Since Mia Berrin’s New York-based indie-rock band Pom Pom Squad was inducted into Spotify’s Fresh Finds artist development program last October, the singer-songwriter has hit career milestones she never thought she’d enjoy so early in her career. Those have included a recording session at the legendary Electric Lady Studios, placements on some of music’s most sought-after playlists and a billboard in Times Square, to name a few — all sponsored by the streaming service.

“I sort of viewed all those things…as further down the line in your career things,” says Berrin. “To have those experiences so soon because of this specific thing … it definitely felt like a boost.”

Since launching in May 2021, the Fresh Finds program – an extension of the playlist hub of the same name – has provided developing artists with a raft of opportunities. In addition to recording an exclusive original song at Electric Lady Studios under the Spo-tify Singles banner (with a producer of their choice) and being featured on a Times Square billboard promoting the artists and the program, acts receive credits for Spotify for Artists’ paid on-platform pro-motional resources like Marquee and are offered other forms of marketing support both on- and off-platform.

They and their managers also enjoy “masterclasses” with Spotify executives, during which they receive tips on how best to navigate their careers within the Spotify ecosystem; these executives remain avail-able to provide additional guidance in the weeks and months that follow.

“Getting to actually be in the room with people from Spotify made it feel a lot less intimidating,” says Berrin, “because I think the music industry sort of becomes this big, scary, amorphous blob in in a lot of musicians’ heads.”

Importantly, the Fresh Finds program guarantees participating artists a spot on the titular playlist, which has nearly 900,000 followers and helps serve as a launching pad for independent artists on the plat-form and beyond, as well as the genre-specific Fresh Finds playlists, the Spotify Singles playlist and other relevant playlists across Spotify. While artists and labels typically pitch upcoming, unreleased songs to Spotify’s playlist editors using the faceless Spotify for Artists portal, this access provides the relationships to bypass this system and overcome a major hurdle to achieving visibility on the platform.

How Much Does Spotify’s Artist Development Really Help?

B Y   C H R I S E G G E R T S E N

(continued)

YOUR DAILY ENTERTAINMENT NEWS UPDATE

BulletinJ U N E 1 4 , 2 0 2 2 Page 1 of 26

• Music Stocks and Cryptocurrencies Hit by Recession,

Inflation Fears

• Spotlight: This Early TikTok Exec

Is Back in the Label Game — and Her First Signing Is a

Smash

• BTS Announce They’re ‘Going on

Hiatus’: ‘We Have to Accept That We’ve

Changed’

• Spotify to Acquire AI Voice Startup

Sonantic

• Young Thug Sends Audio Message From Jail at Hot 97 Summer Jam,

Encourages Fans to Sign ‘Protect Black

Art’ Petition

INSIDE

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Page 3 of 26

Spotify built its success as a platform for music discovery, long touting its support of emerging and independent artists, in efforts to set itself apart from its competitors and foster goodwill with the creator community. In 2015, the company launched Found Them First, a microsite that gave users brag-ging rights by allowing them to see which future stars they regularly listened to on the platform prior to their ascent; users who participated were also serviced personalized playlists of current emerging acts to further boost discovery. This was followed by the Fresh Finds playlists in 2016, and, more controversially, Discovery Mode in 2020, which allows artists and labels to receive higher priority in Spotify’s personalization algorithms in exchange for a lower royalty rate (that program has been the subject of scrutiny by members of Congress and has received a mixed response from the music community).

Spotify isn’t the only streaming service angling to boost up-and-coming artists, which in turn establishes the platform’s relevance, builds early relationships with the acts and drives their fans to the service. In 2017, Apple Music launched its own artist spotlight program, Up Next, which elevates an emerging act each month by providing editorial and promotional opportunities and has since gone global. In 2018, Sound-Cloud introduced First on SoundCloud to showcase emerging artists on the platform;

since last year, SoundCloud has also been making direct investments in each artist by producing “career-making firsts” includ-ing “dream collab” projects, merch drops and cover art, among other perks. Absent concrete stats, how much these programs actually help developing artists’ careers has never been entirely clear. But according to data provided by Spotify, the Fresh Finds program has been proven to boost streaming and, anecdotally, grow longer-term career opportunities.

Looking at Spotify’s last Fresh Finds class of artists, which included Pom Pom Squad, indie-pop duo TOLEDO, alt-pop singer-songwriter Araya and Doss — who declined to participate in this story — the acts all received double or triple-digit streaming gains after the program launched. Between Sept. 12 (one month before they joined Fresh Finds) and the week of Nov. 14, Araya’s monthly listeners grew 227% to more than 201,000, Pom Pom Squad’s grew 189% to more than 287,000 and TOLEDO’s grew 24% to over 503,000.

Growth in first-time listeners was even more pronounced for all three artists. Between Sept. 12 and the week of Nov. 14, total growth on this metric was 718% for Pom Pom Squad, 385% for Araya and 76% for TOLEDO.

All three also saw healthy growth in edi-torial streams – i.e. non-personalized edito-rial playlists like New Music Friday, Today’s

Top Hits and, most pertinently in this case, Fresh Finds. On this metric, Pom Pom Squad saw a total increase of 386%, Araya saw a 270% gain and TOLEDO grew 19% over the same time period.

Over the length of the program, streams peaked most dramatically in the week fol-lowing the announcement of the new Fresh Finds class on Oct. 12 – a week that included the unveiling of the Times Square billboard, which ran from Oct. 12-14 and Oct. 16-18 – as well as the two weeks following the release of the Spotify Singles, which dropped on the platform Nov. 11 and were amplified with on-platform promotion as well as paid social/digital marketing through Nov. 19.

“On the marketing side, this is our main way that we are helping independent artists grow their careers in the long term,” says Spotify senior music marketing man-ager Rachel Ring. She adds that artists are chosen using “a combination of data and editorial decision making with our curation team,” who select artists who are “showing momentum on and off Spotify.”

Fresh Finds may be designed to boost artists in the long term, but Spotify wouldn’t provide streaming data for any of these acts past the duration of the campaign. That makes it difficult to ascertain how enduring the impact of the program is on-platform beyond publicly available streaming data on the Spotify app. For what it’s worth, all three artists’ streaming activity is significantly

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down from where it was in mid-November. Seven months later, Araya’s monthly listen-ership sits at 66,506; Pom Pom Squad’s is 175,779; and TOLEDO’s is at 419,230. On the brighter side, Pom Pom Squad’s monthly lis-tenership is still up 72% from where it was the week before the Fresh Finds campaign launched, while TOLEDO’s is up a smaller 5%. Araya’s, meanwhile, is down 13% from the week before the program’s launch.

Regardless of where their Spotify stream-ing numbers stand now, Fresh Finds at the very least provides a window of opportunity for artists and their teams to capitalize on the not-insignificant marketing support Spotify provides during that time. This opportunity can perhaps best be seen in the impressive jumps in first-time listener numbers for all three artists, which indicate Fresh Finds’ ability to provide wider expo-sure to a potential new crop of fans.

There is of course more to a music career than just streaming. While it can be difficult to draw a direct line between Fresh Finds and off-platform successes, participating artists have seen growth in other areas fol-lowing their induction into the program. Pom Pom Squad, which is signed to Berlin-based indie label City Slang, enjoyed an increase in college gigs as the band’s profile has grown, “and a good portion of the profile growth is due to Fresh Finds,” says the band’s manager, MidCitizen Entertainment owner Reid Martin.

TOLEDO — who recently signed a label deal with Grand Jury Music — has also enjoyed a touring bump since joining Fresh Finds, with the duo embarking on its first-ever tours this year supporting Shout Out Louds in May and Wilderado in July. Nicole White at Brilliant Corners Artist Manage-ment says Spotify’s “significant” marketing efforts around TOLEDO’s Spotify Single “Beach Coma” are to thank for that. “[That] helped with exposure and has contributed to opportunities that have come about since, especially with touring,” she says.

White also notes that TOLEDO’s Ins-tagram following has grown “about 10%” since Spotify announced their participa-tion in Fresh Finds in mid-October. “[That] feels significant, especially since we haven’t released any new material since ‘Beach Coma,’” she says, adding that the band’s In-stagram follower growth has also increased “at a slightly faster rate” in the last six months compared to the period before they joined Fresh Finds, from an average of 2.9 followers per day prior to 3.4 followers per day afterward.

“A lot of people won’t bite on something unless they see the social proof that other people are publicly backing it,” says Toby Bird, who manages Araya. For the Brook-lyn-based singer-songwriter, that’s resulted in more touring offers, press requests and greater interest from labels and publishers. Even if Fresh Finds wasn’t specifically men-

tioned, Bird says, “I do really think that that was instrumental to getting some of those larger looks.”

While the Fresh Finds program is just a year old, Ring notes that it’s merely the streaming service’s latest iteration of long-standing support for independent artists. “We’ve kind of always been doing this work,” she says, “but now we just want to be more vocal about putting independent artists and songwriters and producers at the forefront of our marketing on the same equitable stage as some of the biggest superstars in the world.”

Araya, who Spotify claims was the most-streamed artist on the flagship Fresh Finds playlist in 2021, says that he’s noticed an increase in interest from the public since his induction into Fresh Finds, but that the growth “still feels extremely organic, which is something that I care a lot about.” While Araya says he “used to be scared” to look at his streaming numbers, the program also gave him a new perspective on metrics: “I have these numerical goals, and it doesn’t feel ego-related.”

On Apr. 27, Spotify announced the third batch of Fresh Finds artists — Delaney Bailey, Jhariah, Carter Faith and Alemeda — and is also looking at partnerships to expand the program in the future. The company also recently launched a Fresh Finds spinoff in the TikTok series Unfinished Finds, through which Spotify works with eight artists at a time to highlight their unreleased tracks on

Page 5 of 26

IN BRIEF

Sam Hunt’s second studio full-length, and first in over five years, Southside (MCA Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville), debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart dated April 18. In its first week (ending April 9), it earned 46,000 equivalent album units, including 16,000 in album sales, ac-cording to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

Southside marks Hunt’s second No. 1 on the chart and fourth top 10. It follows freshman LP Montevallo, which arrived at the summit in No-vember 2014 and reigned for nine weeks. To date, Montevallo has earned 3.9 million units, with 1.4 million in album sales.

Montevallo has spent 267 weeks on the list, tying Luke Bryan’s Crash My Party as the sixth-longest-running titles in the chart’s 56-year history.

On the all-genre Billboard 200, Southside ar-rives at No. 5, awarding Hunt his second top 10 after the No. 3-peaking Montevallo.

Hunt first released the EP X2C, which debuted and peaked at No. 5 on Top Country Albums in August 2014. Following Montevallo, Between the Pines: Acoustic Mixtape started at its No. 7 high in November 2015.

Montevallo produced five singles, four of which hit the pinnacle of Country Airplay: “Leave the Night On,” “Take Your Time,” “House Party” and “Make You Miss Me.” “Break Up in a Small Town” peaked at No. 2.

Hunt co-penned all 12 songs on Southside, including “Body Like a Back Road,” which was released in 2017. The smash hit ruled Country Airplay for three weeks and the airplay-, streaming- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart for a then-record 34 frames. It now ranks second only to Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line’s “Meant to Be” (50 weeks atop the latter list in 2017-18).

“Downtown’s Dead,” which is also on the new set, reached Nos. 14 and 15 on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay, respectively, in June 2018. “Kin-folks” led Country Airplay on Feb. 29, becoming Hunt’s seventh No. 1. It hit No. 3 on Hot Country Songs.

Latest single “Hard to Forget” jumps 17-9 on Hot Country Songs. It’s his eighth top 10, having corralled 8.2 million U.S. streams (up 96%) and 5,000 in

sales (up 21%) in the tracking week. On Country Airplay, it hops 18-15 (11.9 mil-lion audience impressions, up 16%).

TRY TO ‘CATCH’ UP WITH YOUNG Brett Young achieves his fifth consecutive and total Country Airplay No. 1 as “Catch” (Big Machine Label Group) ascends

2-1, increasing 13% to 36.6 million impressions.Young’s first of six chart entries, “Sleep With-

out You,” reached No. 2 in December 2016. He followed with the multiweek No. 1s “In Case You Didn’t Know” (two weeks, June 2017), “Like I Loved You” (three, January 2018), “Mercy” (two, August 2018) and “Here Tonight” (two, April 2019).

“Catch” completes his longest journey to No. 1, having taken 46 weeks to reach the apex. It out-paces the 30-week climb of “Here Tonight.”

On Hot Country Songs, “Catch” pushes 7-5 for a new high.

COMBS ‘DOES’ IT AGAIN Luke Combs’ “Does to Me” (River House/Columbia Nashville), featuring Eric Church, ascends 11-8 on Country Airplay, up 10% to 24.7 million in audience. The song is Combs’ eighth straight career-opening top 10, following a record run of seven consecutive out-of-the-gate, properly promoted No. 1 singles.

Church adds his 15th Country Airplay top 10.

THAT TOOK QUITE ‘A FEW’ MONTHS Travis Denning shatters the record for the most weeks it has taken to penetrate the Country Airplay top 10 as “After a Few” (Mercury Nashville) climbs 12-10 in its 57th week, up 4% to 21.4 mil-lion in radio reach.

The song surpasses two tracks that took 50 weeks each to enter the top 10: Easton Corbin’s “A Girl Like You,” which reached No. 10 in January 2018 be-fore peaking at No. 6 that February, and Aaron Watson’s “Outta Style,” which achieved its No. 10 high in December 2017.

“After” is Denning’s second Country Airplay entry. “David Ashley Parker From Powder Springs” traveled to No. 32 in September 2018.

SamHunt’s Southside Rules Top Country Albums; Brett Young ‘Catch’-es Fifth Airplay

Leader; Travis Denning Makes History

ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER jim.asker@billboard.com

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE APRIL 13, 2020 | PAGE 4 OF 19

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ISSUE DATE 6/25 | AD CLOSE 6/15 | MATERIALS DUE 6/16

COUNTRYPOWER PLAYERS

2 0 2 2

Billboard’s ninth annual Country Power Players issue will profile the people who have driven another solid year for the country music industry in sales, streaming and publishing.This special feature will highlight the top executives, artists and change-makers who kept the music playing during chal-lenging times, as well as coverage of the changing face of country music.

Advertise in Billboard’s Country Power Playersissue to congratulate this year’s honorees while reaching key decision-makers who are driving the music business.

C O N T A C T SJoe Maimonejoe.maimone@billboard.com

Lee Ann Photoglolaphotoglo@gmail.com

Cynthia Mellowcmellow615@gmail.com

Marcia Olival marciaolival29@gmail.com

Ryan O’Donnell rodonnell@pmc.com

the video-sharing platform.Pom Pom Squad, Araya and TOLEDO

have all graduated out of Fresh Finds, but the hope, at least, is that alumni can use the momentum gained from the experience to further their careers down the line. Says Ring, “[We’re] structuring this work around allowing them to learn, create and grow their audience in the long term.”

Music Stocks and Cryptocurrencies Hit by Recession, Inflation FearsBY GLENN PEOPLES

Music and other entertainment stocks fell sharply on Monday (June 13), following a string of worrisome events and

expectations the Federal Reserve will make a substantial rate hike to slow inflation. The S&P 500 declined 3.9%, putting the index in bear market territory — down more than 20% from its high in January. The Nasdaq declined 4.7%.

Radio broadcaster Cumulus Media fell 20.3% to $9.17, the largest decline of any music-related stock on Monday. Cumulus is “thinly traded and has high leverage,” Noble Capital Markets’ Michael Kupin-sky tells Billboard in an email response. “Both are issues when [the stock is] out of favor and the market has its sights on an economic downturn.”

Radio stocks had the worst day among music-related companies on Monday as four leading companies’ stocks dropped an aver-age of 13.2%. iHeartMedia dropped 13.2% while Audacy and Townsquare Media fell 10.4% and 8.5%, respectively.

On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported its consumer price index had risen 8.6% in May from the prior-year period — the highest mark in 40 years. That led to some expectations the Fed would opt for a larger rate increase than was expected last week.

A cryptocurrency rout helped set the stage for a gloomy Monday as Bitcoin fell below $23,000 — its lowest level since December 2020 and nearly 67% below its all-time high of $68,906.48 set in Novem-ber. Ethereum, the blockchain many NFTs are created on, dropped 75.6% below its all-time high — also set in November. As a result, shares of Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange, fell 11.4% to an all-time low on Monday.

Music assets are generally believed to be relatively safe investments because they are counter-cyclical to the prevailing market. In other words, recording and publishing catalogs aren’t affected by macroeconomic forces in the same way other assets will be. People will likely keep their music subscrip-tions even as they pare back other spend-ing. That could explain why major record labels and music publishers fared relatively well. Shares of Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group fell 4.1% and 5.0%, re-spectively. Sony Corp, owner of Sony Music Group, dropped 4.7%. Two smaller music owners, Reservoir Media and Believe S.A., fell 8.5% and 7.2%, respectively.

Even during a recession, consumers are likely to keep their music subscription ser-vices. As a result, streaming companies that generate most of their revenue from recur-ring monthly subscription fees could be less exposed to a downturn. Four on-demand music streaming stocks posted an average decline of just 1.8%. Spotify dropped 3.5% and Tencent Media Entertainment fell 2.5%. Anghami’s declined by 6.2%, but a 4.9% increase by Chinese company Cloud Village helped balance out the average.

Spotlight: This Early TikTok Exec Is Back in the Label Game — and Her First Signing Is a SmashBY ELIAS LEIGHT

A few years ago, after working with labels and managing artists for close to two decades, Mary Rah-mani was itching for a change.

“The music industry can be stuck in its traditional ways — ‘if this has worked for a decade, we’ll keep doing it,’” she explains. In contrast, she suspected that “startups are re-ally open in terms of taking chances, seeing what works and what doesn’t, using data to determine if they want to pivot or continue.”

She eventually found a job with the Chinese company ByteDance, which had re-cently purchased Musical.ly, an app known for lip-syncing videos, and relaunched it as TikTok.

In November 2018, Rahmani became the company’s first music hire in North America. “When I started there weren’t even internal meetings yet,” she recalls. “I remember talking with several executives to determine how often we should have marketing and data meetings.” At the time, much of the music industry looked at Tik-Tok as an upstart, if not a potential embar-rassment. “Major labels were hesitant pitch-ing the platform to their priority artists,” Rahmani says. “Platforms come and go, and they thought it was a place for kids and for dancing. And a lot of the power users today didn’t want to onboard in the beginning.”

Suffice it to say that the music industry’s opinion of TikTok has shifted radically since late 2018; it is now widely acknowledged as the most important driver of streaming activity. And after having played a part as TikTok became a juggernaut, Rahmani left the company and hopped back into the label

Page 7 of 26

IN BRIEF

ISSUE DATE 6/25 | AD CLOSE 6/15 | MATERIALS DUE 6/16

ASHANTI2 0 2 2

Ashanti is a Grammy Award-winning singer/song-writer, actor and author. Ashanti burst onto the music scene with her smash hit, self-titled debut album Ashanti. It landed the #1 spot on both the Billboard Top 200 and R&B album charts, selling a whopping 504,593 units in its first week and set a SoundScan record as the most albums sold by any debut female artist in the chart’s history, granting her a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records, which she still holds today. Ashanti has released six studio albums and received eight Billboard Awards, a Grammy, two American Music Awards, two Soul Train Awards, six ASCAP Awards, and many more awards and illustrious honors. Ashanti has continued to reign at the top as one of Billboard’s “Top Females of the Decade from 2000-2010” and continues to break Billboard records as having a Hot 100 entry in the 2000’s, 2010’s and 2020’s. To celebrate her contributions to music and recording, Ashanti will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in April 2022.

Please join us in celebrating 20 years of the Princess of R&B, the Queen of Written Entertainment and “Baby” the woman that is never “Foolish” and writes the melodies that stay in our minds and hearts forever…..ASHANTI.

C O N T A C T SJoe Maimone201.301.5933 | joe.maimone@billboard.com

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Ryan O’Donnell +447843437176 | rodonnell@pmc.com

20TH ANNIVERSARY

game, partnering with Republic on a new joint venture, Moon Projects, and using her experience with TikTok to help find and market talent. Her first signing, Em Beihold, just scored a top 20 hit on the Hot 100 with “Numb Little Bug.”

“I always say my For You feed is one of the best,” Rahmani quips. “Don’t send me a cat video — it’ll ruin my algorithm.”

“Social media is essential for emerging artists, but utilizing these platforms correct-ly requires an understanding on the label side of each artist’s authenticity,” says Ben Adelson, GM of Mercury Records, who helped broker Rahmani’s relationship with Republic. (Republic re-launched Mercury as an imprint in April.) “Mary’s previous experience helps tremendously in this space and her skills are clearly evident with the success of Em Beihold’s campaign thus far.”

Rahmani has worked across multiple sectors of the music industry — interning in publicity (“I didn’t enjoy cutting press clippings”), joining Astralwerks as an artist development rep, moving to Interscope to help with financial marketing (“It wasn’t very creative, but I learned how record la-bels spendt”) while also managing artists on the side; one of these acts, Airborne Toxic Event, earned enough buzz to land a deal with what was then the Island Def Jam Mu-sic Group. She also did a stint in publishing and later led A&R for Harvest Records.

In 2016, Rahmani split to start an indi-vidual consultancy advising apps that were intent on breaking into the music space. It was a new challenge — “I didn’t know much about the digital sector,” she says — and a rejuvenating one. “Tech doesn’t deem some-thing a failure if it’s not successful,” she explains. “It’s more like, ‘How can we learn from this for next time?’”

Once she started at TikTok, Rahmani also found that “ByteDance was really interested in my opinions” in a way the music business hadn’t always been. “I was validated,” she remembers. “They were really looking to me as an expert in the industry.”

Though music is now inextricably linked with TikTok, it’s just one of the verticals within the company; a key component of Rahmani’s job, especially early on, was to fight to prioritize musical content. “The

beauty team advocated for their brands; the creator team advocated for their influenc-ers,” she says. “The music team was very small [Rahmani and two others], and we were the stepchildren a little bit in the beginning.”

Musical.ly was known for younger users that liked lip-syncing and dance videos; when ByteDance bought the company and launched TikTok, it worked hard to attract older users and diversify the type of clips that flourished on the platform. Early on, though, some of the prominent music-related trends hewed closely to the Musical.ly formula. “We can’t ignore tracks or trends because it happens to be a dance, it hap-pens to be a lip-sync,” was one of Rahmani’s mantras. “We still have to allocate resources behind it.”

She also spent time aggressively trying to convince labels that TikTok could help their artists, while also assuaging the fears of acts who felt like they couldn’t match the level of creativity exhibited by some of the app’s prominent influencers. “I would be sent to a lot of artists’ houses and studios to reas-sure them: ‘You just have to be yourself and acknowledge that your song is being used,’” Rahmani says.

Labels started to come around to TikTok once they saw its users volley single after single onto the charts. “There would be so many artists working with labels who weren’t being prioritized, and all of a sud-den, their song would trend, I would bring them in, help to onboard them and keep the moment going, and suddenly they’re being taken seriously, they’re going on tour, they’re on the radio,” Rahmani says. “Having that button-pressing power was really entic-ing to me.”

She started to think about leaving TikTok during the pandemic. “I felt like I had to fight harder for my campaigns, for budgets, for attention, and it was frustrating for me,” she says. And when President Trump started attacking the platform and threaten-ing to ban it, labels started calling Rahmani, asking if she had any plans in terms of next steps. (It’s not unusual for labels to poach talent from prominent streaming platforms like Spotify, and sometimes vice versa.)

Rahmani decided to keep a foot in both

worlds. On the one hand, she launched her label with Republic. (“Watching the care and consideration she had with our own acts while at TikTok made it very easy to partner with her when the time came,” Adelson adds.) But Rahmani also maintains a consultancy to help music and manage-ment companies with their digital market-ing strategy.

She stumbled across Em Beihold on TikTok, of course. “There was no trend around her, but the tone of her voice I loved so much,” Rahmani says. “It reminded me of Fiona Apple and Sara Bareilles.” Beihold was already working with Live2, a group of filmmakers that helps rising artists tell their stories, and she also became Moon Projects’ first signing. So far, she’s the label’s only act, though Rahmani is in the “wining and din-ing” phase with a second act.

Beihold had already written “Numb Little Bug” — an unexpectedly chirpy song, con-sidering it’s about the anesthetizing effects of antidepressants — but had not released it. The singer posted a series of videos teasing the song on TikTok; in one clip from Janu-ary 19, Beihold spins on a gurney as people leap around behind her. It’s dizzying and popular, with nearly seven million views.

Rahmani chipped in with “best practices 101” on TikTok: “Let’s make sure there’s more light [in your videos], let’s do more personality posts, talk about who you are as a person, share some of them on your Instagram stories.” She worked to seed the track with small influencers who specialized in videos about mental health, beauty and fashion, and food, among others.

Pre-save campaigns have become prized in the music industry; labels believe that the number of fans who take the extra step of clicking a link, logging into their stream-ing service of choice, and pre-saving a track that’s added to their personal library imme-diately upon release serves as a strong sign of future streaming potential. “Numb Little Bug” amassed a pre-save count in the high five figures before release.

During Rahmani’s last go-round as a label executive, pre-saves hadn’t been viewed as an important metric, so she started canvass-ing people she knew. “What is this number, is it good?” Her friends responded in the af-

Page 9 of 26

IN BRIEF

NEW

11,000 Grammy™ Voters will be mailed a copy of this

special issue

B O N U S D I S T R I B U T I O N

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On July 16th, Billboard will publish a GRAMMY® First Look special

feature showcasing the artists, producers and other creative

professionals whose music was released from October 1, 2021-

September 30, 2022. We will look at the early contenders for the

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ISSUE DATE 7/16 / AD CLOSE 7/6 / MATERIALS DUE 7/7

Joe Maimone | joe.maimone@billboard.com Lee Ann Photoglo | laphotoglo@gmail.com

Cynthia Mellow | Cmellow615@gmail.com Marcia Olival | marciaolival29@gmail.com

Ryan O’Donnell | rodonnell@pmc.com

C O N T A C T S

firmative. “Avery and Monte [Lipman] were texting me about it,” Rahmani says. “That’s how I knew: Something’s different about this one.”

When I strategize… I get a clear understanding of the client’s or artist’s project, including their goals in the short and long term. It’s important to lean into authentic, organic moments and creators within pop culture. By doing so, your song, presence and campaigns will have a more sustained connection to your audience. In parallel, you’ll build a founda-tion within various other relevant, diverse verticals. Human curation is essential in building discovery and growth.

I’ve learned… That there is only one me, and that compar-ing myself to others doesn’t do me any good. I’ve learned to step into my confidence and all my experience that my roles have pro-vided me. There’s a reason why I love what I do — it’s a part of who I am. It’s essential to listen to your instincts and follow your own approach. Building my lane has been a journey and I’m so thankful to have done it my way.

It was always obvious to me… When I’d discover an artist or song and knew it would make an impact. It’s about the initial emotion and feeling you get as a listener or user, and trusting that others will celebrate it the same way. I love being a part of creativity and building something new, whether it’s for the first time or reimagined by a new generation. It’s about advocating for what’s next.

I knew I was committed to music when… I was on my journey of building my career and went through a few ups and many downs. I was tested by negative environ-ments, people, low salaries, layoffs, harass-ments and the sad but typical stories many have experienced in the entertainment industries. I had moments where I’d take a year or so to dive into another career path, but music and working with artists would always pull at my soul and nothing else was fulfilling my happiness and goals. I knew if I just kept at it, and learned as much as I could to diversify and empower my back-ground and experience, that the balance of my work and vision would one day click.

BTS Announce They’re ‘Going on Hiatus’: ‘We Have to Accept That We’ve Changed’BY GIL KAUFMAN 

Just days after dropping a three-disc career retrospective compila-tion Proof, K-pop icons BTS shocked the ARMY nation on Tuesday (June

14) with the surprise announcement that they are going on an indefinite “hiatus” to allow each man time to focus on solo ventures.

The revelation from the seven-man boy band came around 20 minutes into an hour-long FESTA dinner, during which mem-bers RM, Jin, SUGA, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook casually sat around a dinner table joking around while deciding what to drink, reminiscing about their rocket ride to fame and playfully teasing each other.

“We’re going on a hiatus now,” Suga casu-ally stated at one point apropos of nothing else they were talking about in a segment that suddenly made the tone more sober. “Should we talk about why we’re not doing the FESTA or making content?” he added.

“Should we get into that?” RM wondered.“Yeah, we have to talk about the direction

we’re taking,” Suga confirmed. And since Suga brought it up, RM felt free to expound on the apparent upcoming break following the group’s relentless pace since forming in 2013.

“Gathering like this today and shooting content, I’m glad we’re BTS … what would I do if we weren’t BTS?” RM asked. “It made me think I’m happy just being together. I started music and became BTS because I had a message for the world.” He added that he didn’t know what he would do after the group released “On,” the second single from their 2020 Map of the Soul: 7 album.

But then the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down and the band focused on

recording new singles, including their No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits “Dynamite,” “Butter,” “Permission to Dance” and “Life Goes On” and, he realized, “the group has definitely changed.”

“We have to accept that we’ve changed,” RM said as his bandmates looked on with decidedly more serious faces than during the earlier part of the celebratory dinner. “For me, it was like the group BTS was within my grasp until ‘On’ and ‘Dynamite,’ but after ‘Butter’ and ‘Permission to Dance,’ I didn’t know what kind of group we were anymore.” He said that whenever he writes lyrics and songs, the story and message he wants to spread is very important, “but it was like that was gone now. I don’t know what kind of story I should tell now.”

RM, 27, said he always thought of BTS as being different from other groups, but that the “problem” with K-pop and the idol system is that “they don’t give you time to mature. You have to keep producing music and keep doing something.” He described getting up in the morning and having his makeup done and feeling like he doesn’t have any time for growth.

“And it’s not just about music and work,” he added, noting that he’s also changed “as a human” over the past decade. “So I need to think and have some alone time and then those thoughts can mature into something uniquely mine… I can’t physically mature anymore.” He said he feels like he should be contributing something more to the world right now, but he doesn’t really know what that is, so he just needs some time to have a think and figure out who he is and what he wants BTS to be.

“Somehow,” he said furrowing his brow, “it’s become my job to be a rapping machine and remake music and speak in English for the group.” While he praised the top-notch performance capabilities of his bandmates, RM said he felt “trapped inside myself.” He kept wanting to strip off that mantle and show his true self, postponing his efforts to do some reflection, but the BTS machine kept rolling out more product as the mem-bers became “more exhausted.”

He promised that he will still look for-ward to dancing and rehearsing with the rest of BTS, and that when they reunite, they

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will put on great performances. “But right now we’ve lost our direction and I just want to take some time to think,” he said.

ARMY, of course, was top of mind for each man, with Jimin, 26, saying, “We can’t help but think of our fans no matter what — we want to be the kind of artists that are remembered by our fans. I think now we’re starting to think about what kind of artists we each want to be remembered by our fans. I think that’s why we’re going through a rough patch right now, we’re trying to find our identity and that’s an exhausting and long process. Our fans know us and we know us.”

Suga, 29, noted that the “hardest thing” lately has been writing lyrics and that “we need something to say … you can’t force it. I have to talk about something that I really feel, but right now I’m just squeezing it out because we have to satisfy people’s wants and the listeners … it’s so painful.”

His fondest hope, he said, was to fi-nally try genres other than hip-hop, “lots of genres” in fact. Because, he added, if he had a solo show that was two hours of him rapping, “that would be boring … so boring.” If he’s being honest, he wants to learn how to dance better and “dance freely and be hip like Bruno Mars.”

J-Hope, 28, gave ARMY hope that this definitely does not spell the end for the group, even as he revealed that he’s already begun work on his solo material. “I think that change is what we need right now,” he said. “It’s important for BTS to start our second chapter.”

That’s when RM announced that their in-dividual mixtapes will now be treated more like proper albums, with J-Hope slated to be the first member to officially step out on his own as the group start “showing our individual colors.”

The disclaimer at the beginning of the video states: “NOT scripted! NOT staged! It’s all BTS sincerity of ARMY, by ARMY, for ARMY.”

A spokesperson for the group clarified BTS’ description of the break in a statement to Billboard: “To be clear, they are not on hiatus, but will take time to explore some solo projects at this time and remain active in various different formats.”

Back in 2019, the group took a monthlong break from the spotlight that a representa-tive said at the time was an “opportunity for the members of BTS, who have relent-lessly driven themselves towards their goal since their debut, to recharge and prepare to present themselves anew as musicians and creators.”

They also took an “extended period of rest” at the end of 2021 that their manage-ment company said in a statement was in-tended to allow them to get “re-inspired and recharge with creative energy.” All seven members have released solo projects over the course of the group’s career, and during the dinner, they did say they’re all in the process of recording solo projects. J-Hope will seemingly be the first out of the solo gate when he performs without his band-mates at Lollapalooza next month.

Spotify to Acquire AI Voice Startup SonanticBY J. CLARA CHAN 

Spotify said on Monday (June 13) it will acquire Sonantic, a tech com-pany that specializes in creating hyperrealistic artificial voices.

In a blog post announcing the acquisition, Spotify said Sonantic’s technology could al-low the audio company to better communi-cate with users when they aren’t looking at their screens and help reduce other barriers to entry for new listeners.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Based in London, Sonantic was founded

in 2018 by Zeena Qureshi and John Flynn. The company caters toward entertainment industry professionals and, in 2020, raised €2.3 million (about $2.4 million) in seed funding. Sonantic has also worked with Val Kilmer, who was diagnosed with throat can-cer and underwent a tracheotomy in 2014, to develop an AI voice model based on past audio recordings of Kilmer’s voice.

“I’m grateful to the entire team at Sonan-tic who masterfully restored my voice in a

way I’ve never imagined possible,” Kilmer said in a statement last year. “As human be-ings, the ability to communicate is the core of our existence and the effects from throat cancer have made it difficult for others to understand me. The chance to tell my story, in a voice that feels authentic and familiar, is an incredibly special gift.”

Spotify’s upcoming acquisition of Sonan-tic could provide a new line of revenue for the audio giant if it maintains and grows the startup’s existing partnerships with entertainment and gaming studios. The Stockholm-based audio company is also pre-paring to close on another acquisition of the audiobook platform Findaway as the compa-ny plans to place audiobooks as its third area of focus next to music and podcasts.

This article originally appeared in THR.com.

Young Thug Sends Audio Message From Jail at Hot 97 Summer Jam, Encourages Fans to Sign ‘Protect Black Art’ PetitionBY RANIA ANIFTOS 

While Young Thug was unable to perform at Hot 97 Summer Jam in New Jersey on Sunday (June

12) due to his recent arrest, the rapper was still present through an audio message that played toward the end of the night.

Hot 97 broadcasted a video on the MetLife Stadium screens showing stars like DJ Khaled, Polo G, and G Herbo voicing their support for both Young Thug and Gun-na, who are both currently in custody. “Hey how y’all doin? This is Thug,” Young Thug himself is heard saying in an audio message at the end of the video. “I just want to say

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thank you to all my friends and my family for coming out and supporting us. You know, your support during this time means a lot to us. You know, this isn’t just about me or YSL. I always use my music as a form of artistic expression, and now I see that Black artists and rappers don’t have that freedom.”

Thug went on to encourage everyone who was present at the show to sign the “Protect Black Art” petition launched by music executives Kevin Liles and Julie Greenwald. The petition demands that lyr-ics are not used as criminal evidence. When Atlanta prosecutors indicted Young Thug and dozens of others in a sweeping crimi-nal case in May, they cited heavily from the rapper’s own music – a controversial tactic that activists across the country are trying to rein in.

“This practice isn’t just a violation of First Amendment protections for speech and creative expression,” the petition’s descrip-tion reads. “It punishes already marginal-ized communities and silences their stories of family, struggle, survival, and triumph.”

“Keep praying for us,” Young Thug ended his audio message. “I love you all.”

Young Thug is currently accused of con-spiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and participation in criminal street gang activity.

In his indictment, Young Thug is alleged to be one of three founders of the Young Slime Life, “a criminal street gang that started in late 2012” in Atlanta. Charges include “Preserving, protecting and enhanc-ing the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise through acts of racketeer-ing activity including murder, assault and threats of violence.” He was subsequently charged with seven more felonies on May 11, including possession of drugs and illegal firearms, based on items found at his home during his arrest earlier in the week. On May 12, a Fulton County judge denied the rapper bond based on that second round of charges brought after the indictment.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Con-stitution, the RICO act charge comes from an alleged offense from January 2013, while the gang activity charge allegedly happened in a May 2018 incident.

Gunna Pens Open Letter Behind Bars: ‘I Am Being Falsely Accused & Will Never Stop Fighting to Clear My Name’BY NEENA ROUHANI 

Gunna, who is currently behind bars, has shared an open letter to his fans and the public. In the letter, he addresses the impend-

ing racketeering case against him, Young Thug, and a number of alleged “Young Slime Life” associates in the 56-count state indict-ment. The 29-year-old rapper insisted on his innocence, writing, “I am being falsely accused and will never stop fighting to clear my name!”

“2022 has been one of the best years of my life, despite this difficult situation,” Gunna shared. This year I had the world pushing P.”

“I worked every day to show God how grateful I am for my gift, for my art, for my life and to be able to provide for my loved ones,” he continued. “For now, I don’t have my freedom. But I am innocent.”

The rapidly flourishing rapper, who graced the March digital cover of Bill-board alongside Thug, also delved into his marginalized upbringing and being witness to “Black Men, Black Women and Black Children constantly attacked, hated, mur-dered, berated, belittled, silenced, judged, used and held captive.”

The letter comes on his 29th birthday, which he is spending in a Fulton County jail in Georgia after his bail was denied, with the judge citing the potential “danger to witnesses and other folks tied to this,” according to Rolling Stone. Some Twit-ter users were appalled by the use of the Grammy-nominated Atlanta rapper’s

lyrics mentioning guns, murder, and gang affiliation in the extensive indictment as evidence, calling out the move as a racially motivated violation of the First Amend-ment. In states such as Maryland, a court ruled that lyrics are admissible as evidence, a tactic disproportionately targeting Black defendants. In New York, a “Rap Music on Trial” bill was passed, limiting the use of “creative expression” as evidence in court.

“22 & 2, just a bed & a shower, no win-dows just walls. Can’t see or talk to anyone. I’m writing now & still praying everyday,” Gunna wrote in the caption of his Instagram post. “I was raised to fight fire with water, even tho my country’s amendments have failed me! PROTECT BLACK ART!”

On June 9, Kevin Liles, CEO of 300 Entertainment, published a Change.org petition to “Protect Black Art,” garner-ing over 29,000 of its 35,000 signature goal. In its description, Liles wrote, “The allegations heavily rely on the artists’ lyrics that prosecutors claim are ‘overt evidence of conspiracy.’ In the indictment, Fulton County prosecutors argue that lyrics like ‘ready for war like I’m Russia’ are a confes-sion of criminal intent.”

Sony Music Publishing Partners With NEON16 & Tommy Mottola to Launch 22 PublishingBY GRISELDA FLORES

Sony Music Publishing Latin has announced a partnership with NEON16 and music execu-tive Tommy Mottola to support

its newly-launched publishing company, 22 Publishing.

The partnership aims to “create key opportunities” for the company’s roster — which includes songwriters, artists and

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producers such as Albert Hype and Jota Rosa — across music, film and television.

“Our goal is to create a platform for pro-ducers and songwriters to build their brand and their business to go beyond the music,” stated Lex Borrero, who co-founded the talent incubator NEON16 in 2019 along with hitmaker Tainy. “22 [Publishing] will go beyond servicing their music and catalog, providing our writers with an opportunity to develop their limitless potential.”

Jorge Mejia, Sony Music Publishing president & CEO, Latin America and U.S. Latin, added, “Tainy and Lex Borrero are one of the most formidable and vision-ary teams in music today. Our partnership with NEON16 and Tommy Mottola adds an incredible new dimension to our long-term relationship with them and will be a vehicle for nurturing the newest and most exciting talent for years to come.”

22 Publishing’s team of songwriters and producers are behind projects such as Selena Gomez’s Grammy-nominated album Revelación, Shakira’s “Te Felicito” with Rauw Alejandro, and contributed in the movie soundtrack for The Sponge-bob Movie: Sponge On The Run — includ-ing “Agua” by Tainy and J Balvin, which peaked at No. 5 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart (dated July 25, 2020).

News of the team-up comes a little over a year since Borrero and Mottola announced their new venture, a multimedia enter-tainment company called NTERTAIN, in partnership with representation firm Range Media. The company’s first production Los Montaners — featuring Ricky Montaner and his family — is underway now. Additionally, NEON16 has television production credits in the upcoming Netflix talent competi-tion series, La Firma (The Signing), slated for release this Fall. The series stars Rauw Alejandro, Yandel, Nicki Nicole, Tainy and Borrero who is the show’s creator.

Ozuna Signs With WME in All AreasBY JESSICA ROIZ

WME has signed Ozuna in all areas, it was announced Tuesday (June 14).

“I am excited to collabo-rate with many of the top agents at WME to further connect with my incredible fans in inventive ways and continue to bring my culture to the masses,” the Puerto Rican singer born Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado said in a statement. “As an artist, I want to expand my brand and develop new and exciting opportunities together in all aspects of entertainment.”

His WME signing comes on the heels of the announcement of his 2022 global tour Ozutochi, which kicks off June 30 in Seville, Spain, and will make its way across Europe and the U.S. before wrapping on Dec. 9 at the FTX Arena in Miami.

Ozuna kicked off 2022 with his Christina Aguilera duet, “Santo,” and dropped a trio of singles over the past few months, including “Deprimida,” “G-Wagon” and “Apretatio.” Most recently, he released “Ceremonia,” which will appear in the upcoming HBO Max remake of Father of the Bride.

The artist is also working on his fifth stu-dio album, which will follow his sets Odisea, Aura, ENOC, and Nibiru, all of which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. Additionally, he’s placed over 100 entries in Hot Latin Songs, including five No. 1 hits: “Te Bote,” “Taki Taki,” “Otro Trago,” “China,” and “Mamacita.”

Ozuna will continue to be represented by his longtime attorney Simran A. Singh of Singh, Singh & Trauben, and business manager Jose “Pepe” Cruz.

Nicki Minaj, A$AP Rocky & Future to Headline Rolling Loud New York 2022BY RANIA ANIFTOS 

Rolling Loud is heading to Citi Field in Queens, New York this September, bringing the heat with an all-star lineup announced

on Tuesday (June 14).Nicki Minaj, A$AP Rocky and Fu-

ture are set to headline the third annual festival, which will also feature perfor-mances by hip-hop heavyweights including Pusha T, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, BIA, Fat Joe, Fivio Foreign, Busta Rhymes, Erica Banks, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Lil Uzi Vert, Dream Doll and many more.

The festival is set to take over the NYC stadium from September 23 to 25. Tickets go on sale Friday (June 17) at 12 p.m. ET here. Passes start at $9.99 down with the layaway plan.

In April, Rolling Loud announced its first ever Rolling Loud festival in Cana-da, which is set to take place September 9 to 11 at Ontario Place in the heart of Toronto, with headliners Dave, Future and Wizkid.

The festival franchise is continuing a massive year of success, and it warmed up for a loaded concert season with a stand-out showcase at SXSW, headlined by Don Toliver and showcasing some of hip-hop’s hottest up-and-comers. Led by its founders Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif, Rolling Loud is on a mission to top their massively suc-cessful 2021 with their international expan-sions and leadership in the live music space.

See the full Rolling Loud New York lineup below, and snag tickets when they go on sale here.

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GAYLE, Rostam, Rob Thomas & More Team to Help ‘Reinvigorate the NYC Music Scene’BY DARLENE ADEROJU

Anti Social Producers Club, described as an “underground collective of music producers,” will host its second annual Anti

Social Camp in New York City from Monday through Friday (June 13 to 17) in an effort to help rejuvenate the city’s music scene.

“We created Anti Social Producers Club to build community and remind the music industry that there is still a wealth of talent here in New York,” Anti Social Producers Club founder Danny Ross said in a state-ment. “Anti Social Camp is not only the biggest songwriting camp in recent memory — with 150 signed artists creating 100 songs in 3 days — but it’s a vehicle to reinvigorate the NYC music scene. Thank you to our partners for building this historic event with us. For all those who believe that the music industry has completely shifted to L.A. over the last decade, I have one message — New York is back.”

The camp will see 150 signed artists, producers and writers creating 100 new tracks in three days “with the goal of putting the NYC music scene back on the map,” according to a press release, through ses-sions taking place both in-person and over Zoom. Notable artists and guests taking part in the camp and its various events include GAYLE, Walk The Moon, Rostam, JP Saxe, Rob Thomas, Linda Perry, NoMBe, Wolftyla, Ant Saunders, Sammy Adams, VÉRITÉ, Tim Atlas, KiNG MALA, Sadie Jean, Madison McFerrin, Annika Wells and Andrea Russett.

Alongside its official distribution part-ner Amuse, over the course of the week the camp will also host events including a

gala at Great Jones Distilling Co. presented by the Recording Academy’s New York Chapter; an industry showcase supported by Spotify Noteable; a “Women Running Mu-sic” panel with partners including She Is the Music and Beats by Girlz; an industry day that includes sessions on the Mechanical Li-censing Collective (MLC), Chartmetric and Sound Royalties; a Dolby Atmos experiential presentation; and more.

Other companies and organizations partnering for the week-long event include the New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), BMI, Twitch, oek-sound, Avid Technologies, Hipgnosis Songs, ABKCO, Spitfire Audio, Milk and Honey, SSL, Music Publishers of Canada, Songtrust, D’Angelico Guitars and Bronx Brewery.

The camp and its events are free for the musicians. You can find the full itinerary here.

LCD Soundsystem, Flume, Porter Robinson & More Join Rosalía on Miami’s III Points 2022 LineupBY KATIE BAIN 

III Points is returning to Miami, and it’s bringing that South Beach heat with it. A blazing hot lineup arrived Tuesday (June 14), featuring headlin-

ers LCD Soundsystem and Rosalía (this latter artist was teased as the festival’s first headliner in April).

Other big-font artists appearing at the fest include Porter Robinson, Flume, Fisher, Black Coffee, James Blake, Joji, Chris Lake and Orbital. Further down the lineup are Madeon, Polo & Pan, John Summit, DJ Har-vey, Nina Kraviz and Sama’ Abdulhadi.

This two-day event is happening Oct. 21-

22 at Mana Wynwood, a convention center in the hip Miami neighborhood. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 17, at 1 p.m. ET.

III Points launched in Miami in 2013 and is now produced by the Los Angeles-based Insomniac Events, who are also behind global megafestivals including EDC Las Vegas. But Insomniac is leaning futher beyond their traditionally electronic bills with this III Points lineup, which positions a long list of dance artists alongside Latin and hip-hop stars, with the lineup including Busta Rhymes, Freddie Gibbs, and a special joint performance from Miami rapper Uncle Luke appearing with Trick Daddy and Trina. In total, more than 150 acts will play across III Point’s seven stages.

The event will also feature a full weekend of Despacio, a sound system and music lis-tening experience designed in collaboration with LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy, which has previously appeared at festivals including Coachella and Sonar.

III Points 2020 was canceled due to the pandemic, with the 2021 rescheduled from April to October for this same reason.

Lizzo Announces New Version of ‘GRRRLS’ After Backlash Over Ableist LyricBY RANIA ANIFTOS 

After Lizzo received backlash for using the word “spaz” in her new single, “GRRRLS,” the star is tak-ing accountability and action.

“It’s been brought to my attention that there is a harmful word in my new song ‘GRRRLS,’” she wrote in a statement posted to Twitter on Monday (June 13). “Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language. As a fat black woman in America, I’ve had many hurtful words used against me so I overstand the power words can have (whether intention-

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ally or in my case, unintentionally).”She continued, “I’m proud to say there’s a

new version of GRRRLS with a lyric change. This is a result of me listening and taking action. As an influential artist I’m dedicated to being part of the change I’ve been waiting to see in the world.”

Over the weekend, fans took to social me-dia to call out the singer for her choice to use the word “spaz” in the new song’s open-ing verse. “Hold my bag, b—h/ Hold my bag/ Do you see this s–t?/ I’m a spaz/ I’m about to knock somebody out/ Yo, where my best friend?/ She the only one I know to talk me off the deep end,” she sings over the sample of “Girls” by the Beastie Boys.)

“Hey @lizzo my disability Cerebral Palsy is literally classified as Spastic Diplegia (where spasticity refers to unending pain-ful tightness in my legs) your new song makes me pretty angry + sad. ‘Spaz’ doesn’t mean freaked out or crazy. It’s an ableist slur. It’s 2022. Do better,” one Twitter user explained.

While at the time of publication, the ver-sion of “GRRRLS” on streaming services still features the original lyric, the updated ver-sion will likely appear ahead of Lizzo’s full length album, Special, set to arrive on July 15 via Nice Life Recording Company/Atlantic Records.

Katy Perry Kicks Off New Artist Workout Series for VR Fitness App Supernatural: ExclusiveBY JASON LIPSHUTZ 

Supernatural, the subscription-based VR fitness app, is announc-ing the launch of the Supernatural Artist Series, with new Oculus-

ready workouts choreographed to artist playlists, Billboard can exclusively reveal.

Katy Perry’s music will kick off the monthly artist series, which will include multiple A-list artists joining the virtual reality app’s music catalog, and launch on June 27.

“Music has always been an integral part of Supernatural, and since launch we’ve been dreaming of ways to empower our athletes to further connect with music from the art-ists they love,” says Chris Milk, Supernatural founder and CEO, in a statement to Bill-board. “Supernatural uses virtual reality to help people find joy in movement, and when you combine that joy with a playlist devoted to one of your favorite artists, the exhilara-tion reaches entirely new heights.”

Perry’s music will be incorporated into two new workouts on the app: a boxing session featuring uptempo No. 1 smashes like “Roar” and “I Kissed a Girl,” and a Flow session, Supernatural’s signature cardio workout, featuring hits like “Uncondition-ally” and “Teenage Dream.” “Katy is one of the most electrifying artists of her genera-tion, with empowering anthems that lift fans up,” says Milk. “She’s a known ally for the LQBTQIA+ community and compels the kind of self-love and acceptance that thrives within the Supernatural community. We’re thrilled for her to kick off our artists series.”

Following the new workouts with Perry’s music launching later this month, Super-natural’s monthly artist series will continue at least through the end of 2022, with a different superstar joining the workout series each month. Imagine Dragons will be next up in July, followed by The Weeknd in August, Swedish House Mafia in September, Kid Cudi in October, Coldplay in November and Lady Gaga in December.

“The Supernatural Artist Series is some-thing I’m thrilled to share and experience with all of our athletes,” says Supernatural head of fitness Leanne Pedante in a press re-lease. “This partnership allows Supernatural members to deepen their already immersive experience in a whole new way as they box and sweat to their favorite artists.”

Launched in April 2020 by tech company Within and available on Meta Quest and Meta Quest 2 for $18.99 per month, Super-natural has secured publishing deals with UMPG, Sony/ATV, Warner Chappell, Kobalt and BMG — as well as label deals with UMG

and Warner – to include hundreds of thou-sands of songs within the app. The artist series follows several different genre-driven workouts within Supernatural, as well as specialized programs like a female rappers workout for Women’s History Month.

Kanye West Calls Out Adidas CEO for ‘Blatant Copying’ of Yeezy DesignsBY RANIA ANIFTOS 

It’s been three weeks since Kanye West returned to Instagram to tease a McDonald’s business venture, but on Monday (June 13), he took aim at Adi-

das for allegedly copying his Yeezy designs.He shared a photo of the sportswear

company’s $55 Adilette 22 sandals that sold out instantly upon release in May, which bear a resemblance in colorway and general feel to Ye’s $70 Yeezy Slides, which are also produced by Adidas.

In his lengthy caption, Ye calls out Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted. “To Kasper I’m not standing for this blatant copying no more,” he wrote. “To all sneaker culture To every ball player rapper or even if you work at the store This is for everyone who wants to express themselves but feel they can’t cause they’ll loose their contract or be called crazy.”

“These shoes represent the disrespect that people in power have to the talent,” he concluded. “This shoe is a fake Yeezy made by adidas themselves I’m not talking to DC about this either Kasper come talk to me Happy Monday.”

Ye launched his first Yeezy collection with Adidas in 2015. Under the partnership with Adidas, West retains 100% ownership of his brand while having full creative control over the products released.

The Yeezy Slide was launched in 2019, and the lightweight slip-on style footwear

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skyrocketed in popularity because of its easy, non-sweaty wear, especially in the summer, due to the Eva Foam rubber. In 2020, sales for Yeezy sneakers reached nearly $1.7 billion in annual revenue, netting Yeezy $191 million in royalties, according to Bloomberg.

Adidas has yet to publicly respond to Ye’s comments.

Sony Opens Applications for Second $1M Round of Nonprofit GrantsBY CHRIS EGGERTSEN

Sony is renewing its nonprofit Cre-ate Action grant program for a second year as part of the com-pany’s $100 million global social

justice fund first established in June 2020. Since Thursday, the program has been open for applications from all qualifying orga-nizations in the U.S. and Canada, excluding Quebec.

Create Action is a $1 million grant program established to support people in underserved communities by funding and supporting local, community-based nonprofit organizations. In its first year, the initiative funded a total of 10 organizations in the areas of literacy, financial education, STEM education and career development and creative fields.

Sony will select another 10 organizations to receive Create Action grants this year, with one new grant being announced every month between June 2022 and March 2023. Winners will receive a $50,000 cash grant, $50,000 in Sony Electronics products and a custom short film promoting the organiza-tion’s efforts, produced with Sony-affiliated creators.

To qualify for Create Action, nonprofits must hold 501(c)(3) status within the 50 U.S. States and D.C. (excluding territories) or be

a Canadian-registered charity. They cannot have received more than $500,00 in annual donations per year for 2020 and 2021 and must have a plan to address or contribute to STEAM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics), academic enrichment, workforce develop-ment and/or community and civic engage-ment.

Nonprofits funded in the first year included Totem Star, a Seattle-based non-profit that helps young music artists build communication and critical thinking skills. In a statement, Totem Star co-founder and executive director Daniel Pak said Sony’s support helped the organization “pair youth with impactful mentors.” Sony also provided gear for the organization’s recording studio inside Seattle’s King Street Station.

The other nonprofits to receive grants in the first year include Heart and Soul Design Center in Los Angeles; Josephine Herrick Project in New York City; New Era Cre-ative Space in Peekskill, New York; Pockets Change in Brooklyn; Reading Quest in Santa Fe, New Mexico; The Alliance98 in Chicago; The Firehouse Dream in Maywood, Illinois; and Youth Beat in Oakland, California.

All Sony companies can take part in the $100 million social justice fund, which was set up in the wake of worldwide Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers. In November, it was announced that the fund had connected with/funded nearly 400 community partners across the globe since launch.

Applications are open now through March 31, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Following submission, applications will be considered throughout the entire grant program partici-pation period.

Simon Fuller’s Now United to Star in Musical Film on the OP3N NFT PlatformBY CHRIS EGGERTSEN

Now United, the global pop group launched by American Idol cre-ator Simon Fuller in 2016, will be the subject of an interactive

live-action musical film hosted on the NFT platform OP3N, Billboard has exclusively learned.

The film will be exclusively available to NFT pass holders on the OP3N app, which was launched in 2021 by 88rising co-founder Jaeson Ma under the umbrella of his company EST Media Holdings. The proj-ect is being mounted in partnership with Culture Catalyst, a $100 million initiative to fund and support the development of arts, entertainment and culture projects on the Avalanche public blockchain developed by Ava Labs.

The musical, which will feature mem-bers of Now United and original songs, is designed to inspire schools to create their own version of performances featured in the film and compete to win a contest on the OP3N platform as voted on by community members.

“This project allows me to redefine how an audience can engage with content,” said Fuller in a statement. “Not only can it be en-joyed simply as entertainment, but you can actually participate, initially through learn-ing and then by creating your own version of the musical with your friends or school. It is a celebration of the art of musical theater and the passion for self-expression and new technology that allows people to get involved in ways never before imagined.”

By using the OP3N app’s native video and music player, NFT pass holders on the plat-form can stream the film and access related content including rehearsals, choreogra-

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phy lessons and interviews with the cast. The app will also field submissions for the competition and allow members to vote for the winner.

The $100 million Culture Catalyst fund was announced in March as a partner-ship between OP3N and Avalanche. Other projects conceived under the pact include an “intergalactic children’s metaverse book” by Grimes slated for release later this year and the launch of Ava Max’s next music video helmed by director Joseph Kahn.

In their own statement, Ma and his OP3N Studios co-founder Eric Tu said Ava-lanche’s allegedly eco-friendly blockchain was a key driver of the partnership: “Web3 is powering a new paradigm in music and entertainment, but many artists have been reluctant to dive in for lack of an environ-mentally responsible solution that can consistently deliver a good user experience. In Avalanche, we’ve found the best possible answer and we couldn’t be more excited to bring these capabilities to bear to help Simon Fuller and Now United realize their vision for interactive entertainment.”

Ava Labs chief marketing office Devon Ferreira added, “In OP3N and Simon Fuller, we have found visionaries who not only share our concern for the environment, but who also recognize the magic in direct con-nections between fans and creators.”

Deadmau5 Is Launching His Own Online BankBY KATIE BAIN

Deadmau5 is making bank, liter-ally.

The electronic producer an-nounced a partnership today

with banking, NFT and digital currency company Zytara for a branded, digital bank-ing endeavor. Through this initiative, users will be able to employ deadmau5-branded physical and virtual debit cards at over 45 million merchants around the world.

Additionally, a deadmau5-branded bank-

ing app, including a variety of deadmau5 skins applied the Zytara app, will allow fans to connect with deadmau5’s online stores, merchandise, concerts, pop-ups and in-game purchases. Zytara products will also be integrated within the artist’s streaming and online channels. Find more information about the project in the introductory video below.

“I’m always on the look-out for ways to use technology to change experiences,” deadmau5 says in a statement, “which is why I was really excited when Zytara came my way—no one else is thinking about banking the way they are by making it easy to hold and transact in crypto, NFTs, and stablecoins, in addition to fiat currency. As a gamer and music artist who loves tech, Zytara has created a real user-friendly world for digital life.”

Zytara was founded in 2019, with the technology company’s banking services pro-vided by the Ohio-based Sutton Bank. The company also encompasses a full-service NFT production studio, Zytara Labs. The tech-forward Canadian producer, an NFT advocate who also cofounded the recently launched metaverse company Pixelynix, is also joining the Zytara Advisory Board.

“deadmau5 is a pioneer in using innova-tive, new technologies in creative ways, which is why we see this relationship as more than a typical partnership,” adds Zytara Founder and CEO Al Burgio. “In ad-dition to working with deadmau5 to develop the interactive and branded Zytara banking app, we are also welcoming him to Zytara’s Advisory Board to help enhance the creative direction for Zytara moving forward.”

As Web3 and NFTs become increasingly integrated into the music world, artists are seeking new ways to onboard fans to this technology and the opportunities inherent within, with deadmau5 attempting to taking a step forward in this process through this Zytara partnership.

“Currently, the ecosystem is not fully evolved and the user experience is very fragmented,” deadmau5 recently told Bill-board. “It can be confusing for consumers, and more work needs to be done to educate fans about the basics, like setting up [digital] wallets. Over time this will change, but

as we see time and time again, people are scared or resistant to change.”

Now, tech-forward deadmau5 fans have less have less reason to fear change and more reason to bet their money on the producer.

SEVENTEEN Lands Third No. 1 on Top Album Sales Chart With ‘Face the Sun’BY KEITH CAULFIELD 

SEVENTEEN collects its third No. 1 in a row on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, as the pop group’s SEVENTEEN 4th Album:

Face the Sun debuts atop the latest tally (dated June 18). The 13-member ensemble previously led the list with SEVENTEEN 9th Mini Album: Attacca and Your Choice: 8th Mini Album – both in 2021.

Plus, new albums from Post Malone, Prince and The Revolution, and Angel Olsen debut in the top 10 on Top Album Sales.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count infor-mation from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measure-ment utilized by the Billboard 200 al-bums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

SEVENTEEN 4th Album: Face the Sun bows at No. 1 on Top Album Sales with 42,000 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending June 9 – the best sales week yet for

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the group. Effectively all of that sum was sold through CDs while a negligible number were sold via digital download. The album was not available on any other configuration (such as vinyl LP or cassette).

SEVENTEEN 4th Album: Face the Sun was released digitally (as both a stream-ing album as a digital download) on May 27. (The album sold about 1,000 in downloads in the week ending June 2.) The album’s CD release followed on June 3.

Like many K-pop releases, the CD configuration of the album was issued in collectible deluxe packages (seven total, including an exclusive edition for Target) each containing a standard set of items and randomized elements (such as photocards, post cards and a poster).

Harry Styles’ Harry’s House falls 1-2 on Top Album Sales in its third week on the chart, selling 33,000 copies (down 41%). Harry’s House has now surpassed 400,000 in total U.S. album sales (climbing to 420,000). It continues to reign as 2022’s top-selling album, and in second place is the Encanto soundtrack with 197,000 sold in 2022.

Post Malone’s new Twelve Carat Tooth-ache debuts at No. 3 on Top Album Sales with 21,000 sold. It was released June 3 as a standard 14-track album via streamers and through retailers as a digital download and on CD. A deluxe version of the set, with two additional tracks, arrived June 7 via stream-ers and digital retail. A cassette edition of the album is due on June 24, while a vinyl edition of the standard album is scheduled for release on Feb. 10, 2023.

Prince and The Revolution’s new archival live album, Prince and The Revolution: Live, bows at No. 4 on Top Album Sales with 17,000 copies sold.

The live concert was recorded at the Car-rier Dome in Syracuse, New York on March 30, 1985 as part of the Purple Rain Tour and was initially commercially released on VHS tape as a home video that year as Prince and The Revolution Live. The home video release spent nine weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Music Video Sales chart. It also garnered a Grammy Award nomination for best music video, long form.

The video of the concert was later includ-

ed in a deluxe reissue of the Purple Rain al-bum in 2017. But, this new 2022 Live album represents the first time the music of the show has been released as an audio album. Further, both the audio and video of the show been remastered and issued in a num-ber of expansive deluxe formats.

Of the 17,000 copies sold of Prince and The Revolution: Live, physical sales comprise 15,000 (8,000 on vinyl and 7,000 on CD) and digital sales comprise 2,000.

Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour climbs 6-5 on Top Album Sales with 14,000 sold (down 13%) while TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Min-isode 2: Thursday’s Child falls 5-6 with 11,000 sold (down 32%). Def Leppard’s Dia-mond Star Halos drops 2-7 in its second week with 7,500 sold (down 76%).

Angel Olsen nabs her highest charting set and first top 10 on Top Album Sales as Big Time debuts at No. 8 with nearly 7,500 sold. Vinyl sales comprised 67% of the album’s first-week, with nearly 5,000 sold on wax.

Rounding out the new top 10 on Top Album Sales are Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (moving 3-9 with 7,000 sold; down 73%) and the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack (7-10 with nearly 7,000 sold; down 42%).

In the week ending June 9, there were 1.691 million albums sold in the U.S. (down 2% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cas-settes, etc.) comprised 1.309 million (down 3.3%) and digital albums comprised 381,000 (up 2.5%).

There were 643,000 CD albums sold in the week ending June 9 (up 5.5% week-over-week) and 657,000 vinyl albums sold (down 10.6%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 14.593 million (down 12% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 16.967 million (up 3.5%).

Overall year-to-date album sales total 41.028 million (down 8.1% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 31.784 million (down 4.2%) and digital al-bum sales total 9.245 million (down 19.4%).

New 10,000-Seat Amphitheater Coming to the Pocono MountainsBY TAYLOR MIMS

The Pocono Mountains in Penn-sylvania are getting a revitalized amphitheater and entertainment destination.

Today (June 14), new real estate devel-opment and venue management company, From the Roots, announces the acquisition and redesign of the venue formerly known as Mt. Laurel Performing Arts Center locat-ed in the Mountain Laurel area of Lehman Township.

After little use for a decade, the roughly 52-acre land is being rebuilt into a multi-million-dollar entertainment complex called Poconos Park with a 10,000-capacity amphi-theater and a 400-capacity theater.

“This particular property is beautiful and wrapped up in the trees and the Pocono mountains,” says From the Roots CEO/founder John M. Oakes, who adds that Poconos Park is within hours of New York City, Philadelphia, and Newark. “It’s a really beautiful and unique festival and event site. We’re excited about it.”

Poconos Park is set to operate as a bou-tique festival site beginning later this year. Oakes has produced and worked on festivals including the touring events Mayhem Fes-tival and UPROAR Festival. It can also host touring shows and productions, as well as special events like weddings and corporate retreats. The Amphitheater at Poconos Park is an open-air, gently sloping amphitheater that will feature a full fly house for theatri-cal productions.

The amphitheater can also be converted into a 2,600-seat fully-enclosed venue for year-round performances by closing its “airplane hangar style doors,” according to Oakes. “We can close the doors and turn

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on the air conditioning for a cool summer show or turn up the heat in the winter and have The Nutcracker,” he adds.

The property will also include the Lake-side Theatre, a 10,000 square-foot banquet hall with a commercial kitchen for on-site catering. The space can be used for its own events or to host private or VIP functions in conjunction with acts playing the amphithe-ater. The theater is a short distance from the bandshell and guests will have a view of a 90-acre lake.

Oakes says the venue plans to host its opening events later this year, beginning with boutique festivals. Attendees can stay at local establishments for a getaway week-end as From the Roots continues to develop the property to include space for camping and RV parking.

“We’re focusing on people in the greater area that have the ability – from a car or motorcycle standpoint – to transport them-selves and want to get away for a week-end,” Oakes tells Billboard. “We’re putting together partnerships and rooming blocks with various hotels and campgrounds and timeshare communities around the area so that we can be part of the Poconos tourist driven weekend destination to get out of the city.”

The venue will continue to undergo sev-eral million dollars in future construction and renovation. Poconos Park’s first events are expected to be announced in the coming months.

J Balvin & Karol G Lead 2022 Premios Juventud Nominations: Complete ListBY JESSICA ROIZ 

The 2022 Premios Juventud nomi-nations arrived on Tuesday (June 14), and Colombian superstars J Balvin and Karol G lead the

pack with 11 nods each. They are followed by the nine-time nominee Rauw Alejan-dro and Farruko with eight.

Balvin, Karol, Farruko and Rauw are up for the coveted album of the year prize, alongside Sebastian Yatra, Justin Quiles, Daddy Yankee, Camilo, Rosalia and Natti Natasha.

Other top nominees include Angela Aguilar, Camilo and Grupo Firme with seven nominations each, followed by Anitta, Christian Nodal, El Alfa, Maluma and Rosa-lia with six nominations each.

Celebrating the trendiest artists in Lat-in entertainment, 31 awards will be handed out to music stars, actors and fashionistas. This year, 10 new categories have been added: female artist – on the rise, male artist – on the rise, my favorite actor, my favorite actress, best onscreen couple, my favorite streaming artist, best couple song, tropical hit, the best beatmakers, and best fandom. Fans have until June 27 to vote at Premios-Juventud.com.

In addition to the nominees, Univision unveiled bachata crooner Prince Royce, Grupo Firme’s Eduin Caz, Mexican pop star Danna Paola, and Dominican TV personality Clarissa Molina as the ceremony’s co-hosts.

The 2022 Premios Juventud will air live at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 21, from the Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico, via Univision.

See the full list of nominees below:The New Generation – Female

Bad Gyal Corina Smith Evaluna Montaner Ingratax Kim Loaiza La Gabi Las Villa Lola Indigo Ptazeta Tokischa

The New Generation – Male Alejo Blessd Boza Duki Lit Killah Luis Vazquez Ovi

Robi Ryan Castro Tiago Pzk

The New Generation – Regional Mexi-can Dannylux Gera Mx Ivan Cornejo Los Del Limit Luis R Conriquez Lupita Infante Majo Aguilar Ramon Vega Santa Fe Klan Yahritza Y Su Esencia

Male Artist – On the Rise Eladio Carrión El Alfa Feid Jay Wheeler Jhayco Justin Quiles Lenny Tavárez Mora Paulo Londra Sech

Female Artist – On the Rise Ángela Aguilar Cazzu Emilia Farina Kali Uchis Maria Becerra Mariah Angeliq Nathy Peluso Nicki Nicole Tini

My Favorite Streaming Artist Anitta Bad Bunny Camilo Christian Nodal Daddy Yankee Farruko Grupo Firme J Balvin Karol G Rauw Alejandro

Best Song by a Couple “Att: Amor” – Greeicy & Mike Bahía “Dangerous” – Nicki Nicole, Trueno & Bizarrap “Esto Recién Empieza” – Duki & Emilia

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“Índigo” – Camilo & Evaluna Montaner “Si Tu Me Busca” – Anuel Aa & Yailin La Mas Viral

Best Regional Mexican Song “Ahí Donde Me Ven” – Ángela Aguilar “A La Antigüita” – Calibre 50 “La Casita” – Banda Ms De Sergio Lizárraga “¿Qué Tienen Tus Palabras?” – Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga “Sin Miedo Al Éxito” – Banda Los Sebas-tianes “Soy Buen Amigo “- El Fantasma “Soy El Único” – Yahritza Y Su Esencia “Ya No Somos Ni Seremos” – Christian Nodal “Ya Solo Eres Mi Ex” – La Adictiva Banda San José De Mesillas “Ya Supérame (En Vivo)” – Grupo Firme

Best Regional Mexican Collaboration “2 Veces” – Los Plebes Del Rancho De Ariel Camacho & Christian Nodal “Amores Van Y Vienen” – La Nueva Estrate-gia & La Maquinaria Norteña “El Columpio” – Banda Los Sebastianes & Los Rieleros Del Norte “El Triste Alegre (En Vivo)” – Banda Carna-val & Calibre 50 “En Tu Perra Vida” – Grupo Firme & Lenin Ramírez “La Sinvergüenza” – Christian Nodal & Banda Ms De Sergio Lizárraga “Mariachi Tumbado” – Danny Felix Feat. Mariachi Vargas De Tecalitlán “Mariposa Traicionera” – Maná & Alejandro Fernández “Señorita Cantinera” – Los Rieleros Del Norte Feat. Polo Urias Y Su Maquina Norteña “Te Encontré” – Ulices Chaidez & Eslabon Armado

Best Regional Mexican Fusion “Cada Quien” – Grupo Firme & Maluma “Como Lo Hice Yo” – Matisse & Carin Leon “Ella Qué Te Dio” – Ángela Aguilar & Jesse Y Joy “Está Dañada Remix” – Ivan Cornejo & Jhayco “Fino Licor” – Gerardo Ortiz Feat. Piso 21 “Las Locuras Mías” – Omar Chaparro Feat. Joey Montana “Monterrey” – Guaynaa & Pain Digital “Otra Noche” – Los Ángeles Azules & Nicki Nicole

“Qué Bueno Es Tenerte” – Natalia Jiménez & Banda Ms De Sergio Lizárraga “Te Lloré Un Río” – Maná & Christian Nodal

The Perfect Mix “Canción Bonita” – Carlos Vives & Ricky Martin “El Incomprendido” – Farruko, Victor Cardenas & Dj Adoni “Emojis De Corazones” – Wisin, Jhayco & Ozuna Feat. Los Legendarios “Fan De Tus Fotos” – Nicky Jam & Romeo Santos “Mojando Asientos” – Maluma Feat. Feid “Pareja Del Año” – Sebastián Yatra & Myke Towers “Se Menea” – Don Omar & Nio García “Una Nota” – J Balvin & Sech “Volví” – Aventura & Bad Bunny “Wow Bb” – Natti Natasha, El Alfa & Chim-bala

Best Tropical Hit  “Agüita E Coco” – Kany García “Cartas Sobre La Mesa” – Gilberto Santa Rosa “Cumbiana” – Carlos Vives “Hasta El Sol De Hoy (Versión Salsa)” – Luis Figueroa “Lao’ A Lao’” – Prince Royce “No Hay” – El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico “Pa’lla Voy” – Marc Anthony “Pa’ Que Me Perdones” – Héctor Acosta “El Torito” “Sus Huellas” – Romeo Santos “Tu Fan” – Luis Vazquez

Best Tropical Mix “Besos En Cualquier Horario” – Carlos Vives, Mau Y Ricky & Lucy Vives “Dame Una Noche” – Manny Cruz & Daniel Santacruz “Dios Así Lo Quiso” – Ricardo Montaner & Juan Luis Guerra 4.40 “Háblame De Miami” – Gente De Zona & Maffio “La Bendición” – Farruko & Lenier “Lluvia Y Samba” – Elvis Crespo, Gilberto Santa Rosa & Alex Bueno “Pa’mi” – Peter Nieto & Ivy Queen “Señor Juez” – Ozuna & Anthony Santos “Te Espero” – Prince Royce & Maria Becerra “Tú No Bailas Mas Que Yo” – Jerry Rivera Feat. Don Omar

Collaboration Omg  “Don’t Be Shy” – Tiësto & Karol G

“Kesi – Remix” – Camilo & Shawn Mendes “La Fama” – Rosalía Feat. The Weeknd “Mama Tetema “- Maluma Feat. Rayvanny “Nostálgico” – Rvssian, Rauw Alejandro & Chris Brown “Oh Na Na” – Camila Cabello, Myke Towers & Tainy “Santo” – Christina Aguilera & Ozuna “Sg” – Dj Snake, Ozuna, Megan Thee Stal-lion & Lisa Of Blackpink “Sigue “- J Balvin & Ed Sheeran “Tacones Rojos” – Sebastián Yatra & John Legend

Viral Track of the Year  “Envolver Remix” – Anitta & Justin Quiles “Índigo” – Camilo & Evaluna Montaner “Mamiii” – Becky G & Karol G “Medallo” – Blessd, Justin Quiles & Lenny Tavárez “Pepas” – Farruko “Poblado Remix” – J Balvin, Karol G & Nicky Jam Feat. Crissin, Totoy El Frio & Natan Y Shander “Qué Más Pues?” – J Balvin & Maria Becerra “Sobrio” – Maluma “Todo De Ti” – Rauw Alejandro “Yonaguni” – Bad Bunny

Artist of the Youth – Male Bad Bunny Camilo Christian Nodal El Alfa Farruko J Balvin Maluma Rauw Alejandro Romeo Santos Sebastián Yatra

Artist of the Youth – Female Ángela Aguilar Anitta Becky G Kali Uchis Karol G Maria Becerra Natti Natasha Nicki Nicole Rosalía Sofía Reyes

Favorite Group or Duo of the Year Calibre 50 Cnco Gente De Zona

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Grupo Firme Jesse & Joy Los Ángeles Azules Maná Mau Y Ricky Reik Wisin Y Yandel

Album of the Year Dharma – Sebastián Yatra Jose – J Balvin Kg0516 – Karol G La 167 – Farruko La Última Promesa – Justin Quiles Legendaddy – Daddy Yankee Mis Manos – Camilo Motomami – Rosalía Nattividad – Natti Natasha Vice Versa – Rauw Alejandro

Regional Mexican Album of the Year Alma Vacía – Ivan Cornejo Del Barrio Hasta Aquí, Vol. 2 – Fuerza Regida Esta Vida Es Muy Bonita – Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga Inédito – Carin Leon La Ley De La Vida – Luis Angel “El Flaco” Mexicana Enamorada – Ángela Aguilar Mi Herencia, Mi Sangre – Majo Aguilar Mi Vida En Un Cigarro 2 – Junior H Vamos Bien – Calibre 50 Ya Solo Eres Mi Ex – La Adictiva Banda San José De Mesillas

The Catchiest Song “A La Antigüita” – Calibre 50 “Envolver” – Anitta “In Da Getto” – J Balvin & Skrillex “Lao’ A Lao’” – Prince Royce “Pa’lla Voy” – Marc Anthony “Pepas” – Farruko “Provenza” – Karol G “Sus Huellas” – Romeo Santos “Todo De Ti” – Rauw Alejandro “Ya Supérame (En Vivo)” – Grupo Firme

Best Girl Power Collab “24/7” – Sofía Reyes & The Change “Báilalo Mujer” – Flor De Rap & Denise Rosenthal “Hasta Los Dientes” – Camila Cabello & Maria Becerra “La Niña De La Escuela” – Lola Indigo, Tini & Belinda “Linda” – Tokischa & Rosalía “Mamiii” – Becky G & Karol G

“Pa Mis Muchachas” – Christina Aguilera, Becky G, Nicki Nicole Feat. Nathy Peluso “Piketona” – Lele Pons & Kim Loaiza “Roce” – Paopao, La Gabi, Villano Antillano, Aria Vega & Cami Da Baby “Yummy Yummy Love” – Momoland & Natti Natasha

The Best”Beatmakers”  Albert Hype Bizarrap Caleb Calloway Edgar Barrera Los Legendarios Mr. Naisgai Mvsis Ovy On The Drums Sky Rompiendo Tainy

The Hottest Choreography “Chicken Teriyaki” – Rosalía “Disciplina” – Lali “Envolver” – Anitta “Todo De Ti” – Rauw Alejandro “Wow Bb” – Natti Natasha, El Alfa & Chim-bala

Video with Best Social Message “Dpm (De P*Ta Madre)” – Kany García “Gracias” – Pedro Capó “My Lova” – Farruko “Niño Soñador” – J Balvin “This Is Not America” – Residente Feat. Ibeyi

Popular Artist or Influencer Ángela Aguilar Danna Paola Domelipa Eduin Caz El Alfa Karol G Karol Sevilla Kim Loaiza Lele Pons Luisito Comunica

Best Social Media Power Couple Anuel Aa & Yailin La Mas Viral Becky G & Sebastian Lletget Emilia & Duki Gabriel Soto & Irina Baeva Juanpa Zurita & Macarena Achaga

Best Fandom Ángela Aguilar – Angelitos Camilo – La Tribu Carlos Rivera – Riveristas

Cnco – Cncowners Jay Wheeler – Rueditas Tini – Tinistas

Best Social Dance Challenge  “Bombón” – Daddy Yankee, El Alfa & Lil Jon “Don’t Be Shy” – Tiësto & Karol G “Envolver” – Anitta “Fiel” – Los Legendarios, Wisin & Jhayco “Fuera Del Mercado” – Danny Ocean “In Da Getto” – J Balvin & Skrillex “Jordan” – Ryan Castro “Linda” – Tokischa & Rosalía “Mon Amour Remix” – Zzoilo & Aitana “Problemón” – Álvaro Díaz & Rauw Alejan-dro

Trendiest Artist Bad Bunny Danna Paola Emilia Goyo Grupo Firme J Balvin Karol G Maluma Rauw Alejandro Reik

My Favorite Actor Gabriel Soto – Soltero Con Hijas Jesús Zavala – Búnker José Ron – La Desalmada Oscar Isaac – Moon Knight Sebastián Rulli – Vencer El Pasado

My Favorite Actress Angelique Boyer – Vencer El Pasado Carolina Miranda – ¿Quién Mató A Sara? Danna Paola – Elite Macarena Achaga – Luis Miguel: The Series Yalitza Aparicio – Hijas De Brujas

Best On-Screen Couple Angelique Boyer & Sebastián Rulli – Vencer El Pasado Livia Brito & José Ron – La Desalmada Maite Perroni & Alejandro Speitzer – Oscuro Deseo Susana González & David Zepeda – Mi For-tuna Es Amarte Úrsula Corberó & Miguel Herrán – La Casa De Papel

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Fleet Foxes Score First Hot 100 Hit, Thanks to Post Malone Collab ‘Love/Hate Letter to Alcohol’BY XANDER ZELLNER 

Fleet Foxes already boast numer-ous Billboard chart achievements, dating to the group’s first appear-ance in 2008, but the folk-rock

group’s members can now officially call themselves Billboard Hot 100 hitmakers.

The band, which formed in Seattle in 2006, appears on the Hot 100 for the first time, on the chart dated June 18, thanks to its featured credit on Post Malone’s “Love/Hate Letter to Alcohol,” which debuts at No. 70. The song starts with 7.6 million U.S. streams and 1,100 downloads in the June 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The track appears on Post Malone’s fourth studio effort Twelve Carat Tooth-ache, which arrives at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 121,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week.

Fleet Foxes first appeared on a Bill-board chart in April 2008 when their second EP Sun Giant debuted on Heatseekers Albums. That summer, the group followed with its debut self-titled studio set, which reached No. 36 on the Billboard 200 and No. 9 on Top Alternative Albums in February 2009.

The band has sent all four of its studio albums onto the Billboard 200: follow-ing Fleet Foxes, it charted with Helplessness Blues (No. 4, May 2011), Crack-Up (No. 9, July 2017) and Shore (No. 28, April 2021). (Plus, Sun Giant hit No. 170 on the survey in April 2009.)

The group’s sophomore LP Helplessness Blues hit No. 1 on Billboard‘s Americana/Folk Albums and Vinyl Albums charts in May 2011, marking its first No. 1 on any

rankings. The band returned to No. 1 on Vi-nyl Albums with Crack-Up in July 2017 and on Americana/Folk Albums with Shore in April 2021.

Song-wise, Fleet Foxes have maintained a familiar presence on Adult Alternative Air-play, notching five entries, including three in 2021. The act first charted at the format with “Mykonos” in 2009 (No. 30 peak), fol-lowed by “Third of May/Odaigahara” (No. 26, 2017), “Can I Believe You” (No. 3, 2021), “Sunblind” (No. 28, 2021) and in a featured role, with Anais Mitchell, on Big Red Ma-chine’s “Phoenix” (No. 33 in 2021).

“Can I Believe You” also earned the group its first entry on the all rock-format Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, reaching No. 37.

Fleet Foxes leader Robin Pecknold performed “Love/Hate Letter to Alcohol” alongside Post Malone on NBC’s Saturday Night Live on May 14. It was his first perfor-mance on the SNL stage since 2009, when the band performed “Mykonos” and “Blue Ridge Mountains.”

Fleet Foxes comprise Pecknold, Morgan Henderson, Skyler Skjelset, Christian Wargo and Casey Wescott.

Parmalee’s ‘Take My Name’ Tops Country Airplay Chart: ‘It Feels Like We Are Just Getting Started’BY JIM ASKER

Parmalee‘s love song “Take My Name” ascends to No. 1 on Bill-board‘s Country Airplay chart (dated June 18). In the tracking

week ending June 12, the single gained by 6% to 29.4 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.

“Name,” released on Stoney Creek (under the Broken Bow Records umbrella), was written by Parmalee frontman Matt Thomas

with David Fanning, Ashley Gorley and Ben Johnson, and produced by Fanning (who is also the group’s manager).

Parmalee is rounded out by Scott Thomas (Matt’s brother), Barry Knox and Josh McSwain.

Parmalee attains its third Country Airplay No. 1 – and its first set of back-to-back lead-ers – as “Name” follows the act’s duet with Blanco Brown, “Just the Way,” which led for a week in March 2021, becoming the quartet’s second chart-topper (and Brown’s first). Parmalee first reigned for a week in December 2013 with its second of eight entries on the survey, “Carolina.”

“To have back-to-back No. 1 songs is incredible,” Matt Smith tells Billboard. “The way country radio and our fans have em-braced this song and have helped take it to the top is overwhelming. It feels like we are just getting started.”

The band has scored two additional top 10s: “Close Your Eyes” (No. 4, December 2014) and “Already Callin’ You Mine” (No. 10, December 2015).

On the airplay-, streaming- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart, “Name” pushes 3-2 for a new best. It drew 7 mil-lion U.S. streams (down 4%) and sold 2,100 downloads (up 7%) in the week ending June 9.

Still ‘Wasted’Morgan Wallen’s “Wasted on You” crowns

Hot Country Songs for a fifth week. It tops Country Streaming Songs for a 10th frame (12 million streams, up 1%) and sold 4,000 downloads (up 3%) in the tracking week. On Country Airplay, the song holds at its No. 3 high (26.7 million, up 5%).

Meanwhile, parent LP Dangerous: The Double Album leads Top Country Albums for a record-extending 61st week (52,000 equivalent album units, down 3%).

Hot ‘Country’ SongKane Brown adds his 11th Hot Country

Songs top 10 as “Like I Love Country Music” strides 11-10. On Country Airplay, the song pushes 15-13 for a new high, increasing 7% to 13.5 million in audience. It also drew 5.3 million clicks and sold 2,700.

“Like” marks Brown’s first visit to the Hot Country Songs upper tier since “One Missis-sippi,” which reached No. 4 in January; on

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Country Airplay, “Mississippi” became his seventh leader in March.

Co-authored by Brown, his latest single shouts out country cornerstones Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Willie Nelson, Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn (with the duo making a cameo on the recording).

‘Backroads’ & a ‘Truck’Jake Owen scores his 13th Country Air-

play top 10, as “Best Thing Since Backroads” rumbles 11-10 (15.4 million, up 6%). The song follows “Made for You,” which ruled for two weeks in May 2021, marking his ninth leader.

Owen first hit the Country Airplay top 10 with his second chart entry, “Startin’ With Me,” which reached No. 6 in July 2007. He visited the summit for his first time with “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” which dominat-ed for two frames in September 2011.

Concurrently, Dylan Scott nets his fourth Country Airplay top 10 as “New Truck” rides 14-10 (15.1 million, up 13%). The song is the lead single from his sophomore full-length Livin’ My Best Life, due Aug. 5.

Scott makes his second consecutive trip to the Country Airplay top 10, after “Nobody” hit No. 2 in June 2021. Among his eight en-tries, he has achieved one No. 1, as “My Girl” led for a week in July 2017.

Britney Spears’ First Husband Jason Alexander Charged With Stalking Her at Her WeddingBY ASSOCIATED PRESS 

A man once briefly married to Brit-ney Spears was charged Monday (June 13) with felony stalking after showing up at the pop star’s

wedding to longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari.Jason Alexander, 40, pleaded not guilty in

Ventura County court to the charge, along

with misdemeanor counts of trespassing, vandalism and battery.

Alexander remained jailed, and appeared in court via video conference. A judge set his bail at $100,000 and issued a restraining order requiring him to stay at least 100 yards from Spears for three years.

Alexander was Spears’ first husband. The two were married for less than three days in 2004 before an annulment.

Spears, 40, and Asghari, 28, were mar-ried Thursday at her home in Thousand Oaks, Calif., in front of several dozen guests including Selena Gomez, Drew Barrymore, Paris Hilton and Madonna.

Alexander, who was a childhood friend of Spears, was streaming live on Insta-gram when he approached her house. He appeared in a mostly empty but decorated room, telling security Spears had invited him.

Deputies responding to a trespassing call detained him, and he was arrested when they learned he had a warrant for his arrest in another county, the Ventura County Sher-iff’s Office said.

Alexander’s bail will be reviewed at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. An email seeking comment from his public defender Matthew Terry was not immediately re-turned.

Spears was previously married from 2004 to 2007 to Kevin Federline, with whom she shares two sons, ages 14 and 15.

She met Asghari in 2016 on the set of the video for her song “Slumber Party.”

Their wedding came nine months after Spears and Asghari were engaged, and nearly seven months after Spears won her freedom from a court conservatorship that controlled her life and affairs for more than 12 years.

Spears posted about the nuptials on her Instagram and Twitter accounts the follow-ing day.

“Wow !!! Holy holy crap !!! WE DID IT !!! WE GOT MARRIED !!! Gggggeeeeez-zzzz !!! It was the most spectacular day !!!” Spears said in the posts along with a picture of her and Asghari from the wedding. “The ceremony was a dream and the party was even better !!!”

Harry Styles Tops Billboard Artist 100, SEVENTEEN Re-Enters at No. 5BY XANDER ZELLNER 

Harry Styles notches a fifth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated June 18), holding as the top musical

act in the U.S. thanks to the continued suc-cess of his third LP, Harry’s House.

The album ranks at No. 3 on the Bill-board 200 with 113,000 equivalent album units earned, according to Luminate, after spending its first two weeks at No. 1. It ar-rived with 521,000 units, the biggest weekly total for an album this year.

Styles concurrently charts eight of the al-bum’s 13 tracks on the latest Billboard Hot 100, led by “As It Was,” which tallies a sixth week at No. 1. Plus, the set’s “Late Night Talking” places at No. 15, after debuting at its No. 4 high. On the Pop Airplay chart, the former reigns for a fifth week, while the lat-ter leaps 25-18 (up 74% in plays).

Elsewhere on the Artist 100, SEVEN-TEEN re-enters at No. 5, a new peak, powered by its latest release, SEVENTEEN 4th Album: Face the Sun. The set debuts at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 with 44,000 units, earning the group its first top 10, as well as No. 1 on Top Album Sales, marking the South Korean act’s third leader and best sales week.

Plus, Prince re-enters the Artist 100 at No. 17 thanks to the late legend’s Prince and the Revolution: Live. The album opens at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 (17,000 units, nearly all in album sales) and No. 4 on Top Album Sales.

The Artist 100 measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption, blending album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.

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BTS Returns to No. 1 on Hot Trending Songs Chart With ‘Yet to Come,’ Debuts 2 Other Songs From ‘Proof’BY XANDER ZELLNER 

BTS scores its third No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Trending Songs chart (dated June 18), powered by Twitter, as “Yet to

Come” soars to the summit.The song reigns with 7.8 million Twitter

mentions, surging by 222%, according to Twitter, following its release June 10 on the group’s new LP Proof (which is set to launch on next week’s June 25-dated album listings).

BTS topped the inaugural Hot Trending Songs chart in October with “Permission to Dance” and then ruled with “Butter” for a re-cord-setting 20 weeks. (The only other songs to top the tally so far are SB19’s “Bazinga” for seven weeks, and Ha Sung-woon and BTS member Jimin’s “With You,” for five.)

BTS also debuts two tracks on Hot Trending Songs, both — like “Yet to Come” — from Proof: “Run BTS,” at No. 5, and “For Youth,” at No. 19. The former earns the group its fifth top five hit and sixth top 10, extending the group’s records in the chart’s brief history in both categories.

Meanwhile, BTS has now charted eight songs on the survey since its inception, surpassing ENHYPEN’s seven for the most among all acts so far.

Billboard‘s Hot Trending Songs charts, powered by Twitter and sponsored by Capital One, track global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twit-ter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard‘s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday. The charts

highlight buzz around new releases, award shows, festival moments, music nostalgia and more. Hot Trending Songs is unique in that it tracks what songs people are talking about, not necessarily what they’re listening to.

Keep visiting Billboard.com for the con-stantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rank-ings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.

George Ezra’s ‘Gold Rush Kid’ Heading For U.K. No. 1BY LARS BRANDLE 

George Ezra should extend his U.K. streak to three-straight lead-ers with Gold Rush Kid (via Co-lumbia), his third studio album.

The English singer and songwriter’s latest LP leads the midweek chart, and is unlikely to be stopped on its path to the top.

According to the OCC, Gold Rush Kid is outstripping its closest rival by four-to-one, and is almost certain to win the crown, equaling the efforts of 2014 debut Wanted on Voyage and 2018’s Staying at Tamara’s.

Also new to the Official Chart Update is Chase & Status’s What Came Before (EMI), the electronic music duo’s fifth studio album. It’s aiming for a No. 3 entry, and could give the act its best charting performance since 2013’s Brand New Machine peaked at No. 2.

Meanwhile, BTS is heading to a fourth U.K. Top 5 album with Proof (BigHit Enter-tainment), the K-pop superstars’ anthology. It’s new at No. 5 on the Chart Blast, with lead single “Yet to Come” eyeing a Top 20 berth on the Official Singles Chart.

Further down the list, a string of new titles are set to make a splash in the Top 40, including records from former Portico Quartet singer-songwriter Nick Mul-vey (New Mythology at No. 13 via Fiction), late hip-hop artist XXXTentacion (Look at Me: The Album at No. 24 via Columbia), classical master Max Richter (The New Four Seasons – Vivaldi Recomposed at No. 29 via Deutsche Grammophon), U.S. metal

group Motionless in White (Scoring the End of the World at No. 30 via Roadrunner), German thrash metal act Kreator (Hate Über Alles at No. 34 via Nuclear Blast) and Britpop era act Kula Shaker (1st Congre-gational Church of Eternal Love and Free Hugs at No. 36 via Strangefolk).

The Official U.K. Singles and Albums Charts are presented late Friday.

Rolling Stones Postpone Second Show Following Mick Jagger’s COVID-19 DiagnosisBY LARS BRANDLE 

The Rolling Stones will scrap another European tour date as frontman Mick Jagger recovers from COVID-19 symptoms.

The Stones will postpone their sched-uled concert this Friday night (June 17) at Wankdorf Stadium in the Swiss capital Bern, a statement reads.

The legendary rock band is “deeply sorry for this postponement, but the safety of the audience, fellow musicians and the tour-ing crew has to take priority,” continues the message, issued Tuesday (June 14).

Jagger and Co. are expected to be fit for a return to the stage next Tuesday (June 21) when the Stones stop by San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, and the Switzerland date will be rescheduled at a later time.

Earlier this week, reps for the Rock And Roll Hall of Famers announced a concert at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruijff Are-na would be postponed when Jagger tested positive for COVID-19.

The band’s current European Sixty trek is a celebration of their mighty career, which spans 60 years and continues to roll along.

The jaunt marks the band’s first full-scale run since the death of drummer Charlie

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Watts last summer, with replacement Steve Jordan filling in behind the kit.

The Euro swing comes on the heels of the Stones’ highest-grossing U.S. No Filter stadi-um tour, which featured sales of more than half a million tickets in the fall of 2021.

The Sixty run is slated to wrap up with a July 31 show at Friends Arena in Stock-holm, Sweden.

See the rest of The Rolling Stones’ tour dates here.

Lady Gaga in Talks to Join Joaquin Phoenix in ‘Joker 2’ MusicalBY BORYS KIT 

The Joker is back, and this time he’s bringing a friend.

Lady Gaga is in early talks to star opposite Joaquin Phoenix in

director Todd Phillips’ sequel to Joker, the 2019 Oscar-winning, $1 billion Warner Bros. hit based on the DC character.

Phillips has been co-writing the script with Joker co-writer Scott Silver for some time and has finally shown it to the studio. Last week, Phillips revealed on social media the title of the new project — Joker: Folie à deux — the title referencing a medical term for an identical or similar mental disorder that affects two or more individuals, usually members of the same family. And while the same social media post showed Phoenix reading the script, the actor’s involvement is not exactly a legal fait accompli just yet — sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Warners has yet to close a deal with the ac-tor, with the two sides deep into it.

Enter Gaga.Details on her character are being kept

under wraps, but Joker is known for his on-off abusive relationship with Harley Quinn, his psychiatrist at the mental institu-tion known as Arkham Asylum who falls in love with him and becomes his sidekick and partner in crime. It is unclear whether

Phillips and company are using other DC characters or striking on their own, as they did in many instances with their first movie.

If a deal is made, Gaga would play Quinn. However, this new Quinn exists in a different DC universe than Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, who most recently appeared in 2021’s The Suicide Squad as well as several other films.

But wait, that’s not all: Sources say the sequel is also a musical.

When Warners first made Joker, it was far from a sure thing. A dark and moody char-acter piece, the project was a Taxi Driver-meets-King of Comedy descent into madness set in a late 1970s decaying city. Commercial prospects were deemed nominal, and it was only budgeted at $60 million.

By the time it was released in October 2019, Joker was riding a wave of adulation from the fall film festivals, which helped propel the movie into a record-breaking opening weekend, with box office analysts changing their prediction every day. It ended its theatrical run as the No. 4 highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. It then earned 11 Oscar nominations, including best picture, and won best actor (for Phoenix) and best score (for Hildur Guonadottir).

Phillips previously produced A Star Is Born, the 2018 remake that starred Jok-er producer Bradley Cooper and Gaga.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

Hugh Jackman to Miss ‘Music Man’ Shows on Broadway Due to Second COVID-19 DiagnosisBY TRILBY BERESFORD 

In the wake of Hugh Jackman testing positive for COVID-19 a second time, standby actor Max Clayton will per-form in The Music Man on Broadway.

Clayton will perform the role of Professor Harold Hill alongside Sutton Foster, in all performances of Meredith Willson’s musical comedy from June 14-21.

“Once again, standbys and understud-ies save the day and, in this case, it’s Max Clayton to the rescue,” said producer Kate Horton in a statement. “We’re excited to see him perform alongside the wonderful Sutton Foster and we wish Hugh a speedy recovery.”

In his own statement on Instagram, Jack-man said: “I’ve frustratingly tested positive for Covid. Again. My standby, the amazingly talented @maxmclayton will step in for me. What’s most annoying is I don’t get to see him perform! I’ve said it before, and will say it a million times more … Maxi and all the standbys, swings and understudies around the world, you are the true heroes of theater. You give life to the saying “the show must go on.”

His diagnosis comes a day after attending the Tony Awards, in which he was nomi-nated for his role in The Music Man.

Jackman first tested positive in Decem-ber 2021 just days after Foster also missed performances of The Music Man due a breakthrough case. At the time, Jackman de-scribed his symptoms as “like a cold,” with “a scratchy throat and a bit of a runny nose.” A number of performances were canceled before the actor returned to the stage.

The Music Man is directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography from Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

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