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03 Apr 2025

Q1 2025 Record Label Market Share: Interscope Surges Into Lead as Universal, Sony Make Gains

A mammoth first quarter of 2025 saw Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA) surge into first place in the current market share rankings of U.S. record labels so far this year.

Big records from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Gracie Abrams, Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga propelled IGA to a 12.67% current share, up from 9.10% over the same period in 2024. That’s just enough to edge out longtime leader REPUBLIC, which rode a wave of releases by The Weeknd and Morgan Wallen and continued success from Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan to a 12.52% current share of the market through March 27, 2025, down slightly from the industry-leading 12.84% it held after the first three months of 2024.

Those two labels — IGA’s share also includes Verve Label Group, while REPUBLIC’s includes Island, Mercury, Big Loud and indie distributor Imperial — helped parent company the Universal Music Group (UMG) boost its year over year market share by nearly three percentage points, to a 36.82% current share so far in 2025 from 2024’s 33.90%. In doing so, UMG widened its lead over No. 2 label group Sony Music Group, which increased its own share year over year to 27.37%, up from 26.91% this time last year. That growth from those two companies largely came at the expense of the indie sector, which fell to a 19.92% current share by distribution ownership this year, down from 23.21% in 2024. (By label ownership, the indies are the biggest sector; see below.) Meanwhile, the third major label group, the Warner Music Group (WMG), largely remained static at 15.89% current share this year, down slightly from 15.98% last year.

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Given the reorganization of UMG last year — in which Capitol Music Group also reports through IGA’s chairman/CEO John Janick, while Def Jam reports through REPUBLIC CEO Monte Lipman — Interscope Capitol’s combined share would grow even further, to 17.23%, which would best WMG’s mark for the quarter. REPUBLIC’s share, in addition to Def Jam, would be 13.07%. Most notable among the labels under the REPUBLIC umbrella is Island’s continued growth. After a year in which Carpenter and Roan broke out as superstars, the likes of Lola Young and Gigi Perez are helping Island to continue to bloom: At 2.94% current share this year, Island would have been the eighth-biggest label if broken out on its own, and its share is up significantly from the 0.71% it posted in the first three months of 2024, when it would have ranked 20th.

Below the top two labels come a pair of WMG companies in Warner Records (6.17%, which includes Warner Nashville, Warner Latin and Rhino) and Atlantic Records (5.58%, inclusive of 300 Elektra Entertainment and 10K Projects). Warner’s mark is down from the 6.41% it enjoyed in Q1 2024, when it kicked off the year with breakout singles from Benson Boone and Teddy Swims; while Atlantic’s number is up from last year’s 5.14%, as it shifts into a new era following a leadership shakeup last September.

In fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively, are a trio of labels separated by just over a half a percentage in market share: RCA (4.83%, down from 5.13% last year), Capitol (4.56%, down from last year’s 4.71%) and Columbia (4.25%, up big from last year’s 3.71%). Capitol’s market share includes Virgin Music, Motown/Quality Control, Capitol Christian Music Group, Astralwerks and Blue Note; Columbia’s includes some labels from indie distributor RED.

Following Columbia, in eighth place, is the other big story of the year so far: Alamo Records, which posted a 2.91% current share, up significantly from its 2024 mark of 1.53%, driven by the success of Drake and PartyNextDoor’s Some Sexy Songs 4 You album, among other releases. (Alamo also operates an indie distributor, Santa Anna.) Another trio of Sony labels follows: Sony Latin in ninth (1.89%, down from 2.38%), Sony Nashville in 10th (1.83%, down from 2.08%) and Epic Records just outside the top 10 (1.56%, down from 2.99%).

In overall market share — which combines all of a label’s output in the marketplace, whereas current refers to music from the most recent 18 months — Interscope’s deep catalog and current surge sees it secure first place, at 10.81%, up from last year’s 9.84%. REPUBLIC slipped to second, despite slightly increasing its overall market share to 9.95% from last year’s 9.94%, while Atlantic’s formidable catalog sees it leapfrog Warner Records up to third in overall share, at 7.67%, relatively steady from last year’s 7.65%. Warner, similarly, is almost the same as last year, as its fourth place showing of 6.73% is in line with last year’s 6.72%; Capitol and Columbia, in fifth and sixth, are down a small amount year over year (6.05% from 6.14% for Capitol; 5.38% from 5.79% for Columba), while RCA in seventh is also essentially static, at 5.19% from 5.20%. Epic, meanwhile, jumps to eighth (2.42%, down from 2.81%), while Sony Nashville (1.95%, down from 1.97%) and Def Jam (1.80%, down from 1.97%) round out the top 10.

In terms of catalog — all titles older than 18 months, which generally favors labels with a lengthy history of hits — the top eight are the same as in overall market share, with IGA, REPUBLIC and Atlantic leading the way. In ninth, Def Jam’s 2.19% sees it move up, while Concord’s 2.05% moves it into the top 10, with Sony Nashville (1.98%) dropping down to 11th. Concord and Sony Nashville grew their shares year over year, while Def Jam’s is down slightly.

Those figures are all by distribution ownership, whereby Universal, Sony and Warner also receive market share credit from their owned independent label distributors. By label ownership, however, the independent community is by far the largest sector of the business, racking up a 37.87% current market share so far this year, down from 38.25% in 2024; and a 36.03% overall market share this year, down from 36.82% last year. 

03 Apr 2025

Loved ‘A Complete Unknown’? Here Are 10 More Bob Dylan Movies You Need to See 

From concert films and documentaries to biopics, we review 10 other Bob Dylan movies available to stream online right now.

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The Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown is essentially an origin story: A young artist moves to the city and becomes who he is. Influenced by American icons like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, Dylan makes a name for himself in the early 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene, then pushes against the genre’s limitations and “goes electric” at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. The fans there, many earnest lefties who valued authenticity over artistry, didn’t know what hit them. Dylan became a bona fide rock star – one that would constantly follow his own muse. 

The movie, which started streaming on Hulu last week, is a fantastic introduction to one of rock’s most important artists. It’s both accessible and mythic, and actor Timothée Chalamet captures Dylan’s smart-ass charisma. But it’s only the beginning of Dylan’s story – and of his life onscreen. If you want to see what happens next – or how it really happened, or what it looked like live – here are 10 more films to check out. (I’m not counting the two movies in which Dylan acted, director Sam Peckinpah’s Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid or the unavailable Hearts of Fire, or the two projects he directed, both of which are commercially unavailable.)

It’s a substantial body of work that starts with two of the best movies ever made about pop music, I’m Not There and Don’t Look Back, and ends with what must be one of the weirdest. None of them really explain how or why Dylan did all he did, but they all make for fascinating viewing. 

Best Bob Dylan Movies Like 'A Complete Unknown': Watch, Stream Online

I’m Not There

Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There is the film Dylan deserves – sometimes inaccessible but always original. It’s not a biopic in the normal sense of the term – onscreen text says it is “inspired by the music and the many lives of Bob Dylan.” The 2007 film tells the story of an artist who constantly reinvents himself through a series of different characters, including a downward-spiraling star of the ’60s, a folkie-turned-Born Again gospel musician, and an actor portraying that folkie. Cate Blanchett is especially compelling as the ’60s-era star, all speeded-up raw nerves. One of the best films ever made about pop music.  

Best Bob Dylan Movies Like 'A Complete Unknown': Watch, Stream Online

Don’t Look Back

Don’t Look Back is the rock-doc equivalent of the Beatles’ appearances on “The Ed Sullivan show” – an early master-class on How to Be a Rock Star. D.A. Pennebaker’s observational documentary shows Dylan onstage and off during his 1965 tour of the U.K. – flipping cue cards of lyrics to “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” holding court in his room at London’s Savoy Hotel, and embarrassing press conference journalists. Dylan oozes charisma and contempt for the starmaking machine – which, purposefully or not, helped establish his public persona. The box set includes 65 Revisited, a collection of film outtakes and performances that’s also pretty great. 

Best Bob Dylan Movies Like 'A Complete Unknown': Watch, Stream Online

Rolling Thunder Revue

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Dylan tried filmmaking, most famously with Renaldo and Clara, a fascinating mess of a movie about his 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue tour. (The film was so obsessed with archetypes that it could have been called “Forever Jung.”) Some of that footage was used in Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese, a wonderfully weird part fictional meta-documentary that comes off as the movie Dylan might have made if he better understood the medium. Like Dylan’s autobiography, Chronicles: Volume One, it may not be completely, 100% factual, but it feels deeply true. 

Best Bob Dylan Movies Like 'A Complete Unknown': Watch, Stream Online

No Direction Home

No Direction Home is the documentary version of A Complete Unknown – the story of how Dylan made a name for himself in, then turned his back on, the New York city folk scene. The interviews are revealing, the performance footage is compelling, and the intensity, shaped by Scorsese as director, is electric. It happened so fast: Dylan performed with an electric band at the Newport Folk Festival just four-and-a-half years after his January 1961 arrival in New York, and just another year elapsed between then and the motorcycle accident that ends this part of his story. 

Best Bob Dylan Movies Like 'A Complete Unknown': Watch, Stream Online

Trouble No More

Going electric set Dylan apart from his folky contemporaries, but his most surprising move came in 1979, when the Jewish sixties icon embraced Jesus and became a born-again Christian. (My uncle, also Jewish, gave me a vinyl copy of every Dylan album until the gospel-oriented Slow Train Coming.) Trouble No More, an hour-long documentary included on a Dylan box set and now available to stream, explores the fan reactions, interspersed with sermons written by Lucy Santé and delivered by actor Michael Shannon. Dylan later returned to Judaism, but the concert footage remains powerful.

Best Bob Dylan Movies Like 'A Complete Unknown': Watch, Stream Online

The Other Side of the Mirror

Dylan’s early career, and the plot of A Complete Unknown, pivots on his decision to “go electric” at the 1965 Newport folk festival. Documentarian Murray Lerner’s The Other Side of the Mirror shows the four songs he performed there, plus Dylan’s workshop and concert performances in 1963 and 1964. Within two years, Dylan goes from performing news-driven broadsides like “Who Killed Davey Moore?” to playing expressionistic songs like “Chimes of Freedom” to waving goodbye to the folk scene with “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue. Amazon Prime members can stream The Other Side of the Mirror online free here.

Best Bob Dylan Movies Like 'A Complete Unknown': Watch, Stream Online

Shadow Kingdom

Dylan’s 2021 Shadow Kingdom: The Early Songs of Bob Dylan might have been the best thing to come out of the pandemic. What was expected to be a streamed live performance turned out to be one of the most high-concept concert films since Stop Making Sense. It was shot in black and white, on a soundstage set up to look like the fictional “Bon Bon Club” in Marseille, and it features musicians Dylan doesn’t normally work with, playing arrangements of songs he rarely performs. It’s less a concert than a hazy, dreamlike vision of one – in a good way. 

Best Bob Dylan Movies Like 'A Complete Unknown': Watch, Stream Online

Bob Dylan: MTV Unplugged

First Dylan plugged in, then he unplugged again – first for two albums in the early 1990s, then for a 1994 episode of MTV’s live music franchise that came out the following year as an album and the video, Bob Dylan: MTV Unplugged. Although he performed everything on those two albums, he played this show with his live band at the time, with the addition of producer Brendan O’Brien on Hammond organ. In true Dylan fashion, some of it is brilliant, including “All Along the Watchtower” and “Like a Rolling Stone;” and at least a bit of it is electric. Watch Dylan’s MTV Unplugged concert streaming free on Prime Video.

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The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration

In 1992, Dylan joined the Madison Square Garden tribute that was released as The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration, where a variety of artists performed his songs. Some were great (Lou Reed, Willie Nelson), some were disappointing (Richie Havens), and not enough were unexpected. But the sheer star power here is hard to beat: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young and two members of Pearl Jam – plus Dylan himself. The songs are great, too. 

Best Bob Dylan Movies Like 'A Complete Unknown': Watch, Stream Online

Masked and Anonymous

“I wanted to make a Bob Dylan movie that was like a Bob Dylan song,” said screenwriter and director Larry Charles about Masked and Anonymous. One that was “ambiguous and hard to figure out, like a puzzle.” This movie, an oddball post-apocalyptic pop music comedy, stars Dylan as rock legend Jack Fate, sprung from prison to perform a benefit concert to save some future iteration of the U.S., is a few pieces short. It captures Dylan’s obsessions – shifts of identity, societal decay, the emptiness of celebrity – and fans will find it flawed but fascinating. Everyone else will just be confused. 

03 Apr 2025

Ravyn Lenae Rocks New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club With Intimate ‘Bird’s Eye’ Show

As springtime settles into its groove, Chicago-bred R&B darling Ravyn Lenae is on the precipice of a moment thousands of fans have dreamed of for nearly ten years. At press time, “Love Me Not,” the jaunty lead single from 2024’s acclaimed Bird’s Eye LP, sits at No. 5 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 — just a heartbeat away from becoming her first Billboard Hot 100 entry.

For most Lenae fans, 2017 was when she first captivated their attention. After signing to Atlantic Records the year prior, Lenae churned out a beloved feature on Smino‘s “Glass Flows,” opened for SZA‘s Ctrl Tour, and released “Sticky” — a single from her 2018 Crush EP, which helped streamline the aesthetics of her first two EPs into a swirling mixture of funky, Steve Lacy-blessed guitar, Dilla-esque beats, and a devastatingly vast vocal range whose uppermost parts echo Solange‘s fluttery falsetto. Eight years later, Lenae gave “Sticky” its crowning moment midway through her fourth and final sold-out show at New York’s legendary Blue Note Jazz Club on Wednesday night (April 2).

Built around her majestic sophomore album, Bird’s Eye, which Billboard‘s editorial staff named the No. 3 best R&B album of 2024, Lenae’s Blue Note set focused on her most recent album, weaving in selected older tracks to underscore her message of maturation and coming home to yourself while navigating your twenty-somethings.

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Beginning with “Sattelites” — a cut from Hypnos, her 2022 debut album — Lenae quickly constructed the live world of Bird’s Eye with “1 of 1” and vinyl-exclusive bonus track “Goodbye 2 You.” Backed by just a drummer and a six-string bassist (who deftly transferred his skills to acoustic guitar when necessary), Lenae slinked around the stage like a forest nymph; her fiery deep-red tresses flowed behind her like a carefully contained flame, adding a striking flourish to the pose she hit at the end of each song.

Although she didn’t hit high-octane combinations — after all, the Blue Note is a dinner club! — she refused to remain stationed behind the microphone stand. Whether she was accentuating each snare hit with a funky shoulder pop, recalling early Motown-era Diana Ross with her animated facial expressions and neck movements, or ethereally painting the space with her oft-outstretched arms — Lenae left no doubt that not only does she know how to work a stage, but she also is more comfortable than ever both in the booth and onstage.

Lenae got so comfortable that she choked herself up — and moved several audience members to silent tears — with her heartbreaking true-to-life anecdotes. In one particularly beautiful moment in which time seemed to stop, Lenae recounted the incredibly painful memory that inspired her Childish Gambino-assisted “One Wish.” Before she dove into a breathtaking rendition of the Bird’s Eye single — her vocals were virtually flawless the entire night, and she frequently hit new (and even more impressive) riffs and harmonies — Lenae explained, as she has in previous shows, that “One Wish” was born out of her father ghosting her after promising to show up to her 10th birthday party. She sucked all the air of the club with that story, and breathed it right back into the space with her stunning performance.

A similar moment happened before she launched into “Pilot,” the reflective, penultimate track on Bird’s Eye. Through recounting her own 20s journey, Lenae, 26, urged the audience to “talk to their moms and grandmas” to help remember “what made [them] excited to wake up in the morning when they were 15.” Near the end of the song, she switched the “I just know I’m twenty-four/ Small to the world I’m in” to different ages, underscoring the song’s universality.

By the time the show came to a close, Lenae played every song on the standard version of Bird’s Eye (barring “Bad Idea”), as well as fan-favorites like “Xtasy,” “Venom” and “The Night Song.” To send her final Blue Note crowd back to the streets of Greenwich Village, Lenae blazed through “Love Me Not,” leading the crowd a sing-along that truly underscored the weight of the moment. Surrounded by a crop of listeners clearly comprised of mostly longtime fans, Lenae got to bask in the chords of her current breakthrough hit just before midnight struck in one of NYC’s most iconic venues.

Ahead of her stint as an opener for the final leg of Sabrina Carpenter‘s sprawling Short n’ Sweet tour later this year, Ravyn Lenae delivered an outstanding show that somehow improved on an already-terrific sophomore LP.

03 Apr 2025

Demi Blanco Defends 911 Call Prior to Young Scooter’s Death

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Reality star Demi Blanco, known from Baddies on Zeus Network, is speaking out after her 911 call led police to the spot where Young Scooter was at, ending in a chase that cost him his life.


Annual All Black Affair

Fans have been dragging her online, blaming her for the rapper’s death, but Demi hit Instagram Live on Tuesday, claiming she’s being unfairly attacked and that people don’t know the real story. She says she called 911 to “protect herself,” but that’s not what she originally told police. On March 28, Demi called Atlanta Emergency Services, telling them a naked woman was getting beat outside a house and that cops needed to pull up.

That call sent police straight to the location where Scooter (real name Kenneth Edward Bailey) was staying. When they got there, things went left fast, leading to a chase that ended with Scooter losing his life. Since then, Scooter’s fans have been demanding answers for what actually happened the night of his untimely passing. Now that she’s switching up her story, people are questioning her even more. Why say one thing to 911 and something completely different now? 

Scooter was a respected rapper, heavily connected to Future’s Freebandz camp, and his death has left a lot of people heated. Demi’s involvement is still a big question mark, and no matter what her intentions were, her call started something that can’t be undone. The ATL rapper was known for working with Future and being part of Freebandz. His untimely death has shocked everyone, leaving the streets are mourning his loss. More news to come as the story develops.

Long Live Young Scooter

03 Apr 2025

JENNIE, Ángela Aguilar & More Sign XOXO On The Camera Lens | Billboard Women In Music 2025

Billboard Women in Music 2025 was packed with unforgettable moments, but one highlight that stood out was JENNIE, Ángela Aguilar, aespa and other stars adorably signing the camera lens during the special night. Keep watching to see your favorites leave their mark and share inspiring advice.

Rania Aniftos & Jazzy:

Welcome to Women in Music, and this is a love letter to you. 

Becky G:

You were that girl or that girl, always be that girl. Love you mama.

JoJo Siwa:

I’m excited to do one!

Tina Knowles:

This is so cool!

Doechii:

Never take no for an answer, even if it makes you look like a diva.

Tina Knowles:

Never shrink yourself. Be the best you can be. 

Kali Uchis:

Don’t ever forget that you’re that b-tch.

JENNIE:

Just be who you are and I’ve got your back. 

Drew Afualo:

Love you. Bye.

03 Apr 2025

UFC Fight Night 257 Livestream: How to Watch Josh Emmett vs. Lerone Murphy Online

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

UFC goes back home to “Sin City” for their latest fight. Two top-tier featherweights are set to match in the octagon as the main event for UFC Fight Night. Josh Emmett (19-4-0) faces off against Lerone Murphy (15-0-1) in a match on Saturday (April 5).

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UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Murphy takes place at UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a start time of 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. The main card is expected to begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

If you want to watch UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Murphy (also known as UFC on ESPN 65) online, the MMA event livestreams on ESPN+ for subscribers only.

Not a subscriber? A monthly subscription to ESPN+ goes for $11.99 per month. However, you can go with an ESPN+ annual subscription for $119.99. This saves you 15% compared to the month-to-month subscription price.

While subscribers to ESPN+ can livestream the entire UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Murphy for free, the main and prelims cards air on ESPN, so it’s streamable on Fubo. The cable network is also available with Hulu + Live TV, which comes with Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+.

Check out the complete UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Murphy fight card below:

Main Card, 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT — ESPN+

  • Josh Emmett vs. Lerone Murphy (Featherweight) — Main Event
  • Pat Sabatini vs. Joanderson Brito (Featherweight)
  • Cortavious Romious vs. Lee Chang-ho (Bantamweight)
  • Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Martin Buday (Heavyweight)
  • Brad Tavares vs. Gerald Meerschaert (Middleweight)
  • Torrez Finney vs. Robert Valentin (Middleweight)

Prelims Card, 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT — ESPN+

  • Ode’ Osbourne vs. Luis Gurule (Flyweight)
  • Davey Grant vs. Daniel Santos (Bantamweight)
  • Diana Belbiţă vs. Dione Barbosa (Women’s Flyweight)
  • Rhys McKee vs. Daniel Frunza (Welterweight)
  • Loma Lookboonmee vs. Istela Nunes (Women’s Strawweight)
  • Victor Henry vs. Pedro Falcão (Bantamweight)
  • Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Talita Alencar (Women’s Strawweight)

In addition, you can get the Disney Trio — which comes with ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+ — starting at just $16.99 per month for both services in one package.

What Is Emmett vs. Murphy Walkout Music for UFC Fight Night?

While UFC has yet to announce each fighter’s walkout music for the main event of UFC Fight Night, the fighters usually go out to the octagon to the same songs during their matches. Josh Emmett typically walks out to “Sky’s the Limit” by Rebelution, while Lerone Murphy prefers to walk out to “Ambitionz Az a Ridah” by 2Pac. So these songs will likely make an appearance during the MMA event.

UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Murphy is streaming on ESPN+ on Saturday (April 5), starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. The main card begins around at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on ESPN+.

Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.

03 Apr 2025

Kai Cenat Suggests He Should’ve Directed the ‘Nokia’ Video: ‘Not a Banger’

Drake‘s highly anticipated video for $ome $exy $ongs 4 U standout “Nokia” finally dropped earlier this week and it’s been getting some mixed reviews.

One notable person who was underwhelmed by the Toronto rapper’s visuals was popular streamer Kai Cenat, who reviewed the video on his stream recently.

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“Music video? Not a banger,” he said before suggesting Drake should’ve let him direct the video. “Let me tell you something, bro. Y’all gotta start letting me direct this sh-t. Everybody clear your mind, look. Drake, I’m telling you right now. ‘Nokia,’ that was a sold music video. Okay, symbolism, but I don’t think that’s a song where you got to do symbolism.”

He then continued by saying that the video should’ve been in an arcade with more colors instead of black and white as he pretended to be on set leading the direction.

“You see, that how it’s gotta be,” he said. “We’re looking for color, we’re looking for arcades, we’re looking for roller skating rinks. That’s what it gave me. We’re looking for going to modern day to as soon as the beat changes, we’re in the ’90s now. You see the vision?”

Adding, “Y’all start from the arcade, there’s cotton candy, there’s girls with their boyfriends on a date. Their boyfriends aren’t winning them prizes, then Drake comes in and wins a prize… Colors, flashes, lights.”

In other “Nokia” news, Drake dropped merch to coincide with the music video’s release and caused some drama with the Joe Budden Podcast because he used an image of Melyssa Ford without her permission.

03 Apr 2025

Billboard China’s HER VOICE: Liu Lian

“You will still be there at the end of the ball.”

This opening line from Liu Lian’s 2021 birthday song, “Be Present,” beautifully captures her journey. At 27, Liu Lian began writing birthday songs as a way to affirm her existence and address her anxieties about self-worth and presence.

At that time, she wished for a ‘you’ who would still be around when the party was over. As time went on, Liu Lian, who once longed for forever because of ‘you,’ grew and developed her own perspective, eventually becoming an observer at the party.

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When asked which soundbite she would choose to represent herself, Liu Lian responded immediately: “I have a lyric that says, ‘you will still be there at the end of the ball.’ But now, I’d like to change ‘you’ to ‘I.’”

Billboard China’s exclusive series, HER VOICE, invites female musicians to share their views on the world and how they express their inner thoughts through music.

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Have there been moments in your life when you thought, “It’s really wonderful to be a woman”? If so, which moment stands out?

I feel that way most of the time. It’s difficult to pinpoint a specific moment because it feels like a continuous feeling.

If you could talk to any female musician from history, who would you choose? What would you want to discuss with her?

Shiina Ringo. Honestly, though, I’m not sure what I’d say—meeting someone you deeply admire can leave you speechless. When I interviewed Linkin Park, I felt the same way; without prepared questions, I might have struggled to find the right words.

I’m really interested in her creative process, even though I understand that some aspects can’t be fully conveyed through conversation. I’d also love to learn about the challenges she’s encountered, how she’s tackled creative blocks, and how she’s kept her artistic energy alive over the years.

Additionally, I’d love to get a glimpse into her everyday life—what she does in her free time, what topics she enjoys discussing with friends—so I can see her as an ordinary person.

Recommend a song or short film from your new album to your fans. Why do you like that one the most?

There are so many choices, but if I had to pick one, I’d recommend the song and short film Split. It tells a touching story about a blind woman who, years later, confronts the man who trafficked her—her own father. The narrative is complete and deeply moving. This song is rooted in personal experience, illustrating how someone familiar with self-doubt and failure can rise again, blooming even in adversity. It’s perfect for those moments when you need a dose of motivation and strength.

Liu Lian

Liu Lian

Courtesy of Liu Lian/Billboard China

03 Apr 2025

Godsmack Announce Retirements of Guitarist and Drummer: ‘We Are Immensely Grateful For Every Memory We’ve Created Together’

Godsmack announced the departure of longtime guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin. The news was shared on Wednesday (April 2) in a lengthy statement revealing that both men had decided to retire from the band after nearly three decades of service.

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“We send this message to all of you to share some bittersweet news with you regarding a significant change in our journey together,” read the letter signed by founding singer Sully Erna and bassist Robbie Merrill and their two former bandmates. “After almost 3 incredible decades, two of our most cherished members, Tony Rombola and Shannon Larkin have decided to retire from the band permanently, on good terms, but for no other reason than to fulfill their desire to live a more simple and quiet life away from touring.”

Rombola joined the hard rock group a year after it was founded, replacing original guitarist Lee Richards in 1996 and Larkin signed on in 2002, replacing founding drummer Tommy Stewart.

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“This decision was not made lightly. Tony and Shannon have been such a big part of our history, bringing their unique talents, creativity, and passion that have shaped our music and our message,” the statement continued. “Together, we have experienced countless, unforgettable moments and heartfelt interactions with fans like you around the world. We are immensely grateful for every memory we’ve created together.”

According to Blabbermouth, in a since-deleted Facebook video, Larkin, 58, and Rombola, 60, confirmed they are doing okay, but that after many discussions with Erna and Merrill “we did quit the band last year… they understood that we didn’t want to tour anymore — that’s the reason — and we understood that they wanted to tour. And so we understood each other. And in the end, Godsmack’s out there touring and we are happily here living our lives.”

Erna said he and Merrill are excited to “explore new directions,” though they said they’ve not yet made any permanent decisions about the mens’ replacements. “We will be continuing this journey together, and we look forward to sharing the decisions we make with all of you as they happen,” the remaining duo said. In the meantime, Evanescence drummer Will Hunt and Dorothy guitarist Sam Doltun have been filling in on Godsmack’s ongoing 2025 world tour with P.O.D. and Drowning Pool, which will is slated to hit Berlin on Friday (April 4).

Check out Godsmack’s announcement below.

03 Apr 2025

GloRilla & Speedy Mormon Tease Relationship Status On Social Media Post

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Glorilla.x Speedy Morman
Source: @speedymorman / x

Sorry fellas but it looks like GloRilla is officially off the market.

Months after GloRilla and Speedy Morman had the internet buzzing with rumors that they might be an item after a flirtatious interview, the two apparently went Instagram official (kinda) earlier this week, and we’re low-key loving it.

On April 1 (April Fools Day), Speedy curiously posted a tweet on X stating “I am single now” to which GloRilla retweeted and replied “You show out too much Ian with dat internet sh*t.” Again, playing with their followers and having them wonder if there was a little something-something between them, Speedy blew up the spot later that day when he posted a selfie of the two together at a college basketball game with a caption that read “April Fool’s [couple emoji] Us never them!!”

We actually like these two as a couple… if that’s what they are. These days people will hook up, spend months together, share an apartment and still say things like “We’re not putting a label on our relationship.” What the hell, man?!

As we said, the pic comes after months of speculation that GloRilla and Speedy might’ve been a thing after the two showed some interest in each other during their interview last October. Since then, GloRilla had no problem stating her single status and even tweeted that she would remain celibate until “God send me my husband.” Gotta love a woman who stands on moral business.

Still, that might’ve been a ploy to throw everyone off Speedy’s scent as rumors of the two dating had been running rampant on social media.

Now that it seems like they’ve made things “official” (but not really), we just wonder if GloRilla’s vow to remain celibate until she’s married is still in effect or if having a “husband” was meant to be taken a bit more lightly. Either way, we’re happy to see these two enjoying each other’s company.

What do y’all think about GloRilla and Speedy Morman apparently being in a relationship? Let us know in the comments section below.