Music
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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 […]

While known mostly for her numerous and diverse acting roles, Michelle Trachtenberg also made a notable impact on Billboard’s music charts.
As reported Wednesday (Feb. 26), Trachtenberg passed away at age 39.
The New York native broke through with, among other early roles, her starring turn in the film Harriet the Spy in 1996, released when she was just 10. By then, she had also made multiple appearances on ABC’s All My Children — working with Sarah Michelle Gellar. That connection led to Trachtenberg joining Gellar on Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 2000 through its 2003 finale. (A reboot is currently in the works.)
When the series shifted from the WB to UPN for its sixth season, fans were treated to one of its most innovative episodes: the musical Once More With Feeling. Most prominently for Trachtenberg, whose ballet talents were showcased that week, she opens the episode’s coda, “Where Do We Go From Here?,” singing the opening title line a cappella.
The 23-song Once More With Feeling soundtrack was subsequently released (on Mutant Enemy/Twentieth Century Fox/Rounder Records). Mirroring the show’s trademark witty dialog (one lyric features singing-averse Alyson Hannigan admitting, “I think this line’s mostly filler”), the set slayed Billboard’s charts, most notably debuting at its No. 3 best on the Soundtracks chart — a year after the episode aired. It also hit the Billboard 200 and Independent Albums charts.
To date, the album has drawn 23.6 million streams in the U.S., according to Luminate.
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In 2016, upon the 15th anniversary of Once More With Feeling’s premiere, the series’ Anthony Head — aka Buffy’s slayer sage, Giles — mused about the idea to give the cast something to sing about. “I’d done Chess, Godspell and Rocky Horror before I joined Buffy, and, on the pilot, [creator Joss Whedon], Sarah Michelle and I were waiting in the back of the library set and [Whedon] said he had a huge fondness for musicals,” Head recalled to Billboard at the time. “We said then, ‘If the show ever gets picked up, wouldn’t it be fun to do a musical episode?’ Pretty much every season, for three or four seasons, I said, ‘Are we going to do the musical episode this year?!’”
Head said that Whedon wanted to wait until it felt “organic,” and by the sixth season, after the cast’s vocal chops had been discovered and honed through singalongs at Whedon’s house, and the show’s storylines had been furthered, the timing seemed right. Before the season, Head received a demo of songs from Whedon, who realized at last, per Head, “’We’ve got a musical!’
“It was just remarkable,” Head marveled. “Even in that home-demo stage … the melodies were so strong. It was a great, eclectic compilation of songs. From that moment on, I was like, ‘What can I do? What can I do?!’”