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Lou Christie, one of the most beloved teen idols of the 1960s and the voice and songwriter behind Billboard Hot 100-topper “Lightnin’ Strikes,” has died. He was 82 years old. The musician died on Wednesday (June 18) at home in Pittsburgh after fighting a long illness, his wife, Francesca, told The Hollywood Reporter. Born Lugee […]
Forrest Frank’s “Your Way’s Better” stalled the three-month reign of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” on the monthly Top Gabb Music Songs chart when it reached No. 1 on the April 2025 tally, and now he’s joined Gaga and Mars as the only other act with a multi-month No. 1, reigning again on the May 2025 survey.
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Billboard has partnered with Gabb Wireless, a phone company for kids and teens, to present a monthly chart tracking on-demand streams via its Gabb Music platform. Gabb Music offers a vast catalog of songs, all of which are selected by the Gabb team to include only kid- and teen-appropriate content. Gabb Music streams are not currently factored into any other Billboard charts.
“Your Way’s Better” rules Top Gabb Music Songs for a second month, concurrent with the release of the song’s parent album, Child of God II, which debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 dated May 24.
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The song has topped the Hot Christian Songs chart for the last five weeks (dating to May 24) and has reached a best so far of No. 61 on the all-format Billboard Hot 100. It ranks at No. 68 on the latest list.
“Your Way’s Better” is one of a whopping five Frank songs on the May 2025 Top Gabb Music Songs chart, thanks to a pair of debuts joining the three songs he already boasted on the ranking. “No L’s” and “B.I.G.” debut at Nos. 14 and 19, respectively, while “Drop!” reaches a new peak of No. 13 and “Up!,” a collaboration with Connor Price, remains at its No. 25 best.
Frank’s five songs on the ranking equals the record set by Imagine Dragons on the inaugural Top Gabb Music Songs list for October 2024 — though notably, while Frank has the No. 1 song, Imagine Dragons’ best that month was No. 16, with “Bones.”
Other moves on the latest chart include a three-spot leap for Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” which reaches a new peak of No. 3 after its No. 6 debut on the April tally. “Ordinary” has spent two weeks so far at No. 1 on the Hot 100, beginning with the June 7 survey.
The only non-Frank debut of the week belongs to Morgan Wallen, whose “What I Want,” which features Tate McRae, starts at No. 11. It was also a No. 1 on the Hot 100, debuting atop the May 31 list.
See the full top 25 below.
Top Gabb Music Songs, May 2025
“Your Way’s Better,” Forrest Frank (=)
“Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else,” Benson Boone (=)
“Ordinary,” Alex Warren (+3)
“Beautiful Things,” Benson Boone (+1)
“Die With a Smile,” Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (-1)
“APT.,” ROSE & Bruno Mars (-3)
“Love Somebody,” Morgan Wallen (=)
“Stargazing,” Myles Smith (+3)
“Slow It Down,” Benson Boone (+1)
“Pink Pony Club,” Chappell Roan (-2)
“What I Want,” Morgan Wallen feat. Tate McRae (debut)
“God’s Plan,” Drake (-3)
“Drop!,” Forrest Frank (+4)
“No L’s,” Forrest Frank (debut)
“Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,” Luke Combs (=)
“Butterfly Effect,” Travis Scott (-2)
“Please Please Please,” Sabrina Carpenter (+1)
“Deja Vu,” Olivia Rodrigo (-5)
“B.I.G.,” Forrest Frank (debut)
“Face 2 Face,” Juice WRLD (-8)
“Heat Waves,” Glass Animals (+1)
“Stressed Out,” Twenty One Pilots (-6)
“Let You Down,” NF (+1)
“Too Sweet,” Hozier (-1)
“Up!,” Forrest Frank & Connor Price (=)
DROPS: “Nothing Else,” Forrest Frank feat. Thomas Rhett; “Pink Skies,” Zach Bryan; “Thick of It,” KSI feat. Trippie Redd
Two months after Fat Joe sued his former hypeman Terrance “T.A.” Dixon for extortion over “false and vile accusations,” the one-time employee has filed his own lawsuit accusing the rapper of having sex with two underage girls.
In a complaint filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court, Dixon accuses Fat Joe (Joseph Cartagena) of a “deliberate and sustained campaign of exploitation,” leveling claims of sex trafficking, financial fraud, and racketeering. Most seriously, Dixon claims that he “personally witnessed defendant engage in sexual relations with children who were fifteen and sixteen years old.”
“Minor Doe 1 is a 16-year-old Dominican girl residing in New York,” Dixon writes in his lawsuit, obtained by Billboard. “In exchange for cash, clothing, and payment of her cell phone bill, defendant would get oral sex and other sexual acts performed on him by Minor Doe 1.”
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Those explosive allegations come two months after Fat Joe sued Dixon and his attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, over claims that they were extorting him by making “wholly fabricated, grotesque, and scandalous allegations,” including “unspeakable acts such as pedophilia.”
In a statement responding to the new case, Fat Joe’s lawyer Joe Tacopina called them a “blatant act of retaliation” and a “desperate attempt to deflect attention from the civil suit we filed first.”
“Law enforcement is aware of the extortionate demand at the heart of this scheme,” Tacopina says. “The allegations against Mr. Cartagena are complete fabrications — lies intended to damage his reputation and force a settlement through public pressure. Mr. Cartagena will not be intimidated. We have taken legal action to expose this fraudulent campaign and hold everyone involved accountable.”
Asked by Billboard about Tacopina’s statement regarding law enforcement, Blackburn repeatedly referred to his opposing counsel by the name Joe Taco Bell: “We offered Joe Taco Bell an opportunity for his client and me to meet at the [U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York] to file our respective criminal complaints and he tucked his tail between his legs and never responded. We met with law enforcement. Let’s see where this goes.”
In his Thursday complaint, Dixon says he dedicated his “talent, labor, and loyalty” to Fat Joe for 16 years, serving not just as a hype man but also a “lyricist, background vocalist, security team member, and creative collaborator.” But he says the star manipulated and abused him in myriad ways, ranging from underpayment to threatening his life.
“Defendants systematically engaged in coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion against plaintiff Dixon, all intended to enrich defendant Cartagena and his associates while deliberately suppressing, silencing, and erasing plaintiff’s substantial creative, artistic, and commercial contributions, which were foundational to defendant Cartagena’s professional success and personal brand,” Blackburn writes on Dixon’s behalf.
That’s a very different story from the one that Fat Joe himself told first in April, when he sued Dixon and Blackburn for defamation over “a predatory plot, built entirely on lies, to destroy Cartagena’s reputation and business for profit.”
In that case, the star says he “compensated Dixon handsomely” and the hype man “never complained or expressed any dissatisfaction.” But he says the ex-staffer recently started airing false grievances about his pay and other issues, and has published “shocking falsehoods” to social media while making “outrageous financial demands.”
The early lawsuit also names Dixon’s lawyers as a defendant, claiming Blackburn threatened to file baseless legal action. Citing a recent ruling by a New York federal judge that sharply criticized Blackburn’s litigation tactics, the suit calls his behavior “shakedown tactics masquerading as lawyering.”
“Dixon’s and Blackburn’s conduct is … a cold-blooded attempt to extort exorbitant sums from Cartagena by leveraging the specter of public disgrace and professional ruin,” Tacopina wrote in April. “His defamatory statements accusing Cartagena of heinous crimes are devoid of any factual foundation, relying instead on the power of shock, scandal and Cartagena’s high-profile status to maximize leverage.”
The allegations about Fat Joe in the newer case are certainly shocking and scandalous. The complaint is 157 pages – far longer than the typical pleadings in such a case – and comes with an unusual bright red “trigger warning” at the top. It is also replete with photos of the alleged teenage victims, and claims that Dixon faced “credible threats” to his life, including “attempts to lure him into a violent ambush.”
The lawsuit also includes claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – the federal “RICO” statute often used in criminal cases against mobsters and drug cartels. Those sprawling claims allege that Fat Joe and his associates operated an illicit enterprise, and also names a number of outside groups as defendants, including Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
Blackburn included similar civil RICO claims in a sexual assault case he filed last year against Sean “Diddy” Combs on behalf of producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones. While a judge has allowed the case to move forward, he dismissed the racketeering claims in March.
Tyler Hubbard posts his fourth top 10 as a soloist on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “Park” cruises a spot to No. 10 on the ranking dated June 28. During the June 13-19 tracking week, the single improved by 6% to 17.8 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.
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Hubbard, who hails from Snellville, Ga., co-authored “Park” with Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley (who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame June 12) and Canaan Smith. The song is from Hubbard’s sophomore solo LP, Strong, released in April.
“Park” follows Hubbard’s “Back Then Right Now,” which topped Country Airplay for a week in May 2024. Before that, his “Dancin’ in the Country” hit No. 2 in May 2023, after “5 Foot 9” became his first chart-topper on his own for a week in November 2022. His first entry as a solo act, “Undivided,” with Tim McGraw, reached No. 16 in May 2021.
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The 38-year-old Hubbard made 16 previous trips to No. 1, among 19 top 10s, on Country Airplay as half of duo Florida Georgia Line with Brian Kelley, who is also now working solo.
Hubbard is out playing dates this summer, with his next stop June 20 in Pocatello, Idaho. The date also marks the release of Kelley’s LP Sunshine State of Mind Season Two, Chapter One.
‘Worst’ Still First
Riley Green’s third Country Airplay No. 1, “Worst Way,” reigns for a second week, up 1% to 28.6 million in reach. The song, which the singer-songwriter from Jacksonville, Ala., wrote solo, is his first to lead for multiple frames. He previously ruled for a week each as featured on Ella Langley’s “You Look Like You Love Me,” in December, and Thomas Rhett’s “Half of Me,” in November 2022.
When JayDon springs into the Billboard offices in late May, there’s an unmistakable bounce in his step. At just 17, the wiry triple-threat appears taller than expected — his spry frame helping explain the explosive dance moves that have the R&B world buzzing. As soon as the elevator doors part, he launches into performance mode. With no mic and zero hesitation, he starts crooning with such clarity and control that his voice slices through the office walls, prompting staffers to pop their heads out and ask, “Who’s that?”
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That kind of chutzpah is what landed JayDon a coveted spot with Mega, the newly minted label helmed by L.A. Reid and Usher.
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“Being with Mega — L.A. Reid, Usher, and that whole camp — helped me develop as an artist substantially,” JayDon tells Billboard weeks later during his June Rookie of the Month interview. “I’ve learned the ins and outs of stardom — what to look for, what to pay attention to, and studio etiquette. That was my first time being in the studio every day, back-to-back-to-back for months. Like six months straight. Twelve to fifteen hours a day. From two to four A.M., just singing a lot of songs.”
Now, JayDon has the R&B sphere abuzz with his undeniable skill set. Drenched in ’90s and early-2000s R&B nostalgia, tracks like “I’ll Be Good” and “Lullaby” have both Gen Z fans and millennials swooning. And when he’s not melting hearts with buttery vocals, it’s his hypnotic dance moves — reminiscent of a young Chris Brown or Omarion — that are filling timelines and turning heads.
“I still want to be authentic and brand new at the same time,” he says. “As I keep going forward, I can’t stop. I want to be the best version of me –and keep doing what I’ve always dreamed of doing.”
Today (June 20), JayDon keeps the momentum going with the release of “Bougie Baby,” a fast-paced collaboration with social media standout Zeddy Will. The track marks a stylistic shift, showcasing Jaydon’s ability to push the tempo without losing his soulful edge.
Check out our conversation with June’s R&B Rookie of the Month, JayDon, below.
Do you remember when you wrote your first song?
On the writing side, I was 12 years old. I really got into it 12, 13. The summer of last year, I ended up being with Mega and working with different writers — being in the studio everyday. That’s what got my pen working. [The first song I wrote] was called “Text You.” Shout-out my cousin Chuck Heat. He’s a producer, writer, overall musician — dope.
My own family does music. I got a beat from Chuck Heat and you know, I been recording music since I was eight years old, but this was my first time actually sitting down by myself with my phone. I used to write in my notebook — I have it somewhere — and I wrote the whole song. I was inspired by by [starts singing “Girlfriend” by Heavyweight]. I wanted to make a song like that or [starts singing “Jennifer” by Trinidad Cardona]. This was 2020 and that’s when the songs were resurfacing. I wanted a song like that. Real R&B smooth. It’s actually dope. I still listen to it to this day.
When did your family first discover that you had a talent for music?
About six years old. I was already dancing. My family doesn’t really dance. My grandpa taught me how to do Michael Jackson [moves] and everything like that. Him and my Uncle Robert. They showed me a little bit of how to dance. That was kind of it. Around that time, I was learning how to dance like Chris Brown. I was teaching myself things. They saw that I really wanted it. That’s what it was. They were already molding me to be a singer and a musician because I already had music around me. It’s a family thing, but when it comes to the entertainment, that’s when they were like, “He wants it.”
You’re morphing into this incredible triple-threat in real-time with being a singer, dancer and actor. How would you rank your talents from top-to-bottom?
My talents? What would I rank from top-to-bottom [laughs]? Why can’t they all just be at the top?
I’m not mad at that. Talk your sh-t.
Right now, I’m dialed in on the music. So, of course, that’s my forefront, but I’m an entertainer and artist of all realms.
Cats from your generation don’t dance like how they used to back in my day. How important was it for you to incorporate the choreography into what you’re doing on the music side, especially in something like your “I’ll Be Good” music video?
Man, I just want to show what I’m already am: dancing, being fun and doing it all in a way that I love. Every with all the movies that I’ve been in, I’ve been able to dance and sing or [solely] sing in ’em. So I love tying everything into one knot and definitely being able to show that in “I’ll Be Good” was the goal.
The video was giving Step Up and Save The Last Dance vibes with how heavily involved the dancing elements were. Was that intentional?
Absolutely! With all my videos, I wanna do something different.
Whether it’s “I’ll Be Good” or “Lullaby,” your music has some ’90s and ’00s influence to it. How important was it sonically to include that kind of music into your foundation?
It’s already an authentic thing for me. There’s some other artists that I’ve seen out here trying to purposefully attach their name to that like, “I’m a ’90s R&B artist from today.” They’re trying to do that. That’s definitely a piece of my music and what I want to bring to the table, but that’s just who I am. I feel like if you put me back in time, I’d belong there. It’s a natural thing for me.
The first comment I saw when watching “I’ll Be Good” was along the lines of “this guy is a fusion of Chris Brown, Mario and Omarion.” As you continue to build your artistry, how often do you look into some of your R&B heroes and try to infuse them into your style?
I’m not gonna act like I’m not inspired, man. I’m inspired by so many different artists, different times. From back in the day to old school R&B to the founders of it like Sam Cooke and Donnie Hathaway to all the way to Chris Brown, Usher and Miguel. Different artists, man. I love to study. I definitely take pieces from everybody. So if you see a move and it looks like it was for Chris Brown, it probably was.
“I’ll Be Good” samples Usher’s “How Do I Say.” Was there hesitation on your end to sample a record like that knowing that your boss made it?
Man, shout-out Sweata. He produced the track and everything. He wrote it with me. Great, amazing writer. Y’all go check him out. He’s also signed to Mega. It just felt right for that type of vibe that we was on that day being in the studio. We just wanted to capture something [good]. It was actually his idea. He came to me with the track and played it for me and everything. He said, ‘Let’s go for this feel’ and we wrote it together. It definitely combined well.
What was Usher’s reaction to the record when he first heard it?
He loved it, man. I never played it for him in person, but I’ve seen some of his reactions. I’ve talked to him and everything. He loves it and I appreciate him for blessing me with the sample.
Let’s pivot to the acting. You were in The Paynes and played Simba in the Lion King. How did acting better prepare you for the music world?
[Learning] to be comfortable in front of a camera. Definitely that. Being able to connect and when you’re shooting music videos or preparing yourself for that. Being an actor and having experience with that, it definitely helps to put that emotion in your face and show what you’re singing about. I feel like I’m already a little developed there.
We’re seeing a lot more double-threats from the acting and music side like Coco Jones and Chloe Bailey. Do you plan to further pursue acting as you continue to step into music?
Absolutely. Right now, my launch pad and my focus is on the music and everything that I have coming forward. It’s definitely that, but I’ll never let go of acting, man. I really want to pick it up [again]. I don’t wanna put no time-stamp or limitations, but I love acting, man. If the role is right, if the time is right, I’ll be there.
You have a great relationship with your dad. How do you maintain that father-son bond and keep it sacred without stardom getting in the way?
Man, you trying to hype my head up. I ain’t even famous like that yet. [Laughs.]
I know you go outside and the girls see you.
I do get spotted, though. That’s really the crazy part. When I was in New York, there was a bunch of people [coming up to me]. But the relationship between me and my dad, it’s more brotherly, honestly. That’s my dog. Whatever I go through, he’s gonna understand me. He wants to see me win. There’s nothing that’s going to come between us.
Do we have a tape dropping?
The tape is coming. Got an EP on the way. Y’all keep y’all eyes peeled.
Do we have a name and date?
I’m thinking Me, My Songs and I. I wanna name my album Jaydon. When I come with an album, I do want it to be self-titled. This one, I think it just represents what it is: It’s Me, My Songs and I. It’s my spirit in music.
Submit questions about Billboard charts, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the United States.
Or, reach out on Bluesky.
Let’s open the latest mailbag.
“Mariah Carey’s latest hit is a great achievement, considering she is a legacy artist on the Billboard Hot 100. Out of her 50 career entries, 19 are No. 1s and, by the end of the year, she may hold the record for the longest-running No. 1, ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You.’
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“On a side note, Mariah has Hot 100 No. 1s in eras dominated by physical releases (1990s), digital distribution (2000s) and streaming (‘10s, ‘20s).”
Filoteo Uy(on Billboard’s Facebook)
Lambs are smiling this week, as Carey claims her 50th Hot 100 hit, “Type Dangerous.”
The feat had Carey fans, and chart fans, noting the impressive percentage of her career entries that have gone to No. 1 or the top 10 on the Hot 100. With 50 making for easy math (phew), her 19 No. 1s translate to a 38% success rate in ruling the chart, while her 28 top 10s make for 56% of her charted titles hitting the top 10.
How do those numbers compare to others over the Hot 100’s nearly 67-year history?
Twenty-five acts have notched eight or more Hot 100 No. 1s. Among them, here’s a ranking of the artists with the highest rate of chart entries having hit No. 1, through the survey dated June 21.
Artist, Percentage of Hot 100 Entries Hitting No. 1:
George Michael, 42% (8 No. 1s of 19 total entries)
Mariah Carey, 38 (19 of 50)
The Beatles, 27.8 (20 of 72)
Whitney Houston, 27.5 (11 of 40)
The Supremes, 27 (12 of 45)
Phil Collins, 25.9 (7 of 27)
Bruno Mars, 25.7 (9 of 35)
Michael Jackson, 25.5 (13 of 51)
Katy Perry, 25 (9 of 36)
Janet Jackson, 24 (10 of 41)
Rihanna, 22 (14 of 63)
Bee Gees, 20.9 (9 of 43)
Madonna, 20.7 (12 of 58)
Paul McCartney, 19 (9 of 47)
Usher, 17 (9 of 53)
Stevie Wonder, 16 (10 of 63)
The Rolling Stones, 14 (8 of 57)
Elton John, 13 (9 of 71)
Beyoncé, 8.5 (9 of 106)
Ariana Grande, 8.4 (8 of 95)
Justin Bieber, 7.6 (8 of 105)
Elvis Presley, 6.4 (7 of 109)
The Weeknd, 6 (7 of 117)
Taylor Swift, 5 (12 of 264)
Drake, 4 (13 of 358)
George Michael reigns with the best percentage of Hot 100 hits reaching No. 1, at 42%. In baseball terms, that’s a Ted Williams-esque .420 batting average. Carey follows at a likewise Cooperstown-worthy .380.
Notably, Michael’s total covers only his solo Hot 100 hits, including Wham!’s “Careless Whisper,” on which he’s also listed as a solo featured artist. If rolling up the duo’s history — three No. 1s among nine entries — into his as a soloist, Michael would still rank first with a 39% rate of topping the Hot 100, just above Carey’s 38%.
Clearly, the relatively recent evolution of music consumption works against this stat, as Drake (4%), Taylor Swift (5%) and The Weeknd (6%) round out the ranking above. Unlike in prior eras, so-called album bombs have swelled certain acts’ totals of charted hits — and in a week that Swift holds the top 14 titles, only one can be No. 1. If anything, their placements on the list above make for a badge of honor, with Drake boasting a record 358 career entries and Swift, a runner-up 264.
How about artists’ rates of hitting the Hot 100’s top 10?
Again, in looking at the 25 artists with eight or more Hot 100 No. 1s, here’s a rundown of the acts with the highest frequencies to date of chart entries having hit the top 10.
Artist, Percentage of Hot 100 Entries Hitting the Top 10:
George Michael, 79% (15 top 10s of 19 total entries)
Janet Jackson, 65.9 (27 of 41)
Madonna, 65.5 (38 of 58)
Michael Jackson, 59 (30 of 51)
Whitney Houston, 58 (23 of 40)
Bruno Mars, 57 (20 of 35)
Mariah Carey, 56 (28 of 50)
Phil Collins, 52 (14 of 27)
Rihanna, 51 (32 of 63)
Paul McCartney, 48.9 (23 of 47)
The Beatles, 48.6 (35 of 72)
tie, The Supremes, 44.4 (20 of 45)
tie, Stevie Wonder, 44.4 (28 of 63)
Elton John, 41 (29 of 71)
The Rolling Stones, 14 (23 of 57)
Katy Perry, 39 (14 of 36)
Bee Gees, 34.8 (15 of 43)
Usher, 33.9 (18 of 53)
Justin Bieber, 25 (26 of 105)
Ariana Grande, 23.2 (22 of 95)
Elvis Presley, 22.9 (25 of 109)
Beyoncé, 22.6 (24 of 106)
Taylor Swift, 22.348 (59 of 264)
Drake, 22.346 (80 of 358)
The Weeknd, 17 (20 of 117)
George Michael again takes top honors, with a lofty 79% of the late singer-songwriter’s Hot 100 hits having reached the top 10. (His only four that didn’t: “Waiting for That Day,” No. 27 peak, 1991; the song’s B-side that became popular amid the Gulf War, “Mother’s Pride,” No. 46, 1991; “Somebody to Love,” with Queen, No. 30, 1993; and “Killer”/“Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” No. 69, 1993.)
As with his percentage of No. 1s, Michael would still rank first on the list above if factoring in Wham!, whose nine Hot 100 hits have resulted in seven top 10s — an almost identical high rate, 78%, to his 79% solo. It took some time for the totals to nearly align: Following its 1984 release, Wham!’s “Last Christmas” jingled to the top 10 at last in 2021, reaching a No. 3 best this past holiday season. (Michael is also two-for-two on songs named “Freedom.”)
Carey has the eighth-best rate of Hot 100 charted titles making the top 10, and the fourth-best among women, after Janet Jackson, Madonna and Whitney Houston, with all four driven largely by their sterling track records (of tracks, or records) in the ‘80s and/or ‘90s.
Two coincidences stand out above. Paul McCartney has hit the Hot 100’s top 10 with 48.9% of his solo entries on the chart, just a touch above the Beatles’ 48.6% showing. Meanwhile, it takes three decimal points for Swift (22.348%) to place just above Drake (22.346%) when it comes to their titles reaching the top 10.
One other act comes to mind regarding this research. Of the 307 artists with at least five Hot 100 top 10s, only one has perfect attendance in terms of all its entries on the chart having reached the top 10. In fact, all five hit the top five, and three ascended to No. 1 — “Baby Don’t Forget My Number,” “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You” and “Blame It on the Rain” all led, “Girl You Know It’s True” hit No. 2 and final charted single “All or Nothing” peaked at No. 4.
Milli Vanilli, thus, owns a unique slice of Hot 100 history, even if it’s somewhat owed to the abrupt end of its chart run. Perhaps the mark adds further shine to the pair, which in recent years has been looked upon much more kindly than when it was always a lock for the chart’s upper reaches.
Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Spotify on Friday (June 20). In a letter to FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson obtained by Billboard, the senators accused the streamer of converting “all of its premium music subscribers into different — and ultimately higher-priced — bundled subscriptions without […]
Miley Cyrus came out of nowhere and didn’t give no warning when she made a surprise appearance at Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter concert at the Stade de France stadium in Paris on Thursday (June 19). The “Flowers” singer shared a video of the on her social media pages, showing the two vocal powerhouses delivering the live […]
Mötley Crüe recruited Dolly Parton for a duet version of their classic single “Home Sweet Home,” streaming now. Parton joins in on the chorus of the power ballad, and takes the lead on the second verse.
The reimagined “Home Sweet Home,” released Friday (June 20) and available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more here, will be featured on From the Beginning, an upcoming Mötley Crüe singles collection spanning four decades of music to be released via BMG on Sept. 12, 2025 — the date that also kicks off the group’s 10-show residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, which runs through Oct. 3.
At 12 p.m. ET on Friday, a music video for “Home Sweet Home” paying homage to the original visual premieres on YouTube.
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In a joint statement about the collaboration with country queen Parton, the band writes, “‘Home Sweet Home’ was first released in 1985 as a single from our Theatre of Pain album. For an icon like Dolly Parton to sing on a song that has not only meant so much to us but to all the fans through the years, is a career high that means a lot to us. We couldn’t be happier to celebrate the 40th anniversary of ‘Home Sweet Home’ in this special way, and we’re excited to share this version of the song with all the Dolly and Mötley fans around the world.”
A portion of proceeds from Mötley Crüe and Parton’s new “Home Sweet Home” will benefit Covenant House, a nonprofit organization that provides safe shelter, meals, hope and more to youth who are experiencing homelessness.
“That we were able to unite with Dolly to raise awareness for homeless youth and the amazing work of Covenant House, which provides them safe housing and care, makes it even more special. We hope you’ll enjoy ‘Home Sweet Home’ featuring Dolly Parton as much as Dolly and we enjoyed creating it,” Mötley Crüe says.
Mötley Crüe feat. Dollay Parton, “Home Sweet Home”
BMG
“It was an honor and a joy working in the studio on Mötley Crüe’s 40th Anniversary re-release of ‘Home Sweet Home,’” says Parton. “I was so pleased that they would ask me to sing on such a classic.”
From the Beginning will be released on Sept. 12 via streaming services in standard audio and Dolby Atmos audio and can be pre-saved here. It’ll also be out on standard CD, a two-LP set alongside the CD, plus two-LP exclusive variants at Walmart, Target and Amazon.
See the album track list and cover below.
1. “Live Wire”2. “Take Me to the Top”3. “Shout at the Devil”4. “Looks That Kill”5. “Too Young to Fall in Love”6. “Smokin’ in the Boys Room”7. “Home Sweet Home”8. “Girls, Girls, Girls”9. “Wild Side”10. “Dr. Feelgood”11. “Without You”12. “Kickstart My Heart”13. “Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)”14. “Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.)”15. “Primal Scream”16. “Afraid” *LP ONLY17. “Saints Of Los Angeles”18. “The Dirt (est. 1981)” 19. “Dogs Of War”20. “Cancelled” *LP ONLY21. ?Home Sweet Home” (feat. Dolly Parton)
Mötley Crüe, ‘From the Beginning’
BMG
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Karol G explores Latin history, Benson Boone’s Heart beats loudly, and Cardi B is ready to take the gloves off. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Karol G, Tropicoqueta
In the lead-up to Tropicoqueta, Karol G has been candid when discussing how 2023’s smash hit Mañana Será Bonito and its coinciding world tour left her wondering what the best next step would be for her long-term future; it turns out that the answer was in the past, as Tropicoqueta reveals more of Karol’s backstory while also exploring and celebrating different strands of Latin music, creating a curious, wholly absorbing new chapter.
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Benson Boone, American Heart
If “Beautiful Things” changed the trajectory of Benson Boone’s pop career, then American Heart, his new album released more than a year after his breakthrough smash, represents the crystallization of everything we’ve learned about the backflipping, big-voiced singer-songwriter in the interim: the 10-song project is relatively short but full of theatrical spunk, as Boone prowls across each song with feeling and determination.
Cardi B, “Outside”
A long-awaited new Cardi B track titled “Outside,” released on the cusp of summer, might be perceived as a new warm-weather anthem from an artist who’s had a few of them — but the single is instead a cutthroat diss track at an estranged romantic partner, with Cardi using her clout and cunning (“Favorite player from your favorite team, he in my DMs!” she exclaims) to move on personally and artistically.
Haim, I Quit
By releasing a new album every four years, Danielle, Alana and Este Haim have been able to take their time expertly crafting the pop-rock melodies that they’ve always traded in, and the overarching themes of the full-lengths that house them. With I Quit, 2021’s masterful Women In Music Pt. III receives a follow-up full of airtight compositions, housed within a full-length statement about moving on from unnecessary details in order to appreciate our limited time on Earth.
Sombr, “We Never Dated”
“I can’t make you love me,” Sombr repeats on new single “We Never Dated,” approaching a time-honored theme in pop songwriting with Beach Boys-esque vocal harmonies and a modern sense of tenacity; with breakthrough hits “Undressed” and “Back to Friends,” the teen star was able to reinvigorate a classic alternative sound for 2025, and “We Never Dated” continues that balancing act with aplomb.
Megan Moroney, “6 Months Later”
Megan Moroney’s songwriting has rapidly sharpened over the past few years, as a line like “What doesn’t kill you calls you six months later” on her new single makes for a devastatingly funny eye-roll toward an ex — but the real attraction here is Moroney’s voice, full of weariness when recalling a breakup and packing smoky, sarcastic personality in each syllable, on a song that the rising country star soundly commands.
Fred again.., Skepta & PlaqueBoyMax, “Victory Lap”
After playing a surprise show together in Brooklyn earlier this week, Fred again.. and Skepta have commemorated the unexpected team-up with a summer-ready single: “Victory Lap” is a restless, scorching dance cut, with the fusion of Fred and Skepta’s respective energies producing a slickly rhymed, garage-adjacent banger that does not stop moving.
Editor’s Pick: Lorde, “Hammer”
The third and final pre-release single from Lorde’s Virgin begins with what sounds like out-of-focus chatter, before the pop star’s voice barges in to provide clarity: “There’s a heat in the pavement, my mercury’s raising / Don’t know if it’s love, or if it’s ovulation.” Lorde has long been a wry, literary songwriter, and throughout “Hammer” — the album track, which she described as “an ode to city life and horniness” — she once again captures universal feelings in striking, singular fashion.
