Categoría: Billboard

More than 18 years after its release, Rihanna’s “Breakin’ Dishes” is a Billboard Hot 100 hit for the first time. The song, from Rihanna’s third album, 2007’s Good Girl Gone Bad, debuts on the Sept. 27-dated Hot 100 at No. 86, driven primarily by 5.8 million official U.S. streams, up 8% week-over-week, Sept. 12-18, according to Luminate. What sparked the cut’s Hot 100 start nearly two full decades after listeners were introduced to it? The song is the latest classic track to reach the Hot 100 years after its release. Another is at No. 100: Radiohead’s “Let Down,” originally from 1997. As recently chronicled, older songs are eligible to appear on the Hot 100 and genre-focused offshoot charts that also blend streaming, radio airplay and sales data if experiencing significant growth. “Breakin’ Dishes,” which hit No. 4 on the Dance Club Play Songs chart in 2008, has gained placement on prominent playlists on DSPs including Amazon, Apple and Spotify in recent weeks, while Rihanna’s catalog was recently added to TikTok. Notably, SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (which reports to Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart) is now spinning the song in all dayparts. The song also spends its 13th week on the Billboard Global 200, dating to its first frame in January. After ranking between Nos. 144 and 200 through March, it reentered the Aug. 30 chart at No. 152 and in the past three weeks has jumped 76-68-45. Plus, it opens at No. 7 on Hot Dance/Pop Songs. “Breakin’ Dishes” bows as Rihanna’s 64th Hot 100 hit. Exactly half have hit the top 10, with 14 reaching No. 1. She first made the list more than 20 years ago, when “Pon De Replay” debuted on the June 11, 2005-dated chart. That track introduced her debut album, Music of the Sun, released Aug. 29, 2005. “Breakin’ Dishes” becomes the ninth Hot 100 entry from Good Girl Gone Bad, including its 2007 original version and its 2008 Reloaded expanded reissue. Lead single “Umbrella,” featuring Jay-Z, reigned (rained?) for seven weeks, followed by “Shut Up and Drive” (No. 15); “Hate That I Love You,” featuring Ne-Yo (No. 7); “Don’t Stop the Music” (No. 3); “Take a Bow” (No. 1, one week); Maroon 5’s “If I Never See Your Face Again,” featuring Rihanna (No. 51); “Disturbia” (No. 1, two weeks); and “Rehab” (No. 18). Good Girl Gone Bad debuted at its No. 2 Billboard 200 peak (June 23, 2007) and adds its 201st week on the latest chart. It rises 104-92, marking its first rank in the survey’s top half in more than two-and-a-half years, up 3% to 12,000 equivalent album units. The set has earned 8.6 million units to date. It’s free Billboard charts month! Through Sept. 30, subscribers to Billboard’s Chart Beat newsletter, emailed each Friday, can unlock access to Billboard’s weekly and historical charts, artist chart histories and all Chart Beat stories simply by visiting the newly redesigned Billboard.com through any story link in the newsletter. Not a Chart Beat subscriber? Sign up for free here. Source link

A$AP Rocky and Rihanna love their boys, but when their third baby arrives soon, the couple is crossing their fingers it’s a girl. In a new cover story interview with Elle published Tuesday (Sept. 23), the rapper was candid about the fact that he and his superstar partner are openly hoping their next child is made of sugar, spice and everything nice. “I hope it’s a girl. I really do,” Rocky told the publication. “We’re praying for a girl.” “I feel like it’s going to be a girl,” he continued. “This pregnancy is so different from the other two. You can tell from the experience. I hope it’s a baby girl, man. I need that.” Ri and Rocky are already parents to young sons RZA and Riot Rose. The billionaire mogul announced that she was pregnant again by debuting her baby bump in May at the 2025 Met Gala, which the latter cochaired. The couple has been together since at least 2019, though they’ve yet to tie the knot — at least to the public’s knowledge. “How you know I’m not already a husband?” Rocky teased in his Elle interview. “I’m still not gonna confirm it.” Now, both stars are busy juggling multiple projects, with Ri overseeing her Fenty empire as Rocky works on ventures in fashion and acting. His latest screen project was starring in Molly Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. But according to the New York native, family is his and Ri’s most important area of focus right now. “We don’t talk too much about work, because we deal with that all day, every day,” he told the publication of their relationship. “When you come home, it’s about family. It’s about your relationship. It’s about your household. It ain’t about all that other s–t.” “We try to keep the business separate,” he added. “What she does is what she does, and what I do is what I do. But when we collab, that’s fun because I get to be creative with her. She’s so trusting of me.” See Rocky on the cover of Elle below. Source link

Kenny Chesney is speaking out about the heartbreaking loss of his friend and frequent cowriter Brett James, who died in a small-engine plane crash on Sept. 18 in North Carolina. James was 57. “A very difficult goodbye to my Brother Of The Sun Brett James. I haven’t wanted to post cause I didn’t want to believe it,” Chesney wrote on social media on Monday (Sept. 22). “Brett and I shared a unique bond. A Brotherhood. A kinship. We wrote ‘Reality’ and ‘Out Last Night’ on the same afternoon sitting on my pool deck in the Virgin Islands two days after Christmas. We had a lot of authentic life fun writing songs together over the years and I’m sure going to miss it.” Chesney continued, “It’s hard to process his creative soul being gone. This kind of loss. I feel as if part of my creative soul went with him. It will be a void in my life and creativity forever. I’ve never known writing songs or being on the road without him. Half the songs in my shows are songs he wrote or songs we wrote together. So it’s impossible for me to do shows moving forward and not think about him. I can’t believe I’m saying it but adios Brett James. Thank you for being a lifer, for being a shirtless, sunburned troubadour, for your friendship, your songs and all the laughs. Save me a seat at the After Party!” James was a close friend and creative collaborator of Chesney’s, as a writer on songs including “When The Sun Goes Down,” “Out Last Night,” “Just to Say We Did,” “Keg in the Closet,” “Spirit of a Storm” and many others. The late artist also wrote numerous songs for musicians including Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts. Alongside his tribute, Chesney shared photos of himself with James, including onstage performances, as well as behind-the-scenes trips and writing sessions. Chesney ended his tribute with lyrics to one of the numerous songs James had a hand in writing, “Knowing You: “God we were so alive/ I was a kid on a carnival ride/ Holding my breath til the moment you were gonna leave me to soon/ But I’d do it all over cause damn it was good knowing you.” James was a Grammy winner (for co-writing Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel”) and a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame’s class of 2020, officially inducted in 2021. He was also a CMA board member, a two-time ASCAP country songwriter of the year winner and launched the music publishing company Cornman Music. Source link

A$AP Rocky and Drake exchanged shots in the midst of the 6 God’s battle with Kendrick Lamar, while the OVO boss went on to file a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group for the alleged artificial inflation of Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” In his ELLE cover story published on Tuesday (Sept. 23), Rocky reflected on testing the waters during the Kenny-Drizzy feud, and ultimately, his decision to back off. “It was healthy for hip-hop,” he said of the back-and-forth. “The battle was between Kendrick and Drake, not Drake and everybody else who might have said something at that time, and that’s mainly why I fell back.” However, Rocky isn’t supportive of the idea of Drake filing a lawsuit against his label regarding the impact of Kendrick’s “Not Like Us,” as the Harlem rapper doesn’t see any place for litigation as part of hip-hop battle culture. “I just hate the way it’s turning out with [Drake] suing and all that,” he added. “What part of the game is that? What type of s—t is that? That’s none of my business, I guess.” A$AP Rocky sniped at Drake on Metro Boomin and Future’s 2024 WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU album cut “Show of Hands.” The 6 God returned the favor by making some time to jab at Rocky on his three-part “Family Matters” diss track, aiming mostly at Kendrick Lamar. At the top of 2025, Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against UMG, claiming his longtime label knew Lamar’s “inflammatory allegations” in the Billboard Hot 100-topping “Not Like Us” were false, but claims it chose “corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.” In a statement shared with Billboard at the time, the label strongly denied the allegations: “We have not and do not engage in defamation — against any individual.” The lawsuit remains tied up in the courts. In August, Drake’s attorneys filed a claim that UMG withheld key evidence and his lawyers were looking to get their hands on potentially damning emails revolving around UMG CEO Lucian Grainge talking about the Grammy-winning “Not Like Us” and Kendrick Lamar’s deal with the label. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

B—h, she said what she said. After unveiling a new cover for her upcoming album Vie, Doja Cat is standing by the artwork — despite receiving some “harsh criticism” about it. The rapper first unveiled the new art on Instagram on Monday (Sept. 22), showing off a photo of herself in a tattered wedding dress, hanging from a yellow parachute caught in a tree. “Falling in love is putting trust in the hands of yourself and others,” she wrote of the portrait. “The yellow parachute represents curiosity, happiness and adventure.” “Flying you towards new experiences and scenes, taking a leap of faith, and holding no bounds,” she continued. “The tree represents life and wisdom. Giving you a sense of safety within its branches, but the pain from the fall teaches you that those scratches can be healed. You don’t have to hit the ground. Love grows upward but more importantly down.” “It’s the roots that keep you steady,” she added. “This is the cover of my album.” The new cover arrives about a month after Doja premiered what fans originally thought was the official Vie artwork: a close-up photo of the California native surrounded by red roses. Apparently, some listeners aren’t too keen on the new artwork, as Doja took to X on Tuesday (Sept. 23) to defend her creative choices. “You can’t make me feel bad for a cover that has visceral meaning,” she wrote. “The greatest armor is love and integrity. I forgive your harsh criticism but for me I won yet again for following my heart. If I was you I wouldn’t.” Doja has never been shy about shutting down criticism, especially when it comes to her art. Just weeks ago, she asserted her dominance as one of the leading female rappers in the game, telling someone online who doubted her skills, “Please stop trying to downplay my ability.” That said, Doja has also been open about the fact that Vie is much more pop-focused, with similarities to her earlier hits such as “Say So.” “It’s taken until the beginning of this next album, Vie, to appreciate my older stuff,” she told CBS Sunday Morning recently. “I think [this album] was a return to that.” See Doja’s Vie cover and post on X below. You can’t make me feel bad for a cover that has visceral meaning. The greatest armor is love and integrity. I forgive your harsh criticism but for me I won yet again for following my heart. If I was you I wouldn’t. — DOJA CAT (@DojaCat) September 23, 2025 Source link

“Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters leads the Billboard Hot 100 for the sixth week, the longest run for a film song since “See You Again” from Furious 7 topped the chart for 12 weeks a decade ago. So you might think “Golden” is a cinch to land an Oscar nomination for best original song. It certainly could be nominated, but its chart success provides no guarantee. Of the 14 film songs that have topped the Hot 100 since 2000, just four were nominated for best original song at the Oscars. Even “See You Again” failed to land a nomination. The soothing tone of the song helped fans mourn the loss of Paul Walker, one of the stars of the franchise, who had died in a 2013 car crash. Given the magnitude of the hit, and the song’s touching backstory, you might reasonably have expected it to be nominated, but voters sometimes surprise. Netflix’s official Oscar entry on “Golden” lists five songwriters: EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, 24, IDO, and TEDDY. Oscar rules stipulate that if there are more than four songwriters on a song, they must sign a form saying they agree to receive one “group statuette” for all of them to somehow share, should they win. The Academy introduced the best original song category in 1935, when most songs were written by one or two songwriters. No winner in this category had even three writers until “The Windmills of Your Mind” by Michel Legrand and Alan & Marilyn Bergman won in 1969. None had four writers until “Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do)” by Christopher Cross, Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager and Peter Allen won in 1982. The Academy is clearly uncomfortable with the trend towards more songwriters, but trying to hold back that tide is not really their role. Rewarding excellence is. Let’s take a look at the 14 film songs that have topped the Hot 100 since 2000. The years shown are the years the songs topped the Hot 100. We show you how long they remained on in the top spot, who wrote the songs and tell you their Oscar fate. “Try Again” from Romeo Must Die (2000) Weeks at No. 1: 1 Artist: Aaliyah Songwriters: Timbaland, Static Major Oscars: Not nominated. “Doesn’t Really Matter” from The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000) Weeks at No. 1: 3 Artist: janet Songwriters: Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis Oscars: Not nominated. Jackson and Jam & Lewis had been nominated seven years earlier for co-writing “Again” from Poetic Justice. “Independent Women Part I” from Charlie’s Angels (2000-01) Weeks at No. 1: 11 Artist: Destiny’s Child Songwriters: Beyoncé Knowles, Samuel Barnes, Cory Rooney, Jean-Claude Olivier Oscars: Not nominated. Beyoncé was finally nominated 21 years later for co-writing “Be Alive” from King Richard. “Lady Marmalade” from Moulin Rouge (2001) Weeks at No. 1: 5 Artist: Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya & P!nk Songwriters: Bob Crewe, Kenny Nolan Oscars: Not eligible; the song was written and first recorded in 1974. Labelle’s original recording of the song topped the Hot 100 in 1975. “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile (2002-03) Image Credit: Craig Sjodin/GI Weeks at No. 1: 12 Artist: Eminem Songwriters: Jeff Bass, Eminem, Luis Resto Oscars: It won, becoming the first hip-hop song to win best original song. Eminem elected not to perform the song on the show that year, and no suitable substitute performer could be found. He didn’t even show up to accept his Oscar. He finally performed the song on the Oscars in 2020. “Shake Ya Tailfeather” from Bad Boys II (2003) Weeks at No. 1: 4 Artist: Nelly, P. Diddy and Murphy Lee Songwriters: Nelly, Murphy Lee, P. Diddy, Varick Smith, Basement Beats, Adonis Shropshire Oscars: Not nominated. “Check on It” from The Pink Panther (2006) Weeks at No. 1: 5 Artist: Beyoncé feat. Slim Thug Songwriters: Beyoncé Knowles, Swizz Beatz, Bun B, Sean Garrett, Angela Beyincé, Slim Thug Oscars: Not nominated. As noted above, Beyoncé was finally nominated in 2021 for co-writing “Be Alive” from King Richard. “Happy” from Despicable Me 2 (2014) Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Weeks at No. 1: 10 Artist: Pharrell Williams Songwriter: Pharrell Williams Oscars: Nominated but lost to “Let It Go” from Frozen. Pharrell performed the song on the Oscar telecast. “Happy” reached No. 1 just before the Oscar ceremony. Billboard announced that it would hit No. 1 on Feb. 26, 2014. The Oscars were held on March 2. “See You Again” from Furious 7 (2015) Weeks at No. 1: 12 Artist: Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth Songwriters: Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth, Justin Franks, Andrew Cedar Oscars: Not nominated. “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” from Trolls (2016) Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Weeks at No. 1: 1 Artist: Justin Timberlake Songwriters: Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, Shellback Oscars: Nominated but lost to “City of Stars” from La La Land. Timberlake performed the song on the telecast, tagging his performance with a bit of Bill Withers’ enduring 1977 hit “Lovely Day.” “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)” from Spider-Man:Into the Spider-Verse (2019) Weeks at No. 1: 1 Artist: Post Malone featuring Swae Lee Songwriters: Post Malone, Swae Lee, Carl Rosen, Carter Lang, Louis Bell, William Walsh Oscars: Not nominated. “Shallow” from A Star Is Born (2019) Image Credit: Ed Herrera via Getty Images Weeks at No. 1: 1 Artist: Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper Songwriters: Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt Oscars: It won. Gaga and Cooper’s performance of the song, which started out in the audience, was one of the highlights of the Oscar telecast. Now that’s what you call star power. This is the only film song in the 2000s to reach No. 1 only after winning the Oscar. The Oscars were on Feb. 24 that year. Billboard announced on March 4 that the song would zoom from No. 21 to No. 1. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto (2022) Weeks at No. 1: 5 Artist: Carolina Gaitan, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz &

Inside the quick rise and recent news surrounding the 20-year-old pop singer. 9/23/2025 d4vd attends the Coperni Womenswear Fall/Winter 2025-2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Adidas Arena on March 09, 2025 in Paris, France. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Image After breaking through as a Gen Z pop singer, D4vd has been making headlines in relation to a tragedy over the past few weeks. The artist, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, rose to fame as a genre-blending musician after pivoting away from YouTube content creation; up until last week, he was in the throes of a massive world tour. Now, those tour dates have been cancelled, following the early September discovery of a deceased teenage girl in a car registered to the singer. On Sept. 8, a decomposed body was found in the singer’s impounded Tesla. Authorities identified the decomposed remains — which were discovered in the Tesla’s trunk while the car was in a Los Angeles tow lot — using forensics, and determined that the body belonged to 15-year-old Celeste Rivas. According to NBC News, the teen had been reported as missing and was last seen in April 2024, and her death is being investigated as a homicide. Following the identification of the body, the Internet exploded with speculative detective work, drawing connections between Rivas and D4vd, and linking the singer to the case. The singer’s rep previously said in a statement that D4vd is “fully cooperating with the authorities,” and no charges have been brought against the 20-year-old. He canceled the remaining dates of his world tour last week. As the heartbreaking story develops, here’s everything you need to know about D4vd’s career, and how the pop singer enjoyed a meteoric rise prior to the tragic events of recent weeks. 2021: D4vd Transitions From Video Game Livestreams to Making Music D4vd got his start in the early 2020s while live streaming video games, and in interviews credited Fortnite with exposing him to The Neighbourhood, Arctic Monkeys and other alternative artists. Prior to that, D4vd said he strictly listening to gospel music growing up. After some time on Fortnite, he made his first songs under the D4vd moniker titled “Run Away” and “You and I.” He used the latter song for gameplay montage videos, and noticed that people started taking it and using it in their own montages. “…I was like, ‘Okay, this could be something,’ so I kept making songs,” D4vd told VMAN in 2022. 2022: D4vd Drops Viral Hits “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me” D4vd released two singles in 2022 to get fans ready for his debut EP, Petals to Thorns. The first single was “Romantic Homicide,” which dropped in July 2022 and went viral on TikTok, eventually peaking at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single was “Here With Me,” which also went viral online and hit No. 60 on the chart. The song’s success led to D4vd being contacted by Darkroom and Interscope Records, leading to him signing with the label in September 2022. 2023: D4vd Drops His EPs ‘Petals to Thorns’ and ‘The Lost Petals’ D4vd then officially made his recording debut with the release of his EP Petals to Thorns in May 2023. The EP became D4vd’s first entry on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 105. After the success of Petals to Thorns, D4vd closed out the year with The Lost Petals EP that September, adding to the buzz surrounding the young artist. February 2023: D4vd Becomes Opener on SZA’s SOS Tour D4vd was announced as one of the openers on SZA’s blockbuster SOS tour, which kicked off in February 2023. D4vd was one of three openers, joining Omar Apollo and Raye. “I’m SZA’s biggest fan. I’m super grateful to her,” D4vd told Rolling Stone at the time. “When I got the news I was locked in for the tour, I was in a recording session and I jumped up, threw my headphones and was just going crazy.” 2024: D4vd Continues to Drop Music D4vd issued a variety of singles throughout 2024: he dropped “Leave Her” and “2016” in February, and “Feel It,” which appeared on the soundtrack for the Amazon Prime Video TV series Invincible, the following month. In July, D4vd returned again with “There Goes My Baby,” and in November he released “Remember Me,” which was featured on the Arcane soundtrack. Before the year was out, D4vd returned once more with the single, “Where’d It Go Wrong?” April 2025: D4vd Releases Debut Album ‘Withered,’ Announces Tour After dropping another smattering of singles in early 2025, D4vd officially released his debut album Withered in April. D4vd also went viral that month after attempting a backflip during his Coachella performance, and face-planting onstage. The singer laughed off the tumble, and then announced the Withered World Tour days later. The tour kicked off on Aug. 5 in Del Mar, California. Sept. 8, 2025: Body is Discovered in Car Registered to D4vd On Sept. 8, Los Angeles police discovered a body inside an impounded Tesla in Hollywood. The vehicle was reportedly registered to D4vd. A spokesperson for the LAPD told Billboard that officers responded to a call of a “foul odor” coming from the car in a tow yard before finding the “possible human remains.” The case was described as “currently a death investigation.” Sept. 17, 2025: Body Identified As Missing 15-Year-Old Girl Days later, the body found in the Tesla registered to D4vd was identified as a missing 15-year-old girl named Celeste Rivas Hernandez. She had been last seen in April 2024, and had been reported missing. Officials announced that her remains weren’t intact and she had been dead for an “extended period of time.” The next day, a home in Los Angeles where D4vd had previously stayed was searched by police. Sept. 20, 2025: D4vd Cancels Multiple Tour Dates Without Explanation On Sept. 20, D4vd canceled the last two dates on his U.S. tour and multiple dates on his European tour. Ticketmaster communicated to fans the

Sabrina Carpenter may have made an album called Man’s Best Friend, but that doesn’t mean she has men all figured out. In a new Vogue Italia cover story published Tuesday (Sept. 23), the pop star opened up about her somewhat conflicting feelings toward the opposite sex. “I think they’re a really fun species to watch,” Carpenter began. “In both a good and bad way.” The Grammy winner went on to differentiate between the positive and negative experiences she’s had with men (some of whom she might classify as man-children). “I feel really adored, inspired and loved by some of them,” she told the publication of men. “And really confused, attacked and ridiculed by others.” “When one of my friends announces she’s having a son, I rejoice for that child,” Carpenter added. “Because I know he’ll be raised right.” For more of the singer’s thoughts on men, fans need only listen to Man’s Best Friend, which dropped in August and debuted atop the Billboard 200. On Billboard Hot 100-topping lead single “Manchild,” she laments the incompetencies of the male partners she attracts, while on “Tears,” she caustically raves about how hot it is when a love interest does the bare minimum. Carpenter has also previously opened up about the heartbreak that inspired Man’s Best Friend. “I think I came out of a sad situation a lot less bitter than I intended or expected to, with a little bit more of the, like, ‘You know what? There’s two people involved, and this is part of growing up,’” she told Zane Lowe earlier in September. “I don’t want to be enemies with people that I loved … I feel like it is one of those situations where, even the album starting with, ‘Oh, boy’ was sort of an eye roll to yourself being like, ‘Here we go again.’” The conversation with Vogue Italia comes as Carpenter has a number of exciting ventures coming up, with the Girl Meets World alum recently announcing that she’ll soon be making her Grand Ole Opry debut in addition to hosting Saturday Night Live for the first time. She will also headline Coachella in 2026. Elsewhere in the new interview, Carpenter spoke about how meaningful it’s been to her to have her fans by her side for every step of the way on her rise to superstardom. “The most important thing in the last 10 years of my life has been the people who have brought me to where I am now, the fans who have stuck by me through every moment, the good ones and the bad ones, with the songs they loved and didn’t love,” she reflected. “We’re really growing together.” See Carpenter on the cover of Vogue Italia below. Source link

After spending years being lauded in R&B circles, Seattle-raised singer-songwriter UMI, 26, is taking lessons learned from past label experiences to spin her evocative, folk-infused People Stories album into a globally resonant healing experience. A Black and Japanese artist who broke through with 2018’s “Remember Me” after years of running the SoundCloud circuit, UMI spent the past seven years solidifying her fanbase and fine-tuning her artistry through international tours, her 2022 debut album, Forest in the City, and collaborations with the likes of BTS’ V (“Wherever U R”) and Joyce Wrice (“That’s On You”). Armed with a pen that effortlessly balances hyper-specificity and universality — and a voice tender and grounded enough to convey the vast expanse of human emotion — UMI plays on the folky, bluesier edges of R&B, which can be traced back to the oral-based storytelling traditions of West African griots.  Explore See latest videos, charts and news That level of introspection can, at times, conflict with an industry more concerned with packaging and selling, and that tension has informed the way UMI moved inside and outside of the label system for the past decade. With People Stories, an album that blends Japanese-sung lyrics (“Mango Sticky Rice”), reggae elements (“Grocery Store”) and 808-laden country inflections (“Rain Rain”), UMI hopes to leverage humanity’s ability to feel “every and any experience and emotion” into proof positive that you don’t need to “explain [music] in one sentence” for people to connect with it.  “The music industry is in a really weird place right now, especially in America,” she tells Billboard a few hours after performing at a Today Show taping co-hosted by Cardi B. “It feels like nothing’s breaking through because these old systems are about ready to fall apart. I have to tell myself to hold on because no one knows how to market anybody right now. You can’t truthfully sell a soulful thing like music.”  Below, Billboard’s R&B Rookie of the Month for September details the making of People Stories, starting a new chapter with Epic Records, and working with 6LACK and Diane Warren. What are some of your earliest musical memories?  Me in my bedroom making a fake microphone out of paper. I had a bunk bed, and I stuck this paper microphone on the ceiling. I would sit on the top of my bunk bed and pretend I was in the studio.  Do you find the music that your parents introduced you to still informs the music that you make today?  Yes, very much so. My mom is Japanese, so I grew up listening to a lot of Japanese pop music. She also played piano, so I listened to a lot of classical music. But she also loved R&B and would go to these R&B nights in Seattle, so she introduced me to Destiny’s Child and TLC. My dad plays the drums, so he introduced me to gospel music, Sade, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, the whole spectrum of music.   What’s the first song you remember being stuck in your head?  The first thing I ever downloaded on my iPod was the Alvin and the Chipmunks album. [Laughs]. But outside of that, probably, “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child. My mom used to play so much Destiny’s Child. The melody is so catchy. I’m a lyrics girl, but melodies come first for me.  How has your approach to singing and songwriting evolved from your very first song to People Stories?  The first song I put out on the Internet, I just recorded it in my bedroom with a little mic. It was called “Happy Days.” I made this loop on my guitar, and I didn’t know how to do a bunch of layers and fancy stuff, so it was just me and the guitar on a 45-second song wishing for happier days. It was very simple and sweet. Now, my music has that simplicity, but it’s a lot deeper. 1) I can do more, technically and 2) I’ve polished my ability to talk about my emotions. If I were to make a song called “Happy Days” today, it would be a lot richer, like a movie scene.  Talk to me about leaving Keep Cool/RCA and starting this new chapter with Epic.  When I was with Keep Cool [beginning in 2018], I had a really great experience. I got to work with Tunji, who’s a very hands-on, artist-first kind of A&R. He gave me a lot of freedom and space to explore myself, so when he left the label [in 2022], I feel like I came face to face with what he was protecting me from, which was the label system. If they don’t know how to sell you — because you might have a unique perspective or a unique style — they want to turn you into something else. If you don’t conform to that, you’re labeled difficult or not sellable. That experience was a hard shot to my confidence because it made me start to place my value in my commercial success or how easily explainable I am. You can’t explain me in one sentence all the time.  After that, I went independent [from 2021-2024] and got to explore without the pressure of trying to make something for someone to like. I felt ready to sign to a label [after a while] because I wanted to take the music on a grander scale, and Epic Records is very epic. I signed last year, and they are very artist- and process-first, and they invest in ideas, not just commercial things. It’s been a really healing experience for me to see people want to invest and believe in my ideas over and over and over again and not use anything to define my worth. They f—k with who I am and my music, and I think that they’ll be very happy with their investment in me.  Being independent taught me a lot about leadership, and being at a label taught me that they’re like an

The 22nd edition of Premios Juventud is set to take place Thursday (Sept. 25) live from Panama, with Bad Bunny and Danny Ocean leading the list of nominees with six nods each. They are followed by five-time nominees Anitta, Beéle, Carín León, Emilia, Myke Towers, Netón Vega and Peso Pluma. Cohosted by Alejandra Espinoza, Clarissa Molina and Nadia Ferreira, the three-hour show will include performances by a number of artists, including Camilo, Gloria Trevi, Grupo Firme, Camila Fernández, Bad Gyal, Yami Safdie and Xavi. Both Agents of Change honorees, Carlos Vives and Myke Towers, will also perform. For the first time ever, Premios Juventud will be held outside the United States, taking place in Panama. “The move reinforces TelevisaUnivision’s commitment to honoring the strength, values and traditions of Latin American communities,” according to a statement shared with Billboard.  Ahead of the ceremony, check out the complete list of performers and how to watch below. How to Watch Premios Juventud 2025 will broadcast live at 7 p.m. ET on Sept. 25 from Panama City’s Figali Convention Center on Univision, UNIMÁS, Galavisión and ViX.  Performers Alemán Alleh & Yorghaki Bad Gyal Boza Camila Fernández Camilo Carlos Vives Dímelo Flow DND Emilia Erika Ender Esaú Ortiz Farruko Fonseca Gaitanes Gloria Trevi Grupo Firme Grupo Niche Hamilton Kevin Aguilar Lola Indigo Los Rabanes Louis BMP Makaco El Cerebro Maluma Marc Anthony Mari Morat Myke Towers Nando Boom Nanpa Básico Natti Natasha Omar Alfanno Rich Yashel Samy & Sandra Sandoval Sech Sergio George Silvestre Dangond Sinfónica Juvenil Nacional de Panamá Willie Colón Wisin Xavi Yami Safdie Special Awards Carlos Vives and Myke Towers will be recognized as this year’s Agents of Change. This honor celebrates their unwavering commitment to social impact, community development and cultural preservation throughout Latin America, according to a press release. Carlos Vives will be honored for his dedication to cultural and community development across Colombia and Latin America through his Tras La Perla Foundation. Meanwhile, Myke Towers will receive this distinction for his work with the Young Kingz Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on empowering vulnerable communities in Puerto Rico and Latin America. Source link