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The artist born Chris Comstock, known to millions of fans as Marshmello, has a long history with pop-punk as both a fan of the genre and through his ‘Mello collabs with A Day to Remember and Yungblud.
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Now, Comstock is taking off his helmet and digging deeper into the scene with his new pop-punk band, Underbrook. The six-man group released its debut single, the driving, anthemic “Heads Up” on Friday, (June 20.)
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“This isn’t a nostalgia play — this is who I’ve always been at my core,” Comstock said in a statement. “Underbrook is about channeling the emotions and chaos that shaped me, and giving them a voice through the music that first made me feel understood. ‘Heads Up’ is just the beginning.”
The group features Comstock on lead vocals, along with drummer James Brownstein and Hayden Tree, who’s also the lead singer for Crown the Empire, on bass. Josh Strock, who’s written and produced for artists including Motionless In White, Fever 333 and Machine Gun Kelly, is on guitar alongside fellow guitarist Danny Couture, a writer and producer for acts including Bring Me the Horizon, 24kGoldn and Marshmellow, and the group’s third guitarist Jake Torrey, who has written and produced for Linkin Park, Twenty One Pilots and Yungblud.
Of his and the band’s influences in pop-punk and alt-rock, Comstock cited “everyone from New Found Glory, to The Story So Far, to Two Door Cinema Club and The Strokes. We all listen to a wide range of music, but we can all agree that we love those bands. That DNA definitely made its way into Underbrook.”
While there aren’t yet details about the next Underbrook release, the band’s Instagram account suggests there’s more on the way in advising to “get to know us.” The account also features clips of the group in the studio.
Listen to “Heads Up” below:
As summer continues to heat up, stars such as Cardi B, Lorde and Benson Boone spent their Friday (June 20) dropping new singles and albums.
Cardi kept her fans fed with the long-awaited release of her latest single “Outside,” a scathing diss track aimed directly at her soon-to-be-ex-husband Offset. Amidst the many fiery bars the Bronx-native drops throughout the track, she saves some of the best for the songs opening moments, referring to her ex and his ilk as “Good-for-nothing, low-down dirty dogs, I’m convinced/ Next time you see your mama, tell her how she raised a b—h.”
Meanwhile, Lorde hit the nail on the head with her final preview of Virgin on “Hammer,” a pulsating pop anthem that serves as “an ode to city life and horniness,” as she said on X. The synth-heavy production sees Lorde embracing her fluidity throughout the song, as she sings on the pre-chorus that “I burn and I sing and I scheme and I dance/ Some days I’m a woman, some days I’m a man.”
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Elsewhere, back-flipper-in-chief Benson Boone delivers his much-anticipated sophomore album, American Heart, featuring previous singles “Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else” and “Mystical Magical,” while Public Enemy take to the streets with the group’s new protest single, “March Madness,” railing against gun violence, corrupt politicians and police violence.
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Also this week, Karol G celebrates her past as well as her future with the sunny new album Tropicoqueta, Haim turn up the volume on their established pop-rock sound with their fourth studio album I Quit, Megan Moroney laughs off a loser ex who comes crawling back on “6 Months Later” and Sombr finds himself pining for a love that never was on his latest single “We Never Dated.”
Billboard wants to know which new release is your favorite of the week! So let your voice be heard and vote in the poll below.
Alex Warren has reclaimed the top spot on the U.K. Singles Chart from Sabrina Carpenter on Friday June 20. The latter debuted at No. 1 with “Manchild” last week, disrupting Warren’s lengthy stay at the summit. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news His “Ordinary” is back at the […]
James Marriott has seen off competition from Oasis and Sabrina Carpenter to earn his first U.K. No. 1 album on Friday (June 20). The social media star and musician hits the top spot on the Official Albums Chart with Don’t Tell the Dog, his second studio LP. The Swiss-born, Brighton-based star last appeared on the […]
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Summer time is here and you know with that comes new music from some of your favorite artists and after weeks of teasing her new single, Cardi B has officially dropped “Outside” just in time for the heatwave that’s about to engulf the Northeast section of the U.S. in the coming days.
Produced by HeyMicki and Charlie Heat, “Outside” boasts an uptempo beat that allows Cardi to get in her bag and utilize different vocal tones and flows, and doesn’t hesitate to start the track by seemingly taking shots at her ex-hubby, Offset with bars like “When I tell you these n*ggas ain’t sh*t, please believe me/They gon’ f*ck on anything, these n*ggas way too easy/Good for nothing low down dirty dogs, I’m convinced/Next time you see ya mama tell her how she raised a b*tch.”
Yeah, Cardi might be taking a gang of subliminals at Offset in her next album. Just sayin.’
It should be interesting to see if Offset responds in kind with subliminal of his own, but to be fair, anytime we hear Cardi or Off talking down on the opposite sex in their songs in any way going forward, we’re just going to assume they’re talking about each other. It’s gotten to that level of pettiness.
Check out Cardi B’s “Outside” and let us know if this is something you’ll be bumping throughout the summer in the comments section below.
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Public Enemy has new rhymes designed to fill your mind. The iconic hip-hop group dropped new protest song “March Madness” in honor of Juneteenth on Thursday (June 19).
“PUBLIC ENEMY IS STILL FIGHTING THE POWER,” Flavor Flav wrote in a statement posted to X that day before noting how President Joe Biden signed the national holiday into law on June 19, 2021, and that 160 years have passed since the Confederates surrendered in the Civil War in 1865. “But it feels like we are on the brink of something similar with ongoing efforts to dismantle diversity equity and inclusion. We don’t want what’s going on in Israel vs Palestine and now Iran. We don’t want what’s going on Ukraine vs Russia,” he continued. “I hate war. I hate what’s going on around the world and in US. We are supposed to be THE UNITED STATES and war ain’t about Unity. We have our rights and can use them while we still have them. I have this platform and will use it will I still have it.”
Flav then went on to share that the song was a collaboration with students from three universities. “It was an honor to work with the students from Harvard, Berklee, and Howard Universities to create a protest anthem about important issues we are facing as human beings right now,” he wrote before ending with, “MARCH ON,!!”
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The ominous “March Madness” kicks off with audio from a 911 call, with the operator asking if the caller is still hearing shots, with a newscaster then reporting, “You hear the teacher asking for helpAs she also tries to keep her students calm.”
“Now I’m America’s nightmare/ A debonaire black millionaire/ Checking these crooked politicians who ain’t playing fair/ Shut up! Too much talk/ We know you don’t care,” Flav begins in verse one before throwing in one of his famous “Yeaaaah boys.” He goes on to rhyme: “911 is still a jokе/ So no, motherf–ka, you ain’t getting my vote.”
Chuck D comes in on the second verse with a scathing commentary on the numerous school shootings that have taken place in the United States in recent years. “Trigger happy, hi, I wanna ask a question/ Does a gun need to be in a school to teach or nones?/ Kids supposed to have fun, none of this ‘Run for cover for your life, son,’” he raps before blasting lawmakers for “acting scared off the NRA.”
He also addressed the issue in a separate statement. “Gun violence is not normal behavior, but it’s been going on for so long that it’s normalized,” Chuck D said. “We need to treat it like the sickness and the epidemic that it is.”
The Grammy-nominated group is currently on a world tour, which kicked off earlier in June in Florence, Italy. Public Enemy will also be the support act for Guns n’ Roses on several of the rock band’s European tour dates this summer.
Listen to “March Madness” and see Flav’s full statement below:
PUBLIC ENEMY IS STILL FIGHTING THE POWER ✊🏾Today is Juneteenth.It became a federally recognized holiday on June 19, 2021 signed into law by The President. This was only 4 years ago and 160 years since the confederation surrendered during the civil war. But it feels like we… pic.twitter.com/N9AysjcI2S— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) June 19, 2025
Source: Sean Rayford / Getty
President Donald Trump’s complaint about federal holidays on Juneteenth prompted social media to show his past support for it while campaigning.
As the nation observed Juneteenth on Thursday (June 19), the most noticable action — or inaction — was in the federal government save for a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump. He stated that he would get rid of “non-working holidays”, complaining that “Soon we’ll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year,” without acknowledging Juneteenth by name, concluding “It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
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Juneteenth observes June 19th, 1865, the day when those Black Americans enslaved in Galveston, Texas were informed by a Union Army general that the Civil War had ended and that they had been freed by President Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation two and a half years before. It was made a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021, and it cannot be revoked without an act of Congress.
Trump’s stance was echoed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during her press conference. After answering a question concerning a potential proclamation for Juneteenth, she replied: “I’m not tracking his signature on a proclamation today. I want to thank all of you for showing up to work. We are certainly here.” Trump had signed up to eleven proclamations in the past week alone for Father’s Day, Flag Day as well as the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, which are not among the 11 annual federal holidays.
According to reporting from The Guardian, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requested a “passive approach to Juneteenth messaging” in an email sent out earlier this week. The news comes after Hegseth has obeyed orders from Trump to carry out his elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), seen in renaming military installations like Fort Bragg and warships such as one named after the slain Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers.
But Trump’s social media post was swiftly called out by many on social media who noted that during his presidential campaign in 2020, he promoted Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday as part of his “Platinum Plan” geared towards earning votes among the Black community. Former President Joe Biden spent the day on Galveston Island, attending the Juneteenth Emancipation March and Service held at Reedy Chapel AME, where he also paid homage to the late Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee who worked to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
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After catching up on this week’s edition of Executive Turntable — Billboard’s roundup of the latest music industry moves — be sure to explore the 2025 Pride List, spotlighting 27 influential executives making a difference.
Live Nation Entertainment announced that former Liberty CEO Greg Maffei retired from its board of directors, effective following the company’s annual meeting of stockholders on June 12. During the meeting, 11 director nominees were elected to serve one-year terms, according to a filing with the SEC. Notably, directors elected include Maverick Carter, Jimmy Iovine, Rich Paul and LN CEO Michael Rapino. Missing from the list: Kennedy Center director and Trump ally Richard Grenell, who was very recently announced as joining the board. (Live Nation has not responded to requests for comment.) Voting showed strong support for most nominees, though board chair Randall Mays of Mays Family Enterprises and Chad Hollingsworth of Liberty Media received more opposition. Shareholders also approved an advisory resolution supporting the company’s executive compensation (159.8 million votes in favor and 56.7 million against) and ratified Ernst & Young LLP as the independent auditor for fiscal year 2025.
Believe named Romain Becker as chief product of operations and marketing services officer, unifying core functions to enhance its global support for independent artists and labels. Previously president of label and artist solutions, Becker brings over 15 years of experience in music and tech, including roles at Believe and YouTube’s music partnerships team at Google. Based in Paris, Becker has led distribution and marketing across 50-plus territories and will now oversee product, operations, and marketing services to strengthen Believe’s global capabilities. “Romain is the perfect candidate to connect product, operations and marketing services at Believe,” glowed Believe founder and CEO Denis Ladegaillrie. “With his extensive experience and strategic vision, I am confident that he will drive innovation across our services and help further elevate Believe’s position as a leader in artist and label development globally.”
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Kyle Loftus is the new president of Independent Artist Group (IAG), the agency formed from the 2023 merger of APA and AGI. Announced by CEO Jim Osborne, Loftus also joins the firm’s board of directors. Starting as an intern 16 years ago, he rose through the ranks to partner and eventually to executive vp and head of content development. In his new role, Loftus will continue leading key departments including Motion Picture and TV literature, alternative TV, media rights and publishing, while expanding his leadership agency-wide. He represents major clients like 50 Cent and Mary J. Blige, as well as several showrunners for hits like Ted Lasso and Gran Torino, and has helped develop production companies for stars such as Gary Oldman and Taraji P. Henson. “This company believed in me from day one, and I have so many amazing colleagues, mentors, clients and friends to thank — most importantly, my partner and friend Jim Osborne, who has been an unwavering champion,” Loftus said. “We have a fantastic team at IAG, and I am proud to step into this role, lend my support and expertise across the agency and continue amplifying the IAG story by championing the growth of our exceptionally talented clients.”
The Core Entertainment hired Kate Bowling as director of creative, where she will lead visual branding and creative direction across The Core Entertainment, overseeing photo shoots, music videos, digital content and long-term creative strategy. The Core Entertainment’s clients include Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith, Josh Ross, Hannah McFarland and Nickelback. Bowling joins The Core Entertainment from Warner Music Nashville, where she served as a multimedia designer. –Jessica Nicholson
Prescription Songs promoted Nick Guilmette to senior director of A&R. Based in Los Angeles, Guilmette has signed diverse talents, including songwriter Charli (Tinashe, LE SSERAFIM), producer Cooper Holzman (Mon Rovîa) and Korean-American songwriter EJAE during his three years at Prescription. He also works with artists like Ryan Ogren, Chloe Angelides, and lil aaron. Formerly general manager at Ozone Entertainment, Guilmette began his music career supporting Brockhampton in high school. Head of A&R Rhea Pasricha praised his leadership, saying, “Nick embodies exactly what we strive to accomplish here at Prescription Songs with his creative energy, boundary-pushing ideas, and genuine passion he has while working across the roster.”
444 Sounds appointed Libby Kallins as its new marketing director. Based in New York City, Kallins brings experience from her previous roles at Armada Music and Arista Records/Sony Music, where she focused on marketing, partnerships, and artist development. At Armada, she led U.S. marketing strategies and artist development for acts such as Armin van Buuren, Lilly Palmer and D.O.D, and helped organize the Armada Label Residency with Peloton. She also played a key role in catalog marketing for influential dance labels like King Street Sounds and KMS Records. In addition to her professional work, Kallins actively supports industry advocacy initiatives, including She Is The Music and Support Women DJs.
WME appointed Laura Ruiz as an agent in its contemporary music department, focusing on electronic music. Based in London, she’ll oversee the agency’s electronic music business in Spain and Portugal. Ruiz brings clients including Oguz, Joyhauser, Don Woezik, Diøn and Milo Spykers. “This appointment further strengthens WME’s commitment to the global electronic music sector, building on a foundation of strategic talent development and market-specific leadership,” the company said. Previously, Ruiz was managing director at The Bliss Office, leading operations across the Americas and representing top talent. She also founded her own agency and worked at The Bullitt Agency in Barcelona, gaining experience across European and American markets.
Musicians On Call, which brings live music to hospitals, expanded its team with nine new hires across various departments. New leadership includes Hailey Gilleland as director of development and Kathryn Bennett as director of individual giving, both bringing extensive experience in fundraising and donor engagement. Katie Trent joins as development coordinator, while Danys Coronel steps in as digital content manager, overseeing MOC’s digital presence and campaigns. Christopher Anthony, with a background in television, is now PR & talent coordinator, managing artist and media relations. Emiley Roye, Abby Tannler and Ella Hunt have been appointed as program coordinators for regions including the Northeast, Denver, Phoenix and the Mid-Southeast, bringing diverse backgrounds in healthcare, entertainment and nonprofit work. Delaney McBride joins as executive assistant to president and CEO Pete Griffin, who said, “The diverse experiences and fresh perspectives they bring will be instrumental as we grow our reach, expand our fundraising, and strengthen our programs across the country.”
Worldwide Entertainment Group (WEG) named Bruce Wheeler as president of its new Live Performance Group. Wheeler, a seasoned executive in live entertainment, has held leadership roles at Central Park SummerStage, The Capitol Theatre and The Beacon Theatre. In his new position, he will oversee WEG’s festivals, tours, corporate events and other live properties while collaborating with the Talent Management and Licensed Merchandise divisions. Reporting to WEG President Dave Lory, Wheeler is tasked with driving innovation and growth in the live sector. “Bruce is the ultimate professional and his experience in running live events and maximizing every aspect of the live event experience will be an incredible addition as we build the Worldwide Entertainment Group,” said Lory.
STURDY., a Los Angeles-based creative studio, announced a major expansion of its brand and experiential division, complete with a new leadership team: Nico Poalillo as director of development, Rikke Heinecke as director of production and development, and Myron Batsa as director of experiential. STURDY. has also partnered with VICE Media’s Pulse Films to enhance its production capabilities and global reach. This collaboration debuted with a high-profile activation at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, featuring major brands like Apple and Formula 1. STURDY. now offers expanded services across production, media and social strategy. Heinecke has led production teams at major companies like Warner Music Group and ViacomCBS, while also playing key roles in launching and scaling several innovative production startups. Batsa has held senior positions at VICE Media and Insomniac Events, where he partnered with leading brands such as Live Nation, Festival Republic, and Tao Group. Meanwhile, Poalillo’s creative career includes work with global brands like GM and Nike, and top agencies including Leo Burnett, Doner, McCann, Pulse Films and VICE.
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SZA might be extraordinarily busy as she prepares to head overseas with her and Kendrick Lamar‘s Grand National Tour — but that didn’t stop her from swooping in for a quick recording session with her friend Lizzo.
In a series of posts to her Instagram Stories early Friday (June 20), SZA teased fans with a forthcoming collaboration between her and the “Juice” singer. What started as a glimpse of Lizzo’s own new music in the video, the “Luther” singer started sharing clips of her voice playing alongside Lizzo’s in the background. “Working on a guest star for bookie @lizzobeeating’s new mixtape,” SZA wrote in one caption, while calling their link-up a “lil after-dinner session” in another.
Back in March, Lizzo announced that she was officially “done” preparing her new album Love in Real Life, adding that she “got an emergency root canal, announced SNL & finished my album all in one day.” While it’s unclear whether Love in Real Life is the “mixtape” SZA referred to in her post, the album has yet to receive an official release date.
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Earlier this week, SZA opened up to Chappell Roan about her friendship with Lizzo during a conversation for Interview Magazine. Speaking about the first time she and the “About Damn Time” singer met, SZA praised the “organic and very random” connection they immediately shared. “One day, we were on the same tour, and I was like, ‘We’re about to drive out to Lake Michigan, do you want to come?’ And she was like, ‘Yeah, let’s go,’” SZA recalled. “And then we just got drunk and hung out, and we kept doing that, and then our lives and careers progressed, and we kept talking and hanging out.”
The new song wouldn’t be the first time the pair have worked together, either. Back in 2023, SZA appeared on a revamped version of Lizzo’s 2022 hit “Special.” In May, Lizzo even crashed the stage during SZA and Lamar’s tour stop in Los Angeles to perform the track with her on stage.
The news comes after SZA and her co-headliner Lamar wrap the first leg of their 2025 Grand National Tour. Starting in July, the pair will begin performances across Europe — including shows in Paris, London, Barcelona and Rome — and close out their headline-making run with a set of shows in Australia this December.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER is getting ready to blow your mind! The K-pop group announced on Friday (June 20) that it is set to embark on its fourth world tour. The trek, titled ACT : TOMORROW, will kick off with two shows at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 22 and 23. The […]
