News
Page: 226
Source: Gennadiy Kravchenko / GettyHip-Hop has evolved tremendously in its 50 years of existence. Technology is one of the main factors that help the art form become the beast it is. The music genre is not just known for the hit records and other big moments that kept us talking throughout its 50-year history; it has also impacted our culture in many ways.No music genre affects how we think, dress, talk, eat, drink, and socialize like Hip-Hop does. Its impact is felt not only in the United States but also globally.But to blossom into the billion-dollar behemoth, it is today, Hip-Hop had to undergo an evolution, and technology is one of the main reasons it has become one of the most popular art forms on the planet.From how we party, consume it, reach out to friends, and conduct business to how it is covered, Hip-Hop’s longtime partnership with technology and the advancements in equipment and devices helped push Hip-Hop forward.HipHopWired decided to break down the different ways tech has been involved in the music genre and how it helped shape it into what it is today. From advancements in how music is made to how it’s played and how we enjoy it, from the gadgets your favorite rapper convinced us we just had to have to how we get our news and the latest music videos, technology plays a major key (word to DJ Khaled) in all of that.So hit the gallery below for a brief history of how tech has helped shape and continue influencing Hip-Hop.
1. How Hip-Hop’s Hits Are Made?
Source:Getty
Crafting infectious hits that stay on repeat has evolved greatly in Hip-Hop’s 50 years of existence.
Before we had drum machines, DJ Kool Herc unknowingly sparked a revolution while spinning records at a house party in 1973 when he added a second turntable to his DJ rig.
How was the significant? In his book, Hip-Hop Production: Inside the Beats, Prince Charles Alexander, professor in the Music Production and Engineering Department, explained what Kool Herc was able to accomplish with that decision.
” “[I]f you had two turntables and a mixer, you could alternate a beat between the two turntables and extend a four-bar musical pattern—you know, that hot break section in the middle of that fly record—you could extend that musical pattern to infinity,” Alexander writes.
You can listen to a recording of Herc’s innovation on the turntables here.
We jump to 1979 and the Sugar Hill Gang showed the world no DJ, no problem. They performed their iconic hit “Rappers Delight” backed by a live band allowing them and the genre to reach bigger audiences the limited DJ experience at the time couldn’t.
By 1981, with the introduction of the drum machine, Hip-Hop fully embraced technology, expanding the reach of the DJ and putting the genre on the path to commercial success. and opening the door for more rappers and producers to get in the game.
The first three machines Linn LM-1, Roland TR-808, and Oberheim DMX paved the way by providing rappers like Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five with the tool, the DMX to craft an iconic record like “The Message” which Alexander says helped “change the sound of hip-hop—and eventually, modern music in general.”
The evolution didn’t stop there. The introduction of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) which is described as a system or a musical language took things further by allowing all the music tech at the time to work together.
The MIDI protocol allows computers, synthesizers, controllers, sound modules, sound cards, samplers, and drum machines from different manufactures to speak with each other. A great example of a record that benefited from MIDI protocol was Salt-N-Pepa’s classic “Push It.”
Finally, we reached the Sampler, which allowed producers to take excerpts from other songs and incorporate them into new compositions. Ice Cube’s 1993 hit record, “It Was A Good Day,” which brilliantly sampled “Footprints in the Dark,” by the Isley Brothers is a great example Sampler being used to perfection.
Later on down the line “super producers” like Kanye West, Just Blaze and others would take sampling to greater heights.
Then there was Fruity Loops, which was a great tool for entry level producers, and hell, put Soulja Boy on the map, who honestly paved the way for other artists to make it big without a machine (record label) behind them.
With technology behind making music continuing to innovate and improve, we can only expect the tools to be even better, especially with the introduction of AI which could open the door for more producers and rappers.
2. How We Consume Music?
Source:Getty
No genre of music was more innovative in releasing its product than Hip-Hop; debate your aunties on that.
We have come a long way from handing out cassette tapes from car trunks, picking up bootleg CDs on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, and risking our computer’s health while illegally downloading songs off Limewire and Napster.
We are now in the digital age, and Hip-Hop evolved to take advantage of it. To his credit, Mr “First To Do Everything” Soulja Boy definitely was an innovator when he took advantage of the ringtone era, specifically with “Snap music.” Lil Wayne holds the record for most ringtones sold at 5 million with his Tha Carter III banger “Lollipop.”
Ringtones aren’t very common anymore, and if you still use one, you are definitely showing your age. In their place is having your songs played on social media platforms like TikTok or Instagram Reels, which is now helping break new artists in. Whether those artists are good and have staying power is another issue.
Speaking of ringtones, JAY-Z, who was ever so innovative partnered with Samsung to have his album, Magna Carta Holy Grail available to Galaxy S3, S4 and Note II phones owners via an app.
Hova made history with move as the album went platinum out the gate, thanks to Korean tech giant purchasing 1 million copies of the album and preloading it onto an app for Samsung users listening pleasure.
The digital age has also made music streaming huge, and no genre benefits more than hip-hop—services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Tidal. Speaking of Tidal, JAY-Z led a bunch of artists, including his former homie, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, his wife, Beyonce, and more, to sign onto Tidal, presenting it as an artist-friendly streaming service that would not only supply users with quality sounding music, and experiences but would also ensure artists were getting compensated adequately for their songs being streamed.
We all know how that played out, JAY-Z sold his majority stake in Tidal, and we have no clue what the other artists involved did. However, the platform is still a thing, and streaming is still massive, with artists like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, and Megan Thee Stallion making dominating DSPs.
3. Reaching Out & Securing The Bag
Source:Getty
One area where Hip-Hop always seemed to set the trend was with communication devices. Before everyone walked around with smartphones in their pockets, your favorite rapper had a pager on their hip, plenty of quarters in their pockets, and access to the nearest payphone to reach out to someone or “secure the bag.”
Yes, we know the absolute struggle.
Before Apple and Samsung, Motorola was the king of the cellphone market.
Gordon Gekko (Wall Street) and Zack Morris (Saved By The Bell) showed up with the legendary Motorola DynaTac 8000X, sparking interest in owning a phone you could carry around with you all the time.
Unfortunately, that technology, while groundbreaking, was a bit cumbersome and not all that mobile because, honestly, who’s traveling with that big a** phone? By the 90s, the cellphone shrunk with the arrival of MicroTAC 9800x, the first flip phone on the market.
Your favorite rappers, like NaS, can be seen “using” the phone in his visual for “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” from his classic album Illmatic. The phone also appears in The Notorious B.I.G’s’ video for “Warning” alongside the Motorola Flare.
1996, the Motorola Startac came through and shook the building and was eventually one up by the sleeker Timeport. If you were a baller, you definitely also had the matching Motorola 2-Way Pager as seen in the videos for JAY-Z’s “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)” and Fabolous’ “Young’n (Holla Back)”.
What made the 2-Way Pager even more popular among the Hip-Hop crowd was that songs could easily turned into alerts. One of the greatest 2-Way pager alerts definitely belongs to Cadillac Tah for his banger “POV City Anthem.”
Eventually, Motorola got sidelined for Nextel and their phones, which featured a popular chirping feature allowing you to contact people via a walkie-talkie instead of wasting those precious phone minutes.
Nextel wasn’t the only phone service provider to use a walkie-talkie feature. Boost Mobile arrived on the scene with a variation of the technology and took full advantage of the popularity among the Hip-Hop community with its “Where You At” ad campaign, recruiting rappers The Game, Ludacris, and Kanye West for an epic commercial featuring the trio of Hip-Hop stars spitting over West-produced beat.
Eventually, a device called the Sidekick from Danger Research Inc., founded by three former Apple employees, was exclusively sold through T-Mobile, came through, and completely dominated the space.
The device introduced the idea of mobile internet to the world, allowing people to connect to AIM (AOL Instant Messanger) and T-Mail. The device made plenty of appearances attached to the hips of your favorite MCs, but its most prominent appearance had to be in JAY-Z’s “Excuse Me Miss” video.
Eventually, Sidekick’s dominance ended, and the Blackberry, once just a tool for Wall Street regulars, businessmen, and women, became popular in the culture. This was precisely because BBM Messenger was introduced before the iPhone ate Blackberry’s lunch and made it obsolete.
4. Covering The Culture
Source:Getty
The way Hip-Hop is covered has also drastically changed over the years. Initially, Ralph McDaniels was our ears to the streets, keeping us up to speed on what was happening in the culture through his iconic show Video Music Box.
MTV eventually came around with YO MTV Raps!, which initially only aired on MTV Europe from 1987 to the mid-90s and MTV US from August 1988 to August 1995.
Fab 5 Freddy was the original host before Dr.Dre and Ed Lover took over on weekdays, with Fab 5 Freddy holding down hosting duties on the weekends.
BET would have its own Hip-Hop-orientated shows with Rap City hosted by Big Tigger, which is blessed with some classic freestyles and BET Uncut.
Then came the internet and the “Blog Era,” with websites like Missinfo.TV, RapRadar, UHeardTheNew, Hip Hop Since 1987, 2DopeBoyz, NahRight, AllHipHop, HipHopDX, and more kept us up to date with all that’s going on in the world of Hip-Hop daily because no longer were reporters just confined to a desk, they could report on events, concerts and other shenanigans on the spot if the situation called for it.
But that has all changed again. While websites like ours are still alive and kicking, Podcasts and now Twitch streams have taken over.
The late Combat Jack, born Reggie Ossé, was the pioneer and widely considered to be Hip-Hop’s flagship podcaster with the Combat Jack Show. Other shows like the Joe Budden Podcast, Rap Radar, Drink Champs, Juan EP Is Life, and more fill the void left by Combat Jack’s passing.
Also, technology now allows anyone to turn their smartphones into podcast recording devices, so a studio isn’t even necessary. All you need are microphones and plastic cups to pour whatever you and your guest are going to be sipping during your conversation about the latest song, rap beef, or other Hip-Hop-related news.
Finally, streamers are also getting into the game thanks to platforms like Twitch and other networks that will rename nameless. Currently, Kai Cenat’s Twitch stream is becoming the go-to spot for your favorite Hip-Hop acts, or if you want some “insight” on the latest shenanigans, DJ Akademiks is also popular, unfortunately.
The game is changing, whether the old heads like it or not, so it’s time to adapt or get left behind.
Justin Timberlake is getting some birthday love from his wife. On Friday (Jan. 31), the pop superstar celebrated his 44th birthday, and Jessica Biel showered him with a heartfelt message on social media.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Another year to make memories that I keep sacred in my heart,” Biel, 42, wrote on Instagram. “Another year of joy and challenges being a parent with you. Another year together being curious and creative in the world. Another year growing and evolving and sometimes devolving, with you. Another year laughing about it all. Happy birthday my love.”
The 7th Heaven alum’s post featured a gallery of photos showcasing the couple and their children over the years. The carousel begins with a candid shot of the couple sharing a loving glance under a red archway, followed by a throwback of the “Cry Me a River” singer and Biel embracing.
Trending on Billboard
Other highlights include a nighttime shot of Timberlake grinning in front of the Eiffel Tower and a festive Halloween photo of the family dressed in Lego-inspired costumes.
Biel and Timberlake, who have been married since 2012, share two children: Silas, 9, and Phineas, 4.
Timberlake’s *NSYNC bandmates also sent birthday wishes. “HBD fam! We gonna keep stacking throw backs!” JC Chasez posted on his Instagram Story alongside a pair of nostalgic photos.
Lance Bass also celebrated his friend, writing on Instagram: “Happy birthday to my brother @justintimberlake! Wouldn’t put ramen noodles on my head for anyone else.” He shared several photos of the pair, including a clip of himself wearing blond curls while singing Timberlake’s iconic line, “It’s Gonna Be Me.”
“Why are we acting like you ain’t go crazy frosting them tips?! 😂 love you, brother!” Timberlake replied in the comments.
In October, Timberlake and Biel marked their 12th wedding anniversary. Timberlake acknowledged the milestone during his Forget Tomorrow World Tour at Montreal’s Bell Centre, where Biel was present.
“It’s also a very special evening for me,” Timberlake told the crowd, as Biel stood on the side of the stage. “My wife is here tonight. And tonight is our 12-year anniversary.” He added, “So be nice to her, Montreal, because she’s sharing me with all of you guys tonight. I love you, baby.
Biel shared the sweet moment on her Instagram Story, writing, “Wouldn’t want to spend it anywhere else.”
“The Grateful Dead are a lot of things. I would venture to say they are the great American band,” declared Andy Cohen at the opening of MusiCares Persons of the Year annual gala on Friday night (Jan. 31) at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
You’d be hard pressed to find any disagreement among the 2,000 or so Deadheads — whether for a lifetime or just for the night — who danced and sang along to the music of the band, who is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
Though there had been some question whether it was appropriate for the evening to proceed as planned given the wildfires that have ravaged parts of Los Angeles County, leaving almost 30 dead and more than 22,000 households destroyed, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr quickly addressed the disaster and the way MusiCares has helped already at the beginning of the evening.
Trending on Billboard
MusiCares, the Academy’s philanthropic arm that provides financial aid and other services to those in the music community, “launched a relief effort, raising and distributing almost $4 and a half million dollars in grants to over 2,000 affected music professionals,” he said. “Throughout the Grammy weekend, we’ll continue to raise awareness and funds, celebrate first responders and support this city, so as we begin the 2025 Grammy weekend, there’s no better honoree than the Grateful Dead.” (Though the final numbers aren’t in from the evening, MusiCares executive director Laura Segura said during the night that more than $5.2 million had been raised from a paddle auction with the Dead’s Weir donating $100,000 and comedian Bert Kreischer giving $25,000.)
What a long, strange trip it’s been for the Dead, who were represented by guitarist Weir and drummer Mickey Hart, as well as the late Jerry Garcia’s daughter, Trixie, and the late Phil Lesh’s son, Grahame. (Drummer Bill Kreutzmann joined in via video.) Hart and Weir sat together at a front table taking in the 16 performances feting them with Hart often smiling broadly and swaying along while Weir appeared more stoic, though appreciative.
MusiCares, whose past honorees have included Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Gloria Estefan, Bonnie Raitt and last year’s Person of the Year, Jon Bon Jovi, always provides a stellar evening of music and a chance to hear interpretations of the honoree’s catalog filtered through the musicians chosen to fete them. This year was no different. With a crackerjack band led by Don Was that included members of Goose, Dead & Company and Grahame Lesh, a number of performers made the Dead’s uniquely genre-blending sound into their own.
Among the most pleasing performances were those tributes performed by co-ed duos, which brought a refreshing, feminine energy to some of the songs. The War and Treaty opened the evening, accompanied by Mick Fleetwood and Stewart Copeland, to provide a sassy, playful “Samson and Delilah,” once again proving that there’s no musical style that Michael and Tonya Trotter can’t tackle (They, Sammy Hagar and Marcus King were the only three artists who had performed last year for Bon Jovi who appeared again Friday night).
The War and Treaty were followed by My Morning Jacket, who were joined by a very pregnant Maggie Rose for a funky “One More Saturday Night,” as Rose and MMJ lead singer Jim James’ voices wrapped around each other. Lukas Nelson and Sierra Farrell took to the circular rotating B-stage in the middle of the floor for a gorgeous, intertwining “It Must Have Been the Roses,” which felt like a collaboration album must be inevitable. Farrell, sporting a beautiful rose and ribbon headpiece and red velvet gloves, clearly understood the assignment.
Then there were those acts that felt like descendants of the Dead, who put their own stamp on their performances while still hueing closely to the jammy sounds of the originals. Best of the bunch were Zac Brown and Marcus King who united for an exhilarating “Bertha,” while Vampire Weekend brought a lilting airiness to “Scarlet Begonias.” Dwight Yoakam’s version of “Truckin,’” a song he cut nearly 20 years ago, provided a delightful psychobilly turn, while Billy Strings’ “Wharf Rat” and The War on Drugs’ “Box of Rain” (played with Grahame Lesh) both paid homage, while adding their own colors.
Former and current Dead associates also provided highlights: Bruce Hornsby, who played with the Grateful Dead as keyboardist from 1990-1992 following the death of Brent Mydland, turned in a delicate, intimate take on “Standing on the Moon,” while John Mayer soared on “Terrapin Station.”
The varied selection dove deep into the group’s canon and while there’s no way to cover every tune, signature songs like “Casey Jones,” Shakedown Street” and “Uncle John’s Band” went undone often in favor of lesser-known tunes.
Actor and longtime fan Woody Harrelson presented Hart and Weir with their award, humorously recalling his adventures with the group, including “smoking a fatty with Jerry in a bathroom of the vice presidential mansion and the band getting the boot by a very angry Al Gore.”
Hart picked up on the story adding that the event occurred on his daughter’s first birthday, with Gore even presenting her with a cake, but then segued into how the Grateful Dead’s mission has always been communal.
“For me, music’s always been more than just sound. It’s a force, a healer. But music doesn’t exist in a vacuum,” he said. “Music needs a community to play to. And in turn, a community needs its music. We know the power of community because we’ve lived it. Deadheads have kept the dream alive for 60 years now and continue to take this music into the next century.
“The Grateful Dead has always been more than just music,” Hart continued. “It’s about the people who believed in it, supported it and built something bigger than any one of us before the world even knew what to make of us. Our community lifted us up and kept us going. Without their support, there would be no Grateful Dead… [Music] soothes the soul, raises our consciousness and gives us strength when we need it most, because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about — giving back the very thing that’s given us so much.”
Following Hart, Weir took the stage and tied in the evening with the devastating Los Angeles fires. Growing up, Weir said he would spend his summers at camp, which evolved into a summer job as a ranch hand, “which as it turns out, was the only real job I’ve ever had outside of music,” he said. “But in all of this, I learned early on that you’re gonna get a lot more done a lot faster if you can make a team effort of your tasks… What we have here in SoCal these days is a rebuild that’s gonna take some time & effort — and an immense amount of teamwork. My guess is it’s gonna take a few years, but SoCal will be back, stronger and shinier.”
Hart also addressed the Grateful Dead’s long legacy of helping others. “All along, my old pal Jerry used to say, ‘You get some, you give some back.’ And so we did. From early on it was more than apparent to us that we could be of substantial benefit to our broader community — and have big fun doing it. We also learned right away that it was an honor and a privilege to be in this position — something we never took lightly… That brings us back to MusiCares, a beacon of hope in the music industry that provides financial assistance, mental health resources, recovery programs and other support to artists and music technicians facing challenges. Their work ensures that the people who make music — from behind-the-scene professionals to household names — will be able to carry on.”
To close the evening, Dead & Co took the stage for a medley of a Mayer-led “Althea” and then “Sugar Magnolia,” and the band’s only top 40 hit, 1987’s “Touch of Grey,” with Weir on lead for the latter two. It was a tuneful, upbeat set with “Grey’s” “We will get by/ We will survive” refrain serving as the perfect benediction for the night and a reminder that no matter how challenging times get, whether from fires and illness and other obstacles, there is, hopefully, a brighter road ahead.
Check out the Grateful Dead’s MusiCares setlist below:
“Samson and Delilah” (The War and Treaty with Mick Fleetwood and Stewart Copeland)
“One More Saturday Night” (My Morning Jacket with Maggie Rose)
“Ripple” (Norah Jones)
“Bertha” (Zac Brown and Marcus King)
“Ramble on Rose” (Wynonna Judd)
“Friend of the Devil” (Noah Kahan with Bela Fleck)
“Scarlet Begonias” (Vampire Weekend)
“Truckin’” (Dwight Yoakam)
“They Love Each Other” (Maren Morris)
“It Must Have Been the Roses” (Lukas Nelson and Sierra Farrell)
“Wharf Rat” (Billy Strings)
“Loose Lucy” (Sammy Hagar)
“Standing on the Moon” (Bruce Hornsby with Rick Mitarotonda)
“Box of Rain” (The War on Drugs)
“Terrapin Station” (John Mayer)
“Althea/Sugar Magnolis/Touch of Grey” (Dead & Company)
In 2018, Kelsea Ballerini headlined a show at Nashville’s approximately 2,300-seat, revered music venue the Ryman Auditorium for the first time — and soon after, made a promise to herself that she would not headline in Nashville again until she could sell out the approximately 20,000-seat Bridgestone Arena, located just blocks away.
The country singer-songwriter triumphantly reached that goal on Friday night (Jan. 31), when she headlined Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to a sold-out crowd of admiring fans, as part of her Kelsea Ballerini Live on Tour 2025 trek.
“I cannot believe we are at a sold-out night at Bridgestone Arena,” Ballerini told fans early in her headlining set. “One thing about me, I’m not gonna play it cool at all. I’m going to freak out hopefully alongside you all evening. I’ve been in this room a million times. As a fan, this is the room that I’ve seen my favorite artists. I’ve been in here for the CMAs and the CMTs and so many things and this room means so much to me.”
Not only have the past seven years seen Ballerini cement her headliner status as an artist, but the five-time Grammy nominated artist further established herself as a multi-media presence, hosting awards shows, snagging a brand deal with CoverGirl — and further establishing herself with perhaps her biggest television look to date: a role as a coach on the television series The Voice, which launches Monday. Ballerini brought a bit of that television extravaganza to the Bridgestone, as fans lined up across the Bridgestone’s concord for a chance to sit in the famed red coach’s chair from The Voice.
But during her performance, it was Ballerini’s heart-connecting songs and strong rapport with her fanbase that were at the heart of her vivid, high-production arena spectacle. She proved again that she’s as adept at crafting grand-scale anthems as veering toward bone-cuttingly vulnerable ballads. Women have continued to rule pop music over the past few years, with artists ranging from Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter each offering up their own unique brands of songwriting and storytelling to narrate their own perspectives on life and love and everything in between. Ballerini serves up that same ethos in the country music sphere, to much fan acclaim.
The all-women lineup commanding Friday night’s sold-out Bridgestone Arena show also featured openers MaRynn Taylor and Sasha Alex Sloan opening for Ballerini.
Ballerini launched her headlining set with the self-aware ballad “Patterns,” the title track from her October-released album, which debuted atop Billboard’s country albums chart, and at No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Seated atop what looked to be a pile of luggage evoking the image from her album cover, Ballerini asked the crowd, “Are you ready to begin unpacking?”
From there, she led the largely female audience through an emotional and musical whirlwind, chronicling her journey from a wide-eyed newcomer on songs such as “Love Me Like You Mean It” to world-wisened artist who has navigated heartbreak and hard-earned lessons to emerge with a stronger sense of self and a new-found freedom. She also proved her prowess as an engaging and effervescent entertainer as she crafted a show tailor-made for both a fun night out, interspersed with heart-on-her-sleeve, soul-pouring moments.
“We have songs for the girlies, your best friends, your ride or die and love songs,” she said, sailing through songs including the girls’ night out anthems “Hole in the Bottle,” and “If I Go Down (You’re Goin’ Down Too).”
The show had all the accoutrements of a full-throttle country-pop show: massive video screens, a catwalk stage through the middle of the audience, lights and pyro, as Ballerini traversed through an array of spangled outfits throughout the evening, from red bodysuits to sparkly dresses and elegant gowns.
A set equally filled with rancor and romance, with wholehearted love songs (“Heartfirst,” “Love Me Like You Mean It”) and serrated heartbreak songs. But towering above either of these were a bedrock of song threaded with empowerment (“I Miss Me More”), personal growth and friendship (“I Would, Would You”). Her brand of pop-minded country, with songs that trace the diaristic details of Ballerini’s zeniths and lows over the past few years. Her choice to leave those details bitingly intact on projects such as her pivotal Rolling Up The Welcome Mat and its successor Patterns have cemented Ballerini who has evolved as an artist and writer unafraid to reach into the depths, even on songs she dresses up in the shiniest of melodies and sparkliest of stage productions.
And for Ballerini, not always “playing it cool” has been a key element in how she build her strong rapport with her fans — her willingness to share the messy, confused, despairing, and questioning moments alongside those of supreme confidence. Even small moments when the show didn’t go perfectly as planned — a minor outfit mishap that led Ballerini to sit down onstage and fix her shoe, and elsewhere a missed cue — came off as simply the kind of all-too-human moments that have made Ballerini the relatable artist she is.
Ballerini’s exuberant voice, paired with a willingness to tear down emotional barriers between artist, the songs and the fans, have earned Ballerini an ardent fanbase. Reflecting on her decade-long journey from her 2014 breakthrough songs such as “Love Me Like You Mean It,” Ballerini told the crowd, “I made my first four records so honestly, and I really did my best to write songs about my life. When I was writing ‘Dibs’ and ‘Love Me Like You Mean It’ and ‘Peter Pan,’ that was truly, that was the identity of a 19-year-old girl, for sure. But there was part of me that rounded the edges on these songs, because my true want as an artist… I wanted to make music for literally everyone — mainly the girls and the gays,” eliciting rapturous cheers from the audience.
She added, “My way of doing that was I left out the sharpness because I wanted it to be absorbable. And then I made Rolling Up The Welcome Mat and I didn’t do that at all. It was the first record that I made it for me and it changed my life. When I was trying to make Patterns, all I wanted to do was make sure that I didn’t go back to being scared of having edges. I didn’t want to be scared of saying hard truths. I wanted to keep down the path of that.”
Prior to performing her 2016 song “Peter Pan,” she addressed the young girls in the room with the steady assurance of a wiser, older sister, “I want you to know that you are worth of steady, good love.”
The AEG Presents-promoted tour will wrap April 9 in North Carolina.
Below, we look at five top moments from Ballerini’s Bridgestone Arena show.
A Friendship-Celebrating Singalong
From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Fonseca Surprises Newlywed Couple in Colombia
Colombian singer-songwriter Fonseca serenaded a newlywed couple in Colombia with this song “Qué Suerte Tenerte.” The surprise was captured on video, where he explains how and where he met the bride.
“I met Isabela about 10 days ago on a flight to Bogotá,” Fonseca explains in the clip. “She came up to me, told me that my music meant a lot to her and said ‘I’m getting married in eight days and your song ‘Qué Suerte Tenerte’ is going to be my official wedding song, the one I’m going to dance to.’ I know it’s going to be an unforgettable and very special moment because since we wrote this song with Elena Rose we always dreamed of a situation like this, not only for them, but for us it’s going to be unforgettable and very special. So, here we go.”
Watch the special moment below:
Trending on Billboard
Peso Pluma Performs at FireAid Concert
Mexican star Peso Pluma was among the many artists who performed at the FireAid benefit concert in Los Angeles on Thursday (Jan. 30). The música Mexicana hitmaker performed “La Bebe,” his reggaetón hit with Yng Lvcas. He took the stage at the newly opened Inuit Dome wearing an all-white ensemble and an L.A. blue baseball cap.
Jenni Rivera Love Foundation Gives Back
The Jenni Rivera Love Foundation hosted a charity event last week in Santa Ana, Calif., to help raise funds to support families affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles. Jenni Rivera’s children, Jacqie Rivera, Johnny López and Jenicka López, attended the event in the spirit of solidarity.
“Immediate help is essential during times like these,” Jacqie said in a statement. “We’re here to carry on our mother’s work, as she was deeply committed to her community. This event is a way to honor her legacy and give back to the people she cared about so much.”
Pitbull Gives Shout Out to SLAM! Students
During his ‘Vegas After Dark’ concert at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Jan. 25, Pitbull gave a special shout out to the students of Sports Leadership and Management of Nevada (SLAM! Nevada), a charter school founded by Pitbull and supported by the SLAM! Foundation. The hitmaker highlighted SLAM! Nevada’s mission to empower future leaders and his personal connection to the school.
“We’re up to 12 schools around the United States of America, there’s one right here in Las Vegas and I want to tell them congratulations on doing such an amazing job and being one of the top schools in the state of Nevada,” he expressed while on stage.
On Friday (Jan. 31), ASH DA HERO released New Chapter, the first album to feature the band’s new lineup. The rap-rock quartet, made up of vocalist ASH, bassist Sato, drummer WANI, and DJ Dhalsim, celebrated its third anniversary in September and was reborn with a new lineup. On November 29, it put on its first solo overseas show, ASH DA HERO LIVE 2024 in Taipei, and it has steadily been bringing its sound to a growing circle of listeners.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Billboard Japan spoke to the band about their mindset as they set out with their new lineup, the creation of their new album and what they focused on when writing new songs, and their upcoming February 1 show at Zepp Shinjuku (TOKYO), titled ASH DA HERO LIVE 2025 “New Chapter,” which will be their first solo show in Japan with their new lineup.
To start off with, could each of you introduce yourselves?
Trending on Billboard
ASH: I’m ASH, and I’m the vocalist. My specialties are rapping and singing. My roots lie in punk, hip-hop, and reggae.
Sato: My name’s Sato, and I play the bass. My specialty is brewing coffee. We don’t have a guitarist, so I also play bass in the guitar’s pitch range.
WANI: I’m WANI. My specialty is playing the drums. My roots are in punk, and I’m especially skilled at drumming with a rap-rock feel. I also sing, and I’m working on getting in shape, so I’m really into weight training right now.
Dhalsim: I’m the DJ, Dhalsim. My specialty is high-speed scratching. I also program music on computer. I’m responsible for the overall sound design of our songs. We don’t have a guitarist, but we’re taking advantage of that to do all the things that we couldn’t have done if we had a guitarist. We’re completely shifting over to that composition style, so right now we’re in the process of rebuilding our sound.
What advantages have you found in becoming a quartet?
ASH: I think there are more and more bands without a guitarist, especially among younger musicians, but a rap-rock band with a DJ but without a guitarist is still a rarity. I think that’s a major strong point for our band from a global market perspective.
So how does it feel actually having started the next chapter of your band’s history without a guitarist?
Sato: We were originally a five-person band, and now there are four of us, so we each do our own part to make up for the change. That means that we’re each playing more. Looking at it from another perspective, it also means we each have more possibilities to let our own individuality shine. We’re overhauling everything—our makeup, our costumes, our playing styles, and our instruments—based on our own core essence and our roots. Through that, we’re redefining ourselves and becoming a new band, which is an incredibly fun process. We’re creating something new that doesn’t fit into the “rap-rock = guitar” pattern, so all of us can take on lots of new challenges, which is really gratifying.
WANI: At first, I was worried about what would happen. I was sure that we’d lose some fans because the guitar is the core instrument in a band. But the four-person arrangement felt a lot better than I’d expected, and I realized that the fans had their hopes up for this new incarnation of ASH DA HERO, which was tremendously encouraging. We want to live up to everyone’s expectations with the music we create and with our live performances, of course, but Sato and I are also thinking about following up with what ASH and Dhalsim are doing.
ASH: When we were a five-piece band, there was a lot of “this is what a rock band should be like.” Now that there are four of us, there’s a much stronger feeling that we should take a freer approach. Now we’re doing what we want to.
New Chapter will be your first concept album. What kind of album will it be?
ASH: Right now we’re creating our freshest music, with a sound that we could only achieve as a four-person band. The title of the album, New Chapter, is the same as the title of our live show, and we picked it to represent that we’re starting a new chapter as a band, with a new lineup, starting on February 1. I also feel like the music that we’ve created is unquestionably unique in the Japanese rock scene, so the album’s name also represents the fact that we’ve invented a new way of making rock.
“Wrangler Beat” was your first release as a four-piece, and it carried on the feel of the ASH DA HERO of the past.
ASH: Right. It’s got a bit of a vintage rock vibe. It’s a little reminiscent of “Octave.”
After sweeping aside the by-the-numbers approach with this song, you then released “VANDALISM.” The rap lyrics in the second verse really resonate. I feel like the way you encourage people through songs like this is the reason that ASH DA HERO strikes such a chord.
ASH: In life, you’ll suddenly get sideswiped right when things were going well. That’s not just something that’s happened in my life, but something that I think happens to everybody. The question is, when that happens, do you look down in dejection, or do you keep your chin up? I’m the kind of person who’s like, “No, I’m not going to flinch, are you crazy?” So I put all those feelings into the lyrics.
And then you tie it all together with the absolutely wonderful closer, “I’m your rock star.”
ASH: That’s what a rock star is all about, right? It’s cool when someone’s in a hard spot but they’re like “No big deal.” For me, Jack Sparrow (of Pirates of the Caribbean) is that kind of character. Even in impossible situations, he just laughs it off. I put that feeling in words, like, “Don’t you even think about forgetting!”
What can you tell us about the sound production?
Sato: The main riff has a lot of repeating phrases, so I focused on how much swing I could put into those simple phrases. I really vibed on it.
WANI: The drums are simple but catchy. Our older songs had a lot of intricate fills, but on “VANDALISM,” I got rid of all that. I focused on that simple, cool sound. It’s got a really convincing rhythm. When you hear it live, you’ll realize that it’s not just a simple beat.
Dhalsim: I also stripped down my scratching to the limit. What influenced me in the early 2000s were songs with simple scratching. That, and intros.
That’s one of the cornerstones of the song.
Dhalsim: In the 2000s, Kanye West would speed up records and sample them, and I added that same flavor into the song. It was popular, especially in Japanese hip-hop, to record original material to sample in the studio, and then to sample that material and chop it up. I hope that playfulness and historical background come through.
Another song on the album is “BDC.”
ASH: That’s the one where we just shout “botanical dance club.” It’s the kind of song where you clear your head and you just shout and dance.
Dhalsim: The chorus is sung by scratching, which is new. Those are the kinds of new things we’re doing. We’re taking advantage of the lack of guitar to try out all kinds of new ideas.
What can you tell us about “Break Free?”
ASH: Drum and bass has come full circle, so we wanted to see what it would sound like if a rap-rock band without a guitar tried its hand at the sound of groups like Prodigy, which we are huge fans of. Sato’s vicious bass riff loops through the song. Then on top of that there’s rap with a U.S. hardcore vibe, and an emotional chorus.
The rap is super aggressive.
ASH: The lyrics go for the throat, as they should for a rock band. The song is kind of a warning about the consumerism and idol worshipping of society.
How many other songs will there be on the album?
ASH: There’ll be two more songs, which we’re working on now. I think they’ll feature our new four-piece sound even more prominently. It all comes down to February 1. That’ll be a major milestone for us.
What kind of show do you think it will be?
ASH: The answer to the question of how we’re transforming as a band will be clear on February 1. That’s when the new chapter of our history will start. I know all the people reading this interview have their fingers on the pulse of music, so we’ll be seeing you on February 1 at Tokyo’s Zepp Shinjuku.
After you open this new chapter with the show, what are your plans for 2025?
ASH: We’ve already finalized plans for several overseas shows, so we plan to tour the world, while always staying attentive to our fans in Japan.
—This interview by Sachie Tojo first appeared on Billboard Japan
After Selena Gomez shared (and then deleted) a video weeping over the Trump administration’s immigration raids, the White House shared its own response video late Friday (Jan. 31) featuring mothers whose children were reportedly killed by undocumented immigrants.
The White House clip, posted to X, intersperses clips of Gomez crying over mass deportations in her since-deleted video with the mothers, who are critical of the singer/actress and tell her: “You don’t know who you’re crying for.”
In the original clip, Gomez — a Texas-born Mexican-American — says through tears, “All my people are getting attacked, the children. I don’t understand. I’m so sorry. I wish I could do something, but I can’t. I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise.”
In the White House response, Alexis Nungaray — whose 12-year-old daughter Jocelyn was killed in Houston in June 2024 — accuses Gomez of being insincere in her response. “Seeing that video, it’s hard to believe that it’s actually genuine and real because she’s an actress,” Nungaray says.
A September report funded by the National Institute of Justice using data from the Texas Department of Public Safety found that “undocumented immigrants are arrested at less than half the rate of native-born U.S. citizens for violent and drug crimes and a quarter the rate of native-born citizens for property crimes.”
Gomez’s original video was in response to Trump’s promise to begin major deportations as soon as he took office. Last week, Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt took to X to announce that “deportation flights have begun. President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences.”
The two other mothers featured in the video are Tammy Nobles, whose 20-year-old daughter Kayla Hamilton was killed in 2022 in Aberdeen, Maryland, and Patty Morin, whose 37-year-old daughter Rachel was murdered in 2023 in Harford County, Maryland. Hamilton’s killer was an undocumented 16-year-old from El Salvador, while undocumented immigrants are facing charges for the murders of Morin and Nungaray.
Gomez’s video became a political lightning rod in the days after it was originally posted on Monday, with Republican Utah politician Sam Parker suggesting she should be deported as well because her grandparents originally entered the country illegally. “Thanks for the laugh and the threat,” Gomez responded on Instagram.
The Recording Academy announced on its social media channels Friday (Jan. 31) that Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars and Shaboozey are performing on the 2025 Grammy Awards, set for Sunday. Gaga and Mars will “perform a special tribute to the city of Los Angeles and those affected by the wildfires” that devastated parts of the city in January.
The academy usually holds one or two big names until the last minute to build up buzz and excitement. These artists certainly qualify. Gaga & Mars’ swoon-worthy ballad “Die With a Smile” has been No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the past four weeks. Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” logged 19 weeks at No 1 on that chart last year, tying the all-time record in the chart’s 68-year history.
Trending on Billboard
With Shaboozey being added to the lineup, seven of the eight nominees for best new artist will be performing on the telecast: Benson Boone, Chappell Roan, Doechii, RAYE, Sabrina Carpenter, Shaboozey and Teddy Swims. (The eighth best new artist nominees, Khruangbin, have not been announced as performers.)
Shaboozey is nominated for five Grammys, including record of the year. Gaga & Mars are nominated for two, including song of the year. The Gaga/Mars smash was released Aug. 16, 2024, just two weeks before the end of the Grammy eligibility year. If it had more time to fully blossom before Grammy balloting was under way, it might well have also received a coveted record of the year nod.
Live from Crypto.com Arena in L.A. and hosted by Trevor Noah, Music’s Biggest Night will be broadcast live on Sunday (Feb. 2) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
This year’s telecast will carry an added sense of purpose: raising funds to support L.A. wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders.
A series of special performances will highlight the show, including a salute to the life and legacy of Grammy legend Quincy Jones, tributes to the spirit of Los Angeles, and the annual In Memoriam segment.
This is the fifth consecutive year that Noah has hosted the show. He will become the first comedian to host the Grammys five times. He’s also a Grammy nominee for best comedy album for Where Was I. If he wins, he’ll become just the second Grammy host to win on a night that he or she hosted. Kenny Rogers was the first, in 1980.
The 67th Annual Grammy Awards will be produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy for the fourth consecutive year. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins are executive producers.
This year’s Premiere Ceremony, where the vast majority of Grammys are presented, will stream live at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel and on the Grammy website. The show will be held at Peacock Theater in the LA Live complex in Los Angeles (which also encompasses Crypto.com Arena). Justin Tranter, a Grammy nominee for song of the year for co-writing Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe,” is set to host the Premiere Ceremony for the second year in a row.
In a banner week for music stocks, record labels and music publishers posted gains after Universal Music Group (UMG) signed a new licensing deal with Spotify and Amazon announced further price increases for its music streaming service.
UMG gained 11.2% to 26.94 euros ($27.91) after the company announced it renewed its licensing deal with Spotify for its record labels and music publishing. According to the company, the agreement will allow for “new paid subscription tiers,” such as Spotify’s anticipated high-priced superfan offering, and bundling of music and non-music content. UMG also got a boost from news that Amazon is raising prices on its Amazon Music Unlimited on-demand service in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. After the week’s gain, UMG had recovered nearly all of the 24% decline it suffered after its second-quarter earnings results showed lower-than-expected streaming growth.
Morgan Stanley analysts called it “an important and positive week” for investors in companies that operate in the music streaming space. Warner Music Group (WMG) rose 6.7% to $31.80 as investors likely assumed the company will follow UMG and negotiate a mutually beneficial licensing deal with Spotify later this year. Both Believe and Reservoir Media rose 2%.
Trending on Billboard
Spotify rose another 7.5% to a new record closing price of $548.55 after multiple analysts raised their price targets and the streaming giant emerged victorious in a U.S. court case over a tactic employed to lower its royalty obligations. The streaming company’s stock reached as high as $560.36 on Friday (Jan. 31), valuing the company’s market capitalization at approximately $111 billion. More analysts hiked their price targets ahead of Spotify’s earnings call on Tuesday (Feb. 4). Deutsche Bank increased its Spotify price target on Monday to $550 from $535, while Citi raised it to $540 from $500.
Music stocks have produced strong gains just one month into the new year. This week, the 20-company Billboard Global Music Index (BGMI) rose 6.4% to a record 2,447.97. Just two of the index’s 20 stocks lost ground while one was unchanged and 17 posted gains. The index’s third-straight weekly gain was the best of the year and the best single-week performance since the BGMI gained 6.8% in the week ended July 21, 2023. Just 31 days into 2025, the index is up 15.2% and is outpacing major indexes such as the Nasdaq composite (up 1.6%), S&P 500 (up 2.7%) and FTSE 100 (up 6.1%).
Aside from Spotify, other streaming companies posted large gains. LiveOne, the week’s greatest gainer, jumped 20.8% to $1.45 after CEO Robert Ellin announced — from President Trump’s The Mar-a-Lago Club — that LiveOne had surpassed 700,000 Tesla users, half of which are free, ad-supported users. Chinese music streaming company Cloud Music also improved, with its stock up 8.4% to 112.20 HKD ($14.40), after the company announced it had reached a “preliminary” agreement with K-pop company SM Entertainment to keep the K-pop company’s catalog at the platform. Paris-based Deezer rose 9.6% to 1.26 euros ($1.31). Abu Dhabi-based Anghami improved 4.2% to $0.75.
SiriusXM rose 9.3% to $24.01 after the company’s fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday (Jan. 30) showed a drop in revenue and subscribers but gross margins and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EDITDA) that were in line with guidance. For full-year 2025, SiriusXM expects slight declines in both revenue and adjusted EBITDA but an increase in free cash flow to $1.15 billion from $1.02 billion in 2024. Ahead of the company’s earnings, Deutsche Bank lowered its price target to $25 from $28.
Sphere Entertainment Co. shares rose 8.5% to $46.60, with Guggenheim raising the company’s price target to $69 from $64 and maintaining its “buy” rating. Sister company MSG Entertainment, which will announce earnings on Thursday (Feb. 6), rose just 0.1% to $36.34.
iHeartMedia had the week’s largest decline, dropping 8.3% to $2.22, after posting gains in previous weeks. iHeartMedia shares are up 12.1% year to date.
The Weeknd has released the final installment in his trilogy, ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow.’ With an album filled with features from Lana Del Rey, Anitta and more, he also announced his ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ tour bringing Playboi Carti with him. Keep watching for everything you need to know about The Weeknd! What’s your favorite song […]