Music
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BTS has shared new details about its upcoming 2025 FESTA, marking the K-pop group’s 12th anniversary. This year’s offline celebration is set for June 13–14 at KINTEX Exhibition Center 2 in Goyang, South Korea. The event will be open to the public and feature interactive activities, including a FESTA-themed game zone, DIY photo card stations, […]
Next year things might look a bit different for Miley Cyrus, who says in a conversation with The New York Times that she’s looking forward to a “rebirth of how I look at my career.”
When asked about her relationship with mainstream success, Cyrus, who just released her ninth studio album, Something Beautiful, spoke of what she sees next for herself as an artist.
“I think it’s winding down, my attachment to mainstream success,” Cyrus said in the video interview, published on Saturday, May 31. (A shortened version of the full interview was published on the outlet’s website.)
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“I kind of feel like this album, it’s definitely not a ‘last lap’ — I’m definitely not going 180 in my career necessarily right now — but I think it’s potentially the last time I’ll do it exactly this way,” she noted.
The singer announced Something Beautiful in March, when she gave fans a first listen to album track “Prelude” and the set’s title track. She’s since released two more singles, “End of the World” and “More to Lose,” and just before the album’s release held a private concert hosted by TikTok at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. Still to come is a visual component to the project, a film set to show in theaters for one night only on June 12 in the United States and Canada, and internationally on June 27.
Cyrus — whose previous full-length release, 2023’s Endless Summer Vacation, reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 — said, “I’m taking a big bet on this one [Something Beautiful]. I’m all in. But I don’t think I’ll put myself in a position that I add this much pressure to myself again.”
“A lot of things are going to change about that for me, towards the end [of this year] and the beginning of next year. That’s really kind of my focus, of using this year to kind of wind that idea I’ve had of myself down. There’s a song on the album called ‘Reborn’ and it’s kind of about this. I feel like next year for me is gonna be kind of this rebirth of how I do things and how I look at my career,” said Cyrus.
The conversation clocked in at nearly an hour, between Cyrus’ in-person sit-down with the publication and a follow-up call. Among the many topics discussed with candor: her present-day relationship with each parent (Tish and Billy Ray Cyrus), whether she’s interested in being a parent one day, what happened when she did E.M.D.R. therapy, growing up as a child star and why finally winning her first Grammy (for “Flowers,” in 2024) was so significant, and — when interviewer Lulu Garcia-Navarro brought up Cyrus’ peers in the industry — her rapport with other female pop stars.
“I find the relationship between female pop stars to be really interesting and often very fraught,” Garcia-Navarro suggested, to which Cyrus joked: “Divas.”
“Is that what you think is happening?” she asked Cyrus.
“I mean, probably on my end,” the singer said, and then clarified, “I don’t mind the word diva. Maybe I’m a little diva.”
Cyrus added, “It’s kind of cool. It’s a fantasy. You don’t have to be famous to be a diva — just be a diva. Diva does not mean difficult for no reason.” When asked whether she thinks she’s difficult, she quipped: “I’m difficult, but not for no reason.”
The interviewer followed up by prompting, “You have said you don’t feel part of the cohort of singers of your generation and age group … You’ve held yourself apart in a certain way.” She asked Cyrus why.
“I don’t think it’s so much of a conscious choice,” Cyrus said. “I think for me, my persona — the public’s idea of me — is ‘on,’ in some way, but in my own time, I’m very off. I like no makeup, my hair up messy. I don’t even look in the mirror in my own time.”
“It’s not that I haven’t found it,” she said. “I haven’t looked very hard. I’m sure girls in my community are going like, ‘Well, that’s me too and you haven’t reached out.’ No, I haven’t … I like doing my two worlds.”
Cyrus related her real life to that of her teenaged Hannah Montana persona.
“Maybe it’s something subconsciously from the show, like from Hannah Montana where I think my famous person has one life and then as a regular person I have another life,” she explained. “I think maybe subconsciously it programmed me — not even joking — to think who I am at home and who I am as a performer are kind of like two separate identities, and actually they are.”
Elsewhere in the conversation the former Disney star talked about the younger generation of pop singers, including Sabrina Carpenter, whom she’s met and sometimes worries about due to the hectic schedule the “Espresso” hitmaker keeps. “Every time I see her I have the urge to ask her if she’s OK. I’ll see she’s performing in Ireland, and then the next day she’s doing a show in Kansas. And I’m like, ‘I don’t know how that could be physically OK,’ because I was in that situation. I know what it feels like to fry yourself, and I don’t want anyone else to get fried. But I like all the new girls. I think they’re all unique and are very found,” Cyrus said.
See her full interview with the New York Times in the video below.
Robin Thicke and April Love Geary have officially tied the knot.
On Friday (May 30), the longtime couple exchanged vows in a romantic beachside ceremony in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, six years after getting engaged in 2018, People reports.
Thicke, 48, and Geary, 30, shared glimpses of the special day on their Instagram Stories. In one video, the “Blurred Lines” singer is seen kissing his new bride as fireworks light up the night sky. Another black-and-white photo captures the newlyweds with their children.
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The couple shares three children together: daughters Mia, 5, and Lola, 4, and son Luca, 2. Thicke also has a 15-year-old son, Julian, from his previous marriage to actress Paula Patton. They were married for nine years before divorcing in 2015.
In another video, posted on Instagram by a wedding guest, Thicke is seen wearing black sunglasses while walking down the aisle to Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” The ceremony’s star-studded guest list included Leonardo DiCaprio, Usher and Ken Jeong, according to TMZ.
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Earlier this month, while in France for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Thicke proposed to Geary for a second time. The couple has been together since 2014 and first got engaged on Christmas Eve 2018 while Geary was pregnant with Lola.
“Robin surprised me during our trip to Cannes by proposing to me again with a new ring that one of my best friends @nikkiwhatnikkiwho @establishedjewelry made, I’m so obsessed with it, thank you!!!” Geary wrote on Instagram. “This trip was such a dream. I love you so much @robinthicke Also a huge thank you to @alilasky for clearing out the whole area and making sure there wasn’t a single person getting in the way.”
Ronald Fenty, the father of Rihanna, has reportedly died at the age of 70.
Fenty passed away following a brief illness, according to Starcom Network News, a radio station based in Rihanna’s native Barbados. The official cause and exact date of death have not yet been disclosed. Sources told the outlet that he was surrounded by family at the time of his passing.
Billboard has reached out to Rihanna’s representatives for comment.
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On Wednesday (May 28), Rihanna’s younger brother, Rajad Fenty, was photographed arriving at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. TMZ reports that the singer was also in the vehicle but was not visible in the photos.
Rihanna — who is currently expecting her third child with A$AP Rocky — had a complicated relationship with her father over the years. The two were estranged for a period before eventually making amends.
After Rihanna (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty) was assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009, Fenty spoke publicly about the incident without her consent. In a 2011 interview with Vogue, the singer expressed her disappointment.
“You grow up with your father, you know him, you are a part of him, for goodness’ sakes!” she said at the time. “And then he does something so bizarre that I can’t begin to wrap my mind around it.”
In a 2012 interview with Oprah, Rihanna said she had repaired her relationship with her father, who she had described as being violent growing up. In 2019, however, she filed a lawsuit against him and his business partner, Moses Perkins, accusing them of attempting to profit off her name by launching a company called Fenty Entertainment. She alleged they misled investors by falsely claiming she was involved in the venture. Rihanna dropped the lawsuit shortly before it was set to go to trial in 2021, according to the BBC.
Fenty shared three children — Rihanna, Rajad and Rorrey — with his ex-wife, Monica Braithwaite. The couple divorced in 2002. The family was raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, where Rihanna lived until she moved to the U.S. at age 16. He also had three children from previous relationships: daughters Samantha and Kandy, and son Jamie, People reports.
05/31/2025
In honor of AAPI Month, Billboard speaks to various artists and executives on how the music industry can better serve their community.
05/31/2025
Selena Gomez is celebrating her longtime friend Taylor Swift’s latest victory. On Friday (May 30), the Rare Beauty founder showed her support for Swift after the pop superstar revealed she had officially purchased back the masters to her first six albums. “YES YOU DID THAT TAY!!!” Gomez wrote in all caps on her Instagram Story. […]
Mexican band Los Alegres del Barranco canceled their scheduled performance on Friday (May 30) in the municipality of Maravatío, in the Mexican state of Michoacán, citing security concerns, the group’s spokesperson, Luis Alvarado, confirmed to Billboard Español.
“In agreement with the event sponsor, local authorities, state security agencies, and members of the band, it was decided to postpone the event due to security concerns,” Alvarado said in a brief statement, without providing further details about the postponement or a new date for the performance.
Previously, the event’s sponsor, Chilangos Grill, had announced on Thursday (May 29) that the show would be rescheduled “for reasons beyond the control of the company and the band.” Organizers reported that the concert was sold out. “Our priority has always been and will continue to be the well-being and safety of our audience, artists, and everyone involved with the company, which is why a new date for the performance will be scheduled,” read the statement on social media.
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The group had recently secured a legal injunction allowing them to perform narcocorridos in Michoacán, despite a state decree that prohibits the dissemination of music or expressions that glorify crime in public spaces, which went into effect in April.
Los Alegres del Barranco became the first act from the regional Mexican genre to be formally accused by the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office of alleged glorification of criminal activities. Authorities in that state, located in western Mexico, are investigating the group after images of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), were projected during their performance of the song “El del Palenque” on March 29 at an auditorium at the University of Guadalajara.
This incident even led the U.S. to revoke work and tourist visas for the band members, as announced on April 1 by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau in a statement on X.
The band, its representative, and the promoter are facing investigation from the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office for four performances in different municipalities of that state in which they allegedly glorified criminal activities, according to information published on May 9 by the same office.
Ten out of Mexico’s 32 states have implemented various bans against narcocorridos or any expression that promotes or glorifies criminal activities, though such bans have not yet become federal law.
The cancellation of Los Alegres del Barranco’s concert also comes after five members of Grupo Fugitivo — a locally known regional Mexican music group — were found dead in the state of Tamaulipas on May 29, four days after being reported missing. The deaths are allegedly linked to a faction of a drug cartel operating in that region of the country.
Grupo Firme announced the cancellation of their performance at La Onda Fest in Napa Valley, Calif., scheduled for Sunday (June 1), due to the visas of its members and the team of promoter being in “administrative process” at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico. The regional Mexican band shared the news on Friday (May 30) without offering further details about the review their visas are undergoing.
“Currently, the visas of Grupo Firme and the team of Music VIP [Entertainment] are in an administrative process by the U.S. Embassy, a situation that makes it impossible for Grupo Firme to perform at La Onda Fest as planned. We regret any inconvenience this may cause,” the band said in the statement published on its Instagram Stories. “We appreciate your understanding and, above all, the love from our fans in the U.S.”
The band added that they would soon have news about their return to the U.S. “to meet again and sing, dance, and celebrate together.”
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A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Mexico told Billboard Español: “Visa records are confidential under U.S. law; therefore, we cannot discuss the details of individual visa cases.”
Billboard Español reached out to Music VIP and a representative for Grupo Firme on Friday night for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
Previously, the vocalist of the famous band, Eduin Caz, had denied having issues with his U.S. visa during a press conference in Mexico City on April 8. In the same meeting with the media, the singer also denied that his band performed narcocorridos. Days later, Caz announced on social media that Grupo Firme would refrain from performing corridos, complying with new restrictions imposed by some state governments in Mexico regarding music or any public expression that glorifies crime.
The announcement of Grupo Firme’s concert cancellation adds to that of fellow regional Mexican star Julión Álvarez, who, the night before his scheduled concert on May 24 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, announced that the show had to be canceled after his work visa was revoked, according to the artist himself in a video posted on social media.
The work and tourist visas of the members of Los Alegres del Barranco were also revoked following an investigation by the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office for alleged glorification of crime. This was after the group projected images of Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho, during a concert in the band’s home country on March 29 in an auditorium at the University of Guadalajara.
Grupo Firme has become one of the most successful groups in regional Mexican music since the band’s foundation in 2014. In September 2022, they performed a free concert in Mexico City’s Zócalo, the country’s main public square, that drew more than 280,000 people, setting a historic attendance record, according to the government of the Mexican capital.
The Billboard Latin Music Awards and Latin Grammy-winners boast 10 No. 1s on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Airplay chart, including “Ya Supérame” and “El Beneficio de la Duda.”
Yungblud has enlisted Florence Pugh for an emotional music video for new single “Zombie.” The emotional ballad will feature on his upcoming fourth studio albums, Idols, out June 20. Pugh, who current stars in Marvel’s Thunderbolts has form for appearing in music videos. In 2023, she played the leading role in rising British indie star […]
On Friday (May 30), a day after her show at Boston’s Fenway Park was canceled, Shakira has called off her WorldPride Welcome Concert set for Saturday night at Washington, D.C.’s Nationals Park.
The news was shared on social media accounts for Nationals Park, home of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals.
“Due to complications with the previous show in Boston, Shakira’s full tour production cannot be transported to Washington, D.C. in time for her scheduled performance at Nationals Park on Saturday, May 31,” the ballpark statement reads. “As a result, the D.C. show has been canceled. Despite every effort to make it happen, it is not possible to move forward as planned.”
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The statement says refunds will be “issued automatically for Ticketmaster and Nationals.com purchases,” while anyone who bought tickets through third-party resellers should contact their point of purchase directly.
The original post on Nationals Park socials included a separate statement from Shakira in both English in Spanish, reading: “Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am sad and heartbroken that I will not be able to be in Washington, D.C. with you tomorrow. I hope that I can come back to D.C., as soon as I am able. Meanwhile, please know that I am eternally thankful for your unconditional support.” That Shakira statement has since been deleted from the Nationals Park accounts and does not appear on any of Shakira’s social channels.
Shakira‘s show scheduled for Thursday night at Boston’s Fenway Park was canceled just hours before it was set to start “due to unforeseen circumstances,” the stadium announced on social media. Live Nation later told Billboard in a statement: “During a routine pre-show check, structural elements were identified as not being up to standard, so the shows were canceled. All team members are safe.”
While Shakira’s WorldPride Welcome Concert has been canceled, the WorldPride D.C. website assures that all other events will continue as planned. Find a full schedule here.
Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour is set to continue Monday at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.