Pop
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Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Miley Cyrus returns with a ballad, Sleep Token unveil an opus and ROSÉ joins the F1 fun. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Miley Cyrus, “More to Lose”
As she collected pop smashes over the course of her career, Miley Cyrus has also demonstrated a richness as a balladeer — and with “More to Lose,” a stirring new sample from her upcoming album Something Beautiful, Cyrus drifts above a complex tangle of classic pop production and smashes home the emotion as the song ramps up, making for a song that’s going to sound spectacular whenever it’s performed live.
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Sleep Token, Even in Arcadia
Whether you’re steeped in the lore, headbanging through the breakdowns or both, the masked British alt-metal group Sleep Token has turned its singular combination of detailed backstory and rock ambition into arena-headliner status — and with Even in Arcadia, the group is not only poised to have its biggest commercial moment to date, but will do so with a sprawling, uncompromising collection of songs.
ROSÉ, “Messy”
One week after Don Toliver and Doja Cat dropped “Lose My Mind” to kick off the rollout of the F1 soundtrack, ROSÉ has gotten in on the racing-drama fun with “Messy,” a cinematic love ballad in which the BLACKPINK star declares “If it’s messy / Then you know it’s really love,” while learning to understand her partner’s flaws, on a song that sounds primed to play over a contemplative second-act montage.
Kali Uchis, Sincerely,
On her first full-length since becoming a mother last year, Kali Uchis slows down the tempo from 2024’s Orquídeas and offers the most intimate glimpse of her mental and emotional state yet: Sincerely, revels in its personal flourishes, a new stance from a genre-hopping singer-songwriter who has written anthems in English and Spanish but has never navigated her own feelings this deftly.
PinkPantheress, Fancy That
From the super-short pop tracks of To Hell With It to the commercial breakthrough of “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” to the sonic exploration of Heaven Knows, PinkPantheress has darted through different eras with lightning speed — and Fancy That, a bright, engrossing mixtape that riffs on ‘90s dance and garage, sounds like an artistic reset in the best way, taking the UK pop star back to the effervescent songwriting of her beginnings.
Kid Cudi, “Neverland”
Kid Cudi is a stylistic godfather in modern hip-hop, but that doesn’t mean the veteran is resting on his laurels: “Neverland,” a new single that precedes a short film of the same name, aims at summer-anthem territory, with Cudi gently crooning in the verses and then singing his lungs out on the chorus as trap drums sizzle beneath his full-throated cries.
Maren Morris, Dreamsicle
Maren Morris has described fourth album Dreamsicle as “a love letter to myself,” which explains the new set’s healing aura: Morris has changed up her style and spoken openly about her process of self-discovery over the past few years, and her latest full-length complements that journey with warmth and optimism, briskly moving forward as Morris does the same.
Editor’s Pick: Halsey & Amy Lee, “Hand That Feeds”
During the same week that Evanescence was back in the news — thanks, The Rehearsal! — band leader Amy Lee has released a harrowing new collaboration with Halsey that accentuates both artists’ respective talents: “Hand That Feeds,” from the upcoming Ballerina soundtrack, harkens back to Halsey’s alt-rock streak while giving Lee a much-deserved new platform to showcase her soaring delivery, resulting in what sounds like a no-brainer rock-radio staple.
Ed Sheeran has long known that the line between pleasure and pain is a thin one, best traversed with care and a healthy regard for the surprises life throws at you. That sentiment is essentially the thesis for the singer’s new video for his nostalgic ballad “Old Phone.”
The Emil Nava-directed clip that dropped on Thursday morning (May 8) for the second single from Sheeran’s upcoming Play album (Sept. 12) opens with Sheeran in a wistful mood. Sitting on his hotel bed, Ed flips through old conversations on his dusty, recently recovered Blackberry, saying in voiceover, “I was finding text messages from people that aren’t even here anymore and reading conversations with people I wish I could have conversations with now.”
So, he explains, he did what anyone would do in that situation: he build a bespoke, pop-up pub in Ipswich, MA in March, which fans could gain entry into by sending a video or message from an old phone that had some meaning to them. “I found my old phone today/ In a box that I had hidden away/ Nostalgia trying to lead me astray/ Maybe I’ll unwrite some wrongs,” he sings over gentle acoustic guitar and footage of fans lining up for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to join Sheeran in the pub.
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We watch the construction of Old Phone Pub and the delighted look on the singer’s face as he sees it taking shape, as well as Sheeran reaching out to the many fans lined up outside and visiting some local neighborhood spots to spread the word. In addition to playing an impromptu Ipswich street jam, the video finds Sheeran sitting in solitude inside a bowling alley, as well as testimonials from those who submitted clips to be projected onto the walls of the bar.
One was from a mom who sent in a video of her two deceased daughters, 12 and 4 in the clip, saying, “they were just goofin’ off just being sisters,” over footage of the home movie being screened on the outside of the temporary venue. Other testimonials are from a woman who shared footage of her with her old boyfriend and a man who offered a movie of him dancing with his beloved late grandma at a wedding; at one point Sheeran can be seen chatting with the man outside the bar.
“It was really cool to watch that and to be able to share with him some of our stories. That was nice,” the mom says. The video winds down pivoting from Sheeran smiling at his old home movies, to fans sitting mesmerized as he performs the song in the pop-up with a back-up band of Irish musicians. “I wanted to make it feel like the song does… raw, stripped-back, emotional, nostalgic and special,” Sheeran says at the end.
Over the past month Sheeran has made headlines by playing surprise mini-concerts at other bars in Boston and Nashville, as well as hitting Nashville’s Santa’s Pub a few weeks ago with Noah Kahan for a short dual set and reconstructing the pop-up pub at Coachella.
Watch Sheeran’s “Old Phone” video below.
Longtime alt-pop star Lorde boasts two new entries on the Billboard Hot 100 this week (dated May 10). One of them is predictable: “What Was That,” her first totally new solo song in nearly a half-decade (and presumed lead single from her upcoming Virgin album, due in June) bows at No. 36, following a big […]
The acclaimed crew of screenwriters lined up to pen the scripts for director Sam Mendes’ four Beatles films has been revealed. The names, first reported by Deadline, and confirmed by the official Beatles website, include Tony Award-winning writer Jez Butterworth (Ford v Ferrari, Spectre) Oscar winner Peter Straughan (Conclave, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and BAFTA- […]
The late One Direction singer Liam Payne left behind money, property and possessions worth more than £24m ($32m) with no known will when he died last year, official records have shown.
Girls Aloud vocalist Cheryl Tweedy, his former partner and mother of his eight-year-old son, Bear, is legally responsible for Payne’s fortune after being named an administrator for his estate. The pair were in a relationship between 2016 and 2018 but did not marry. U.K. rules of intestacy state that a person’s spouse, and then any children they have, are first claim to the estate.
Court documents also show that music industry lawyer Richard Mark Bray has also been given administrator duties. According to the Letters of Administration, the gross value of Payne’s estate amounts to £28,594,888 ($37,956,568). With the deduction of debts and expenses, the figure comes to approximately £24,279,728 ($32,222,598).
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Last year (Oct. 16), Payne died at age 31 after falling from a third-floor room at the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Toxicology tests revealed that before his death, the musician had traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his body. His cause of death was “polytrauma” from multiple injuries and internal and external bleeding, a postmortem found.
At the BRIT Awards in March, Payne was remembered with a video montage showing a clip from his time on The X Factor and then with One Direction, who won seven gongs at the music awards before they went on hiatus in 2015.
Throughout the mid-2010s, the band became one of the most successful pop acts of all time. Comprising Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, One Direction notched four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, six top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and billions of streams alongside four sold-out world tours.
After the group parted ways, Payne launched his solo career in 2017 with the Quavo-assisted “Strip That Down,” which peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart. His debut album, LP1, arrived in December 2019.
The Backstreet Boys have extended their upcoming summer residency at Las Vegas’ Sphere. On Wednesday (May 7) the veteran man band added a final three shows to the Into the Millennium run, revealing that their final shows of 2025 will take place on August 22, 23 and 24.
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With that trifecta — which will also be the group’s final shows of 2025 — the total number of Sphere gigs has run up to 21. The Live Nation-produced shows from AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough and Nick Carter will be the first by a pop act in the futuristic venue that has to date hosted U2, Phish, Dead & Company, the Eagles and EDM act Anyma; country star Kenny Chesney will set up shop from May 22-June 21.
Tickets for the newly added dates will go on sale first through the Backstreet Boys Fan Club presale that kicks off on Monday (May 12) at 12 p.m. PT, followed by an artist presale on Tuesday (May 13) beginning at 10 a.m. PT; fans can sign up for the artist presale here through Sunday (May 11) at 10 p.m. PT. A general onsale will kick off on May 16 at 10 a.m. PT here.
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The group will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their landmark Grammy-nominated Millennium album on July 11 with the release of Millennium 2.0. The revamped album will feature 25 tracks, including all 12 remastered originals, as well as live recordings, demos and b-sides.
Speaking to Billboard earlier this year, Carter promised the shows will provide fans with a “sensory overload” experience as they perform the 1999 album, along with some greatest hits and their new single, “Hey.” McLean also suggested that attendees pack “something all white” for the shows.
Check out the full list of BSB Sphere dates below.
July 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27
August 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24
Fiona Apple spent two years as a “court watcher,” taking notes and observing thousands of bond hearings. Those countless hours have inspired the singer’s first new song in five years, “Pretrial (Let Her Go Home),” an intense, percussion-heavy broadside against the U.S.’s cash-bail system.
In a statement at the top of the video for the song that dropped on Tuesday (May 6), Apple wrote, “I saw so many people get caged away simply because they could not afford bail. Before they even got a trial… while still presumed innocent.” As her unaccompanied voice swells up, she sings, “They wouldn’t let her/ They wouldn’t let her/ They wouldn’t let her, wouldn’t let her go home,” and the words “Jail didn’t just hurt them. It hurt their families. It hurt all of our communities” scroll across the screen along with a montage of women impacted by a system that keeps people in jail if they can’t afford to post bail.
Apple said the personal images were shared with her by women who have been trapped in pretrial detention, jailed despite the court system’s presumption of innocence because they could not post bond. Over a second montage, hand drums and a flute bubble up as Apple sings, “They wouldn’t let her go home/ And now there’s no more home.” The singer said in an accompanying statement that for the past five years she’s been volunteering with the Free Black Mamas DMV bailout while witnessing “the stories of women who fought for and won their freedom with the tireless and loving support of the leadership.”
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“I hope that this song and these shared images will help to show what is at stake when someone is touched by a system that won’t let them go,” Apple wrote. The accompanying track produced by Zealous and Special Operation Studios is a tribal-beat homage to mothers who “took on extra shifts/ Still couldn’t pay the bail/ No danger, no flight risk/ But she will stay in jail,” she sings over images of smiling mothers dancing with and hugging their children.
“She was not convicted of anything/ Won’t you let her go home/ Won’t you let her go home,” Apple sings. “At home she’s got two kids/ And grandma needs her care/ Who’ll pack the lunch and give meds/ If she’s in jail not there?” The track also illuminates the cascading effects of mother’s jailed without bail, including falling behind on rent and kids missing school to see their grandma in the hospital after a fall, triggering teachers calling child protective services to report their absence and authorities then taking the children into custody.
“Can’t afford a new phone card, because nobody’s home/ Shame and isolation, economic deprivation/ And there’s no more home” Apple sings. By the fifth verse, Apple’s measured tone turns red as she recounts, “Preliminary hearing’s short, only witness is the cop/ He doesn’t even show up in court and all the charges get dropped/ What the f–k’s the point of all the f–king hell he put her through?/ Took her whole world away and set her up to start ’round two.”
Apple has set up an accompanying “Let Her Go Home” website where fans can find a local bail fund to contribute to on which she notes that “on any given day, 190,600 women and girls are incarcerated in the United States. Over 60,000 women are detained pretrial, presumed innocent, caged in U.S. jails simply because they cannot afford to pay bail. Their average yearly income is just $11,000. Over 66% are mother with minor children.”
The site also features images of some of the women Apple observed with their names and home cities as well as some descriptions, such as: “genuine, generous & creative genius,” “resilient, visionary & determined” and “assertive, authentic & unapologetic.” Apple has long advocated for court watching, including narrating and writing the score for a PSA for the National Courtwatch Network in 2023.
“Pretrial (Let Her Go Home)” is Apple’s fist new original song since the release of her fifth album, 2020’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters.
Watch Fiona Apple’s video for “Pretrial (Let Her Go Home)” below.
Rag’n’Bone Man is entering a new era, but not without reflecting on the ride so far.
The British singer-songwriter, born Rory Charles Graham, recently wrapped a five-date Australian tour, his first here since the Human campaign nearly a decade ago. Fans at those shows were treated to a preview of his new Danger Mouse-produced track “Time to Love.”
“It’s a real banger. I would say it’s slightly underground. It’s not necessarily a big pop song but it really has heads nodding in the audience,” he told Rolling Stone AU/NZ. “Australia is the first place we’ve played it live.”
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“Time to Love” follows Rag’n’Bone Man’s third studio album What Do You Believe In?, released in October 2024. The album debuted at No. 3 on the U.K. Albums Chart and reached No. 4 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
“It really helped me through trauma,” he said. “It’s not easy to lose people, family. At first, performing those songs live, I thought, ‘There’s no way. I’d just be a mess.’ But I got over that as well. It was definitely a remedy.”
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For Rag’n’Bone Man, the journey began with 2016’s breakthrough single “Human,” which became a global hit. The track spent seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 74 in May 2017. Its music video has since amassed over two billion YouTube views and continues to draw over 380,000 views daily.
“Human” also became the theme for several TV shows, including Jack Ryan, God Friended Me, and even featured in the video game Mass Effect: Andromeda.
“That couple of years was f—ing wild,” he recalled. “My friend who had moved to Melbourne called me and said, ‘You’re on the f—ing radio every single day over here, mate.’ Something was really happening. Europe, U.S., everywhere. It became this monster of a song.”
Now 40, Rag’n’Bone Man said he wouldn’t change a thing about his rise to fame. “No way. I think I did alright,” he told the publication. “I don’t regret anything. Maybe drink a little less, but that’s about it. It hurts a little bit more when you’re 40.”
Global-facing J-pop group f5ve (pronounced “fi-vee”) may be riding the new wave bringing Japanese music to the world, but the rising five-piece are anything but rookies.
The members each have at least a decade of experience working in the music industry: Sayaka, Kaede, Ruri and Miyuu (ages 28-29) were in LDH Entertainment groups E-girls and Happiness, while 21-year-old Rui is still currently a member of iScream, under the same label. Recently, though, they’ve been taking stock of where there’s room to grow, from English fluency to the basics of recording and performing with a mic. (In J-pop groups, it’s normal to have dancers who don’t sing.)
That’s because, unlike their other projects, f5ve’s expressed mission is to make “Japanese pop music for an international audience,” which also means challenging stereotypes about what sounds the island nation produces. “I think people abroad think J-pop is all anime songs,” Kaede tells Billboard in English from a conference room in Tokyo. “Of course, we have a lot of anime songs,” she adds, “but not just those. We have cool songs; we have different genres of J-pop.”
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Their debut album, SEQUENCE 1, helmed by executive producer BloodPop (Justin Bieber’s “Sorry,” Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande’s “Rain on Me”), makes good on the goal of subverting expectations and bending genres to their will. Tokyo rave beats (“Underground,”) intergalactic hyperpop (“UFO,” co-produced by A. G. Cook,) and sleek runway stompers (“Television”) supplement high-energy, anime-theme-ready J-pop (“リア女 (Real Girl),” “Jump.”) Meanwhile, the music video for bass-heavy trap banger “Sugar Free Venom,” featuring Kesha, self-referentially nods to their previous life as members of E-girls — while simultaneously paying tribute to Beyoncé and The Pussycat Dolls.
They’re likewise meeting global fans where they are — namely, social media, on which f5ve unseriously ask artists for collabs and sport “flop era” tees. “Some people say our account seems unofficial,” Miyuu says, speaking about the brand of cheeky, chronically online posting that their socials engage in. “There’s no other group that has done it like this before. I think that’s what makes people so interested in us.”
Ahead of the release of SEQUENCE 1, out now, f5ve opened up about “fresh” experiences in the studio and their master plan to connect with listeners all over the world.
Billboard: How did you react when your agency approached you about being in a global group?
Kaede: We couldn’t believe it, because we have been doing this job for over 10 years. We built our careers in Japan, but we felt like we could expand more to the world.
Was there anything that scared you about the new group?
Miyuu: At first, honestly, I was scared. All the members were the same, I think. Kaede, Sayaka and I — in our previous group, we had never tried vocals. This group was the first time I tried to sing.
When did you start working on SEQUENCE 01, and what was the process like?
Kaede: We’ve been working on this album for about two years. So now it feels like… finally. When we were in the studio with BloodPop, we discussed what music we like and listen to. Then he created music from that conversation. He actually loves Japanese anime — us too. While we were talking about our favorite anime, he said, “Why don’t we try to make a song that has anime themes?” That’s how “リア女 (Real Girl)” was born. It was a fresh experience for us, because it was very different from how Japanese people create music.
How does that usually go?
Kaede: Producers bring us the [completed demo].
So this way, it was more collaborative?
Kaede: Yes. He always includes our ideas for f5ve’s music.
What are some of your favorite anime series? Which did you take inspiration from?
Miyuu: Oshi no Ko and its theme, “Idol” by Yaosobi. We texted him so many.
Rui: My favorite anime are My Hero Academia, Tokyo Ghoul and Kakegurui.
Is there any advice that BloodPop gave you while recording that stuck out to you?
Rui: There isn’t one comment from him, but when we were in the studio with him, [he asked which version of demos we prefer.] It’s so fresh for me. We can have our own opinion and tell him about what we think.
Kaede: When we were recording, BloodPop and our creative director said to me, “More b–chy, more slay,” because my personality and my voice are so energetic.
Are there other ways you feel like your on-stage personas differ from who you are in real life?
Kaede: I’m a totally different person. On stage, I have confidence and I can be more…slayish?
Miyuu: It’s kind of the same for me. Off stage, I’m not outgoing, and I can be pretty shy. But when I perform, it’s like “Look at me, look at me.” [Laughs]
One of f5ve’s goals is to “eradicate self-doubt,” but we all have moments of insecurity. How do you overcome that yourselves?
Rui: We have a lot of practice being on stage and shooting. f5ve is the best team, so I always trust the members, trust the staff and trust myself. And I can be natural, be positive.
Kaede: We compliment each other before we go on stage, always.
Miyuu: “You look so cute. You look so pretty. You look so gorgeous.”
Rui: “Beauty! Sexy!”
What compliment would you give to the person sitting next to you right now?
Kaede: Miyuu is our number one face expression queen.
Miyuu: Sayaka is one of the smallest members, but the way she performs and her aura make you feel otherwise.
Sayaka: Rui is a true idol. She has perfect expressions and is always on point on stage.
Rui: Ruri has… face card. Always beautiful. I’m also addicted to Ruri’s powerful voice. And she is so kind.
Ruri: Kaede is the sunshine of the group. She’s always talking to people, always communicating.
In the music video for “Magic Clock,” there were child dancers who played younger versions of you. Some of you have been in the entertainment industry since you were around their age, so did you have any advice for them?
Rui: They were so nervous during the music video shoot, so we were always by their side. [We told them,] “You are so cute, your dancing is so amazing. Please have confidence.” We gained power from them. I think that situation was my dream come true. I was so happy.
Why was it a dream come true?
Rui: I was a student at [Japanese entertainment training school] EXPG starting at a young age, and during that time, I looked up to E-girls and all the LDH groups.
Besides Kesha, who features on “Sugar-Free Venom,” which artists do you hope to collaborate with in the future?
Rui: I want to collaborate with Addison Rae someday. I love her music videos and her vibes. I’m a huge fan.
Sayaka: I want to collaborate with Tyla.
Miyuu: I love Doja Cat. [Her music embodies] woman empowerment, which is why it matches us.
Kaede: I want to collaborate with Justin Bieber. I’ve been a huge fan of his since I was a junior high school student. He was my first celebrity crush. [Laughs.] I love his voice, I love his music.
Ruri: Taylor Swift. I recently listened to The Tortured Poets Department, and that got me into her.
You also worked with producers like A. G. Cook and Count Baldor on SEQUENCE 01. Who would you love to have write or produce a song for f5ve in the future?
Rui: Of course, I want to create more music with BloodPop, but I want to collaborate with Zedd.
Kaede: I want to collaborate with ASOBISYSTEM in Japan. We saw ATARASHII GAKKO!’s show in LA, so I hope ASOBISYSTEM or Nakata Yasutaka creates our music with ATARASHII GAKKO!
The video for “Underground” had Dekotora trucks and Para Para. What other elements of Japanese culture do you want to share with the world?
Kaede: Natsumatsuri is a summer festival in Japan, and when I was a kid, I practiced and played traditional drums in the festival. So, one day, I want to show you my drum skills in our songs. I can surprise people abroad with that.
Rui: I want to wear a kimono or yukata in a music video or a live show.
The J-pop industry used to be pretty much exclusively interested in the Japanese market, but now we’re starting to see that open up. Why do you think that is?
Miyuu: Lately, I’ve been feeling that the international reception of J-pop is starting to shift. In the past, there weren’t many chances for people to get exposed to J-pop, so the Japanese music industry mainly focused on the domestic market, as you said. But I believe digital culture has played a huge role in introducing J-pop to a global audience.
How does f5ve plan to reach that audience?
Rui: Being natural and being ourselves. Just having fun with our music, loving our music. And each other.
Miyuu: Social media is a very important tool for us. It’s a space where we can really connect with our fans and make them feel close to us. We react to a lot of comments, responding to what fans are curious about. Some people say our account seems unofficial, in the best way. And there’s no other group that has done it like this before. I think that’s what makes people so interested in us.
Since you brought up social media, who is the most online in f5ve?
Miyuu: Rui’s always on her phone, taking selfies.
Kaede: During lunch, during dinner…
Rui: I love searching for TikTok trends.
Is anyone never on their phone, and has no idea what these trends are?
Kaede: Ruri. She could live without her phone.
What did you learn about yourself while making this album?
Kaede: I’ve learned from BloodPop and A. G. Cook that work is not just work. They said not to forget to bring a playful mind to it, enjoy the moment and put yourself into creation.
Sayaka: In my previous group, I was a performer, so I never had a chance to sing. While recording, I discovered what I can express to the world with my voice. I found my new power.
What is still on your bucket list as a group?
Kaede: I want to attend Billboard Women in Music, because recently I saw JENNIE and aespa attend. One day, we want to go and represent Japan.
Rui: I love anime, and our members like anime too, so one day we want to have an anime theme song.
Miyuu: I want to make a role-playing game where we each create our own weapon.
What would everyone’s weapon be?
Rui: Noodle slasher! I eat noodles every day.
Kaede: My big voice.
Miyuu: Lipstick sword, because I love makeup.
Sayaka: Bomb. [Members laugh.] I always say something awkward in conversations and it’s like a bomb.
Ruri: My long hair, like a whip.
Any other bucket list items?
Ruri: Attending Coachella.
Sayaka: I want to meet fans all over the world.
Is there a world tour in the works?
Kaede: There isn’t a date decided yet, but we’re planning.
Rui: Soon!
Kaede: Yes, coming soon.
Benson Boone could be back-flipping his way through your town this fall. The singer announced the dates for his 30-date fall 2025 American Heart arena tour on Monday morning (May 5), with the outing slated to kick off on August 22 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN, before hitting Chicago, Columbus, Cleveland, […]