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Legendary hip-hop producer Madlib has become one of the thousands of people to lose their homes in the devastating fires that continue to rage across Los Angeles. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In a post shared to X on Monday (Jan. 13), DJ Premier shared a Donor Box […]
Billboard Japan’s Women in Music initiative launched in 2022 to celebrate artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to music and inspired other women through their work, in the same spirit as Billboard’s annual Women in Music celebration that has continued since 2007. This interview series featuring female players in the Japanese entertainment industry is one of the highlights of Japan’s WIM project, with the first 30 sessions published as a “Billboard Japan Presents” collection by writer Rio Hirai.
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J-pop singer-songwriter miwa spoke with Hirai for the latest installment of the WIM interview series. The 34-year-old musician has taken the stage at Billboard Live every November for the past few years for her “miwa CLASSIC” concert series. The singer and actress celebrating the 15th anniversary of her career this year recently moved to Canada. She shares her views on the driving force behind her 15 years of changes and challenges.
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This interview, in Japanese, is also available in podcast form on the Billboard JAPAN Spotify and YouTube channels.
You made your debut while you were a university student, and performed at the historic Nippon Budokan for the first time in March of the year you graduated. You’ve established yourself as an artist in your twenties and thirties, which is a period when the stages of women’s lives change greatly in general.
When my friends were looking for jobs (before graduating), I was thinking, “I’m going to make a career out of music,” but still felt like a student in some ways. I became more and more professional as I focused on music as my sole career. As the years went by, I felt a stronger sense of responsibility towards my fans. What hasn’t changed is my desire to keep taking on challenges. I started going to graduate school a decade after getting my undergraduate degree, and moved to Canada last fall. I also try my hand at new genres of music. I don’t want to be fixated on just one thing, and want to keep moving forward.
Why are you able to keep taking on new challenges?
It occurred to me that ramen restaurants that always have queues are constantly updating their flavor and continually improving. When you think, “This taste’s great, as always,” it actually means the flavor has improved from last time. I realized this when I was talking to a hair and makeup artist, and began to think I wanted to be an artist like that. Someone who can always improve and shine more and more. I want to be an artist who can grow little by little in that way.
I’d like to talk a little about the Billboard Japan charts. On the 2023 year-end Japan Hot 100 song chart, there were 64 entries by male artists, 19 by female artists, 16 by mixed groups, and one by an artist whose gender wasn’t disclosed. This ratio hasn’t changed significantly for many years. This Women in Music interview series was inspired by the question of why this is the case, when there are so many wonderful female artists like yourself in the Japanese music industry. Were you aware of this gender imbalance on the charts?
I’ve never been aware of it. Regarding gender inequality, I’ve felt that opportunities are limited for female artists at rock festivals. There’s a big hurdle there. I’ve used adversity as an impetus, believing that if I have the ability, I’ll be able to overcome it.
How do you think being a woman has affected your life?
I think there are so many changes. My values are so different from when I was 19 and just getting started, and the things I want to I cherish now and the way I use my time are completely different. I’ve changed so much more than I could have imagined when I was 19 — even the country I live in isn’t the same now. That’s why it’s probably important not to be stubborn or be fixated on things. There will times when things don’t go the way you want them to, but if you can accept that, I think it will give you strength.
If you were to give advice to yourself when you were first starting out, what would you say?
Well, in my first year, I was so busy with so many things that I didn’t know what to do and just threw myself into the work in front of me. There were lots of things I couldn’t do well, and there were times when I was so frustrated that I’d cry as soon as I got off the stage. I just had to gain experience. I’m the kind of person who practices a lot, so I tried to be fully prepared at all times and kept practicing hard.
So 15 years of doing that has led to who you are today. What do you think is necessary for women to thrive in this country’s music and entertainment industry?
In the course of a woman’s career, there will inevitably be periods when she has to take some time off, and I think it’s going to be very important to think about how to support them during those periods of absence. Looking at women’s careers in the long term, support from the people around them is key to ensuring they can continue to work without interruption.
You studied at the graduate level at Keio University’s Neurosciences and Music Laboratory and graduated in March 2023. How did your experience at graduate school affect your current activities?
I had the opportunity to talk with younger classmates, and it was such a good experience to relearn things. I was very happy to learn that efforts are being made to seriously consider music from various perspectives and try to prove it scientifically. It’s been scientifically proven that music can be effective in helping people lead happy lives, and I was able to feel the potential of music all over again. I chose to research live performances, and studied why people are moved by them. I was able to realize once again that the things I’m trying to convey are reaching the audience, and that their feelings of support and being moved by the performance also reach the artists onstage.
What would you like to try next?
The challenge is whether I can make going back and forth between Canada and Japan work. Living abroad has always been a dream of mine. This year is the 15th anniversary of my career, so I want to meet my fans in person and share some time with them.
Lastly, please give a message to women everywhere.
There are so many changes and choices in the way women live their lives, and I think it’s up to each individual to choose the path they want to take, but there may be times when people say things to you based on your age or what’s considered the norm. But I believe that the moment you can truly feel happy about having come into this world is when you believe in your own choices and live your life as you are. So let’s live together, confident about what we choose, not comparing ourselves to others and not bound by age or what’s considered the norm, believing in our own choices.
That was a really lovely message. Have you always had faith in your own choices in life?
Well, I think that when you’re in doubt, you have to trust yourself. Even if you make a mistake, if you can go, “This is the path I chose, so I’ll just correct my course,” then you can try again from there. There are many different paths in life, so if the door you open happens to not be the one, you can just look for a completely different door and go down that path.
—This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan
The Chemical Brothers’ music has been loved by the cinema and video games since the beginning, when in 1995 “Chemical Beats” ended up in the soundtrack of the PlayStation game Wipeout. The latest such appearance is in the film Sonic the Hedgehog 3, where “Galvanize” sounds perfect in a scene with Jim Carrey dancing among laser beams. Tom Rowlands has already worked on commission for some directors such as Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan and Joe Wright for a theatrical production and for the film Hanna, in the latter case paired with Ed Simons (the other half of the Chemical Brothers).
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But this new adventure was really a challenge. With the usual English irony Tom defined “an act of intimidation” the request of director Joe Wright to score the new Sky Original series Mussolini: Son of the Century, based on the novel M. Son of the Century by Antonio Scurati, which was recently released in Italy. The series tells the story of the birth of fascism in Italy and the rise to power of Benito Mussolini. The challenge was won, because the Chemical Brothers-style tracks perfectly amplify the emotional and sometimes tragic scenes.
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Working with Joe Wright seems to have become a regular occurrence.
True! Ed and I worked together on his film Hanna and then I composed the background music for Joe’s adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s famous play Life of Galileo, an experience I really enjoyed. I like working with Joe: I still remember him when he followed us on our first important tours, all three of us were kids… Suddenly one day he sent me M., Antonio Scurati’s book. I was hooked from the first pages, it’s a fantastic book! I studied history at university and I immediately realized that Joe’s gesture of offering me this reading was a real challenge, because M. is not only a long book but above all dense and profound. Plus, I’ve always been attracted by the history of that period.
So was it easier for you to feel involved in the project?
Yes, but I could also say that making me read M. was also a sort of intimidating act. First of all because I have never worked on a text that deals with a specific historical event, then because the rise of fascism and the figure of Mussolini are certainly not easy historical topics to deal with. Composing this soundtrack was a serious task. I was very excited at the idea of taking on a challenge so different from my previous ones, and for a project that started from such a powerful book.
The compositions you created for the series are very precise in commenting on the scenes in which they are inserted. Did you start working on the sound even before shooting?
That’s right: Joe Wright and I started talking about ideas and musical themes with just the script in hand. It was a long process of ideas, plus I was interacting with a person who is also a true friend in addition to being a great talent. I tried to give shape to his ideas, because this series is the fruit of his vision.
The soundtrack has very rhythmic sound comments – Chemical Brothers style – and not many melodies.
There are melodies! But they are a bit convoluted, they are never obvious. The main theme is all based on a precise and constant rhythm.
The theme is close to the sound of fascist marches but also takes up the ideas of futurism.
Of course, Joe and I discussed the difference and the relationship between noise and music, which was a theme dear to the futurists. I certainly would never have associated a “floral” sound movement with the advent of fascism!
You stated that part of the soundtrack was made by making old acoustic instruments interact with modern electronics.
Right. I developed a system in my studio where I can have total control of all the information I receive by making my technology interact with traditional instruments such as strings and piano. What we were describing musically was a certain past that really happened. When I met Antonio Scurati he was absolutely in agreement with this creative process, as well as the fact that for (this series) all modern electronics were used to tell not an imaginary world but historical facts, the songs often comment on words taken from real speeches by Mussolini.
The tracks are sometimes very short sound comments. Was it difficult to work on them?
Yes, that was also a real challenge. But that’s why I like working on soundtracks: it’s a very different process. I’m also intrigued by being able to comment on the change of emotions during a scene: you can easily go from a sense of calm to one of terror in a few moments, whereas in a song you often try to create only one type of emotion or feeling.
The impression is that in the second part of the series the music becomes increasingly dramatic, as the historical events do.
I tried to musically describe a very complex historical period where a leader conquers the people – part of the population also found Mussolini a funny man – and then comes to total control of the Italian state after the killing of the MP Giacomo Matteotti. I also tried to convey the director’s and writer’s vision: I hope I did it coherently with that.
What do you think of the Oasis reunion?
I’ll be honest: it’s crazy! My kids and their friends are really desperate to get a ticket because that’s a generation that has never seen the Gallagher brothers on stage together. I’ve known Liam and Noel for years, I’ve been to their concerts many times and it’s always been great to be there, but this time the level of hysteria reached to get a ticket here in Great Britain is truly incredible. Speaking of people from Manchester, my kids would love to see The Smiths reunite too!
Which Oasis albums do you like the most?
Whatever age you are, even just 17, Definitely Maybe is still an incredible album: listening to it is as if the songs were speaking directly to you. I’m sure that this effect is triggered also in the new generations. But the second album is not bad either. They are their two masterpieces.
Will we hear new Chemical Brothers music anytime soon?
It’s too early. Ed and I have to take our time, as always. When we release music, we want to make sure it’s music we really love! We’ve never limited ourselves to putting out productions just for the sake of it. And that’s still true today.
Lil Baby’s WHAM enters the Billboard 200 at No. 1 this week (chart dated Jan. 18), just shy of 40 years after Wham!’s Make It Big topped the chart for three consecutive weeks in March 1985. It’s very rare for an album to top the Billboard 200 with a title that’s the same as the name of an act that also reached No. 1 on that chart. (These two aren’t exactly the same because of that pesky exclamation point on the U.K. duo’s name, but close enough.)
One time, there was an exact match: In September/October 1980, Queen topped the chart for five consecutive weeks with The Game. The rapper The Game had three No. 1 albums – The Documentary (2005), Doctor’s Advocate (2005) and The R.E.D. Album (2011).
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And there have been a lot of close (and not-so-close) calls. In March 2017, Future’s HNDRXX debuted at No. 1. In November 1968, the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Electric Ladyland spent two weeks on top. Future altered the spelling, but the title was clearly a nod to the rock legend.
The Sting soundtrack logged five consecutive weeks at No. 1 in 1974, following the film’s seven-Oscar sweep. Sting reached No. 1 with The Police in 1983 and peaked at No. 2 with three of his first four solo albums.
There are numerous cases where a Billboard 200-topping act’s name was part of the title of somebody else’s No. 1 album. P!nk’s Hurts 2B Human debuted at No. 1 in 2019. Nicki Minaj has hit No. 1 with three Pink Friday releases. Blackpink debuted at No. 1 in 2022 with Born Pink. Lil Uzi Vert debuted at No. 1 the following year with Pink Tape.
An eponymous album by Blind Faith hit No. 1 in 1969. George Michael and Pop Smoke both hit No. 1 with albums titled Faith. Faith Hill’s Faith debuted at No. 7, but the country star reached No. 1 with three other albums. And Depeche Mode debuted at No. 1 in 1993 with Songs of Faith and Devotion.
America’s eponymous debut album, which featured the Hot 100 No. 1 “A Horse With No Name,” reached No. 1 in 1972. Wings’ Wings Over America hit No. 1 in 1977, followed by Supertramp’s Breakfast in America in 1979 and the all-star God Bless America compilation in 2001.
Heart’s eponymous album hit No. 1 in 1985. Linda Ronstadt’s Heart Like a Wheel hit No. 1 in 1975, while Bonnie Raitt’s Longing in Their Heart followed suit in 1994.
Other Billboard 200-topping acts whose name is embedded in the title of someone else’s No. 1 album include: Tiffany (Breakfast at Tiffany’s soundtrack), Frank Ocean (Eric Clapton’s 461 Ocean Boulevard), Donna Summer (Stevie Nicks’ Bella Donna), George Harrison (Jack Johnson’s Curious George soundtrack), and Lil Wayne (the Wayne’s World soundtrack).
Looking beyond cases where both acts reached No. 1, Destiny’s Child’s Survivor spent its first two weeks on top in May 2001. Survivor just missed No. 1 in 1982 when Eye of the Tiger logged four weeks at No. 2. The title track topped the Hot 100 for six weeks.
Maroon 5’s V debuted at No. 1 in 2014. V, of BTS, opened at No. 2 in 2023 with his debut album, Layover.
Asia’s eponymous debut album logged nine nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 in 1982. Steely Dan’s Aja (different spelling, but same pronunciation) peaked at No. 3 in 1977.
Drake’s Scorpion spent its first five weeks at No. 1 in 2018. The German hard rock band Scorpions climbed as high as No. 5 with Savage Amusement in 1988.
Bruce Springsteen’s Magic spent two of its first three weeks at No. 1 in 2007. A male rapper with that name reached No. 15 in 1998 with Skys the Limit. A Canadian reggae band named MAGIC! debuted at No. 6 in 2014 with Don’t Kill the Magic.
SZA’s SOS has spent 12 weeks at No. 1 across 2022, 2023 and 2025. The S.O.S. Band’s S.O.S., which contained the hit “Take Your Time (Do It Right),” reached No. 12 in 1980.
The Descendants TV soundtrack debuted at No. 1 in 2015. A punk band with the same name hit No. 20 in 2016 with Hypercaffium Spazzinate.
Leona Lewis’ Spirit debuted at No. 1 in 2008. The California rock band Spirit climbed as high as No. 22 with The Family That Plays Together in 1969.
Kesha’s Rainbow debuted at No. 1 in 2017. The hard rock band Rainbow climbed as high as No. 30 with two albums, Ritchie Blackmore’s R-A-I-N-B-O-W (1975) and Straight Between the Eyes (1982).
Travis Scott’s Utopia spent its first four weeks at No. 1 in 2023. The band Utopia, which featured Todd Rundgren, climbed as high as No. 32 with Adventures in Utopia in 1980.
Faith Hill’s Breathe debuted at No. 1 in 1999. The English pop group Breathe climbed as high as No. 34 with All That Jazz in 1988.
Eric Church’s The Outsiders debuted at No. 1 in 2014. A rock band from Cleveland reached No. 37 in 1965 with Time Won’t Let Me. The title track was a top five hit on the Hot 100.
Justin Bieber’s Justice debuted at No. 1 in 2021. An electronic duo from France of the same name hit No. 37 in 2011 with Audio, Video, Disco.
The Exodus soundtrack logged nonconsecutive 14 weeks at No. 1 in 1961. A hard-rock band by the same name reached No. 38 in 2014 with Blood In Blood Out.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance debuted at No. 1 in 2022. An English rock band of the same name climbed as high as No. 46 with Novella in 1977.
Stray Kids’ 5-Star debuted at No. 1 in 2023. The R&B dance vocal group Five Star reached No. 47 with Luxury of Life in 1985.
And here’s my favorite, just for fun: Bon Jovi’s The Circle debuted at No. 1 in 2009. The pop group The Cyrkle climbed as high as No. 47 on the Billboard 200 with Red Rubber Ball in 1966. The title song (co-written by Paul Simon) was a No. 2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Carrie Underwood is set to perform during Donald Trump’s upcoming presidential inauguration ceremony on Monday, Jan. 20, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Billboard has confirmed. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The eight-time Grammy winner will perform “America the Beautiful,” accompanied by The Armed Forces […]
Warning: This story contains mentions of suicide.
Priscilla Presley paid tribute to Lisa Marie Presley on Sunday (Jan. 12) on the second anniversary of her late daughter’s death. Next to an Instagram post featuring a picture of Lisa Marie crouching down, with a slight smile on her face, Priscilla wrote, “I miss you more than words can say. I wish I could hold you, talk to you, see your smile just one more time. I wish you could see how much you are still loved, how deeply you are missed by all of us who carry you in our hearts.”
The message cued to a lilting instrumental version of the 1972 Elvis hit “Always on My Mind” and signed “Mom,” was a poignant memorial for the late singer who died of a heart attack in January 2023 at age 54. Lisa Marie was the only child of Elvis Presley and Priscilla and she was buried at her father’s Graceland estate in Memphis next to Elvis and her son, Benjamin, who died by suicide in 2020.
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Lisa Marie’s daughter, Daisy Jones & the Six star Riley Keough, also marked the anniversary with a number of photos of her mom in an Instagram Story, including one of a smiling Lisa Marie tending to her twins with second husband Michael Lockwood, daughters Finely and Harper (which was originally posted by half-sister Finley), with the caption “2 years [heart emoji] i love you always.”
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In a second slide posted by Harper of Lisa Marie holding the twins, Harper wrote, “I can’t believe it’s been 2 years, I miss you and love you so much mama [heart, dove emoji].” Keough helped finish Lisa Marie’s posthumous memoir, October 2024’s From Here to the Great Unknown, working from a draft her mom began working on before her death.
In an interview with People last year promoting the book, Keough said that though her mom’s death was initially attributed to a small-bowel obstruction Lisa Marie suffered several years after weight loss-related bariatric surgery, she said her passing had a more emotional anchor as well.
“My mom tried her best to find strength for me and my younger sisters after Ben died, but we knew how much pain she was in,” Keough said of Presley, who struggled to deal with Benjamin’s death at age 27. “My mom physically died from the after effects of her surgery, but we all knew she died of a broken heart,” said Keough. The memoir also featured the shocking revelation that Lisa Marie was so overcome with grief about Ben’s death that she kept his body packed in dry ice in her home for two months.
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” notches a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. A week earlier, the ballad about flashing pearly whites just before reaching the pearly gates became Gaga’s sixth Hot 100 leader and Mars’ ninth. With the coronation, Gaga joined the elite company of Janet […]
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has announced updates to its 2025 Oscars key dates and schedule of events due to the impact of the Los Angeles-area fires. The Oscar telecast is still set for March 2, but the nominations announcement is being delayed for the second time to Jan. 23 — and will now be held virtually. The Oscars nominees luncheon, always an A-list event, will not be held this year.
“We are all devastated by the impact of the fires and the profound losses experienced by so many in our community,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang said in a joint statement. “The Academy has always been a unifying force within the film industry, and we are committed to standing together in the face of hardship.
“Due to the still-active fires in the Los Angeles area, we feel it is necessary to extend our voting period and move the date of our nominations announcement to allow additional time for our members.
“Additionally, as we want to be sensitive to the infrastructure and lodging needs of the region in these next few weeks, it is imperative that we make some changes to our schedule of events, which we believe will have the support of our industry.
“Our members always share how important it is for us to come together as a community, and we are determined to use this opportunity to celebrate our resilient and compassionate industry. We also look forward to honoring our frontline workers who have aided with the fires, recognizing those impacted, and encouraging people to join the Academy in supporting the relief efforts.
“We will get through this together and bring a sense of healing to our global film community.”
Updates are outlined as follows:
The nominations voting period is extended through Friday, Jan. 17, at 5 p.m. PT. The voting window was originally set to close on Sunday, Jan. 12. That was pushed back to Tuesday, Jan. 14, before being pushed back again today.
The nominations announcement is rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23, at 5:30 a.m. PT. The live announcement will be a virtual event without in-person media coverage. The nominations were originally set to be announced on Friday, Jan. 17, which was pushed back to Sunday, Jan. 19, before being pushed back again today.
The Oscars nominees luncheon, scheduled for Monday, Feb. 10, will not be held this year.
The Scientific and Technical Awards, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18, will be rescheduled to a later date yet to be determined.
The Academy stresses that all dates are subject to change.
The 97th Oscars, hosted by Conan O’Brien for the first time, will still be held on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC, streamed live on Hulu and air live in more than 200 territories worldwide.
Speaking about anything related to album releases and awards season feels frivolous as a series of destructive fires continue hounding Los Angeles. As people begin to assess the damage and find their bearings, the City of Angels has exemplified the kind of community that shined at Kendrick Lamar‘s Pop Out concert last summer, with the city’s beautifully diverse collection of people banding together to share support and resources amid such a paralyzing crisis. On Monday (Jan. 11), music stars like DJ Premier and Flying Lotus amplified a fundraiser for Madlib, a Cali native and acclaimed hip-hop producer who lost his home, decades of music and studio equipment in the fires.
Tragedy extended beyond the fires last week, with the music world losing Sam Moore, one half of the Grammy-winning, Billboard chart-topping R&B duo Sam & Dave. Known for classics such as “Hold On, I’m Coming” and “Soul Man,” the seminal ’60s act was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
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In more contemporary news, Lil Baby debuted atop the Billboard 200 this week with Wham (No. 1), marking his fourth consecutive No. 1 album, and Ye (formerly Kanye West) began teasing an AI-assisted Vultures film.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Otis Kane’s lovestruck new single to BabyDrill’s shot-firing banger. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Otis Kane, “Breathe”
Last Friday (Jan. 10), Los Angeles-based R&B singer-songwriter Otis Kane colored the world Violet with the release of his sophomore studio album. The album diligently explores the different stages of falling in love, and “Breathe” is a decadent, soulful ode to loving someone so much that you can’t live without them. “I would give up/ Everything babe/ Just to call you my home,” he raspily yearns in the song’s opening, immediately settling into a seductive, funky pocket of D Mills’ bass-heavy production. If the self-proclaimed “real lovers” are looking for some new additions to their playlists, Otis Kane is ready to serve. — KYLE DENIS
Qing Madi, “Akanchawa”
Nigerian singer Qing Madi is starting the year strong with “Akanchawa.” The track is one of three singles from Qing Madi’s upcoming debut album, I Am the Blueprint — which she describes as “a statement of fact for all the struggles, pain, and rejection [she] went through as far back as 8 years” — set to release on Jan. 31. “Akanchawa” is a love-filled expression, blending heartfelt emotions with playful language. The song is a love letter filled with passion and humor, celebrating the joy of finding someone who captures your heart so completely that you’re willing to embrace vulnerability and offer unwavering commitment. Themes of devotion and vulnerability shine through lines like “for you I ready drop my ego” and the repeated “giving you all my love,” emphasizing the track’s message of unconditional love. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON
BabyDrill, “Scared of the P—y”
The abundance of feuds and competitive energy displayed last year has carried over into rap’s 2025. BabyDrill sets the tone by embarrassing an opp – who he calls “Mr. Vaseline man” and their alleged sex toy boutique shopping preferences with a fake newscast. There’s even alleged social media posts and fighting videos to further drive his humiliating “Scared of the P*ssy” diss track home. “F–k I look like beefing with a booty bandit,” the Atlanta native raps over the hard-hitting trap production. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
Jordan Adetunji feat. KWN, “Too Many Women”
After scoring a global breakthrough hit in “Kehlani” — and getting the actual Kehlani on the remix and scoring a Grammy nod for it — Jordan Adetunji has now set his sights on rolling out his forthcoming A Jaguar’s Dream mixtape. To officially announce the set, the U.K. artist dropped “Too Many Women,” an Afrobeats-inflected R&B-melodic rap hybrid that features experiment U.K. artist KWN. “Don’t mean to get in your way/ Took another shot, girl I’m waved/ Shawty I know that you think we’re the same,” Jordan opens the track, setting the scene at a club where he’s the ultimate bachelor. Built around a slick flip of Too $hort’s “Broke B—h,” “Too Many Women” is a catchy track that helps prove “Kehlani” was no fluke. — K.D.
Rod Wave, “Westside Connection”
A deeply heartfelt track, “Westside Connection” delves into the emotional complexities of love, loss, and longing. With lyrics like, “I needed someone desperately, and you was right there for me” and “Give you the moon, the stars, the clouds, whatever to make you smile,” Rod captures both the intensity of devotion and the yearning to heal a fractured bond. He juxtaposes raw confessions of pain — “I was in a dark place when you had found me, my pain, and my problems had me surrounded” — with a desire for reconciliation, reflected in the refrain, “I left my heart on the West End, can’t wait to get home to you.” Through introspective verses and melodic hooks, Rod continues to deliver bluesy, soul-baring hip-hop ballads. — C.C.
WolfaceeJoey, “3STAR”
2025 should be WolfaceeJoey’s breakout as the next star from the burgeoning sexy drill scene. The Staten Island native kicks off the new year playing “love doctor” with his 13-track Cupid album. He’s not a one-trick pony either, with a versatile repertoire of flows so there’s something for everyone. “3STAR” is an early standout and like a Michelin restaurant, this is rap’s culinary excellence. — M.S.
Ransom, “Tears From a Third Eye”
Ransom originally dropped his Carini Green LP last fall (Oct. 30, 2024), but the seven-song set finally arrived on DSPs last week (Jan. 8). Even if the project is a few months old, the Jersey City emcee has already delivered some of the best rapping if 2025 so far. Album opener “Tears From a Third Eye” — a heart-pounding, single stream-of-consciousness verse — is something of a breakthrough; Ransom uses CinemaTaGraffiti’s ethereal, electric guitar-anchored soundscape to ground his ruminations on maturation and spirituality and how those elements of his life have evolved post-fatherhood. — K.D.
Abby Jasmine, “Believe in Me”
With just 32 days until Abby Jasmine’s highly anticipated project Closure, the New York native continues to deliver for her fans. Her latest single, “Believe Me,” is a bold declaration of resilience and self-confidence, tackling themes of doubt, perseverance, and self-belief. “I can’t share my thoughts with them, they won’t ever get it,” she spits, later rapping, “They don’t wanna see me win, baby, you gonna have to just go blind,” underscoring her determination and conviction in her own potential. With its bold, defiant lyrics and an unforgettable hook, “Believe in Me” is more than just a song — it’s a 2025 anthem for anyone in need of motivation. — C.C.
LeoStayTrill, “Selena”
UK drill has something to say in 2025. Eyes are on Central Cee’s upcoming project, but LeoStayTrill is a college student making waves in his own right climbing the rap ladder. The South London resident follows the Clean Bandit “Rather Be”-sampling “2’s 3s” with “Selena.” After garnering momentum on TikTok following an NYE teaser, “Selena” finds Leo dodging commitment from the various women he’s involved with. “The girl got pissed I don’t my show location/ I ain’t gettin home until 9:00 most likely,” he raps about his sly elusiveness. — M.S.
This week finds a full slate of artists releasing new music for the new year. Music icon Ringo Starr teams with bluegrass luminary Molly Tuttle on a song from his newly released country album Look Up, while Lily Rose, Kip Moore, Kat Luna, Kameron Marlowe and Chancey Williams also start off 2025 with new songs.
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Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of the best country, bluegrass and/or Americana songs of the week below.
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Ringo Starr feat. Molly Tuttle, “I Live for Your Love”
Starr previously issued a country-leaning, Nashville-recorded album in 1970 with his project Beaucoups of Blues. Now, he mines the rich, stylistically vast realms of country, bluegrass and pop again on his new album Looking Up, which finds Starr teaming with T Bone Burnett and a slate of top-flight musicians including Krauss, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Larkin Poe and Lucius. Among the gems on the album is this Starr/Tuttle collaboration, a lush country construction that centers on lasting love. “I live in the moment, I live in the now/ I live for your love,” they sing, with Tuttle’s airy soprano an understated, uplifting foil for Starr’s unmistakable voice.
Chancey Williams, “The Ballad of Uncle Don”
Thick slabs of fiddle and a jaunty, full-throttle rhythm bolster this vividly-detailed tribute to Williams’ uncle, “an Oklahoma roughneck” known for breaking in horses that would throw most other cowboys. A compelling meld of authentic storytelling that infuses his family’s experiences, alongside a heady mix of country tinged with rock influences, and Williams’ undeniably country voice. Williams, a Wyoming native who is one of only two artists (the other being the late Chris LeDoux) to compete in the rodeo as well as perform on the main stage at Cheyenne Frontier Days, keeps issuing one stellar track after another.
Kameron Marlowe, “Hello Whiskey”
Marlowe, possessor of a sonorous, grainy vocal style both commanding and soulful, puts that formidable instrument to great effect, as he continues his upward trajectory with this song of a broken-hearted figure intent on numbing his anguish with copious amounts of liquor. Written by Marlowe, Kendell Marvel and Phil O’Donnell, this somber track is one of several that are laser-focused on exploring the nuances of emotional crisis on Marlowe’s upcoming EP, Sad Songs for the Soul, out Feb. 21.
Kat Luna, “Happiest I’ve Ever Been”
Luna follows up previous releases such as “That Girl” with this post-breakup ballad. Lyrically, Luna’s English-Spanish hybrid details her emotional arc from heartbreak to healing. Tender guitar and Nathan Chapman’s understated production keep Luna’s voice as the song’s fulcrum, highlighting her vocal dexterity. Luna wrote this ballad with Erika Ender, Josh Kerr and Peytan Porter. Track after track, Luna keeps steadily building her resume as a compelling country vocalist and emotionally transparent writer.
Peter Rowan and Wyatt Ellis, “Winds of Rowan County”
Bluegrass music icon Rowan, whose own career was ushered into national prominence when he was a young instrumentalist in the 1960s performing with Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, now teams with 15-year-old mandolin prodigy Ellis for the title track to Ellis’ new double-sided single. Ellis wrote the song as an instrumental at age 13, after performing at Rowan’s Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Rowan worked with Ellis to add lyrics to the resonant, lilting instrumentation, meshing strikingly well with Rowan’s haunting voice. Together, they’ve crafted a powerful, intergenerational recording that highlights bluegrass music’s legacy and future.
Kip Moore, “Bad Spot”
Moore previews his upcoming album Solitary Tracks (out Feb. 28 via Virgin Music Group) with this swaggering reflection on losing a lover during a less mature moment in life. “That old me in my mirror, he ain’t the guy you need,” Moore sings on this song, written by Casey Beathard (“The Outsiders,” “Homeboy”). This piano-led, mid-tempo groove is spearheaded by Moore’s rugged, heart-on-his-sleeve vocal. He sings of being in a more wisened stage of life, having put some of his youthful weaknesses behind him, and in a position to give love another shot.
MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge (Thelma & James), “Happy Ever After You”
Porter and Etheridge first teased this haunting ballad in December on TikTok, to much acclaim. Now, this married couple, who blend their musical talents as Thelma and James, offer up this pared-back ballad of a love undimmed by the time and miles between them. The urge to cover old tattoos and keep retelling oneself a false narrative war with truth-telling memories bound in old photographs and names carved in a tree. The two vocalists translate the emotional push and pull of longing versus denial on lyrics such as “I got half a mind to give you a call/ But I ain’t chasin’ after you,” with the song’s gentle instrumentation empowering their graceful voices.
Lily Rose, “Let You Know When I Get There”
Rose is quite the songwriter in her own right, but on “Let You Know When I Get There,” she leans on the writing talents of Ben Stennis, Michael Tyler and Hunter Phelps. This heart-tugger of a ballad tunes into a lifetime of deep-seated lessons and moments drawn from lasting familial relationships, whether it a mother asking her teen to check in after meeting with friends, or a grandfather doling out advice. Rose turns in a slightly more traditional-leaning country ballad than she is often known for, but one that still rings with her distinct, dusky, conversational vocal style and polished, understated instrumentation.
