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On this week’s (Sept. 6) episode of the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century podcast, we take a look at a pair of rap savants: mixtape phenom turned Queen of Rap Nicki Minaj, and polarizing superstar turned reliable veteran hitmaker Eminem. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news First, host […]
The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week is returning from Oct. 14 to 18 at the Fillmore Miami Beach in Miami with a star-studded lineup of more than 70 artists.
This year, celebrating its 35th anniversary, Latin Music Week welcomes an array of global artists including Feid, Young Miko, Alejandro Sanz, NMIXX, Thalía, Maria Becerra, Gloria Estefan, Fuerza Regida’s JOP and many more. Who are you excited to see? Vote here!
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The week-long event that coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo, includes conversations with Feid on how he went from performing at clubs to dominating sold-out stadiums; Making the Hit, Live! with Grupo Frontera, where the norteño group will create song in real time; Thalía and Maria Becerra in an intimate mano-a-mano about mental health; and the power of content creators with Kunno, Domelipa, Marko, Yerimua, Mario Bautista and Sophia Talamas.
The icon and superstar Q&As confirmed for the 2024 edition are Alejandro Sanz, J Balvin, Gloria Estefan, Pepe Aguilar and Young Miko. Meanwhile, Korean sensation NMIXX will join Billboard for a discussion on the explosion of K-pop in the Latin market, and its future en Español.
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Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country, becoming the single most important — and biggest — gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world.
From Belinda to Feid to Peso Pluma to NMIXX and beyond, vote for the person you’re most excited to catch at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week here.
As he continues on his trek around North America with Charli XCX, Troye Sivan stopped by Billboard News on Friday (Oct. 4) to take a look back at his latest musical era.
In the interview, Sivan reflects on his time creating and releasing Something to Give Each Other, his third studio album that arrived on Oct. 13, 2023. The project’s first single “Rush” gave Sivan his highest-charting solo release since 2015’s “Youth,” reaching No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated July 29, 2023.
“I’m so used to releasing music to this group of people that I love that have been with me for like 10-plus years at this point, and then all of a sudden, this was so much wider than that,” he says. “I didn’t expect that. I hoped for it, always, but it was really, really cool.”
But with attention came some criticism — upon its release, the “Rush” music video came under fire for its failure to include diverse body types. But, as Sivan points out, he had learned how to handle online critics thanks to a decade of his career already spent on the Internet.
“I think one of the perks of being chronically online since I was 10, basically, is that I kind of understand how the online conversation moves and changes,” he explains. “[I know] when to listen, when to not listen — because it’s important to protect your sanity. Listening, learning and engaging in conversation, while also knowing when something is just somebody sitting in their basement and trolling just to troll … having an understanding of how to navigate that has been really helpful.”
Sivan also spoke about filming the music video for the album’s other breakout hit “One of Your Girls,” in which the star dressed up in full drag while giving Austin & Ally star Ross Lynch a steamy lap dance. Describing the single as his “favorite song on the album,” Sivan says he wanted the track to serve as the “centerpiece” of Something to Give Each Other with an eye-catching video.
“I didn’t even really think about it as me doing drag; I thought about it as me being a woman,” he says with a laugh. “It was a crazy experience, and I think the biggest risk was, ‘What if I look super busted?’ I’d never done drag before, I’d never worn makeup like that or had a wig like that. So, we did a test the day before … and by the end of the test, I felt good about it.”
After having a groundbreaking 2023, Sivan is now bringing the album to U.S. audiences on the Sweat Tour with Charli XCX. Speaking about his longtime friend and collaborator, Sivan says that he’s proud to share the stage with someone who is actively shifting the culture of pop music in real time.
“Seeing her win has just been one of the greatest pleasures of the last year for me, especially seeing her win at something where it’s Charli at her most Charli,” he says. “She’s always had that power in her, and always had that vision — [she’s] just been waiting for culture to catch up to her. It’s been so rewarding to watch.”
Check out Troye Sivan’s full interview with Billboard News above.
The GMA Dove Awards are moving to a new location in 2025, Billboard can reveal.
The 2025 GMA Dove Awards will be held Oct. 7, 2025, at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, marking a move from its home of 11 years at Nashville’s Allen Arena at Lipscomb University.
“We have been so honored to partner with Lipscomb these past eleven years for the GMA Dove Awards,” GMA president Jackie Patillo said in a statement to Billboard. “The reality is, we are growing! In 2025 we will be expanding to Bridgestone Arena for our live show happening October 7th. We couldn’t be more excited to showcase the heart of our Christian and Gospel community right in the heart of Music City.”
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The GMA Dove Awards have sold out several months in advance for the past three years. Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena has an approximately 5,000-person capacity whereas Bridgestone Arena has a concert attendance capacity of up to 20,000. Bridgestone Arena, located at the corner of Broadway and Rep. John Lewis Way, also hosts the annual Country Music Association Awards.
The relocation of the GMA Dove Awards also comes at a time when the genre’s artists such as Lauren Daigle, Elevation Worship, Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham are seeing gains in music consumption and touring numbers.
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This year’s GMA Dove Awards, which were taped earlier this week at Allen Arena, will air on TBN and TBN+ Friday night (Oct. 4). This year’s nominees include Brandon Lake, Chandler Moore, CeCe Winans, Jonathan Smith, Naomi Raine, Anne Wilson, KB, Forrest Frank, Josiah Queen and more.
The new location will coincide with the planned September 2025 opening of the Christian and Gospel Museum at the Dove Center, located at 147 Fourth Ave. N., at the corner of Fourth Ave. and Commerce Street. The 11,000-square-feet museum and hall of fame will be located near the historic Ryman Auditorium, and will feature interactive displays to celebrate today’s top Christian and Gospel artists, while also preserving and spotlighting the legacies of many Christian and Gospel trailblazing pioneers.
Tickets to the 2025 GMA Dove Awards presale are available at ticketmaster.com.
See the promo video for the 2025 GMA Awards below:
A new week means another episode of Billboard Unfiltered is upon us. The Billboard trio (sans Trevor Anderson) delves into J. Cole’s path forward following him bowing out of the Kendrick Lamar–Drake beef, shares 2025 Grammy predictions and talks about Ye’s next solo album.
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J. Cole has laid relatively low since the Drake-Kendrick war, but returned with a pair of assists recently when teaming up with Daylyt for “A Plate of Collard Greens” and Tee Grizzley’s “Blow for Blow.”
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Deputy Director, Editorial Damien Scott loved the pair of verses Cole dished out but is still waiting to see how he charts his next move. “Fans are expecting an acknowledgement and a path forward for him. They’re waiting to see how he positions himself now. It seems he’s still going with the I’m the best, don’t f–k with me and stay out of my lane talk,” he said. “Will that be able to hold over going into this next album? We’ll see.”
Staff writer Kyle Denis “never had any doubt” Cole could still deliver on guest verses, so this “doesn’t move the needle” for him and he’s interested to hear what’s to come with The Fall Off.
“What I really do want to see does he actually acknowledge how he moved through this beef on his own records, on his own terms when the time comes,” he added. “I get the whole, ‘How can you rap like this after doing all of that?’ But I also do think it’s kind of fun to watch him remain in that bag.”
Deputy Director, R&B/Hip-Hop Carl Lamarre still has faith that the Dreamville boss will deliver a “great” body of work with his next project. “I think he’s gonna speak on that on the album,” he stated. “The appeal he has on the feature side is undeniable, but it’s also like I can’t take you serious. It’s a struggle for me to look at you.”
The first round of voting is underway for the 2025 Grammy Awards and the fellas see a big year for Kendrick Lamar on the horizon and his Drake diss records.
“Given his track record, it’s not really a matter of possibility it’s the songs they really rally behind,” Denis candidly began. “I think if I had to guess, if they’re gonna push anything they’re probably gonna push ‘Euphoria.’ It’s a safer bet and I think a better display of his rap skill than ‘Not Like Us’ is.”
Lamarre added: “They expect ‘Euphoria’ to dominate the rap categories and ‘Not Like Us’ to overtake [the general field]. That could be Kendrick sweeping rap and potentially win five or six [trophies].”
After releasing a pair of installments of Vultures alongside Ty Dolla $ign, Ye (formerly Kanye West) appears set to return to his solo work. While performing in Haikou, China over the weekend, West teased his next album which is tentatively titled Bully.
If Yeezy is focused on making a coherent body of work, Scott is interested to hear what Ye has cooking for Bully.
“He [played] a song called ‘Beauty and the Beast’ … Even if it’s a Donda holdover, it’s the direction I hope he goes in. It sounded coherent, it sounded like an actual song,” he said. “There are verses and he’s not mumbling. He’s talking about things that are outside the conspiracy of certain racial groups dominating the world. If that’s the case, then yeah, I want to hear the Kanye album… He’s made most of what we consider to be popular culture right now.”
Watch the full episode above.
Last year, WWE superstar Cody Rhodes was on the verge of “finishing the story,” a phrase that captured the collective anticipation of the WWE universe. They were fervently hoping for the blonde protagonist to clinch the one belt that had always been out of reach for his bloodline — the WWE Universal Title.
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Now, 12 months later, Rhodes joins Billboard on Zoom while proudly displaying a new addition to his collection. This shiny new toy, a symbol of his hard-earned victory against the once-indomitable Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 this past April, would undoubtedly bring a smile to the face of his late father, Dusty Rhodes.
“When we spoke, I did not have the North Star of our business in terms of the WWE Championship,” says Rhodes, referencing our 2023 conversation about his documentary, American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes. “It’s a nice piece of hardware to bring around with me now.”
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Undoubtedly the new face and quarterback of WWE, Rhodes is enjoying his champion run, including wins over AJ Styles, Logan Paul and Kevin Owens. Rhodes’s popularity has also crossed over to the music side, where he spoke to Jay-Z last month at Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Fest, shot a commercial with Metro Boomin for the WWE’s upcoming premium life event Bad Blood, and was a presenter this past week at this year’s ACM Awards.
Bad Blood will occur this Saturday (Oct. 5) at 6 PM EST on Peacock in Rhodes’ home state of Georgia. His homecoming should be memorable, as he’ll team up with his one-time adversary Roman Reigns in a tag-team match against Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. Billboard spoke to Rhodes about working with Metro Boomin for their Bad Blood commercial, WWE enjoying its golden era, chatting with Jay-Z and more.
You thought I was crazy for giving you the LeBron comparison when you returned to the WWE. You have to see the similarities now in terms of you winning your first belt and him winning the ring in Cleveland, right?
Well, he came back home and he got it for the city. In terms of his story, you really had to hang in, you had to stay on-board. It took a detour in terms of him being away from his home. Then to come back and to fulfill that promise is incredibly special.
For me, I think a lot of people maybe looking outside of my journey in pro wrestling and sports entertainment this was how it was meant to be and this was how it was always gonna be. I look at this with the moment that we’re in now and it’s a gifted period. It’s a chapter I did not truly expect. I had taken such a detour. I had been so away from my roots and my original goal in the industry that new goals had popped up. But to be able to drop back in, to go and get [the title] and to be one of the leaders in its most prolific era for a company that’s really has had prolific eras, I’m not taking this for granted. This is a very blessed time.
After 20 years, Bad Blood is coming back to your state this Saturday. Talk about this full-circle moment for you in terms of coming home with the title in-hand.
It always feels Game of Thrones-like in a sense. Here’s the belt from formerly the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the Northeast Territory and I was just this Georgia Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions, WCW kid. To be able to be the first Rhodes to have it, but also bring it back to where The Omni once stood. I mean, I got goosegumps when they put The Omni in the scene from [Smackdown’s] Georgia Tech [episode] because being able to be on the ground of that building and to have this [belt], was not expected. It’s a homecoming. I’m very much looking forward to it.
Speaking of the Georgia Tech episode where you and Roman met up and cut an intense promo, that was high-level cinema on display.
I think wrestling fans, if they could be sitting in the stands at Bobby Dodd Stadium when it happened, they would have been so rewarded because the thing that is not being reported and by no means needs to be reported, is none of the verbiage was discussed — none of it. Maybe he thought I’m going to make my point and I thought I was going to make mine as well, but to be able to have that moment and to say things to one another [was special].
When pro-wrestling is at its best, it’s very real. That situation that we find ourselves in at WWE now with the individual who carried it through the pandemic and who held it for all those days as the perennial main-eventer now not being the quarterback of that company, that’s a very real thing. Roman has my utmost respect. If anything, he pulled something out of me that I didn’t know I had. I hope I did the same for him.
Why do you think Roman’s redemption tour is having such a strong start with the fans?
What’s not to like, right? In terms of confidence, we saw the fitness TikTok of how dialed in physically he is and what he’s already contributed. You’ll hear people say, for so long that they were trying, and trying and the fans were rejecting it. I think if you look back at those times, it’s all contextual and different reasons. Perhaps, they didn’t react the way you thought, but I think you’re now seeing for the first time not just admiration, not just, “I wanna cheer for this guy and buy his t-shirts,” you’re seeing respect.
When you have the respect of the fans, you’re in rare air. He has the respect of every fan. People forget WWE has a massive audience of young children, and they’re just incredibly important as us. When you have their respect and they can look at you and feel that presence, man, it’s a classic case of what’s not there to like. Now, if I look at it from a narrative perspective and look back at Smackdown and Raw, he’s made a lot of people’s life a living hell. That could be what’s not to like, but going into Bad Blood, I’m doing my best not to look at any of that.
You recently spoke to Jay-Z at Fanatics Fest. How does it feel seeing wrestling so valued and appreciated by not just hip-hop, but pop culture, overall?
I have to thank Michael Rubin at Fanatics for that. He was just having a normal, regular chat like he does with somebody like Jay-Z. That whole moment was incredible for me to go Fanatics Fest, first time ever, and to hear from the horse’s mouth himself what I only been told about some of WWE’s merchandising numbers and my own specifically. To be in the top five of all of the athletes represented, as a kid, trying to tell everyone around him, “Hey, wrestling is really cool. You should come over to my house, you’ll like it. Hey, come to the show with me, you’ll be a fan,” to see it hit this mainstream level again, I don’t wanna take it for granted.
With Bad Blood, Triple H and Nick Khan, they asked me to do the packages and sizzle reels with Metro Boomin. I’m thinking, “Yes!” This is what we do. This is what we want. To be able to have done the stakeout [with Metro] and hopefully it goes somewhere as we head towards Bad Blood, that was such a really sweet moment. It was really cool to connect with someone like that, not just an artist in a different medium, but with someone trying to tell stories like how we’re trying to tell stories.
You’ve become a beloved figure in the Black community, from people on social media changing your name to “Raheem Rhodes” to even Arkansas Pine Bluff, an HBCU, having its school band play your theme song “Kingdom” at their college football game. How does all the love feel?
You mentioned the band. They played that on primetime when they played Arkansas, and it’s quite possible you might see them playing it live in the State Farm Arena at Bad Blood. That was incredibly touching. In terms of your question, I’m always so careful about how I answer because the truth is, I don’t know. I just want to do all I can to keep it going. That’s such an honor.
I know some of the memes are meant to be funny and I’ve seen the name and all that stuff, but that was my dad’s biggest fan base. I could see things like the Southern Baptist church and things that connected the tissue. With me, I’m not sure so much, but I don’t wanna do anything to disrespect it or lose it, because not only do they do that fun stuff online, the community has also been really active in the arenas and as part of the journey. I don’t get to WrestleMania 40 without that group of fans. I’m touched just hearing it. I try to do everything that I can not to screw it up.
You mentioned your father, and there’s a quote that you’ve said a while back that’s resurfaced on social media: “Sometimes, I just revert back to Dusty’s kid. I’m trying to chase his ghost and it’s a pretty hard ghost to chase.” Even after finally winning that elusive belt that once haunted your family, do find yourself still chasing that ghost of Dusty, professionally or personally?
In the latter, I remember saying this in my documentary: Following him as a pro wrestler is one thing, but he was a superb father. You know when you meet someone who had a superb father, mother or both, that’s a special thing you have an opportunity to do as a parent. Now I have the opportunity with my daughter, Liberty, and I just hope that I can be remotely as good as he was with me because he was absolutely the best parent you could possibly get.
In terms of chasing the ghost, it might feel or sound somewhat negative and by no means is it, that’s the greatest ghost to chase. This guy had such an impact on pro wrestling and sports entertainment. Time has passed and there’s still things that he’s linked to. Just the cage dropping, that’s a Dusty concept and here I am watching the cage drop on the Smackdown premiere. These were things that he brought to the game and I always said after a certain point in my career that I want to be the most influential person of my era.
That’s a difference between being the best champion, the biggest superstar, and the best in-ring wrestler. I always wanted to be the most influential person in my generation, and the reason was is because I felt that he was. His influence is still being felt today. That ghost, I gladly try to get to as close as possible.
Your buddy Jey Uso won his first singles title after 14 years in the business. Knowing the struggle it took for you to reach that mountaintop, from a fan’s perspective, what was it like seeing him being able to capture that moment for himself?
That’s the business, right? That’s the good stuff. I remember Kerry Von Erich hitting the backslide on Ric Flair. I remember Bret Hart putting Ric Flair in the sharpshooter. The feeling of what we do in the ring, the stories being told, the good stuff. So much surrounds our wrestling space whether it’s controversy or whether it’s internal discussion of this and that, ultimately, the most important thing we do is in the ring.
Jey Uso is so beloved, and they got to have this real moment with him winning his first singles title. I feel like they purposely kept me away from the building because we would have just showered Wheatley Vodka on that entire arena. I’m so happy for Jey. That dude is the man. You can tell from the post-match interview that he did with Jackie, it was all real. When it’s real, that’s when it’s at its best. We gotta aim for it to be as real as possible. Very happy for Jey and cheers to a long run I hope.
Next year is John Cena’s final year wrestling full-time for the WWE. From a fantasy booking perspective and removing yourself, who would you want to see go against John for his final WrestleMania match?
Such a great question. I think maybe it’s ultimately something that’s up to John. Wrestling John in any capacity — he has a championship, you just don’t see it. The mantle of responsibility, the individual that he was in terms of how he carried himself as the quarterback of WWE, I’m very curious what goes down.
I can’t fantasy book it, because there’s things that make sense and there’s past adversaries he’s had that would be great matches, but the idea of one more WrestleMania with the champ, I hope wrestling fans have strong opinions on it and I hope he has the same, because whoever that is, not just being in that match but what comes after having that match win, lose, or draw, that’s a huge selection to make. That might be the most important decision in WWE.
She’s working late, ’cause she’s singing on The Tonight Show. Sabrina Carpenter returned to the late night program to perform her smash hit “Espresso” on Thursday night (Oct. 3), giving Jimmy Fallon’s audience an after-dark jolt of caffeine. Taking the stage in a baby-blue leotard — surrounded by a full band and back-up singers dressed […]
When Ozzy Osbourne celebrates his second Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction later this month in Cleveland he will have an impressive roster of A-list help on hand to do the honors. The 75-year-old Prince of Darkness will be fêted by friends and colleagues who will take the stage on Oct. 19 to celebrate Osbourne’s induction as a solo artist; he was previously enshrined in 2006 with Black Sabbath.
“I don’t know what to think. I’m still in shock that I’m getting inducted for a second time,” Ozzy told Rolling Stone in an email. “But at the same time, I’m very excited.” He’s got reason to be, since among the performers who will help usher him in are actor/singer Jack Black, who famously ripped a School of Rock-like version of Ozzy’s 1980 occult metal classic “Mr. Crowley” with a group of teenagers last year.
“Jack invited my family to the School of Rock movie premiere in 2002,” Osbourne told the mag. “I’ve always been a big fan of his. Jack is one of the few great actors that is also a genuine rock & roller and not acting the part.” The RRHOF announced that Black will be joined by a number of other artists paying tribute to the metal icon, including Tool singer Maynard James Keenan, Jelly Roll, Billy Idol and a gilded gang of guitarists who will honor Ozzy’s history of working with unique stylists.
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Among that group are Osbourne’s longtime collaborator Zakk Wylde, recent producer Andrew Watt, Idol’s longtime guitarist Steve Stevens and Wolfgang Van Halen, with Metallica and former Ozzy bassist Robert Trujillo and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith holding down the rhythm section.
Ozzy had kind words for those stepping up to honor him, calling Idol a “rock icon” whose music is “timeless,” while noting that the snarling punk-turned-pop star should be in the RRHOF. He referred to Keenan as a “true family friend since 1997… He is such a creative force. There are few artists who can keep three successful bands going for multiple decades,” he said in reference to the singer’s trifecta of hard rock acts: Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer.
And in a year when Jelly Roll is on a truly epic roll, Ozzy said having the country singer on board makes perfect sense. “Who doesn’t love Jelly Roll? His voice is soulful, pure, and dirty. I’m so honored that someone would do this for me who I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting,” Osbourne said.
Osbourne was nominated for his solo work for the first time this year and will be inducted after first becoming eligible in 2006 for a solo run that has produced such beloved hard rock anthems as “Crazy Train,” “Bark At the Moon,” “Mama I’m Coming Home” and “No More Tears.”
At press time it was unknown if Osborne — who retired from touring last year following a series of serious health issues over the past few years — will perform at the event that will also feature the inductions of Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Peter Frampton and Kool & the Gang.
The Hall recently revealed an extensive list of performers and presenters for this year’s induction at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, including: Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, James Taylor, Julia Roberts, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Lucky Daye, Mac McAnally, Method Man, Roger Daltrey, Sammy Hagar, Slash and The Roots.
The 2024 RRHOF induction ceremony will livestream on Disney+ on Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. ET. ABC will air a primetime special featuring the evening’s biggest moments on Jan. 1, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET, which will be available on Disney+ and Hulu on Jan. 2.
Check out the announcement below.
Ask Nate Smith what keeps him up at night and the list tumbles out of the rising country star’s mouth.
“Are we gonna get a No. 1 album debut? I slipped up on my diet today; let’s get back at it tomorrow. I think about my family [and] missing everybody. I think about am I calling my mom enough? I think about a lot of things at night.”
One thing he doesn’t have to worry about is making the record books. Smith’s first two singles, the high-octane kiss-off “Whiskey on You” and the searing, rock-edged “World on Fire,” both hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, with the latter tying Morgan Wallen’s “You Proof” for the most weeks at No. 1 (10) in the chart’s 34-year history this February.
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His success has helped him achieve a milestone: “I just bought a house in Nashville,” the California native tells Billboard. “I’ve got some acres, and I’ve got a nice private entry. It’s gonna be really good. I’m looking forward to the peace and quiet.”
There likely won’t be any peace and quiet any time soon. His new album, California Gold, out today on Sony Nashville, is a wide-ranging 18-song effort that makes great use of his husky, emotion-filled voice.
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There are stylistic nods to ‘90s bands like Lifehouse and Goo Goo Dolls on the set, acts that he says are “ingrained in my DNA,” especially on songs like the driving “Want Me Back” and percolating “Perfect,” while first single, “Bulletproof,” recalls Tom Petty.
Smith co-wrote six of the 18 songs — his road schedule kept him from writing more, but, as the Nashville dictum goes, the best song always wins. “I’m looking for the best song always, whether I write it or somebody else does,” he says. “But with that said, I would have loved to have been in the studio a little bit more writing with people and stuff, [but] I was way too busy this year and I was lucky enough to get songs that I loved just as much as if I had written them.”
The road to success has had a few bumps, as Smith expressed on Instagram in mid-September when he posted about the relentless pressure artists face to produce strong social media numbers and streams. “I don’t think people realize the amount of pressure us artists face,” he wrote. “Why isn’t my reel viral? Why didn’t my last release get 7.5 million streams…It’s a constant grind of feeding the machine. It shouldn’t be about any of this. It should be about the music. I am absolutely exhausting trying to be cool.”
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The post resonated mightily with his fellow artists, triggering responses from HARDY, Breland, Carly Pearce and Bailey Zimmerman. “That was a really vulnerable moment,” Smith says, who adds he’s talking to his team about managing social media content better. “It was extremely relatable to the community, but it made me feel like, ‘Man, I’m not alone in this.’”
Smith, who is managed by The Core Entertainment and booked by The Neal Agency, talked to Billboard about creating California Gold, allowing himself to be vulnerable and why he may rock out on his next album.
How did the confidence from the success of songs like “Whiskey on You” and “World on Fire” fuel you going into making this album?
It made me trust my gut more. Here’s a perfect example: We didn’t know exactly what song we were gonna put out before, but it wasn’t gonna be “Whiskey on You,” but my gut was like, it’s gotta be “Whiskey on You.” And so, I went to the team. They trusted me. It went No. 1. And then “World on Fire” wasn’t even [initially] on the album. I was like, “Guys, you gotta put this one on the album.” And [they were like] ‘It’s too late. We already have a plan. We can’t put it on there.’” I had multiple meetings with the label. I was like, “Guys, we have to do this. There’s no way around it. We will fail.” They got on there, and then that one became the biggest song of my career.
Your instincts were right again with “Bulletproof,” the first single from California Gold, which went to No. 3.
I knew “Bulletproof” was the one. I’ve learned to trust my gut. And if it doesn’t feel right at all, I don’t do it. It’s got to be like this is an undeniable smash that people are going to connect with on a mass level.
If there’s anything I’m scared of it’s putting a song out on radio. I want to make sure there’s zero doubt in my mind whatsoever before I put it out. I’m not going to take a gamble on radio.
Was there something for sure that you knew you wanted to do differently this time from your first album?
Oh yeah. “Name Storms After” on the first album, love that song so much, doesn’t rock hard enough. I listen to it every single time, I’m like, “F—k, we should have added more guitar.” It needed to have more umph underneath it and it didn’t have it. And it bothers me every time I hear it. So, I swore to myself I will make sure that everything that’s on this album, I’m obsessed with every part of the songs in every single way.
Though it’s not an official single, last week you released your duet with Avril Lavigne, “Can You Die From a Broken Heart.”
We just filmed the music video for it in Toronto and it was really fun. I actually got to be a zombie. I’ve got in white contacts, and I got to freak everybody out. It’s really emotional. It was my highest- budget video we’ve ever been a part of. It was probably six figures to do it,
You’ve called the track the saddest song you’ve ever been a part of.
I’ve been in that place before during the heartbreak [when] it feels like nothing’s gonna fix it, nothing can make you feel better, nothing can take you out of that mindset. I remember feeling so desperate. That song is so desperate. It’s like begging to have that person back, I think the song could be life changing. It feels like “I’m With You” that was my favorite one of Avril’s, like a nod to that.
Is it hard to be that vulnerable in a song?
It’s not. It’s really freeing to be yourself completely all the time like that. That’s the most powerful thing that I’ve noticed in my life — getting to this place where I’m fully embracing who I am in every way is the most freeing thing and that’s the good, the bad and the ugly. And then no one can ever call you out on your shit because you’re yourself all the time. I love that that’s the place that I’ve gotten to in my life. I’m so thankful for that as an as an artist.
Were you scared to do that when you started?
It’s been a slow burn because that happened to me in my personal life, where I’ve gotten more unapologetic about who I am and not afraid to speak up or set boundaries with people or tell somebody, “Hey, I really love you, but that really hurt my feelings, man.” I would have been scared to do that before because I cared so much about what people thought about me, but I think that has bled into my artistry over time.
“World on Fire” was No. 1 for 10 weeks, which is thrilling. Was there any part of you that was bummed you didn’t break the tie?
Oh gosh, man, I think it’s funny because I don’t think people realize that ours was consecutive, Morgan’s was not consecutive. So technically, I know and he knows how it really went down (laughs). I’m really thrilled. I can’t even believe that it beat songs, like “Amazed” by Lone Star. That feels wrong, but I’m just grateful for what it did. It means so much.
We’re seeing your dad pop up on your social media where you’re hanging with him on the porch or he’s riding with you in your car. Is your dad getting recognized as shows?
A little bit. It’s funny. My mom’s getting really jealous, too. She’s getting super, super jelly. I’m like, “Mom, take some time off from work and come out!” She’s like, “I can’t, I can’t take it off.” My mom is a hoot, she’s the funniest person you’ll ever meet in your life, but dad’s retired, so he’s got a lot of free time. I’m like, “Come out for a week or two.” He’s like “cool dude, will do.”
You’re now headlining your own tour, after being out with acts like Morgan Wallen, Thomas Rhett and Cole Swindell. What did you learn from them about holding on to an audience?
It is really thinking about the flow of the set, like if you’re going to do a piano song, make it a moment. Don’t do four in a row. You got to pace it right? I kind of look at it like a roller coaster, so you’ve got, , a high energy song, then you kind of bring them down a little bit, but you got to come right back up. I think the other thing was always telling my story on stage.
How hard has it been to learn to be a boss of your band and crew?
Heavy is the crown (laughs). My managers, from the get-go, they made me always have the tough conversations with people, and I kind of hated that at first like “Aren’t you guys supposed to do that or something?” And they were like, “nope.” I feel like I do a good job of having a conversation in respect and love and never, ever, ever making somebody feel bad, but I can still get the truth out. That was scary at first because you’re like, “I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings. I want everybody to like me.”
You play Foo Fighters’ “My Hero” in your shows but haven’t recorded it. Is that next?
I’ve tossed around doing an EP where I do all my favorite rock songs, like “Heart-Shaped Box” [and] “My Hero,” but I’ve also thought about my next album just being a full rock album.
It feels like we’re at a time when no artist has to limit themselves, when you look at HARDY topping both the country and rock charts, Post Malone and Beyoncé coming into country.
I don’t ever want to depart country; country is what I’m here for. I’m here for authentic, heartbreaking songs and storytelling. That’s why I’m in country music. It’s the best fans in the world. I love country radio. I love everything that is country music, but, yes, I want to dabble in all the things that I like and whether that takes it into a direction, and we get on pop radio or rock radio, I’m good with all that, but I’m always going to stay true to myself.
Peso Pluma electrified the Barclays Center in New York City on Thursday (Oct. 3), captivating the audience as part of his Éxodo Tour 2024, promoting his latest album of the same name. The Mexican superstar performed hit after hit for nearly three hours and was joined by an array of special guests, including Ice Spice, Eladio Carrión, Estevan Plazola, Los Dareyes de la Sierra, Tito Double P, Yng Lvcas, and Jasiel Nuñez.
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Adding to the excitement, J Balvin made a special virtual backstage appearance right before Peso Pluma took the stage, amping up the crowd as Black Sabbath’s “N.I.B.” roared through the speakers.
With a backdrop that invoked a sense of grandeur, the giant screen displayed verses with a biblical tone: “There are over eight billion people in the world, each of us different, different origins, different stories that make up our character,” the message on the screens read. “Of course, not everyone has the perfect character, perhaps those who think that are the same ones deciding that our ways are defective. But before all of them, I ask: Can a compass, moral and broken, decide which is the right direction? An anti-hero is among us.”
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Meanwhile, a floating gigantic moon added a stunning element, moving across the arena and enhancing the celestial theme.
Dressed in black pants, a white T-shirt, olive Travis Scott Air Jordans, and silver chains — and sporting a slick hairstyle in place of his classic mullet — the Guadalajara native burst onto the stage kicking off with “La Durango.” His energy was infectious, marked by a beaming smile and dynamic movement across the stage. Flanked by hip-hop-style dancers and musicians clad in black, including a brass section, a tololoche, guitars, and a bajo quinto, the ensemble impressively adapted these acoustic instruments to resonate in the sold-out Barclays arena.
Spanning such charting hits as “Lady Gaga,” “Rubicon,” and “La Patrulla,” the highlight of the night was undoubtedly the performances by the numerous special guests. Ice Spice — rocking her curly red hair and showing off her new slim figure — performed “Deli,” Yng Lvcas joined Pluma for “La Bebé,” Jasiel Nuñez — who was the first invite and whom Peso consistently called his best friend — sang “Bipolar,” “Rosa Pastel,” and “Me Activo.” His cousin Tito Double P also joined the superstar for several songs, including Tito’s “Dos Días” and Peso’s banger “La People II.”
Eladio Carrión sang a corridos alongside Peso and had his moment with the trap anthem “Mbappé.” Then, Los Dareyes de la Sierra’s frontman impressed with accordion-powered corridos on “Hasta el Día de Hoy.” Another standout moment was Peso’s performances of “Qlona” by Karol G, 2023’s song of the year “Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabon Armado, and the introspective “Hollywood” from Éxodo, during which Peso shared his personal connection with the song penned by Estevan Plazola in 2020.
Outside the arena was another story, with fans gathering to share food and beers at a tailgate party while cars nearby blasted Peso Pluma songs and an array of pirated merch was for sale, displaying that he and modern-day corridos have truly become a cultural phenomenon.