Categoría: Billboard

Between surprise releases and songs fans have been waiting for months to hear, music fans had plenty of new tunes to listen to this week. Leading the pack on Friday (Sept. 5) was Justin Bieber, who gave fans a less-than-24-hour heads up that he’d be dropping the second part of his other surprise 2025 release. The aptly-titled Swag II sees Bieber picking up where he left off on Swag, continuing with the alt-R&B sound he curated so carefully on his last release. This time, though, Bieber recruits a few more faces to help him out, including features on the album from Tems, Hurricane Chris and Eddie Benjamin. Over in pop, Lady Gaga brought her Mayhem era back to life with “The Dead Dance,” a new song she wrote specifically for the second season of Netflix’s Wednesday that fits just as well within her latest dance-pop era. The grooving disco bass lines keep the tempo going as Gaga declares that she’ll keep “dancin’ until I’m dead.” Meanwhile, Drake continued the rollout for his new Iceman project, this time with “Somebody Loves Me Pt. 2” featuring his $ome $exy $ongs 4 U partner PartyNextDoor, as well as rising hip-hop star Cash Cobain. Part remix , part rewrite, this new version of his and Party’s single sees Drake turning up the heat on “Somebody Loves Me” before handing the mic over to Cobain for a fiery new verse. Plus, Big Thief return with their slimmed-down but sonically-vast new album Double Infinity, Calvin Harris and Jessie Reyez team up for a swim in the “Ocean” and 3Quency keep the girl group summer going strong with “Top Down.” With such a stacked roster of new music out this week, Billboard wants to know which release is your favorite. Tell us your pick by voting in the poll below! Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Mark Volman, a founding member of the ’60s pop-rock group The Turtles, has died at age 78. In a statement shared on Facebook, Volman’s lawyer Evan Cohen shared a statement confirming that the singer had died. “I am sorry to report that my long-time friend and client, Mark Volman of The Turtles and Flo & Eddie (and a couple of years in the Mothers of Invention), has died at the age of 78,” he wrote. “Mark and bandmate Howard Kaylan stepped up and set an example for decades, standing up for the rights of musicians in various legal actions, which had a great impact on the progression of the law in several different areas (including sampling, and the eventual protection of 60s recordings under the Music Modernization Act).” In 2020, Volman confirmed in an interview with People that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, and opened up about how he was living with the disease. “I got hit by the knowledge that this was going to create a whole new part of my life,” he said at the time. “And I said, ‘OK, whatever’s going to happen will happen, but I’ll go as far as I can.’” Alongside fellow band founder Howard Kaylan, Volman helped lead The Turtles through a prosperous career in the late 1960s, where the band released a number of hits. Over the course of the band’s career, they notched 17 career entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned five top 10 hits. “Happy Together,” widely considered to be the band’s signature song, was their sole No. 1 hit on the chart, spending three weeks at the summit in 1967. The band famously earned their first chart entry with a rock cover of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe,” which also went on to be their first top 10 hit after it peaked at No. 8 on the chart in 1965. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Fanny Lu recently marked her return to music with Una Vida Bien Vivida, an album full of joyful and positive vibes featuring big collaborators like Bacilos, Carlos Baute, Olga Tañón and Yuri. It’s her first studio album since 2011’s Felicidad y Perpetua, but the Colombian artist points out that she never really left. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “I’ve always stayed in music with singles,” Fanny Lu tells Billboard Español during a visit to New York. “I went through an emotionally and personally difficult time in my life, and God gave me the opportunity to spend seven years on La Voz, experiencing music from the other side,” she says, referring to her divorce from the father of her two children and her work as a coach on La Voz Colombia and La Voz Kids (Spanish language adaptations of The Voice) between 2012-2013 and 2014-2019, respectively. Produced by José Gaviria and independently released in May, Una Vida Bien Vivida (which means “A life well lived”) is Fanny Lu’s fourth studio album. Before becoming a musician, she studied (and graduated in) industrial engineering and worked as an actress and TV host. With her charisma and a unique tropipop style, she soon won over a legion of fans. Her debut album, Lágrimas Cálidas (2006), landed on the Billboard charts, reaching No. 13 on Top Tropical Albums, while its single “No Te Pido Flores” hit No. 1 on the Tropical Airplay chart. More hits followed with Dos (2008) and Felicidad y Perpetua. And yes, between that last album and Una Vida Bien Vivida, she did release numerous singles, from “Mujeres” and “Lo Que Dios Quiera” to “Fuerte,” “El Traidor” and “Lágrimas de Amor.” “But I kept saying, ‘I need an album.’ Because the album-making process is so different and so generous — it allows you to rediscover and reinvent yourself in the process,” she says enthusiastically. As the 20th anniversary of her musical debut approached, she felt it was the perfect time to give herself “the gift I had dreamed of for so many years,” and she did it from a place of gratitude and personal and professional fulfillment. Below, Fanny Lu answers 20 questions about music, female empowerment, motherhood, tears, good advice, love (she’s since remarried) and cooking. 1. Welcome to Billboard and welcome back to music. What took so long? I went through an emotionally and personally difficult time in my life, and God gave me the opportunity to spend seven years on La Voz, experiencing music from the other side — from the perspective of someone who shines a light on others, who shares generously what they’ve learned, who admires, appreciates and supports others. And it was beautiful, working with both adults and kids on La Voz Colombia and La Voz Kids. It taught me so much and allowed me to enjoy music in a different way during that complicated time in my life. 2. How did you decide to come back? During that time, I released several songs as singles, but I kept saying: “I need an album.” Because the album-making process is so different and so generous — it allows you to rediscover and reinvent yourself. I said: “I deserve to give myself this dream of a full album, to tell a complete story like when you write a book with different chapters.” And that’s what I did — a catharsis in the studio over several months, allowing myself to listen to myself. 3. Were you scared? Excited? Both? Yes, a little bit of everything. But above all, I’m in a moment in my life where I feel deeply grateful — for my dreams, for the blessing of being able to sing to so many people for so long, for feeling blessed in my personal life as a mom, as a wife, as a daughter, as an artist. In that space, fears and doubts fade away because you face life with peace and faith. It’s been a beautiful process, and I’m savoring every second of it. 4. And you returned empowered with Una Vida Bien Vivida and “La Mujer Que Soy” (The Woman I Am). How do these titles define the moment you’re in? As self-love. I tell my 20-year-old daughter: “I would give my life to teach you what I know now.” I feel like everything is a process in life, and we all come to these realizations at different times. At my age, you think: “How didn’t I learn this earlier? How did I have so many doubts, so much fear?” But it’s all part of the journey. Realizing that self-love gives you everything you’ve ever dreamed of — confidence, faith in yourself, power over your decisions, discipline, valuing your time and your life, living inwardly instead of outwardly — that sums up this album. A life well-lived isn’t a perfect life; it’s not just smiles and fulfilled dreams. It’s a life of falls, tears, effort and sweat. It’s a life of confusion that eventually leads to light and clarity. 5. How does the Fanny Lu of 2011, when you released Felicidad y Perpetua, differ from the Fanny Lu of 2025? I feel there’s a deeper recognition of myself — my worth, my effort, and my growth. There’s a celebration of my being, my style, my voice, and the way we make music. There’s a confidence in knowing that my lane is my lane, and I value it. Today, I’m not looking for anything else but to be myself. 6. Having a unique and recognizable sound is essential for an artist. How did you find yours? I spent many years understanding myself musically and gave myself the freedom to experiment so I could truly discover myself in the studio. I’ve been very stubborn about staying true to who I am. I’ve insisted that every song I sing must feel personal, something I can defend and identify with. It’s been a beautiful stubbornness to always be myself so that when people hear my songs, they

PinkPantheress made her Tiny Desk concert debut at the NPR offices on Friday (Sept. 5), and did so in a new way as she stripped the signature Auto-Tune from her vocals. Explore See latest videos, charts and news The 24-year-old admitted that she thought about backing out since she couldn’t have her vocals properly adjusted, but figured out a way to work around the tuning and fans are happy she did. “This is my first performance I’ve done with no tuning,” she told the crowd. “I’ve never sang with no tuning before so this is really scary. I nearly didn’t do this because the NPR people were like, ‘You can’t use anything.’ Then I was like, ‘Let me try to figure it out and see how it goes.’” In her classic tartan outfit, Pink jumped around her compact discography throughout the eight-track set. She took it back to 2021 for stripped-down versions of “Atracted to You,” which saw her play the harmonica, and “Pain.” The singer reimagined her viral TikTok hit “Illegal” into a jazzier version of the track, which hit No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100. The rest of PinkPantheress’ set included Heaven Knows‘ “The Aisle,” “Passion” and a ringtone transition to Fancy That standout “Tonight,” which mixes in burly guitar riffs and an interpolation of the chorus from her “Boys a Liar.” During her interview with Billboard earlier this year, Pink explained how she feels her music is meant for more intimate settings rather than arenas. “I still don’t think my music belongs in an arena,” she said. “I think my music belongs in a more intimate setting. As an artist, I think my fanbase appreciates more intimate settings.” Watch her Tiny Desk concert below. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Simply the best new dance tracks of the week. 9/5/2025 Calvin Harris attends The BRIT Awards 2025 at the Intercontinental Hotel on March 1, 2025 in London, England. JMEnternational/Getty Images This week in dance music: A “no experience needed” DJ competition that originated in Australia is debuting in the U.S. this fall, with auditions happening in New York and Los Angeles later this month. Focused on democratizing DJing and opening up the space to producers without access to equipment and training, the competition is offering a chance not only to pick up skills, but to earn a slot on an upcoming festival lineup. The Your Shot advisory team includes artist and Femme House co-founder LP Giobbi, president of Live Nation’s Vibee Harvey Cohen and representatives from dance/electronic management company The Circuit Group. Meanwhile, IMS Dubai announced the phase one programming for its conference in November, with Nicole Moudaber, Hugel, Bedouin, Pete Tong and executives from the across the dance industry heading to the U.A.E. for the event. And also: TikToker Kelley Heyer, who created the viral dance to Charli xcx’s “Apple,” reached a settlement with gaming giant Roblox to resolve claims that the platform featured her choreography without her permission, Lady Gaga cancelled a show in Miami at the last minute due to strained vocal issues, writing in a statement that “I want to be hardcore and just push through this for you but I don’t want to risk long term or permanent damage on my vocal cords,” and Aloe Blacc teamed up with Sickick for the new track “Lonely Together.” To put an exclamation point on it all, these are the best new dance tracks of the week. Calvin Harris & Jessie Reyez, “Ocean” The saga of this song continues today, with, finally, its release. Harris has been cooking on “Ocean” for years, with the track initially featuring vocals from Miley Cyrus. Harris teased a snippet of this early version last year, but more recently explained that for reasons that are “absolutely not” Cyrus’ fault, that iteration of the track will never get released. But the final product hardly feels like a compromise. The song’s co-writer Jessie Reyez (who also co-penned the Harris hits “One Kiss” and “Promises”) steps into sing, with her delicate voice dancing over a an urgently pretty production, into which the ever experimental Harris weaves in guitar and light flourishes of psytrance. “Ocean” is out on Sony Music. Listen to it here. SG Lewis, Anemoia SG Lewis releases his third album Anemoia today and — as suggested by the ace singles that have preceded it — the project contains all of the cerebral, stylish, sexy and often deeply contemplative elements we’ve long loved about the British producer’s output. Collaborators including Shygirl, London Grammar, TEED, Frances and Oliver Sim add heft to the 10-track collection, with the various moods conjuring nostalgia, the thrilling presence found on the dancefloor — and, in the album’s best moments, both things at once. Anemoia is out on Forever Days/Astralwerks. Listen to it here. Sébastian Tellier, “Refresh” Five years after the release of his last album, French Touch cool guy Sébastian Tellier returns with “Refresh,” a single that also marks the producer’s first release on Because Music. “It’s a track about renewal, rebirth, failures, and the ceaseless cycle of starting over,” Tellier says of the track, a shining amalgamation of electronic, synth and pop. “It’s about changing internal processes at certain moments in life in order to keep moving forward, to reinvent oneself, to continue existing — like an animal shedding its skin, or like reprogramming computer software to survive inner chaos. And always rolling the dice again, over and over.” “Refresh” is out on Because Music. Listen to it here. Alesso, Sentinal & Sick Individuals, “Upside Down” Debuted at Tomorrowland 2024, “Upside Down” finally gets release today in appropriate fashion via the festival’s in house label. A collab between Alesso, Australian trio Sentinal and Dutch duo Sick Individuals, the song marries big room tendencies with the darker, clubbier output that Alesso especially has been exploring over the last few years via his BodyHi project. “Upside Down” is out on Tomorrowland Music/BodyHi. Listen to it here. Layton Giordani & Green Velvet, “When It Kicks” Layton Giordani, the New York-based producer and key member of John Summit’s Experts Only label, today launches his own imprint, Madminds. “When It Kicks” is the label’s debut single, with Giordani coming hot out the gates with the darkly winding Green Velvet collab. In fact Giordani originally planned to release the tech house track on Green Velvet’s label, but the house legend instead suggested that Giordani use it to jumpstart his own imprint. A label rep advises that Madminds will be guided by “curiosity, creativity, and a headstrong approach to blurring genre lines.” Meanwhile, Giordani and Green Velvet will perform together at Summit’s Experts Only Festival later this month and at The Shrine in Los Angeles in November. “When It Kicks” is out on Madminds. Listen to it here. Weval, Chorophobia “Chorophobia” translates to “a fear of dancing,” which effectively summarized how Dutch duo Weval felt about being defined as a dance act since emerging in the scene circa 2013. But while working on the music for their fourth studio album, they decided to “lean into the irony and get out of their comfort zones” by getting out of a listening music mindset and intentionally making dance music. This is all to say that the new project by the pair is straightforwardly body moving fare that still, predictably, maintains the intelligence and nuance that’s long defined the group’s output. Chorophobia is out on Ninja Tune’s Technicolour imprint. Listen to it here. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up The Daily A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA

T-Pain kicks off his TP20 Tour to celebrate two decades of his music and achievements. With many notable hits across those 20 years, he’s no stranger to the stage, and his highly anticipated tour kicked off at Radio City Music Hall in NYC on Thursday (Spet. 4). Over those 20 years, T-Pain turned himself into one of the most prolific hitmakers of the early 21st century, with 15 top 10 hits to his credit, including three No. 1s: his own “Buy U a Drank” (featuring Yung Joc), and feature appearances on Chris Brown’s “Kiss Kiss” and Flo Rida’s “Low.” His most recent album, On Top of the Covers was released in 2023 and notably did not include Auto-Tune — the pitch-correcting software which he helped make a sonic staple of pop music in the late ’00s — due to the positive feedback he received from singing live without the tool on NBC’s The Masked Singer.  He recently finished his festival run, including notable performances at Coachella, Austin City Limits, Governor’s Ball, and Boston Calling. Since his festival performances, speculation has swirled on what he plans to do next for his career in music. In June of this year, he announced his TP20 Tour to celebrate his 20 years of being in the music industry. After the announcement, the tour was briefly delayed due to personal issues — pushing back all the other show dates to October 2025, except the Radio City Music Hall show in New York City. The rest of the tour will start at the end of the month, with shows across the United States.    With tour dates extending through December, anticipation is growing for new music and fans can only wonder what is next for T-Pain. One thing’s for sure: his music legacy is one for the ages, and his TP20 Tour is the best way to honor it. Here are the top five moments from Thursday’s (September 4) NYC Show at Radio City Music Hall. Florida Cars and Palm Trees in NYC Image Credit: Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images T-Pain opened his show by announcing how he’d brought Florida to New York City. When the curtains were drawn up as he walked onto the stage, there were four classic Florida cars that he shipped up and positioned around many Florida palm trees to set the scene. He playfully joked, “It’s an expensive night for me. We didn’t have to bring all the cars from Florida, but we did.” Throughout the night, he highlighted aspects of Florida that he wanted to bring on his tour and how important they were to him. Florida and “Florida Adjacent” Guests Image Credit: Getty Images T-Pain paid homage to his Florida roots by including many guests who consider Florida home such as Ski Mask the Slump God, 1900Rugrat, Ace Hood, and Denzel Curry. He playfully joked during his set when he told the crowd how he chose his guests — with his wife notably saying “that’s a lot of dudes” — and how, “per our marriage agreement, I’m not allowed to have any girls’ phone numbers.” Then JT from City Girls was added to the tour. He ensured that each guest had a short set to highlight many of their popular songs, including JT performing “JT Coming” and “OKAY.” The “Florida-adjacent” guest was Armani White, who ran onto the stage singing “Billie Ellish.” Most Wanted Features Image Credit: Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images T-Pain’s successful solo career also includes numerous hit collaborations, such as with Kanye West on “Good Life,” Akon on “I’m Sprung” and Chris Brown on “Kiss Kiss.” He performed these songs during his festival run earlier this summer, and fans were thrilled to see him bring them back for his TP20 Tour. When “Kiss Kiss” started playing, the crowd erupted with screams, knowing his hilarious dance moves would accompany the medley that he was about to perform. Busting Out the Dance Moves Image Credit: Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images T-Pain busted out the moves during his tour, with the crowd jumping and dancing in excitement alongside him. He playfully poked fun at being “almost 40,” joking that all the singing and dancing had pushed him “past his bedtime.” The crowd roared with excitement as he performed many popular songs he wasn’t originally part of — such as Drake’s “Rich Baby Daddy,” during which he threw it back and twerked to Sexyy Red’s chorus hook in his own T-Pain style, laughing along with the audience’s reaction. The concert was an endless supply of energy and laughs. Slowing It Down Image Credit: Getty Images T-Pain sang “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith as he slowed down his set. The song marked a notable moment in his career, as it was part of his winning performance on NBC’s The Masked Singer in 2019. Many of the judges of the show had failed to guess his identity correctly, impressed by the raw vocal talent he showcased — without the Auto-Tune he had been primarily known for. As he belted out the lyrics on the Radio City Music Hall stage, fans turned on their phone flashlights and waved them in the air, cheering for him endlessly. He received a standing ovation and paused at the end of the performance to soak up the love fans were giving him. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Luke Combs achieves his 24th top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “Back in the Saddle” moseys 11-10 on the Sept. 13-dated tally. During the Aug. 29-Sept. 4 tracking week, it increased by 8% to 17.5 million audience impressions, according to Luminate. Combs co-authored the song with Dan Isbell and Jonathan Singleton, while Combs and Singleton co-produced it with Chip Matthews. The single introduces Combs’ upcoming album. A week earlier, Combs hit No. 2 on Country Airplay with “Backup Plan,” with Bailey Zimmerman. Before that, Post Malone’s “Guy for That,” featuring Combs, reached No. 5 in March and Combs’ “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” led for two weeks last fall, becoming his 18th No. 1. Combs, from Asheville, N.C., snapped off a career-opening-record 14 consecutive Country Airplay No. 1s. His 24 top 10s dating to his rookie appearance in the region in April 2017 with “Hurricane,” which led for two weeks, mark the most in that span. Morgan Wallen is second with 21, followed by Thomas Rhett with 17. More ‘Good News’ Shaboozey’s “Good News” tops Country Airplay for a second week (32.4 million, up 4%). The Northern Virginia native’s first entry, the multi-genre smash “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” dominated for seven weeks beginning in August 2024, surpassing Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” in 2006 as the longest-leading hit on the list ever to establish a country career (counting acts’ first titles on the chart as a lead artist or their initial songs promoted to country radio). Meanwhile, of the 11 songs that have risen to No. 1 on Country Airplay for the first time in 2025, “Good News” is the eighth to lead for more than one week, matching the number of multi-frame rulers in all of 2024. In 2023, 12 new No. 1s reigned for multiple weeks. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Riley Green is piling up career successes with songs such as “Worst Way,” his Ella Langley collab “You Look Like You Love Me,” and his latest, “Make It Rain.” Green recently appeared on The Zach Sang Show, and discussed his love for vehicles — and while Green’s career successes might lead some people to assume that love of cars leans toward expensive new models, it seems Green has a love for older cars. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “I get on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist and when I’m traveling, you can find deals,” he said. “When I’m in a certain town, I’ll find something and if I think it’s a good deal, I’ll buy it and ship it home, work on it a little bit.” Green noted he has “13 to 15 vehicles in a barn at my house,” including a couple of Chrysler LeBarons. He recalled buying a 1988 Chrysler LeBaron when he was opening shows for Brad Paisley. “I went and bought this LeBaron…wood panel siding on it. I’ve got two of those now. But I paid $3,000 for that car, and I remember driving it back to the venue and all my buddies were like, ‘Man, you’re just wastin’ money, it’s a piece of junk.’ … I think a Kid Rock song came on or something and I was ridin’ through these cornfields going back to the venue and I said, ‘This was worth $3,000, just this moment,’” he told Sang. “I finally got somebody to haul it to Nashville and we got it fixed and it’s still at my house. I love buyin’ old vehicles like that.” Green has previously shown off some of his cherished vehicles, including Broncos and a wood-grain LeBaron, in TikTok videos, and during his Zach Sang Show podcast appearance, he shared why he loves older cars. “I always say you can go buy the nicest BMW, G wagon, whatever, and the next year there’s going to be newer one. There’s never going to be a newer one of those. That’s always going to be the coolest car on the block,” he said. “And crazy enough, I’ve had some early Broncos, I have three of them, but that right there turns heads more than anything I drive. I love that era, those old vehicles, there’s something about the smell in ’em when you crank them up, too. You don’t see them a lot anymore.” Green recently appeared on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, and his Langley collaboration “Don’t Mind If I Do” is rising up the Country Airplay chart, while he just released a deluxe version of his Don’t Mind If I Do project. Source link

Cardi B, Leon Thomas, Wu-Tang Clan and more were honored at Billboard‘s 2025 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event Thursday night (Sept. 4) at Unveiled in New York. Billboard cover stars Cardi B and Leon Thomas received the Impact of the Year Award and Breakthrough of the Year Award, respectively. After Billboard‘s executive director of R&B/hip-hop, Gail Mitchell introduced “everyone’s favorite mutt,” the “Mutt” hitmaker thanked God for helping him throughout his 22-year musical journey as well as Ty Dolla $ign, whose EZMNY Records Thomas is signed to, among others. “R&B still matters,” he said. Cardi also expressed love for her genre. “New York is the home of hip-hop…. Hip-hop is a feeling. When I was growing up, I didn’t want to be the Shakiras and the J-Los and the R&B artists; I wanted to be like Trina and Lil Kim. I wanted to be like them,” she said before getting the party started by hollering, “Let’s play some hip-hop” and playing her latest single “Imaginary Playerz,” which samples Jay-Z’s 1997 track of the same name. Joined by Raekwon The Chef and Cappadonna on stage, RZA thanked “the entire Billboard staff for thinking about us, appreciating our contribution to the culture” while being inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. “It’s a wonderful validation. We came out in 1993, and since then, and Raekwon can tell you, I used to look at Billboard every week, right? We had dozens of songs and albums on that chart, and it made us feel special,” said RZA. TDE CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith was accompanied by the label’s co-presidents Anthony “Moosa” Tiffith Jr. and Terrence “Punch” Henderson while accepting the Executive of the Year Award. The room erupted when Tiffith claimed, “I feel like I should’ve won this three, four, five times.” And another trio took the stage shortly after, as Ravyn Lenae, GELO and Odeal won the R&B, Hip-Hop and African Rookie of the Year Awards, respectively. Cappadonna, RZA, and Raekwon Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Cappadonna, RZA, and Raekwon at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Zach Iser Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Zach Iser at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Hannah Karp Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Hannah Karp at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Top Dawg and Hannah Karp Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Top Dawg and Hannah Karp at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Fatima Stiggers and Willie “Prophet” Stiggers Image Credit: Deanie Chen/Billboard Fatima Stiggers and Willie “Prophet” Stiggers at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Mona Scott-Young and Tina Davis Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Mona Scott-Young and Tina Davis at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Sherrese Clarke Soares Image Credit: Deanie Chen/Billboard Sherrese Clarke Soares at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Shawn Barron, Leon Thomas III, Ty Dolla $ign, and Chris Herche Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Shawn Barron, Leon Thomas III, Ty Dolla $ign, and Chris Herche at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Ravyn Lenae Image Credit: Deanie Chen/Billboard Ravyn Lenae at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. GELO and Odeal Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard GELO and Odeal at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Raekwon Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve Raekwon at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Patientce Foster Image Credit: Deanie Chen Patientce Foster at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Leon Thomas Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Leon Thomas III at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Joey Bada$$ Image Credit: Deanie Chen/Billboard Joey Bada$$ at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. GELO Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard LiAngelo Ball aka GELO at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Ghazi Shami Image Credit: Deanie Chen/Billboard Ghazi Shami at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Ski Mask The Slump God Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Ski Mask The Slump God at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Cardi B Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Cardi B at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Bun Monroe Image Credit: Deanie Chen/Billboard Bun Monroe at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Punch, Top Dawg and Moosa Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve Punch, Top Dawg and Moosa at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on Sept. 4, 2025 in New York, New York. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Cardi B, Leon Thomas, Wu-Tang Clan and more were honored at Billboard‘s 2025 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event Thursday night (Sept. 4) at Unveiled in New York. Billboard cover stars Cardi B and Leon Thomas received the Impact of the Year Award and Breakthrough of the Year Award, respectively. After Billboard‘s executive director of R&B/hip-hop, Gail Mitchell introduced “everyone’s favorite mutt,” the “Mutt” hitmaker thanked God for helping him throughout his 22-year musical journey as well as Ty Dolla $ign, whose EZMNY Records Thomas is signed to, among others. “R&B still matters,” he said. Cardi also expressed love for her genre. “New York is the home of hip-hop…. Hip-hop is a feeling. When I was growing up, I didn’t want to be the Shakiras and the J-Los and the R&B artists; I wanted to be like Trina and Lil Kim. I wanted to be like them,” she said before getting the party started by hollering, “Let’s play some hip-hop” and playing her latest single “Imaginary Playerz,” which samples Jay-Z’s 1997 track of the same name. Joined by Raekwon The Chef and Cappadonna on stage, RZA thanked “the entire Billboard staff for thinking about us, appreciating our contribution to the culture” while being inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. “It’s a wonderful validation. We came out in 1993, and since then, and Raekwon can tell you, I used to look at Billboard every week, right? We had dozens of songs and albums on that chart, and it made us feel special,” said RZA. TDE CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith was accompanied by the label’s co-presidents Anthony “Moosa” Tiffith Jr. and Terrence “Punch” Henderson while accepting the Executive of the Year Award. The room erupted when Tiffith claimed, “I feel like I should’ve won this three, four, five times.” And another trio took the stage shortly after, as Ravyn Lenae, GELO and Odeal won the R&B, Hip-Hop and African Rookie of the Year Awards, respectively. Cappadonna, RZA, and Raekwon Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Cappadonna, RZA, and Raekwon at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Zach Iser Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Zach Iser at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Hannah Karp Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Hannah Karp at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Top Dawg and Hannah Karp Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Top Dawg and Hannah Karp at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Fatima Stiggers and Willie “Prophet” Stiggers Image Credit: Deanie Chen/Billboard Fatima Stiggers and Willie “Prophet” Stiggers at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Mona Scott-Young and Tina Davis Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Mona Scott-Young and Tina Davis at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Sherrese Clarke Soares Image Credit: Deanie Chen/Billboard Sherrese Clarke Soares at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Shawn Barron, Leon Thomas III, Ty Dolla $ign, and Chris Herche Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Shawn Barron, Leon Thomas III, Ty Dolla $ign, and Chris Herche at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Ravyn Lenae Image Credit: Deanie Chen/Billboard Ravyn Lenae at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. GELO and Odeal Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard GELO and Odeal at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Raekwon Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve Raekwon at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Patientce Foster Image Credit: Deanie Chen Patientce Foster at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Leon Thomas Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Leon Thomas III at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Joey Bada$$ Image Credit: Deanie Chen/Billboard Joey Bada$$ at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. GELO Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard LiAngelo Ball aka GELO at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Ghazi Shami Image Credit: Deanie Chen/Billboard Ghazi Shami at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Ski Mask The Slump God Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Ski Mask The Slump God at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Cardi B Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve/Billboard Cardi B at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Bun Monroe Image Credit: Deanie Chen/Billboard Bun Monroe at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on September 04, 2025 in New York, New York. Punch, Top Dawg and Moosa Image Credit: Erica Harris DeValve Punch, Top Dawg and Moosa at the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players held at Unveiled on Sept. 4, 2025 in New York, New York. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link