Music
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Several roots-based music luminaries will perform to help aid various communities, as part of the third annual Hello From the Hills concert, slated Sunday, Jan. 26 at Nashville’s City Winery.
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Ruby Amanfu, Cory Branan, Hayes Carll, Brad Goodall, Silas House, Amanda Shires, Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke, and Jesse Welles are all set to take the stage at the intimate Music City venue, with author and storyteller House — most recently known for his work on Tyler Childers’ music video “In Your Love” — hosting the event.
The annual Hello From the Hills concert was founded by Hope in the Hills and The Hello in There Foundation, with the past two concerts drawing performers including Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, Shires, Sierra Ferrell, Wynonna Judd, Gabe Lee, and Amythyst Kiah. Event proceeds have made it possible for the event’s organizers to make over $100,000 in community grants over the past two years, benefiting organizations including Raphah House, Healing Institute, MusiCares and Musicians Recovery Network.
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Jody Whelan, Oh Boy Records managing partner and Hello in There Foundation board member and treasurer, tells Billboard, “I feel like at this event, it’s so much more than just a performance. You really see the heart of these performers. They are more than just artists, more than just songwriters. You get to see the love they have and the passion they have for different organizations and they see how it affects communities.”
Hope in the Hills’ Ian Thornton tells Billboard, “Music is the thing that brings people together — that’s the business Jody and I are both in. We just know so many great artists and folks have been gracious about donating their time. Nobody gets paid for this. I think the mission in and of itself pushes them to want to be part of it.”
This year, proceeds from the concert will benefit the veterans assistance programs Operation Stand Down Tennessee and Building Lives, as well as My Fathers House Nashville, which provides shelter, life skills and education to fathers who have faced homelessness, incarceration and other adversities. As well, merchandise sales will aid those impacted by the ongoing wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area.
Hello From the Hills
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Whelan says, “It’s great to be able to reach into some of these smaller community-based organizations and support them. I love the big organizations that we support, but $10,000 can go really far to a small, local organization — and that equals, ‘We can help this many people.’ We try to invite people from the organizations that are benefiting to be there, so they can see it and talk about their work.”
The Hello in There Foundation was established in 2021 by the family of the late singer-songwriter John Prine and is guided by message of Prine’s 1971 song “Hello in There.” In 2017, Hope in the Hills was launched by members of Tyler Childers’ team, as well as community members in Kentucky, with the aim of combatting the opioid crisis and supporting recovery throughout Appalachia.
“I’ve long admired the work that Ian and the folks at Hope in the Hills and Healing Appalachia have done,” Whelan says. “The Prine Family started our foundation a few years ago and we’ve been close to them for a long time. So we thought, ‘Can we do something to work together?’ The way we formatted it was we each picked one charity that we felt served our mission and then came together and support another organization.”
Whelan adds, “A lot of times, we let John’s songs kind of guide us. This year, it is focusing on veterans and those struggling with addiction, and John’s song ‘Sam Stone’ is a huge touch point. We think about the organizations and how it might tie in with the work that Hope in the Hills is doing. Once you start talking with these organizations, fighting addiction is such a big part of so many different organizations, even if it’s not their primary thing, like homelessness and addiction impacting veterans. Addiction is such a big topic and it affects lives in so many different ways.”
Looking ahead, Thornton is positive about the continued acceleration of the event’s impact: “I’d like to keep this as an annual event coming to Nashville. We’ve talked about bringing it to other cities, too, because I love the idea of being able to help local community organizations in other cities, especially in this region. I don’t know when we’ll have time to do that, but it will happen soon. I don’t see us going into the virtual space anytime soon. We want to keep getting people in rooms, together in community, and sharing their stories.”
Tickets are still available for this year’s Hello From the Hills at citywinery.com.
Wicked fever reaches Billboard’s Top Movie Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), as Cynthia Erivo’s “Defying Gravity,” featuring Ariana Grande, rises to No. 1 on the December 2024 survey.
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Rankings for the Top Movie Songs chart are based on song and film data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of December 2024. The ranking includes newly released films from the preceding three months.
After debuting at No. 2 on the November 2024 Top Movie Songs, “Defying Gravity” rules the latest chart amid Wicked’s first full month of theatrical release; it was debuted in theaters on Nov. 22.
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Set during the finale to the first part of Wicked (Wicked: For Good, its sequel, is scheduled for a Nov. 21 premiere), “Defying Gravity” earned 47 million official on-demand U.S. streams and 13,000 downloads in December 2024, according to Luminate.
The song peaked at No. 44 on the Dec. 7-dated Billboard Hot 100 and ranks at No. 71 on the latest tally.
In all, Wicked accounts for six of the chart’s 10 positions in December, including the entire top four. Grande’s “Popular” follows “Defying Gravity” at No. 2, boasting 35.1 million streams and 7,000 downloads.
The top non-Wicked entry belongs to Nirvana’s “Come As You Are,” featured in the movie Queer, released Nov. 27. A No. 32 hit for Nirvana on the Hot 100 in 1992, the song earned 15 million streams and 1,000 downloads in December.
It’s one of two songs from Queer to make the latest list, ahead of Prince’s “Musicology,” which enter the survey at No. 8.
See the full top 10, also featuring music from Kraven the Hunter and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, below.
Rank, Song, Artist, Movie
“Defying Gravity,” Cynthia Erivo feat. Ariana Grande, Wicked
“Popular,” Ariana Grande, Wicked
“What Is This Feeling?,” Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
“No One Mourns the Wicked,” Ariana Grande feat. Andy Nyman, Courtney-Mae Briggs, Jeff Goldblum, Sharon D. Clarke & Jenna Boyd, Wicked
“Come As You Are,” Nirvana, Queer
“Sign of the Times,” Harry Styles, Kraven the Hunter
“Dancing Through Life,” Jonathan Bailey feat. Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode & Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
“Musicology,” Prince, Queer
“Run It,” Jelly Roll, Sonic the Hedgehog 3
“The Wizard and I,” Cynthia Erivo feat. Michelle Yeoh, Wicked
With January wrapping up, today’s top artists are keeping the coldest season of the year hot with their latest music releases. Kicking off the new drops is Bruno Mars, who teamed up with Sexyy Red for a fun “strip club anthem” titled “Fat, Juicy & Wet.” “Fat, Juicy and Wet” is Bruno’s third recent collaboration, […]
North West is saying konnichiwa to the next step in her music career, guesting on FKA Twigs’ new album, Eusexua, almost a year after she made her musical debut on dad Ye’s Vultures 1. The 11-year-old daughter of the artist formerly known as Kanye West and Kim Kardashian raps in Japanese on “Childlike Things” — […]
Morgan Wallen earns his 16th No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “Love Somebody” lifts a spot to the top of the tally dated Feb. 1. The song, which he co-wrote, increased by 9% to 33.8 million audience impressions Jan. 17-23, according to Luminate. Dating to his first Country Airplay No. 1, “Up Down” […]
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The Detroit rapper live tweets games he bets on, and it’s usually some of the funniest content on X.
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Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Bruno Mars gets sexy with Sexyy, Travis Scott delivers his stadium-sized new single and Central Cee proves that patience pays off. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Sexyy Red & Bruno Mars, “Fat Juicy & Wet”
Bruno Mars has scored a pair of recent smashes, “Die With a Smile” and “APT.,” by finding a midpoint between his pop sensibility and that of his respective collaborators, Lady Gaga and ROSÉ; with the audacious “Fat Juicy & Wet,” however, Mars fully enters the world of Sexyy Red, dropping a gleefully explicit anthem built around the rising pop star’s sexual innuendos and a club-pulverizing beat.
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Travis Scott, “4×4”
For his first solo track since 2023, Travis Scott builds on his maximalist aesthetic with “4×4,” which pairs orchestral heft with a pitch-shifted flow. Scott debuted “4×4,” which will help support California fire relief funds through CD single sales, at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game earlier this week, and the studio track earns its stadium debut.
Central Cee, Can’t Rush Greatness
The title Can’t Rush Greatness nods to how long UK rapper Central Cee has been waiting for this crossover moment: after years of building hype, collecting collaborations and scoring increasingly bigger hits (culminating in “Band4Band,” last year’s team-up with Lil Baby), he now has a guest-packed, generally riveting debut full-length to call his own.
FKA Twigs, Eusexua
A decade’s worth of FKA Twigs albums have been leading to Eusexua, the culmination of her experimental amalgamation of pop, R&B, electronic and club music that finds Twigs carving out accessible pathways for new listeners while remaining as daring as ever for longtime fans. The opening run of the title track, “Girl Feels Good” and “Perfect Stranger” is perhaps the most entrancing 10-minute stretch of music we’ve gotten so far in 2025.
Tate McRae, “Sports Car”
Tate McRae has grown increasingly confident in her dance-pop formula since “Greedy” became the biggest hit of her career a little over a year ago, and while “Sports Car” crackles like her recent single releases, the whispered chorus elevates her latest, drawing the listener in before shoving them back out to dance.
Teddy Swims, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2)
“Lose Control” is a hard commercial bar to reach — the single did top Billboard’s year-end Hot 100, after all — so on his latest release, Teddy Swims wisely tries not to re-create his breakthrough smash, and instead flesh out some husky sing-alongs like “Guilty” and “Funeral,” as well as corral some new famous friends like Coco Jones, GloRilla and Giveon.
Kane Brown, The High Road
As Kane Brown keeps cranking out crossover country hits — “Miles on It” with Marshmello was another top 20 smash last year — he concurrently continues telling stories that reach a wide listenership, and on new album The High Road, that includes heart-wrenched fare like the Jelly Roll duet “Haunted” as well as a pair of new collaborations with his wife, Katelyn Brown.
Editor’s Pick: Djo, “Basic Being Basic”
“End of Beginning” became a well-deserved viral breakthrough for actor Joe Keery’s musical project Djo last year, and in 2025, things sound like they’re about to get stranger: “Basic Being Basic” is a lovably off-kilter new single, a callback to ‘80s synth-pop with a hook that highlights Keery’s upper register and lyrics that should launch a million TikTok lip synchs.
Rising British artist Lola Young has secured her first No. 1 single in the U.K. with viral hit “Messy” (Jan. 24). Young is the first British female artist to hit the No. 1 song with a solo hit since Kenya Grace’s “Strangers” in November 2023. The song knocks Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True” from the […]
Robbie Williams has secured a huge milestone on the U.K. Album Charts. Better Man, the soundtrack to his recent biopic of the same name, has given the British pop icon his 15th No. 1 album, and sees him pull ahead of The Rolling Stones (14) in the all-time rankings. He is now tied with with […]
New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
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Alejandro Sanz & Grupo Frontera, “Hoy No Me Siento Bien” (Sony Music Latin)
Alejandro Sanz’s latest song — in collaboration with Grupo Frontera — thrives on a cacophony of sounds. “Hoy No Me Siento Bien” is unconventional both lyrically and musically, and that’s what makes it a really great song in general. Sanz and Frontera’s Payo sing about why it’s OK not to feel great all the time: “If you see me crying, it’s not that I’m not happy/ And it isn’t about love either, sometimes you just cry to cry,” Sanz wails at the top of the song. Sonically, the record begins with a pop melody, then goes tropical, pop again and then becomes a fusion of both. A subtle norteño accordion accompanies the song, giving it that Grupo Frontera signature sound. Produced by Edgar Barrera, “Hoy No Me Siento Bien” is the second single off Sanz’s upcoming album. — GRISELDA FLORES
Cazzu, “DOLCE” (DALE PLAY Records/Rimas Entertainment)
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On the heels of her very vulnerable ballad “La Cueva,” Cazzu powerfully kicks off the new year with “DOLCE,” her intent at the Música Mexicana genre. The surprising corrido tumbado — produced by her longtime producer Nico Cotton — is about a complex relationship characterized by betrayal, backed by pleasing requintos. The Argentine artist reflects on her emotions and the consequences of this betrayal, ultimately leading her to seek revenge in a creative and expressive manner. “You forgot that I taught you everything you know,” she fearlessly chants. “DOLCE,” named after a red dress she owned from the designer brand, is the second single off of her upcoming studio album set for April. — INGRID FAJARDO
J Balvin, “Rio” (Sueños Globales/UMG Recordings)
J Balvin kicks off 2025 with new single “Rio.” Though the title honors his son’s name, the edgy, romantic reggaetón track is in fact a sweet dedication to his partner, Argentine model Valentina Ferrer — or, how the lyrics say, to the one who returned his faith. In the over three-minute track, the Colombian artist reflects on his personal and spiritual healing process, paying tribute to one of the most important people who has supported him along the way: the mother of his son. “Why look on the street for what is abundant in my house?/ A good-natured babe, who has a hot body and face […] God made her humble but I see her as very expensive,” he chants, also clarifying that he’s left the party life behind because “the VIP is now at home with you.” The heartfelt music video captures never-before-seen videos of the couple, who’s been together since 2018. — JESSICA ROIZ
Danny Ocean, “Vitamina” (Atlantic Records)
A dose of vitamin D – as in Danny Ocean – arrives this winter in the form of a song. The Venezuelan musician continues spreading his warmth and good vibes with the new single “Vitamina,” which in the midst of freezing temperatures and even snowfalls in Florida transports us to the heat of the beach while evoking an old love. “You and me, lying on the beach watching the sun go down/ You and me, although I never told you, I am yours my love/ You and me, can you imagine?/ A love that never ends/ It’s like a vitamin, you and me,” says the infectious chorus.
“‘Vitamina’ is a love song based on the beach, that place of escape, of being with a real love and having a peaceful time,” Ocean tells Billboard Español. “It’s like escaping the routine and going to a place where you feel free, a place where you are with that person you love having a good and peaceful time, where things happen just as you want them to happen.” It is a pop song with the distinctive Caribbean flavor that has made of Danny Ocean an instantly recognizable artist. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Soge Culebra & Abraham Mateo, “Rayo de Luz” (Atlantic Records Spain)
Spanish artists Soge Culebra (real name: Gabriel Gómez) and Abraham Mateo join forces to sing about unconditional love on the collaboration “Rayos de luz.” The immersive track features impeccable production that highlights elements of electronic pop and contemporary R&B. The lyrics highlight the transformative power of love, depicting it as a force capable of being a guide through difficult times, through people who become true rays of light. The two performers’ voices complement each other perfectly, adding rich and dynamic nuances to the melody. — LUISA CALLE
Varios Artists, Vallenatos Norteños: Un Homenaje A Colombia Desde México (Warner Music México)
In today’s Latin music, fusion genres are in the spotlight. From Los Esquivel’s pulsating electro-corridos to Yahir Saldivar’s cumbias bélicas and Fuerza Regida’s Jersey corridos, the soundscape is as fresh as ever. Enter Vallenatos Norteños, emerging as a riveting but seamless blend that merges Northern Mexico’s fervor with Caribbean Colombia’s soul. This 11-track album, presented by Warner México, weaves accordion-laden melodies with joyous cumbia rhythms: an intersection that highlights the inherent complementary nature of these two music traditions. Noteworthy are the duets such as Jorge Celedón and Ana Bárbara’s “Olvídala,” and Pipe Bueno with Angelina Victoria in “Niégame Tres Veces.” Produced by Abelardo Rivera, José Luis Cornejo, Guillermo Mazorra, and Jair Alcalá, the compilation serves as a cultural bridge that celebrates and blends two rich musical heritages into an exhilarating listening experience. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Check out more Latin recommendations this week below: