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18 Jul 2024

Here Are Charli XCX’s Billboard Covers & Photos Over the Past Decade

Charli XCX is Billboard’s latest cover star — but she’s no stranger to gracing our magazine.

The “360” star has been on the cover two other times, in 2014 and 2017. She’s also been part of several photoshoots related to Billboard’s annual Women in Music event. In 2014, she accepted the Hitmaker Award and, in 2023, she took home the Powerhouse Award.

Her most recent cover story comes a little more than a month after the “Von Dutch” singer dropped her critically acclaimed album Brat, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 — her highest peak on the chart to date — as well as inspired a wave of new internet trends.

“I didn’t want any metaphors — like, at all,” Charli tells Billboard of the project. “I wanted this record to feel like I was having a conversation with the listener in a true way. I could say that to you in the back of a cab on the way to a club. Like tonight? I want to dance with A. G.”

She added, “With Brat, it was really interesting to just do things for the fan base and make that feel exclusive — but then once you’re in the club, it’s actually very inclusive. Actually, everyone can join the club. It’s just that everybody joins at slightly different times in slightly different ways — whether that be on my private Instagram posts, or the 400-person Boiler Room, or a random cinema screening of a new music video in L.A., or a text message from me.”

To celebrate her newest cover, see below for Charli XCX’s Billboard photos over the years, from 2014 to present.

25 Jun 2024

From Disney Darling to Trendsetter, Here’s Sabrina Carpenter’s Style Evolution

Sabrina Carpenter is not only one of today’s biggest pop stars, but she’s also quickly turning into a style icon — with her colorful outfits and chic makeup looks having fans compare her to a real-life Polly Pocket or Bratz Doll.

Most recently, Carpenter made her runway debut at the Vogue World 2024: Paris on June 23. Dressed in a red-and-white striped bathing suit with a matching kerchief and sarong by Jacquemus, paired with bright red shoes, the singer gave off perfect, “Espresso”-style beachy vibes as men on either side of her waved billowing blue fabric to mimic ocean waves around her.

The superstar is fresh off her first-ever Hot 100 No. 1 hit as “Please Please Please” tops the tally dated June 29, a week after it debuted at No. 2. The track, along with “Espresso,” which sits at No. 4 on the Hot 100 a week after reaching No. 3, introduces Carpenter’s album Short n’ Sweet, due Aug. 23.

To celebrate, we’ve put together a gallery of Carpenter’s style evolution, from her Disney days to modern times. Check out the photos below.

24 Jun 2024

Summerfest 2024: Photos From the Star-Studded Music Festival

Summerfest 2024 kicked off on June 20 at American Family Insurance Amphitheater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and some of the biggest stars showed up on stage and off.

Weekend one’s headliners included Kane Brown with Kameron Marlow and Nightly; Motley Crüe with Seether and Buckcherry; and SZA with Aminé. Goo Goo Dolls, Black Pumas, Chelsea Cutler, Toosii, Taking Back Sunday, David Kushner, Brittany Howard and Kevin Kaarl were also among the first weekend’s performers.

In the crowd, Kim Kardashian was seen watching SZA’s set with her 11-year-old daughter, North West. Due to a storm, the “Kill Bill” superstar’s set was delayed by more than an hour, but according to local news reports, the singer eventually took the stage to perform her set at around 10:15 p.m.

Summerfest will continue on June 27 through 29 with headliners Illenium with special guests; Tyler Childers with S.G. Goodman and Adeem the Artist; and Keith Urban with NEEDTOBREATHE and Alana Springsteen. The festival will conclude on Fourth of July weekend with headliners AJR with Carly Rae Jepsen and Mxmtoon; Maroon 5 with special guests; and Lil Uzi Vert with Lil Yachty, JID, Rico Nasty and Lihtz.

See below for our gallery of photos from the star-studded Summerfest event.

22 Jun 2024

Check Out These Cinematic Exclusive ENHYPEN Photos

ENHYPEN has a jam-packed year coming up, and ENGENEs could not be more excited.

Earlier this week, the group announced their sophomore album, ROMANCE : UNTOLD. The seven-man boy band’s follow-up to their full-length 2021 debut, DIMENSION : DILEMMA, is due out on July 12.

ROMANCE : UNTOLD “marks the beginning of a new chapter for ENHYPEN. The pioneering storytellers have previously captivated audiences with their series of narratives – BORDER, DIMENSION, MANIFESTO, and BLOOD – where they ventured across boundaries, confronted themselves in a complex world, took the first step forward to connect with their peers, and made sacrifices for the blood-bound ‘you,’” per a press release.

Additionally, in May, the group announced that a feature documentary film focused on its dedicated fan group, ENGENE, is in the works from Hello Sunshine, the multimedia company founded by actress Reese Witherspoon.

In celebration of ROMANCE : UNTOLD‘s upcoming release, check out exclusive photos of members Sunghoon, Heeseung, Sunoo, Jay, Jake, Jungwon and Ni-ki below.

12 Jun 2024

Billboard Indie Power Players Party Celebrates Vibrant Independent Music Business in New York: See Photos

The most powerful people in the independent music business gathered together at Billboard’s 2024 Indie Power Players event at the Soho Grand Hotel in Manhattan on Tuesday night (June 11), with guests from companies like EMPIRE, Concord, Merlin, Beggars Group, Secretly Group, The Orchard, Virgin Music, ADA, Hopeless Records, Downtown Music, A2IM, BMG, Stem, TuneCore, Believe, UnitedMasters, OneRPM and many more in attendance.

During the event, Indie Power cover star Brent Faiyaz was celebrated for his strategic and forward-thinking journey through the music business that prioritized his own independence — which has now seen him succeed as a businessman, too, given the success of his ISO Supremacy label venture with PULSE Music Group thanks to Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” — as well as Faiyaz’s manager, COLTURE head of ventures and innovation Ty Baisden, who was named Executive of the Year. Both gave speeches, as did Billboard’s Hannah Karp and Mike Van, BMG’s Jon Loba, Downtown’s Justin Kalifowitz and Stem’s Milana Rabkin. Laurie Anderson, avant-garde musician and performance artist, performed a playful instrumental piece via a self-made device affixed to the roof of her mouth that buzzed along with her vocal-cord vibrations (harking back to her so-called “mouth light” in 1983’s landmark piece United States).

The event came amidst a whirlwind week’s worth of parties and panels celebrating the independent music community in New York City, which has never been as diverse, or as vibrant, as it is in 2024, as artists, labels and distributors have more options, more challenges and more opportunities than ever before to find success in an ever-changing business.

08 Jun 2024

2024 Governors Ball Festival: See The Best Photos

Promising plenty of photo-worthy stage moments, the 2024 edition of Governors Ball — the annual New York City music festival — kicked off a three-day run on Friday, June 7. Here, you’ll find all the best photos from Gov Ball.

Three big stages in use over three consecutive days in Queens’ Flushing Meadows Corona Park are welcoming hitmaking headliners like Post Malone, Rauw Alejandro, The Killers, 21 Savage, SZA and Peso Pluma. Carly Rae Jepsen, Sabrina Carpenter and Renee Rapp are just a handful of the many other highly anticipated acts on the Gov Ball bill.

On night one, Post Malone (pictured in the gallery of photos below) offered all the hits, and he’s got a lot of them — even if he kept his introduction humble enough: “My name is Austin Richard Post, and I’m here to play some s—ty songs and get a little bit f—ed up while we do it.”

Rauw Alejandro (also pictured in the below photos) delivered a performance charged with boundless energy and dance moves, one that tied in with his roots to the city.

“I’ve always had a special connection to this city,” the Puerto Rican star said. “My dad was born in Brooklyn. It’s a meeting point for many cultures. Many of us left our country in search of opportunities and dreams. And I feel that here you can fulfill all the dreams that you want to do in life. In my case, a dream is being fulfilled by sharing it here with all of you, a dream that I am living today, thanks to all of you who have supported me since day one.”

Some of the best photos from the Governors Ball lineup so far include moments on stage with Flo, Farruko, Alex G, Yung Gravy, Dominic Fike and more.

Take a look at the best photos from 2024’s Governors Ball, as the festival continues in NYC throughout the weekend.

24 May 2024

On Set With SEVENTEEN: Exclusive Photos From ‘Cheers to Youth,’ ‘Spell’ & ‘LALALI’ Video Shoots

Throughout May, SEVENTEEN released three new music videos — “Cheers to Youth,” “Spell” and “LALALI” — highlighting each of the K-pop boy band’s distinct units.

If you’re new here: the three subsects of SEVENTEEN are the Vocal Unit, Performance Unit and Hip-Hop Unit. Making up the first are bandmates WOOZI, JOSHUA, DK, JEONGHAN and SEUNGKWAN, who teamed up for “Cheers to Youth,” an upbeat, Japanese-rock-inspired track that taps into the essence of youth. The song’s video finds the five guys portraying a group of young people dealing with personal struggles that come together in the “Tiny ISSUE CLUB,” where they find solace in their shared connection.

HOSHI, JUN, THE8 and DINO make up the Performance Unit, whose dreamy amapiano song “Spell” is all about the power of love. In the video, the performers transform into the human embodiments of the Sun, Wings, Heart and Arrow tarot cards. 

Finally, the Hip-Hop Unit delivered “LALALI,” a swaggering EDM-infused smash. Members S.COUPS, WONWOO, MINGYU and VERNON strut through colorful cityscapes and ride in speeding luxury cars in the track’s visual, showing off their unshakeable confidence.

All three of the tracks are featured on the boy band’s April 2024 compilation 17 Is Right Here, which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 earlier this month. Featuring both old and new songs, the project is a “reminder of SEVENTEEN’s self-progression and their relentless evolution as artists that also signals “a promising way forward with much more to unveil,” per a recent HYBE release.  

Check out 31 exclusive photos from the sets of the “Cheers to Youth,” “Spell” and “LALALI” music videos below.

20 May 2024

Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova Honored at American Folk Art Museum Showcase: See Photos

On Thursday (May 16), the art, music and activism of Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova was honored at a benefit pop-up in New York City, presented by the American Folk Art Museum.

Held at Canvas 3.0 at The Oculus, An Evening with Nadya Tolokonnikova, Creator of Pussy Riot featured a showcase of the Russian-born punk rocker’s recent artwork as well as a Q&A. Tolokonnikova also treated attendants to a volume-cranked musical performance, taking the venue’s makeshift stage in a white ski mask with black X’s painted over the eyes. 

Special guest David Byrne of the Talking Heads was on hand to present Tolokonnikova with an award for Dynamic Achievements in the Arts on behalf of the museum. “I haven’t figured [out] what does dynamic achievements mean just yet, but it sounds very substantial!” the feminist musical collective founder later joked on Instagram of the honors, sharing photos with the “Psycho Killer” singer.

The pop-up comes about a month ahead of Tolokonnikova’s first solo museum show RAGE, which is slated to open June 21 at OK Linz in Linz, Austria. It’ll display pieces from the multi-medium artist’s newest series “DARK MATTER,” along with works from her prison archive, including a replica of the Russian cell she spent over a year in during her 2012-13 incarceration and mementos from Pussy Riot’s advocacy 2011-23.

“Nadya Tolokonnikova’s pursuit of justice through art embodies the spirit of resilience and creativity that we champion at the American Folk Art Museum,” said CEO Jason T. Busch in a statement. “We are honored to host this benefit event, which not only celebrates Tolokonnikova’s extraordinary contributions to contemporary art and activism but also supports the Museum’s mission of fostering dialogue and understanding.” 

See photos from the museum’s pop-up event with Tolokonnikova below.

17 May 2024

Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll & More Attend BBR Music Group Brunch at the 2024 ACM Awards: Photos

BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville hosted its second annual  brunch at the 2024 ACM Awards at the Stonebriar  Country Club in Frisco, Texas, on May 16.  Held the morning of the awards, the brunch included more than 150 attendees from the label, radio, streaming services and other industry executives.

Jon Loba, president of frontline recordings for BMG North America, opened the brunch, which was moved inside due to stormy weather. Lainey Wilson, who went on to win entertainer of the year at the ACM Awards a few hours later, introduced her new single, “Hang Tight Honey,” from her for forthcoming album, Whirlwind, before the label and Melinda Newman, Billboard’s executive editor, West Coast and Nashville, presented Wilson with a plaque for having the shortest stint of any woman artist between No. 1 songs on the Country Airplay chart. Later, Billboard’s exec vp of charts and data partnership Silvio Pietroluongo presented Jelly Roll, a plaque for landing three No. 1s on the Country Airplay chart in 2023, while the artist played a recording of his new single, “Liar,” which he later played on the ACM Awards.

The brunch also included superstar Jason Aldean and his writing collaborator-turned-duet partner John Morgan  performing “Friends Like That,” their current single, as well as “Trouble with a Heartbreak,” a 2022 No. 1 hit for Aldean, co-written by Morgan. The Frontmen, a supergroup comprised of the Richie McDonald (formerly of Lonestar), Larry Stewart (formerly of Restless Heart) and Tim Rushlow (formerly of Little Texas), also performed two of their songs, including new single, “Beatles and Eagles,” as well as a mini-medley of their previous groups’ hits.

Additionally, Frank Ray played his new Latin-tinged tune, “Uh Huh (Ajá)” and Blanco Brown sang along as his new Diane Warren-penned song, “Snapshot,” played.

See photos from the event, sponsored by Heineken Silver, Zilzie Wines and Billboard,  below.

16 May 2024

2024 ACM Awards: Best Photos From the Red Carpet

These days, it’s not a country music party until Jelly Roll and his wife Bunnie XO show up — so it looks like the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards have officially achieved party status.

In addition to Jelly and Bunnie, current Hot Country Songs chart-topper Shaboozey — the man behind the viral hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — also hit the ACM Awards red carpet Thursday night (May 16) in Frisco, Texas, outside the Ford Center at The Star, where the awards show is going down, broadcasting on Prime Video.

Reba McEntire was spotted on the carpet too ahead of her gig as host of the show. The 16-time ACM Award winner is returning to host the show a record 17th time on Thursday night. (“What an honor to have been part of the past, present and now the future of the Academy of Country Music,” McEntire said when her latest hosting gig was announced.)

The ACM carpet isn’t red this year, but entertainer of the year nominee Lainey Wilson brought the color with her head-to-toe fire-engine-red suit and cowboy hat combo.

Stick with Billboard all night as we update you on the night’s biggest winners and liveliest performances, and below, you can find all the best photos from the 2024 ACM Awards red carpet.

The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldridge. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.