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Elton John has teased the possibility of new music, revealing during his Dec. 18 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that his creative drive remains as strong as ever.
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Reflecting on his recent projects and the time he’s taken since retiring from touring, Elton confirmed, “You will be getting some more [music].”
“The juices have never dried up. They never want to dry up because I’m always looking to create things. It’s just having the space now to do it at my own time. Of course there will be new Elton John music,” he added to cheers from the crowd.
Reflecting on his Apple Music show Rocket Hour, John spoke passionately about supporting emerging artists like Chappell Roan. “When I first heard [her], I think I was the first person to play ‘Pink Pony Club.’ I interviewed her, and then we became friends. These young artists have so much energy, they’re so good, and if I can help them in any way get a foot on a ladder, I will.”
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Brandi Carlile, Elton’s collaborator on the theme song for Never Too Late, joined him during the interview. The two shared stories about their friendship and creative process, including how Brandi’s heartfelt letter to Elton sparked their relationship.
Elton described their bond, saying, “I was doing a residency in Vegas at the time, so I asked her to come to Vegas and I played and sang on the record and as soon as I saw her, I became friends with her. It was like I’d known her all my life.”
This revelation follows the release of Never Too Late, the theme song for his Disney+ documentary of the same name.
Elsewhere in the interview, Elton reminisced about the artists who shaped his career. “Ray Charles touched my heart. Little Richard touched my heart. Elvis Presley changed my life with ‘Heartbreak Hotel.’ When I first heard that record, I knew I wanted to do this.”
Watch Elton John and Brandi Carlile’s appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert here.
Billie Eilish recently reflected on the powerful connection she feels when performing her song “The Greatest” during her ongoing Hit Me Hard and Soft tour.
In an interview with Apple Music, where she was celebrated as Artist of the Year, Eilish shared how hearing fans sing the track back to her has been an unforgettable experience.
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“When I did the first show of my tour that I’m on right now, specifically, ‘The Greatest’ just has a lot of—it’s just a special one to us,” she said. “But I did ‘The Greatest’ and I took one of my in-ears out and I just like, heard this giant arena filled with people singing it. They were singing every other song too, but something about hearing that song that has this meaning for me and this memory for me, and also like the memory of us making it and what it gave us in our kind of creative spirit.”
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She continued, “And just hearing that crowd sing it, it really made me like, have, you know, in front of me proof. I could see it with my eyes, I could hear it with my ears. And that is something that I hold so close to me. And every time I get a chance to really see how what I do or whatever impacts people in real time, that’s the stuff.”
“The Greatest,” which debuted live on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in June 2024, has become a highlight of her setlist. The song’s reflective lyrics include the chorus, “Man, am I the greatest/ My congratulations/ All my love and patience/ All my admiration,” have led fans to speculate whether it’s about a romantic relationship or her complex relationship with fame—something Eilish has spoken openly about throughout her career.
Eilish also touched on the emotional weight the song carries for her. “I love that song so much. It’s really, really special to me. I literally performed it the other day and cried after,” she said during a previous interview on BBC Radio 1’s New Music Show with Jack Saunders.
The live acoustic set, filmed in Los Angeles with her brother and longtime collaborator Finneas, featured a Q&A as well as renditions of hits from Eilish’s third studio album, Hit Me Hard & Soft, including “The Greatest” and “Birds of a Feather.”
Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft tour has been a global phenomenon, with sold-out dates and critical acclaim. Upon release, the album soared to No. 1 on Apple Music’s all-genre albums chart in 138 countries worldwide. The project also hit No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart.
Going into 2025, she’s nominated for seven Grammys. Hit Me Hard and Soft is up for album of the year and best pop vocal album, while “Birds of a Feather” snagged nominations for record of the year, song of the year and best pop solo performance. The “Over Now Extended Edit” of “L’Amour De Ma Vie” is nominated for best dance pop recording, while her Charli XCX “Guess” collaboration received a nod for best pop duo/group performance.
Fans can watch the Apple Music Artist of the Year performance, which aired live on Dec. 17, now available on demand for subscribers.
Fans of indie rock icons Pavement are readying themselves for the first piece of new music from the band in a quarter of a century.
The California band were initially active from 1989 until 1999, releasing a total of five albums, including 1992’s Slanted and Enchanted, 1994’s Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, and 1997’s Brighten the Corners, which gave the group their highest-charting U.S. release when it hit No. 70 on the Billboard 200.
The group initially split in November 1999, with the previous month’s Major Leagues EP serving as their final piece of original material. Since then, the band’s members have been intensely active on other projects, including a run of reissues that complemented their original albums with a myriad unreleased and rare tracks.
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While Pavement reconvened for a reunion tour in 2010, another hiatus occurred before announcing their second reunion in 2019. These dates were delayed until 2022, with the band’s most recent (and ostensibly final) performance taking place in October of this year as part of the New York premiere of Alex Ross Perry‘s experimental biopic/documentary, Pavements.
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Initially premiering at the Venice International Film Festival in September, Pavements is readying itself for a wider release with a movie soundtrack also set to accompany its arrival.
In an interview with the Kreative Kontrol podcast, Pavement’s Scott ‘Spiral Stairs’ Kannberg spoke to host Vish Khanna alongside Perry and producer/editor Robert Greene about the film before turning his attention to the upcoming soundtrack. When asked about current Pavement activity and the band’s future, Kannberg explained that a new track from the band will also be featured.
“There will be a new Pavement song on the soundtrack, that’s all I’m going to give you,” he explained. “I just heard a mix of it today, and it’s pretty good. It’s not a big deal, it’s just cool because it’s something different and it’s a song that we all kind of loved playing.”
According to Kannberg, the as-yet-unnamed track began life during reharsals of the band’s recent reunion, though previous setlists indicate it didn’t receive a performance during any of those shows.
Currently, the official status of Pavement is unclear, with their recent New York performance seeing percussionist/vocalist Bob Nastanovich telling the crowd it would be their “last show for a long time”. That same month, vocalist and guitarist Stephen Malkmus began live performances as one quarter of the indie supergroup The Hard Quartet alongside members of Chavez and the Dirty Three.
Sam Fender has been forced to quite literally go quiet for the rest of the year.
The English musician has spent most of 2024 preparing himself for another big year in 2025, with the release of his highly-anticipated third album, People Watching, slated to arrive on Feb. 21. With only a couple of shows performed over the past 12 months, Fender launched his People Watching tour earlier this month, playing shows throughout Ireland, England, and Scotland over the past two weeks.
However, with only two shows left of the tour’s current leg, Fender has announced the cancellation of these remaining dates due to health issues which require him to take vocal rest.
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“Glasgow and Newcastle, as most of you know l’ve had the flu for a few days now,” Fender shared on social media on Tuesday (Dec. 17). “Regardless of how compromised my voice was I did everything I could to get it in working order last night to put on the best show possible. Today I’ve had an ENT scope/camera down my throat and sadly I’ve haemorrhaged my right vocal cord, I’m absolutely heartbroken. This has been the best tour so far and all I want to do is get up and sing again for you all tonight.
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“I’ve had two separate ENT doctors say if I perform tonight I’m risking lasting damage to my voice and I have been advised to be on vocal rest and not use my voice for a prolonged length of time until it heals,” he added. “I’ve done everything by the book this tour living like a monk, it’s so unlucky. I’m so, so sorry to all of you who are on your way tonight. We’re trying to figure out a way to reschedule for you all, more news soon.”
Though it currently remains to be seen when Fender’s rescheduled dates will take place, he is scheduled to resume touring in March, with dates planned for numerous countries throughout Europe following the release of his forthcoming album.
Fender’s debut album, 2019’s Hypersonic Missiles, charted at No. 12 on the Heatseekers Albums chart, and peaked atop the U.K. Albums charts, as did its follow-up, 2021’s Seventeen Going Under. The latter record was also shortlisted for the 2022 Mercury Prize, alongside records by Harry Styles, Little Simz, and more.
If you’re holding out to see Massive Attack return to Coachella, you might be left waiting for some time.
The English trip-hop duo – which comprises Robert ‘3D’ Del Naja and Grant ‘Daddy G’ Marshall – have spent close to 40 years becoming known for their activism and politics almost as much as their groundbreakingg music, with climate matters and environmentalism a strong focus of their efforts.
Alongside support of the Extinction Rebellion group, Massive Attack have also been critical of the impact that live music has upon the envionment. In 2021, they comissioned a study through the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, ultimately launching their own plan to reduce carbon emissions throughout the wider music industry.
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Recently, the pair have been performing shows as part of their Act 1.5 series, aiming to not only rethink how concerts can be staged with environmental friendliness in mind, but to also be the lowest-carbon events of their kind.
During their recent Act 1.5 event in Liverpool, England, the pair spoke to NME about their decision to turn down a return visit to Coachella due to their concerns over the event’s environmental impact.
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“We said no to Coachella for next year because again, we’ve been there once, and once was enough,” Del Naja explained. “It’s in Palm Springs. It’s a golf resort built on a desert, run on a sprinkler system, using public water supplies. Mental. If you want to see something that’s the most ludicrous bit of human behaviour – it’s right there.”
Del Naja also turned his focus to artists who perform residencies in Las Vegas, naming the city an “aviation destination”, and describing The Sphere as “a brilliant bit of infrastructure in the worst possible place it could be – in the worst setting in the world”.
Massive Attack’s sole appearance at Coachella took place in 2006, four years prior to the release of their most recent album, 2010’s Heliogland. Elsewhere in the interview, Del Naja added that the group have been sitting on new music for four years which is yet to be released due to a label dispute.
Their forthcoming plans also include furthering environmental activism with partnerships in Europe, including an in-progress deal with Trainline to provide discounts to Billie Eilish fans who travel to the show by rail.
Billie Eilish is Apple Music’s 2024 Artist of the Year, and to celebrate, the superstar and her brother Finneas performed a live acoustic set in their hometown of Los Angeles earlier this month. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The performance featured a Q&A as well as […]
Jennifer Hudson is no stranger to covering songs and making them her own, after getting her start on American Idol and continuing through her Emmy-nominated daytime talk show. So when she started work on her first-ever holiday album, The Gift of Love, Hudson understood the assignment: She would need to Jennifer-ize some of the most beloved Christmas classics of all time.
“Any time I do a classic — which I get to do a lot — I always want to stay true to the base but then allow space for my artistry to come through, which made making this album the most fun I have ever had recording an album,” the EGOT winner tells Katie & Keith on our special Christmas episode of the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast (listen below). “Whether it’s me lyrically or musically, my expression is there in some form, in my interpretation. … So it was fun to reimagine the classics, Jennifer Hudson-style. I call it ‘Jennifer-izing’ them.”
How did she choose which holiday hallmarks to tackle? “I picked what was most personal to me. Like ‘The Christmas Song,’ for instance, my grandmother used to love that song, so I recall hearing that as a little girl throughout each and every holiday of her playing that song — Nat King Cole with the satin voice — so that made me want to pay tribute to her in that way,” Hudson says. “Or ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain,’ I grew up singing that in church during the holiday season and ‘Carol of the Bells’ in high school. ‘Hallelujah,’ that’s my favorite song; that’s the heart of the album. And ‘O Holy Night’ is my favorite Christmas song.”
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She was also conscious of bringing a diversity of sounds, styles, genres and tempos to the project, because, according to Hudson: “There are different Christmases. Some years it’s a winter wonderland Christmas, it’s a big-band Christmas, it’s a North Pole Christmas with the reds and the greens and the candy canes for the kids, a ‘Jingle Bells’ type of Christmas. It can change through each year — which is why my album has a lot of variety in it, because it’s like: Is your Christmas the icicle Christmas? Is it a green Christmas? Is it a white Christmas? What type of Christmas do you want, baby?”
Hudson spoke with Katie & Keith from the set of The Jennifer Hudson Show, and she said it was her tightknit work family that was the original “inspiration towards why the time is now to do a holiday album. Our [show] theme is ‘Choose Joy.’ And on the Christmas album is the song ‘Let There Be Joy.’ So that’s what it’s all about, and that’s what I love to do. And the best gift and the best way I know to do it is through music. And it’s just a blessing to come in here every day and work with such beautiful people. And it’s like a party every day. We call it The Happy Place.”
The 15-song project also includes a half-dozen originals, all co-written by Hudson. Below, J-Hud breaks down the messages behind four of those brand-new holiday songs.
“Santa for Someone”
“My assistant inspired it because he he’s a scrooge. [Laughs] And I was like, ‘What is it about the holidays you don’t like?’ He’s like, ‘Getting gifts for everybody and trying to figure it out.’ So that’s where ‘Santa for Someone’ came from. Because we all can get frustrated looking for those gifts. Will we get it in enough time? Will we get them what they want? … I can’t think of too many men, like uncles and brothers, that are listening to ‘Jingle Bells,’ so how about I give them something to bop to throughout the holiday season? So I was trying to think of everyone, as we do during the holidays.”
“Find the Love”
“It meets the times that we’re in, and I feel like it’s a song that could be played throughout the year. … We’re in such a difficult time as a people, and it’s like, what unifies us? Music. We’re all human. We all have to go through a season no matter what — no matter if it’s the holiday season or life has seasons in itself. But that one thing that can bring us together on one accord is music, and that’s why the album is called The Gift of Love. And a song like ‘Find the Love’ is on there because it doesn’t just sit within the holiday season; it’s something you can carry throughout your life, and it can speak to you and it can speak to the times.”
“Make It to Christmas”
“‘Make It to Christmas’ is my son’s favorite song. It speaks to like, we all work all year, right? But we are waiting to get to the end of that tunnel, where the lights are red and green, to that holiday season, where we can go home at that one time of year and enjoy each other and our families.”
“Go Tell It on the Mountain”
“‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’ is for the mourners, those who may have lost. It’s kind of like a remake of that song, but from a personal perspective.”
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Also on the podcast, we’ve got chart news on how Taylor Swift spends a 17th week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with The Tortured Poets Department; how Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” nets a 16th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, tying “One Sweet Day” as her song with the most weeks atop the list; and how Sabrina Carpenter’s “Fruitcake” flies into the top 10 for the first time on the Billboard 200 with the single-largest sales week in the modern era for a holiday album on vinyl. Plus, Madonna announced new music with her longtime collaborator Stuart Price coming next year, and we’ll hear from the Queen of Pop’s biggest fan, Keith, about why this is especially exciting news.
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard’s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard’s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)
Megan Thee Stallion is demanding a restraining order against Tory Lanez, claiming he has continued to “terrorize her” with a “campaign of harassment” even as he sits behind bars on a ten-year prison sentence for shooting her.
In a petition filed Tuesday (Dec. 17) in Los Angeles court, attorneys for the superstar (real name Megan Pete) claim that Lanez (Daystar Peterson) has conspired with people outside prison to “harass, bully, and antagonize” her with misinformation amid his “desperate” appeal of his 2022 felony convictions.
“Mr. Peterson’s attempts to retraumatize and revictimize Ms. Pete recognize no limits — indeed, they continue even while he is behind bars,” Megan’s lawyers write. “While Mr. Peterson distorts and recklessly disregards the truth in his desperate attempt to appeal his conviction, his false assertions have reignited a slew of negative, harmful, and defamatory comments directed to Ms. Pete.”
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Monday’s petition cited a separate lawsuit Megan filed in October against YouTuber and social media personality Milagro Gramz, who she claims has served as a “mouthpiece and puppet” for the convicted singer. In an updated version of that case filed last week, Megan alleged that discovery in the case had revealed prison phone calls in which Lanez coordinated payments to Gramz.
“Mr. Peterson’s father—when he thought no one was listening—asked his son about payments to Ms. Cooper for her harassment of Ms. Pete,” Megan’s attorneys write in the new filing. “Instead of denying that Ms. Cooper has been paid, they question how Ms. Pete uncovered their conspiracy.”
If granted by a California judge, the restraining order would immediately bar Lanez from any harassing conduct. In the filing, Megan’s lawyers ask the judge that Lanez be “ordered not to contact Ms. Pete, directly or indirectly, or harass or intimidate her, directly or indirectly, online.”
The exact contours of such an order — what constitutes harassment of Megan versus Lanez simply speaking about his own defense — could be further clarified by the judge. Lanez would later have a chance to respond, and the judge would then decide whether to issue a longer-term restraining order.
Attorneys for Lanez did not immediately return a request for comment.
Lanez was convicted in December 2022 on three felony counts over the violent 2020 incident, in which he shot at the feet of Megan during an argument following a pool party at Kylie Jenner’s house in the Hollywood Hills. In August 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He has filed an appeal, which remains pending.
In the new petition, Megan’s attorneys also directly accused Lanez of orchestrating a high-profile false story that circulated on social media earlier this year, claiming incorrectly that an appeals court had declared him “innocent” in the shooting.
“Mr. Peterson, through third parties, disseminated a rumor which falsely suggested that an appellate court declared his innocence,” Megan’s lawyers write. “Mr. Peterson’s interpretation underscores his desire to spread misinformation in an effort to save his public image.”
Jelly Roll’s fans had mixed opinions after he met and chatted with President-elect Donald Trump at a UFC match. Keep watching to see what he had to say. Do you agree with his statement? Let us know in the comments! Tetris Kelly: Jelly Roll was spotted shaking hands and smiling with President-elect Donald Trump at […]
Independent record labels and publishers are urging regulators to block the acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings by Universal Music Group (UMG) over fears that the deal weakens competition, to the “severe detriment” of artists and fans.
UMG-owned Virgin Music Group announced on Monday (Dec. 16) that it had agreed to buy Downtown Music Holdings for $775 million cash. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, bolsters UMG’s share of the music market by bringing a number of independent distributors, publishing and rights administration businesses owned by Downtown under its control. Those businesses include distributors CD Baby and FUGA, publishing administrator Songtrust and Los Angeles-based rights management company AdRev.
UMG’s purchase of Downtown comes two months after it acquired full ownership of European indie label group [PIAS] — a deal that also prompted indie trade groups to issue calls for regulators to intervene.
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“This is another land grab,” said Helen Smith, executive chair of independent labels trade body IMPALA — which represents more than 6,000 indie labels and music companies in Europe, including Beggars Group, Cooking Vinyl, Domino and Epitaph — in a statement about the Virgin-Downtown deal.
“We expect competition authorities in key jurisdictions to carry out thorough investigations and block these deals,” Smith added. She also pressed the European Union’s executive branch, the European Commission, “to set the standard internationally.”
“The cynical use of the Virgin brand, once synonymous with independent entrepreneurship, should not hide the fact that this is about utter dominance and control,” added Beggars Group founder Martin Mills in a statement. “This is another step on the road of UMG’s pretence to be the independents’ fairy godmother,” he continued. “But there’s a wolf under that cape.”
The acquisition of [PIAS] and Downtown in rapid succession by UMG follows a flurry of dealmaking over the past several years that has seen both traditional music companies and outside investors snap up firms, labels and distributors that cater to the fast-growing global independent sector.
Major label acquisitions in that time include Sony Music’s 2022 purchase of artist services company AWAL and Kobalt Neighbouring Rights from Kobalt Music Group. More recently, Sony acquired Spanish label and distributor Altafonte, followed last month by a deal for Greece indie label Cobalt Music.
Meanwhile, Warner Music Group has been steadily growing its recorded music interests in Central and Eastern Europe, buying minority stakes in Croatia’s Dancing Bear Music, Slovenian independent label NIKA and Serbia’s Mascom; and acquiring Dutch label Cloud 9 Recordings.
UMG’s deals for [PIAS] and Downtown followed a decade-long ban on the music giant acquiring certain music companies or catalogs in Europe that expired in September 2022. Those restrictions, imposed by the European Commission in 2012 following the company’s $1.9 billion takeover of EMI, prevented UMG from re-acquiring any of the assets it had sold or re-sign any artists who had signed with labels from which it had divested, such as Parlophone Label Group or Chrysalis, for 10 years.
Although Downtown Music Holdings was founded and is headquartered in New York, the scale of its multifaceted business, representing over 50 million songs across more than 145 countries and spanning publishing, distribution, artist and label services, and royalty administration, makes it a major player in the global indie sector. As such, the company’s acquisition by UMG would create a “fundamental shift in the competitive dynamics of the music market,” warned IMPALA chair Dario Draštata in a statement on the acquisition.
The Brussels-based trade association said the sale of Downtown and [PIAS] would further squeeze the independents in an already highly concentrated market and help UMG move further into the market for distribution and services for labels and artists.
“This means more market share and gives UMG control over the opposition,” said IMPALA in a press release. It added, “UMG suing Believe is another part of the strategy,” referencing last month’s $500 million lawsuit filed by UMG, ABKCO and Concord Music Group against Believe and its distribution company TuneCore that accused them of “massive ongoing infringements” of their sound recordings.
Other executives and organizations voicing concern over UMG’s latest acquisition include global independent music publishers trade body IMPF, which said the potential sale would “ultimately reduce choice for songwriters and publishers alike,” and the U.K. Association of Independent Music (AIM), whose CEO, Gee Davy, said the deal reduces independent routes to market.
“It is vital to uphold a true choice of partners for artists and labels and ensure that negotiating power does not become unbalanced,” said Davy in a statement.
Representatives for UMG did not respond to requests for comment when contacted by Billboard.