State Champ Radio Music
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Preme, one of Drake‘s oldest friends and collaborators, has weighed in on the recent success of the Toronto rapper’s song “Nokia.” He recently tweeted a screenshot of Apple’s Top 100: Global chart showing that “Nokia” has taken over the No. 1 spot, beating out Kendrick and SZA‘s “Luther,” and proclaimed that Drake is here to […]
Corey Taylor is part of the “Pink Pony Club.” The Slipknot frontman took the stage at horror and pop culture convention SPOOKALA, where he performed a 14-song set on Saturday (April 5), according to Kerrang!. He included a series of covers during his performance, ranging from Foo Fighters and Violent Femmes tracks to the SpongeBob […]
50 Cent is welcoming Eminem into life as a grandpa. The G-Unit boss congratulated Em on becoming a grandpa on social media over the weekend after the Detroit legend’s daughter, Hailie Jade, revealed she gave birth to her son in March. “Congratulations This is the best WOW,” 50 wrote to X on April 5 alongside […]
Ed Sheeran‘s been making music long enough to know that not everyone’s going to be a fan of what he puts out — and the same goes for his new song, “Azizam.”
After one reviewer had a particularly harsh assessment of the carefree dance track, which dropped Friday (April 4), the singer-songwriter shared a hilarious, brief response before keeping it moving. The critic — a popular TikToker who shares thoughts on music and pop culture under the name The Swiftologist — had blasted “Azizam” in a recent video, calling the track “the same f–k-ng thing” as many of Sheeran’s past hits.
“‘Shivers,’ ‘Bad Habits’ and ‘Shape of You’ are all the same song [as ‘Azizam’], and they’re all so f—ing annoying,” he’d continued. “There has been no evolution from 2016. I feel like I’m going crazy … I’ll never get these two minutes of my life back.”
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The Swiftologist, whose real name is Zachary, also criticized the four-time Grammy winner’s songwriting style as a whole in the video. “The songs are good in the way that, I don’t know, heroin is good for people,” he’d added. “It’s addictive in a way that is not supposed to be good for the human brain. The way that he writes songs with the specific intention for them to be hits, he is soulless.”
So, how did Sheeran react? “lol,” the musician simply wrote in the comments.
For what it’s worth, Zachary offered in response to Sheeran’s reply: “King I’m so sorry. But we need to come up with something else.”
It’s certainly not the first time someone has critiqued the British superstar’s songwriting, and with Sheeran recently announcing plans to release at least five more albums in the coming years, it won’t be the last. In March, he appeared on The Tonight Show and revealed that his next album, Play — for which “Azizam” serves as the lead single — will be followed by LPs titled Pause, Rewind, Fast-Forward and Stop.
The series mirrors the sequence of Sheeran’s first five albums, which fit a mathematics theme: + (2011), x (2014), ÷ (2017), = (2021) and – (2023). And though critics such as Zachary may not be a fan of the musician’s catalog, a lot of other people are; all five of the aforementioned LPs reached the top 5 of the Billboard 200, while nine songs spread out across those albums have charted in the Billboard Hot 100‘s top 10.
See The Swiftologist’s review of “Azizam” — and look for Sheeran’s comment — below.
Lizzo is gearing up to release her next album Love in Real Life, and she’s reflecting on the mental health break and journey she had leading up to the album.
The star joined the On Purpose With Jay Shetty podcast, where she discussed taking a “gap year” in releasing music. “I don’t feel like I’ve expressed myself fully in the last two years, like how I want to. I feel like I’ve been kind of holding my tongue and like staying to myself, but I think that it’s for the best because you know, running your mouth these days,” she said. “Sometimes it’s just unnecessary and sometimes it can get you into some stuff you wasn’t even trying to get into because people will misinterpret it and run with it. I found when I was like, I’m taking a gap year, I’m protecting my peace. But like, people were like, wait, so what’s that supposed to mean?”
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Lizzo has already released two songs from her upcoming album, “Still Bad” and the title track. Aside from “Pink” for Greta Gerwig’s 2023 Barbie soundtrack, the first singles from the project mark the Yitty founder’s first proper releases since 2022’s Special, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned two-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “About Damn Time.”
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It also marks her first album since the harassment lawsuit brought by three of her former dancers in August 2023.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles by dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez, accuses Lizzo (real name Melissa Jefferson) and her Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc. of a wide range of legal wrongdoing and included dozens of pages of detailed allegations. Lizzo denied the claims in a response shared to Twitter, calling them “false allegations” and “sensationalized stories.”
Lizzo told Shetty of public perception, “I think when it was out of my control and someone else could tell a story about me that wasn’t true and people believed it, it crushed me,” before adding, “I think what I learned about fame is, even if that’s really me, it just becomes kind of like a, a fictional story that you, it’s a character, it’s a brand, it’s a thing that now doesn’t belong to you anymore.”
She continued, “Whoever Lizzo is to the world is not really even me. And that disconnect is depressing. And I think the only remedy to that is continuing to be myself. That’s the time. I just have to continue to be me and people will see me for who I am.”
Ultimately, Lizzo concluded, “I’m never gonna stop… If anything, I’m more careful now. I can’t just let any author into my life who can make me a villain. I can’t do that anymore. ’cause I’m the author and I. Taking back my narrative by continuing to tell my story from me, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to do that.”
Watch the full episode below.
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on Monday (April 7) over the deaths of two photographers on Saturday (April 5) during the AXE Ceremonia music festival in Mexico City. The president said her government would review the license granted to the venue at Parque Bicentenario.
“We regret and send our solidarity to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident,” Sheinbaum said during her morning press conference. “Beyond the fact that it was an accident, we need to look into how the equipment that fell was set up. An investigation needs to be carried out. There should be no impunity in this case.”
Photographers Miguel Ángel Rojas Hernández and Citlali Berenice Giles Rivera died over the weekend when a crane carrying a decorative metal object collapsed during the festival. The accident prompted city authorities to cancel the second day of the event on Sunday (April 6). The attorney general’s office of Mexico City announced the start of an investigation..
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Sheinbaum noted that the mayor’s office of Miguel Hidalgo, the borough where Parque Bicentenario is located, is responsible for authorizing such events, regardless of the federal ownership of the property. As a result, she instructed the Secretariat of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development (SEDATU) to review the venue’s license, assess the conditions under which it was granted, and determine whether it is feasible to revoke their license.
Earlier on Monday, the AXE Ceremonia festival released a statement on the fatal accident, extending its condolences to the victims’ loved ones. “From the very first moment, we have been by the families’ side, providing them with all the support and assistance we can,” it reads.
British band Massive Attack, who, along with rapper Tyler, the Creator, headlined the festival on Sunday, joined in expressing their condolences on social media over the deaths of the photographers. “We are shocked and saddened by the tragic and avoidable deaths of Berenice Giles and Miguel Hernández. Our thoughts are with their families and friends during this difficult time,” the band said in their Instagram Stories.
On Sunday (April 6), friends of the two victims, photographers, journalists, content creators, and members of the public held a protest outside Parque Bicentenario to honor them and demand that there be no impunity in the investigation.
“There wasn’t any clarity about what had happened until we left the event. It’s absolutely devastating,” Mexican artist Luisa Almaguer, who performed as part of Saturday’s lineup at AXE Ceremonia, told Billboard Español. “The show definitely should not have continued.”
On Monday, the funerals for Miguel Ángel Rojas and Berenice Giles were held in Mexico City, according to reports from the N+ Foro news channel.
“Cozy” hitmaker Braxton Keith has been on the road promoting his debut EP, Blue, and during a recent tour stop, he brought the concert to a halt to call out some concertgoers for throwing a barrage of beer cans at the stage.
While performing his song “Honky Tonk City” at a show in Gilmer, Texas, he continually dodged beer cans being thrown onstage, before finally stopping the show to address the crowd. “Hey listen up, pause this s–t,” he said, signaling to his band to stop playing. “I didn’t come here to get beer cans thrown at me, alright? This isn’t a godd–n Gavin Adcock concert, okay?” he added, referencing his fellow country musician’s audiences.
Keith continued, admonishing his crowd and reminding them to be respectful not only to him, but to their fellow concertgoers. “Don’t be throwin’ f–kin’ beers out here,” he said. “These people at the front are gettin’ wet up here and it’s gonna piss them off and it’s gonna piss me off.”
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He also noted the presence of a younger concertgoer in the audience, in an attempt to get the crowd to curb their can-tossing behavior. “This little girl right here’s never been to a country concert before, and it’s her first d–n time, okay? We’re gonna have a good show for her, okay?” he said, before concluding that “we’re comin’ here to listen to country music” and continuing with his song “Honky Tonk City.”
Keith shared a video clip of the moment on TikTok, and doubled down on his on-stage comments in the caption. “This is unacceptable behavior for any concert including my brother @GavinAdcockMusic,” he wrote. “Nobody likes beer and trash getting thrown at them. I love live music and when given the opportunity to speak up about unruliness in the concert community, I will protect my audience, band, crew, equipment, and most importantly, the integrity of live performance experiences.”
Adcock offered his own take on the situation, writing a comment admonishing Keith for bringing his name up on Country Central’s Instagram post about the incident. “Maybe he should learn how to handle HIS fans without bringing someone else into it,” he wrote. “I do it every night without bringing anybody else up. Welcome to the big leagues kid.”
Keith’s next show is April 11 at the Galveston County Fair and Rodeo in Hitchcock, Texas.
After two decades of snipes and barbed words traded back and forth, Madonna and Sir Elton John are here to report a groundbreaking piece of news — their feud is apparently over.
In a photo posted to her Instagram on Monday (April 7), the “Material Girl” singer is giving the “Rocket Man” star a side-hug, and reported that she and the star are on the same page at long last. “We Finally Buried the Hatchet!!!” Madonna wrote in her caption. “I went to see @eltonjohn perform on SNL this weekend!! WOW.”
In the caption, Madonna revealed that seeing one of John’s shows when she was in high school “changed the course of my life,” helping her realize that she wanted to become a pop sensation. So, when John publicly expressed his disdain for her, she says she felt wounded. “I had always felt like an outsider growing up and watching him on stage helped me to understand that it was OK to be different —to stand out — to take the road, less traveled by,” she wrote. “Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist. I didn’t understand it.”
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The pair’s feud officially started in 2002, when John said that Madge’s “Die Another Day” was “the worst Bond tune ever” and that the track “hasn’t got a tune.” He continued to throw digs at the pop singer at the 2004 Q Awards, where he lambasted her winning the best live act award at the ceremony. “Madonna, best live act? F— off. Since when has lip-synching been live?” he asked. “I think everyone who lip-synchs on stage in public when you pay, like, 75 quid to see them should be shot.”
The feud escalated in 2012, when both Madonna and John were up for best original song at the 69th annual Golden Globes — Madonna for “Masterpiece” from W.E., and John for “Hello, Hello” from Gnomeo & Juliet. When Madonna eventually won the award, John’s husband, David Furnish, blasted her win on his Facebook account, claiming that her victory showed the awards had “nothing to do with merit.” Madonna, for her part, reacted to John and Furnish’s comments backstage, saying “[John]’s been known to get mad at me, so I don’t know. He’s brilliant, and I adore him, so he’ll win another award. I don’t feel bad.”
But on her latest Instagram post, Madonna revealed that when she went to go visit with John backstage at SNL on Saturday (April 5), the “Your Song” singer was immediately apologetic. “I needed to go backstage and confront him. When I met him, the first thing out of his mouth was, ‘Forgive Me’ and the wall between us fell down,” she wrote. “Forgiveness is a powerful tool. Within minutes. We were hugging.”
Madge even revealed that this reconciliation could potentially bear fruit. “Then he told me had written a song for me and he wanted to collaborate. It was like everything came full circle,” she wrote. “And you can tell everybody , This is Your Song……….”
John thanked Madonna for “forgiving me and my big mouth” in the comments of the post, highlighting her work as an activist for the fight against HIV and AIDS as one of the many reasons he admires her. “I’m not proud of what I said. Particularly when I think about all the groundbreaking work you have done as an artist,” he wrote. “I’m grateful we can move forward.”
The star added that he hoped the two of them could serve as an example to people around the world of what reconciliation looks like in a divided political landscape. “I’m increasingly distressed by all the divisiveness in our world at the moment. Both you and I have wholeheartedly been accepted and embraced by communities who are under threat around the world,” he wrote. “By pulling together, I’m hopeful that we can make great things happen for those who really need support.”
It’s been seven long years since the release of DJ Koze’s brilliant and beloved 2018 album Knock Knock, with his followup, Music Can Hear Us, released April 4 of the German wizard’s own Pampa Records label.
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The project’s 15 tracks are classic Koze — music that feels at once totally organic and deeply considered, weaving in acoustic guitar, hand drums and bird calls while occasionally veering into dancefloor territory, but altogether equally as well-suited to a soundbath.
Featuring collaborations with artists including Damon Albarn, Sofia Kourtesis, Marley Waters and Ada and Sophia Kennedy (the latter two both Pampa Records signees), the project extends and expands Koze’s reputation as a sort of sage of electronic music, an artist who exists within the genre, but doesn’t always necessarily seem of it. It comes ahead of DJ Koze sets at summer festivals including Barcelona’s Primavera Sound in June and San Francisco’s Outside Lands this August.
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Here, the artist born Stefan Kozalla engages in a characteristically existential conversation about the right setting in which to listen to Music Can Hear Us, the proudest moments of his career so far and more.
1. Where are you in the world right now, and what’s the setting like?
I am everywhere and nowhere, floating in the echo chamber of creation. The sun hums the rhythm, the moon sips the bassline.
2. What is the first album or piece of music you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?
The first music I did not buy, only receive. Sound is a gift from the universe, in my case from my mother, who sang me a lullaby while holding me against her chest.
3. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid, and what do or did they think of what you’ve done and do now?
My father was an attorney, sharp with words and justice, while my mother was a midwife, bringing new life into the world. They saw me weaving rhythms out of thin air and said, “You’re an attorney of sound, defending truth with every beat, and a midwife to melody, helping music be born.“ I’m still Koze from da block.
4. What is the first non-gear thing you bought for yourself when you started making money as an artist?
The first thing I bought was a pair of shoes to walk a little further, a book to open my mind wider, and a Tascam 4 track to capture the thoughts that danced in my head.
5. If you had to recommend one album for someone looking to get into dance music, what would you give them?
Matthew Herbert’s Bodily Functions from 2001 is a truly unique album that blends house music with deep conceptual exploration.
6. What’s the last song you listened to?
“Remember to Remember” from Rick Holme.
7. If, as you say, Music Can Hear Us, what exactly does it hear?
Music hears everything — the heart, the soul, the past, the future. It hears thoughts before they are spoken.
8. Seriously though, please tell me the story behind or meaning of that album title?
Nothing to add.9. I know you remixed Gorillaz’s “Humility” in 2018. Did that lead to Damon Albarn being on your album? Or if not, how did he end up on “Pure Love“?
Yes, the reincarnation of the old song was the birth of the new song.
10. Please, tell the story behind the name of “The Talented Mr. Tripley.” Does the title in any way nod to the song’s inspiration?
Mr. Tripley is a man with three faces — one for truth, one for lies, one for the space in between. It’s what you don’t hear or tell in a song that’s important!
11. What does success for the new album look like for you?
Success is making hearts resonate, not numbers.
12. Do you feel like there’s an ideal setting for it to be played in? Do you have recommendations for listeners, in terms of an optimal experience?
Play it in the desert at sunrise, play it underwater so the fish can listen, play it in a dark room with only a candle and the spirit beside you.
13. Pampa Records signees Ada and Sophia Kennedy are on the album. What is the label’s prevailing philosophy and approach?
Pampa Records is like a spaceship flying through sound, piloted by the rhythm itself. No borders, no walls—only music in its purest form.
14. The album cover art is gorgeous. What’s the story behind it?
The album cover art is truly special. My girlfriend, Gepa Hinrichsen, loves to paint with oils. She is my favorite painter. I feel incredibly lucky that her beautiful creations help to visualize the music, weaving together sound and vision in a way that transcends the ordinary.
15. In the sprawling world of electronic music and DJ culture, what pocket do you feel most connected to and comfortable in?
A little sparrow, who comes and goes, never staying too long but always leaving a trace of light and freedom.
16. What are the proudest moments of your career thus far?
The proudest moments of my career are when I see my work resonate with others. When someone tells me my music has sparked something in them or helped them navigate a difficult moment, I know I’m doing something meaningful. It’s those genuine connections that make it all worthwhile.
17. And what are you currently finding most challenging?
Maintaining a positive mindset amidst the cacophony of malicious men’s voices around us.
18. What’s the best business decision you’ve ever made?
To work together with my lovely problem solver, my manager Patric.
19. Who’s been your greatest mentor and what’s the best advice they ever gave you?
My dear wife: always s–t on the same pile please, but the s–t itself can always be different.
20. What’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?
Don’t fear the fire — become it.
While Ye (formerly Kanye West) has continued to badger J. Cole and his music, the North Carolina rapper took the high road during his set at Dreamville Festival 2025 on Sunday night (April 6). Cole saluted the embattled rapper ahead of performing “Work Out,” which samples Yeezy’s “The New Workout Plan” off his acclaimed The […]
