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Being an innovator can often mean traveling a lonely road. Singer/songwriter Laufey knows that better than most. The 25-year-old Berklee College of Music grad who has spent the past four-plus years plumbing the tricky confluence of jazz, classical and pop is lauded as a Gen Z innovator in TIME magazine’s Women of the Year feature.
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Taking her place on this year’s list alongside the indefatigable Nicole Kidman, trans-rights activist Raquel Willis, Emmy-winning Shogun star Anna Sawai and abortion rights activist Amanda Zurawski, among others, the Reykjavík-born performer is hailed as the “only singer in the world who has their jazz scat solos sung back to them note-for-note by arenas filled with adoring fans.”
With a wide range of inspirations stretching from Schubert’s series of eight solo piano Impromptus to Ella Fitzgerald’s signature scatting and Taylor Swift-like pop bridges, the piece notes that Laufey is as comfortable playing heady pieces alongside symphony orchestras as she is making one of her signature lighthearted TikTok videos.
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“I used to think that was such a scary thing: that nobody had walked that trail before me,” she told the magazine during a break from recording her third album in New York. “But I now realize that when you’re the one determining which steps to take next and which branches to pull to the side, that’s when you know you have something good on your hands.”
The songs on her romantic 2022 debut, Everything I Know About Love, and it’s 2023 follow-up, Bewitched, are comprised of mostly original lovesick ballads inspired by what she calls her “bible,” the Great American Songbook. “I want people to enjoy the music without feeling like they have to be super educated on its history,” said the singer who learned to play classical piano and cello as a child. “Like any other kind of music, it can be something that lifts you up or accompanies you on a sad day.”
And though she rose to prominence in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic by posting videos of herself singing some of those midcentury standards, Laufey decided to take a right turn from honing her chops on the jazz circuit performing already-established favorites in favor of writing original songs TIME described as “in the style of those old standards, but imbued with modern slang and conveying big, relatable feelings.”
That unique mix of beloved old reliables and TikTok videos in which she models outfits and lip synchs to Sabrina Carpenter songs — as well as having her dance moves ported into Fortnite — has led to fast friendships with fellow twentysomething pop starlets such as Olivia Rodrigo and Beabadoobee. “There are a lot of young women who connect with each other — and me — through this feeling of being the outcast,” she said.
The one-of-a-kind mash-up has already paid off in a major way, with Laufey taking home her first Grammy last year for best traditional pop vocal album for Bewitched. Not willing to be a media-appointed “savior of jazz,” though, Laufey said her upcoming as-yet-untitled album will be more “daring” and feature a more diverse mixing of genres.
“I want to see if I can keep the integrity of my music but also allow myself to try out a bit of what modern technology allows,” she said, seemingly unbothered by critics, and fans, who are sometimes eager to ding her for wanting to stray from her perceived lane. “The fact that the jazz and classical worlds seem to struggle with the idea of an artist being both commercially successful and musically interesting — it breaks my heart a little. Why can’t I be both?”
LE SSERAFIM are artists, but also, in the new trailer for their upcoming fifth mini album, HOT, they are also quite literally pieces of art. The intriguing two-minute teaser for the EP that is due out on March 14 dropped on Thursday (Feb. 20) and it finds a gallery full of art lovers perusing an exhibition entitled “HOT, We’re hot on our own, 2025,” in which the quintet are frozen in a variety of poses while seated or standing on metallic platforms.
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Singers KIM CHAEWON, SAKURA, HUH YUNJIN, KAZUHA, and HONG EUNCHAE manage to hold their icy postures as a somber violin plays in the background, until their statue-like reverie is unexpectedly broken by an adorable grey cat with tiny wings. The sound of the kitty’s meowing sets off a handclap beat and a dilation of the women’s eyes, sneezing them to life as they appear to melt into the ground while a temperature gauge rises from cold to warm.
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A ghostly track bubbles up and the members come to life, interacting with a Marcel Duchamp-like off-the-shelf kitchen faucet titled “Purity is the Hottest,” which, when turned on and allowed to flow onto the floor, electrocutes the feline, transforming the sterile space into a throbbing nightclub.
From crawling through fur-lined tunnels to walking on a giant hamster wheel, the women are awakened as a voiceover intones “a single flame was born” in Korean while they and the gallery patrons expertly catwalk their way through the space. “The flame engulfed the silence, splitting apart the dark” a voice reveals in English, further advancing the fiery narrative with the cryptic phrase: “Drawn to the wavering beauty, the flame believed that the reason for its existence was to burn ever brighter.”
With the temperature quickly rising to “hot,” the liquid from the sink turns into a fiery flame and the once-again-frozen women are blown away like dust by an unseen wind, only to rise again from the ashes like phoenixes.
HOT is the follow-up to the group’s 2024 fourth mini-album, CRAZY.
Watch the HOT trailer below.
This Valentine’s Day, Drake released his first new album since before his 2024 feud with Kendrick Lamar changed everything about his career outlook and overall narrative — the PartyNextDoor full-length team-up $ome $exy $ongs 4 U. While the final verdict on the album and what it might (or might not) do for Drake’s overall trajectory […]
Lady Gaga has made a career of wearing the most outrageous, impractical and confounding costumes in pop history. But one outfit in particular has continued to top the list of her most cuckoo couture: the Franc Fernandez-designed meat dress she wore to the 2010 MTV VMAs.
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The cow costume accessorized with steak shoes and a shank chapeau blew minds at the time and continues to be one of her most iconic looks. But in a new lie detector test with Vanity Fair, Gaga was asked if she would ever wear the raw chuck couture — which was later preserved and turned into beef jerky — again.
“I don’t think so. No,” Gaga, 38, told the examiner, who informed the singer that her answer was “inconclusive.” Gaga seemed taken aback, responding, “Oh, well, that was a surprise.” She was also reminded that she asked Cher to hold her meat purse while accepting the video of the year award for “Bad Romance.”
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When the interviewer asked if that moment brought her closer to the fellow pop icon, Gaga said, “I think so. In the moment.”
Dressed in a lacy white outfit with peaked shoulders and a corset top, a serious-looking Gaga seemed nervous to take the test, admitting that she does not “have a good poker face,” which the examiner said caused the machine to detect “some deception.”
“So I do have a good poker face? Thank you,” she replied with a contented smile. In a timely query, Gaga was reminded that the video for her 2009 collab with Beyoncé, “Telephone,” says “to be continued” at the end, prompting a question about whether there will be a second part some day. “Yes,” Gaga said, though she admitted she didn’t know when it would be released, and, when presented with a picture of Beyoncé and asked if her fellow pop icon would be involved the second time, slyly saying “maybe.”
As for whether she’s ever answered the phone and said, “sorry, I can’t hear you, I’m kind of busy,” as she sings in the song, Mother Monster said, “I feel like I might have done that before, but maybe not,” fretting that she was saying both yes and no; the interviewer said either way she was being truthful.
Also, for the record, she still has that giant egg she arrived in at the 2011 Grammy Awards, which is stashed in her 40,000-square foot archive with her other famous costumes.
At press time it wasn’t clear if the second “Telephone” would be including on Gaga’s upcoming seventh studio album, Mayhem, which is slated to drop on March 7. Earlier this week, the singer revealed the full track list for the 14-track LP, which will feature the previously released singles “Die With a Smile,” “Abracadabra” and “Disease,” as well as “Garden of Eden,” “Perfect Celebrity,” “Zombieboy,” “Vanish Into You,” “LoveDrug,” “How Bad Do U Want Me,” “Don’t Call Tonight,” the Gesaffelstein-collab “Killah,” “Shadow of a Man,” “The Beast,” “Blade of Grass” and two bonus tracks, “Kill For Love” and “Can’t Stop the High.”
Watch Gaga take the VF lie detector test below (beef talk begins at 11:30 mark).
Tate McRae is stepping into a new era with her third studio album, So Close to What, set for release Friday. To celebrate, McRae partnered with Spotify for an intimate listening party on Tuesday night at The Living Room in Los Angeles, where 40 fans got an exclusive first listen.
From the moment the first song played, the energy in the room was electric. Fans were dancing, jumping and fully immersed, reacting in real time as McRae unveiled her most personal and dynamic project yet.
The night wasn’t just about the music. It also featured a Q&A session with McRae’s best friend, social media personality Jake Shane. Their dynamic was effortless, filled with playful banter, inside jokes and genuine excitement for the album. Shane, one of McRae’s biggest supporters, couldn’t hide his enthusiasm, especially for his favorite track of the night. Before “Signs” played, he hyped it up to the room, blurting out, “It’s so good!” McRae laughed, adding, “It’s a really fun, sarcastic pop song. … I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.” The second it started, the entire room was moving. The track is pure spring and summer energy — made for blasting in the car, top down, cruising with friends.
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McRae’s So Close to What delivers a mix of vulnerability and high-energy anthems, showing her evolution as an artist. One of the biggest crowd favorites of the night was “Revolving Door.” The second it started, fans latched onto it, jumping and dancing without hesitation. It’s a song that demands movement, a full-blown party record with pulsing energy. The room was completely alive, and it was impossible not to picture this track blowing up on playlists and club remixes.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, “Purple Lace Bra” slowed things down, bringing an introspective, emotional energy. McRae described it as her response to the media, a raw and deeply personal track. Speaking on the theme of the album, she explained, “The album title encapsulates how I felt turning 21 … feeling like you’re finally a woman while also wrestling with how the media portrays you.”
Then there was “Green Light,” a track about the exhilarating-yet-terrifying feeling of falling in love again. It captures the tension of hesitation and excitement, like waiting at a green light, unsure whether to move forward. The mix of vulnerability and an infectious beat makes it an instant fan favorite — one of those songs that lingers long after it ends.
But the highlight of the night: “Bloodonmyhands,” featuring Flo Milli. The second the beat dropped, the entire room erupted. People stood up, danced and completely lost themselves in the music. It was giving summer 2016 — chaotic, fun, completely unfiltered energy. And Flo Milli, she ate. Her delivery, her confidence, her flow — she brought exactly what the song needed, and the crowd’s reaction said it all.
During the chat, McRae opened up about much of the album leaking ahead of her release date, which she called a “f—ing bummer.” “I was just so devastated because I’m like, ‘There’s nothing I can do about this.’” McRae combated the leak by getting back in the studio and writing some new songs to add to the project, including what would become the Flo Milli collab, plus “Like I Do.”
McRae also gave fans insight into her creative process, revealing that her alter ego played a big role in shaping some of the songs. “Tatiana, my alter ego, wrote a lot of the songs on the album — including ‘Sports Car,’” she shared of her latest single.
One of the most anticipated collaborations is “I Know Love,” her song with boyfriend The Kid Laroi, which came together in a way neither of them expected. “It was a really funny process, because me and Laroi have never really, like, taken each other seriously,” she laughed. “You know when you’re in a relationship and you sing around each other, but you don’t really, like, sing? So it was a little stressful being in the studio singing and writing in front of him, but it was a cool experience to watch him in his process.”
McRae closes the album with “Nostalgia,” a deeply personal track that lingers long after the final note. It’s the perfect ending to an album that takes listeners through every high and low.
The listening party proved that So Close to What will be a defining moment in McRae’s career. Fans connected instantly with the songs, and the energy in the room was undeniable. With her Miss Possessive Tour kicking off in March, this is just the beginning. If the reactions at the listening event were any indication, McRae’s biggest era yet has officially arrived.
Tate McRae and Jake Shane speak during an exclusive listening of ‘So Close to What’ with Tate McRae at The Living Room on February 18, 2025 in Los Angeles.
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It’s been nearly 16 years since Lady Gaga and Beyoncé made a Thelma & Louise-style getaway in their “Telephone” collaboration, with the music video ending with the message, “To be continued…” Now, the story really is continuing. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Lady Gaga sat down with […]
The Backstreet Boys are psyched that they will be the first pop group to take the stage at Las Vegas’ Sphere in July, and when Billboard asked what fans can expect from the shows, AJ McLean promised, “one incredible experience,” while Nick Carter added “sensory overload.”
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In addition to performing their 1999 career-peak Millennium album in full along with some greatest hits and new single, “Hey,” McLean teased that there might be “some new adaptations of things,” requesting that attendees pack “something all white” for the 12-show run that will bring McLean, Carter, Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson and Howie Dorough to the high-tech venue in July.
The Boys, who are now men in their mid-to-late 40s and early 50s, said they’ll be bringing their friends, and families, along for the ride, with McLean reminiscing about going from the original in-the-round configuration for the first Millennium run to the bump-up to the most state-of-the-art, “sonically overwhelming… visually outstanding” venue on the planet. (Check out the full interview in the video above.)
They’re also psyched to make history as the first pop band to touch down in the futuristic arena that to date has hosted U2, Phish, Dead & Company, the Eagles, EDM act Anyma and, later this spring, Kenny Chesney.
“Die hard fans are going to get a great experience, a great nostalgic moment,” McLean said, with Dorough revealing that they are working on the setlist at the moment. “Even just playing the whole Millennium album, there’s some deep cuts in there that we were just discussing the other day,” Dorough said. “[We were] reminiscing about some of the songs like ‘The Perfect Fan’ and ‘No One Else Comes Close to You’ [and ‘Spanish’] Eyes,’ which are songs that the fans probably haven’t heard since the Millennium tour.”
The 25th anniversary celebration of the album that topped the Billboard 200 for 10 weeks and has sold more than 24 million copies to date coincides with the July 11 release of Millennium 2.0, a two-CD collection featuring a remastered version of the original — including the hits “I Want It That Way” and “The One” — along with six demos from the sessions for the album, as well as b-sides from international releases, six live tracks and the previously unheard track “Hey.”
Richardson said “Hey” was tracked during the session for their 2019 DNA album, and while they all agreed it was a “beautiful song,” it didn’t quite fit that LP’s vibe. Not to worry, though, it will get its live debut on what McLean said will be the “massive” stage set-up that will include the men pulling off some of their most iconic choreography, and maybe some new moves.
As for who they would like to see at the Sphere once they’re done burning up the stage, Richardson said for sure Coldplay while Carter joked that he’s like to see, well, the Backstreet Boys.
The BSB will touch down at the Sphere on July 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27, as well as August 1, 2 and 3. The artist presale for the shows is open now, with the general on-sale slated to launch on Friday (Feb. 21) at 9 a.m. PT here.
“I’ve been bursting at the seams to be able to talk about this stuff,” Chloe Moriondo tells Billboard of her upcoming album, Oyster. The singer-songwriter shifted her aesthetic across her three previous albums, from the ukulele twee on 2018’s Rabbit Hearted. to heartfelt pop-punk on 2021’s Blood Bunny to fuzzed-out, radio-ready melodies on 2022’s SUCKERPUNCH.
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Oyster, due out Mar. 28 on Public Consumption/Atlantic Music Group, functions as an amalgamation of those sounds, while also featuring the 22-year-old’s most vulnerable lyrics by far. “This feels like a very special project,” says Moriondo. “I’m nervous, as I always am before releasing things, but especially because this one’s so personal.”
On Wednesday (Feb. 19), Moriondo released the second preview of the album with “Hate It,” a gleefully unhinged pop track with a creeping bass line and an obsessive protagonist (“Wanna wear your body and trade places / Everybody loves you, and I hate it,” Moriondo sings on the chorus). After showcasing a sardonic streak on SUCKERPUNCH, Moriondo lets the dark humor simmer on the track while the listener is urged to hum along.
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“It’s one of the only non-aquatic songs off the album,” Moriondo says of “Hate It,” which is surrounded by songs titled “7 Seas,” “Abyss” and “Shoreline” on Oyster. “I did stick very thematically with the ocean, water and all things aquatic in general. But ‘Hate It’ was an oddball, and it just proved to me that I’m going to continue writing murderous pop love songs till I die, I’m pretty sure. And we just couldn’t leave her off the album.”
Moriondo began working on the new album in early 2023, tinkering on songs for weeks at a time in London and Los Angeles, while also processing the worst breakup of her life. Heartbreak, and how to manage its aftereffects, serves as the undercurrent of Oyster, from the mournful piano ballad “Pond” to the reflective bedroom-pop track “Raw” to the breathtaking “Siren Calling,” which offers closure within the final track.
“It was very cathartic to be able to pour out everything that had been going on in my brain and in my life,” Moriondo notes. “It was nerve-wracking, in some ways. I kind of felt like a baby sea turtle — flopping around, confused — for the first couple sessions and the first couple songs. I felt a little bit nervous, but it also felt like an outpouring of pent-up energy and emotion that I was excited to finally be able to release.”
Not only does Oyster represent the cohesive front-to-back listen of Moriondo’s career, but the singer-songwriter says that she wants every aspect of this album campaign to feel part of a whole — and that she became more hands-on with the planning of execution of this rollout than she’s ever been.
“With this album, I’ve just learned how crucial it can be to be as involved as possible creatively, with every facet of the album,” she says. “With an album like Blood Bunny or Rabbit Hearted., I was so young, and I say this as a term of endearment, but I was still very ignorant to a lot of things. I don’t think I poured as much of myself as I could have into a lot of my previous stuff, in terms of the touring, the vinyl packaging, just the life and blood of it. So I think I’m much more connected creatively to this album than I have been.”
After releasing “Shoreline” as the first taste of Oyster last month, Moriondo also announced a spring headlining tour, which kicks off on Apr. 24 in Detroit. She says that ideas for performing these new songs live have dominated her thoughts for months, and she hopes that her shows are as freeing for her fans as making this album proved to be for her.
“The people who come to my shows, whether they’re longtime fans or new fans or boyfriends or parents of fans, can expect to experience a very immersive show,” Moriondo says with a laugh. “A lot of dancing, a lot of potential crying, and something reminiscent of the Jellyfish Jam from Spongebob.”
Before he began dating Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce was a typical bro, bro. At least according to former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who sat down with Trav’s big brother, fellow retired NFL great Jason Kelce, on this week’s Fitz & Whit podcast to talk beer pong and the tremendous growth they’ve seen in Travis since […]
Sabrina Carpenter will headline a second night at London’s BST Hyde Park. The Short n’ Sweet singer will now perform another huge outdoor show on July 6, 2025 following her previously sold-out show on July 5. Carpenter was first announced for BST Hyde Park back in December and joined Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), Noah Kahan, […]