Queen City music fans will have to wait a while to see Janet Jackson after the pop star announced on Thursday (March 20) that due to “personal matters” she will not be headlining the second night of this summer’s Cincinnati Music Festival.

“To all my Cincinnati Music Festival fans…. I’m so sorry that I won’t be able to be with you all in July. Some personal matters have come up and I am unable to attend. I look forward to seeing you all soon!” Jackson, 58, said in a statement shared by promoters.

Jackson — who previously headlined the festival in 2022 — was slated to headline on July 26 at Paycor Stadium on a bill that also includes Lucky Daye, 112, The Bar-Kays and a tribute to one of the event’s most beloved perennial stars, late R&B legend Maze frontman Frankie Beverly featuring the TMF Band (formerly Maze) feat. Jubu, as well as special guests Ronald Isley, Joe, After 7, Dave Hollister and Raheem DeVaughn.

“We just learned that Janet Jackson is unable to perform at the 2025 Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G due to personal matters,” the event’s promoters said in a statement. “Festival organizers are working quickly to fill her spot on the lineup.”

Night one of this year’s show (July 25) will be headlined by Earth, Wind & Fire and also feature Anthony Hamilton, PJ Morton, Jazmine Sullivan and a Zapp Band tribute to the King Records legacy featuring Dreion. The beloved summertime classic that draws fans from across the country first took place in 1959 in French Lick, IN with a lineup that included the Miles David Quintet, Duke Ellington’s Big Band, Count Basie and Sarah Vaughn.

It has changed names, and profiles, over the years, but has always remained one of the calendar highlights for both the city and music lovers.

After moving to Cincinnati in 1962, it began to shift from a jazz-focused gathering to one that also incorporated a wide range of blues, R&B and soul, featuring such 1970s headliners as Roberta Flack, Ray Charles, Ike & Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye. In the 1980s and 90s it welcomed everyone from Stevie Wonder and Luther Vandross, to New Edition, Natalie Cole and Patti LaBelle.

Though the 2000s have continued to focus on those genres with sets from D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, John Legend, Fantasia, Maxwell, Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott and hometown hero Bootsy Collins, in recent years it has added a third night of programming at the adjacent Brady Music Center spotlighting hip-hop. This year’s opening night will feature sets from Scarface, Goodie Mob, the Sugarhill Gang and Young MC.

While Jackson will not be back this year, at press time the singer’s official site still listed a run of six weekend residency shows at the Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas between May 21-31.

Queen City music fans will have to wait a while to see Janet Jackson after the pop star announced on Thursday (March 20) that due to “personal matters” she will not be headlining the second night of this summer’s Cincinnati Music Festival.

“To all my Cincinnati Music Festival fans…. I’m so sorry that I won’t be able to be with you all in July. Some personal matters have come up and I am unable to attend. I look forward to seeing you all soon!” Jackson, 58, said in a statement shared by promoters.

Jackson — who previously headlined the festival in 2022 — was slated to headline on July 26 at Paycor Stadium on a bill that also includes Lucky Daye, 112, The Bar-Kays and a tribute to one of the event’s most beloved perennial stars, late R&B legend Maze frontman Frankie Beverly featuring the TMF Band (formerly Maze) feat. Jubu, as well as special guests Ronald Isley, Joe, After 7, Dave Hollister and Raheem DeVaughn.

“We just learned that Janet Jackson is unable to perform at the 2025 Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G due to personal matters,” the event’s promoters said in a statement. “Festival organizers are working quickly to fill her spot on the lineup.”

Night one of this year’s show (July 25) will be headlined by Earth, Wind & Fire and also feature Anthony Hamilton, PJ Morton, Jazmine Sullivan and a Zapp Band tribute to the King Records legacy featuring Dreion. The beloved summertime classic that draws fans from across the country first took place in 1959 in French Lick, IN with a lineup that included the Miles David Quintet, Duke Ellington’s Big Band, Count Basie and Sarah Vaughn.

It has changed names, and profiles, over the years, but has always remained one of the calendar highlights for both the city and music lovers.

After moving to Cincinnati in 1962, it began to shift from a jazz-focused gathering to one that also incorporated a wide range of blues, R&B and soul, featuring such 1970s headliners as Roberta Flack, Ray Charles, Ike & Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye. In the 1980s and 90s it welcomed everyone from Stevie Wonder and Luther Vandross, to New Edition, Natalie Cole and Patti LaBelle.

Though the 2000s have continued to focus on those genres with sets from D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, John Legend, Fantasia, Maxwell, Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott and hometown hero Bootsy Collins, in recent years it has added a third night of programming at the adjacent Brady Music Center spotlighting hip-hop. This year’s opening night will feature sets from Scarface, Goodie Mob, the Sugarhill Gang and Young MC.

While Jackson will not be back this year, at press time the singer’s official site still listed a run of six weekend residency shows at the Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas between May 21-31.

Queen City music fans will have to wait a while to see Janet Jackson after the pop star announced on Thursday (March 20) that due to “personal matters” she will not be headlining the second night of this summer’s Cincinnati Music Festival.

“To all my Cincinnati Music Festival fans…. I’m so sorry that I won’t be able to be with you all in July. Some personal matters have come up and I am unable to attend. I look forward to seeing you all soon!” Jackson, 58, said in a statement shared by promoters.

Jackson — who previously headlined the festival in 2022 — was slated to headline on July 26 at Paycor Stadium on a bill that also includes Lucky Daye, 112, The Bar-Kays and a tribute to one of the event’s most beloved perennial stars, late R&B legend Maze frontman Frankie Beverly featuring the TMF Band (formerly Maze) feat. Jubu, as well as special guests Ronald Isley, Joe, After 7, Dave Hollister and Raheem DeVaughn.

“We just learned that Janet Jackson is unable to perform at the 2025 Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G due to personal matters,” the event’s promoters said in a statement. “Festival organizers are working quickly to fill her spot on the lineup.”

Night one of this year’s show (July 25) will be headlined by Earth, Wind & Fire and also feature Anthony Hamilton, PJ Morton, Jazmine Sullivan and a Zapp Band tribute to the King Records legacy featuring Dreion. The beloved summertime classic that draws fans from across the country first took place in 1959 in French Lick, IN with a lineup that included the Miles David Quintet, Duke Ellington’s Big Band, Count Basie and Sarah Vaughn.

It has changed names, and profiles, over the years, but has always remained one of the calendar highlights for both the city and music lovers.

After moving to Cincinnati in 1962, it began to shift from a jazz-focused gathering to one that also incorporated a wide range of blues, R&B and soul, featuring such 1970s headliners as Roberta Flack, Ray Charles, Ike & Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye. In the 1980s and 90s it welcomed everyone from Stevie Wonder and Luther Vandross, to New Edition, Natalie Cole and Patti LaBelle.

Though the 2000s have continued to focus on those genres with sets from D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, John Legend, Fantasia, Maxwell, Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott and hometown hero Bootsy Collins, in recent years it has added a third night of programming at the adjacent Brady Music Center spotlighting hip-hop. This year’s opening night will feature sets from Scarface, Goodie Mob, the Sugarhill Gang and Young MC.

While Jackson will not be back this year, at press time the singer’s official site still listed a run of six weekend residency shows at the Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas between May 21-31.

It’s been a long road from Playboi Carti’s Whole Lotta Red to Music. King Vamp ended the drought with his first album in four-plus years on March 14.

The loaded 30-track album features superstar guests from The Weeknd to Travis Scott, and showcases Carti’s full artistic repertoire. Billboard Unfiltered returned on Wednesday (March 19) with a new episode covering Carti’s new LP from all angles.

“I think this Music album is probably the best showcase of all the different sides to Carti,” staff writer Kyle Denis said. “You get his pop sensibility side on records like ‘Backr00ms,’ and you get some of the rage rap stuff … I love how throw-everything-at-the-wall it was.”

Denis “sighed” every time Travis Scott popped up for a feature. “The best Travis verse for me that was on ‘Backr00ms,’ and that one wasn’t on the album,” he added. “I love how Kendrick kind of slid into Carti’s world. I think that was the highlight for me, seeing him adapt to the vamp stuff.”

Denis “had a great time with Music,” but thinks that it was way too long at 30 tracks. “There’s a great 16-track album hidden somewhere,” he said.

Music is expected to debut atop the Billboard 200, and all 30 tracks could possibly enter next week’s Billboard Hot 100.

Senior charts and data analyst Trevor Anderson highlighted “Evil J0rdan” as when the album really started to take off for him, and noted Kendrick Lamar’s performance in Carti’s world holding his own. “I think he does a good job of playing in the background, but obviously making his presence known,” he said.

He wonders if Carti can have that pop breakthrough run as a hitmaker, but couldn’t land on one track he thought would take off. “‘Rather Lie’ could be a radio record,” Denis said. “Both Kendrick joints will probably do fine. ‘Fine Shit’ is one that popped out to me.”

Lizzo returned last week with her “Still Bad” single as she plots her comeback for 2025. That didn’t come without an X rant, in which she clapped back at haters of the track and called out the mistreatment of Black women artists.

“This is not the first time she has had records that haven’t connected. Right after ‘About Damn Time,’ she tried to push ‘To Be Loved,’ and that didn’t really pop off in a way remotely comparable to ‘About Damn Time.’ I don’t think the culture’s moved beyond corny pop songs,” Denis said. “There’s always going to be an audience for that.”

Watch the full episode above.

It’s been a long road from Playboi Carti’s Whole Lotta Red to Music. King Vamp ended the drought with his first album in four-plus years on March 14.

The loaded 30-track album features superstar guests from The Weeknd to Travis Scott, and showcases Carti’s full artistic repertoire. Billboard Unfiltered returned on Wednesday (March 19) with a new episode covering Carti’s new LP from all angles.

“I think this Music album is probably the best showcase of all the different sides to Carti,” staff writer Kyle Denis said. “You get his pop sensibility side on records like ‘Backr00ms,’ and you get some of the rage rap stuff … I love how throw-everything-at-the-wall it was.”

Denis “sighed” every time Travis Scott popped up for a feature. “The best Travis verse for me that was on ‘Backr00ms,’ and that one wasn’t on the album,” he added. “I love how Kendrick kind of slid into Carti’s world. I think that was the highlight for me, seeing him adapt to the vamp stuff.”

Denis “had a great time with Music,” but thinks that it was way too long at 30 tracks. “There’s a great 16-track album hidden somewhere,” he said.

Music is expected to debut atop the Billboard 200, and all 30 tracks could possibly enter next week’s Billboard Hot 100.

Senior charts and data analyst Trevor Anderson highlighted “Evil J0rdan” as when the album really started to take off for him, and noted Kendrick Lamar’s performance in Carti’s world holding his own. “I think he does a good job of playing in the background, but obviously making his presence known,” he said.

He wonders if Carti can have that pop breakthrough run as a hitmaker, but couldn’t land on one track he thought would take off. “‘Rather Lie’ could be a radio record,” Denis said. “Both Kendrick joints will probably do fine. ‘Fine Shit’ is one that popped out to me.”

Lizzo returned last week with her “Still Bad” single as she plots her comeback for 2025. That didn’t come without an X rant, in which she clapped back at haters of the track and called out the mistreatment of Black women artists.

“This is not the first time she has had records that haven’t connected. Right after ‘About Damn Time,’ she tried to push ‘To Be Loved,’ and that didn’t really pop off in a way remotely comparable to ‘About Damn Time.’ I don’t think the culture’s moved beyond corny pop songs,” Denis said. “There’s always going to be an audience for that.”

Watch the full episode above.

It’s been a long road from Playboi Carti’s Whole Lotta Red to Music. King Vamp ended the drought with his first album in four-plus years on March 14.

The loaded 30-track album features superstar guests from The Weeknd to Travis Scott, and showcases Carti’s full artistic repertoire. Billboard Unfiltered returned on Wednesday (March 19) with a new episode covering Carti’s new LP from all angles.

“I think this Music album is probably the best showcase of all the different sides to Carti,” staff writer Kyle Denis said. “You get his pop sensibility side on records like ‘Backr00ms,’ and you get some of the rage rap stuff … I love how throw-everything-at-the-wall it was.”

Denis “sighed” every time Travis Scott popped up for a feature. “The best Travis verse for me that was on ‘Backr00ms,’ and that one wasn’t on the album,” he added. “I love how Kendrick kind of slid into Carti’s world. I think that was the highlight for me, seeing him adapt to the vamp stuff.”

Denis “had a great time with Music,” but thinks that it was way too long at 30 tracks. “There’s a great 16-track album hidden somewhere,” he said.

Music is expected to debut atop the Billboard 200, and all 30 tracks could possibly enter next week’s Billboard Hot 100.

Senior charts and data analyst Trevor Anderson highlighted “Evil J0rdan” as when the album really started to take off for him, and noted Kendrick Lamar’s performance in Carti’s world holding his own. “I think he does a good job of playing in the background, but obviously making his presence known,” he said.

He wonders if Carti can have that pop breakthrough run as a hitmaker, but couldn’t land on one track he thought would take off. “‘Rather Lie’ could be a radio record,” Denis said. “Both Kendrick joints will probably do fine. ‘Fine Shit’ is one that popped out to me.”

Lizzo returned last week with her “Still Bad” single as she plots her comeback for 2025. That didn’t come without an X rant, in which she clapped back at haters of the track and called out the mistreatment of Black women artists.

“This is not the first time she has had records that haven’t connected. Right after ‘About Damn Time,’ she tried to push ‘To Be Loved,’ and that didn’t really pop off in a way remotely comparable to ‘About Damn Time.’ I don’t think the culture’s moved beyond corny pop songs,” Denis said. “There’s always going to be an audience for that.”

Watch the full episode above.

As two short blonde hitmakers, Dolly Parton and Sabrina Carpenter have a lot in common. But they also have some key differences, and according to the country legend, there were a couple things the pair had to agree on before she signed on to do the 25-year-old pop star’s “Please Please Please” remix earlier this year.

In an interview with Knox News published March 18, Parton had nothing but praise for Carpenter — even if the “Espresso” singer does “talk a little bad now and then.”

“I told her, I said, ‘Now, I don’t cuss,’” continued the “9 to 5” singer. “‘I don’t make fun of Jesus. I don’t talk bad about God, and I don’t say dirty words on camera, but known to if I get mad enough.’”

Those ground rules led the Girl Meets World alum to scrap the famous “motherf–ker” bomb from the chorus of “Please Please Please” for her version with Parton, with the pair instead singing the much cleaner line, “I beg you, don’t embarrass me like the others.”

When Carpenter first announced in February that she and Parton would be teaming up, the former wrote on Instagram, “and yes that does say featuring Miss Dolly Parton…. 💋💋💋she wouldn’t want me to swear but holy s–t!!!!!”

“She was so sweet,” Parton added of Carpenter in the interview before praising two of her other recent collaborators. “And Beyoncé’s great, and Miley [Cyrus], you know I love her. So, I’m just having fun with all of it.”

The Dollywood founder made a cameo on the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer’s Billboard 200-topping Cowboy Carter, which also featured Bey’s updated version of Parton’s “Jolene.” Parton and the “Flowers” artist have worked together a number of times, with the godmother-goddaughter duo recently releasing a duet version of Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” for the country icon’s 2023 Rockstar album.

As for which modern star she wants to work with next, Parton said, “Whoever calls me that I like … I’ll I say, ‘Yeah, I’ll do that!’”

Her conversation with Knox News marks one of the Tennessee native’s first interviews since the death of her husband, Carl Dean, who passed away a few weeks prior at the age of 82. At the time, Parton wrote in a statement, “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years.”

During the interview, Parton shared an update on how she’s faring since the loss. “I’m doing better than I thought I would,” she said. “I’ve been with him 60 years. So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.”

“I’m at peace that he’s at peace,” she added. “But that don’t keep me from missing and loving him.”

As two short blonde hitmakers, Dolly Parton and Sabrina Carpenter have a lot in common. But they also have some key differences, and according to the country legend, there were a couple things the pair had to agree on before she signed on to do the 25-year-old pop star’s “Please Please Please” remix earlier this year.

In an interview with Knox News published March 18, Parton had nothing but praise for Carpenter — even if the “Espresso” singer does “talk a little bad now and then.”

“I told her, I said, ‘Now, I don’t cuss,’” continued the “9 to 5” singer. “‘I don’t make fun of Jesus. I don’t talk bad about God, and I don’t say dirty words on camera, but known to if I get mad enough.’”

Those ground rules led the Girl Meets World alum to scrap the famous “motherf–ker” bomb from the chorus of “Please Please Please” for her version with Parton, with the pair instead singing the much cleaner line, “I beg you, don’t embarrass me like the others.”

When Carpenter first announced in February that she and Parton would be teaming up, the former wrote on Instagram, “and yes that does say featuring Miss Dolly Parton…. 💋💋💋she wouldn’t want me to swear but holy s–t!!!!!”

“She was so sweet,” Parton added of Carpenter in the interview before praising two of her other recent collaborators. “And Beyoncé’s great, and Miley [Cyrus], you know I love her. So, I’m just having fun with all of it.”

The Dollywood founder made a cameo on the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer’s Billboard 200-topping Cowboy Carter, which also featured Bey’s updated version of Parton’s “Jolene.” Parton and the “Flowers” artist have worked together a number of times, with the godmother-goddaughter duo recently releasing a duet version of Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” for the country icon’s 2023 Rockstar album.

As for which modern star she wants to work with next, Parton said, “Whoever calls me that I like … I’ll I say, ‘Yeah, I’ll do that!’”

Her conversation with Knox News marks one of the Tennessee native’s first interviews since the death of her husband, Carl Dean, who passed away a few weeks prior at the age of 82. At the time, Parton wrote in a statement, “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years.”

During the interview, Parton shared an update on how she’s faring since the loss. “I’m doing better than I thought I would,” she said. “I’ve been with him 60 years. So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.”

“I’m at peace that he’s at peace,” she added. “But that don’t keep me from missing and loving him.”

As two short blonde hitmakers, Dolly Parton and Sabrina Carpenter have a lot in common. But they also have some key differences, and according to the country legend, there were a couple things the pair had to agree on before she signed on to do the 25-year-old pop star’s “Please Please Please” remix earlier this year.

In an interview with Knox News published March 18, Parton had nothing but praise for Carpenter — even if the “Espresso” singer does “talk a little bad now and then.”

“I told her, I said, ‘Now, I don’t cuss,’” continued the “9 to 5” singer. “‘I don’t make fun of Jesus. I don’t talk bad about God, and I don’t say dirty words on camera, but known to if I get mad enough.’”

Those ground rules led the Girl Meets World alum to scrap the famous “motherf–ker” bomb from the chorus of “Please Please Please” for her version with Parton, with the pair instead singing the much cleaner line, “I beg you, don’t embarrass me like the others.”

When Carpenter first announced in February that she and Parton would be teaming up, the former wrote on Instagram, “and yes that does say featuring Miss Dolly Parton…. 💋💋💋she wouldn’t want me to swear but holy s–t!!!!!”

“She was so sweet,” Parton added of Carpenter in the interview before praising two of her other recent collaborators. “And Beyoncé’s great, and Miley [Cyrus], you know I love her. So, I’m just having fun with all of it.”

The Dollywood founder made a cameo on the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer’s Billboard 200-topping Cowboy Carter, which also featured Bey’s updated version of Parton’s “Jolene.” Parton and the “Flowers” artist have worked together a number of times, with the godmother-goddaughter duo recently releasing a duet version of Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” for the country icon’s 2023 Rockstar album.

As for which modern star she wants to work with next, Parton said, “Whoever calls me that I like … I’ll I say, ‘Yeah, I’ll do that!’”

Her conversation with Knox News marks one of the Tennessee native’s first interviews since the death of her husband, Carl Dean, who passed away a few weeks prior at the age of 82. At the time, Parton wrote in a statement, “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years.”

During the interview, Parton shared an update on how she’s faring since the loss. “I’m doing better than I thought I would,” she said. “I’ve been with him 60 years. So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.”

“I’m at peace that he’s at peace,” she added. “But that don’t keep me from missing and loving him.”

Regional Mexican superstar Gerardo Ortiz testified against Ángel del Villar, the CEO of his former label Del Records, on Wednesday (March 19) in a downtown Los Angeles federal courtroom. The West Coast-based executive’s criminal trial began on Tuesday where he is accused of doing business with a concert promoter linked to Mexican drug cartels.

The trial follows a 2022 criminal complaint that charged Del Villar, among other defendants, with conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. The complaint also alleged that on April 19, 2018, FBI agents approached Ortiz in Phoenix to inform him about Jesus “Chucho” Pérez Alvear’s designation under the Kingpin Act. Mexican concert promoter Pérez Alvear — who was killed in 2024 — ran a company called Gallistica Diamente (Ticket Premier) and until March 2019, promoted concerts in Mexico for DEL Entertainment.

The designation prohibited Ortiz from conducting business with Pérez and performing concerts that Pérez promoted. Prosecutors claim that the música mexicna hitmaker went on to perform concerts organized by Pérez after Del Villar “convinced” Ortiz to “ignore the FBI warning.”

Ortiz — who pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in the case and is cooperating with the FBI — took the stand and told the jury he saw Pérez Alvear with Del Villar at the Del Records office in Los Angeles two or three times, according to Univision Noticias. He added that Pérez Alvear was at the office to hire bands and artists to perform at his shows in Mexico. He went on to confess that he had performed at Feria de San Marcos in Aguascalientes, Mexico in April 2018, promoted by Pérez Alvear, even after he had already been designated under the Kingpin Act and FBI agents had alerted him that if he performed at the Feria, he could face up to 10 years in prison and pay a fine of $1 million — which is why he was charged initially.

The “Dámaso” singer — who signed to Del Records in 2009 and parted ways with the company in 2019 amid a contract dispute — testified a day after the trial began where Del Villar’s lawyers argued in the opening statements that the Latin music executive was allegedly “manipulated” by former Del Records employee Brian Gutiérrez who “convinced” Del Villar that “everything” the company was doing was “legally acceptable,” according to reports by Rolling Stone.

“There is something deeply wrong and manipulative about how this case was created and investigated,” Del Villar’s defense lawyer Marissa Goldberg said on Tuesday. “The ones who actually created this crime, who manufactured it, are not sitting as defendants, which is even more deeply wrong.”

Founded by Del Villar in 2008, Del Records is considered a powerhouse in regional Mexican music. The label has been música mexicana giants including Ortiz, Ariel Camacho and Eslabon Armado, whose global hit, “Ella Baila Sola” with Peso Pluma, became one of the biggest songs of 2023.

Passed in 1999, the Kingpin Act allows the U.S. to impose targeted sanctions on foreign individuals involved in the illegal drug trade and ban U.S. residents from doing business with them. If convicted of violating the law, Del Villar would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

Regional Mexican superstar Gerardo Ortiz testified against Ángel del Villar, the CEO of his former label Del Records, on Wednesday (March 19) in a downtown Los Angeles federal courtroom. The West Coast-based executive’s criminal trial began on Tuesday where he is accused of doing business with a concert promoter linked to Mexican drug cartels.

The trial follows a 2022 criminal complaint that charged Del Villar, among other defendants, with conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. The complaint also alleged that on April 19, 2018, FBI agents approached Ortiz in Phoenix to inform him about Jesus “Chucho” Pérez Alvear’s designation under the Kingpin Act. Mexican concert promoter Pérez Alvear — who was killed in 2024 — ran a company called Gallistica Diamente (Ticket Premier) and until March 2019, promoted concerts in Mexico for DEL Entertainment.

The designation prohibited Ortiz from conducting business with Pérez and performing concerts that Pérez promoted. Prosecutors claim that the música mexicna hitmaker went on to perform concerts organized by Pérez after Del Villar “convinced” Ortiz to “ignore the FBI warning.”

Ortiz — who pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in the case and is cooperating with the FBI — took the stand and told the jury he saw Pérez Alvear with Del Villar at the Del Records office in Los Angeles two or three times, according to Univision Noticias. He added that Pérez Alvear was at the office to hire bands and artists to perform at his shows in Mexico. He went on to confess that he had performed at Feria de San Marcos in Aguascalientes, Mexico in April 2018, promoted by Pérez Alvear, even after he had already been designated under the Kingpin Act and FBI agents had alerted him that if he performed at the Feria, he could face up to 10 years in prison and pay a fine of $1 million — which is why he was charged initially.

The “Dámaso” singer — who signed to Del Records in 2009 and parted ways with the company in 2019 amid a contract dispute — testified a day after the trial began where Del Villar’s lawyers argued in the opening statements that the Latin music executive was allegedly “manipulated” by former Del Records employee Brian Gutiérrez who “convinced” Del Villar that “everything” the company was doing was “legally acceptable,” according to reports by Rolling Stone.

“There is something deeply wrong and manipulative about how this case was created and investigated,” Del Villar’s defense lawyer Marissa Goldberg said on Tuesday. “The ones who actually created this crime, who manufactured it, are not sitting as defendants, which is even more deeply wrong.”

Founded by Del Villar in 2008, Del Records is considered a powerhouse in regional Mexican music. The label has been música mexicana giants including Ortiz, Ariel Camacho and Eslabon Armado, whose global hit, “Ella Baila Sola” with Peso Pluma, became one of the biggest songs of 2023.

Passed in 1999, the Kingpin Act allows the U.S. to impose targeted sanctions on foreign individuals involved in the illegal drug trade and ban U.S. residents from doing business with them. If convicted of violating the law, Del Villar would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

As 1995 began, Madonna was still an A-plus-list superstar and one of the most famous people in the world — but she was no longer at the absolute center of pop music. A half decade of increasingly controversial (though often brilliant) albums, singles, videos, movies and appearances had left the public divided and unsure about the Queen of Pop’s standing, while the dance-pop she’d conquered the world with in the ’80s had fallen out of fashion in a top 40 landscape dominated by alt-rock, hip-hop and R&B. But ’95 saw her reclaim her radio supremacy, while still taking huge artistic chances and pivoting to a more mature cross-platform star persona — though hardly all at the same time.

In this week’s Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Keith Caulfield, Billboard‘s Managing Director of Charts & Data Operations (and co-host of the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, and longtime M disciple) to express ourselves and not repress ourselves about Madonna’s incredibly fascinating 1995. We pick up mid-Bedtime Stories rollout with Madonna, as she improbably scores the biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit of her entire storied career, and we make it through her LP’s experimental final two singles (and their rather notable music videos), through getting cast in the film role of a lifetime, through the ’95 Video Music Awards, and finally end with her Something to Remember era, while she preps the world for a year of Oscar campaigning.

In the meantime, we brace the most important questions about La M as she reached the midpoint of her 1990s: Which super-cool-and-acclaimed European act made for better Madonna collaborators, Björk or Massive Attack? Why does nobody remember that “Take a Bow” was her longest-running No. 1? Should “Human Nature” have been a bigger hit? Was Evita worth shutting down her mid-’90s touring plans for? Did she really deserve a Razzie for her Four Rooms appearance? And of course: How did she fare in her infamous interview showdown with Courtney Love following the ’95 VMAs?

Check it out above — along with a YouTube playlist of some of the most important moments from Madonna’s 1995, all of which are discussed in the podcast — and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom!

And if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights. (Madonna would want you to!)

Transgender Law Center

Trans Lifeline

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

Also, please consider subscribing to the trans legislation journalism of Erin Reed, and giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on 5Calls.org.

The Sea.Hear.Now festival will be back in Asbury Park, N.J. this fall with a lineup including headliners Blink-182, Hozier, LCD Soundsystem and Lenny Kravitz. The Sept. 13-14 event will also feature sets from Alabama Shakes, ZZ Top, Remi Wolf, Royel Otis, De La Soul, UB40, Gigi Perez, Sublime, Public Enemy, TV on the Radio, Spoon, Phantogram, 4 Non Blondes, Hot Mulligan and Mannequin Pussy, among others.

The seaside event will once host some of the world’s greatest surfers and emerging stars, who will ride the waves throughout the weekend in team contests held between the Surf and Sand stages. Among the scheduled participants are: Landon McNamara, Cam Richards, Balaram Stack, Sam Hammer, Rob Kelly, Cassidy McClain, Pat Schmidt, Mike Gleason and many more.

A pre-sale for the event will kick off on Friday (March 21) at 10 a.m. ET, with a public on-sale to follow if any tickets remain; click here to sign up for a pre-sale passcode.

Among the other musical acts on the roster for this year are: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Inhaler, Mondo Cozmo, Bumpin Uglies, Not Yer Baby, Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge, Landon McNamara, Neal Francis, Surfing for Daisy and The Tide Bends.

Last year’s fest got a major boost when Jersey legend Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ripped off a three-hour-plus throwdown for a massive crowd that was full of hometown stories and a mix of beloved classics and deep-cut tracks. The epic show was later released on CD and for streaming via nugs.net.

Check out the 2025 Sea.Hear.Now announcement below.

The Sea.Hear.Now festival will be back in Asbury Park, N.J. this fall with a lineup including headliners Blink-182, Hozier, LCD Soundsystem and Lenny Kravitz. The Sept. 13-14 event will also feature sets from Alabama Shakes, ZZ Top, Remi Wolf, Royel Otis, De La Soul, UB40, Gigi Perez, Sublime, Public Enemy, TV on the Radio, Spoon, Phantogram, 4 Non Blondes, Hot Mulligan and Mannequin Pussy, among others.

The seaside event will once host some of the world’s greatest surfers and emerging stars, who will ride the waves throughout the weekend in team contests held between the Surf and Sand stages. Among the scheduled participants are: Landon McNamara, Cam Richards, Balaram Stack, Sam Hammer, Rob Kelly, Cassidy McClain, Pat Schmidt, Mike Gleason and many more.

A pre-sale for the event will kick off on Friday (March 21) at 10 a.m. ET, with a public on-sale to follow if any tickets remain; click here to sign up for a pre-sale passcode.

Among the other musical acts on the roster for this year are: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Inhaler, Mondo Cozmo, Bumpin Uglies, Not Yer Baby, Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge, Landon McNamara, Neal Francis, Surfing for Daisy and The Tide Bends.

Last year’s fest got a major boost when Jersey legend Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ripped off a three-hour-plus throwdown for a massive crowd that was full of hometown stories and a mix of beloved classics and deep-cut tracks. The epic show was later released on CD and for streaming via nugs.net.

Check out the 2025 Sea.Hear.Now announcement below.

Dolly Parton said she’s doing her best following the death earlier this month of her beloved husband of nearly six decades, Carl Thomas Dean. After a surprise appearance at the 40th season celebration at her Dollywood resort in Pigeon Forge, TN, last week, the singer spoke to Knox News about how she managing life without Dean, who died on March 3 at age 82.

“I’m doing better than I thought I would,” Parton said. “I’ve been with him 60 year. So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.” Parton added that Dean — who was publicity-shy and more than happy to let his famous wife take all the spotlight over their long marriage — suffered “a great deal” near the end. “I’m at peace that he’s at peace,” she said of the love of her life, who she met when she was 18 and he was 23. “But that don’t keep me from missing and loving him.”

Parton, of course, poured her grief out in the only way she knows how days after Dean’s death, releasing the moving ballad, “If You Hadn’t Been There,” an homage to the stoic support her husband offered her throughout their life together. “If you hadn’t been there/ Where would I be?/ Without your trust/ Love and belief/ The ups and downs/ We’ve always shared/ And I wouldn’t be here/ If you hadn’t been there,” Parton sings on the track.

“If you hadn’t been there/ Well, who would I be?/ You always see the best in me/ You’re loving arms have cradled me/ You held me close, and I believe,” she adds on the song before leaning into the loving chorus: “I wouldn’t be here/ If you hadn’t been there/ Holding my hand/ Showing you care/ You made me dream/ More than I dared/ And I wouldn’t be here/ If you hadn’t been there.”

In her trademark chin-up style, Parton told Knox that there is a “hole in my heart… but we’ll fill that up with good stuff and he’ll still always be with me.”

Though Dean was happy to stay off the radar, Parton also talked about how he loved visiting Dollywood, often standing in line to purchase his own ticket because “he didn’t want somebody giving him a ticket ’cause he was Dolly’s husband. Everybody thinks that’s the funniest thing.” In fact, he’d go alone, snack on funnel cakes and give his wife notes on improvements, saying things like, “‘You need more bathrooms’… or he would say, ‘You need to tell them this or that. It’s crowded over in that area. You might want to tell them they ought to do this or that.”

In his honor, Parton said she plans to hit up Dollywood and “do like Carl” and “walk around, look at everything.” The interview came after Parton made her first public appearance since Dean’s death on March 14, where she thanked Dollywood guests for their love and support.

The Sea.Hear.Now festival will be back in Asbury Park, N.J. this fall with a lineup including headliners Blink-182, Hozier, LCD Soundsystem and Lenny Kravitz. The Sept. 13-14 event will also feature sets from Alabama Shakes, ZZ Top, Remi Wolf, Royel Otis, De La Soul, UB40, Gigi Perez, Sublime, Public Enemy, TV on the Radio, Spoon, Phantogram, 4 Non Blondes, Hot Mulligan and Mannequin Pussy, among others.

The seaside event will once host some of the world’s greatest surfers and emerging stars, who will ride the waves throughout the weekend in team contests held between the Surf and Sand stages. Among the scheduled participants are: Landon McNamara, Cam Richards, Balaram Stack, Sam Hammer, Rob Kelly, Cassidy McClain, Pat Schmidt, Mike Gleason and many more.

A pre-sale for the event will kick off on Friday (March 21) at 10 a.m. ET, with a public on-sale to follow if any tickets remain; click here to sign up for a pre-sale passcode.

Among the other musical acts on the roster for this year are: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Inhaler, Mondo Cozmo, Bumpin Uglies, Not Yer Baby, Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge, Landon McNamara, Neal Francis, Surfing for Daisy and The Tide Bends.

Last year’s fest got a major boost when Jersey legend Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ripped off a three-hour-plus throwdown for a massive crowd that was full of hometown stories and a mix of beloved classics and deep-cut tracks. The epic show was later released on CD and for streaming via nugs.net.

Check out the 2025 Sea.Hear.Now announcement below.

Hours into their Billboard Women in Music photo shoot, the members of aespa are goofing off. High-pitched giggles reverberate through the studio as Winter, Karina, Ningning and Giselle tickle one another’s sides, talk in silly voices and play with the straps on their leathery stage outfits.

It’s mesmerizing to watch the four early-20-somethings be so, well, real, not just because they’re one of K-pop’s most polished acts — which they demonstrate by immediately snapping back into place once the photographer is ready again — but also because ­aespa has a particular penchant for the surreal. The SM Entertainment group debuted in 2020 with K-pop’s first lineup to feature both human and virtual members, pairing each girl with an artificial intelligence (AI) avatar as part of a cyberpunk musical metaverse marked by dark, 808-laced hyperpop and edgy-chic outfits.

Join us at Billboard Women in Music 2025 — get your tickets here.

Ever since, the act has leveraged its niche into unprecedented crossover success — in November, mini-album Whiplash made it the first K-pop girl group to have six projects reach the Billboard 200 top 50, and it just wrapped its second global arena tour — and a reputation for being one of the genre’s “most adventurous and contemporary” groups, as its “Over You” collaborator Jacob Collier put it to Billboard in January.

But going forward, 2025’s Billboard Women in Music Group of the Year also wants to focus on something potentially even more subversive: showing that beneath the personas, its members are just those real-life girls blowing off steam between camera flashes. “We’re not actual AI; we do have days where we don’t feel the best,” Giselle says once the foursome has squeezed together on a couch. “Our storyline can be fun to keep up with, but I want fans to look up to aespa for our human traits, too.”

Why do you think aespa has made a name as trendsetters?

Giselle: There’s always going to be trends, but we don’t follow them because we can’t. We have our own story to tell that was set from the start.

Winter: We usually talk about ourselves more than love [in our lyrics]. We’re the main characters of our stories.

Karina: We’re honest. Of course, you have to be professional and present your best self, but we also try to show the not-perfect side. We’re not trying to filter everything or over-mask ourselves.

What’s next in aespa’s evolution?

Ningning: We did start out with our avatar concept, but now we’re also trying really hard to explore different concepts and themes. In the future, there may be moments where the fans don’t see the avatars.

Karina: We want aespa to be a really stylish group, not only in fashion and music, but also in terms of versatility and excelling in every genre. I also want all our members to shine individually when we’re together and even when we’re not together.

Who are your favorite artists/dream collaborators at the moment?

Ningning: Doechii. I’d just really like to meet her.

Winter: Billie Eilish. She’s so good at expressing her honest feelings through her music.

Karina: Olivia Dean. Whenever I need to find composure, I listen to her.

Giselle: SZA. Her music is so hard to get sick of — and very relatable.

As a girl group, how do you support one another?

Ningning: We’re all from different countries and environments, but we’ve been doing this for five years. They’re always there for me. Working with this mindset that we’re in this together makes it easier to handle challenging situations and emotions.

Winter: I don’t think we could’ve made it through this alone. We’ve had to overcome certain obstacles, but with each other’s support, we were able to move forward. (Karina giggles as Giselle starts poking her ­affectionately.) These girls are all very precious to me.

This story appears in the March 22, 2025, issue of Billboard.

Dolly Parton said she’s doing her best following the death earlier this month of her beloved husband of nearly six decades, Carl Thomas Dean. After a surprise appearance at the 40th season celebration at her Dollywood resort in Pigeon Forge, TN, last week, the singer spoke to Knox News about how she managing life without Dean, who died on March 3 at age 82.

“I’m doing better than I thought I would,” Parton said. “I’ve been with him 60 year. So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.” Parton added that Dean — who was publicity-shy and more than happy to let his famous wife take all the spotlight over their long marriage — suffered “a great deal” near the end. “I’m at peace that he’s at peace,” she said of the love of her life, who she met when she was 18 and he was 23. “But that don’t keep me from missing and loving him.”

Parton, of course, poured her grief out in the only way she knows how days after Dean’s death, releasing the moving ballad, “If You Hadn’t Been There,” an homage to the stoic support her husband offered her throughout their life together. “If you hadn’t been there/ Where would I be?/ Without your trust/ Love and belief/ The ups and downs/ We’ve always shared/ And I wouldn’t be here/ If you hadn’t been there,” Parton sings on the track.

“If you hadn’t been there/ Well, who would I be?/ You always see the best in me/ You’re loving arms have cradled me/ You held me close, and I believe,” she adds on the song before leaning into the loving chorus: “I wouldn’t be here/ If you hadn’t been there/ Holding my hand/ Showing you care/ You made me dream/ More than I dared/ And I wouldn’t be here/ If you hadn’t been there.”

In her trademark chin-up style, Parton told Knox that there is a “hole in my heart… but we’ll fill that up with good stuff and he’ll still always be with me.”

Though Dean was happy to stay off the radar, Parton also talked about how he loved visiting Dollywood, often standing in line to purchase his own ticket because “he didn’t want somebody giving him a ticket ’cause he was Dolly’s husband. Everybody thinks that’s the funniest thing.” In fact, he’d go alone, snack on funnel cakes and give his wife notes on improvements, saying things like, “‘You need more bathrooms’… or he would say, ‘You need to tell them this or that. It’s crowded over in that area. You might want to tell them they ought to do this or that.”

In his honor, Parton said she plans to hit up Dollywood and “do like Carl” and “walk around, look at everything.” The interview came after Parton made her first public appearance since Dean’s death on March 14, where she thanked Dollywood guests for their love and support.

Dolly Parton said she’s doing her best following the death earlier this month of her beloved husband of nearly six decades, Carl Thomas Dean. After a surprise appearance at the 40th season celebration at her Dollywood resort in Pigeon Forge, TN, last week, the singer spoke to Knox News about how she managing life without Dean, who died on March 3 at age 82.

“I’m doing better than I thought I would,” Parton said. “I’ve been with him 60 year. So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.” Parton added that Dean — who was publicity-shy and more than happy to let his famous wife take all the spotlight over their long marriage — suffered “a great deal” near the end. “I’m at peace that he’s at peace,” she said of the love of her life, who she met when she was 18 and he was 23. “But that don’t keep me from missing and loving him.”

Parton, of course, poured her grief out in the only way she knows how days after Dean’s death, releasing the moving ballad, “If You Hadn’t Been There,” an homage to the stoic support her husband offered her throughout their life together. “If you hadn’t been there/ Where would I be?/ Without your trust/ Love and belief/ The ups and downs/ We’ve always shared/ And I wouldn’t be here/ If you hadn’t been there,” Parton sings on the track.

“If you hadn’t been there/ Well, who would I be?/ You always see the best in me/ You’re loving arms have cradled me/ You held me close, and I believe,” she adds on the song before leaning into the loving chorus: “I wouldn’t be here/ If you hadn’t been there/ Holding my hand/ Showing you care/ You made me dream/ More than I dared/ And I wouldn’t be here/ If you hadn’t been there.”

In her trademark chin-up style, Parton told Knox that there is a “hole in my heart… but we’ll fill that up with good stuff and he’ll still always be with me.”

Though Dean was happy to stay off the radar, Parton also talked about how he loved visiting Dollywood, often standing in line to purchase his own ticket because “he didn’t want somebody giving him a ticket ’cause he was Dolly’s husband. Everybody thinks that’s the funniest thing.” In fact, he’d go alone, snack on funnel cakes and give his wife notes on improvements, saying things like, “‘You need more bathrooms’… or he would say, ‘You need to tell them this or that. It’s crowded over in that area. You might want to tell them they ought to do this or that.”

In his honor, Parton said she plans to hit up Dollywood and “do like Carl” and “walk around, look at everything.” The interview came after Parton made her first public appearance since Dean’s death on March 14, where she thanked Dollywood guests for their love and support.

Hours into their Billboard Women in Music photo shoot, the members of aespa are goofing off. High-pitched giggles reverberate through the studio as Winter, Karina, Ningning and Giselle tickle one another’s sides, talk in silly voices and play with the straps on their leathery stage outfits.

It’s mesmerizing to watch the four early-20-somethings be so, well, real, not just because they’re one of K-pop’s most polished acts — which they demonstrate by immediately snapping back into place once the photographer is ready again — but also because ­aespa has a particular penchant for the surreal. The SM Entertainment group debuted in 2020 with K-pop’s first lineup to feature both human and virtual members, pairing each girl with an artificial intelligence (AI) avatar as part of a cyberpunk musical metaverse marked by dark, 808-laced hyperpop and edgy-chic outfits.

Join us at Billboard Women in Music 2025 — get your tickets here.

Ever since, the act has leveraged its niche into unprecedented crossover success — in November, mini-album Whiplash made it the first K-pop girl group to have six projects reach the Billboard 200 top 50, and it just wrapped its second global arena tour — and a reputation for being one of the genre’s “most adventurous and contemporary” groups, as its “Over You” collaborator Jacob Collier put it to Billboard in January.

But going forward, 2025’s Billboard Women in Music Group of the Year also wants to focus on something potentially even more subversive: showing that beneath the personas, its members are just those real-life girls blowing off steam between camera flashes. “We’re not actual AI; we do have days where we don’t feel the best,” Giselle says once the foursome has squeezed together on a couch. “Our storyline can be fun to keep up with, but I want fans to look up to aespa for our human traits, too.”

Why do you think aespa has made a name as trendsetters?

Giselle: There’s always going to be trends, but we don’t follow them because we can’t. We have our own story to tell that was set from the start.

Winter: We usually talk about ourselves more than love [in our lyrics]. We’re the main characters of our stories.

Karina: We’re honest. Of course, you have to be professional and present your best self, but we also try to show the not-perfect side. We’re not trying to filter everything or over-mask ourselves.

What’s next in aespa’s evolution?

Ningning: We did start out with our avatar concept, but now we’re also trying really hard to explore different concepts and themes. In the future, there may be moments where the fans don’t see the avatars.

Karina: We want aespa to be a really stylish group, not only in fashion and music, but also in terms of versatility and excelling in every genre. I also want all our members to shine individually when we’re together and even when we’re not together.

Who are your favorite artists/dream collaborators at the moment?

Ningning: Doechii. I’d just really like to meet her.

Winter: Billie Eilish. She’s so good at expressing her honest feelings through her music.

Karina: Olivia Dean. Whenever I need to find composure, I listen to her.

Giselle: SZA. Her music is so hard to get sick of — and very relatable.

As a girl group, how do you support one another?

Ningning: We’re all from different countries and environments, but we’ve been doing this for five years. They’re always there for me. Working with this mindset that we’re in this together makes it easier to handle challenging situations and emotions.

Winter: I don’t think we could’ve made it through this alone. We’ve had to overcome certain obstacles, but with each other’s support, we were able to move forward. (Karina giggles as Giselle starts poking her ­affectionately.) These girls are all very precious to me.

This story appears in the March 22, 2025, issue of Billboard.

Hours into their Billboard Women in Music photo shoot, the members of aespa are goofing off. High-pitched giggles reverberate through the studio as Winter, Karina, Ningning and Giselle tickle one another’s sides, talk in silly voices and play with the straps on their leathery stage outfits.

It’s mesmerizing to watch the four early-20-somethings be so, well, real, not just because they’re one of K-pop’s most polished acts — which they demonstrate by immediately snapping back into place once the photographer is ready again — but also because ­aespa has a particular penchant for the surreal. The SM Entertainment group debuted in 2020 with K-pop’s first lineup to feature both human and virtual members, pairing each girl with an artificial intelligence (AI) avatar as part of a cyberpunk musical metaverse marked by dark, 808-laced hyperpop and edgy-chic outfits.

Join us at Billboard Women in Music 2025 — get your tickets here.

Ever since, the act has leveraged its niche into unprecedented crossover success — in November, mini-album Whiplash made it the first K-pop girl group to have six projects reach the Billboard 200 top 50, and it just wrapped its second global arena tour — and a reputation for being one of the genre’s “most adventurous and contemporary” groups, as its “Over You” collaborator Jacob Collier put it to Billboard in January.

But going forward, 2025’s Billboard Women in Music Group of the Year also wants to focus on something potentially even more subversive: showing that beneath the personas, its members are just those real-life girls blowing off steam between camera flashes. “We’re not actual AI; we do have days where we don’t feel the best,” Giselle says once the foursome has squeezed together on a couch. “Our storyline can be fun to keep up with, but I want fans to look up to aespa for our human traits, too.”

Why do you think aespa has made a name as trendsetters?

Giselle: There’s always going to be trends, but we don’t follow them because we can’t. We have our own story to tell that was set from the start.

Winter: We usually talk about ourselves more than love [in our lyrics]. We’re the main characters of our stories.

Karina: We’re honest. Of course, you have to be professional and present your best self, but we also try to show the not-perfect side. We’re not trying to filter everything or over-mask ourselves.

What’s next in aespa’s evolution?

Ningning: We did start out with our avatar concept, but now we’re also trying really hard to explore different concepts and themes. In the future, there may be moments where the fans don’t see the avatars.

Karina: We want aespa to be a really stylish group, not only in fashion and music, but also in terms of versatility and excelling in every genre. I also want all our members to shine individually when we’re together and even when we’re not together.

Who are your favorite artists/dream collaborators at the moment?

Ningning: Doechii. I’d just really like to meet her.

Winter: Billie Eilish. She’s so good at expressing her honest feelings through her music.

Karina: Olivia Dean. Whenever I need to find composure, I listen to her.

Giselle: SZA. Her music is so hard to get sick of — and very relatable.

As a girl group, how do you support one another?

Ningning: We’re all from different countries and environments, but we’ve been doing this for five years. They’re always there for me. Working with this mindset that we’re in this together makes it easier to handle challenging situations and emotions.

Winter: I don’t think we could’ve made it through this alone. We’ve had to overcome certain obstacles, but with each other’s support, we were able to move forward. (Karina giggles as Giselle starts poking her ­affectionately.) These girls are all very precious to me.

This story appears in the March 22, 2025, issue of Billboard.