboard JAPAN took the opportunity of this momentous release to talk with Brandy Senki about how they felt as they enter this new stage of their musical careers.
To start off, could you tell us about Neon Oasis Fest 2025, the Taiwanese music festival you just finished performing at in late April? What did you think of your first overseas show?
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Hazuki: Standing up there on stage, you could feel the love, even in another country with a whole different language. Also, the way people listened was a little different than the way Japanese audiences do. There were people who were really amped up, but there were also people slowly swaying to the music. There was this striking feeling of personal freedom. It was a lot of fun.
Your new album, BRANDY SENKI, is the same as your band’s. What led you to choose this name?
Hazuki: There are only really a few times when you can self-title an album. This album has lots of songs that we’d released in the past, so we talked about making it a self-titled album to share the message that “this is what Brandy Senki is today.” That’s why we called the album BRANDY SENKI.
I think the first song on an album is important. Why did you pick “The End of the F***ing World” to start off the album?
Hazuki: We thought a lot about how someone who didn’t know Brandy Senki would feel when they listened to the album for the first time. We thought it would be good to start with a song that would get the listener excited, like “What’s about to start?” This song was perfect for that.
You’ve said that this song was influenced by the British show The End of the F***ing World. When you write poetry or music, Hazuki, are you usually influenced by things like novels or movies?
Hazuki: Always. But being inspired by a single work, like I was with “The End of the F***ing World,” is unusual.
Could each of you share a song on the album that is especially important to you?
Bori: For me, it would be “The End of the F***ing World.” There’s this bouncy beat that goes through the entire song, and it was a bit of a struggle to perform. Now, having finished the song, whenever I hear it or when I play it live, I’m glad I put in the effort.
Minori: For me, it’s the fifth song, “Water Mirror.” We’ve been playing it pretty much since our first show. I think it was also the first song that I wrote a bass line for after Hazuki sent me a demo. So, for me, it’s an important song because it represents a lot of firsts.
Hazuki, what about you?
Hazuki: I’d probably answer that question a different way every day (laughs). Today, I’d say the first song, “Spring.”
The lyrics of “Spring” are very evocative of summer. They mention the beach, and a shirt, and a “Sicilian painting,” which conjures the image of the seaside.
Hazuki: The reality is that, for the people in the song, spring hasn’t even come yet, let alone summer. The heart of the song is this longing to go to the beach, this yearning for Sicily, that kind of feeling. But time just passes in this room.
You’ve also been playing “Last Live” since your early live shows, right?
Minori: It goes back to right around when we were starting out, but we changed the arrangement a little when recording it.
How so?
Minori: In the middle, when the tempo changes in the bridge. There’s a drum fill there now, but that wasn’t there originally.
Bori: We decided to make that part, so we changed the arrangement around that.
Hazuki: We were thinking of a cool way to speed up the tempo of the song.
I also saw the music video. It has this very “kawaii” feel to it. What did you and the director Nathalie Scarlette talk about when making it?
Hazuki: Nathalie came up with pretty much every aspect of the music video, starting from the initial idea. For us, filming in Akihabara or a roller skating rink was really novel. We were really impressed with how great the visuals came out.
Minori: Nathalie really loves Brandy Senki. She understood the lyrics Hazuki had written at a deep level, which was wonderful. Nathalie’s Australian, so she understands what Japan looks like from the outside. She sees beautiful things that we overlook because we take them for granted. It’s wonderful having someone who notices those things and can depict them. I’m always impressed at how she can make these interesting music videos that wouldn’t have even occurred to us.
Bori: It was all shot guerilla-style, too. We set up a drum set in a truck, and there were tourists out there taking photos of us. It was a very different experience than the usual filming of a music video, and really stimulating.
Then there’s the lead single, “Fix.” That word has a lot of different meanings, right?
Hazuki: It’s used to mean a lot of different things, so we thought it would be an interesting name for a song. You can fix something in place, or you can fix something that’s broken. In the song, we use it in different senses, singing about whether you can fix these relationships between people–between yourself and others.
There’s also a brand-new song, “Memento Waltz” Does the title simply mean “don’t forget this waltz?”
Hazuki: Yes. We wanted to make a waltz, or rather a song in triple meter. That was our starting point.
It also has a string part. Was this was your first time using strings since “Nightmarish – Acoustic?”
Minori: “Nightmarish – Acoustic” had strings, too, but this was our first time using strings that were performed live. On the album, there are strings on “Memento Waltz” and also on “Untitled”
“Untitled” is an acoustic piece. When was it written?
Hazuki: We wrote “Untitled” over a year ago. It’s the only song on the album that I think you could call a pure love song.
To close off with, are there any new things that you’ve been trying your hand at, or that you want to try to do in the future?
Minori: I like going on long train trips, but you need to have a whole day free to do that. I want to make time for myself and learn about trains throughout Japan.
Bori: In a certain sense, I’m taking on the challenges of drumming. Ever since I started playing in a band, I’ve been learning different beats and really making them part of my own repertoire. Lately, I’ve been reexamining just what a drum is, and learning more about drums — how do you get a better sound? What form should you use when drumming? That sort of thing.
Hazuki: I just want to work hard on writing our next song.
—This interview by Tatsuya Tanami first appeared on Billboard Japan
Something Beautiful…in the woods? Miley Cyrus opened up in a new interview on Wednesday (May 21) about how she scrapped an overly ambitious plan for her new album thanks to some advice from Harrison Ford. Speaking to Zane Lowe for Apple Music, the superstar explained that her original idea for the project involved performing shows […]
FRUITS ZIPPER’s “Kawaiitte Magic” blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, on the chart released May 21.
This song by the seven-member girl group is the theme song for the animated movie Oshiri Tantei: Star and Moon that hit domestic theaters on Mar. 20. The CD version sold 292,341 copies to rule physical sales, powering the track to No. 1 on the Japan Hot 100. It’s the first chart-topper for the ASOBISYSTEM group — here’s a list of the FRUITS ZIPPER’s chart record so far:
“NEW KAWAII” (Peaked at No. 10)“Watashi no ichiban kawaii tokoro” (No. 13)“Kagami” (No. 48)“Fruits Basket” (No. 67)
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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” holds at No. 2, coming in at No. 13 for downloads (2,329 units), No. 2 for streaming (8,457,867 streams), No. 91 for radio airplay, and topping video views and karaoke. The three-man band continues to dominate the top 10, with “KUSUSHIKI” following at No. 3, “Tengoku” at No. 4, and “Darling” at No. 10.
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XG’s “MILLION PLACES” debuts at No. 6, coming in at No. 2 for sales (39,404 copies), No. 11 for downloads (2,193 units), No. 4 for radio and No. 93 for video.
Elsewhere on the Japan Hot 100, Gen Hoshino’s “Star” soars 84-12 this week, following the release of his new album Gen on May 14. The music video accompanying “Star” also arrived recently, and the track comes in at No. 72 for downloads, No. 76 for video, and rules radio.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from May 12 to 18, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
SM ENTERTAINMENT artist and NCT member CHENLE has made a powerful return with his Chinese special album Lucid, which shattered pre-order and release records. Produced by TME Producers’ Studio, co-produced by SM ENTERTAINMENT, Lucid includes three tracks: the pre-release single “Tear Bridge,” the title track “Lucid,” and “Cosmic Joke” feat. Bibi Zhou. Before his album […]
U2, Robbie Williams, Charli xcx and Lola Young were among the artists celebrated at the 2025 Ivor Novello Awards on Thursday (May 22) at the Grosvenor Hotel in London.
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Awards were handed out to 22 songwriters and composers across 14 categories, with more than 70% of the honorees winning an Ivor Novello for the first time.
Songwriter of the year with Amazon Music was presented to Charli xcx in recognition of her zeitgeist-busting Brat record. The LP topped the Official Albums Chart in the U.K. and hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
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She was bested in the best album category by Trinidad-born musician BERWYN, who collected the prize for his emotive debut album, Who Am I, released on Sony Music Entertainment. The record, which reflects on the Romford-based rapper’s heritage and upbringing as an immigrant in the U.K., was also nominated for the Mercury Prize in September 2024.
U2 was inducted into the Ivors’ Fellowship Academy, becoming the first Irish act to do so. Previous inductees include Paul McCartney (2000), Elton John (2005), Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees (2006), Andrew Lloyd Webber (2012) and Kate Bush (2020). Bruce Springsteen became the first U.S. musician to enter the fellowship in 2024.
Following the announcement of his forthcoming album Britpop, Robbie Williams was awarded the PRS for Music Icon Award in honor of his extensive songwriting catalog. The former Take That star is currently tied with The Beatles with 15 No. 1 albums on the Official U.K. Charts, and with his 18 BRIT Awards, he is the most successful artist in that show’s history.
New names, including Lola Young and Myles Smith, also enjoyed success. The former collected the rising star award with Amazon Music following the breakout success of her song “Messy,” which held the No. 1 spot on the Official Singles Chart for four weeks. Smith, alongside co-writers Peter Fenn and Jesse Fink, earned the PRS for Music Most Performed Work prize for their megahit “Stargazing.”
Best song musically and lyrically was presented to Irish singer-songwriter Orla Gartland for her track “Mine,” while the San Soucis collected best contemporary song for its release “Circumnavigating Georgia.”
There were winners across the arts in film, television and video games. The soundtrack for The Substance by Raffertie won best original film score; John Konsolakis triumphed in best original video game score for Farewell North; and Vince Pope won in the best television soundtrack category for his work on True Detective: Night Country.
Bloc Party were on hand to be awarded the prize for outstanding song collection, though original members Matt Tong and Gordon Moakes (who left in 2013 and 2015, respectively) were not in attendance alongside frontman Kele Okereke and guitarist Russell Lissack.
The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers earned the special international prize, and Self Esteem, who recently issued her third LP, A Complicated Woman, won the Visionary Award with Amazon Music.
The Ivor Novello Awards were streamed live on Prime Video, continuing a partnership that began in 2023. See the full list of winners below.
Best Album
WINNER: Brat written by Charli xcx, A. G. Cook and Finn Keane; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Concord Music Publishing obo Alias Guild and Universal Music Publishing; Performed by Charli xcx
On Purpose, With Purpose written by Ghetts and TenBillion Dreams; Published in the UK by BMG Rights Worldwide UK; Performed by Ghetts
The Loop written and performed by Jordan Rakei; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway written by William Brown, Conor Dickinson, Jared Solomon and Lola Young; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing obo Day One Songs, Sony Music Publishing – Solomon Gouda and Sony Music Publishing; Performed by Lola Young
Who Am I written and performed by BERWYN; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing
Best Contemporary Song
“Allergy” written by Felix Joseph, Alastair O’Donnell and Pa Salieu; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Sony Music Publishing; Performed by Pa Salieu
“Angel of My Dreams” written by Pablo Bowman, JADE, Steph Jones and Mike Sabath; Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing, Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing obo Hipgnosis Hits-Steph Jones Who Music-Vistaville Music; Performed by JADE
WINNER: “Circumnavigating Georgia” written and performed by Sans Soucis; Published in the UK by Sentric Music
“Double Standards” written by Ghetts, EMIL, Sampha Sisay and R-Kay; Published in the UK by BMG Rights Worldwide UK, Ditto Plus Music Publishing and Sony Music Publishing – Young Songs; Performed by Ghetts feat. Sampha
“How Black Men Lose Their Smile” written by Bashy, Toddla T and Linton Kwesi Johnson; Published in the UK by Downtown Music obo DLJ Songs, BMG Rights Worldwide UK and Universal Music Publishing obo L-K-J Music Publishers; Performed by Bashy
Best Song Musically and Lyrically
“Child of Mine” written and performed by Laura Marling; Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing
“Genesis.” written by Rodney Jerkins, RAYE and Toneworld; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music and Kobalt Music Publishing obo Mohemmusic-Songs by Seventy 7 Music; Performed by RAYE
“In the Modern World” written by Grian Chatten, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan, Thomas Coll and Carlos O’connell; Published in the UK by Domino Publishing Company; Performed by Fontaines D.C.
“Messy” written by Conor Dickinson and Lola Young; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing obo Day One Songs and Sony Music Publishing; Performed by Lola Young
WINNER: “Mine” written and performed by Orla Gartland; Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing obo San Remo Music
PRS for Music Most Performed Work
“As It Was” written by Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson and Harry Styles; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Concord Music Publishing obo These Are Pulse Songs; Performed by Harry Styles
“Houdini” written by Caroline Ailin, Danny L Harle, Tobias Jesso Jnr, Dua Lipa and Kevin Parker; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing obo Viking Jamz Publishing, Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music obo Radical 22 Publishing; Performed by Dua Lipa
“Last Christmas” written by George Michael; Published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music obo WHAM! Music Limited; Performed by WHAM!
“Prada” written by D-Block Europe, Obi Ebele (Da Beatfreakz), Uche Ebele (Da Beatfreakz), Jahmori “Jaymo” Simmons and RAYE; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing, Bucks Music Group Ltd obo Armada Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing obo Fat Pigeon (Publishing) Limited and Warner Chappell Music; Performed by Cassö, RAYE and D-Block Europe
WINNER: “Stargazing” written by Peter Fenn, Jesse Fink and Myles Smith; Published in the UK by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Songs by 308 Publishing-Where Da Kasz At, Lyric Global Copyright Services Crescendo obo Arcade Artists Publishing-Jesse Fink Publishing-Spirit One Music Crescendo and Sony Music Publishing; Performed by Myles Smith
Rising Star Award With Amazon Music
Bea and her Business
Liang Lawrence
WINNER: Lola Young
LULU.
Nia Smith
Best Original Film Score
Fly Me to the Moon composed by Daniel Pemberton; Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing obo Apple
Hard Truths composed by Gary Yershon; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing obo Thin Man Films
Kneecap composed by Michael ‘Mickey J’ Asante
WINNER: The Substance composed by Raffertie; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing obo Universal Pictures Music
The Zone of Interest composed by Mica Levi; Published in the UK by Domino Publishing Company
Best Original Video Game Score
Empire of the Ants composed by Mathieu Alvado and Mark Choi
WINNER: Farewell North composed by John Konsolakis
Flock composed by Eli Rainsberry
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II composed by David Garcia Diaz
The Casting of Frank Stone composed by Boxed Ape
Best Television Soundtrack
Black Doves composed by Martin Phipps; Publishing in the UK by BMG Rights Management UK obo Maisie Anthems
Mary & George composed by Oliver Coates; Published in the UK by SATV Publishing
Rivals composed by Jack Halama and Natalie Holt; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing obo Walt Disney Music Company
WINNER: True Detective: Night Country composed by Vince Pope; Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing obo T-L Music Publishing
Until I Kill You composed by Carly Paradis; Published in the UK by BMG Rights Management UK obo Veti Music Publishing
PRS for Music Icon Award
Robbie Williams
Songwriter of the Year with Amazon Music
Charli xcx
Outstanding Song Collection
Bloc Party
Special International
Brandon Flowers
Visionary Award with Amazon Music
Self Esteem
