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Justin Bieber‘s team has spoken out amid the ongoing federal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, who stands accused of sex trafficking and racketeering and faces potential life in prison for his alleged crimes.
In a statement shared with People Friday (May 16), the pop star’s spokesperson said, “Although Justin is not among Sean Combs’ victims, there are individuals who were genuinely harmed by him.”
The spokesperson added, “Shifting focus away from this reality detracts from the justice these victims rightfully deserve.”
Billboard has reached out to Bieber’s reps for comment.
The statement marks the first time the “Peaches” singer has directly discussed Combs since the Bad Boy Records founder was arrested in September, with federal prosecutors accusing him with running a large-scale criminal operation in which he “abused, threatened and coerced women” for decades, in part through drug-fueled sex parties known as “freak-offs,” according to the indictment.
Combs has denied all of the accusations, and in the defense’s opening statements at his trial in New York City Monday (May 12), his lawyer asserted: “Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case. We take full responsibility that there was domestic violence. Domestic violence is not sex trafficking.”
Friday marks the fifth day of the trial, which has so far focused heavily on the days-long testimony of Cassie Ventura, Combs’ ex-girlfriend. It was her now-settled civil lawsuit in November 2023 — in which she accused him of years of rape and physical abuse — that first raised allegations against the hip-hop titan, sparking a flood of additional suits from others who claimed he abused them, and setting into motion the criminal probe that led to his indictment.
Amid Combs’ fall from grace, some of Bieber’s fans have remembered that the two musicians crossed paths in the past. In a 2009 video with more than 11 million views on the “Baby” singer’s YouTube channel, a then 15-year-old Bieber spends time with the producer for 48 hours, and the pair discusses cars and hitting on girls.
“Where we hanging out and what we’re doing, we can’t really disclose,” Combs says in the video. “But it’s definitely a 15-year-old’s dream.”
In 2010, the two would take the stage with a group of other musicians at the BET-SOS Saving Ourselves Help for Haiti Benefit Concert. In 2011, they appeared together on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with Combs saying at the time, “We’ve become friends in a strange way … [Justin] knows better than to be talking about the things that he does with Big Brother Puff on national television.”
Bieber also attended Combs’ Deleon Tequila launch party in Atlanta in 2014. In one picture from the event, the Canadian pop star sits next to Ventura; in another snap, Combs poses with his arm around Bieber.
Bad blood is still brewing. Donald Trump made yet another jab at superstar Taylor Swift in a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday (May 16).
Eight months after he shared on the same social media platform that he hates the 14-time Grammy winner, the twice-impeached president posted, “Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?’”
Billboard has reached out to Swift’s rep for comment.
The insult seemingly came out of thin air, as Swift has not spoken about Trump since endorsing Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for president in September. Her support of President Joe Biden’s vice president came after the business mogul shared an AI image of the “Anti-Hero” singer falsely endorsing him for a second term in office.
“It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth,” the star wrote of the fake image at the time. “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”
Swift concluded that message — which was accompanied by a photo of her with her beloved cat Benjamin Button — by signing off as “Childless Cat Lady,” a dig at Vice President JD Vance’s comments about Democrats who don’t have kids.
Five days after the superstar backed his opponent, Trump posted on Truth Social in all caps, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”
While they never had mad love for each other, Trump — who in May 2024 was convicted of 34 felony counts in his hush money case — did previously appreciate the singer-songwriter. In August 2012, he wrote on X (then Twitter) to thank the star for a photo, closing his message with “you are fantastic!” Months later in October, he congratulated her on landing the co-hosting gig announcing the Grammy nominations special, ending his tweet with “Taylor is terrific!”
But once Swift began sharing her political leanings in 2018, when she urged the voters of Tennessee to vote against Republican Marsha Blackburn in the midterms, Trump’s opinion of the star shifted. “Let’s just say I like Taylor’s music about 25% less now, OK?” he told reporters at the White House.
With a new single already announced for the end of the month, Mark Tuan embarks on a fresh chapter by signing a new management deal ahead of a new, “raw and intimate” era.
Billboard can exclusively reveal that the Los Angeles singer-songwriter-model is teaming up with with Transparent Arts for his music career and other projects. Mark will release his new single “High as You” on May 30, to start the joint venture with the Asian American entertainment powerhouse. According to a press release, the new, alt-rock track “captures the essence of an unforgettable love — the only high he ever knew. With seductive melodies and striking choreography, Mark is ready to showcase a raw and intimate side of himself like never before.”
After reuniting with his K-pop boy band GOT7 for a new EP earlier this year, “High as You” is Tuan’s first solo release of 2025 and previews more music on the way.
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“I’m thrilled to partner with Transparent Arts and to step into a new phase of my journey as an artist,” Mark says in a statement. “‘High As You’ is just the beginning, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of this side of me with my fans.”
James Roh, COO of Transparent Arts, adds, “We’re thrilled to welcome Mark to our roster. As a fellow LA native, we felt an instant connection with him. He brings a rare blend of professionalism, talent, and authentic kindness. Working with Mark has been creatively fulfilling, and we can’t wait for the world to hear what we’ve been working on.”
After GOT7 opted not to renew its contract with JYP Entertainment in 2021, Tuan returned to LA to launch his solo career via the independent label Dreamers N Achievers (DNA), which he acts as CEO. The 31-year-old has balanced his indie projects like 2022 full-length, The Other Side, and his Fallin’ EP, from 2023, with GOT7 activities and fashion collaborations including an ambassadorship with Saint Laurent and partnership with Calvin Klein.
Founded by Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers Far East Movement, Transparent Arts is a 360-degree entertainment company dedicated to amplifying Asian culture and talent worldwide through management, production, branding, and live events. Tuan joins a roster that currently includes Korean indie breakthrough band The Rose, Filipino superstar singer-actor James Reid, LA-based DJ and producer Yultron and more. Through over 15 years in the business, TA collaborators include artists like Bruno Mars, Marshmello, and Awkwafina, with Universal Music, YouTube, McDonald’s, and SM Entertainment listed as brand partners.
Earlier this year, Mark teamed up with his GOT7 band mates to drop its first project in nearly three years, Winter Heptagon, through a new partnership with Kakao Entertainment. The EP peaked at No. 16 on Billboard’s World Albums chart, becoming the group’s 20th entry. Meanwhile, lead single “Python” climbed to No. 4 on the World Digital Song Sales chart — GOT7’s strongest showing since 2021. The group celebrated with concerts in Seoul’s SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium arena and Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium, reportedly selling out the 85,000 seats for the latter within a day.
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, Rihanna unveils a summer Smurf jam, Morgan Wallen pulls back the curtain and Jin continues his solo momentum. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Rihanna, “Friend of Mine”
While Rihanna is no stranger to the soundtrack single, “Friend of Mine,” from the upcoming Smurfs film, does not function like a shiny product for kid’s movie — instead, the song thumps and shimmers with club-ready propulsion, as Rihanna lets the percussion take center stage and serves up what sounds like a long-lost, long-awaited summer jam.
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Morgan Wallen, I’m the Problem
At 37 songs and nearly two hours, I’m the Problem pushes Morgan Wallen’s mega-sprawling approach to full-length projects to a new limit — but if it ain’t broke, then the decade-defining, stadium-commanding country superstar has no reason to fix it, as his latest marks another rustic, self-examining storytelling extravaganza brimming with multi-song runs to be appreciated by different types of listeners.
Jin, Echo
Six months after making his solo bow with Happy, Jin has quickly returned with Echo — but instead of feeling like a continuation of that debut project, the BTS member has already moved on to vibrant new sounds and ideas, ranging from the stately romance of opener “Don’t Say You Love Me” to the punk-inflected YENA collaboration “Loser,” the latter making good use of the cowbell.
Lola Young, “One Thing”
“Everbody wants to know ya / But me? I only want one thing,” Lola Young declares on new single “One Thing,” a slinky sex jam that showcases Young’s ability to oscillate between commanding and yearning; following the smash confessional “Messy,” the ascendant pop star wields this follow-up with hedonistic glee, as if she’s ratcheting down the stakes to have some hard-earned fun.
Avicii, Avicii Forever
Avicii’s 2018 passing still feels crushing all these years later, yet his musical legacy has remained towering in his absence; Avicii Forever — a new compilation featuring the producer’s biggest hits, essential tracks and one unreleased single, “Let’s Ride Away” featuring Elle King — underlines his sonic impact and acts as a handy first step for casual fans looking to dive deeper.
Sebastian Yatra, Milagro
The title of Sebastian Yatra’s new album, Milagro, refers to a miracle that can occur thanks to a slight change in perspective; the idea defines the follow-up to 2022’s Dharma +, as the singer-songwriter tweaks his lyrical approach to dig deeper into ideas of faith, emotional availability and communication across generations, while still providing plenty of melodic heft.
Laufey, “Tough Luck”
“I wanted to reveal an angrier side of myself — a side that this unfortunate relationship brought out in me,” Laufey says of her new single, “Tough Luck,” in a press release. To preview upcoming album A Matter of Time, the rising singer-composer lets her frustration simmer above sighing harmonies and ornate string arrangements, producing a beautifully mad opening shot.
Editor’s Pick: Rico Nasty, Lethal
After spending the majority of her career exploring the ways in which rock music can inform her hip-hop, Rico Nasty pushes toward full-throated pop-rock at times on Lethal, displaying her voice with a newfound vulnerability and expanding her aesthetic in impressive ways; considering that several songs on the new album don’t reach the two-minute mark, Lethal zips by with verve and energy, and sets up an exciting future for Rico.
Lady Gaga is headed to the Netflix Tudum stage in Los Angeles — and fans all over the world are going to be able to watch her live.
As announced Friday (May 16), the pop superstar will perform at the streamer’s Comic Con-esque event this year, joining a previously announced lineup of stars featured in some of Netflix’s biggest titles who are also set to appear. In a clip announcing the news on Instagram, Gaga appears in a lacy black getup, looking excited as she tells fans, “Hi, Little Monsters!”
“I just wrapped Copacabana,” she continues, referencing her record-breaking May 3 performance in Rio de Janeiro. “I’m headed to Singapore, and then I’ll see you at Tudum.”
“mother will bring the MAYHEM, performing a song you will not want to miss!” reads Netflix’s caption. “watch it LIVE may 31 on netflix — tickets now on sale.”
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The event will take place at 8 p.m. ET on May 31 at the Kia Forum, but anyone with a Netflix subscription can tune in to stream it live. Tickets to attend in person are available for purchase on Ticketmaster.
Originating in 2020 as a fan-oriented festival celebrating Netflix’s young-adult content, Tudum brings viewers and the stars of their favorite programs together. This year, actors from Emily in Paris, Frankenstein, Happy Gilmore 2, Love Is Blind, One Piece, Outer Banks, The Rip, Squid Game, Stranger Things, America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, The Life List, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Wednesday, WWE, Ginny & Georgia, My Life With the Walter Boys and more will flock to the Forum.
Gaga’s performance at the event comes as she’s been showcasing her Billboard 200-topping album Mayhem on the road with concerts at Coachella and in Mexico City and Rio. Up next, she’ll perform May 18, 19, 21 and 24 for Little Monsters in Singapore before embarking on her Mayhem Ball Tour in July.
See Gaga’s announcement that she’ll be performing at Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event below.
Alexandra Savior has considered leaving the music industry many times. Having started her musical career early – signing to Columbia Records at 17 and releasing her debut album Belladona of Sadness by the age of 19 – she’s had plenty of ups and downs all before the age of 30. She’s played in bars she was too young to be in, worked with well-known musicians including Danger Mouse and the Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner, and released an independent album after she was dropped by her major label.
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“It’s really a fight to try and survive in this industry,” Savior says. “I always wanted to go back to school just because I am the happiest when I am learning. After my first album, I was pretty ready to be done.”
Without a label or management, she moved back to the Pacific Northwest, and considers it a miracle her second album (2020’s Archer) even happened. “Throughout my life, I’ve felt that I wanted to go towards something else that would be easier, but it never happens,” she tells Billboard. “I always feel like I need to make another album anyways.”
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Now onto her third album, Savior is making a point to separate herself from her previous work and create music on her own terms. Beneath the Lilypad (out today, May 16, via RCA Records) is self-produced by Savior, alongside her partner and producer Drew Erickson, and delivers an intimacy not found in her previous two albums. Started during the height of the pandemic, Savior says her sound became a lot more tender, soft and quiet.
Alexandra Savior
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“I wasn’t thinking of how it would be perceived as much,” she says. “Because I was doing this on my own and literally on my own every hour of the day like the rest of us, it gave me a lot of freedom to let go of any sort of outside pressure. And not having a label, it made me feel more free to express myself.”
She kicks off Lilypad with the deceptively cheerful “Unforgivable,” which alludes to her mistreatment earlier in her career. In her signature voice that harkens back to Hollywood starlets of the 1950s, she sings, “When I get the chance, I’ll muster up some recklessness” and “I’ll use the knife that you once held/ And when it’s time to pay, I’ll send the invoice right your way.”
Savior has called the track a “mantra” to help her and other women who have been mistreated to stop blaming herself. The opening track sets the tone for her new 11-song collection, which sees the seasoned musician tackle the preservation of her mental health and find her unique sound all on her own.
Below, Savior dives deeper into Lilypad, and getting past the pressures of her early years in the industry.
The first track on the album is “Unforgivable,” which is about telling off someone in the industry who wronged you in the past. As a launch into the album, it feels like “let me address this, so we can move onto my album.”
Yeah, absolutely. It’s funny because it’s actually the last song that I wrote for the album. It felt like I was taking a step and trying to make a statement about wanting to have control over my own autonomy, of my own work and of myself as a woman that I don’t think I have had in the past. So, I wanted it to be at the forefront of this album.
You were a teenager when you first started in the music industry — and that’s a lot of pressure for a teen. Do you feel you’ve been able to shake any of the pressure by your third record?
Yeah, the expectation and the pressure I felt was like, “Find out who you are now so that we can market it and make money off of that.” I didn’t know who I was, because who knows when you’re that young. I had a lot of self-doubt within that experience and that was very confusing.
Beneath the Lilypad focuses a lot on your unmistakable voice and is more stripped down than your previous albums. Why did you scale back on that fuller sound?
That is because I felt a lot more confident with myself this time around. Before I felt like I needed to use that wall of sound to mask my insecurities about myself as a songwriter or a singer or a musician. I didn’t feel that way this time. I actually wanted to get rid of all of that and try to be vulnerable. That was definitely intentional.
On this album there are a lot of references to outer space like “Mothership” and “Venus,” what do you feel is your connection to the interstellar?
Well, first of all, I like conspiracy theories and UFOs and parallel universes and all of that. I feel connected to the universe and I think it’s a magical thing to think about, like how we are all made out of the same stuff and how does all of this affect us. You know, classic stoner thoughts. I don’t smoke weed, but I have a lot of stoner thoughts.
Another big theme on this album is mental health and how you are navigating that.
It is everything about what I write. I felt like it was impossible for me to not talk about ti with this album in particular because my songwriting comes from my mental illness. It’s a way for me to digest the experiences that I have within that and reflect on them. When I am in psychosis or mania or depression, I don’t have a clear perspective of what I’m experiencing.
So, to be in that space and write about my experience in a visceral way, instinctual way, it helps me be able to look back on that experience and understand myself more and understand my brain chemistry and what parts of it are me and what parts of it are just the perception that I have. Writing has been really helpful for that.
You created all of the art for this album including the cover art and the videos. How long have you been creating visual art?
I did the cover for the most recent single, “Mothership.” I did the album cover and then a lot of [my art] has been used within the merch and the videos. I’ve made stop motion videos for the songs. I’ve been doing [visual art] longer than I’ve been doing music. I started when I was 12. I took my first art class and that when I got my head kind of cracked open. I was immediately like, “This is what I have to do.”
You’re not thinking when you’re 12 how you are going to make a living when you’re 30, but I was painting and drawing predominantly. I was meant to go to art school. I had a dorm room picked out and everything. My mom was like, “You should probably try to make to make it with this, give it a few months and try to do this music thing.” So, now I have incorporated it into the music, because it’s fun.
Connie Francis’ legacy on Billboard’s charts predates the Aug. 4, 1958, inception of the Billboard Hot 100. Once the chart originated, her dominance continued, as she scored historic No. 1s and linked a string of enduring classics.
In spring 1958, Francis’ version of “Who’s Sorry Now,” originally a hit in the 1920s, rose to No. 4 on Billboard’s Top 100 chart. Upon the Hot 100’s start, “My Happiness” became the then-20-year-old’s first top 10 on the ranking, reaching No. 2 in January 1959.
On the Hot 100 dated June 27, 1960, Francis’ “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” hit No. 1 — becoming the list’s first leader by a solo woman. That September, her “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own” became the third such No. 1 (after Brenda Lee’s “I’m Sorry”).
By the time Francis had tallied her 15th and last Hot 100 top 10 to date, “Vacation,” in September 1962, she boasted the most among women — with only Elvis Presley having notched more, with 16. By the end of the ‘60s, her top 10 haul (all on the MGM label) still stood as the best among solo women, outpaced overall only by The Beatles (30), Presley (22) and the Supremes (18). Plus, Francis led all women soloists with her three No. 1s during the ‘60s.
A key to Francis’ chart success? “If I love the title, I always record the song,” she told Fred Bronson for The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. She shared that when “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own” co-writer Howard Greenfield called her to tell her the song’s name, she said, “‘That’s a smash! Great title!’ ‘You haven’t heard the song yet,’ he said. ‘Doesn’t matter — it’s a great title!’ ”
Francis additionally grew her avid fandom thanks to starring movie roles, among them 1960’s Where the Boys Are. The film’s title song hit No. 4 on the Hot 100 in March 1961. (Still, she confessed to Bronson, “If you’ve ever seen any of my movies, you know I’m not an actress … I was amateurish. I used to keep a book of all the bad reviews because they were hilarious.”)
As Francis’ music is being welcomed by a new generation, thanks to the TikTok-fueled virality of her 1962 deep cut “Pretty Little Baby,” browse below her 10 biggest career hits on the Hot 100. (Notably, “Who’s Sorry Now” is not among them, since, as detailed above, its peak run occurred just before the chart began.)
Connie Francis’ Biggest Billboard Hits chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Hot 100 chart from its Aug. 4, 1958, inception, through May 17, 2025. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
“Mama”
Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz
50 Cent is living his pettiest life as he continues to kick Diddy while he is down. He recently made fun of him over his alleged small manhood.
As spotted on HipHopDX, another unidentified woman has filed a lawsuit against Diddy claiming that he sexually assaulted her back in 2001. She alleges they spent the evening together and eventually went back back to his Manhattan apartment. Things apparently went left as the woman says Diddy led her to his bedroom, locked the door, and put his hand around her neck saying “I’m going to suck the life out of you.” The document states Diddy then started “pulling out his erect bare-skinned penis which appeared to be the length and girth of a large Tootsie Roll.” She further described his lack of size calling it an “itty-bitty Diddy.”
This news landed on 50 Cent’s radar and he was quick to leverage it for his enjoyment. He shared a screenshot of the lawsuit documents and included a photo of the candy in the middle of the post. His caption read “Toosie Roll, Toosie Roll, to the left to the left to the right to the right to the front to the front to the back to the back now slide. LOL THAT’s WHY HE IN THE CORNER Masterbating!”
Diddy’s lawyers have yet to formally comment on the new lawsuit. The mogul’s federal racketeering and human trafficking trial is underway. Earlier this week his former longtime girlfriend Cassie took the stand and revealed some shocking details regarding his “Freak Offs.” You can read more about her testimony here.
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Tyler Brown spent more than a decade working at Syco Entertainment, which launched the careers of superstar groups like One Direction and Fifth Harmony while the members were still in their teens. The vector for their rapid success was the TV show The X Factor. “We would take kids off the street, put them on TV in front of 15 million people twice a week, and then by the end of that show, they were famous,” says Brown, who recently co-founded the indie label Heatwave Records. “Then you put a record out in a few months, and it goes to No. 1. And that’s all in the space of less than a year.”
More than a decade later, though, teen superstars are vanishingly rare. This is immediately apparent when looking at Billboard‘s annual 21 Under 21 list, which snapshots the next generation of rising artists. 10 years ago, it was stocked full of acts who were already household names: Not only Fifth Harmony, but Five Seconds of Summer, Lorde, Shawn Mendes, and Troye Sivan. In 2021, Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish were both on the list.
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This year, however, there aren’t any massive pop stars under the age of 21.
“There’s not a centralization of key platforms where people are finding artists,” says Mike Weiss, vp of music and head of A&R at UnitedMasters. “Everything is more niche. To become a superstar, it takes time to build from community to community and expand that base.”
That process typically is “a lot longer now,” Brown says, relative to the peak years of The X Factor. Many of the artists who recently enjoyed major breakthroughs triumphed in their mid-twenties after long grinds. Sabrina Carpenter released five albums before rocketing to fame on her sixth, while Noah Kahan put out two full-lengths and two EPs before releasing the album that propelled him into the mainstream. The career trajectory of country star Jelly Roll makes those ascents seem swift by comparison — he started to pepper the charts with hits only after releasing his eighth album.
“The time horizon of breaking an artist ten years ago used to be 18 to 36 months once they had signed to a major label,” Ben Maddahi, svp of A&R for Columbia Records, told NME in 2023. “Now it’s more like three to five years. It’s not going to happen quickly.”
In previous decades, stars were minted by the TV shows and radio stations that served as the central engine of music discovery. Major labels had the marketing resources and relationships to carpet-bomb these formats, sending listeners scrambling to cough up cash for records or CDs or downloads. At the dawn of the social media age, they started harvesting talent from YouTube (like Justin Bieber and Troye Sivan) and Vine (like Shawn Mendes) and plugging them into the major-label machine that created pop juggernauts.
But today’s fans are spread across an increasingly wide range of streaming services and social media platforms, each with its own priorities and approach to music. Young listeners, who are most likely to mint the next young stars, primarily learn about new songs through Spotify and TikTok, according to a 2024 report from Edison Research. For listeners aged 35 to 54, however, YouTube and radio airplay are far more important. TikTok doesn’t even register as a music discovery avenue for listeners 55 and up, where radio remains dominant.
Edison Research’s report surveyed music lovers on 14 different potential sources of discovery, and they could conceivably have inquired about more — they didn’t ask if anyone still learned about music by reading journalism, for example. In this fractured environment, “there’s no button to push” to blitz everyone simultaneously, says Jonathan Daniel, co-founder of Crush Music, which manages Miley Cyrus and Lorde, among others. “It’s so much less of a monoculture,” Daniel adds, “that it takes longer” to build a star.
At the same time, the rise of short-form video platforms — especially TikTok — has allowed songs to become popular faster than ever. But record companies have repeatedly been forced to reckon with the wide gulf that separates a viral hit from an enduring career. “Before, we were very focused on, ‘How do we make this a global artist that can be all these different things?’” explains Olly Shepard, senior vp of publishing at Artist Partner Group. “Now the song breaks, and then we have to build the artist around that.”
This can be challenging — some teenagers weren’t even contemplating a music career before they went viral and signed a record deal. It’s no surprise, then, that “labels have struggled to create follow-ups for a lot of the young artists” they signed following big TikTok hits, Brown says. “They need to have two, three, four records in a row to become a fully established artist.”
The last five years have shown that, even in a world where singles can become global phenomena nearly overnight, the star-building process remains stubbornly hard to accelerate. Many of the artists who are signed because of their prowess on short-form video platforms are “talented but under-prepared, and once signed, it becomes apparent that most need a couple of years just to get up to speed,” Maddahi said. “If you’re signing a 15-year-old kid off TikTok, they’ve likely never toured before, performed before or even been in a real studio.”
On top of that, some executives argue that the music industry is no longer prioritizing breaking new stars the way it once was — Chappell Roan famously got dropped after her first stint at a major label only to explode four years later. In a landscape full of viral singles and myriad sub-pockets of fandom, many labels are taking the approach of “let’s sign more small things, but in the aggregate they’re equivalent to a star,” says Leon Morabia, a partner at Mark Music & Media Law. “That’s not the same thing as picking someone because they’re so talented or so charismatic.”
Young artists can still carve out a robust career even if they’re only owning their particular niche. “There’s room for artists to have enormous success within their individual lanes — it just isn’t the type of success where casual music fans know who you are,” says Jeff Vaughn, founder and CEO of Signal Records. “That level of exposure and awareness is taking much longer to achieve now.”
A version of this story appears in the May 17, 2025, issue of Billboard.
Source: Craig T Fruchtman / Getty
Is Foot Locker Inc. broke?
While we don’t know the answer to that it certainly seems that way as CNBC is reporting that Dick’s Sporting Goods is purchasing the sports retailing stable for a cool $2.4 billion in a shocking move that has many sneaker aficionados scratching their heads. Why would Dick’s Sporting Goods go this route? Why would Foot Locker Inc. throw in the towel this far into the game? How will this affect sneaker raffles and resale prices?
While there are many questions to be answered behind this surprising market move, according to CNBC, Dick’s Sporting Goods decided to buy out the competition to expand their global presence and corner the Nike market. That being said, Trump’s announcement of his idiotic tariffs didn’t help the struggling sneaker game. Foot Locker CEO Mary Dillon saw an opportunity to lighten her load as everyone knows that tumultuous times are ahead for the sneaker market.
Per CNBC:
In a joint press release, Dillon said the acquisition is a “testament” to all of the work her and her team have done to improve the business.
“By joining forces with DICK’S, Foot Locker will be even better positioned to expand sneaker culture, elevate the omnichannel experience for our customers and brand partners, and enhance our position in the industry,” said Dillon.
The CEO added she was “confident this transaction represents the best path for our shareholders and other stakeholders.”
At the end of the day it’s all about the money and investments made by the higher ups.
While many people assumed that Foot Locker was the bigger brand compared to Dick’s Sporting Goods, it actually turns out that DSG raked in $13.44 billion in their last fiscal year compared to Foot Locker’s $7.99 billion. Who would’ve guessed?
Still, this is cause for celebration for the good people over at Dick’s Sporting Goods as they see nothing but good times ahead:
“We look forward to welcoming Foot Locker’s talented team and building upon their expertise and passion for their business, which we intend to honor and amplify together,” said Dick’s CEO Lauren Hobart. “Sports and sports culture continue to be incredibly powerful, and with this acquisition, we’ll create a new global platform that serves those ever evolving needs through iconic concepts consumers know and love, enhanced store designs and omnichannel experiences, as well as a product mix that appeals to our different customer bases.”
Should be interesting to see how this affects sneaker raffles and stock numbers per store going forward.
What do y’all think about Dicks Sporting Goods purchasing Foot Locker? Let us know in the comments section below.
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