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Nachoâs Christian Album âSobre La Rocaâ & More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music
From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Hereâs what happened in the Latin music world this week.
A Celia Cruz Tribute
Celia Cruz will be honored and celebrated at the 2025 Billboard Latin Women in Music Awards to air April 24 on Telemundo. The late Cuban star, who was born in 1925 and passed away in 2003, will be recognized with the Legend Award, and will also be honored with a centennial tribute performance by Puerto Rican powerhouses Ivy Queen, La India, and Olga Tañón. The latter of the three will receive this yearâs Lifetime Achievement Award.Â
In addition to Cruz and Tañón, other 2025 honorees include Anitta (Vanguard Award), Belinda (Evolution Award), Chiquis (Impact Award), Ha*Ash (Unbreakable Award) and Natti Natasha (Unstoppable Award). Mexican star Ana Bårbara will host the two-hour ceremony. The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live April 24 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. Central exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean onTelemundo Internacional.
Nachoâs New Era
Venezuelan singer-songwriter Nacho surprised fans with a new studio album called Sobre La Roca out via Bakno Music and Be Global Music. Home to 11 tracks, with titles such as âGracias,â âMi Testimonio,â and âAmĂ©n,â the ultra-personal album is charged with powerful and motivational lyrics about faith, hope and peace. The songs are backed by urban, tropical, and pop melodies â genres very familiar to Nachoâs commercial sound. âI hope the songs on this album help us strengthen our relationship with God,â the artist born Miguel Ignacio Mendoza Donatti and known for being part of the famed duo Chyno y Nacho, expressed on Instagram. Stream and listen to Sobre La Roca below:Â
Periko & Jessi LeĂłn Rebrand
After a trajectory that spans more than 10 years and includes a best new artist Latin Grammy nomination in 2014, Periko & Jessi LeĂłn are making a comeback â and rebranding themselves. The Latin pop duo, composed by the Argentine and Peruvian artists and musicians, is returning from a five-year hiatus with a new project called PJ Kids, for which their 4-year-old son Milo is joining as their official drummer. âWe had to pause our music, our songs, our dreams, because life called us to become parents,â the duo expressed on Instagram. âAfter many years, we return to the studio not only as artists, but as parents,â they noted, adding that their new songs are inspired by their son. âDreams never die, they only transform.â
A Kelly Clarkson Show Debut
Three months after dropping their collaborative effort, âQuerida Yo,â Yami Safdie and Camilo officially performed it on The Kelly Clarkson Show this week. âItâs gone viral in 20 different countries,â Clarkson said ahead of their heartwarming national TV performance. The soft pop ballad is a tribute to personal empowerment and the hope of releasing the vulnerabilities we face by choosing to become our greatest strength and version, conveying the true message of the meaning of faith. âWhat a dream being able to present this song alongside Camilo, thank you for having us,â the Argentine newcomer and former Billboard Latin Artist on the Radar, shared on Instagram. Â
A Chicas del Can Film
Famed â90s all-girl merengue group Las Chicas del Can is getting the film treatment through a documentary focused on its lead singer, Miriam Cruz. The announcement was shared on social media via a trailer of the forthcoming film called La Historia de una Diva directed by Giancarlo Beras-Goico. Based on Cruzâs career challenges and successes, and narrated in her own words, the documentary will âtrace back to her beginnings in Las Chicas del Can, her solo career, and her current impact as a symbol of empowerment and perseverance in the music industry,â according to the caption on Instagram. Watch the trailer of La Historia de una Diva below.Â
How to Watch Lifetime Movies Online for Free
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Donât look now, but Lifetime is having a resurgence.
Yes, the television channel that was once home to cheesy Christmas movies and over-the-top shows is now delivering some seriously must-watch programming. From a Taylor Swift-inspired Christmas movie last year to a controversial Wendy Williams documentary, Lifetime has now become a destination for buzzed-about films, shows and specials that span music and pop culture interests.
Many musicians are now also flexing their acting chops in Lifetime movies, like Glee star Amber Riley in the Single Black Female trilogy, while Mary J. Blige, Lisa Lisa and Gloria Gaynor are featured in Lifetimeâs 2025 âVoices of a Lifetimeâ series. And yes, we still love watching those Lifetime Christmas movies too.
Lifetime is available as a channel in most cable packages so you can watch Lifetime on TV through your cable provider. While many people have cut the cable cord, there are still ways to watch Lifetime (and Lifetime movies) online. Hereâs what you need to know.
How to Watch Lifetime Channel Online Without Cable
The best way to watch Lifetime channel live online without cable is by using a live TV streaming service, like DirecTV or Philo. Both offer a live Lifetime feed so you can watch whatever is airing on TV but from your computer, phone or tablet (and from your smart TV too).
We like Philo, which costs just $28/month for more than 70 live television channels, including Lifetime, AMC, BET, MTV, TLC, VH1 and more. Philo also includes access to the Lifetime Movie Network for even more content options. Test out Philo with a seven-day free trial here to stream Lifetime online for free.
We also like DirecTV, which is the most comprehensive live TV streamer on our list. DirecTVâs base entertainment package includes 90+ live TV channels, including Lifetime. You also get access to Bravo, E!, ESPN, MTV and more, plus most local networks like ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX.
DirecTV plans start at $84.99/month but you can test drive the service with a five-day free trial here.
Your most affordable way to stream Lifetime movies live online is through frndly TV. One of the newer streaming services to hit the market, frndlyâs plans start at just $6.99/month for 50+ channels. Their channel lineup includes Lifetime, Hallmark Channel, Great American Family, ION and more. Even better: get a seven-day free trial here and use it to watch Lifetime online free.
How to Watch Lifetime Movies On-Demand Online
The live streaming services above will let you watch the Lifetime channel live online, but what if you wanted to find a favorite Lifetime movie to watch on-demand? Luckily, the same streaming services listed in the previous section will let you watch movies and specials on-demand on the Lifetime website.
Simply create a profile on the MyLifetime.com website and enter your cable provider details. Donât have cable? You can enter your DirecTV and Philo details too to get access to all the content on Lifetimeâs official site.
Another way to watch Lifetime movies on-demand? You can also sign up for Lifetime Movie Club, which has thousands of titles available to watch online. Regularly $4.99/month, Amazon Prime members can get a seven-day free trial here to watch Lifetime Movie Club online free. One of the best parts of Lifetime Movie Club is the ability to stream the movies ad-free.
Not a Prime member? Use this generous 30-day free trial to get access to the Lifetime Movie Club in addition to all the other Prime member perks, like free shipping, Prime Day deals and more.
Select Lifetime movies are also available to rent or download through Prime Video. See full details here.
Michelle Williams âFinallyâ Meets the Other Michelle Williams After Hilarious Mixup
After getting mixed up by the general public for years, one particularly hilarious mixup prompted Michelle Williams and Michelle Williams to finally link up.
In a video posted Thursday (April 17) by the first Williams â as in, the superstar previously in the BeyoncĂ©-led girl group Destinyâs Child â she sits backstage after a performance of her Broadway show Death Becomes Her, telling the camera, âWe had an amazing show tonight!â
She then pulls out a stack of photos of the other Williams â aka the five-time Oscar-nominated actress whoâs starred in everything from Brokeback Mountain to My Week With Marilyn â that a fan had mistakenly mailed her in the hopes of getting an autograph weeks prior. Turning the camera, the first Williams reveals that the second Williams is sitting there beside her, and the former asks the latter to sign the pictures of herself.
âWho should I make it out to?â the Blue Valentine star says, to which the âJourney to Freedomâ singer replies giddily, âWould you make them out to meee?â
â#FINALLY,â reads the videoâs caption.
The sweet meetup comes a little over a month after the singer posted a video of herself reading aloud a letter from a fan, featuring a hilarious twist at the end. ââDear Michelle Williams, I hope this letter finds you in great spirits,’â she recited in the March clip. ââMy name is Philip, and I have been an avid fan of your incredible performances in both film and theater.’â
ââYour work in movies like Blue Valentine, Manchester by the Sea or The Greatest Showman has deeply moved me and many others, showcasing your exceptional talent,’â she continued at the time. ââI am writing to kindly ask if you would consider signing the enclosed photos I have of you. Having your autograph would mean so much for me and my daughter, as we admire your artistry.’â
Thatâs when the first Williams showed the photos Philip had sent: snapshots of the second Williams in various movies. âPhilip, thank you so much,â she said, laughing. âThank you, Philip. Thank you so much. Absolutely brilliant. Her hair is fabulous.â
Though the moment was certainly memorable, Philip is far from the first person to get the two Michelle Williamses switched around. With both women working in the entertainment industry since the 1990s, countless others have gotten their identical names confused over the years.
The âUnexpectedâ artist has been starring in Death Becomes Her since the show opened in New York City in November. On the very first night of performances, her former bandmates BeyoncĂ© and Kelly Rowland came out to Lunt-Fontanne Theatre to cheer her on. Film star Michelle is currently promoting her Hulu miniseries Dying for Sex.
See Michelle Williams Squared meet up below.
Michelle Williams âFinallyâ Meets the Other Michelle Williams After Hilarious Mixup
After getting mixed up by the general public for years, one particularly hilarious mixup prompted Michelle Williams and Michelle Williams to finally link up.
In a video posted Thursday (April 17) by the first Williams â as in, the superstar previously in the BeyoncĂ©-led girl group Destinyâs Child â she sits backstage after a performance of her Broadway show Death Becomes Her, telling the camera, âWe had an amazing show tonight!â
She then pulls out a stack of photos of the other Williams â aka the five-time Oscar-nominated actress whoâs starred in everything from Brokeback Mountain to My Week With Marilyn â that a fan had mistakenly mailed her in the hopes of getting an autograph weeks prior. Turning the camera, the first Williams reveals that the second Williams is sitting there beside her, and the former asks the latter to sign the pictures of herself.
âWho should I make it out to?â the Blue Valentine star says, to which the âJourney to Freedomâ singer replies giddily, âWould you make them out to meee?â
â#FINALLY,â reads the videoâs caption.
The sweet meetup comes a little over a month after the singer posted a video of herself reading aloud a letter from a fan, featuring a hilarious twist at the end. ââDear Michelle Williams, I hope this letter finds you in great spirits,’â she recited in the March clip. ââMy name is Philip, and I have been an avid fan of your incredible performances in both film and theater.’â
ââYour work in movies like Blue Valentine, Manchester by the Sea or The Greatest Showman has deeply moved me and many others, showcasing your exceptional talent,’â she continued at the time. ââI am writing to kindly ask if you would consider signing the enclosed photos I have of you. Having your autograph would mean so much for me and my daughter, as we admire your artistry.’â
Thatâs when the first Williams showed the photos Philip had sent: snapshots of the second Williams in various movies. âPhilip, thank you so much,â she said, laughing. âThank you, Philip. Thank you so much. Absolutely brilliant. Her hair is fabulous.â
Though the moment was certainly memorable, Philip is far from the first person to get the two Michelle Williamses switched around. With both women working in the entertainment industry since the 1990s, countless others have gotten their identical names confused over the years.
The âUnexpectedâ artist has been starring in Death Becomes Her since the show opened in New York City in November. On the very first night of performances, her former bandmates BeyoncĂ© and Kelly Rowland came out to Lunt-Fontanne Theatre to cheer her on. Film star Michelle is currently promoting her Hulu miniseries Dying for Sex.
See Michelle Williams Squared meet up below.
Which New Music Release Is Your Favorite? Vote!
Good Friday might be a religious holiday, but it also aptly describes the quality batch of new songs that dropped at the end of this week.
The final New Music Friday before Easter 2025 found several major stars dropping fresh new tracks, including Lana Del Rey, who rings in the spring holiday with a gorgeous ballad titled âBluebirdâ that gives fans a taste of her highly anticipated country-leaning album. Over delicate finger-picked guitar and piano, the alt-pop icon sings about enduring uncertain times, crooning, âLittle bird, bluebird/ Fly away for both of us/ For you have wings and Iâve no means to fly.â
Then thereâs Morgan Wallen, who tapped Post Malone for a fittingly timed resurrection-of-Jesus-themed song called âI Ainât Coming Back,â which finds the two stars making allusions to the famous Bible story while quipping, âThereâs a lot of reasons I ainât Jesus, but the main one is that I ainât cominâ back.â The track is one of 37 songs on Wallenâs upcoming album Iâm the Problem, which â as announced this week â will feature him teaming up with Tate McRae for his first-ever collaboration with a female artist.
But those are just two of the multiple tracks in the bouquet of fresh releases this week, with Addison Rae dropping another trend-setting pop anthem titled âHeadphones Onâ to follow Februaryâs âHigh Fashionâ and 2024âs breakthrough hit âDiet Pepsi,â and Davido sharing a full album of new dance-inducing Afrobeats bangers. This week also spawned a number of collabs, with Tommy Richman and Sexyy Red teaming up for âActin Up With Sexyy Red,â Xavi and NetĂłn Vega duetting on âHija de Papi,â and Whiz Khalifa dropping a feature-heavy album, Kush + Orange Juice 2, with guest spots from Gunna, Ty Dolla $ign, Juicy J, Don Toliver and more.
Every Friday with new music is a âGood Friday,â but this week is particularly sweet. Vote for your favorite fresh release below.
Which New Music Release Is Your Favorite? Vote!
Good Friday might be a religious holiday, but it also aptly describes the quality batch of new songs that dropped at the end of this week.
The final New Music Friday before Easter 2025 found several major stars dropping fresh new tracks, including Lana Del Rey, who rings in the spring holiday with a gorgeous ballad titled âBluebirdâ that gives fans a taste of her highly anticipated country-leaning album. Over delicate finger-picked guitar and piano, the alt-pop icon sings about enduring uncertain times, crooning, âLittle bird, bluebird/ Fly away for both of us/ For you have wings and Iâve no means to fly.â
Then thereâs Morgan Wallen, who tapped Post Malone for a fittingly timed resurrection-of-Jesus-themed song called âI Ainât Coming Back,â which finds the two stars making allusions to the famous Bible story while quipping, âThereâs a lot of reasons I ainât Jesus, but the main one is that I ainât cominâ back.â The track is one of 37 songs on Wallenâs upcoming album Iâm the Problem, which â as announced this week â will feature him teaming up with Tate McRae for his first-ever collaboration with a female artist.
But those are just two of the multiple tracks in the bouquet of fresh releases this week, with Addison Rae dropping another trend-setting pop anthem titled âHeadphones Onâ to follow Februaryâs âHigh Fashionâ and 2024âs breakthrough hit âDiet Pepsi,â and Davido sharing a full album of new dance-inducing Afrobeats bangers. This week also spawned a number of collabs, with Tommy Richman and Sexyy Red teaming up for âActin Up With Sexyy Red,â Xavi and NetĂłn Vega duetting on âHija de Papi,â and Whiz Khalifa dropping a feature-heavy album, Kush + Orange Juice 2, with guest spots from Gunna, Ty Dolla $ign, Juicy J, Don Toliver and more.
Every Friday with new music is a âGood Friday,â but this week is particularly sweet. Vote for your favorite fresh release below.
PinkPantheress Announces New âStatesideâ Single
PinkPantheress announced Friday (April 18) that sheâll release her new single âStatesideâ next Friday, April 25.
She partnered with [untitled], which describes itself as âa sacred place for your work-in-progress music,â to tease a snippet of the track while depicting âan accurate representation of how me and my friends listen to this song,â the English singer/songwriter/producer wrote on Instagram.
âStatesideâ is set to arrive three weeks after her latest hit âTonight,â the lead single from her upcoming sophomore mixtape Fancy That, due May 9, 2025 via Parlophone and Warner Records. The saucy club bop debuted at No. 5 on Hot Dance/Pop Songs and No. 25 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 this week (chart dated April 19).
She shared Fancy Thatâs nine-song track list earlier this month and said in her Mixmag cover story, âAll the music sounds so big and grand and present, and I really wanted to make music where it sounds like a statement is being made with the songs. I feel like that was what appealed to me, and itâs something that I wanted to take on board.â
Fancy That will arrive two years after her debut studio album Heaven Knows, which included her Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 âBoyâs a liar Pt. 2â collab with Ice Spice as a bonus track and reached No. 61 on the Billboard 200, and four years after her debut mixtape To Hell With It, which peaked at No. 73 on the Billboard 200.
See PinkPantheressâ new single announcement below.
PinkPantheress Announces New âStatesideâ Single
PinkPantheress announced Friday (April 18) that sheâll release her new single âStatesideâ next Friday, April 25.
She partnered with [untitled], which describes itself as âa sacred place for your work-in-progress music,â to tease a snippet of the track while depicting âan accurate representation of how me and my friends listen to this song,â the English singer/songwriter/producer wrote on Instagram.
âStatesideâ is set to arrive three weeks after her latest hit âTonight,â the lead single from her upcoming sophomore mixtape Fancy That, due May 9, 2025 via Parlophone and Warner Records. The saucy club bop debuted at No. 5 on Hot Dance/Pop Songs and No. 25 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 this week (chart dated April 19).
She shared Fancy Thatâs nine-song track list earlier this month and said in her Mixmag cover story, âAll the music sounds so big and grand and present, and I really wanted to make music where it sounds like a statement is being made with the songs. I feel like that was what appealed to me, and itâs something that I wanted to take on board.â
Fancy That will arrive two years after her debut studio album Heaven Knows, which included her Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 âBoyâs a liar Pt. 2â collab with Ice Spice as a bonus track and reached No. 61 on the Billboard 200, and four years after her debut mixtape To Hell With It, which peaked at No. 73 on the Billboard 200.
See PinkPantheressâ new single announcement below.
ACM Sets âPlay Something Countryâ 60th Anniversary Gala Honoring Brooks &Â Dunn
Country Music Hall of Fame duo Brooks & Dunn, who have collected 25 ACM Awards wins over the course of their decades-long career, will be feted on May 7 at the Omni PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas, during the âPlay Something Countryâ gala hosted by the ACM and ACM Lifting lives. The event comes one night before the ACMâs 60th anniversary ceremony, set for May 8 at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco.
The celebration honoring Brooks & Dunnâs Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn will feature an elevated seated dinner and a curated silent auction, while their fellow country artists including Eric Church, Cody Johnson, Megan Moroney, Keith Urban and Lainey Wilson perform renditions of some of Brooks & Dunnâs top hits.
Television and radio personality Bobby Bones will host the event. A cocktail hour presented by Choctaw & Resorts will feature casino gameplay, followed by a seated dinner and the performances and presentations. The pre-show and live auction will be presented by radio personality Shawn Parr.
Proceeds from the event will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable partner of the ACM, with a focus on mental health-based initiatives in the country music industry. Tables for the event are available for purchase through tiered pricing.
Brooks & Dunn are nominated for duo of the year at the upcoming 60th ACM Awards. They hold the record for the most wins in the duo of the year category (with 16 wins) and most overall wins by a duo (25). Theyâve taken home the ACMâs coveted entertainer of the year honor three times. Brooks & Dunn was also honored with the Cliffe Stone Icon Award in 2019, while their song âBelieveâ (co-written by Dunn) was named song of the year in 2006.
ACM Sets âPlay Something Countryâ 60th Anniversary Gala Honoring Brooks &Â Dunn
Country Music Hall of Fame duo Brooks & Dunn, who have collected 25 ACM Awards wins over the course of their decades-long career, will be feted on May 7 at the Omni PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas, during the âPlay Something Countryâ gala hosted by the ACM and ACM Lifting lives. The event comes one night before the ACMâs 60th anniversary ceremony, set for May 8 at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco.
The celebration honoring Brooks & Dunnâs Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn will feature an elevated seated dinner and a curated silent auction, while their fellow country artists including Eric Church, Cody Johnson, Megan Moroney, Keith Urban and Lainey Wilson perform renditions of some of Brooks & Dunnâs top hits.
Television and radio personality Bobby Bones will host the event. A cocktail hour presented by Choctaw & Resorts will feature casino gameplay, followed by a seated dinner and the performances and presentations. The pre-show and live auction will be presented by radio personality Shawn Parr.
Proceeds from the event will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable partner of the ACM, with a focus on mental health-based initiatives in the country music industry. Tables for the event are available for purchase through tiered pricing.
Brooks & Dunn are nominated for duo of the year at the upcoming 60th ACM Awards. They hold the record for the most wins in the duo of the year category (with 16 wins) and most overall wins by a duo (25). Theyâve taken home the ACMâs coveted entertainer of the year honor three times. Brooks & Dunn was also honored with the Cliffe Stone Icon Award in 2019, while their song âBelieveâ (co-written by Dunn) was named song of the year in 2006.
Kendrick Lamar Becomes First Musician to Be Featured in a Gatorade Commercial
Kendrick Lamar has become the first musician to ever be featured in a Gatorade commercial thanks to the brandâs latest ad.
On Friday (April 18), the award-winning rapper was tapped for Gatoradeâs new Lose More. Win More. ad campaign, and gives a motivational speech throughout the commercial while his GNX track âPeekabooâ soundtracks the moment. The spot includes cameos from numerous athletes, such as the NBAâs Luka DonÄiÄ and Jason Taytum, and WNBA stars Aâja Wilson and Caitlin Clark.
âHow much are you willing to lose?â Kendrick says in the commercial before speaking on the companyâs history with the 1965 University of Florida football team. Dot himself also closes out the ad, as beads of orange colored sweat pour down his face in the final frame.
In a statement to Sports Business Journal, Gatorade CBO Anuj Bhasin said they chose K-Dot âbecause of his mindset of hard work, resilience and pushing boundaries.â The choice to include Kung Fu Kenny came as Gatorade seeks to engage its brand with younger audiences.
Coming up next for K-Dot is his Grand National Tour with SZA. The North American and European trek will kick off next week and includes 39 shows, starting with Minneapolis on April 19. The tour will wrap on Aug. 9 in Stockholm, Sweden. Notable stops include MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 8 and 9, and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on May 24.
DJ Mustard will also serve as the opening act throughout the tour. This will be the second time Mustard and K-Dot will share the stage together, coming off Lamarâs memorable Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in February, which featured a cameo from the producer.
Watch the new Gatorade commercial featuring Kendrick Lamar below.
Kendrick Lamar Becomes First Musician to Be Featured in a Gatorade Commercial
Kendrick Lamar has become the first musician to ever be featured in a Gatorade commercial thanks to the brandâs latest ad.
On Friday (April 18), the award-winning rapper was tapped for Gatoradeâs new Lose More. Win More. ad campaign, and gives a motivational speech throughout the commercial while his GNX track âPeekabooâ soundtracks the moment. The spot includes cameos from numerous athletes, such as the NBAâs Luka DonÄiÄ and Jason Taytum, and WNBA stars Aâja Wilson and Caitlin Clark.
âHow much are you willing to lose?â Kendrick says in the commercial before speaking on the companyâs history with the 1965 University of Florida football team. Dot himself also closes out the ad, as beads of orange colored sweat pour down his face in the final frame.
In a statement to Sports Business Journal, Gatorade CBO Anuj Bhasin said they chose K-Dot âbecause of his mindset of hard work, resilience and pushing boundaries.â The choice to include Kung Fu Kenny came as Gatorade seeks to engage its brand with younger audiences.
Coming up next for K-Dot is his Grand National Tour with SZA. The North American and European trek will kick off next week and includes 39 shows, starting with Minneapolis on April 19. The tour will wrap on Aug. 9 in Stockholm, Sweden. Notable stops include MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 8 and 9, and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on May 24.
DJ Mustard will also serve as the opening act throughout the tour. This will be the second time Mustard and K-Dot will share the stage together, coming off Lamarâs memorable Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in February, which featured a cameo from the producer.
Watch the new Gatorade commercial featuring Kendrick Lamar below.
Wiz Khalifa Lists Dr. Dre as His Dream Collaborator While Being Interviewed With Puppies
Wiz Khalifa was surrounded by puppies when he pulled up to the Buzzfeed offices earlier this week. The Taylor Gang honcho is on the road in support of his Kush + Orange Juice 2 sequel album, which arrived on Friday (April 18).
Khalifa was feeling the puppy love during his interview with Buzzfeed Celeb as he was peppered with questions about his career while the dogs nibbled on his Nike laces and icy chain.
While pups around him pissed, pooped and even threw up, Wiz remained cool and calm as usual with his laid-back personality throughout the interview. Khalifa has been around dogs for much of his career, as fans might recall his pit bull named Star, his French bulldog Vincent, or Max B, the mini English bulldog.
The Pittsburgh native has worked with many of the rap dignitaries heâs crossed paths with, but one person heâs still looking to check off his bucket list is Dr. Dre. âI want to work with Dr. Dre. It would be fun to get some Dre beats,â he said. âThatâs probably like one of my biggest people that I want to work with.â
Wiz also admitted to looking back at previous time periods during his decorated career as inspiration, fueling him today.
âIâm my current muse,â he said. âI put in so much work in the game. I just look at my old stuff as inspiration. It just inspires me to see myself in different eras I might have forgotten what mindframe I was in when I was doing certain stuff⊠I got these things on YouTube theyâre called DayTodayâs, but just seeing how creative that process was, it still inspires me to do new stuff in a new way.â
Kush & Orange Juice was released in 2010 and went on to be one of the mixtapes that defined the Blog Era of music. Fifteen years later, Khalifa is back with the sequel.
Watch the full interview below.
Wiz Khalifa Lists Dr. Dre as His Dream Collaborator While Being Interviewed With Puppies
Wiz Khalifa was surrounded by puppies when he pulled up to the Buzzfeed offices earlier this week. The Taylor Gang honcho is on the road in support of his Kush + Orange Juice 2 sequel album, which arrived on Friday (April 18).
Khalifa was feeling the puppy love during his interview with Buzzfeed Celeb as he was peppered with questions about his career while the dogs nibbled on his Nike laces and icy chain.
While pups around him pissed, pooped and even threw up, Wiz remained cool and calm as usual with his laid-back personality throughout the interview. Khalifa has been around dogs for much of his career, as fans might recall his pit bull named Star, his French bulldog Vincent, or Max B, the mini English bulldog.
The Pittsburgh native has worked with many of the rap dignitaries heâs crossed paths with, but one person heâs still looking to check off his bucket list is Dr. Dre. âI want to work with Dr. Dre. It would be fun to get some Dre beats,â he said. âThatâs probably like one of my biggest people that I want to work with.â
Wiz also admitted to looking back at previous time periods during his decorated career as inspiration, fueling him today.
âIâm my current muse,â he said. âI put in so much work in the game. I just look at my old stuff as inspiration. It just inspires me to see myself in different eras I might have forgotten what mindframe I was in when I was doing certain stuff⊠I got these things on YouTube theyâre called DayTodayâs, but just seeing how creative that process was, it still inspires me to do new stuff in a new way.â
Kush & Orange Juice was released in 2010 and went on to be one of the mixtapes that defined the Blog Era of music. Fifteen years later, Khalifa is back with the sequel.
Watch the full interview below.
Streaming and Live Music May Escape the Brunt of Trumpâs Tariffs. But One Industry Sector Is Getting Hit Hard.
Investors seeking shelter from the chaos unleashed by President Trumpâs often incoherent tariff policy can find safety in companies without direct exposure to tariffs or the teetering advertising market. And music, especially digital music, will be able to weather the storm, say many analysts â with one major exception.
To understand what people are thinking about tariffsâ impact on the business world, look no further than stock prices. The performance of various music-related stocks reveals how investors are betting that economic uncertainty will affect various companies.
Many stocks â especially those of companies traded on U.S. exchanges â have taken a hit as investors fled for safer alternatives. The Nasdaq and S&P 500, U.S. indexes, are down 6.2% and 6.7%, respectively, since April 1, the day before President Trump announced his tariff plans. Elsewhere in the world, indexes have generally performed better. South Koreaâs KOSPI is down just 2.0%. Japanâs Nikkei 225 is off 3.5%. The U.K.âs FTSE 100 is down 4.2%. Germanyâs DAX has lost 5.9%.
Within music, companies that get most of their revenue from streaming are faring relatively well. Since April 1, Spotify and Deezer have each gained 4.0%, two of the better showings for music stocks. Cloud Music improved 3.9%. Tencent Music Entertainment, on the other hand, has fallen 15.1%, although its share price remains up 8.1% year to date.
Record labels and publishers have also been holding up well, in relative terms, particularly outside the U.S. Since April 1, shares of Universal Music Group (UMG) â which is headquartered in the U.S. but trades in Amsterdam â and Warner Music Group (WMG) are down 8.0% and 7.1%, respectively. Reservoir Media lost 3.0%. K-pop companies â much like South Korean companies in general â have fared well. Since April 1, SM Entertainment has gained 7.9%, YG Entertainment is up 1.1% and JYP Entertainment has gained 0.7%. HYBE fell 3.4%.
UMG and WMGâs post-tariff declines are slightly greater than the drops in the Nasdaq and S&P 500 of 6.7% and 6.2%, respectively. But both UMG and WMG had strong starts to 2025, and their year-to-date losses of 4.5% and 6.1% are far better than the S&P 500âs 10.2% drop and the Nasdaqâs 15.7% year-to-date decline.
Some live music companiesâ stocks have been resilient, too. Live Nation shares are down 3.7% since April 1, while German concert promoter CTS Eventim is up 3.2%. Sphere Entertainment Co., owner of the Sphere venue in Las Vegas, is an exception. Sphere Entertainment shares have plummeted 23.1% since President Trumpâs tariff announcement, a far more significant drop than the stocks of other companies â Caesars Entertainment, Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts â that rely on consumersâ willingness to part with their money in Las Vegas.
For many U.S. media stocks, the direct impact of tariffs is ârelatively muted,â wrote Citi analysts in an April 7 report, as many of the companies rely on discretionary spending, not ad revenue. Apple and other tech companies, for example, got an exemption from the 145% tariffs on Chinese imports but must still pay the blanket 20% tariff. Companies that get much of their revenues from subscriptions â Netflix, Spotify, UMG and WMG â will be less impacted.
Music streaming, most notably subscription services, is considered by equity analysts to be safe from whatever tariff-induced economic chaos awaits the global market. âDigital goods are unaffected by tariffs,â wrote TD Cowen analysts in an April 14 investor report. Subscription services, they argued, provide enough bang for the buck, and customers have such an emotional attachment to music that subscribers are unlikely to leave in âmeaningfulâ numbers if the economy goes south.
Streaming and subscription growth slowed in 2024, but many analysts expect improvements to come from a regular drumbeat of price increases, renewed licensing deals and super-premium tiers. That said, analysts believe that Spotifyâs latest licensing deals with UMG and WMG, and upcoming deals with other rights holders, better reward labels and publishers for price increases. As a result, TD Cowen slightly lowered its estimates for Spotifyâs revenue, gross profit margin and operating income in 2025. Likewise, in an April 4 note to investors, Guggenheim analysts lowered their estimate for Spotifyâs gross margin in the second half of 2025.
Companies reliant on advertising revenue will also take an indirect hit. Citi estimates that $4 trillion of imports could generate $700 billion in tariffs and reduce personal consumer and ad spending by 1.9%. Tariffs have ripple effects, too. Because household net worth and personal spending are highly correlated, says Citi, the recent declines in stock prices could reduce personal and advertising spending by 3.0%.
Consumer spending is at the heart of the concert business, but analysts agree that fansâ affection for their favorite artists protects live music from economic downturns. As a result, Live Nation has âless risk than the average business that depends on discretionary spending,â according to TD Cowen analysts.
Advertising-related businesses arenât so lucky, though. As tariffs raise prices and household wealth declines, personal spending also declines, and, in turn, brands pull back on their advertising spending. Investorsâ expectations for advertising-dependent businesses were apparent before April but have become clearer since President Trumpâs April 2 tariff announcement. iHeartMedia, which closed on Thursday (April 17) below $1.00 per share for the first time since June 4, 2024, has dropped 35.3% since April 1 and fallen 50.3% year to date. Cumulus Media has fared even worse, dropping 47.5% since April 1 and 62.7% year to date. Townsquare Media has fallen 12.8% in the tariff era and 23.8% year to date.
J.P. Morgan analysts believe iHeartMediaâs full-year guidance of $770 million is âsomewhat optimisticâ given economic uncertainties and ongoing pressures in the radio business. It forecasts full-year EBITDA of $725 million â nearly 6% lower than iHeartMediaâs guidance. If things wind up going more the way J.P. Morgan predicts than iHeart, it would be a big blow to the company and an unfortunate bellwether for the already struggling radio business. While other music industry sectors look to ride out the tariffs at least in the shorter term, the economic uncertainty introduced by the Trump administration may only hasten radioâs ongoing decline.
As Billboard has noted numerous times in recent weeks, investors are attracted to music assets because they are counter-cyclical, meaning they donât follow the typical ups and downs of the economy. Consumers will, by and large, stick with their music subscription services and continue going to concerts. But by introducing the tariffs, the Trump regime exposed one of radioâs greatest weaknesses as a business: a greater exposure, due to its reliance on advertising, to the state of the wider economy.

Streaming and Live Music May Escape the Brunt of Trumpâs Tariffs. But One Industry Sector Is Getting Hit Hard.
Investors seeking shelter from the chaos unleashed by President Trumpâs often incoherent tariff policy can find safety in companies without direct exposure to tariffs or the teetering advertising market. And music, especially digital music, will be able to weather the storm, say many analysts â with one major exception.
To understand what people are thinking about tariffsâ impact on the business world, look no further than stock prices. The performance of various music-related stocks reveals how investors are betting that economic uncertainty will affect various companies.
Many stocks â especially those of companies traded on U.S. exchanges â have taken a hit as investors fled for safer alternatives. The Nasdaq and S&P 500, U.S. indexes, are down 6.2% and 6.7%, respectively, since April 1, the day before President Trump announced his tariff plans. Elsewhere in the world, indexes have generally performed better. South Koreaâs KOSPI is down just 2.0%. Japanâs Nikkei 225 is off 3.5%. The U.K.âs FTSE 100 is down 4.2%. Germanyâs DAX has lost 5.9%.
Within music, companies that get most of their revenue from streaming are faring relatively well. Since April 1, Spotify and Deezer have each gained 4.0%, two of the better showings for music stocks. Cloud Music improved 3.9%. Tencent Music Entertainment, on the other hand, has fallen 15.1%, although its share price remains up 8.1% year to date.
Record labels and publishers have also been holding up well, in relative terms, particularly outside the U.S. Since April 1, shares of Universal Music Group (UMG) â which is headquartered in the U.S. but trades in Amsterdam â and Warner Music Group (WMG) are down 8.0% and 7.1%, respectively. Reservoir Media lost 3.0%. K-pop companies â much like South Korean companies in general â have fared well. Since April 1, SM Entertainment has gained 7.9%, YG Entertainment is up 1.1% and JYP Entertainment has gained 0.7%. HYBE fell 3.4%.
UMG and WMGâs post-tariff declines are slightly greater than the drops in the Nasdaq and S&P 500 of 6.7% and 6.2%, respectively. But both UMG and WMG had strong starts to 2025, and their year-to-date losses of 4.5% and 6.1% are far better than the S&P 500âs 10.2% drop and the Nasdaqâs 15.7% year-to-date decline.
Some live music companiesâ stocks have been resilient, too. Live Nation shares are down 3.7% since April 1, while German concert promoter CTS Eventim is up 3.2%. Sphere Entertainment Co., owner of the Sphere venue in Las Vegas, is an exception. Sphere Entertainment shares have plummeted 23.1% since President Trumpâs tariff announcement, a far more significant drop than the stocks of other companies â Caesars Entertainment, Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts â that rely on consumersâ willingness to part with their money in Las Vegas.
For many U.S. media stocks, the direct impact of tariffs is ârelatively muted,â wrote Citi analysts in an April 7 report, as many of the companies rely on discretionary spending, not ad revenue. Apple and other tech companies, for example, got an exemption from the 145% tariffs on Chinese imports but must still pay the blanket 20% tariff. Companies that get much of their revenues from subscriptions â Netflix, Spotify, UMG and WMG â will be less impacted.
Music streaming, most notably subscription services, is considered by equity analysts to be safe from whatever tariff-induced economic chaos awaits the global market. âDigital goods are unaffected by tariffs,â wrote TD Cowen analysts in an April 14 investor report. Subscription services, they argued, provide enough bang for the buck, and customers have such an emotional attachment to music that subscribers are unlikely to leave in âmeaningfulâ numbers if the economy goes south.
Streaming and subscription growth slowed in 2024, but many analysts expect improvements to come from a regular drumbeat of price increases, renewed licensing deals and super-premium tiers. That said, analysts believe that Spotifyâs latest licensing deals with UMG and WMG, and upcoming deals with other rights holders, better reward labels and publishers for price increases. As a result, TD Cowen slightly lowered its estimates for Spotifyâs revenue, gross profit margin and operating income in 2025. Likewise, in an April 4 note to investors, Guggenheim analysts lowered their estimate for Spotifyâs gross margin in the second half of 2025.
Companies reliant on advertising revenue will also take an indirect hit. Citi estimates that $4 trillion of imports could generate $700 billion in tariffs and reduce personal consumer and ad spending by 1.9%. Tariffs have ripple effects, too. Because household net worth and personal spending are highly correlated, says Citi, the recent declines in stock prices could reduce personal and advertising spending by 3.0%.
Consumer spending is at the heart of the concert business, but analysts agree that fansâ affection for their favorite artists protects live music from economic downturns. As a result, Live Nation has âless risk than the average business that depends on discretionary spending,â according to TD Cowen analysts.
Advertising-related businesses arenât so lucky, though. As tariffs raise prices and household wealth declines, personal spending also declines, and, in turn, brands pull back on their advertising spending. Investorsâ expectations for advertising-dependent businesses were apparent before April but have become clearer since President Trumpâs April 2 tariff announcement. iHeartMedia, which closed on Thursday (April 17) below $1.00 per share for the first time since June 4, 2024, has dropped 35.3% since April 1 and fallen 50.3% year to date. Cumulus Media has fared even worse, dropping 47.5% since April 1 and 62.7% year to date. Townsquare Media has fallen 12.8% in the tariff era and 23.8% year to date.
J.P. Morgan analysts believe iHeartMediaâs full-year guidance of $770 million is âsomewhat optimisticâ given economic uncertainties and ongoing pressures in the radio business. It forecasts full-year EBITDA of $725 million â nearly 6% lower than iHeartMediaâs guidance. If things wind up going more the way J.P. Morgan predicts than iHeart, it would be a big blow to the company and an unfortunate bellwether for the already struggling radio business. While other music industry sectors look to ride out the tariffs at least in the shorter term, the economic uncertainty introduced by the Trump administration may only hasten radioâs ongoing decline.
As Billboard has noted numerous times in recent weeks, investors are attracted to music assets because they are counter-cyclical, meaning they donât follow the typical ups and downs of the economy. Consumers will, by and large, stick with their music subscription services and continue going to concerts. But by introducing the tariffs, the Trump regime exposed one of radioâs greatest weaknesses as a business: a greater exposure, due to its reliance on advertising, to the state of the wider economy.

Watch Sydney Sweeney Belt This Classic Adele Breakup Ballad at Karaoke
Never mind, Sydney Sweeney will find someone like you.
In a new clip, the Euphoria star sings one of Adeleâs most classic breakup anthems at a karaoke bar in Florida, belting out âSomeone Like Youâ with a pair of friends with a big smile despite the sad lyrics.
Shared by TMZ, the video finds Sweeney at Backyard Bar in Key West earlier this week. As the lyrics play on a screen behind her, she and two co-vocalists loudly sing the British superstarâs iconic chorus â âNever mind, Iâll find someone like you/ I wish nothing but the best for youâ â as the actress points into the crowd.
At one point, she tells the venueâs DJ that sheâll be staying up on stage âforever,â adding coyly: âDonât get tired of me.â
Released in 2011 as a single from Adeleâs sophomore studio album 21, âSomeone Like Youâ spent five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. The LP marked the vocalistâs first No. 1 on the Billboard 200, remaining at the summit for 24 weeks â longer than any other album has this century.
The video of Sweeney belting out one of this millenniumâs most beloved breakup tracks comes just a couple of weeks after reports emerged that she and fiancĂ© Jonathan Davino have parted ways. The alleged split comes after seven years together, and more than two years after the producer proposed to the Immaculate leading lady in 2022.
Watch Sweeney sing âSomeone Like Youâ with a few friends at a karaoke bar in Florida below.
Watch Sydney Sweeney Belt This Classic Adele Breakup Ballad at Karaoke
Never mind, Sydney Sweeney will find someone like you.
In a new clip, the Euphoria star sings one of Adeleâs most classic breakup anthems at a karaoke bar in Florida, belting out âSomeone Like Youâ with a pair of friends with a big smile despite the sad lyrics.
Shared by TMZ, the video finds Sweeney at Backyard Bar in Key West earlier this week. As the lyrics play on a screen behind her, she and two co-vocalists loudly sing the British superstarâs iconic chorus â âNever mind, Iâll find someone like you/ I wish nothing but the best for youâ â as the actress points into the crowd.
At one point, she tells the venueâs DJ that sheâll be staying up on stage âforever,â adding coyly: âDonât get tired of me.â
Released in 2011 as a single from Adeleâs sophomore studio album 21, âSomeone Like Youâ spent five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. The LP marked the vocalistâs first No. 1 on the Billboard 200, remaining at the summit for 24 weeks â longer than any other album has this century.
The video of Sweeney belting out one of this millenniumâs most beloved breakup tracks comes just a couple of weeks after reports emerged that she and fiancĂ© Jonathan Davino have parted ways. The alleged split comes after seven years together, and more than two years after the producer proposed to the Immaculate leading lady in 2022.
Watch Sweeney sing âSomeone Like Youâ with a few friends at a karaoke bar in Florida below.
Wiz Khalifa Talks Freestyles, Stoner Olympics & âKush + Orange Juice 2â
Wiz Khalifa delivered.
15 years after he dropped his classic Blog Era mixtape Kush & Orange Juice, the multi-platinum rapper decided to go back to his roots on its sequel tape and tap back into the sound that made him one of stoner rapâs most important rappers. He also brought the gang back together as Cardo, Sledgren and his stoner-in-crime Curren$y all contributed like they did during that first cypher back in April of 2010.
Kush & Orange Juice 2 also features the likes of Gunna, Mike WiLL Made-It, Ty Dolla $ign, Don Toliver, Larry June, Conductor Williams, and legends in Juicy J, DJ Quik, and Max B, among others. And while those acts are diverse in terms of their own individual sounds, Wiz was able to have them fit the story he wanted to tell and he did a pretty good job. Itâs rare if not damn near impossible for a sequel to be as good as a classic, but Wiz did a pretty good job. Clocking in at 23 tracks and 77 minutes long, the Kush & OJ sequel is the perfect soundtrack for that cousin walk on Easter Sunday â as you and your family celebrate not only the resurrection, but 4/20 as well.
And as he rolled out the much anticipated project, Khalifa went on an already-memorable run of freestyles that started last November with âFirst YN Freestyle.â Hopefully more rappers will hop on that wave, and give fans more music that feels fun and low-stakes.
Billboard talked with Wiz about why he decided to take that approach, and about a bunch of other things. Check out our chat below and be sure to go run up that Kush + Orange Juice 2 this weekend.
Youâve been on a crazy run lately with these freestyles. Can you talk about why you decided to go that route?
Really just by seeing the reaction of my fans and the people who support me when I started to get into the mode of promoting Kush & Orange Juice 2, and really visualizing what that was going to feel like for everybody else. I wanted to make it an experience, and not something that just dropped overnight and then went away. So, me doing the freestyles was kind of a way to write that narrative and to get everybody on board so they understand what to expect and it got a great reaction. So, naturally, I just kept going. And itâs something that I like to do just for fun.
Did the freestyles help spark something creatively in you?
I was already pretty much done with the album by the time I did the freestyles. But I think anytime Iâm able to just play around and see what people enjoy, it gives me a sense of what to do next or what to continue doing. So, it definitely served its purpose when it comes to that.
You and other Blog Era peers like J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake have crossed over into the mainstream. So, now that youâve achieved a certain level of success, does that mean that you plan on still playing the major-label game, or are you gonna go back to just making what you feel like making?
I think it all just kind of comes together, and itâs really about the fans and what they want and what people are are tuning into, and just me knowing that people digest my music for the way that I do it. It allows me to be free, but it also opens up a lot of different opportunities for me to put that in other places. So, itâs a beginning of a wave that could, you know, go on for however long.
Why do you think rappers have moved away from doing freestyles and stuff like that?
I think because clearances and a lot of people want their their stuff on the biggest platform. Itâs hard to monetize a freestyle and if you put a lot of energy into it, a lot of people want it to go far, so that value has been missing. It takes certain artists to push it and to show that the value of it isnât gone. Itâs not really where youâre aiming to put these at. The people and the listeners, and their ears are there, and theyâre going to discover it. I think people have to re-understand that and reimagine that.
So much has changed since you came in the game. If you were an up and coming rapper today, how would you approach your career?
I would approach it the same way. A lot of the younger artists or personalities, they know who their fan base is. They know who theyâre talking to, and they reach out to them, and thatâs what dictates what they do or what their next moves are. And a lot of artists are afraid of that, but thereâs a lot of power and a lot of value in knowing who your consumers are and the people who want the best from you and aiming what you do towards them. And that would be my advice, or that would be what I would do. Thatâs what Iâm doing now, is just focusing on the people who I know support and are expecting this, and really just making the experience for them.
One person thatâs carving out a unique lane for themselves is streamer and producer PlaqueBoyMax. You were on his stream recently. How was that experience?
Yeah, it was cool working with Max, and that was the first time I had made a song live on somebody elseâs stream. And even just with that platform of him being, you know, with FaZe and them having the reach that they do. Thatâs a whole different fanbase than the people who are used to me, and it was good to be able to win those people over, show them what my talent actually is, and work with somebody for the first time and create something in front of everybody thatâs just super fun and super cool to me.
You floated the idea of doing a full tape with him towards the end. Do you think that can happen down the line?
I wanted to do it, but I feel like heâs already doing it, and heâs doing it in his way, where heâll benefit off of it, which is cool with me. Iâm always down anytime. If he needs me, then heâll hit me.
What can fans expect from Kush & Orange Juice 2?
They can expect good smokinâ music, good chillinâ music, good motivational music, and good ridinâ around with the homies music. Itâs definitely for the people who understand it. And itâs not just about the music, itâs about the experiences that you have with it. So, the more you listen to it and live with it, or even if itâs your first time, when you listen to it and live with it, itâs gonna change a lot. Iâm really happy with that. Iâm really confident in that, and Iâm just really excited for everybody to experience that.
Are you performing anywhere on 4/20?
Yeah, Iâm gonna be performing at Red Rocks in Colorado.
I interviewed Curren$y a couple months ago, and I had asked him if he has any 420 rituals and he said he doesnât really have any because heâs always working. Iâm assuming thatâs the same for you.
Yeah, pretty much, especially at this point. A lot of people come out and visit us on those days, even if itâs family from the East Coast or an artist or whatever. They usually want to come kick it with us, so thatâs usually fun. I get to see a lot of people who I just really enjoy smoking with, like Berner. It is work, but for me personally, I try to roll at least an abnormally big joint or two, and I usually smoke more dabs that day than I normally do as well.
I wanted to ask you what your favorite strains were, but on Club Shay Shay, you said youâve been smoking your own strain exclusively for about 10 years now.
Oh yeah, itâs definitely Khalifa Kush always for like almost 12 now.
What is that like, though â having your own strain and not really having to pay for it anymore?
Itâs a blessing. I donât know if I necessarily knew that it was going to be this way. We always hoped and wished that it would be this way â and knew that it was, you know, beneficial for everybody â but to actually live in an era where we can do this⊠Itâs awesome. Iâm grateful and Iâm taking full advantage.
You also mentioned the Smoke Olympics. What would be some of the events if you were to put that together?
There would be a rolling competition. Iâm bringing the origami, Iâm bringing the samurai skills. What else? You have to hit, like, a bong. Youâll have to make a bong out of something. You could choose what you have to make a bong out of. You have to last a certain amount of rounds, too â so as we keep smoking, thereâs no tapping out. Yeah, weâll start there.
I ran into Conductor Williams recently and he was beaming about the way you approached âBillionairesâ with Ty Dolla $ign. What was it about that particular beat that caught your attention out of the pack of beats that he sent?
I appreciate it. I feel like I always gravitated towards his production because of how soulful it is and just how musically inclined he is. You could tell he knows a lot about music in general. My approach is very specific to what I know my people are gonna fâk with. And I think when I got into that pocket, it was nostalgic, but it was also something that people never expected, or ever knew that they would enjoy.
I think that combination right there kind of makes discovering some new music worth it â and thatâs what people need now, and to be able to do that with people who Iâm cool with, and got in my phone and I can hit at whatever time, and be like, âYo, send me some beats,â and we could just come up with something legendary off the bat. Thatâs real fun for me.
Youâve gotten into martial arts like over the years like Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu. How important has that been for you?
Itâs part of my everyday life as much as music is and Iâm passionate about it the same way I am about my music, and Iâve been doing it for seven years now, and I feel like Iâm still learning a lot of new things, and itâs still fun and itâs interesting. Itâs not a chore or a job or I donât even have a real end goal when it comes to it, so itâs fun to be on a journey and have something that I that I enjoy and that challenges me and also makes me better.
Has it helped your lungs be stronger too?
Yeah, 100 percent. My cardio is crazy, and it helped me learn how to control my breathing better and just being in good shape in general. Being able to function and and move athletically as I get older, because Iâm 37 now, so Iâm moving into my 40s. The older that we get the less athletic some of us get. But for me, itâs a lifetime thing of Iâm always going to have this type of movement.
Wiz Khalifa Talks Freestyles, Stoner Olympics & âKush + Orange Juice 2â
Wiz Khalifa delivered.
15 years after he dropped his classic Blog Era mixtape Kush & Orange Juice, the multi-platinum rapper decided to go back to his roots on its sequel tape and tap back into the sound that made him one of stoner rapâs most important rappers. He also brought the gang back together as Cardo, Sledgren and his stoner-in-crime Curren$y all contributed like they did during that first cypher back in April of 2010.
Kush & Orange Juice 2 also features the likes of Gunna, Mike WiLL Made-It, Ty Dolla $ign, Don Toliver, Larry June, Conductor Williams, and legends in Juicy J, DJ Quik, and Max B, among others. And while those acts are diverse in terms of their own individual sounds, Wiz was able to have them fit the story he wanted to tell and he did a pretty good job. Itâs rare if not damn near impossible for a sequel to be as good as a classic, but Wiz did a pretty good job. Clocking in at 23 tracks and 77 minutes long, the Kush & OJ sequel is the perfect soundtrack for that cousin walk on Easter Sunday â as you and your family celebrate not only the resurrection, but 4/20 as well.
And as he rolled out the much anticipated project, Khalifa went on an already-memorable run of freestyles that started last November with âFirst YN Freestyle.â Hopefully more rappers will hop on that wave, and give fans more music that feels fun and low-stakes.
Billboard talked with Wiz about why he decided to take that approach, and about a bunch of other things. Check out our chat below and be sure to go run up that Kush + Orange Juice 2 this weekend.
Youâve been on a crazy run lately with these freestyles. Can you talk about why you decided to go that route?
Really just by seeing the reaction of my fans and the people who support me when I started to get into the mode of promoting Kush & Orange Juice 2, and really visualizing what that was going to feel like for everybody else. I wanted to make it an experience, and not something that just dropped overnight and then went away. So, me doing the freestyles was kind of a way to write that narrative and to get everybody on board so they understand what to expect and it got a great reaction. So, naturally, I just kept going. And itâs something that I like to do just for fun.
Did the freestyles help spark something creatively in you?
I was already pretty much done with the album by the time I did the freestyles. But I think anytime Iâm able to just play around and see what people enjoy, it gives me a sense of what to do next or what to continue doing. So, it definitely served its purpose when it comes to that.
You and other Blog Era peers like J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake have crossed over into the mainstream. So, now that youâve achieved a certain level of success, does that mean that you plan on still playing the major-label game, or are you gonna go back to just making what you feel like making?
I think it all just kind of comes together, and itâs really about the fans and what they want and what people are are tuning into, and just me knowing that people digest my music for the way that I do it. It allows me to be free, but it also opens up a lot of different opportunities for me to put that in other places. So, itâs a beginning of a wave that could, you know, go on for however long.
Why do you think rappers have moved away from doing freestyles and stuff like that?
I think because clearances and a lot of people want their their stuff on the biggest platform. Itâs hard to monetize a freestyle and if you put a lot of energy into it, a lot of people want it to go far, so that value has been missing. It takes certain artists to push it and to show that the value of it isnât gone. Itâs not really where youâre aiming to put these at. The people and the listeners, and their ears are there, and theyâre going to discover it. I think people have to re-understand that and reimagine that.
So much has changed since you came in the game. If you were an up and coming rapper today, how would you approach your career?
I would approach it the same way. A lot of the younger artists or personalities, they know who their fan base is. They know who theyâre talking to, and they reach out to them, and thatâs what dictates what they do or what their next moves are. And a lot of artists are afraid of that, but thereâs a lot of power and a lot of value in knowing who your consumers are and the people who want the best from you and aiming what you do towards them. And that would be my advice, or that would be what I would do. Thatâs what Iâm doing now, is just focusing on the people who I know support and are expecting this, and really just making the experience for them.
One person thatâs carving out a unique lane for themselves is streamer and producer PlaqueBoyMax. You were on his stream recently. How was that experience?
Yeah, it was cool working with Max, and that was the first time I had made a song live on somebody elseâs stream. And even just with that platform of him being, you know, with FaZe and them having the reach that they do. Thatâs a whole different fanbase than the people who are used to me, and it was good to be able to win those people over, show them what my talent actually is, and work with somebody for the first time and create something in front of everybody thatâs just super fun and super cool to me.
You floated the idea of doing a full tape with him towards the end. Do you think that can happen down the line?
I wanted to do it, but I feel like heâs already doing it, and heâs doing it in his way, where heâll benefit off of it, which is cool with me. Iâm always down anytime. If he needs me, then heâll hit me.
What can fans expect from Kush & Orange Juice 2?
They can expect good smokinâ music, good chillinâ music, good motivational music, and good ridinâ around with the homies music. Itâs definitely for the people who understand it. And itâs not just about the music, itâs about the experiences that you have with it. So, the more you listen to it and live with it, or even if itâs your first time, when you listen to it and live with it, itâs gonna change a lot. Iâm really happy with that. Iâm really confident in that, and Iâm just really excited for everybody to experience that.
Are you performing anywhere on 4/20?
Yeah, Iâm gonna be performing at Red Rocks in Colorado.
I interviewed Curren$y a couple months ago, and I had asked him if he has any 420 rituals and he said he doesnât really have any because heâs always working. Iâm assuming thatâs the same for you.
Yeah, pretty much, especially at this point. A lot of people come out and visit us on those days, even if itâs family from the East Coast or an artist or whatever. They usually want to come kick it with us, so thatâs usually fun. I get to see a lot of people who I just really enjoy smoking with, like Berner. It is work, but for me personally, I try to roll at least an abnormally big joint or two, and I usually smoke more dabs that day than I normally do as well.
I wanted to ask you what your favorite strains were, but on Club Shay Shay, you said youâve been smoking your own strain exclusively for about 10 years now.
Oh yeah, itâs definitely Khalifa Kush always for like almost 12 now.
What is that like, though â having your own strain and not really having to pay for it anymore?
Itâs a blessing. I donât know if I necessarily knew that it was going to be this way. We always hoped and wished that it would be this way â and knew that it was, you know, beneficial for everybody â but to actually live in an era where we can do this⊠Itâs awesome. Iâm grateful and Iâm taking full advantage.
You also mentioned the Smoke Olympics. What would be some of the events if you were to put that together?
There would be a rolling competition. Iâm bringing the origami, Iâm bringing the samurai skills. What else? You have to hit, like, a bong. Youâll have to make a bong out of something. You could choose what you have to make a bong out of. You have to last a certain amount of rounds, too â so as we keep smoking, thereâs no tapping out. Yeah, weâll start there.
I ran into Conductor Williams recently and he was beaming about the way you approached âBillionairesâ with Ty Dolla $ign. What was it about that particular beat that caught your attention out of the pack of beats that he sent?
I appreciate it. I feel like I always gravitated towards his production because of how soulful it is and just how musically inclined he is. You could tell he knows a lot about music in general. My approach is very specific to what I know my people are gonna fâk with. And I think when I got into that pocket, it was nostalgic, but it was also something that people never expected, or ever knew that they would enjoy.
I think that combination right there kind of makes discovering some new music worth it â and thatâs what people need now, and to be able to do that with people who Iâm cool with, and got in my phone and I can hit at whatever time, and be like, âYo, send me some beats,â and we could just come up with something legendary off the bat. Thatâs real fun for me.
Youâve gotten into martial arts like over the years like Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu. How important has that been for you?
Itâs part of my everyday life as much as music is and Iâm passionate about it the same way I am about my music, and Iâve been doing it for seven years now, and I feel like Iâm still learning a lot of new things, and itâs still fun and itâs interesting. Itâs not a chore or a job or I donât even have a real end goal when it comes to it, so itâs fun to be on a journey and have something that I that I enjoy and that challenges me and also makes me better.
Has it helped your lungs be stronger too?
Yeah, 100 percent. My cardio is crazy, and it helped me learn how to control my breathing better and just being in good shape in general. Being able to function and and move athletically as I get older, because Iâm 37 now, so Iâm moving into my 40s. The older that we get the less athletic some of us get. But for me, itâs a lifetime thing of Iâm always going to have this type of movement.
Cozy (Taylorâs Version): Amazon Shoppers Are Obsessed With These $20 Taylor Swift-Inspired Slippers
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
While thereâs no shortage of merch for Taylor Swift lovers, fans have been particularly taken with these cozy slippers that feature stylish nods to the artist.
Available in five different versions, the slippers feature a wool-like plush fabric thatâs embroidered with handwriting reminiscent of the font that is found on most Swiftâs re-releases of her albums. Fans can choose from slippers that say â1989â in a light blue font, a set that features â1989â on one foot and â(Taylorâs Version)â on the other, as well as sets in a couple of different colors that feature â(Taylorâs,â âVersion)â on either foot. At only $20, itâs almost worth collecting them all.
The titles, of course, are a nod to the fact that Swift began re-releasing recordings of her library of albums after they were sold. For each album, the singer-songwriter released additional tracks from each of the albumsâ accompanying studio sessions, as well as updated merch. Each re-release was labeled âTaylorâs Version,â and fans have put those words to use as a rallying cry to support the artist as she took back control over her lifeâs work.
Now, you can find the phrase emblazoned on these adorable slippers. In addition to their lamblike fabric, they have a terry cloth lining and a high-density memory foam insole. They also have a non-slip rubber sole that will make it easy to run errands around or just outside of the house.
If youâre looking for the most adorable merch, go ahead and make sure to grab them while theyâre still available in a range of colors and sizes.
Savage Gardenâs Darren Hayes Says âTerrible Accidentâ Left His Jaw Broken : âI Could Have Diedâ
Truly madly scary. Savage Gardenâs Darren Hayes revealed on Friday (April 18) that he recently suffered a serious injury after fainting that couldâve ended tragically.
âOn March 17, 2 months to the day after my Mother passed away, I had a terrible accident ⊠I lost consciousness â I fainted shortly after getting out of bed and collapsed 3 times, losing consciousness each time,â he revealed in an Instagram post. âThe blunt force trauma was so severe it snapped my left jawbone in half.â
The Australian artist went on to share that he woke up in a pool of blood and had nine teeth shattered, and was taken to an ER in Santa Monica, Calif. âI could have died if I landed in a different position,â Hayes wrote.
The musician went on to share that his medical team ruled out any neurological and heart issues, and that he had been feeling lightheaded and experienced fainting spells for some time before his accident; doctors are still investigating for causes to his health struggles. Hayes â who noted that he doesnât drink or do drugs â had reconstructive surgery on March 21, which included having a titanium brace inserted to reconnect his jaw bones, as well as having his mouth wired shut for at least eight weeks.
âI just wanted my fans to know why Iâll be out of action for quite some time. After my jaw heals itâs a long road to rehabbing my jaw function and then of course replacing my shattered teeth. Iâm so grateful to be alive and every day Iâm getting stronger. Iâm almost one month post surgery now and Iâm only just starting to feel better,â the singer wrote before thanking his medical team and loved ones. âAfter surviving a brutal divorce, losing my Mother, finding out my father died and then this I have had moments of deep sadness. But I am a survivor and Iâll come back strong.â
Along with his message updating fans about what he has been experiencing, Hayes shared a photo of himself with one side of his face badly swollen, and a yellow bruise at the base of his neck. A second image was an X-ray of his jaw with the titanium brace holding the broken pieces together.
At the height of Savage Gardenâs popularity, the duo of Hayes and Daniel Jones snagged two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s with 1998âs âTruly Madly Deeplyâ and 1999âs âI Knew I Loved You,â while âI Want Youâ peaked at No. 4 in 1997. The pairâs self-titled debut album â which houses âTruly Madly Deeplyâ and âI Want Youâ â peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, while sophomore and final release Affirmation, which houses âI Knew I Loved You,â reached No. 6. The group split up in 2001.
Savage Gardenâs Darren Hayes Says âTerrible Accidentâ Left His Jaw Broken : âI Could Have Diedâ
Truly madly scary. Savage Gardenâs Darren Hayes revealed on Friday (April 18) that he recently suffered a serious injury after fainting that couldâve ended tragically.
âOn March 17, 2 months to the day after my Mother passed away, I had a terrible accident ⊠I lost consciousness â I fainted shortly after getting out of bed and collapsed 3 times, losing consciousness each time,â he revealed in an Instagram post. âThe blunt force trauma was so severe it snapped my left jawbone in half.â
The Australian artist went on to share that he woke up in a pool of blood and had nine teeth shattered, and was taken to an ER in Santa Monica, Calif. âI could have died if I landed in a different position,â Hayes wrote.
The musician went on to share that his medical team ruled out any neurological and heart issues, and that he had been feeling lightheaded and experienced fainting spells for some time before his accident; doctors are still investigating for causes to his health struggles. Hayes â who noted that he doesnât drink or do drugs â had reconstructive surgery on March 21, which included having a titanium brace inserted to reconnect his jaw bones, as well as having his mouth wired shut for at least eight weeks.
âI just wanted my fans to know why Iâll be out of action for quite some time. After my jaw heals itâs a long road to rehabbing my jaw function and then of course replacing my shattered teeth. Iâm so grateful to be alive and every day Iâm getting stronger. Iâm almost one month post surgery now and Iâm only just starting to feel better,â the singer wrote before thanking his medical team and loved ones. âAfter surviving a brutal divorce, losing my Mother, finding out my father died and then this I have had moments of deep sadness. But I am a survivor and Iâll come back strong.â
Along with his message updating fans about what he has been experiencing, Hayes shared a photo of himself with one side of his face badly swollen, and a yellow bruise at the base of his neck. A second image was an X-ray of his jaw with the titanium brace holding the broken pieces together.
At the height of Savage Gardenâs popularity, the duo of Hayes and Daniel Jones snagged two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s with 1998âs âTruly Madly Deeplyâ and 1999âs âI Knew I Loved You,â while âI Want Youâ peaked at No. 4 in 1997. The pairâs self-titled debut album â which houses âTruly Madly Deeplyâ and âI Want Youâ â peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, while sophomore and final release Affirmation, which houses âI Knew I Loved You,â reached No. 6. The group split up in 2001.
Sean âDiddyâ Combs Loses Bid to Delay Sex Trafficking Trial
A Manhattan federal judge on Friday denied a bid by Sean âDiddyâ Combs to delay his sex trafficking and racketeering trial by two months, ruling that the request was made too close to his trial date.
The starâs lawyers asked for the delay on Wednesday (April 16), arguing they didnât have enough time to prepare for trial after prosecutors added new charges earlier this month. But according to Reuters, Judge Arun Subramanian denied that motion at a court hearing on Friday (April 18).
Endorsing an argument made by the prosecutors, Subramanian said that the new indictment largely overlapped with earlier charging papers. According to CNN, the judge told Combsâ lawyers that it was âunclear why there isnât sufficient time to prepare.â
Fridayâs ruling means that, barring any last-minute disruptions, jury selection will begin on May 5 and testimony will begin on May 12. Representatives for Combsâ legal team did not immediately return a request for comment.
Combs was indicted in September, charged with running a sprawling criminal operation that aimed to âfulfill his sexual desiresâ by subjecting numerous women to abuse. The case centers on elaborate âfreak offâ parties in which Combs and others would allegedly ply victims with drugs and then coerce them into having sex, as well as on alleged acts of violence to keep victims silent.
A trial has long been set to start in May. If convicted on all of the charges, which include sex trafficking and racketeering, Combs faces a potential life prison sentence.
In a letter to the judge filed Wednesday, the starâs lawyers claimed the feds were dragging their feet on turning over crucial evidence, and that the extra two months would give them âthe necessary time to prepare his defenseâ for a new superseding indictment filed April 3.
The request â far longer than the two-week delay Diddyâs lawyers had hinted they might seek â was opposed by prosecutors, who said the new charges were not sufficiently different to require any delay at all, and that Combs was not entitled to the evidence he claimed he was owed.
In addition to denying the delay, Subramanian made another important ruling Friday. According to Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press, the judge granted a request from prosecutors to allow three alleged victims to testify under Jane Doe pseudonyms. Diddyâs lawyers had called the move âa blatant violation of Mr. Combsâs Sixth Amendment rights to confront witnesses,â but prosecutors said it was necessary to protect them from harassment and embarrassment.
The judge seemingly left at least one big pretrial issue unresolved: a motion filed by Combs on Thursday seeking to ban prosecutors from showing jurors the infamous 2016 surveillance video of him assaulting his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Combs says the clips has been edited and will âconfuse and mislead the juryâ; prosecutors says itâs a âdamning piece of evidenceâ that must be admitted.
Sean âDiddyâ Combs Loses Bid to Delay Sex Trafficking Trial
A Manhattan federal judge on Friday denied a bid by Sean âDiddyâ Combs to delay his sex trafficking and racketeering trial by two months, ruling that the request was made too close to his trial date.
The starâs lawyers asked for the delay on Wednesday (April 16), arguing they didnât have enough time to prepare for trial after prosecutors added new charges earlier this month. But according to Reuters, Judge Arun Subramanian denied that motion at a court hearing on Friday (April 18).
Endorsing an argument made by the prosecutors, Subramanian said that the new indictment largely overlapped with earlier charging papers. According to CNN, the judge told Combsâ lawyers that it was âunclear why there isnât sufficient time to prepare.â
Fridayâs ruling means that, barring any last-minute disruptions, jury selection will begin on May 5 and testimony will begin on May 12. Representatives for Combsâ legal team did not immediately return a request for comment.
Combs was indicted in September, charged with running a sprawling criminal operation that aimed to âfulfill his sexual desiresâ by subjecting numerous women to abuse. The case centers on elaborate âfreak offâ parties in which Combs and others would allegedly ply victims with drugs and then coerce them into having sex, as well as on alleged acts of violence to keep victims silent.
A trial has long been set to start in May. If convicted on all of the charges, which include sex trafficking and racketeering, Combs faces a potential life prison sentence.
In a letter to the judge filed Wednesday, the starâs lawyers claimed the feds were dragging their feet on turning over crucial evidence, and that the extra two months would give them âthe necessary time to prepare his defenseâ for a new superseding indictment filed April 3.
The request â far longer than the two-week delay Diddyâs lawyers had hinted they might seek â was opposed by prosecutors, who said the new charges were not sufficiently different to require any delay at all, and that Combs was not entitled to the evidence he claimed he was owed.
In addition to denying the delay, Subramanian made another important ruling Friday. According to Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press, the judge granted a request from prosecutors to allow three alleged victims to testify under Jane Doe pseudonyms. Diddyâs lawyers had called the move âa blatant violation of Mr. Combsâs Sixth Amendment rights to confront witnesses,â but prosecutors said it was necessary to protect them from harassment and embarrassment.
The judge seemingly left at least one big pretrial issue unresolved: a motion filed by Combs on Thursday seeking to ban prosecutors from showing jurors the infamous 2016 surveillance video of him assaulting his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Combs says the clips has been edited and will âconfuse and mislead the juryâ; prosecutors says itâs a âdamning piece of evidenceâ that must be admitted.
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 Nominees Include Mrs. GREEN APPLE, Fujii Kaze, YOASOBI, Rosé & Bruno Mars
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN has unveiled the nominees for all 50 categories to be honored at the inaugural event set for May 21 and 22 in Kyoto.
The finalists were selected from the approximately 3,000 entries revealed in March, through a preliminary vote by artists, creatives, media-related and other music industry professionals, with some awards open to general listeners. After a final vote including overseas voting members, the winners will be announced at the award ceremony next month.
In the six main categories â Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year, Top Global Hit from Japan, Best Song Asia â artists and acts that have graced the charts and excited music listeners are up for awards: Creepy Nuts (âBling-Bang-Bang-Bornâ), YOASOBI (âIdolâ), Mrs. GREEN APPLE (âLilac,â ANTENNA), Fujii Kaze (âMichi Teyu Ku (Overflowing),â LOVE ALL SERVE ALL), RosĂ© & Bruno Mars (âAPT.â), Kenshi Yonezu (LOST CORNER), FRUITS ZIPPER, Kocchi no Kento, Number_i, and aespa (âSupernovaâ), to name just a few.
Kazutoyo Koyabu, Asuka Kijima, Ko Matsushima, the Founder of arne inc. and music critic Tomonori Shiba took to the stage at the event announcing the nominees. Koyabu, a popular comedian and musician, noted, âThese are artists that even an old guy like me has heard of,â while Kijima, a model and actress, said, âEveryone will be satisfied no matter who wins, because theyâre all outstanding artists.â The nominees in the Top Global Hit from Japan category selected by overseas listeners include a diverse range of tracks, such as songs featured in games, anime show openers, songs familiar from TikTok, and tracks by artists with a notable global presence. Check out all the nominees at the official MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN website.
Find the nominees of the six main categories below:
Song of the Year
(Recognition for the song with the most outstanding musical creativity and artistry.)
RosĂ© & Bruno Mars âAPT.â
Creepy Nuts âBling-Bang-Bang-Bornâ
YOASOBI âIdolâ
Fujii Kaze âMichi Teyu Ku (Overflowing)â
Mrs. GREEN APPLE âLilacâ
Album of the Year
(Recognition for the album with the most outstanding musical creativity and artistry.)
Mrs. GREEN APPLE, ANTENNA
Kenshi Yonezu, LOST CORNER
Fujii Kaze, LOVE ALL SERVE ALL
Vaundy, replica
Hikaru Utada, SCIENCE FICTION
Artist of the Year
(Recognition for the artist with the most outstanding musical creativity and artistry.)
Creepy Nuts
Mrs. GREEN APPLE
Vaundy
YOASOBI
Fujii Kaze
New Artist of the Year
Recognition for the new artist who demonstrated outstanding musical creativity and artistry.
FRUITS ZIPPER
Number_i
Omoinotake
tuki.
Kocchi no Kento
Top Global Hit From Japan
(Recognition for the Japanese song that became a global hit.)
Lotus Juice/Azumi Takahashi âItâs Going Down Nowâ
XG âWOKE UPâ
YOASOBI âIdolâ
Fujii Kaze âShinunoga E-waâ
Miki Matsubara âMayonaka no Door â stay with meâ
Best Song Asia
(Recognition for the Asian hit song that was popular across Asian countries.)
Bernadya âSatu Bulanâ (Indonesia)
REGINA SONG âthe cutest pairâ (Singapore)
aespa âSupernovaâ (South Korea)
PLAVE âWAY 4 LUVâ (South Korea)
JEFF SATUR âGHOSTâ (Thailand)
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 KYOTOÂ
Date of the ceremony: Wednesday, May 21 and Thursday, May 22, 2025
MAJ Week: From Saturday, May 17 to Friday, May 23, 2025
Venue: ROHM Theatre Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
Domestic live broadcast of May 22 event on NHK; global stream of events on both days on YouTube scheduled (some regions excluded).
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 Nominees Include Mrs. GREEN APPLE, Fujii Kaze, YOASOBI, Rosé & Bruno Mars
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN has unveiled the nominees for all 50 categories to be honored at the inaugural event set for May 21 and 22 in Kyoto.
The finalists were selected from the approximately 3,000 entries revealed in March, through a preliminary vote by artists, creatives, media-related and other music industry professionals, with some awards open to general listeners. After a final vote including overseas voting members, the winners will be announced at the award ceremony next month.
In the six main categories â Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year, Top Global Hit from Japan, Best Song Asia â artists and acts that have graced the charts and excited music listeners are up for awards: Creepy Nuts (âBling-Bang-Bang-Bornâ), YOASOBI (âIdolâ), Mrs. GREEN APPLE (âLilac,â ANTENNA), Fujii Kaze (âMichi Teyu Ku (Overflowing),â LOVE ALL SERVE ALL), RosĂ© & Bruno Mars (âAPT.â), Kenshi Yonezu (LOST CORNER), FRUITS ZIPPER, Kocchi no Kento, Number_i, and aespa (âSupernovaâ), to name just a few.
Kazutoyo Koyabu, Asuka Kijima, Ko Matsushima, the Founder of arne inc. and music critic Tomonori Shiba took to the stage at the event announcing the nominees. Koyabu, a popular comedian and musician, noted, âThese are artists that even an old guy like me has heard of,â while Kijima, a model and actress, said, âEveryone will be satisfied no matter who wins, because theyâre all outstanding artists.â The nominees in the Top Global Hit from Japan category selected by overseas listeners include a diverse range of tracks, such as songs featured in games, anime show openers, songs familiar from TikTok, and tracks by artists with a notable global presence. Check out all the nominees at the official MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN website.
Find the nominees of the six main categories below:
Song of the Year
(Recognition for the song with the most outstanding musical creativity and artistry.)
RosĂ© & Bruno Mars âAPT.â
Creepy Nuts âBling-Bang-Bang-Bornâ
YOASOBI âIdolâ
Fujii Kaze âMichi Teyu Ku (Overflowing)â
Mrs. GREEN APPLE âLilacâ
Album of the Year
(Recognition for the album with the most outstanding musical creativity and artistry.)
Mrs. GREEN APPLE, ANTENNA
Kenshi Yonezu, LOST CORNER
Fujii Kaze, LOVE ALL SERVE ALL
Vaundy, replica
Hikaru Utada, SCIENCE FICTION
Artist of the Year
(Recognition for the artist with the most outstanding musical creativity and artistry.)
Creepy Nuts
Mrs. GREEN APPLE
Vaundy
YOASOBI
Fujii Kaze
New Artist of the Year
Recognition for the new artist who demonstrated outstanding musical creativity and artistry.
FRUITS ZIPPER
Number_i
Omoinotake
tuki.
Kocchi no Kento
Top Global Hit From Japan
(Recognition for the Japanese song that became a global hit.)
Lotus Juice/Azumi Takahashi âItâs Going Down Nowâ
XG âWOKE UPâ
YOASOBI âIdolâ
Fujii Kaze âShinunoga E-waâ
Miki Matsubara âMayonaka no Door â stay with meâ
Best Song Asia
(Recognition for the Asian hit song that was popular across Asian countries.)
Bernadya âSatu Bulanâ (Indonesia)
REGINA SONG âthe cutest pairâ (Singapore)
aespa âSupernovaâ (South Korea)
PLAVE âWAY 4 LUVâ (South Korea)
JEFF SATUR âGHOSTâ (Thailand)
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 KYOTOÂ
Date of the ceremony: Wednesday, May 21 and Thursday, May 22, 2025
MAJ Week: From Saturday, May 17 to Friday, May 23, 2025
Venue: ROHM Theatre Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
Domestic live broadcast of May 22 event on NHK; global stream of events on both days on YouTube scheduled (some regions excluded).
Skullcandy & Bose Release Affordable Earbud Collab With Help From Tony Hawk
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Itâs rare to see two huge consumer tech brands put down their swords and come out with a collaboration, but thatâs just what Skullcandy and Bose have done.
The two speaker brands teamed up to release a $99 earbud that offers the incredible sound that Bose is known for, with the color-forward, board sports-infused style created by Skullcandy. The Method 360 ANC earbuds come with Skullcandyâs Pez dispenser-like charging case, and theyâre available in five different colorways. To help announce this major industry collab, Skullcandy released a quirky, fun short film that starred none other than skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.
As for the earbuds, they not only punch above their weight class â they punch above the weight classes of much more expensive models. They offer the incredibly powerful, clear sound that Bose is known for, and they even have the loud bass that might come to mind when you think of Skullcandy. The noise-canceling capabilities are amazing, and they also manage to keep the noise from leaking out of your ears. If you typically struggle with fit when it comes to earbuds, they also really knocked it out of the park in this category â theyâre comfortable and stay put better than any earbuds Iâve ever worn. With a 40-hour battery life thatâs almost unheard of, these are a great option for anyone looking for earbuds that will stick with them through almost any activity.
After watching the video at the release party on April 15, Hawk spoke on a panel with executives from both brands, during which he explained that heâs been a longtime fan of the brand and loves how it has always shown its support of skate culture. After the panel, Hawk spoke with Billboard about the impact music has had on his life and his crazy journey back to health after breaking his femur.
Tony Hawkâs Pro Skater introduced an entire generation of kids to punk and ska. Do you have favorite songs or bands that were on those first games?
I think one of my proudest accomplishments was getting Dead Kennedys because bands like them â like Circle Jerks and Black Flag â were the soundtrack to my youth and skate skating in my youth.
And so to be able to do a game, and for them to ask me who I want â I wanted what I was listening to. It felt like, you know those bands were beloved in their era, but no one really knew about them, right? So, it wasnât hard for them to get clearances. But the idea that if you really listen to their lyrics in âPolice Truck,â itâs a punk rock song, you know? Itâs against authority and the fact we got that on a mainstream platform was amazing.
Surely after the first game, you had to have bands trying so hard to get you to listen to their music.
Still to this day. I just got an email from â I wonât name them â but a pretty big band. The lead singer was like, âHey, man, can we get in the game?â And I was like, :I canât believe I have to tell you no, because weâve already locked it up.â But for the three and four, really, yeah. Itâs been happening.
Youâre kind of like the biggest agent in the music industry.
Itâs all bands that I love and respect, so Iâm excited.
Who are you most impressed or excited by in this new generation of skaters?
Well, Iâm coming off the heels of this big premiere of Tom Schaarâs video. Tom Schaar is just on a different level of what we do on ramps. Heâs kind of unlocked some new secret to going even higher and doing things that are ridiculously impossible, but easily. I would have said that at any point, but the fact I just saw his video drives him home.
I love that youâre so excited about the continuation of the sport. I interviewed Sky Brown soon after she fell, and I know there was all this coverage about you encouraging her to get back out there.
You know, that was an extreme case, but it takes a certain perseverance and willingness to overcome stuff like that, because at some point you are going to get hurt along the way. I donât think itâs the most dangerous thing, but how you deal with that first injury sets the tone for how youâre going to keep skating.
Speaking of injuries, you just broke your femur. What has been the hardest thing to relearn?
Well, if you want to get into the weeds, the hardest thing to relearn that I still struggle with is my tuck knees, which means the way that I grab my board and that I can kind of tweak my body. Iâll think that I have it [the board] in my hand, and Iâm not quite there yet most of the time. That was the hardest.
The hardest thing mentally to overcome was 540s because I broke it doing a 540. So, when I finally got my strength back, and with my wifeâs tentative approval, I went and did a 540 again. And I made sure she was watching, because I canât get hurt with her watching. More like Iâm not allowed.
Do you have a favorite accomplishment?
Honestly, itâs doing this at my age. You know, I never imagined I get to be a pro skater into my 40s, and now I still do it in my 50s and like, itâs all just fun. Thereâs no pressure, and I just get to do it because I love it. Learning new tricks now overcoming challenges has way more meaning.
Who do you play as when youâre playing Pro Skater?
Iâm not going to tell you that I play with myself, but I play as my character because I know all my special moves. Inevitably, if you have a game with your name on it, people are going to challenge you and you better actually be able to play your own game. So I play my own skater by default. If Iâm not playing my skater, then my son Riley is in the game, so I play as him.
Skullcandy & Bose Release Affordable Earbud Collab With Help From Tony Hawk
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Itâs rare to see two huge consumer tech brands put down their swords and come out with a collaboration, but thatâs just what Skullcandy and Bose have done.
The two speaker brands teamed up to release a $99 earbud that offers the incredible sound that Bose is known for, with the color-forward, board sports-infused style created by Skullcandy. The Method 360 ANC earbuds come with Skullcandyâs Pez dispenser-like charging case, and theyâre available in five different colorways. To help announce this major industry collab, Skullcandy released a quirky, fun short film that starred none other than skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.
As for the earbuds, they not only punch above their weight class â they punch above the weight classes of much more expensive models. They offer the incredibly powerful, clear sound that Bose is known for, and they even have the loud bass that might come to mind when you think of Skullcandy. The noise-canceling capabilities are amazing, and they also manage to keep the noise from leaking out of your ears. If you typically struggle with fit when it comes to earbuds, they also really knocked it out of the park in this category â theyâre comfortable and stay put better than any earbuds Iâve ever worn. With a 40-hour battery life thatâs almost unheard of, these are a great option for anyone looking for earbuds that will stick with them through almost any activity.
After watching the video at the release party on April 15, Hawk spoke on a panel with executives from both brands, during which he explained that heâs been a longtime fan of the brand and loves how it has always shown its support of skate culture. After the panel, Hawk spoke with Billboard about the impact music has had on his life and his crazy journey back to health after breaking his femur.
Tony Hawkâs Pro Skater introduced an entire generation of kids to punk and ska. Do you have favorite songs or bands that were on those first games?
I think one of my proudest accomplishments was getting Dead Kennedys because bands like them â like Circle Jerks and Black Flag â were the soundtrack to my youth and skate skating in my youth.
And so to be able to do a game, and for them to ask me who I want â I wanted what I was listening to. It felt like, you know those bands were beloved in their era, but no one really knew about them, right? So, it wasnât hard for them to get clearances. But the idea that if you really listen to their lyrics in âPolice Truck,â itâs a punk rock song, you know? Itâs against authority and the fact we got that on a mainstream platform was amazing.
Surely after the first game, you had to have bands trying so hard to get you to listen to their music.
Still to this day. I just got an email from â I wonât name them â but a pretty big band. The lead singer was like, âHey, man, can we get in the game?â And I was like, :I canât believe I have to tell you no, because weâve already locked it up.â But for the three and four, really, yeah. Itâs been happening.
Youâre kind of like the biggest agent in the music industry.
Itâs all bands that I love and respect, so Iâm excited.
Who are you most impressed or excited by in this new generation of skaters?
Well, Iâm coming off the heels of this big premiere of Tom Schaarâs video. Tom Schaar is just on a different level of what we do on ramps. Heâs kind of unlocked some new secret to going even higher and doing things that are ridiculously impossible, but easily. I would have said that at any point, but the fact I just saw his video drives him home.
I love that youâre so excited about the continuation of the sport. I interviewed Sky Brown soon after she fell, and I know there was all this coverage about you encouraging her to get back out there.
You know, that was an extreme case, but it takes a certain perseverance and willingness to overcome stuff like that, because at some point you are going to get hurt along the way. I donât think itâs the most dangerous thing, but how you deal with that first injury sets the tone for how youâre going to keep skating.
Speaking of injuries, you just broke your femur. What has been the hardest thing to relearn?
Well, if you want to get into the weeds, the hardest thing to relearn that I still struggle with is my tuck knees, which means the way that I grab my board and that I can kind of tweak my body. Iâll think that I have it [the board] in my hand, and Iâm not quite there yet most of the time. That was the hardest.
The hardest thing mentally to overcome was 540s because I broke it doing a 540. So, when I finally got my strength back, and with my wifeâs tentative approval, I went and did a 540 again. And I made sure she was watching, because I canât get hurt with her watching. More like Iâm not allowed.
Do you have a favorite accomplishment?
Honestly, itâs doing this at my age. You know, I never imagined I get to be a pro skater into my 40s, and now I still do it in my 50s and like, itâs all just fun. Thereâs no pressure, and I just get to do it because I love it. Learning new tricks now overcoming challenges has way more meaning.
Who do you play as when youâre playing Pro Skater?
Iâm not going to tell you that I play with myself, but I play as my character because I know all my special moves. Inevitably, if you have a game with your name on it, people are going to challenge you and you better actually be able to play your own game. So I play my own skater by default. If Iâm not playing my skater, then my son Riley is in the game, so I play as him.
TDE Punch Claims Kendrick Lamar Removed Harmful Drake Disses From âEuphoriaâ
TDEâs Punch claims Kendrick Lamar took out even more harmful disses aimed at Drake on the song âEuphoria.â
In a three-hour conversation with Curtiss King on Thursday (April 17), Top Dog Entertainmentâs president spoke on all things TDE, including the high-profile rap battle between Drake and K-Dot. When asked about the rumored 18-minute version of âEuphoria,â Punch noted that the original version of the record was longer than the one that was unleashed on the world.
âI donât know the length, but it was definitely longer,â Punch said. âIt was definitely longer than the version that the world got. There was a lot of stuff that didnât make it on there. ⊠There was just some things in there that I didnât think would have been beneficial in the long run to put in there. So I gave him my input on that or whatever and he took some of those things off.â
Earlier in the interview, Punch spoke about K-Dotâs verse on Future and Metro Boominâs âLike That,â which renewed the whole beef last March.
âIt had been bubbling for a while. We had been pretty close-mouthed about it,â Punch said. âHe played the record for Top [Dawg]. I talked to Top and he told me a little bit about the record then I hit Dot like, âItâs going down?â He said, âYeah, weâll see whatâs up âŠ,â laughing.â
Billboard has reached out to Kendrickâs team for comment.
While the rap battle appears to be on pause for now, Drake has been fighting hard in court to prove that UMG â his and Kendrickâs label â defamed him with the success of K-Dotâs diss track âNot Like Us.â In an amended complaint filed late Wednesday, Drakeâs attorneys claimed Kendrickâs Super Bowl Halftime show, watched by 133 million people and âmillion of children,â ârevitalized the publicâs attentionâ to lyrics calling Drake a âcertified pedophile,â a diss that the Canadian superstar slams as false and defamatory.
Watch the full interview with Punch below.