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The third installment of the business conference NOW PLAYING JAPAN, organized by Billboard JAPAN and Luminate, was held on Feb. 6 at Billboard Live Tokyo.
At this event, executives from Billboard JAPAN and Luminate gave presentations on the latest domestic and international trends in music consumption. Additionally, Tatsuya Nomura, Chairman of the MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN Executive Committee, and Yutaka Inaba, Vice Chairman, appeared as guest speakers to discuss MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN, which will be held in May 2025. They focused on Japan’s music market and explained the efforts being made to help domestic artists succeed on the global stage.
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Scott Ryan, Executive Vice President of Luminate, took the podium first to discuss global trends for 2024, including streaming growth, genre trends, and audience insights, using Luminate’s “2024 Year End Report.” In 2024, global on-demand audio streaming grew 14% over the previous year to reach 4.8 trillion streams, which represents an increase of approximately 75% from 2.7 trillion streams in 2022. While 30% of this streaming volume is from the U.S., the growth rate from 2023 to 2024 for countries outside of the U.S. was 17.3%, indicating that the streaming market is growing on a global scale. He also explained that when focusing on Japan, the total number of streaming users (including both premium and ad-supported) grew by about 13%, and the number of premium users grew by more than 10%.
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In addition, Ryan introduced a new metric developed by Luminate, the “Luminate Export Power Score.” This metric is designed to evaluate a country’s ability to export recorded music globally, and is comprised of four data points. The U.S. is ranked first in this metric, with its top importers being Canada, Australia, and New Zealand; Brazil ranks 10th, with Portugal, Bolivia, and Peru being the top importers. Japan ranks 14th in this metric. Ryan also noted the country of origin for artists as a point of interest, and revealed that English speaking markets losing share to imports is becoming a new trend. Meanwhile in non-English-speaking markets, domestically produced works are gaining market share over imports from English-speaking countries (Japan also falls into this category).
Ryan also mentioned that Luminate, now with data enrichment services, has begun to access songwriting works data, and can now share at a broader scale, more information about how songwriters are driving cultural exchange and activity. By taking the top 1,000 global on-demand audio songs and then analyze them using data enrichment services from the team formerly known as Quansic, Luminate can now identify the top songwriters. The top global songwriter was Taylor Swift followed by Max Martin and The Weeknd.
Looking at regional and market based trends, the amount of J-Pop streams outside of Japan was mentioned as a notable trend. The number of premium users is also growing globally, with Asia, Europe, and Latin America showing the largest growth in 2024 from the previous year. While Latin America has been the fastest growing region overall since 2021, when focusing on 2024, Asia and Europe are showing a more rapid growth compared to other regions.
Ryan concluded by listing four key points: “Streaming in Japan and globally continues to grow at double-digit percentages, faster than in Western mature developed markets,” “Share of local content is increasing in Japan and many non-English speaking countries, and declining in English speaking markets like the U.S., UK and Canada,” ”Quansic Music Enrichment and Matching Services now provide new visibility on Songwriter and Recording activity” and ”New Audience Insights information will be coming soon for Japan and other top global music markets, enabling strategic planning.”
Next, Tatsuya Nomura, Chairman of the MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN Executive Committee, and Yutaka Inaba, Vice Chairman, took the stage for a discussion on the theme “The Meaning of Hosting an Awards Show in Japan Today.” Billboard JAPAN’s Naoko Takashima served as moderator.
The inaugural MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN will be held on May 21 and 22, 2025, in Kyoto, with an awards ceremony and performances. The May 22 event will be broadcast on NHK, including some BTS coverage, and will also be available worldwide on YouTube with a delayed stream. Unlike traditional Japanese music awards, MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN has been designed with a global perspective. One of the key reasons for establishing this award was the shift in Japan’s music industry from a CD-centric model to streaming, a transition accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the growing international reach of Japanese music.
Nomura and Inaba emphasized that Japan lacked a transparent, democratically structured awards show akin to the Grammy Awards. Nomura explained, “In the U.S., the Grammy Awards recognize the best music of the year, and I thought Japan needed something similar. While Japan has various awards, they often lack transparency and industry participation. We wanted to create an opportunity where people could participate democratically, engage thoughtfully, and vote with genuine interest.” Inaba added, “This award is managed jointly by five major music industry organizations, meaning it exists for the benefit of the industry rather than any single entity. If any revenue is generated, it will be reinvested into Japan’s music industry. Many companies have resonated with this vision and have chosen to support us as partners. The more people take an interest in music, the more it will enrich and revitalize various aspects of society.”
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN will have six major categories in addition to more than 60 other award categories. The primary selection of nominated artists will be based on Billboard JAPAN’s charts, utilizing publicly available data to ensure an objective and quantitative perspective that fairly captures listener response. Following this, over 5,000 music industry professionals will vote to determine the winners. The voting criteria will shift from quantitative analysis to a qualitative approach, evaluating artists based on their creativity and artistic excellence. Inaba noted, “Even if we narrow down the top five artists based on chart performance, industry professionals might have different opinions regarding who is truly the most outstanding artist, regardless of general fan popularity. We want to encourage deeper discussions about music.”
Nomura also revealed some of the challenges involved, stating, “The more we ensure transparency in the selection process, the more difficult the artist bookings become.” Beyond the awards themselves, the committee announced plans to support the global and digital expansion of Japanese music throughout the year by organizing showcase live performances worldwide. Already scheduled for March is a showcase event within SXSW, which is expected to continue annually, as well as “matsuri ’25: Japanese Music Experience LOS ANGELES” at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, featuring Ado, ATARASHII GAKKO!, and YOASOBI. Moving forward, the committee aims to create more opportunities for artists to engage with local J-Pop fans not only in the U.S. but also across Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Additionally, to support the industry beyond live performances and artist activities, a training program for music industry professionals is set to launch in the spring.
Seiji Isozaki from Billboard JAPAN delivered the final presentation under the theme “Reflections on Providing Global Data.”
Isozaki outlined the various services currently offered by Billboard JAPAN, including the “Global Japan Songs excl. Japan” chart, the “Chart Insight Global” data analysis service, and Luminate’s CONNECT service for corporate clients, highlighting their respective benefits. While acknowledging that some companies hesitate due to the high cost of these services, Isozaki pointed out that relying on inexpensive peripheral data often leads to mere “predictions,” which can ultimately put companies at a disadvantage. Isozaki then emphasized the advantages of utilizing accurate data to make informed decisions. He also reiterated the importance of enhancing music and artist identifiers, a topic that had been raised at the previous convention in September. Currently, tens of millions of songs by millions of artists, including their derivative versions, are being streamed across hundreds of platforms in dozens of languages. He expressed concerns that this explosive growth in content has led to lost opportunities and revenue overseas. Isozaki emphasized that improving metadata accuracy can help increase revenue, warning that using lower-cost alternative services with limited coverage rates would require working with multiple providers, ultimately leading to higher costs. He urged consideration of updating metadata through Luminate, which would allow for higher matching accuracy.
Isozaki also discussed the potential impact of MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN, presenting comparative data on streaming trends before and after the broadcast of multiple songs during the 2024 year-end NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen. The graphs showed a significant increase in streaming numbers for all featured songs following the broadcast. He explained that MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN, like Kouhaku, has the potential to become an internationally recognized program that influences audiences both in Japan and globally. He also reaffirmed Billboard JAPAN’s commitment to fully supporting the initiative and closely monitoring its impact.
—This article by Haruki Saito and Maiko Murata first appeared on Billboard Japan
The Japan Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA) and TOYOTA GROUP are joining forces to launch the Music Way Project, a collaborative endeavor that supports and promotes the globalization and sustainable growth of the Japanese music industry.
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With “Japanese music drives the world” as its concept, this project will focus on “human development” and “place development” for those taking on challenges on the global stage in music. For the former, to be a guiding light for young people with aspirations in music, the project will help refine the talents of those active globally through corporately supported seminars for student talents, training young people in the industry, and workshops with creators. For the latter, the Toyota Arena Tokyo — slated to open this autumn in Japan — will be utilized, and showcases will be held in the United States (Los Angeles), Europe (London) and Asia (Thailand). Toyota Group will offer its overseas bases to “providing spaces for young talent to shine.”
CEIPA Chair of the Board Shunsuke Muramatsu, TOYOTA GROUP Representative Akio Toyoda, and composer/Agency for Cultural Affairs Commissioner Shunichi Tokura took the stage at the joint press conference held in Tokyo Tuesday (Feb. 25). “With the expansion of the streaming business, the market for entertainment content is growing rapidly. Music is always closely linked to contents that Japan excels in, such as games, anime, live-action films, and events. Music has the power to spread without limit,” Muramatsu said, noting that the project is focusing on music first among the many forms of entertainment.
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As a move towards producing artists who reach global audiences, a major showcase event called matsuri ’25: Japanese Music Experience LOS ANGELES, will take place in March at the Peacock Theater, set to feature J-pop stars Ado, ATARASHII GAKKO!, and YOASOBI. Also, the inaugural MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN, the largest music awards in Japan, is slated for May at the ROHM Theater Kyoto.
When comparing export values by industry, automobiles are worth 22 trillion yen, semiconductors 5.5 trillion yen, and steel 4.5 trillion yen, while the content industry, including entertainment, is worth 5.8 trillion yen. Elaborating on TOYOTA GROUP’s intention to participate in this project, Toyoda said, “When I was president of Toyota Motor Corporation, I think my driving force was my love for Japan. That is why I want Japan to continue to be needed by the world.”
He went on to express his hopes for the development of the project, concluding, “There’s a lot of good music in Japan, as well as many talented people. We want them to rock the world with their music, and want to support them so that people everywhere can get to know their talent. If you see someone working hard, please support them. Your support will widen paths and build more of them. When more paths are built, you can climb even the steepest mountains. Please give them that chance.”
MUSIC WAY PROJECT Outline
Promoters: CEIPA x TOYOTA GROUP
Aim: Supporting and promoting the fundamental globalization and sustainable growth of the Japanese music industry.
Human development that refines the talents of those taking on the global stage:
Student Seminars: Courses for students in collaboration with domestic universities, etc.
Professional Seminars: Online courses for young industry professionals, etc.
Co-Write Global CAMP: Hosting cowriting camps where creators from around the world assemble.
Place development to provide spaces for young talent to shine:
Enhancing overseas bases: Utilizing three bases in the U.S. (Los Angeles), Europe (London), and Asia (Thailand), and supporting activities of artists domestically.
GLOBAL SHOWCASE LIVE: Strengthening artists’ footholds and networks by developing showcases in Asia and Europe. Utilizing TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO, slated to open this fall.
Drake doesn’t have any love for those who turned their back on him during the Kendrick Lamar feud, and he thanked those peers who stood by him over the course of the last year. The 6 God addressed the audience during a recent concert in Brisbane as part of his Anita Max Win Tour, where […]
Justin Bieber let fans in on his smoke break Thursday (Feb. 27), with the star sharing a carefree video of himself enjoying what appears to be a blunt or cigar while jamming out to Don Toliver on Instagram Stories.
In the clip, Bieber keeps his face close to the camera while inhaling thick clouds of smoke and exhaling straight into the lens, giving a couple of cheeky smiles. All the while, he bops along to the Houston-born rapper’s “Hardstone National Anthem,” which appears on Toliver’s Hardstone Psycho. Released in June, the album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
The “Peaches” singer has worked with Toliver in the past, appearing on the latter’s 2023 Love Sick track “Private Landing” alongside Future. The “Bandit” musician also joined Bieber on the 2022 single “Honest.”
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Bieber’s Thursday afternoon smoke sesh comes two days after he posted a different video of himself vibing to music on Instagram, that time hanging out with a friend and freestyling a silly rap: “High like a fly guy/ I fly high like a magpie/ I go high like a bad guy.” Doechii commented, “me asf lmaaooo.”
The clips follow shortly after a rep for Justin and his wife, model Hailey Bieber — with whom he welcomed his first son, Jack Blues, in August — disputed speculation that the musician is using hard drugs in a statement shared with TMZ Feb. 23. Calling the rumors “exhausting and pitiful,” the spokesperson said that the misconception “shows that despite the obvious truth, people are committed to keeping negative, salacious, harmful narratives alive.”
The rep also added that this past year has been “very transformative for him as he ended several close friendships and business relationships that no longer served him.”
Justin has been notably more active on social media recently, though not all of his posts have been as unserious as his latest video. Earlier this month, he posted an earnest note on Instagram Stories declaring that it’s “time to grow up,” adding, “changing is about letting go!”
“Are you tired of trying to follow all of the rules in hopes to get the results you crave?” he continued in the Feb. message. “Ive found love to be more powerful than rules. I tried to follow the rules. Im not good at it. But u dont need to follow rules to enter into a life of love. U just receive so enter love living! God always grants us love! … Today im letting go and remembering the weight isnt on me to change. The weight is on God. So I give all my insecurities and my fears to him this morning. Because I know he gladly takes it.”
Cynthia Erivo’s Ariana Grande-featuring “Defying Gravity” from Wicked retains the No. 1 slot on Billboard’s Top Movie Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), for January 2025, ruling for a second month.
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 January 2025. The ranking includes newly released films from the preceding three months.
After “Defying Gravity” rose to No. 1 on the December 2024 (it debuted at No. 2 on the November 2024 list) via 47 million official on-demand U.S. streams and 13,000 downloads that month, according to Luminate, the song maintains a strong showing in its second full month of release: 36.4 million streams and 9,000 downloads in January.
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It debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Dec. 7, 2024, and lifted back to No. 49 on the Jan. 11 ranking.
In all, four songs from Wicked, which premiered in theaters on Nov. 22, 2024, appear on the January 2025 Top Movie Songs chart. Grande’s “Popular” is the next highest after “Defying Gravity,” ranking at No. 3, followed by the Erivo and Grande duet “What Is This Feeling?” (No. 4) and Jonathan Bailey’s “Dancing Through Life” (No. 10).
But it’s not all Wicked on the chart. No. 2 belongs to Dominic Fike’s “Come Here,” featured in the Steven Soderbergh-directed film Presence, debuted in theaters on Jan. 24. First released on Fike’s 2020 album What Could Possibly Go Wrong, it garnered 320,000 streams in January 2025.
Music from Back in Action, Babygirl, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Mufasa: The Lion King also dot the latest monthly ranking, found below.
Rank, Song, Artist, Movie1. “Defying Gravity,” Cynthia Erivo feat. Ariana Grande, Wicked2. “Come Here,” Dominic Fike, Presence3. “Popular,” Ariana Grande, Wicked4. “What Is This Feeling?,” Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande, Wicked5. “Doo Wop (That Thing),” Lauryn Hill, Back in Action6. “Father Figure,” George Michael, Babygirl7. “Run It,” Jelly Roll, Sonic the Hedgehog 38. “I Always Wanted a Brother,” Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu, Aaron Pierre & Kelvin Harrison Jr., Mufasa: The Lion King9. “CRUSH,” Yellow Claw, Natte Visstick & RHYME, Babygirl10. “Dancing Through Life,” Jonathan Bailey, Wicked
Larry June, 2 Chainz and The Alchemist have dropped a video for their song “Colossal” from their collab album Life Is Beautiful. Directed by David Camarena, the black-and-white visual shows the trio running around New York City during their recent press run, where they visited The Breakfast Club and performed on The Tonight Show Starring […]
The 2025 Academy Awards are just around the corner, which means a new track will receive the Oscar for best original song. Emilia Pérez notched two nominations in the category with “El Mal” and “Mi Camino.” Both songs’ music and lyrics were written by Clément Ducol and Camille, with a lyrical assist from Jacques Audiard […]
If your TikTok FYP frequently feeds you clips of semi-professional dancers, you’ve probably heard a snippet of Blaiz Fayah and Maureen’s intoxicating “Money Pull Up.” “Money pull up/ Action we ah turn it up/ Shatta run di place and guess/ Who ah bring it up?” the French dancehall artist chants over an infectious, percussive beat.
Hailing from Paris, France, Blaiz Fayah turned his childhood experiences of following his saxophonist father around to zouk gigs in Guadeloupe and Martinique into a bustling dancehall career that’s now birthing international viral hits. According to Luminate, “Money Pull Up” has collected over 1.7 million official on-demand U.S. streams, an impressive number for a song from two rising international stars operating in a relatively niche genre. On TikTok, the official “Money Pull Up” sound plays in over 231,000 posts, including multiple clips from TikTok-Broadway star Charli D’Amelio; the official sound also boasts nearly 30,000 Instagram Reels.
The track – which infuses its dancehall foundation with Martinican shatta (a subgenre of dancehall pioneered in the French Caribbean)– appears on Fayah’s new album Shatta Ting, his first full-length offering since the conclusion of his Mad Ting trilogy. The new record features several collaborators, including Italian-born basshall artist Kybba and producer Mafio House, who helmed several songs, including “Money Pull Up.” His most collaborative project yet, Shatta Ting also gifted Fayah with the opportunity to play his new music for his biggest dancehall heroes in Jamaica.
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“When I listen to Shatta Ting, I’m happy. It was important for me to see all these Jamaican artists and producers and engineers embrace the music when I played it for them out there,” he tells Billboard between rehearsals for his forthcoming tour in support of the new album. “For me, going to Jamaica is like when Muslims go to Mecca. I was a bit shy playing the music at first because these guys have been doing this for over 30 years, so when they hear a song, they don’t have a [physical reaction]. But when they said, ‘Bro, you’re a mad artist,’ I felt at ease.”
Blaiz Fayah’s latest tour kicks off on Feb. 27 in Toulon, France, and will visit concert halls in Nice, Lyon and Luxembourg before concluding on March 29 in Dortmund, Germany. In an illuminating conversation with Billboard, Blaiz Fayah talks about his new Shatta Ting album, the French Caribbean music scene and the merits of TikTok for dancehall’s present and future.
Where are you right now?
I’m actually in a rehearsal studio in Paris making small details before the first show of the tour. It’s a new show for the new album, so I have to [revamp] everything. On the last tour, we mostly used the same show with a few new songs sometimes. By the end, it was a bit too easy because it was so automatic. I was a bit lazy by the end of the tour. I like a challenge, so for the next tour, I have some pressure on me to remember my blocking and everything.
Where are you and your family from? What’s your relationship with dancehall?
I was born in Paris, and we have the French Caribbean as well with Martinique, Guadeloupe, etc. My father was the saxophonist of Kassav’, a big zouk group from the French Caribbean. When I was really young, I used to go to Guadeloupe and Martinique and go to some studio sessions with him. When I grew up, I was assisting in the studio as well. I’ve always been around this culture, listening to reggae and dancehall. I used to listen to Sizzla, Buju Banton, Richie Spice, and all these roots reggae artists. I was digging deep and understanding the story and evolution of the music. I’ve always been like a magnet to this music, not the Jamaican culture.
I don’t act like I’m a Jamaican, and it’s really important to say that… I remember one time I was writing in Jamaica, and someone told me to say “likkle” instead of “little.” I said, “Bro, I’m not Jamaican!” It’s really important for me to stay myself. I’m not saying “bomboclaat” every two sentences. I really like the energy of the music. I never felt this free listening to anything else; there is no other music that brings me this kind of madness.
How would you describe shatta?
Shatta comes from Martinique. It’s a type of riddim with big bass, snares, minimal hi-hats, and, sometimes, no chords. Remixes of Vybz Kartel‘s [vocals] on shatta riddims used to go crazy at every party, same with Aidonia’s voice or Buju’s voice. Martinique still has a thriving dancehall scene and people wanna dance. The shatta riddim makes the people dance. When I play shatta riddims for other artists like Busy Signal and they think it’s fresh, I have to give them their flowers. They started all of this; we’re the result of their influence.
When you hear [Kartel’s] “Benz Punany,” there is no kick drum, only bassline, that’s a choice to make the music stronger. When you hear [Charly Black and J Capri’s] “Wine & Kotch,” it’s the same thing. Jamaica has been doing this for 10-15 years; Martinique just put their own vibe on it. We don’t go as hard lyrically as some Jamaican dancehall artists because it’s not the same culture, but it’s still party music.
How did “Money Pull Up” come together? When did you start to realize that it was growing into a big hit?
I was in Martinique with Mafio House, who wrote the arrangement for the song, listening to “Benz Punany” again. I wanted to combine Gaza-type strings [in reference to Kartel’s Gaza production camp] with a shatta bassline and percussion. 15 minutes later, the first version of the riddim was done. Initially, I wanted Boy Boy on the track because it had a bit of a Trinidadian vibe, but [plans fell through].
I ended up being in the studio in Paris with Maureen, played her the riddim, and she loved it. We wrote and recorded the song immediately, and I sent the track to one producer to clean it up and make it feel less like a demo. But after four weeks, I still had nothing, so I gave the track to Mafio. Three hours later, we had a finished cut of the song.
The label liked the song, but they wanted something easier for people to latch onto. I was like, “If we do what is working now, then we’re not leading our thing. It’s too easy.” Sometimes, I make choices, and the stars are not on the same line at that moment, but I’m not ashamed about it. They agreed to put some money into the video, and within one month, Spotify streams started hitting 500,000 per day. I’m so happy, because I believed in the song ever since I heard the first note of the riddim. And I’m happy, I followed the Gaza influence and made a real collaboration [with Maureen].
How has TikTok and the dance community helped dancehall’s global presence?
TikTok is a really, really good thing because I can see the impact. But it’s a really, really bad thing because a lot of people make songs for TikTok. I think that’s a trap. “Money Pull Up” is my biggest hit [so far], and I never expected it to be big on TikTok. If you make songs for TikTok, you’re on the wrong path for hits.
TikTok can also be kind of unfair to dancers because phones do so much of the work, and onstage, they look completely different. I see some of these TikTok dancers, and there is no attitude. The result on the app is crazy, but they move too small for the stage. Even the crowds know when a dancer is there because she’s sexy and beautiful, over the dancers who working and taking lessons every day of the week. TikTok can be a good thing because everybody can be a star or go viral quickly — but you have to be careful of the way TikTok influences how you create.
This is your first album since the Mad Ting trilogy ended. Where did you want to go musically and conceptually after the trilogy?
I started working on Shatta Ting about a year and a half ago. I had a writing camp in Martinique and kept half of the songs we wrote there. It was the first time I recorded songs like that. I really enjoyed creating [in collaboration], and I took some risks on some of those songs – but those aren’t on Shatta Ting because I wanted something easier for people to listen to.
I also feel that it’s time to put the “shatta” name in people’s heads; that’s why there are more proper shatta riddims on this project. There is less risk, but nobody listens to me for slow songs or songs about the world. When people listen to me, they just want to have fun.
Did the writing camp approach change anything else about how you normally make albums?
This was the first time I made a bunch of songs and then chose a few from the pack for the album. I’m not an artist who records a bunch of songs for an album and throws half of them away. I like quality over quantity. I have 8-10 songs from those sessions that I’ve put to the side. The BPM is also a bit higher on Shatta Ting than my other projects, so the tour will be more dynamic.
What else do you have planned this year?
We have a big tour for Shatta Ting, of course. I have another writing camp with Kybba in April, and we’re going to make a joint project. After that, I’ve just re-signed for two other albums. I have a better deal now because I’ve created my own label. Shatta Ting is a co-production with my label, Mad Ting Records, and Creepy Music, which works with X-Ray Productions. Now, I own 50% of my publishing. That kind of thing can happen when you have some strings, and the strings come from songs like “Money Pull Up.” When you have good numbers, then you can negotiate these things.
Companies like Universal and Sony approached me, but nowadays, we don’t really need them. They’re more like a bank. I prefer a small label with money; I really feel better than when I call someone, and a person [at the label] answers. It’s important to feel like we’re working on the same wavelength. We’re not here only for money. Another big thing is that I can do what I want creatively. The label tells me nothing. I have some parts of the deal that I must respect, but I’m free in the creation, so I’m really happy.
Kim Kardashian is healing through her relationship with her 11-year-old daughter North following her divorce from Kanye West.
In the newest episode of Hulu’s The Kardashians on Thursday (Feb. 27), Kim reveals a positive development to her sister, Kourtney Kardashian Barker. “The craziest thing happened. Tell me if this happened with Mason,” Kim says, referring to Kourtney’s 15-year-old son. “North is like obsessed with me now. And calls me with her friends like, ‘Mom I love you, you’re the best mom. I love you so much.’”
“Do you think you’ve changed?” Kourtney asks Kim, and the SKIMS founder replies, “I mean possibly. It was a year of like mad at me.”
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“Well also you guys were getting a divorce,” Kourtney notes, and Kim agrees. “I think it was all the divorce. It’s insane the turnaround,” she says.
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Kardashian filed for divorce from West in February 2021 after six years of marriage. Both sides initially said that the split would be amicable, but the relationship between the two superstars has turned increasingly tense in the two years since.
Ye has also been especially controversial. Back in October 2022, Ye fired off a series of antisemitic rants, including the “Death Con 3” tweet, which led to companies such as Adidas, Def Jam, Balenciaga, Gap and more cutting ties with the rapper.
Earlier this year, the rapper went on a hate-filled X spree, in which he once again praised Nazis and Adolf Hitler, while insulting the LGBTQ community and people with disabilities with phrases such as “f–k ret-rds.”
“After further reflection I’ve come to the realization that I’m not a Nazi,” he later wrote, backtracking on his highly criticized comments.
Kardashian has previously opened up about navigating the divorce with her four children — in addition to North, she also shares Saint, Chicago and Psalm with Ye. “Ultimately, what matters is that kids feel loved and heard,” she said in a GQ cover feature. “You want to be sensitive because they’re just kids, and it’s hard to go through no matter what age. You have to make sure that you only go to a level that they can understand. It’s okay to show a vulnerable side. You never go to a negative side.”
“Just because I know how to manage my stress well doesn’t mean that I don’t feel the emotions. If I’m sad, of course I will cry and feel it,” she added.
Ray J regrets his infamous rant aimed at Fabolous from 2011 when he called into The Breakfast Club and threatened the Brooklyn rapper after Fab made fun of Ray J playing his song “One Wish” on the piano for Floyd Mayweather on an episode of HBO Sports docuseries 24/7. Explore See latest videos, charts and […]