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06 Sep 2024

2024 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players Party: Megan Thee Stallion, Offset & More

Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event returned to NYC on Thursday night (Sept. 5). Hundreds of high-profile artists, executives and more from the music world came together for a party to honor the hard-working individuals leaving their marks on the industry.

The Times Square EDITION hotel played host for the night, which was highlighted by Power Player cover stars and Artist of the Year winners Megan Thee Stallion and Playboi Carti, who were on hand and received their awards from Billboard staffers.

This marked a rare public outing for Carti. “I wanna thank my mama, I wanna thank God. Thank you Billboard — this my first award. I’m very happy to be here,” the Atlanta rapper said before paying tribute to Rich Homie Quan, who died earlier in the day. “RIP Rich Homie Quan. ATL in the building.”

Other award winners from the night include Teezo Touchdown as Rookie of the Year for 2024, who was presented his honor by Senior R&B/Hip-Hop & Afrobeats writer Heran Mamo. “I want to say thank you to my team for tirelessly helping me scratch every single goal I have off my list and pushing me to write down more wilder than the last,” Teezo told the crowd.

Victoria Monét delivered a heartfelt speech when welcoming her manager Rachelle Jean-Louis to the stage as she took home the honors for 2024 Executive of the Year. The Tell Your Friends CEO became emotional while detailing her enduring journey to the top of the music industry and made sure to shout-out her mother who was in the building and played an integral role in her upbringing.

There were plenty of other music dignitaries and Power Players present to celebrate the year in music, including Offset, Kevin Liles, David Banner, Saint Jhn, NLE Choppa, Sierra Lever and more. The event served as a reminder of the power of music and how it can bring people from all walks of life together peacefully under one roof.

Check out Billboard’s 2024 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event in the photos below:

31 Aug 2024

EVNNE: See Exclusive Photos & Selfies of the August 2024 K-Pop Rookie of the Month

With millions of viewers around the world tuning in and casting votes for contestants in the K-pop survival show Boys Planet, contestants who didn’t make a place in the final band left the program with fans eager to see their next steps. No group perhaps better embraces such potential than EVNNE, the seven-member boy band quickly ascending the K-pop ranks and proving themselves as far more than just a simple spin-off act.

Noted for an intense collective charisma, the boy band’s debut with hard-hitting singles “Trouble” and “Ugly” spoke to a viewpoint as the convention-defying underdogs ready to prove themselves to the world. The group scored number-one hit songs and awards on Korea’s competitive music programs, and this summer embarked on their first U.S. tour to expand their international fanbase and showcase their dynamic performances across multiple cities.

But it’s not just the awards and accolades that define EVNNE’s success. In less than a year, the group has shown remarkable evolution in their musical style, transitioning from the rebellious anthems of their debut to a softer, more romantic sound with their third EP, RIDE or DIE from June. The lead single, “Badder Love,” a soothing rock-pop track recorded in both Korean and English, marks a new chapter for the group.

With accomplishments both in awards and aristry, Keita, Hanbin, Lee Jeonghyeon, Yunseo, Seungeon, Mun Junghyun and Jihoo have managed to carved their place in the industry and show lasting potential even if the group’s time together may be short. Read on for why else EVNNE is a group to watch as Billboard‘s K-Pop Rookie of the Month for August 2024.

Get to know the rookies more with exclusive photos and quiz questions below.

30 Aug 2024

Check Out These Exclusive Photos From LE SSERAFIM’s ‘CRAZY’ Music Video

LE SSERAFIM is back! The group dropped a vibrant new music video for their single “CRAZY,” and as expected, it features some great outfits and even better dance moves.

The song is featured on the group’s freshly released mini-album of the same name, Crazy. The project contains five tracks: the title track, “Chasing Lightning,” “Pierrot,” “1-800-hot-n-fun” and “Crazier.”

It’s only the beginning for LE SSERAFIM. Earlier this year, the singers became a Billboard Hot 100-charting act for the first time with the single “Easy.” The EP of the same name debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, in an historic week during which TWICE’s With YOU-th EP bowed at No. 1 on the chart, marking the first time that the top 10 had featured two all-women K-pop groups.

Easy also started at No. 2 on both the World Albums and Top Album Sales charts, while the title track surged to No. 6 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, marking the group’s second, and top charting, top 10.

“If you have true ambition, I believe you hold the power to overcome any discomfort that might hold you back,” Yunjin previously told Billboard of the group’s success. “All five of us have that spark in us: It’s what drives us to push our limits and fight to grow into better people, performers and artists. It’s also what has made us and continues to make us tighter and closer as a team. We really are one body and soul.”

Check out our exclusive photos from the “CRAZY” music video below.

28 Aug 2024

Billboard K POWER 100: SB19, FIFTY FIFTY & More at the Party

Billboard celebrated the launch of Billboard Korea with style Tuesday (Aug. 27), honoring numerous K-pop trailblazers and bringing together countless other business executives, entertainment leaders and global artists under one roof at the Billboard K POWER 100 event in Seoul.

Set at THE SHILLA Seoul Yeong Bin Gwan, the event recognized innovators in the Asian music industry. More than 30 acts were in the house to celebrate, including The Boyz, Jay Park, EXO-CBX, CHUNG HA, FIFTY FIFTY, BamBam, STAYC, Be’O, Kang Daniel, The Rose, Wave to Earth, ONE OR EIGHT and Louiza Sonja, while a handful of key people received honors for their contributions to the expansion of Asian music. Jeong Tae-young, for instance, won the Culture Impact Award for shaping music trends through his marketing work as the vice chairman of Hyundai Card, and CMO Todd Pendleton accepted the Exceptional Experience Award on behalf of Dolby Atmos for the company’s innovations in sound technology.

Plus, Lee Young-hee, head of global marketing at Samsung Electronics, took home the Innovative Brand Award, CEO Joseph Chang of Kakao Entertainment received the Power Players Award and Filipino groups SB19 and BINI won the Voices of Asia Award. Billboard also took time to honor the many K-pop stars who have achieved historic milestones on the Billboard Hot 100, presenting custom art panel music frames to acts such as Wonder Girls, PSY, 2NE1, BTS, BLACKPINK and more.

“We’re thrilled to officially launch Billboard Korea,” said Billboard CEO Mike Van in a statement. “Our mission is to champion the growth of K-culture and foster global recognition of its incredible talent.”

Acquired by PMC Group in 2020, Billboard Korea is the Korean branch of Billboard Media. On Aug. 27, the brand released a special edition of the 2024 Billboard K-Pop Artist Biographical Dictionary ahead of its inaugural issue in October.

“Our goal is to expand K-pop and K-culture worldwide and leverage our role as cultural ambassadors to make a positive impact,” publisher Kim Yuna, who will lead Billboard Korea, said of the venture.

“We’re eagerly anticipating the K-content we’ll create together with Billboard Korea,” added Billboard‘s Editorial Director Hannah Karp.

Below, see photos of some of the best moments, A-list guests, prestigious awards and more at the 2024 Billboard K POWER 100 event.

15 Aug 2024

Woodstock 1969: Photos From the Festival

Aug. 15 marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of Woodstock, the now iconic music festival that drew more than 400,000 people to Bethel, New York, for three days of peace and music. The three-day fest, which took place Aug. 15-18, 1969, saw performances from 32 acts, many of whom are some of rock’s most legendary names: Jimi Hendrix (and his band Gypsy Sun And Rainbows), Janis Joplin, The Who, Carlos Santana, Grateful Dead and more. In celebration of the anniversary, Billboard rounded up some photos from the history-making event.

05 Aug 2024

Here Are Some of the Best Photos From Lollapalooza 2024

Lollapalooza 2024 has quickly become one of the most-anticipated festivals of each summer, bringing together some of music’s biggest stars to take over Chicago’s Grant Park.

This year’s stellar lineup featured headliners like SZA, Megan Thee Stallion, Hozier, Blink-182 and Stray Kids, who made an explosive Lolla debut. Attendees were also able to check out a new and improved main stage that ditched diesel gas for a hybrid battery powered design.

On day one, Meg closed out the show with a twerk-filled headlining set, complete with tracks like “Hiss,” “Thot S—,” “Megan Piano,” “WAP,” “Wanna Be,” “Mamushi” and more. She also shared her support for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. “Let me pop my s**t real quick, because [people] were fake mad that I was popping it for Kamala,” Megan said to the crowd, referring to her performance at the VP’s Atlanta rally. “I don’t think they heard what she said. Kamala said she wants a ceasefire. Kamala said she supports women’s rights. And she said she’s tired of those high-ass gas prices … It’s ‘Hotties for Harris,’ goddammit!”

Day two featured a massive performance from Stray Kids, who just released their album ATE. The group performed songs like their new single “Chk Chk Boom,” as well as fan favorites like “TOPLINE,” “Lonely St.” and “DOMINO,”

Notably, Chappell Roan’s Lolla set was the biggest crowd for a daytime set. She performed hits like “Femininomenon,”  “Naked in Manhattan” and “Red Wine Supernova,” as well as “Good Luck, Babe!”

See below for some of the best photos from this past weekend’s Lollapalooza festival.

31 Jul 2024

BABYMONSTER: See Exclusive Photos of the July 2024 K-Pop Rookie of the Month

As legendary K-pop label YG Entertainment prepared its female act to follow its chart-topping girl group BLACKPINK, the seven members being considered for a place in the new act BABYMONSTER – Ruka, Pharita, Rami, Ahyeon, Rora, Asa and Chiquita — competed against each other on the digital series Last Evaluation.

Mentored and critiqued by YG founder and CEO Yang Hyun-suk plus future label mates like Jennie and Lisa of BLACKPINK, Kang Seung-yoon and Lee Seung-hoon of WINNER, and Lee Su-hyun of AKMU, the septet’s monstrous talents were spotlighted through solo, unit and group performances on YouTube that helped them quickly garner millions of fans — including Charlie Puth, who would go on to gift a pop track for BABYMONSTER after catching Ahyeon’s take on his 2016 single “Dangerous” in one of the standout moments from the show.

“‘BABY’ describes our unlimited possibilities, youth and that we’re bringing something new to the scene,” power vocalist Rami tells Billboard during a sitdown chat in Seoul. “And ‘MONSTER’ describes our monster-like skills.”

BABYMONSTER’s “official” debut with the BABYMONS7ER album and its explosive, hip-hop/dance single “Sheesh,” the group soared to No. 33 on the Global 200 as the EP landed on the World Albums chart solely from a digital release. Not only did “Sheesh” mark a breakout moment for the group musically, but the septet also reimagined the hit into a “band version” to deliver a full-fledged, rock-star rendition of the track across several TV shows to share their full, live experience.

Get to know the rookies more with exclusive photos and quiz questions below. And don’t forget to read the group’s full Billboard spotlight.

29 Jul 2024

Snoop Dogg Is Having a Blast at the 2024 Paris Olympics: See Photos

Snoop Dogg has quickly become the USA’s unofficial mascot at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Earlier this year, it was announced that the rapper joined NBC’s team to as one of the official reporters of the games this summer, and has been onsite to deliver “regular reports” on the Olympic Primetime Show.

Snoop was also a torchbearer, carrying the torch through the streets of Saint-Denis, the northern Paris suburb that houses the Stade de France Olympic Stadium, leading up to the opening ceremony on July 26.

For the first weekend of the Olympics, Snoop stepped out custom gold Skechers as he watched Team USA’s men’s swim team win its first gold medal. The Team USA men’s team — Caeleb Dressel, Chris Guiliano, Jack Alexy and Hunter Armstrong — won the 4×100 freestyle relay.

“Gold shoes, gold medal,” Snoop told NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico after the big win. “We got our first gold medal! I felt good being there with the Dressel family, baby. All gold everything.”

He also spent time watching gymnastics, watching Team USA compete in women’s qualifications at Bercy Arena, which ended with Simone Biles and Suni Lee finishing first and second in the all-around, respectively. During the competition, the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” artist sported a t-shirt with Biles’ face on it.

As a result, Snoop Dogg’s appearances have quickly become a fan-favorite part of the Olympics this summer, and we’ve gathered some of the best photos of the star at all the ceremonies, games and events. Check out our gallery below.

29 Jul 2024

Here Are the Musicians Who Have Performed at the Olympics Over the Years

The 2024 Paris Olympics aired its stunning opening ceremony on Friday (July 26) and, as expected, the star-studded event brought some major performances to the City of Lights.

Lady Gaga was the first star to take the stage during the Opening Ceremony, delivering a cabaret-style performance of the French-language “Mon Truc en Plume” (“My Thing With Feathers”) in a minutes-long, highly choreographed routine, at one point playing piano. Celine Dion, meanwhile, performed Édith Piaf’s “Hymne A L’Amour” from the Eiffel Tower, which was sparkling and lit with the Olympic rings. Accompanied by a piano and rocking a stunning white gown, she belted the lyrics to the 1950 track, which translates to “The Hymn of Love.”

The performance marks Dion’s first since she cancelled the dates on her North American Courage world tour before revealing she is fighting Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes severe muscle spasms.

Performances from music’s greatest talents has been a staple of the Olympics’ opening and closing ceremonies for decades, with stars like Stevie Wonder, EXO, Kylie Minogue, Lionel Richie, Ricky Martin, Kiss, Anitta and many more taking the stage to deliver jaw-dropping musical acts. From Lady Gaga and Celine Dion, to One Direction, the Spice Girls and beyond, see our photo gallery below of artists who have performed at Olympic ceremonies throughout the years.

26 Jul 2024

Here Are All the Musicians at the 2024 Paris Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics are officially in full swing, and the French capital has been taken over by athletes, artists, fans and celebrities.

BTS’ Jin was tapped to be South Korea’s official representative in the ceremonial torch relay. He led a 200-meter portion of the run that went by the Louvre Museum, before handing the torch back over to Sandra Laoura, a former French national freestyle skier in front of the iconic Louvre Pyramid.“It was an honor to be part of such a meaningful moment. I was able to take on the honorable role of a torchbearer thanks to the support of ARMY (BTS’ official fandom),” Jin said in a statement after participating in the relay on July 14. “I am truly grateful. I was so nervous to the point of not knowing how the time passed, but I was able to do my best thanks to the many people on site who loudly cheered me on,” he continued of the thrill of taking part in the relay whose themes are “harmony” and “peace.”

Snoop Dogg joined NBC’s team to report on the games this summer, and will be onsite to deliver “regular reports” on the Olympic Primetime Show. Snoop was also a torchbearer, carrying the torch through the streets of Saint-Denis, the northern Paris suburb that houses the Stade de France Olympic Stadium.

Lady Gaga was the first star to take the stage during the Opening Ceremony, delivering a cabaret-style performance of the French-language “Mon Truc en Plume” (“My Thing With Feathers”) in a minutes-long, highly choreographed routine, at one point playing piano.

Additionally, stars like Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Rosalía, Mick Jagger and more were spotted in attendance of the Olympic festivities in Paris.

To celebrate all the musician attendees and contributors for the 2024 Paris Olympics, check out our photo gallery below.