Billboard News

LL Cool J added to the enigmatic lore of Ol’ Dirty Bastard when recalling a time that ODB urinated on his plaques at a New York City studio. LL joined SiriusXM’s Salute the Sample on Thursday (July 8), where he recounted getting one of the more bizarre phone calls in his life, which found the late Wu-Tang Clan rapper in a rage. Related

iHeartMedia has agreed to beef up its anti-payola compliance policies to resolve a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigation that questioned whether the radio giant offers artists additional airplay in exchange for free performances at its events. The consent decree, announced on Thursday (July 9) and reviewed by Billboard, does not include any financial penalty or determination that iHeart is involved in payola — the illegal practice of trading radio plays for undisclosed pay

In June, National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) executives reported at the organization’s annual meeting that U.S. music publishers and their songwriters have missed out on nearly $500 million in mechanical royalty payments since Spotify and Amazon rolled all of their paid music subscribers into bundled plans. In the wake of that announcement, Billboard analyzed Spotify’s reports to the Mechanical Licensing Collective for the fourth quarters of 2023 and 2025 and found that the blend

Yoshihiro Togashi’s HUNTER×HUNTER Vol. 39 bows at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Book Hot 100 chart released July 9, marking the series’ first new volume in a year and ten months. The release arrives amid buzz over the series surpassing 100 million copies in cumulative circulation. The volume places No. 1 in e-books, No. 2 in brick-and-mortar and No. 5 in e-commerce (EC). Its overall point total exceeds 40,000 — the highest weekly tally of the year — pointing to the series’

Argentina is officially the only country from Latin America still standing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Led by soccer star Lionel Messi, the South American team is one of the eight headed to the quarterfinals, alongside France, Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Norway, England and Switzerland.  Related World Cup 2026: ‘Dai Dai,’ &#

London Cyr, the producer who’s worked with Drake, Travis Scott, Don Toliver and Doja Cat, has signed a publishing deal with Electric Feel Publishing in partnership with Sony Music Publishing. Cyr recently produced seven tracks on Drake’s Iceman, and he contributed to Habibti. “I am happy and blessed to be with Electric Feel and Sony Music Publishing,” Cyr said in a statement. “I have looked up to Austin Rosen’s approach to the music business for a long time, and I’m excited to work alongsid

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. Halloween may still be months away but that hasn’t stopped Summerween (summer Halloween, get it?) from becoming one of the season’s biggest trends. What began as a niche celebration among Halloween enthusiasts has grown into a full-fledg

BE:FIRST‘s “Missing” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, on the chart released July 8. The digital single, released July 1, swept radio airplay, physical sales, downloads, video, and streaming to top the chart. The No. 1 marks BE:FIRST’s 12th chart-topper on the Japan Hot 100, following “BE:FIRST ALL DAY.” Also debuting at No. 52 this week is “Why, Why” — another track off the same release — giving the group two simultaneous entri

J. Cole is gearing up to hit the road once again for The Fall-Off World Tour. While Cole’s mentor, Jay-Z, holds court at Yankee Stadium this weekend, the Dreamville boss kicks off his trek in his home state of North Carolina with a pair of Charlotte shows on Friday (July 10) and Saturday (July 11). The tour marks J. Cole’s first global run in nearly a decade and serves as the Grammy-winning rapper’s first U.S. headlining tour since 2021’s The Off-Season Tour alongsid

Ciara reflects on the biggest songs of her career for Billboard Chart History and shares the stories behind hits such as “Goodies,” “1, 2 Step,” “Oh,” “Like a Boy,” “Promise,” “Love Sex Magic,” “Ride,” “Body Party,” “Level Up” and more! From early breakout moments to career-defining collaborations, Ciara opens up about songwriting, dance, visuals, independence and the records that helped shape her legacy. She also talks about working with legendary collaborators including Missy Elliott, Lu

HarbourView Equity Partners signed a strategic partnership with singer-songwriter Chaka Khan that will focus “on catalog development, global licensing, and the development of new creative ventures,” according to a press release. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Khan’s catalog includes 22 albums. Her hits include “I’m Every Woman,” “Ain’t Nobody,” “Sweet Thing,” “Through the Fire,” “Tell Me Something Goo

On Thursday (June 18), renowned producer Tay Keith was found dead in his Nashville apartment, according to Metro Nashville Police. He was 29. Police went to Keith’s house to perform a welfare check and found him unresponsive. No foul play is suspected. Known for his trap-laden production, the Memphis hitmaker enjoyed tremendous success on the Billboard Hot 100, earning 11 top 10 hits and four No. 1 records, including Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” and Drake’s “First Person Shooter.”

Jimmie Allen must pay $1.8 million to a woman who sued him over accusations that he sexually assaulted and secretly filmed her in a Las Vegas hotel room, a judge ruled Thursday (June 18). The once-rising star was held liable by default for assault and invasion of privacy in August after he ignored multiple court deadlines. That set the stage for a ruling deciding how much Allen owes the woman (identified only as Jane Doe) in legal damages. Related

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. Graduation season is upon us, but T-Mobile is already looking ahead to back to school season with the arrival of some early, can’t-miss deals on one of the most popular phones of the year for students (and well, everyone). Right now, new

The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and Fan Alliance are calling on Congress to pass legislation to help prevent the kind of price gouging fans are facing with FIFA World Cup tickets and more. The two entities sent a joint letter to House and Senate leadership on Thursday (June 18), calling on Congress to act in the wake of reports of fans paying thousands of dollars for World Cup tickets and still not making it into the matches. The letter went to House Speaker Mike Johnso

Taylor Swift had a lot of fun toying around with her Toy Story 5 anthem, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” with the singer-songwriter revealing in a new behind-the-scenes clip on Instagram that she wrote, recorded and produced the track with collaborator Jack Antonoff in just eight hours. Related Five Burning Questions About Taylor Swift&#8

Julieta Venegas returned to Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional on Wednesday (June 18) after nearly a decade to pay tribute to her borderland roots with the tour named after her new album, Norteña. She did so accompanied by guest musicians and a performance focused on her new songs played to the rhythm of the accordion, along with some classics and even a small homage to the iconic Juan Gabriel. Dressed in a pink attire, cowboy hat and boots, Venegas presented a conceptual show to the 10

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. During the annual BTS ARMY festival, BTS Festa, in June, Hachette Book Group’s Running Press announced a new cookbook in partnership with the K-pop superstars — including RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook. On sale for $21 (regularly $

Michael Jackson’s biopic, Michael, has dethroned Bohemian Rhapsody to become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, crossing $911.9 million worldwide as the Jaafar Jackson-starring film continues its global rollout. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, the Lionsgate and Universal co-production has surpassed Bohemian Rhapsody‘s total gross with $358.6 million at the domestic box office and $553.3 million internationally — with Universal generating $540.5 m

Australian indie-pop four-piece The Tullamarines have delivered one of Like A Version’s most anticipated covers of the year, taking on Fleetwood Mac‘s “The Chain” in their debut appearance at the triple j studio. The band — Angus Purvis, Lucinda Machin, Josh and Benny — leaned into the song’s dynamics, trading harmonies across its quieter passages before spotlighting the iconic bass-driven breakdown and building into a full-blown closing jam. The arrangement st