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15 Jun 2023

Ahead of Streaming Debut, Duran Duran’s John Taylor Talks ‘A Hollywood High’ Film’s Epic Setting

When Duran Duran set out to play their first major U.S. show in March 2022 they knew it had to be epic and it probably had to be in Los Angeles. “When we kind of casually sauntered into the project built around a one-off show that we did there as we deepened the concept it seemed we naturally found ourselves talking about our experiences,” bassist — and 30-year-Los Angeles resident — John Taylor tells Billboard about the sky-high location for last year’s A Hollywood High docu-film.

The movie that premiered in November is moving to Paramount+ on June 21 and in advance of its streaming debut, Billboard spoke to Taylor about capturing the moment, the importance of paying tribute to the embattled people of Ukraine, the set list curation and why he thinks the English New Romantic band has been able to stick it out well past many of their peers.

A Hollywood High was filmed atop the Aster Hotel in Los Angeles and it opens with the band describing their first visit to Hollywood and the city’s enduring importance to their musical journey. The 12-song set opens with their 1985 James Bond theme, “A View to a Kill,” and features such classics as “Notorious,” “Come Undone,” “Ordinary World” and “Hungry Like the Wolf,” as well as a handful of songs from the band’s most recent album, Future Past.

Check out the chat with Taylor below (answers editor for clarity and length.)

Why was it important to open the movie with all that background on L.A.’s influence on the band and your enduring love affair with the city?

I don’t know that it was important… but as a guy who has lived there for last 30-plus years, my first experiences there were all in the 1980s and it never left much of an impression on me. I never could have imagined myself settling there. But I can’t see it any other way now… I had to spend real time there to appreciate its pleasures.

[Singer] Simon [Le Bon] says in the into that “Rio” was inspired by your first trip to America. I had no idea that’s what “from the mountains in the north down to the Rio Grande” meant.

For me the idea of “Rio” literally encapsulated a world, a culture we had yet to tap into, which is South America. That first year I was a kid who didn’t have a passport before the band began. My first experience of leaving my country was with the band in 1981 when we came to the States for the first time. But when we got back to Birmingham and toyed with ideas for the next record we talked about the next level of exotic. Simon had a working title, “Rio,” and we had to make a song out of it.

The iconic rounded Capitol Records building plays a big part in the movie and in the intro it’s noted that it looks like the Rotunda from your hometown.

I suppose it does. Birmingham is the one other city with a landmark circular building [laughs]. Being on Capitol Records was pretty cool at the time. It was fortunate and it definitely helped our cause. For me there’s a certain nostalgia for the first couple times we came into America, that innocence to what we were doing. We were still under the radar here, we could make friendships with guys you’d meet at a radio station and end up hanging out and listening to music.

What was it like setting up on that roof and then looking straight at the Capitol building? It being lit up in blue and yellow is a nice permanent reminder of the war in Ukraine.

My first thought was, “we gotta light that f–king building!” I wanted to light it with the Ukraine colors, so we moved very quickly to make it happen. Here we [more than a year later] and the war continues and every night we still dedicate “Ordinary World” to the people of Ukraine. At that moment it felt like a statement, a show of solidarity. Duran Duran has never been a political band, but to make that kind of statement halfway through the show… there’s something very cool about that. And with our old friend the Capitol building.

Why use this as a stunt to announce your U.S. tour?

We were looking to do something that was going to announce our [2022] U.S. tour and there were variable ways to do it. You got back to the Rolling Stones’ Fifth Ave. truckscapade [the Stones famously shut down New York’s 5th Ave. in May 1975 with a truck parade to promote their American tour], which was the greatest of launches. We talked about that, we talked about a truck at the Roxy and then everyone got nervous about setting up gear on a truck. So, we looked for a fixed position and this place came up that none of us knew about it. Our manager said if we perform here we’d have the Hollywood sign behind us and the Capitol building in front.

Was there significance to opening with “View to a Kill?”

I think because it’s a Hollywood thing, a movie thing. It’s a shake-and-bake opener, it’s easy to play, a here-we-are kind of thing. We hadn’t played a show in quite a few months and we wanted to start with something not too difficult.

You really leaned into the most recent album with five songs out of the 12 you played. Why did you push the new material so hard during this one-off?

I think at show like that.. You play in Nashville to 10,000 people who payed for a ticket, parking, a babysitter and they come to hear the hits. But the fans who were there are superfans and they’re more interested in hearing new songs than “Girls on Film.” It was fresh for us and easier because when we’re playing bigger venues you have to lean away from the new material, probably only two bathroom breaks there.

You are one of the few groups from your era to still be touring this much, recording music and films and staying super-active. Why do you think you’ve been able to endure for so long?

I think we have a very particular inner dynamic. We fire off each other in a way that drives our engine. It’s not a love fest when we’re on stage, but it’s a dynamic where we push against each other all the time and are very competitive with each other. That is what drives the engine which moves the machine. I think of Sting and Peter Gabriel, who have an extraordinary body of creative works. Where are they now? They’re both on tour but it’s one guy sustaining that kind of creative energy, which is f–king hard. There are some things that are easier for an individual, like social media. That’s definitely easier for one guy, but in the long haul I wouldn’t trade it for the band. 

Duran Duran recently launched their 2023 U.S. tour. A Hollywood High will be released on DVD/Blu-Ray on August 4.

duran duran

Courtesy Photo

15 Jun 2023

Ice Spice Producer RIOTUSA Inks Publishing Deal With Warner Chappell Music: Exclusive

RIOTUSA, the hitmaking producer behind Ice Spice, has signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music, Billboard can reveal.

“Warner Chappell showed me respect and made me excited to build,” said RIOTUSA in a statement. “Ryan [Press, president, North America at Warner Chappell Music] values my vision and goals as a creative, and I know what he’s brought to the table for other artists. I want to inspire others to chase their dreams, and Warner Chappell will help me achieve those goals.”

Press added, “Riot has quickly become one of the most exciting and in-demand producers to emerge from New York’s legendary hip-hop scene. He’s creating hit after hit with Ice Spice, and we’re super lucky to get to support him at this stage of his journey. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of hip-hop’s biggest music producers during the early stages of their careers, and I know Riot is well on his way to being one of the best producers of his generation.”

During his interview for Ice Spice’s Billboard cover story in May, RIOTUSA said he started making beats on GarageBand at 10 years old and was inspired by his father — WQHT (Hot 97) New York DJ/radio personality DJ Enuff — to chase his own musical dreams. In 2021, he began producing songs for Ice Spice, whom he met while attending State University of New York (SUNY) Purchase. He has since played a key role in her rapid rise to fame.

RIOTUSA produced Ice Spice’s breakout, gold-certified single “Munch (Feelin U)” and executive produced Like..?, the 2023 EP that featured the track. Like..?, which reached No. 5 on Billboard‘s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, also contains the hit singles “In Ha Mood” and “Gangsta Boo” (featuring Lil Tjay), the latter of which became Ice Spice’s career-first Billboard Hot 100 entry.

RIOTUSA has since earned credits on two top 10 hits on the Hot 100: Taylor Swift‘s “Karma” remix featuring Ice Spice (No. 2), which he co-wrote, and “Princess Diana” by Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj (No. 4), which he produced. He has also topped Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop Producers chart for one week, the Rap Songwriters chart for two weeks and the Rap Producers chart for four weeks.

“After he scored multiple Billboard Hot 100 entries and radio hits, we knew it was the right time to find a publishing admin partner to support RIOT’s works in syncs, licensing, and collection,” said James Rosemond Jr., CEO/founder of Mastermind Artists and manager of both RIOTUSA and Ice Spice. “Ryan Press understood RIOT’s goals, vision, and worth, and this next chapter with Ryan and the global Warner Chappell team, as part of our extended family, is only going to amplify RIOT’s reach and raise his efforts to another level in this competitive space.”

In addition to his other credits, RIOTUSA produced Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj’s upcoming “Barbie World” track with Aqua from Barbie: The Album, the soundtrack to Greta Gerwig’s forthcoming big-screen feature Barbie. The track is slated for release on June 23 with an accompanying music video.

15 Jun 2023

L.A. Live’s Microsoft Theater Renamed Peacock Theater

L.A. Live’s 7,100-seat venue will no longer be called the Microsoft Theater, officially changing its name to Peacock Theater after NBCUniversal’s premium streaming service as part of a multi-year naming rights agreement with property owner AEG.

The entertainment district’s 40,000 square foot open-air plaza, formerly known as XBOX Plaza, will now be known as Peacock Place. The agreement, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, establishes Peacock as the exclusive streaming partner of L.A. Live.

The name change comes a year and a half after anchor arena Staples Center changed its name to Crypto.com Arena in a landmark deal valued at $700 million over 20 years.

Kelly Campbell, president of Peacock at NBCUniversal, commented that the agreement brought “all the elements of our brand to life with the millions of fans who visit L.A. Live each year.” Nick Baker, chief operating officer of AEG Global Partnerships, noted the “content within the Peacock platform is ideal for our audiences and the synergies between both organizations around our variety of events is limitless.”

Lee Zeidman, president of Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater and L.A. Live, added, “We are looking forward to the opportunity to collaborate with Peacock to create new content and programming to complement our existing roster of amazing concerts, awards shows and special events we are known for at all of our iconic L.A. Live venues.”

With the comprehensive new agreement, Peacock will have an enhanced brand presence across L.A. Live, including significant interior and exterior signage at Peacock Theater, fixed signage at Peacock Place, a branded content studio and customized fan activations and brand integrations throughout select premium locations of the sports and entertainment district.

Peacock will also engage fans via signature digital signage elements, including a brand-new, dedicated LED marquee at the corner of Figueroa and Olympic Blvds., one of downtown L.A.’s busiest intersections. With this new signage, Peacock can highlight its latest content including key series premieres, promotions and special events taking place at L.A. Live over the course of the partnership. Once complete, the largest of the two new signs will measure more than 29 feet high and 56 feet wide. The second will stand at more than 29 feet high and 88 feet wide, providing Peacock with premium exposure to millions of people each year. The signs will connect at the corner, with one facing Figueroa and the other facing Olympic and will remain a permanent fixture at L.A. Live for the length of the partnership.

15 Jun 2023

Confessions on Our Dance Lore: Four Decades of Madonna in Billboard’s Back Pages

Madonna had the music industry burning up so fast after she released her first single in 1982 that a short item about it in the Nov. 6 issue of Billboard introduced her as “a young New York duo.” (Forty-one years later, we’d like to offer an immaculate correction: Madonna is one person.) Since then, Billboard has lived to tell about the Queen of Pop’s 14 studio albums and 12 No. 1 Hot 100 hits. Now, as she prepares to embark on her career-spanning Celebration Tour, which starts July 15 in Vancouver, we’re sharing some confessions from our dance lore.

‘Borderline’ Praise

By the time Madonna’s 1983 debut album came out, Billboard had figured out she was a person — a “young blonde singer/songwriter whose music is in the R&B/dance mode,” to be specific — and offered qualified praise in the Aug. 27 issue. “The songs here are pretty standard dance tunes,” read a ‘Top Album Pick,’ “but Madonna has the pipes and presence to make them a bit special.”

Lucky Spar

Not all Billboard critics were hung up on the future Queen of Pop. A Nov. 24, 1984, review of the Like a Virgin album clucked that “her come-hither image and vivid video profile have made Madonna Ciccone a pop provocateur regardless of her musical gifts.” On the other many-braceleted hand, however, a May 18, 1985, review of The Virgin Tour in Los Angeles gave her props as a performer: “Those of us who figured that Madonna was strictly a studio creation and would fall apart onstage were in for a pleasant surprise.”

Like a Player

“Controversy becomes Madonna,” noted the April 22, 1989, Billboard, after Pepsi pulled a TV ad that featured her following “complaints by Christian groups upset by the use of religious imagery” in her “Like a Prayer” video. But “with Madonna pocketing big money for an ad that aired twice, she is widely perceived at having beaten Madison Avenue folk at their own game.” That game was up, however, by the time she unveiled her coffee-table book, Sex. “Madonna has been jolting the public so consistently for so long now,” said a piece in the Oct. 31, 1992, Billboard, “that we’ve become almost numb to the juice.

Ray of Might

Madonna returned to her club roots in 1998 with Ray of Light. And in a Feb. 28 dance column, Billboard reported on how she introduced “her latest hippie chick/Earth mama persona” at “New York’s brutally hip Roxy nightclub.” The album set a record for first-week sales by a woman. Interviewed about her follow-up, Music, Madonna admitted in the Aug. 5, 2000, Billboard that “I can’t lie; I care about whether or not this record sells a little or a lot.” She needn’t have worried — it outperformed Ray of Light.

Take a Bow

“I don’t ever think about my age until someone says something about it,” Madonna told Elizabeth Banks for a Dec. 10, 2016, cover story after Billboard named her Woman of the Year. “I feel that I have wisdom, experience, knowledge and a point of view that is important. Can a teenager relate to that? Probably not. But that’s OK.” Besides, “I think the most controversial thing I’ve ever done,” she said, when receiving the honor at a Manhattan event, “is to stick around.”

This story originally appeared in the June 10, 2023 issue.

15 Jun 2023

Tim Bowman Jr., Faith City Music & Le’Andria Johnson’s ‘Jesus!’ Leads Gospel Airplay Chart

Tim Bowman Jr., Faith City Music and Le’Andria Johnson’s “Jesus!” ascends to No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart (dated June 17). In the June 2-8 tracking week, the single increased by 13% in plays, according to Luminate.

“Jesus!” was co-authored by Bowman Jr., Johnson, Gerald Haddon and Tammi Haddon. Bowman Jr. co-produced it with Gerald Haddon and Pjay Edmund. The song is from Bowman Jr. and Faith City Music’s LP Welcome to Faith City, which arrived at its No. 4 peak on Top Gospel Albums last November.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled with the reception of my first single with Faith City Music and Le’Andria,” Bowman Jr. tells Billboard. “It was spawned from a teaching lesson from our pastor, Dr. Mike Freeman. We just took what we do every week at our local church and let the world in on it.”

Freeman is the lead pastor at the Spirit of Faith Christian Center in the Washington, D.C., metro.

“Jesus!” marks Bowman Jr.’s second Gospel Airplay leader, after “I’m Good” led for a week in February 2016. He boasts two other top 10s: “Fix Me,” which hit No. 6 in April 2017, and Vickie Winans’ “How I Get Over You,” on which he’s featured (No. 3, December 2009).

(Like father, like son: Bowman’s father previously hit the Gospel Airplay top 10, as “My Praise” reached No. 8 in 2005 for Tim Bowman, a noted jazz and gospel artist.)

“Jesus!” is Faith City Music’s first Gospel Airplay No. 1, in its first appearance on the chart, and Johnson’s fourth leader, all earned in featured roles.

15 Jun 2023

President Biden Targets Junk Fees With Executives from Live Nation, SeatGeek and Airbnb

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is hosting executives from Live Nation, Airbnb and other companies at the White House on Thursday to highlight his administration’s push to end so-called junk fees that surprise consumers.

Biden prioritized the effort to combat surprise or undisclosed fees in his State of the Union address and has called for legislation, regulation and private sector action to end them. Biden, at Thursday’s event, was set to announce actions by companies that have eliminated or plan to eliminate those surprise fees.

The consumer advocacy push is part of the Democratic president’s pitch to voters ahead of his 2024 reelection bid that government can help improve their lives in big and small ways.

At the White House, Live Nation, which is based in Beverly Hills, California, is announcing that it will provide customers with upfront all-in pricing for its owned venues by September and that Ticketmaster will give consumers the option to view all-in pricing up front for other venues on the live-entertainment tickets platform. SeatGeek, based in New York, will also unveil features to make it easier to browse for tickets with the true cost displayed.

Airbnb, based in San Francisco, rolled out its all-in pricing tool in December, after Biden first called on companies to stop hiding fees.

“President Biden has been working to lower costs for hardworking families by bringing down inflation, capping insulin prices for seniors, and eliminating hidden junk fees,” National Economic Council director Lael Brainard said in a statement. “More companies are heeding the President’s call so that Americans know what they’re paying for up front and can save money as a result.”

15 Jun 2023

Jeezy To Release His First Book ‘Adversity For Sale: Ya Gotta Believe’

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Jeezy

Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz

Jeezy is about to boss up once again. He is releasing his first book this summer.

As spotted on HipHopDX the Atlanta trapper turned rapper is taking writing skills to the next level. This week he announced his first published literary work Adversity For Sale: Ya Gotta Believe. The “Soul Survivor” rapper took his Instagram account to share the news. “This is for all my day ones and everybody that’s been down with me since the beginning. This is the greatest story never told” he wrote. “In this motivational memoir, I use parts of my life story, every step, every mishap, every up and down that I’ve gone through to get to this point in my life to motivate the hustlers, entrepreneurs, and believers.”

The formal press release adds more details regarding Da Snowman’s purpose of the book. “Jeezy will use parts of his story to illustrate some rules and principles he’s used to get him through his darkest days and kept him going, even when it felt impossible to go any further and the odds stacked against him felt insurmountable. Through this book, his goal is to give everyone from the block to the boardroom a message of hope to get through their days.”

You can pre-order the book here. 

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15 Jun 2023

Snoop Dogg Reflects On Writing ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’: ‘I Cannot Let Pharrell Out-Rap Me’

From hip-hop and gospel to reggae and country, Snoop Dogg is no stranger to dabbling in different genres. On Thursday (June 15), the West Coast rap legend begins his foray into yet another new genre: spoken word.

In an exclusive clip from his Audible Original Words + Music series episode titled “From the Streets to the Suites” shared with Billboard, the hip-hop icon reflects on writing the 2004 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Drop It Like It’s Hot” with legendary producer Pharrell Williams. “He in the back with the keyboards, it’s just him and the engineer. He ain’t even got the beat all the way made,” he reveals in the snippet. “This how this n—a get down, he don’t say words, he just [mimics Pharrell’s wordless vocalizations], so it’s my job to make that s–t make sense!”

According to the “Gin and Juice” rapper, Pharrell laid his verse for “Drop It Like It’s Hot” first. The producer impressed Snoop so much that the rapper joked, “This n—a done took the bar all the way … I cannot let Pharrell out-rap me on my motherf—–g song!”

Snoop then recounts the creation of the song’s third verse. While he was in the recording booth, Pharrell stopped him and said, “That third verse … that ain’t it.” Just “20 minutes later,” Snoop returned with an even harder verse. “That’s what I mean about ‘I like to be produced,’” Snoop said. The 16-time Grammy-nominee also revealed that Dr. Dre was his “worst critic on all of [his] music at the time.”

“This n—a don’t like nothing!” Snoop exclaimed. “I’m scared he gon’ come and say he don’t like it!” Thankfully, even Dre couldn’t deny the greatness of “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” As Snoop tells it, Dr. Dre called him on the phone and said, “N—a, this s–t right here off the hook! This s–t bomb, n—a! Y’all did that!”

“Drop It Like It’s Hot” went on to become the first of Snoop’s three Hot 100 chart-toppers. The Cali icon has landed 45 songs on the ranking throughout his career. On the Billboard 200, the “What’s My Name” rapper has sent 11 titles to the top 10, three of which reached the summit.

Snoop Dogg

Audible

Snoop Dogg’s new Audible Original, “From the Streets to the Suites,” debuts on Audible today and serves as vol. 35 of the platform’s signature Words + Music series. The special is set to feature Snoop Dogg’s reflections on his life and career, including pivotal moments such as meeting Dr. Dre and buying Death Row Records. Directed by radio personality Angie Martinez and written and performed by Snoop himself, “From the Streets to the Suites” also features original performances of a slew of classics including “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang,” “Gin and Juice,” “Beautiful” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”

Other musicians to grace Audible’s Words + Music series include John Legend, Eddie Vedder, Yo-Yo Ma, James Taylor, Common, Smokey Robinson, Rufus Wainwright, Alanis Morissette, St. Vincent, Alice Cooper, Elvis Costello, Gary Clark Jr., Sting, Church D, Sheryl Crow and Billie Joe Armstrong.

Listen to the full exclusive clip below:

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15 Jun 2023

The Deals: BMG Acquires The Hollies’ Recording Catalog; Soundtrack Your Brand Raises $15M

BMG acquired the recording catalog of British band (and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers) The Hollies. The deal includes over 20 studio, compilation, live and tribute album titles and rarities that are wholly owned by the group, including Evolution and Butterfly (1967), Hollies Sing Dylan and Hollies Sing Hollies (1969), Confessions of the Mind (1970); Distant Light (1971), Romany (1972), Out on the Road (1973); Hollies (1974), Another Night (1975), Write On and Russian Roulette (1976), Hollies Live Hits (1977), A Crazy Steal (1978), Five Three One – Double Seven O Four (1979), Buddy Holly (1980), and Then, Now, Always (2009). The agreement encompasses eight of The Hollies’ most-streamed tracks, including “Carrie Anne,” “King Midas In Reverse,” “Jennifer Eccles,” “On A Carousel,” “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” “Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress)” and “The Air That I Breathe,” as well as the group’s cover versions of “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” (Bruce Springsteen), “Boulder to Birmingham” (Emmylou Harris) and “Say It Ain’t So, Jo” (Head).

Soundtrack Your Brand, a global music streaming service for businesses, announced a $15 million pre-growth round led by Matt Pincus‘ MUSIC in partnership with Liontree, JS Capital Management and Schusterman Family Investments. The round also included funding from music investors Dundee Partners and was supported by all major existing Soundtrack Your Brand investors including Balderton Capital, Fuel Venture Capital, Industrifonden, Telia and DIG. The investment will allow Soundtrack Your Brand to “double down” on its go-to-market strategy, according to a press release. Along with MUSIC’s investment, Pincus will join Soundtrack Your Brand’s board. In 2024, the company plans to raise an additional growth round.

ADA Worldwide partnered with Rostrum Records to distribute the indie label’s entire catalog and new releases. Recent Rostrum releases include Fat Nick’s “Songs on the Radio” and DC The Don’s “Funeral” as well as new music from Alé Araya and Brevin Kim. Forthcoming releases include music from Fat Nick, Lou Phelps and My Favorite Color.

Yoto, an audio platform for kids that’s behind screen-free portable audio players the Yoto Player and Yoto Mini, signed a deal with Warner Music Group that will make music from some of WMG’s artists available on the players. The partnership kicks off in June with music from Super Simple Songs, a popular YouTube channel boasting original children’s songs and traditional nursery rhymes that’s been distributed by WMG’s arts music division since 2020. Next year, Yoto will create “cards” featuring music from a curated group of WMG’s pop, rock and soul artists.

Believe signed a marketing and distribution deal with Global Records Germany, the new Berlin branch of independent label Global Records. The first release under the agreement is “Party Songs” by Gamuel Sori & INNA, which dropped June 9.

15 Jun 2023

Behind the Scenes of Halsey & Suga’s ‘Lilith’ Video: BTS Rapper Reveals How He’ll Kill Time on Tour

Don’t dwell on the past, because a behind-the-scenes video of the making of Halsey and Suga‘s collab of “Lilith (Diablo IV Anthem)” is about to drop, and Billboard has an exclusive first look at the BTS rapper’s time filming the visual.

During an interview taped while making the music video, Suga shares what a big fan he is of the Diablo video games, and how Diablo IV — which arrived June 6 — will play into his downtime while he’s on his first solo world tour. “I played Diablo 1, 2 and 3,” he tells the camera. “Back then, I spent a lot of time in the Cow Level.” (According to PC Gamer, Cow Level in Diablo 3 is a secret level event that honored artist Kevin Kanai Griffith, who died in October 2014 from a rare form of cancer. In that level, players battle against a horde of — yup, you guessed it — armed cow warriors.)

“I am preparing to play [Diablo IV] once it releases and I am touring,” continues the K-pop star, who is currently on the road supporting his solo album, D-DAY. “I bought a new laptop and I am just waiting. Once it releases, I will be playing, even as I am touring.”

The music video featuring the BTS member originally dropped on June 5, and since then, has already raked in more than 8 million views on YouTube. The moody visual — which was done in collaboration with Blizzard Entertainment, the video game developer behind the popular Diablo series — features Halsey walking through the Chapelle des Jésuites in Cambrai, France, while draped in dark hooded cloak before dropping it to reveal her fierce warrior garb and eventually becoming the game’s Blessed Mother Lilith. The reworked, darker version of “Lilith” — originally from her critically acclaimed 2021 album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power — has Suga joining Halsey for the chorus and rhyming a new verse about mid-song.

“Step out of the moment that’s been trapping you in/ All this negativity of hatred and insanity/ Don’t dwell on the past/ It’s time to make a change/ Look around believe in what you see/ I have returned to hell,” he raps before duetting with Halsey.

“I’m thrilled that I got to collab with SUGA of BTS on a reimagined version of ‘Lilith; for the Diablo IV anthem!” Halsey previously said in a statement of working with the K-pop star. “Having spent countless hours in Sanctuary with my family, I’m here as both a fan and a collaborator. Plus, I’ve always wanted to do a concept with SUGA with this type of dark mythology. Hopefully, fans of Diablo, SUGA, and myself will love Lilith’s embrace.”

Watch Billboard‘s exclusive clip of Suga talking about his love for the game above, and check out the full behind-the-scenes video of the making of his and Halsey’s “Lilith (Diablo IV Anthem)” when it arrives later today.

In the meantime, revisit Halsey and Suga’s full music video for “Lilith (Diablo IV Anthem)” below: