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The Weeknd‘s Q4 career moves have proven the pop star has remained dedicated to finishing the year strong before kicking off 2025 with a bang: He performed a one-night-only stadium show in São Paulo, Brazil in September and released three singles that he debuted during the show: “Dancing in the Flames,” the Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 hit “Timeless” with Playboi Carti and “São Paulo,” featuring Anitta. In October, he took over a handful more stadiums in Melbourne and Sydney during his rescheduled Australian tour. And the following month, he announced his sixth studio album Hurry Up Tomorrow will be released on Jan. 24, and he’ll perform another one-night-only stadium show at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl the day after.
And somewhere in the middle of all of this, The Weeknd also became the artist with the most songs to hit one billion streams on Spotify, with 24 songs in the Billions Club. And nearly 2,000 of his top listeners on Spotify got to relive those hits during Spotify’s first-ever Billions Club Live concert at Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar on Tuesday evening (Dec. 17).
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“It’s a little holiday gift for the OG XO fans supporting me since day one,” he said while blue strobe lights kicked off his 70-minute set. “2024 is almost done. But 2025, we got some new s–t coming out. New album, new tour, new movie. New everything!” His upcoming album Hurry Up Tomorrow, which is the third and final installment of his After Hours / Dawn FM trilogy, will be supported by a psychological thriller film of the same name that will mark the singer’s feature-starring debut.
It’s poetic that the Canadian-Ethiopian superstar (real name Abel Tesfaye) is closing this chapter of his career the same way he started it over a decade ago, with a trilogy of cohesive projects. Outside of his big-picture ideas, he finds clever ways to thread together little details from his entire discography. The popular idiom “this house is not a home,” for example, is a common lyrical theme, which The Weeknd references not only in the 2020 After Hours title track he performed but also dating back to “Twenty Eight” from his 2011 debut mixtape House of Balloons. But for someone as beloved as him, The Weeknd feels right at home on stage even during the remarkably intimate show.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been at a venue like this. Feels like back in the Kiss Land tour or Trilogy tour,” he reflected. “Maybe after the stadium tour, we might go back in time and we might do smaller venues.”
He tapped his frequent collaborator Mike Dean — whom The Weeknd jokingly blamed for his minor coughing fit because he was “hitting that f–king bong all night” — to steer the set “wherever you wanna take it,” before the hip-hop superproducer’s eerie synths introduced Metro Boomin‘s “Creepin,’” featuring The Weeknd and 21 Savage. The Weeknd later summoned his drummer Ricky Lewis to play “Popular,” the platinum-certified hit with Madonna and Carti from his 2023 HBO drama series The Idol. It’s one of two songs from the show to hit one billion Spotify streams, with the other being “One of the Girls” with JENNIE and Lily-Rose Depp. Then, he called on his guitarist Patrick Greenaway to cue the next song — and Greenaway’s scene-stealing shredding summoned “Heartless.” The Weeknd had multiple opportunities to bring out special guests, considering 13 of the 24 songs in the Billions Club are collaborations, but the unprecedented concert felt more suited for his solo victory lap rather than an all-star relay race.
“Oh s–t, this hit a billion?!” he marveled as “Reminder,” from his 2016 album Starboy started playing. The Weeknd warned the crowd of the song’s gunshot background sound during the chorus, a conscious reminder his concertgoers have picked up on from his previous shows. And while this one’s circular stage setup was much simpler than his ornamented stadium show designs, it didn’t stop The Weeknd from making the night memorable: Yellow spotlights flickered as he sang the “I just wanna see you shine ’cause I know you are a stargirl” outro from his and Lana Del Rey‘s “Stargirl Interlude,” and they later twinkled to recreate the grandiose ballroom feel of “Earned It” from the 50 Shades of Grey film. And red strobe lights provoked the sinister aura of his 2015 Hot 100 chart-topper “The Hills” from Beauty Behind the Madness.
He asked if any of his ballads had hit one billion Spotify streams to slow down his set, but the singer was taken aback by the siren-like synth intro of his Gesaffelstein-featuring “I Was Never There” from his 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy, classifying it as more of a “power ballad.” After his 2012 debut single “Wicked Games” (“I know that song didn’t hit a billion, but I felt like I had to do it. It’s necessary, at least one House of Balloons song,” he said matter-of-factly) and “Die For You” — which experienced a TikTok-fueled resurgence six years after its release and produced the Hot 100 No. 1 remix with Ariana Grande — The Weeknd wanted to “pick up the pace” and Daft Punk‘s fuzzy disco-pop production from “I Feel It Coming” instantly got the audience in a groove.
After what felt like the ultimate finisher with “Blinding Lights” — the first song to hit four billion Spotify streams as well as the top Hot 100 song of all time — The Weeknd teased his Hurry Up Tomorrow era by singing a snippet of an unreleased song he’s teased during previous shows, reportedly titled “In Heaven.” “In 2025, everything is fine. In 2025, everything will be fine. I’ll come back for you, XO. But until then, hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow!” he bellowed.
Check out the full set list from The Weeknd’s Spotify Billions Club Live concert below.
“Call Out My Name”
“Moth to a Flame”
“After Hours”
“Lost in the Fire”
“Creepin’”
“Popular”
“Starboy”
“Heartless”
“Reminder”
“Stargirl Interlude”
“One of the Girls”
“The Hills”
“Often”
“I Was Never There”
“Wicked Games”
“Earned It”
“Die For You”
“I Feel It Coming”
“Can’t Feel My Face”
“Save Your Tears”
“Blinding Lights”
Encore:
“Timeless”
“São Paulo”
During the course of Robert Kyncl’s nearly two-year tenure as Warner Music Group’s CEO, the former YouTube exec has focused on positioning the historic label for longtime growth.
In early 2024, WMG reported record earnings but announced a 10% workforce reduction. Then, August saw a major leadership shakeup: Max Lousada exited, Julie Greenwald was briefly chairman of Atlantic Music Group before leaving, and Elliot Grainge became AMG’s CEO. Under Grainge, Atlantic restructured and new leadership came in at 10K Records and 300 Entertainment. These moves signaled a loud-and-clear generational shift in leadership, marking a transformative year for Atlantic and Warner.
Looking back at a year of bombshells and breakouts — success stories include Zach Bryan, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, Charli xcx, Dua Lipa and more — Kyncl writes in a note to staff, obtained by Billboard, that he is grateful for their dedication in a year he has long-dubbed the “Year of the Next 10.”
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In the note, Kyncl writes that the company achieved significant milestones, including having the most listened-to artist (Bruno Mars), the No. 1 song of the year (Boone’s “Beautiful Things”), and the most in-demand songwriter (Amy Allen). He also highlights the importance of change and innovation in the music industry, celebrating the team’s success in delivering originality, which “gives this industry its energy and optimism.”
“We’ve not just helped our artists and songwriters do new, brave, and disruptive things, we’ve held ourselves to the same standard,” he writes. “The industry is at a pivot point, and the changes we’ve made this year put us on the front foot.”
He highlights that WMG was a clear leader in onboarding new talent in the marketplace, with artists like Boone, Swims and Allen receiving critical acclaim. Established acts also reached new heights, he notes, with Mars becoming the world’s biggest streaming artist, Charli xcx exhibiting “radical newness” during brat summer and Linkin Park making a notable return with a new singer. The company further expanded its reach through catalog reissues by the likes of the Grateful Dead, Madonna, David Bowie, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, among others.
Kyncl writes that, internally, WMG has focused on growth by increasing A&R investments by double digits, overhauling leadership, and advocating for new pricing and royalty models in streaming. The company also embraced AI — Kyncl cites the recreation of Randy Travis’ voice as a prime example — and prioritized global market share through a streamlined structure.
Looking ahead to 2025, Kyncl encourages continued innovation, aiming to amplify unique voices, grow the music ecosystem and deepen fan engagement. He rounds out the memo by celebrating the team’s efforts and hinting at exciting projects on the horizon.
“There’s still plenty of work to do, but we’re getting stronger, faster, bolder all the time,” he says. “As I’ve said before, focus and simplicity brings great intensity and impact.”
Read the full memo below:
Hi everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your incredible dedication and passion over the past year.
In January, I talked about 2024 being the Year of the Next 10, where we moved to set ourselves up for the next decade. We’ve ended the year with the No.1 most listened-to artist, No. 1 song of the year, and the most in-demand songwriter of the year. I know the last twelve months have been intense, and I’m so grateful to you all for rising to the occasion. We’ve achieved something that only a really collaborative and committed team could… We simultaneously delivered for our artists and songwriters, while doing the tough work of change.
And change is a necessity in this business… Music is nothing without the new. New sounds, new ideas, fresh looks, different directions. That’s what stands out. That’s what cuts through the noise. That blast of originality is what gives this industry its energy and optimism.
There are countless examples of innovative successes across the company. In a note like this, I can’t be comprehensive, so please excuse that I’ve picked just a few examples to highlight our trajectory.
NEW TALENT
When it comes to impactful new talent, we’ve led the industry this year.
Benson Boone had the biggest song of 2024 worldwide, and Teddy Swims had the biggest song of the year in the U.S., the largest market. Both are signed to Warner Records and Warner Chappell, and both are up for Best New Artist at the Grammys. Amy Allen became the planet’s hottest songwriter and is nominated for Grammy Songwriter of the Year, alongside WCM’s Jessi Alexander and RAYE.
Across the world, we have an extraordinary new generation lighting the way forward, including Artemas, Aziya, Bea and her Business, BENNETT, Bug Eyed, Dasha, Florence Road, Forrest Frank, Jeff Satur, Jordan Adetunji, The Marías, Michael Marcagi, Tokischa, Roxy Dekker, TitoM, and Yuppe.
NEW HEIGHTS
We’ve also helped established artists and songwriters reach new heights, telling their stories in bold, new ways.
Bruno Mars became officially the biggest artist in the world (smashing records with 138 million monthly listeners on Spotify!), thanks in part to new collaborations, including with ROSÉ, who herself set new streaming records for a K-pop soloist.
Then there’s the radical newness of Charli xcx’s Brat, or the record-breaking return of Linkin Park, with a soulful new singer. As well as incredible new projects from stars around the world such as Alex Warren, Ana Mena, Ayed, AYLIVA, Bailey Zimmerman, Burna Boy, Cardi B, Charlie Zhou, Coldplay, CYRIL, Dani Fernández, David Guetta, Diljit Dosanjh, Don Toliver, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Fred again.., Geolier, Gunna, Iñigo Quintero, Jack Harlow, Kenya Grace, King, Lay Zhang, Lil Uzi Vert, María Becerra, Megan Thee Stallion, Michael Bublé, Miriam Bryant, Myke Towers, NLE Choppa, SCH, twenty one pilots, TWICE, and Zach Bryan to name a few; along with reissues of iconic music from David Bowie, Grateful Dead, Green Day, Joni Mitchell, Madonna, Neil Young, and Talking Heads… all of which won new fans, and drove new spikes in streams.
NEW WORLD
We’ve not just helped our artists and songwriters do new, brave, and disruptive things, we’ve held ourselves to the same standard. The industry is at a pivot point, and the changes we’ve made this year put us on the front foot.
There’s still plenty of work to do, but we’re getting stronger, faster, bolder all the time. As I’ve said before, focus and simplicity brings great intensity and impact:
➞Due to the changes we’ve made, we’ve delivered on our promise to put more money behind the music… growing our A&R investment by double digits.
➞We prioritized market share growth, bringing in pioneering new leaders in major markets, including the U.S. with Atlantic and in Japan, while investing in talent and entrepreneurs in high-growth territories, such as India.
➞We’ve shrunk the world, flattening our company, to make it easier for artists to break worldwide, while fully globalizing our catalog and distribution services.
➞We’ve successfully advocated for innovation in pricing and royalty models at the streaming services, while demonstrating the potential of AI (with Randy Travis still my personal favorite example!).
The throughline here is our powerful ability to amplify unique voices, crank up the contrast, and bring the shock of the new. Going into 2025, let’s lean into that expertise… we want to expand the music ecosystem while, crucially, growing our share. Our mission is to turn dreams into stardom and audiences into fans.
I hope you and your loved ones enjoy a well-deserved break. So many exciting things to come in 2025!
Robert
Finneas is laying it all on the table. The Grammy-winning musician and producer is set to appear in the upcoming Peacock series, Laid, and in a new preview clip shared exclusively with Billboard on Wednesday (Dec. 18), he sits down with the show’s star, Stephanie Hsu, on the duo’s third date. While enjoying dinner, Hsu […]
Pharrell Williams has won 13 Grammys and been nominated for countless other awards. But on Tuesday (Dec. 17) the singer/producer/songwriter received a rare honor when he was named UNESCO’s goodwill ambassador for artistic eduction and entrepreneurship in a ceremony in Paris. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news […]
Megan Thee Stallion already has her sights set on a new project in 2025. On Tuesday (Dec. 18), the Houston Hottie teased Act: III with a tantalizing tweet. “Real Hot Girl S–t ACT 3 2025 … be ready hotties,” she wrote on X. The tweet came in response to one of her fan accounts showcasing her various […]
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Megan Thee Stallion has long moved on from the debacle with Tory Lanez but it appears that the Houston superstar is taking additional steps to create distance from her past. According to a new report, Megan Thee Stallion is requesting a restraining order against the imprisoned Tory Lanez, citing that the Canadian artist is still harassing her from behind bars.
In a report from PEOPLE, Megan Thee Stallion, born Megan Pete, says that Tory Lanez, born Daystar Peterson, is allegedly using social media and other individuals to harass her according to court documents filed on Tuesday (Dec. 17) asking the Los Angeles Superior Court judge overseeing the matter to grant the order.
“Despite being sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Ms. Pete, Mr. Peterson continues to subject her to repeated trauma and revictimization,” a portion of the court document read according to PEOPLE.
Adding to the claims made by Pete, the filing says that Peterson allegedly employed celebrity blogger Milagro Gramz to spread more lies and poke holes in Pete’s account of what took place between her and Peterson back in 2020. The filing reveals that it appears that Peterson’s father was the go-between person for his son and Gramz, whose real name is Milagro Elizabeth Cooper.
“In these prison calls, Mr. Peterson’s father—when he thought no one was listening— asked his son about payments to Ms. Cooper for her harassment of Ms. Pete: ‘How are they ever going to prove something like that?’” the court document revealed, with reportedly Peterson saying to his father, “exactly.”
Lanez was convicted in 2022 for assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence after shooting Pete in the foot in 2020. Lanez is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence and is angling for an appeal.
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Photo: Getty
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Donald Trump met with the CEO of TikTok at his Florida estate, as the social media company is fighting a potential ban in the U.S.
On Monday (Dec. 16), President-elect Donald Trump met with Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. The sit-down comes weeks before the social media company is set to undergo a potential ban in the United States. TikTok made an emergency request before the Supreme Court to block a law that would require the company’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell it off before Jan. 19, 2025. The law was signed by President Joe Biden earlier this year. “The Act will shutter one of America’s most popular speech platforms the day before a presidential inauguration,” TikTok’s lawyers said in the filing. “This, in turn, will silence the speech of Applicants and the many Americans who use the platform to communicate about politics, commerce, arts, and other matters of public concern.”
The emergency application asked for a decision to be made by Jan. 6. Their reasoning for this was so that they could “coordinate with their service providers to perform the complex task of shutting down the TikTok platform only in the United States” if the justices decide to let the ban proceed. A 90-day extension could be enacted if the company is to be sold, but the Chinese government has protested the sale of the algorithm that powers the social media app, and TikTok says that such a sale is impracticable.
Trump previously supported a ban on TikTok but in a press conference later that day, he said that his incoming administration would review the situation. “We’ll take a look at TikTok,” he said. “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok, because I won youth by 34 points. There are those that say that TikTok has something to do with that. TikTok had an impact.” Trump’s former solicitor general, Noel Francisco, has represented TikTok in court. Trump joined the platform in June, gaining millions of followers. But his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, did capture the majority of 18-to-29-year-olds who voted in the 2024 presidential election.
Ariana Grande is explaining her decision not to tour after Republic Records confirmed earlier this week that she has no shows planned for 2025.
While at the Golden Globes First-Time Nominees luncheon Tuesday (Dec. 17), the 31-year-old singer-actress told Variety that “music will always be a part of [her] life,” but she’s more focused on continuing what she started with Wicked going into the new year. “I feel so grateful to the acting, and I think my fans know that music and being on stage will always be a part of my life,” she began.
“But I don’t see it coming anytime soon,” Grande continued. “I think the next few years, hopefully we’ll be exploring different forms of art, and I think acting is feeling like home right now. I am appreciative for [my fans’] understanding. I’m so grateful for the ways in which we’ve grown together over this whole journey with Wicked.”
“But music will always be a part of my life,” she added. “I’lll perform at my mother’s house.”
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The “Yes, And?” singer’s explanation comes two days after her label shut down rumors that she was gearing up to hit the road next year, something she’d previously talked about doing during her Eternal Sunshine album rollout. Replying to a fan account on X Sunday (Dec. 15), Republic wrote, “There are no plans for a tour next year. But Ariana remains deeply appreciative of her fans and all their continued love, support and excitement.”
While at the luncheon, Grande also gushed to Entertainment Tonight about receiving her first-ever Golden Globe nomination the same year Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus both earned nods. All three women started their careers around the same time in the 2000s on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel TV shows. Now, the Victorious alum and Wizards of Waverly Place star are both up for best supporting actress in 2025 thanks to their respective performances in Wicked and Emilia Pérez, while the Hannah Montana leading lady’s The Last Showgirl ballad, “Beautiful That Way,” is in the running for best original song.
“It’s incredibly special,” Grande said of Gomez and Cyrus. “I love those girls, and to grow up with the world watching, and then to have your work be recognized in this way, it makes me so happy. I love those girls so much. I’ve always loved their work. Just to see them grow is so beautiful.”
Watch the clip below.
Celine Dion paid tribute to her late husband René Angélil on what would have been the couple’s 30th wedding anniversary on Tuesday (Dec. 17). In a post that included a throwback black and white picture of the two from their wedding day, Dion wrote, “You still fill our hearts, every day. You are everything to […]
With audiences off to see the Wizard, and Elphaba and Glinda, radio is capitalizing on the buzz of Wicked by playing two of the franchise’s signature songs.
Wicked, which adapts the stage musical of the same name that premiered in 2003, opened in North American movie theaters Nov. 22 and has since made more than $500 million in ticket sales worldwide.
Meanwhile, the film’s soundtrack has spent its first three weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Soundtracks chart. Billed to Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande (and various artists), it has earned 321,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in that span, according to Luminate. The set, on Universal Studios/Verve/VLG/Republic, also crowned the Top Album Sales and Vinyl Albums charts and logged its first three weeks on the Billboard 200 in the top 10.
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Notably, when Wicked debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, it claimed the highest arrival in the chart’s 68-year history for a stage-to-big-screen musical soundtrack.
As movie and music fans immerse themselves in Wicked, two of its most beloved songs are scaling Billboard radio charts (dated Dec. 21): Grande’s “Popular” ascends 29-27 on Adult Pop Airplay and 34-29 on Pop Airplay, while Erivo and Grande’s “Defying Gravity” debuts on both rankings at No. 39.
Alongside Wicked’s success, radio’s embrace of the tracks – solely written by Stephen Schwartz – marks the platform’s latest foray into songs from stage and/or movie musicals. In 2022, Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” ruled the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and rose to the top 25 on Adult Contemporary, Adult Pop Airplay and Pop Airplay. (In 2023, the intricate earworm won the Grammy for best song written for visual media.)
Plus, “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen, the 2017 Tony Award recipient for best musical, spent more than four months in the Adult Contemporary chart’s top 15 from October 2023 through this March, as recorded by Natalie Grant and Cory Asbury.
Historically, however, such songs have been relatively few and far between on radio, despite their built-in familiarity. For every airplay success story, Rent, 1996’s Tony winner for best musical, for instance, did not spin off a pop/adult radio chart hit in its anthem “Seasons of Love.” Conversely, Madonna leveraged her superstar status into play for her version of Evita’s “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Aided by its club- and radio-ready “Miami Mix,” the song reached the Pop Airplay top 10 in 1997.
(Wicked composer Schwartz is enjoying his latest Billboard chart success in a history that dates back to Godspell and its cast’s 1972 No. 13 Hot 100 hit “Day by Day.”)
In 2024, when radio has numerous sources of research, from traditional callout to social media, certain programmers have pounced on playing “Popular” and “Defying Gravity,” even if the former, especially (and like “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”), is essentially a movie excerpt, with Grande singing in her Wicked character.
“First, it stars one of our core artists, Ariana Grande, who not only sounds great, but gives a phenomenal acting performance,” says Tom Poleman, iHeartMedia chief programming officer. “And, as one of the most anticipated movies of the year, it’s a pop culture moment for our listeners. [Pop] stations, in particular, are about reflecting what our listeners are into, and ‘Popular’ and ‘Defying Gravity’ are two of the biggest songs of the moment.”
iHeartMedia’s Pop Airplay reporter WHTZ (Z100) New York played “Popular” and “Defying Gravity” 20 and 16 times, respectively, Dec. 10-16, according to Mediabase.
“No hesitation,” echoes Alex Tear, SiriusXM and Pandora vice president, music programming, of playing “Popular” and “Defying Gravity.” The former aired 57 times on SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio and 44 times on Hits 1, both of which contribute to the Pop Airplay chart, Dec. 10-16. Plus, Adult Pop Airplay panelist The Pulse gave it 50 plays. “Defying Gravity” drew 39 plays on Hits 1 in the same stretch.
“Our listeners expect Hits 1 to be in, and leading, pop culture moments and movements,” Tear says. “We’ve never been focused on ‘typical.’ We’re focused on our listeners’ passions and keeping pace, in addition to being predictive of their favorites.”
Likewise believing that radio can benefit from, and amplify, the conversation around Wicked, Republic released a 3:33-long edit of “Defying Gravity” two weeks after the original version, running 7:39 and including spoken word sections, arrived on the film’s soundtrack. “Popular” is 4:01 in length, along with a mix trimmed to 2:53, with both edits having been added to the Wicked soundtrack on DSPs.
Through Dec. 12, Grande’s “Popular” has totaled 28.8 million official U.S. streams and 15.2 million in all-format airplay audience. Erivo and Grande’s “Defying Gravity” has tallied 35.5 million streams and 6.8 million in radio reach.
“It’s simple,” Tear muses of Hits 1. “We’re a pop channel that’s front and center with pop culture. Our listeners come to hear the ‘now,’ and nothing could be hotter than Wicked.”
Says Poleman, “It came down to the popularity — no pun intended — of this movie.”