News

01 Feb 2023

Estrella Media’s Music Division Hires Alex Garza & Gerardo Vergara

Producer Alex Garza and music executive Gerardo Vergara have joined Estrella Media Music Entertainment (EMME), the Los Angeles-based company tells Billboard.

In his role, Garza — who founded Arpa Music Publishing, where he represents artists such as Espinoza Paz, Horacio Palencia and Joss Favela — will oversee music production and publishing and serve as an in-house music producer.

As director, Vergara will manage the roster, catalog, and business opportunities for EMME, as well as new artist signings and development. Having worked in the industry for over 15 years, he’s helped develop the careers of regional Mexican music artists such as Gerardo Ortiz and Luis Coronel. He was previously gm of Green Dream, the management and social media company behind Pepe Aguilar.

“Adding Gerardo and Alex to EMME is the completion of our dream team,” said Eddie Leon, executive vp of radio programming and events for Estrella Media who also oversees EMME. “Both bring a wealth of knowledge and contacts within the music industry that will help in our development of the next Regional Mexican stars. In addition, they will be instrumental in managing Estrella’s IP from its numerous series, events, and awards shows. EMME will give artists, songwriters, and composers a unique and culturally relevant path to develop their talent, fan base and culture.”

The multi-platform media company’s music division launched in April with longtime radio programmer and television personality Pepe Garza as head of content development and A&R. EMME includes a label and publishing arm and aims to “develop the next generation of Latin music stars.”

01 Feb 2023

Dr. Dre’s Debut ‘The Chronic’ Returns to Interscope and Streaming Services

Dr. Dre’s solo debut album, The Chronic, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special re-release on Interscope Records and a return to streaming services after nearly a year away. “I am thrilled to bring The Chronic home to its original distribution partner, Interscope Records,” says Dre in a press release, adding that working with the label “to re-release the album and make it available to fans all over the world is a full circle moment for me.”

Steve Berman, vice chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M, expressed similar excitement, saying: “Dr. Dre is without a doubt one of the most iconic and groundbreaking artists in the modern era. He has also used his platform to fuel some very impactful philanthropic efforts that will ensure his legacy is felt for generations to come. Dre’s solo career all started with the The Chronic, one of the most celebrated recordings of all time. To have this album at Interscope once again where we work with Dre and his amazing team at Aftermath day in and day out is incredibly gratifying for me personally and all of us at Interscope.”

Earlier this month, Billboard reported that Dre sold his music assets to Universal Music and Shamrock Holdings for a deal estimated to be $200 million. According to sources, the assets include mainly passive income streams, such as artist royalties from two of his solo albums and his share of N.W.A. artist royalties; his producer royalties; and more. The Chronic had long been available on streaming services but was pulled, along with several other Death Row classics, after Snoop Dogg purchased the label early last year.

Considered one of the most storied albums in hip-hop, The Chronic had a splashy debut on the Billboard 200, entering the charts at No. 3. Released in 1992 on Death Row Records / Interscope, Dre’s magnum opus earned three Hot 100 top 40 hits, “most notably “Nothin’ But a “G” Thang,” which peaked at No. 2.

John Janick, chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M, said: “From my first day at Interscope the significance of Dr. Dre as a foundational artist at this label was incredibly important to me. We take our responsibility to Dre and his amazing body of work very seriously and we are honored to work closely with him on this re-release of one of the most important albums of all time.”

01 Feb 2023

Billboard’s 2023 Print Calendar

As Billboard publishes its 135th volume throughout 2023, stay in the know on the magazine’s print schedule for the year, along with each issue’s corresponding theme. This is an updating post, so be sure to check back for any changes.

Issue Date: Feb. 4, 2023
Theme: The Billboard Power 100

Issue Date: Feb. 25, 2023
Theme: Women in Music

Issue Date: March 11, 2023
Theme: SXSW

Issue Date: April 1, 2023
Theme: Touring
*This issue will include Top Music Lawyers

Issue Date: April 22, 2023
Theme: K-Pop
*This issue will include International Power Players

Issue Date: May 13, 2023
Theme: 40 Under 40

Issue Date: June 3, 2023
Theme: Country Power Players

Issue Date: June 10, 2023
Theme: Pride
*This issue will include Indie Power Players

Issue Date: July 15, 2023
Theme: Publicity

Issue Date: Aug. 5, 2023
Theme: R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players

Issue Date: Aug. 26, 2023
Theme: Tech/Fall Music Preview

Issue Date: Sept. 16, 2023
Theme: Latin Music Week

Issue Date: Oct. 7, 2023 (Double Issue)
Theme: Grammy Preview
*This issue will include Top Music Business Schools

Issue Date: Oct. 28, 2023
Theme: Producers/Managers
*This issue will include Top Music Business Managers

Issue Date: Nov. 18, 2023
Theme: Gaming

Issue Date: Dec. 9, 2023
Theme: No. 1’s and Year In Music

Issue Date: Dec. 16, 2023
Theme: Grammy Voter Guide

01 Feb 2023

Romeo Santos & Rosalía’s ‘El Pañuelo’ Leads Tropical Airplay Chart

Romeo Santos and Rosalía add new career No. 1s on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart as their first collaboration, “El Pañuelo,” rules the Feb. 4-dated ranking.

The song rises 3-1 with 9.9 million audience impressions, an 8% gain, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Jan. 26, according to Luminate.

Rosalía scores her third straight No. 1, and second through a bachata. Thanks to “El Pañuelo,” Santos becomes the fourth artist to accumulate at least 18 No. 1s since Tropical Airplay chart launched in 1994. He joins Marc Anthony, who leads with 35, followed by Victor Manuelle (29), and Prince Royce (22).

The new No. 1 also marks the 10th time a pair-up comprising a female and a male on lead role has reached No. 1 since the chart’s inception. Let’s look back:

Peak Date, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1

  • Aug. 15, 1998, “Corazón Encadenado,” Gisselle & Sergio Vargas, one
  • June 26, 1999, “No Me Ames,” Jennifer López & Marc Anthony, seven
  • June 18, 2016, “La Bicicleta,” Carlos Vives & Shakira, one
  • Dec. 31, 2016, “Olvídame y Pega La Vuelta,” Jennifer López & Marc Anthony, two
  • April 29, 2017, “Deja Vu,” Prince Royce & Shakira, 11
  • Oct. 26, 2019, “La Mejor Versión de Mí,” Natti Natasha & Romeo Santos, 15
  • May 29, 2021, “Víctimas Las Dos,” Victor Manuelle & La India, one
  • May 28, 2022, “Te Espero,” Prince Royce & Maria Becerra, four
  • Dec. 3, 2022, “Monotonía,” Shakira & Ozuna, nine
  • Feb. 4, 2023, “El Pañuelo,” Romeo Santos & Rosalía

Further, Santos also unlocks another achievement on the current chart: “Solo Conmigo,” his latest single, takes the Greatest Gainer award, rising 19-12 with a lofty 310% gain in audience, to 2 million. Plus, “Sin Fin,” with Justin Timberlake, holds at No. 9 for a second week (after its previous No. 1 debut last September), while “Siri,” with Chris Lebron, dips 18-22. All songs are on Santos’ latest album, Formula, Vol. 3, which crowned Tropical Albums for 15 weeks.

Beyond its Tropical Airplay coronation, “El Pañuelo” bests its previous Latin Airplay ranking with a 3-2 jump.

01 Feb 2023

YoungBoy Never Broke Again Is Considering a Mormon Baptism

In 2022, only Taylor Swift and Drake streamed more than YoungBoy Never Broke Again. But even with his enormous popularity and wildly prolific output (he released eight full-lengths last year), the rapper hasn’t revealed much about his personal life.

Now, in a candid, lengthy Billboard cover story written by Meaghan Garvey, the 23-year-old rapper opens up about his new life in snowy Utah, where he currently resides under house arrest. And while a security team limits his visitors to three pre-approved people at a time, YoungBoy has been entertaining some unexpected guests: Mormon missionaries.

The Louisiana rapper turned them away the first time they swung by his home in late 2022. But when they returned, he decided to them in: “I wanted help very badly. I needed a friend. And it hit me,” he recalls.

“It was just cool to see someone with a different mindset that had nothing to do with business or money — just these wonderful souls,” he tells Billboard. The missionaries now discuss The Book of Mormon with YoungBoy regularly, which accounts for his recent “Hi Haters” video opening with a quote from the Latter Day Saints tome. According to YoungBoy, their visits help him “make sure my heart is in the right space”; he’s planning on being officially baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ the Latter-day Saints after his ankle monitor is removed.

“Even when my negative thoughts come back, when I do want to tell them, ‘Not today,’ I just don’t let nothing stop it,” he explains. The rapper’s potential baptism dovetails with his growing uncertainty over the violent storytelling in his own lyrics. This year’s I Rest My Case (released on Motown, his first since signing with the label) intentionally featured fewer mentions of guns than on previous projects.

While he’s aware that lyrical shifts could affect his popularity — “What if they don’t like me now?” he mused about his audience during the interview – he refuses to rap about violence merely to satisfy listeners. “I’m not changing. I will not be provoked, I will not be broken, and I’m not going back to who I used to be. Accept it or not — I ain’t going back.”

Read YoungBoy’s full Billboard cover story profile here.

01 Feb 2023

City Winery to Host Fundraiser & Performances for Black History Month & Women’s History Month

This February and March, City Winery will host its inaugural two-month long initiatives titled “Still I Rise” in celebration of Black History Month and “Fierce Light” honoring women and gender justice. Each month will feature a mix of musicians and women thought leaders including Lalah Hathaway, Chrisette Michele, Eric Benét, Vanessa Carlton, Elle Varner and Keke Wyatt.

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“At City Winery, we aim to foster an environment that invites people from all walks of life into our ecosystem and gives everyone a chance to proverbially be onstage,” said Michael Dorf, CEO of City Winery. “We are thrilled to celebrate and recognize diverse voices that empower and inspire during Black History Month and Women’s History Month.”

The initiatives are a part of City Winery’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The upscale dining and event space will also donate a portion of select programming proceeds throughout February and March. “Still I Rise” beneficiaries include Black Feminist Future, Black Voters Matter and In Our Own Voice, while “Fierce Light” proceeds will go to Sister Reach, Sister Song and Women’s Refugee Commission.

Guests can support these causes by attending shows throughout the next two months at City Winery’s various locations in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Nashville and Hudson Valley. The organization will also produce a limited-edition, custom-labeled wine that will be available for purchase online and at the performances. A portion of the proceeds from both ticket sales and wine sales will benefit the aforementioned organizations as well.

Tickets for all shows and panels will be available at City Winery.

city winery

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01 Feb 2023

Cyndi Lauper Calls 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nomination ‘An Honor and a Thrill’

Cyndi Lauper is definitely good enough for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” singer who blazed a technicolor trail through the 1980s with a string of bouncy pop hits and equally colorful videos was overjoyed to celebrate the news that she is among the 2023 nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“It’s such an honor and thrill to be recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a nominee,” Lauper tells Billboard about bout joining the 2023 class of nominees that also includes Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Iron Maiden, JoyDivision/New Order, The Spinners, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, A Tribe Called Quest, The White Stripes and Warren Zevon

“Seeing my name on this year’s ballot with so many talents that I admire means so much to me,” she adds. “It has been a lifetime privilege to reach so many different kinds of fans with a message of following your own path (and having fun along the way, too).”

First-time nominee Lauper made the list nearly four decades after the release of her smash debut solo album, 1983’s She’s So Unusual, which included such forever hits as “Time After Time,” “She Bop” and her signature empowerment anthem, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Thanks to those hits and covers of new wave band The Brains’ “Money Changes Everything” and Prince’s “When You Were Mine,” the album spun off four straight Billboard Hot 100 top five hits and charted on the Billboard 200 for more than a year.

The Grammy-winning album arrived at a time when MTV was a rising avenue of exposure for visually interesting acts, with Lauper’s technicolor hair, larger-than-life persona and fun-time videos helping to push her to the top of the pop heap. She continued to spin off hits throughout the decade, including “True Colors,” “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough,” “I Drove All Night” and others as she dipped her toe into acting in films and TV (Vibes, Life With Mickey, The Simpsons) while becoming an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ causes and a beacon for a new generation of female rock and pop stars.

Inductees will be revealed in May, with the induction ceremony taking place this fall. The top five artists selected through fan voting will be tallied along with the ballots from the Rock Hall’s international voting body to determine the Class of 2023. Fans can vote online every day through April 28 at vote.rockhall.com or IRL at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland.

01 Feb 2023

Beyoncé Is Going on Tour & Fans Are Anxious About Getting Tickets: See Reactions to Her Announcement

Beyoncé is trending on Twitter. People are posting about their bank accounts and making jokes at Ticketmaster’s expense. The viral “It’s happening!” fire alarm clip from The Office is circulating once again. Could it be? Is it really so?

It is. After keeping fans waiting for months, Beyoncé has finally announced plans to go on tour in support of Renaissance, posting the news on Instagram Wednesday (Feb. 1) with an elegant outtake from the album’s cover shoot. Dates for the trek also went live on the 41-year-old pop star’s website, showing that she’ll kick off the tour in Stockholm on May 10, and will make stops through numerous stadiums and across Europe before moving over to North America.

She’ll then perform at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on July 8, weave her way through the United States and Canada, and close out the North American leg with a Sept. 27 gig at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Naturally, the tour news has the Beyhive absolutely buzzing with excitement … as well as anxiety. As Taylor Swift and SZA fans could tell you, securing tickets to see big name artists live has never felt so difficult — or expensive — what with issues such as scalpers, bots, dynamic pricing, overcrowded presales and so on.

Many are already tweeting to share their thoughts in anticipation of Bey’s Verified Fan presales, open now for registration in partnership Ticketmaster, who has recently been the target of fan lawsuits and a Senate Judiciary hearing following the platform’s alleged mishandling of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour presale.

“Ticketmaster watching the beyoncé fans coming after just dealing with taylor fans,” tweeted one fan, sharing a viral clip of Euphoria‘s Cassie, played by Sydney Sweeney, looking absolutely terrified.

“Swifties I need you to explain ticketmaster to me QUICKLY,” tweeted another.

Other Bey fans are more concerned with how much the tickets will set them back financially. “Me at beyonce’s tour after selling my kidney to buy the tickets,” posted one, along with a gif of a model walking down the runway with an IV bag in tow.

The overarching theme of all of their posts, however, is sheer excitement at the chance of seeing Bey live. See some of the best reactions below:

01 Feb 2023

Rosalía and Manager Rebeca León Amicably Part Ways: Exclusive

Rosalía and her highly-regarded manager, Rebeca León, have amicably parted ways, Billboard has learned. The split comes after an almost six-year stint that saw Rosalía rise from unknown flamenco artist to global superstar. Prior to working closely with Rosalía, León helmed the careers of fellow superstars J Balvin and Juanes.

The split, which sources say was agreed upon under good terms, leaving both parties with “gratitude and pride for everything they have accomplished together,” allows both León and Rosalía to explore new paths. Rosalía has yet to announce new management.

León will focus her energy on her production company, Lionfish Studios, with which she closed a content deal with Sony Music last year. Projects in development include Alice with Gunpowder & Sky; Redemption Song with Fifth Season and director Jessica Kavanaugh; Mona Carmona with José Ignacio Valenzuela, Paul Pérez Pictures, Malule Entertainment and Lucas Akoskin; and Biscayne Baby with Sebastian Ortega and Enrique Murciano, in addition to a project León is developing with Steven Levinson for HBO.

Last year, León was also a co-producer of the Father of the Bride remake starring Andy García. León will also continue working in music projects, including management of st. pedro and a partnership with BRESH via her music company, Lionfish Entertainment.

Rosalía, fresh from performing at the Louis Vuitton men’s show in Paris in January, is in the midst of prepping a series of festival dates, including headlining Lollapalooza in Argentina and Chile and playing the main stage at Coachella in April. She is also close to announcing a deal with Coca-Cola, according to sources.

The León-Rosalía manager-client partnership was widely regarded as one of the most successful in the music industry. In a narrative that closely mimics the movie-like storyline of how a brilliant manger takes a hugely talented unknown artist and makes her a star, León signed Rosalía after watching her perform in Madrid in 2017, at the urging of her then-client Juanes.

At the time, Rosalía was a highly respected and unorthodox flamenco artist, little known outside Spain. Rosalía told Billboard in 2019, “I had never met any manager nor had I had a manager.”

Rosalía told León she was looking for someone to internationalize her and her music and help her grow.

León was hugely impressed.

“I’m never looking for another artist,” she told Billboard in the same interview. “But she was captivating. She was inspiring.” The following day, she watched Rosalía’s videos and saw yet another realm of possibilities.

“She sang flamenco and then she sang hip-hop. Her movement, her attitude, I thought, that’s going to change everything. She had reinvented something.”

Rosalía was in the process of signing with Sony Music Spain, and under León, moved to Columbia in a joint deal with the label.

In the five years that followed, she became perhaps the most elite Latin artist in recent history, recording with the likes of Billie Eilish and The Weeknd, and becoming the first artist that sings in Spanish to ever be nominated for best new artist at the Grammys. She went on to best Latin rock, urban or alternative album for El Mal Querer, which also won album of the year at the Latin Grammys.

Last year, her Motomami also won album of the year at the Latin Grammys and is once again nominated for the since-renamed best Latin rock or alternative album award at the Grammys.

All told, Rosalía has placed six songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and 17 on Hot Latin Songs, including six top 10s.

01 Feb 2023

Here Are Presenters for the 2023 Grammy Awards

First lady Jill Biden and past Grammy Awards hosts James Corden and Billy Crystal will help hand out awards at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5.

Other presenters announced on Wednesday (Feb. 1) are current Grammy nominee Viola Davis, past Grammy winners Cardi B, Olivia Rodrigo and Shania Twain, and actor Dwayne Johnson. Davis will become an EGOT if she wins in her category, best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording, on Sunday.

Corden hosted the Grammy telecast in 2017-18. Crystal hosted from 1987-89 (after which he went on to host the Oscars nine times.) He won a Primetime Emmy for hosting the 1989 Grammy telecast.

Performers set to appear on the show are Harry Styles, Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Steve Lacy and Sam Smith & Kim Petras.

The Recording Academy made its first performers announcement a week ago. It added a big name – Styles – on Sunday, Jan. 29. The announcement was made during the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs. The game aired on CBS, the Grammys’ network since 1973.

This year’s four leading nominees – Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Adele and Brandi Carlile – have yet to be announced as performers, but the Academy may be holding some big names back to build last-minute buzz. The Academy is expected to announce additional performers in the remaining days before the big show.

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will air live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and will be hosted for the third year in a row by Emmy-winning comedian Trevor Noah. The show will be broadcast live on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS, and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards are produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy. Raj Kapoor serves as showrunner and executive producer, alongside Ben Winston and Jesse Collins as executive producers. Phil Heyes joins the team for the first time as director. Eric Cook is co-executive producer with Tabitha Dumo, Tiana Gandelman, Patrick Menton. David Wild is producer.

Prior to the telecast, the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony will be broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater at 12:30 p.m. PT, and it will be streamed live on live.Grammy.com. Randy Rainbow, a first-time Grammy nominee this year for best comedy album for A Little Brains, A Little Talent, is co-hosting the show. His co-host has yet to be named.

Performers at the Premiere Ceremony include Arroj Aftab, Madison Cunningham, Samara Joy, Anoushka Shankar, Carlos Vives and The Blind Boys of Alabama with La Santa Cecilia.

Presenters at the Premiere Ceremony include Babyface, Domi and JD Beck, Myles Frost, Arturo O’Farrill, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Jimmy Jam.