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Tamer Ashour’s journey to becoming a celebrated singer was marked by twists of fate far beyond his expectations or plans. In the early stages of his career, Tamer was deeply focused on his goals as a composer. He poured determination and professionalism into crafting melodies for other artists and strived to deliver his best with each composition. Before the public even knew his name, his voice began to resonate through the streets of Cairo, his hometown, capturing hearts and attention.

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Two decades ago, as a composer, Tamer Ashour recorded demo versions of songs he had written for other artists. During a time when the Internet was gaining traction in the region, forums enabled users to download audio clips directly, and Bluetooth technology allowed songs to be shared across mobile phones. Amid this technological shift, Tamer was stunned to discover that some of his demos, featuring his own voice, had been leaked on forums and websites. Songs like “Zekrayat Kadaba” (“False Memories”),” Thania Wahda” (“One Second”), “Senin El Shoq” (“Years of Longing”) and “Albak Ya Hawl Allah” (“Your Heart, Oh God”) began circulating widely, gaining popularity even though the identity of the singer behind them remained a mystery.

This unexpected turn of events left Tamer, who had never intended to step into the spotlight as a singer, feeling conflicted. He recalls a time when he closely monitored the spread of his voice, allowing it to resonate with audiences before officially stepping into the spotlight to launch his career as a singer. Eventually, he connected his face to the voice that had already resonated with the public and released his debut album, Sa’b. Success followed with albums and hits like “Leya Nazra” (“I Have Insight”), “Esht Maak” (“I Lived with You”) and “Ayam” (“Days”). Alongside his singing career, Tamer thrived as a composer, collaborating with some of Arabic music’s most prominent artists to create melodies that became unforgettable. His compositions include “Ya Reatak Fahimny” (“I Wish you Understand Me”) and “Lawha Bahetah” (“Faded Canvas”) by Angham, “Min El Aasham” (“Out of Hope”) by Amr Diab and “Hikayti Maak” (“My Life with You”) and “Ana Sekketen” (“I Have Two Sides”) by Elissa.

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In our in-depth, half-hour conversation with Tamer Ashour, the star featured on the December cover of Billboard Arabia, he consistently speaks of his career as being shaped either by destiny or a series of fortunate coincidences. Yet, if you pay close attention to his words and perspective, you will quickly see that they reflect both humility and realism. This humility shines through as he speaks with great appreciation about his fellow stars, the artists he has worked with, and the young talents he hopes to support or collaborate with in the future. Even when discussing his own successes, such as his recent hit “Haygely Mawgow” (“You’ll Come to me Broken”), Tamer remains grounded.

After nearly two decades in the music industry, marked by steady and quiet successes, “Haygely Mawgow” emerged as a turning point in Tamer’s career. The song became his biggest hit to date, as demonstrated by its impressive streaming numbers across various platforms and the enthusiastic interaction at live performances. By the end of the year, just two weeks before our interview, the song had won the Song of the Year award at the 2024 Billboard Arabic Music Awards. It also claimed the Top Egyptian Song award, with Tamer leaving the ceremony with two prestigious trophies, a testament to the song’s immense success.

In addition to these awards, the creators behind the work were also recognized for their contributions. Aleem received the Best Lyricist award, while Amr El Shazly was named Best Composer. Tamer took pride in acknowledging their contributions during our conversation, also confirming that he would continue collaborating with these talented names, as well as other diverse collaborators, for his upcoming album, Yaah, slated for release in early 2025.

As his new album is set to be released independently, Tamer Ashour shared his recent experience with independent production, a trend we have seen grow over the years and discussed with many Arabic artists, including Angham, Elissa, Nassif Zeytoun and others. Ashour expressed a unique satisfaction in working outside of major production houses, as it gave him full control over his creative direction. This autonomy allowed him to take responsibility for his decisions and vision, and with that, the credit for his successes, which he feels are sometimes stifled by larger production houses. When talking about releasing independently, he says, “The production experience has been the best of my life in the last ten years. It means you are responsible for yourself, without anyone telling you that you failed or undermining your success. Production houses have always done that, and that was the assurance they offered.”

When discussing his songs and his most notable hits, Tamer Ashour refrained from labeling his songs as “sad” and instead preferred the term “drama,” a description he used frequently, as if it were an artistic genre in its own right. “The Arab audience generally gravitates toward songs with a sense of sadness. They do not necessarily have to be sad, but the songs that endure and make singers successful have always been dramatic – not cheerful or upbeat hits. What lingers in the listener’s mind is the emotion of sadness and drama, across all genres, even with popular singers,” he said. He goes on to explain: “Even popular artists during their peak success, like Mr. Hassan Al Asmar, for instance, had the world dancing to songs like ‘Kitab Hayati Ya Ain,’ a dramatic song. There are many examples from that era. The songs that helped them rise to fame and establish their names in the industry were all dramatic in nature, but they were crafted in ways that suited the style they were presenting.”

Tamer Ashour

Mazen Abusrour/Billboard Arabia

Tamer speaks extensively about the concept of the dramatic song and how it has become deeply intertwined with his artistic identity, shaping the path he follows. While he releases emotional and romantic songs, he understands the expectations his audience has of him. He also emphasizes that crafting a dramatic song is not something that happens effortlessly; it requires a solid foundation, with careful attention to the lyrics, melodies and performance style. When we jokingly ask if his success in this genre means he has discovered the secret to the perfect formula, he responds: “It is not the secret to the mix. This is from Allah. There are no specific things I do to make the song come out the way you hear it. People just love my voice in dramatic songs.”

Tamer Ashour

Mazen Abusrour/Billboard Arabia

Janet Jackson: Las Vegas will be extending its stay at Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas, Billboard can exclusive report. The announcement of the residency’s six-show extension comes after the five-time Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s sold-out debut at the theatre during New Year’s week. Explore Explore […]

Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell is returning with a new album before the winter officially is over. The Alabama native revealed on Instagram Tuesday (Jan. 14) that the upcoming project, titled Foxes in the Snow, will release March 7 on Southeastern Records. The 11-song album will follow 2023’s Weathervanes. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news […]

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Madlib, a veteran music producer and one of the more notable names in Hip-Hop, lost his home to the wildfires ravaging portions of California that has displaced thousands of residents and all but destroyed longstanding neighborhoods. Madlib’s hometown of Oxnard was also under threat of the blaze that claimed him family’s home and is now launching a fundraiser to help recover what was lost.
On Instagram, Madlib, born Otis Jackson Jr., shared details regarding the fundraising effort along with an image of his damaged home. The caption, which we’ll share below, details what the producer hopes to gain from his supportive fans.

From Instagram:

We are reaching out with heavy hearts to ask for your support in helping legendary producer Madlib and his family after losing their home, decades of music, and equipment in the devastating LA fires. Your donation, no matter the amount, will provide assistance to help Madlib with immediate personal needs, essentials like clothing, temporary housing, transportation costs and the tools Madlib needs to continue creating the music that has touched so many lives. 100% of your donations are tax deductible and will go directly to Madlib and his family. continue creating the music that has touched so many lives. Thank you in advance for your love, prayers and support.
Madlib, who has released music since the 1990s, has worked alongside the likes of the late J Dilla of Slum Village fame (as JayLib), the late MF DOOM (as Madvillain), Freddie Gibbs, and has produced for Kanye West, Erykah Badu, De La Soul, his young brother producer-rapper Oh No (Michael Jackson), and Anderson .Paak among others.
The link for the fundraiser can be found by clicking here.
https://www.instagram.com/madlib/p/DExf4kMJR-7/

Photo: Getty

Bad Bunny makes history on Billboard’s latest charts (dated Jan. 18), thanks to the arrival of his new studio album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos.
The album launches at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 122,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in its opening week, according to Luminate. The set arrived Sunday. Jan. 5, so its opening week figure is from just five days of activity (with Billboard’s chart tracking week running each Friday through Thursday).

Despite its mid-week release, all 17 songs from the album chart on the Billboard Hot 100, led by the set’s opening track “Nuevayol” at No. 27. Below is a recap (all are debuts except where noted).

Rank, Title:

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No. 27, “Nuavayol”

No. 28, “Baile Inolvidable”

No. 36, “Voy a Llevarte Pa’ PR”

No. 37, “El Clúb” (up from No. 89; new peak)

No. 38, “DtMF”

No. 43, “Veldá,” with Omar Courtz & Dei V

No. 45, “Perfumito Nuevo,” with RaiNao

No. 52, “Weltita,” with Chuwi

No. 54, “EoO”

No. 59, “Ketu Tecré”

No. 60, “Pitorro de Coco” (up from No. 91; new peak)

No. 66, “Kloufrens”

No. 69, “Bokete”

No. 77, “Turista”

No. 83, “Café con Ron,” with Los Pleneros de la Cresta

No. 94, “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii”

No. 95, “La Mudanza”

(Bad Bunny has an 18th song on the latest Hot 100: “Qué Pasaría…,” with Rauw Alejandro, ranks at No. 72.)

With 15 debuts, Bad Bunny ups his career total from 98 to 113 career Hot 100-charted songs. He becomes the 20th artist to join the 100 Hot 100 hits club, and the first who primarily records Latin music.

Here’s a look at every artist with 100 or more Hot 100 hits, through the chart dated Jan. 18.

Total Hot 100 Entries, Artist:

338, Drake

264, Taylor Swift

218, Future

207, Glee cast

187, Lil Wayne

161, Kanye West

155, Lil Baby

149, Nicki Minaj

119, Travis Scott

118, Chris Brown

113, Bad Bunny

112, Eminem

111, Lil Uzi Vert

109, Elvis Presley (whose career predates the Hot 100’s August 1958 start)

106, Beyoncé

105, 21 Savage

105, Jay-Z

105, Justin Bieber

104, The Weeknd

104, YoungBoy Never Broke Again

Of Bad Bunny’s 113 Hot 100 hits, 41 have reached the top 40; 12 have hit the top 10; and one rose to No. 1: “I Like It,” with Cardi B and J Balvin, in 2018.

Bad Bunny also pushes his total to a record-extending 189 career Hot Latin Songs chart entries.

While it’s rare for artists to chart a triple-digit total of Hot 100 appearance, it has become a more regular occurrence since the chart began including streaming data in 2007. As such, some artists have been able to chart a high number of songs after releasing high-profile albums. The model contrasts with prior decades, when acts generally promoted one single at a time in the physical-only marketplace and on radio. That shift in consumption helps explain why artists have been able to log many songs over short spans in recent years.

Jessica Simpson and her husband of 10 years, former NFL tight end Eric Johnson are splitting up. According to People, Simpson, 44, told the magazine that the pair have separated and are living apart.

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“Eric and I have been living separately navigating a painful situation in our marriage,” Simpson said in a statement. “Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them. We are grateful for all of the love and support that has been coming our way, and appreciate privacy right now as we work through this as a family.”

After dating for four years, the couple got married on July 5, 2014 and have three children together: daughters Maxwell Drew, 12, and Birdie Mae, 5 and son Ace Knute, 11. At press time a spokesperson for Simpson had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment and it did not appear that the singer had made any further statement on the pair’s break-up.

Trending on Billboard

Last week, she posted a sunny selfie with the message, “Life is short. SMILE while you still have teeth.” People also reported that Johnson was spotted without his wedding ring in November, which was around the time that Simpson teased a musical comeback in a chat with Footwear News.

“It’s like a retreat for me,” she said about temporarily moving her family from Los Angeles to Nashville last summer to work on her first new album in more than 13 years. “I get to just crawl up inside my head and embrace my heart. I feel so enlightened there. Writing music has become a beautiful therapeutic thing for me that I didn’t know was so natural, but it’s because I haven’t done it in so long. It’s just nice to know that I’m meeting myself back in this place, as a woman, and after going through everything that I’ve been through in my life. There’s a sense of freedom and empowerment.”

Around that time Simpson also posted a series of glam shots on Instagram from what she said were interviews in her “Nashville music room where I unearthed my singular magic.” She described her musical comeback back then as being “personal, it’s an apology to myself for putting up with everything I did not deserve.”

Though the singer has not discussed specific plans to divorce, if the couple do unwind their marriage it would be the second divorce for Simpson, who was married to 98 Degrees singer and Perfect Match host Nick Lachey from 2002-2005; the couple famously starred in MTV reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. Johnson was previously married to stylist Keri Johnson, whom he divorced in 2010.

At press time no addition information was available on Simpson’s new album, which would be her first since 2010’s Happy Christmas; her last non-holiday release was 2008’s Do You Know, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. She also released “Particles” as a one-off single in 2021. Simpson’s debut album, Sweet Kisses, came out on Columbia Records in 1999 and included her highest-charting single to date, “I Wanna Love You Forever,” which topped out at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Pacific Palisades fire destroyed the building housing Belmont Music Publishers, the exclusive publisher of physical works by early 20th century composer Arnold Schoenberg. The fire consumed Belmont’s entire inventory of sales and rental materials, including manuscripts, scores and other printed works, the publisher said.
“For a company that focused exclusively on the works of Schoenberg, this loss represents not just a physical destruction of property but a profound cultural blow,” said a press release written by Schoenberg’s son, Larry, who also lost his home in the fires, according to his nephew E. Randol Schoenberg.

Since the 1970s, Belmont has worked to preserve Schoenberg’s legacy, providing meticulously edited editions of his wide range of transformative compositions, including Verklärte Nacht and Pierrot Lunaire, to musicians and scholars.

Trending on Billboard

Despite the loss of its physical inventory, Belmont Music said it already has plans to rebuild the collection digitally, ensuring the music of Schoenberg — the author of the twelve-tone technique of composition — remains accessible to scholars, performers, and music enthusiasts.

“While we have lost our full inventory of sales and rental materials, we are determined to continue our mission of bringing Schoenberg’s music to the world,” the publisher said. “We hope to rebuild our catalog in a new, digital format that will ensure Schoenberg’s music remains accessible for future generations.”

The Belmont team added, “We are committed to rebuilding and adapting to the changing times. The community’s outpouring of support has been truly heartening, and we know that, with your help, we can ensure that Schoenberg’s legacy lives on in a way that is as dynamic and enduring as his music.”

Born in Vienna in 1874, the self-taught Schoenberg initially drew inspiration from German Romantic composers like Brahms but is most renowned for developing the twelve-tone technique, or serialism, which dispatched traditional tonality and treated all 12 notes of the chromatic scale equally.

As a teacher, Schoenberg mentored influential composers such as Alban Berg and Anton Webern, further cementing his legacy. Fleeing the Nazi regime in 1933, he emigrated to the United States, where he continued composing and teaching in Los Angeles until his death in 1951.

Several wildfires have broken out in Southern California since the beginning of the year, with the largest being in Pacific Palisades along the coast. The major fires have scorched more than 63 square miles, destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people. Here is a list of organizations providing relief for those impacted by the devastation, from families to first responders.

Tyler, the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, Hozier and more are headed for New York City this summer. The Governors Ball announced its 2025 lineup Tuesday (Jan. 14), revealing that the three stars will headline, with dozens of other musicians filling out the rest of three-day showcase.

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The festival will take place Friday, June 6, through Sunday, June 8. The “Sticky” rapper will lead the first day alongside Benson Boone, while Mk.gee, T-Pain, Tyla, Role Model, the Backseat Lovers, JPegMafia and more acts will also take the stage in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on the festival’s kickoff.

Saturday will see the “Vampire” singer take over the main stage, while Feid, Conan Gray, Young Miko, Wallows, Marina, Mariah the Scientist, Car Seat Headrest, Artemas, Wave to Earth and several more are also slated for Day 2. On Sunday, Hozier will close out the festival on a day packed with outings from Mt. Joy, Clairo, Raye, Royel Otis, The Japanese House, Amaarae, Key Glock, Berlioz, Montell Fish and more.

Trending on Billboard

Those interested in attending can sign up for a ticket presale now on Gov Ball’s website. The hour-long presale will begin Thursday (Jan. 16) at 10 a.m. ET, after which public on-sale will begin with increased prices.

This year’s iteration of the NYC festival comes more than a decade after Gov Ball first originated in 2011. Starting as a one-day music event, the annual showcase now features multiple stages, numerous food and drink options and pop-up stops from different brands for festivalgoers to visit.

Last year’s lineup featured Post Malone, The Killers and SZA as headliners, along with memorable performances from Rauw Alejandro, 21 Savage, Peso Pluma, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and more. Check out Billboard‘s roundup of Gov Ball 2024 for more best moments.

See the full Gov Ball 2025 lineup below.

The future of country music has an old-school sound. Newcomer Zach Top is leading a neo-­traditional revival thanks to his debut album, 2024’s Cold Beer & Country Music, which brims with his distinct twang and songs inspired by country music that was popular three and four decades ago. Diana King Diana King Growing up in Sunnyside, […]

Billboard cover star and the ‘Future of Country’ rep Zach Top is bringing ’90s country music back. The crooner explains why he thinks his “I Never Lie” became successful, the accidental start of a band with his siblings, how he’s developed his style and more! Zach Top: I wanted to be a cowboy really bad. […]