Music
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John Mayer is sending a message to victims of the devastating wildfires across Los Angeles County, recognizing that many of the losses suffered this week are truly and tragically irreplaceable.
On his social accounts, Mayer shared a photo of a file folder containing photos of his 97-year-old father, Richard, “spanning his life from being a baby, an educator, a husband and a father,” which the singer/songwriter called “the most valuable thing I own.”
“It’s the only evidence of his life that will exist over time,” Mayer wrote in his caption. “These are the ‘documents’ you read about people taking from their homes. When you hear someone say they’ve lost everything in a fire, this is much of that everything, if not all of it. Those who say they’ll be okay still have their folders and their albums. Those who are inconsolable have lost them.”
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Many ordered to evacuate fire zones starting on Tuesday had just minutes to round up their families and pets and grab anything they could before leaving homes they might never return to. Mayer’s caption addressed those who didn’t have time to salvage anything beyond the essentials, like the sentimental treasures that can never be replaced.
“Just behind the immeasurable loss of life is the loss of the proof of life,” he wrote. “I don’t practice prayer but tonight I will say one for everyone who no longer has these items. It’s not about the art and the collectibles. It’s the photos, the letters, the class rings, the eyeglasses and the things we keep to remind us that those we loved were here. May those who have lost so much find some semblance of hope and support from their family and friends.”
Mayer ended his message by urging everyone to “stay safe, look out for yourself and for one another, and trust that humanity and all it entails, though sometimes hard to see, is alive and well. This is truly devastating.”
Five people have been confirmed dead after multiple fires raging throughout Los Angeles County, starting on Tuesday. Late Thursday, the latest blaze, called the the Kenneth Fire, was threatening the Calabasas area. Billboard has compiled an updating list of organizations offering relief for musicians and music industry professionals affected by the hugely destructive blazes, as well as an ongoing roundup of events and concerts canceled or postponed due to the fires.
Find Mayer’s full message below:
Just like Beyoncé and Post Malone before them, Australian children’s music group The Wiggles is going country.
The upcoming album Wiggle Up, Giddy Up! is slated to release March 7 and will feature music and collaborations between The Wiggles and country artists including Dasha, Dolly Parton, Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean, Orville Peck, MacKenzie Porter and Lucky Oceans.
The album will also feature music from Australian and New Zealand-native country artists including Morgan Evans, Troy Cassar-Daley, Travis Collins, Kaylee Bell, The Wolfe Brothers and the late Australian country music icon Slim Dusty.
The album’s title track features “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” hitmaker Dasha, who released the project What Happens Now? in February 2024.
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“This is one of the most exciting projects we’ve ever been a part of, in fact, I’ve never spent so much time on an album before,” Anthony Field, who portrays the Blue Wiggle and is a co-founder of the group, said in a statement. “Country music is all about storytelling and connection. Combining that with The Wiggles’ fun and imagination and collaborations with these legendary country music artists felt like the perfect match. We can’t wait for families everywhere to hear these songs!”
Lachy Gillespie, who portrays the Purple Wiggle, added, “We’re so excited to share ‘Wiggle Up, Giddy Up!’ with families everywhere. It’s a song that’s packed with energy, fun, and plenty of country flair. Collaborating with the incredible Dasha, whose music has already brought country music to a whole new audience, was an absolute joy. Whether you’re three, thirty-three, or ninety-three, this song is all about bringing people together to sing, dance, and even try a bit of line dancing!”
The Wiggles have released music projects since 1999, and previously issued the country-themed album Cold Spaghetti Western in 2004.
The Wiggles will also tour in the United States this summer, when their Bouncing Balls Tour runs from June 1 to July 6.
Hear Dasha’s title collaboration with The Wiggles below:
Sesame Street has an impressive roster of special guests lined up for the 55th season of the beloved children’s show, which premieres on Max on Jan. 16. SZA, Noah Kahan, Chris Stapleton, Reneé Rapp and Samara Joy are set to appear on episodes this year, during a season that will center on teaching kids about emotional well-being.
Actor Michael B. Jordan, TV personality/hair stylist Jonathan Van Ness and tennis player Billie Jean King round out the list of celebrity guests Sesame Workshop announced on Thursday (Jan. 9).
This season’s celebrity guests will join the program for “Street Stories,” songs and other segments.
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New Sesame Street episodes will air every Thursday.
With its focus on emotional well-being, this season of the show aims to “help children learn accessible strategies to comprehend and cope with big feelings through fun, lighthearted, relatable and engaging stories,” according to a press release from Sesame Workshop.
“New episodes of Sesame Street will help young viewers understand and express their feelings, learn new mindfulness practices, and as always, have a blast with their favorite furry and funny friends,” Sesame Street executive producer Sal Perez says. “Whether it’s taking a volcano breath when angry, learning to give yourself a hug when frustrated, or wiggling it out when disappointed, we are empowering children with the strategies to help build resiliency and the foundational skills for emotional well-being.”
“This season’s emotional well-being curriculum was developed in response to the growing mental health crisis affecting children globally. Focusing on emotion awareness and social connection skills, children will learn that all feelings are important and that we all experience big feelings, as well as how to navigate social scenarios with friends, families, and the wider community,” adds Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Sesame Workshop’s senior vp of curriculum and content.
Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Bert, Ernie, Elmo, Abby and more keep joining in on the fun and learning on Sesame Street, which also continues to be available on PBS stations via streaming on PBS KIDS.
See the full lineup of upcoming guests announced for Sesame Street and watch the trailer for Season 55 below.
Reneé Rapp (Thursday, January 16)Michael B. Jordan (Thursday, Jan. 23)Samara Joy (Thursday, Feb. 6)Noah Kahan (Thursday, March 6)SZA (Thursday, April 10)Chris Stapleton (Thursday, July 24)Jonathan Van Ness (Thursday, Aug. 21)Billie Jean King (Thursday, August 28)
Jelly Roll, Shaboozey, Chris Stapleton and Tucker Wetmore will lead a night meshing music and sports, when they spearhead EA Sports Presents Madden Bowl at the Orpheum Theater on Friday, Feb. 7, with the concert happening just two days prior to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. The show will also feature an appearance by Trombone Shorty with the New Breed Brass Band.
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Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” reigned supreme this year, logging 19 non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, while Jelly Roll also reached new chart heights this year, notching his first all-genre Billboard 200 debut with his album Beautifully Broken. Stapleton continued to cement his status as a reliable hitmaker and award winner, earning CMA Awards accolades and seeing his song “White Horse” reach No. 2 on the Country Airplay chart. Newcomer Wetmore’s “Wind Up Missin’ You” has risen to No. 2 on the Country Airplay chart, and follows his breakthrough hit “Wine into Whiskey.”
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“EA SPORTS is a cornerstone of Super Bowl Week, and on Friday at Super Bowl LIX we’re bringing together fans, music, athletes, esports, and Madden in an unforgettable celebration of football,” John Reseburg, VP, Marketing, Partnerships, and Communications for EA SPORTS, said in a statement. “New Orleans is one of the greatest and most passionate sports cities in the world, and with a line-up including Chris Stapleton, Jelly Roll, Shaboozey, and more, this is going to be an absolutely electric night at EA SPORTS Presents Madden Bowl.”
“2024 was an unforgettable year for me with a lot of highs, including performing at a NFL halftime show on Thanksgiving,” Shaboozey said in a statement. “Now I can’t wait to keep the party going with EA SPORTS and football fans from all over at Madden Bowl.”
Last year’s Madden Bowl, which was held in Las Vegas, featured artists and bands including Big Boi and Killer Mike, Breland, and Green Day.
Super Bowl LIX will be held at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome on Feb. 9.
Chappell Roan has come first in the BBC Radio 1 Sound of 2025 list, an annual poll that recognizes rising artists with “the best chance of mainstream success.”
The pop sensation, born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, was chosen as the winner by a panel of more than 180 music industry figures and artists, including global superstars Dua Lipa and Elton John. Further details of the panel and how the list was compiled are available via BBC Radio 1’s Sound of 2025 website.
Roan (Island Records) beat out jazz group Ezra Collective (Partisan Records), who came second, and Barry Can’t Swim (Ninja Tune), Myles Smith (RCA) and Mercury Prize winners English Teacher (Island). The achievement follows a breakthrough year for the 26-year-old, whose single “Good Luck, Babe!” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September, five months on from its initial release.
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In the past 12 months, Roan has scooped the top new artist prize at the Billboard Music Awards; netted six Grammy nominations, including nods in each of the Big Four categories; toured the world over and drawn record-breaking crowds at festivals. Her 2023 debut LP, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, meanwhile, enjoyed a second wind and climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in August.
Roan will headline Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Spain, June 5-7 alongside Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter. She will also top the bill at Reading & Leeds Festival, England, Aug. 21-24 as part of a co-headline booking next to Hozier. Other festivals she is set to play through the summer include Oslo’s Øya Festival (Aug. 6), Budapest’s Sziget (Aug. 11) and Rock In Seine in Paris (Aug. 20).
BBC Radio 1 DJ Jack Saunders said: “No one deserves this accolade more than Chappell Roan. She was the most exciting artist of the last 12 months and is now set to be THE artist of the next 12 months. The success is all her own doing: standing tall in the face of the doubters and keeping her community close to fuel the energy of her shows and musical movements. Congratulations Chappell, 2025 is your year!”
Last year’s BBC Radio 1 Sound of poll was won by baroque-pop band The Last Dinner Party, with runners-up including Olivia Dean, Peggy Gou and Tyla. Notable previous winners include Adele (2008), Florence + The Machine (2009), Sam Smith (2013) and Sam Fender (2019).
The 2025 longlist, which was unveiled in November, was comprised of 11 acts, including Kneecap, Mk.gee, Doechii, Confidence Man, Pozer and Good Neighbours.
Frances Tiafoe still can’t believe he’s famous enough to be in the same rooms as people like Taylor Swift, much less taking shots with the pop star.
But on the Jan. 7 episode of The Pivot Podcast, the tennis pro revealed that he and Swift did exactly that when their paths crossed recently. While recalling moments where he’s felt amazed by his own celebrity status, Tiafoe reflected, “I’ve said it in real time, whoever I’m with, like, ‘Yo, I’m out here taking shots with Taylor Swift.’”
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“Granted, I gotta keep it a buck, we’re here on The Pivot — I’m a Beyoncé guy,” the athlete continued. “But at the moment I’m like, ‘Man, this is crazy. She’s the biggest star out here.’”
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The podcast comes about two months after Tiafoe hung out with Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, following the football team’s victory against the Denver Broncos in November. At the time, the tennis player’s girlfriend, fellow athlete Ayan Broomfield, shared a selfie featuring both couples on Instagram, showing Kelce grinning wide as the “Anti-Hero” singer made a kissy face.
“Then Travis and [Patrick] Mahomes, they were like, ‘Yo, we gotta have you in [Kansas City],’” Tiafoe added of meeting the Chiefs players on The Pivot. “Them saying that is wild to me, that they would roll out the red carpet for me. It’s crazy because playing tennis and being able to reach that many people, and people want to meet me and hang out and actually do stuff … it’s why you do what you do.”
Swift and the New Heights podcaster have previously proven themselves to be tennis fans, attending the 2024 U.S. Open in September alongside Patrick and Brittany Mahomes. The outing sparked one viral moment for the 14-time Grammy winner and Kelce as the couple goofed off together singing along to “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness as it came on the stadium speakers in Queens.
Watch Tiafoe recall partying with Swift and meeting Kelce below.
Just days after dropping his new album Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Bad Bunny (real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) released a music video for “Baile Inolvidable,” the third song on the LP. The sweet six-minute clip begins with Puerto Rican filmmaker Jacobo Morales, the protagonist on Benito’s Debí short film, who joins a salsa dance […]
Mac Miller‘s estate shared the lead single to the late rapper’s upcoming posthumous album Balloonerism. “5 Dollar Pony Rides” features Miller’s close friend and collaborator Thundercat helping out on the production side of things, and it’s a pretty groovy jam about a girl. The Pittsburgh rapper was working on Balloonerism around the same time he […]
Less than a year after publicly announcing their split, Chance the Rapper and his longtime partner Kirsten Corley have settled their divorce. The settlement, or a Stipulation to Hear Uncontested Cause, was filed this month in Cook County, Illinois, as indicated by court records reviewed by Billboard and first reported by TMZ. Chance and Corley […]
Tina Knowles has lost her home amid the ongoing wildfire crisis in Los Angeles, the businesswoman revealed Thursday (Jan. 9) on Instagram.
Sharing a video of what appears to be dolphins swimming in the ocean just outside of her beachside bungalow in Malibu, Knowles — who is Mom to Beyoncé and Solange Knowles — wrote, “This is what I was looking at on my birthday this past weekend.”
“It was my favorite place, my sanctuary, my sacred Happy Place,” she continued. “Now it is gone !! God Bless all the brave men and women in our fire department who risked their lives in dangerous conditions. We thank you for your dedication and bravery and for saving so many lives.”
Adding that her “deepest prayers” are with Californians who have been affected by the fires — particularly the family members of the five victims who have been reported dead since the disaster broke out two days prior — the designer concluded, “I am praying diligently for our beautiful City of Los Angeles !! We are resilient though and we will recover!”
Knowles is just the latest public figure who’s reported losing their property to the fires, which first erupted in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday morning. More blazes have since torn through the Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, Altadena and Sylmar, claiming more than 28,000 acres so far and necessitating that nearly 180,000 residents be placed under evacuation orders or warnings, according to CNN.
Mandy Moore, Brad Paisley, Jhené Aiko and songwriter Diane Warren have also shared that the fires have destroyed their homes, while Kid Cudi, Travis Barker’s son Landon and daughter Alabama, and more celebrities have posted about evacuating. Stars such as Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and Shawn Mendes have been doing their part by boosting resources on social media, while countless industry events have been forced to cancel or postpone due to the destruction to the city.
Knowles’ post comes just five days after she celebrated her 71st birthday on Jan. 4. On her big day, the mogul shared a reel of photos with her daughters and wrote on Instagram, “I am so thankful To God today for so many things ! My family ! My friends , my health and my life!!!!”
See Knowles’ post below.