Someone has already suggested to Jamal Roberts, the 23rd and most recent winner in American Idol‘s long history, that his first post-Idol single should become the new state song of Mississippi. Born in Meridian, Miss., Roberts is sharing his first post-Idol single, “Mississippi,” today. It’s a biographical, emotional composition, and Billboard has the exclusive premiere below.

On a flight from Los Angeles to Nashville, songwriters Emile Ghantous and Daniel Capellaro found themselves sitting one row from Roberts and they started talking about writing a song for the newly crowned Idol winner. After a three-way conversation, they worked with Roberts to fashion an ode to his home state – about missing it and everything there while living far away in a big city, echoing the time Roberts spent away from his daughters while in Los Angeles. Songwriter Christian Stalnecker finished the song with them and Ghantous produced at Electric Blue Studios.

Billboard met up with Roberts in the recording studio in North Hollywood where he recorded the song to find out about his life since Ryan Seacrest opened an envelope just two months ago and read his name out loud as the season 23 victor. Since then, his coronation song “Heal” debuted atop Billboard‘s Hot Gospel Songs chart. “Mississippi” is out now on 19 Recordings. Future releases will be issued by Roberts’ new label, BMG.

Before we talk about the new single, let’s go back to the last few moments of the season 23 finale. You were standing on stage with fellow contestant John Foster and Ryan was about to open an envelope and read the name of the winner. What was going through your mind?

I was thinking, “Jamal, it’s up to America to decide not who was better, but who do they want to represent America as an Idol.” It was during these last moments that I finally gave myself some applause. I applauded myself for getting this far, staying the course and doing all the things that were necessary and needed in this competition. I’d been able to show my heart and show my love for music and the journey. I thought win or lose, good job. And when Ryan said my name, I couldn’t believe it. There were fireworks and stuff and flying out of the sky and I’m asking myself, “Did he just call my name? He called my name!” That moment will always be special to me. I was smiling, trying to make sure I’m looking right for the camera, but in my head, I’m thinking, “You did it. You came this far. You could be your authentic self. The world sees that and now they know Jamal Roberts.”

I was going to be okay either way, but I worked hard. I came out there every show with something different, something new to the table, something appealing and I felt like I was versatile. I felt worthy of being the American Idol. But win or lose, I felt like I would have a successful career. It was a win-win situation.

How has your life changed since that moment?

My life has changed drastically. I went home and thought I could do the same thing I was doing before I left and I found that to be a lie.

You were teaching.

Right. The first day I went back to school after winning Idol, people were coming up to the school [to see me] and I thought, “This won’t work.” So I had to make that ultimate decision. As an employee, I had to leave, but I still show up and volunteer all the time because this is where my passion is and my heart is, as well as music. But America voted for me, so they expect to see something. They expect me to put in a little more work and I have the work ethic and I’m ready.

What have you been doing since the finale?

Right after the show, everybody wanted to hear [the coronation song] “Heal.” I was everywhere, traveling all over the world, and then I got a chance to sing on the BET Awards with Kirk Franklin and Tamar Braxton and Muni Long. That was a wonderful experience. I got to meet a lot of people I looked up to and for all of them to embrace me, it felt amazing. And now I’ve just been added to the [“The Boy Is Mine”] tour with Monica and Brandy and Muni Long and Kelly Rowland. It starts in October.

What is it like going out now when you walk into stores or dine in restaurants?

Typically, I can’t go to the store now and when I do step out, I have to have security and all the safety measures and it just gets overwhelming sometimes.

We saw your daughters on Idol. How do they feel about all of this?

Lyrik is always saying, “Daddy, I remember you got the Golden Ticket.” She still talks about that and they still talk about going to Disneyland. They talk about their experiences, the impact it had on their lives and the impact it has on their lives currently. Sometimes I have to send them with their godmother or mom when they want to go somewhere fun because going with me can be overwhelming for them. They don’t realize that now because they’re so young, but eventually they’ll get it.

In your new single, you sing the lyric, “I’m missing you in Mississippi.” What does this song mean to you?

I love Mississippi. People try to get me to move, but it’s just so peaceful and just so down to earth. Emile, Daniel and Christian were writing it and I put my two cents here and there, changing things around and making it suitable for me. I wanted to paint a picture of what I miss and what I’ve come from and that what I do currently in Mississippi that gives me that ease and that peace of mind. And in the song, if you listen closely, you’ll hear how I feel.

How did the recording sessions go?

My recording sessions were pretty authentic. I’m able to get in there and sing and give it some soul and give it those heartfelt moments. When you’ve experienced it and lived through it, it’s easier to sing about. So it’s easy to sing about the love I have for Mississippi and what makes my heart smile and what is my peace, because nobody knows that better than me. So the record is amazing. It paints a picture. It’s not just about Mississippi.

Even though I’m dedicating this to Mississippi, I know that anyone who has moved away is missing home or missing a loved one that left and you think about them all the time. My kids are in Mississippi and all my childhood memories, so when I’m singing “missing you In Mississippi,” I’m not just talking about one particular place. I’m talking about that peace, that moment, that memory. There’s a whole bunch of compassion in there.

When you first heard the finished recording, what did you think?

The finished recording after it was mixed and mastered? I thought, “Man, this has got to be a hit. It’s so smooth.” I went around Meridian, and I let a couple of people from my hometown hear the whole song. One friend of mine told me, “This is a hit song, but it’s so sad.” But that just goes to show what kind of picture it painted and how it grabs onto those heartstrings and that’s what I really wanted.

Your vocals on “Mississippi” remind me of one of the greatest singers of the 20th century, Sam Cooke. He started out singing gospel and then turned to secular music and you seem to be following the same path.

When you say gospel and secular, I plan on doing pop and hip-hop. I plan on doing it all. Gospel is where I come from. Singing gospel gave me that passion of being able to commit to a song like I do, even if it’s a secular song. So I’m always going to stick with my gospel roots, but you can’t reach people singing gospel all the time. Sometimes there’s a song like “Mississippi” that will open people’s eyes and let them say that’s okay, so I feel like I’ll do both.

Do you have plans to record an album?

Like I told my label and producers and my manager, I don’t want to put out an album right now. Why don’t we just do what we’re doing? Keep people wanting more and let them support me 100% and I’m loving that. Even though “Mississippi” is just coming out, trust me, we’ve got more stuff cooking and it’s going to be amazing. Stay tuned.

Not far from where we’re sitting, season 15 winner Nick Fradiani is starring as Neil Diamond in A Beautiful Noise at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. A lot of Idols have done theater and film. Would you be interested in acting?

About a month ago, I was pitched about doing an Otis Redding story. We’ll see how it goes, because I’m really excited about that if that comes into play. It’s something that I’m very interested in.

Like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding is one of the greats. Do you know his music?

I’m a fan. Anybody that can grab you and take you on a journey, you understand what they’re talking about. Otis was a storyteller and a powerful singer.

We first talked when you made the top 14 and I asked you then what was the most important thing you learned on your Idol journey. But your time on the show continued for a few more weeks. Looking back on the entire season, what would you currently say was the most important thing you learned?

You’ve got to pace yourself and you’ve got to have patience. Being an artist is a labor. Are you willing to do all the work and all the labor that comes with being an artist? And I understand now that Idol builds you and teaches you what it’s going to take to be on this national level. They prepare you to be the best you can be.

The Iceman is defrosting. Drake appeared to announce plans for a second episode of Iceman for Thursday night (July 24) with a livestream set for 9 p.m. ET.

“[Ice cube emoji] EASTERN STANDARD TIME,” he wrote alongside a “9 PM” image. Fans and Drizzy’s peers were hyped at the announcement. “Icy like 1017,” Zack Bia wrote in the comments while referencing More Life‘s “Ice Melts.”

The island-tinged beat Drake was freestyling to during episode one of Iceman while driving was the same track the 6 God previewed featuring Central Cee during his Wireless Festival set earlier in July.

At the time of the festival, Drake also teased that a release of the collab that’s been tentatively titled “Which One” was on the imminent horizon. Putting the pieces together, it’s possible that the OVO-Cench link-up is next on the docket for Iceman.

“All the girls that’s here for the truth/ Come put both hands on the DJ booth then/ Wine your waist to the big man’s sound/ And I get too stiff ’cause the tings too round, good god,” Drizzy raps on the snippet.

Drake teased Iceman‘s arrival during his Birmingham show on Monday (July 21). “I’m working on my album Iceman, so we got a lot to talk about,” he told the crowd.

Cench and the 6 God previously joined forces for the “On the Radar Freestyle” while Drizzy was in NYC for his It’s All a Blur Tour run in 2023.

Drake kicked off the Iceman rollout with “What Did I Miss?” on July 5, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

With Thursday serving as an off-day for Drake on his European tour, Thursday night’s stream makes sense following his pair of shows in Birmingham before heading to Manchester this weekend.

Earlier this week, Drake headed to the Black Sabbath Bench while in Ozzy Osbourne’s hometown of Birmingham to pay homage to the late rock legend, who passed away at 76 on Tuesday (July 22).  “I just came out to pay respects to someone who lived it to the fullest,” Drake told The New York Times.

Find Drake’s post below.

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Hulk Hogan, one of pro wrestling’s biggest icons who found crossover fame in the world of entertainment, has died. He was 71.

“Unfortunately we must confirm that Terry Bollea, aka Hulk Hogan, passed away this morning,” his manager Linda Bose tells Billboard. “We are heartbroken. He was such a great human being and friend.”

The athlete is survived by his children, Nick and Brooke, whom he shared with first wife Linda Claridge, and his wife, Sky Daily

“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” the wrestling promotion company tells Billboard in a statement. “One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans.”

Born Terry Gene Bollea and raised in Florida, Hogan found fame in the 1980s after triumphing over Iron Sheik to become the World Wrestling Federation’s heavyweight winner. The win sparked a phenomenon in the wrestling world known as “Hulkmania,” which he leveraged into a career outside of the sport through which he first rose to prominence.

In the 1990s, he nurtured an acting career through appearances in Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Suburban Commando, Mr. Nanny and Santa With Muscles. Famous for his signature blond mustache and red bandana, Hogan was also known for making cameos as himself in projects such as 1999’s Muppets From Space and TV show The Goldbergs.

Heavily associated with his walkout song “Real American,” Hogan was also outspoken in his political beliefs. In 2024, he appeared at the Republican National Convention, supporting Donald Trump’s third presidential campaign.

And though the WWE has often gone hand in hand with musical performances over the years, Hogan’s own musical interests were more limited. In 1995, he released an album titled Hulk Rules under the name Hulk Hogan and the Wrestling Boot Band. The set reached No. 12 on the Kid Albums chart on Sept. 9, 1995, and marked his only chart appearance.

Fono, the regional Mexican-focused label under Universal Music formerly known as Fonovisa-Disa, announced on Tuesday (July 22) a partnership with Desierto Bravo, a record label and production platform dedicated to nurturing new talent from northwestern Mexico.

Based in Hermosillo, Sonora, this incubator for emerging artists was founded by Abraham Noé Reyes Valdez “Compa Grillo,” who has produced artists such as Gabito Ballesteros, Kenia Os, Kany García, and Carín León, among others.

“We’re focused on Sonoran talent because there are so many people who can build great careers, and we want to provide them with the right tools,” Reyes Valdez told Billboard Español.

Antonio Silva, managing director of Fono US/Mexico, adds: “We see talent, youth, and the drive they have to showcase the music of the desert—this part of Mexico that has given so much talent to music. For us, it’s an honor to have achieved this partnership. The spirit of Fono is to seek out talent from its origins and develop it without borders, leveraging the global structure we have as part of Universal Music.”

The collaboration between the two companies has given rise to a new division within Fono aimed at providing international exposure to emerging artists signed during the first phase of the partnership. Among them are Plazencia, a 22-year-old from a family of mariachi musicians who blends regional Mexican music with modern sounds, bringing a fresh twist to the genre; and El Niño de Sonora, known for his successful collaboration with Adriel Favela “Sin Plan B.” Five additional young acts —Jesús Durán, Paloma Ledgard, Los Conin’s, Rubaa, and Krazy Flow ML— make up the rest of the roster being developed in genres like pop, rap, and alternative sounds.

Alongside the launch of their musical ventures, the partnership between Fono and Desierto Bravo has announced free guitar workshops for those interested in starting with solid foundations, and is inviting songwriters to submit their compositions for potential future productions. All of this aims to attract and support future generations of artists. Additionally, they have opened submissions for Mexa Indie, an album that will feature those selected as promising new artists.

In recent years, Sonora has emerged as a hotbed of talent, putting regional Mexican music on the global map. Stars like Natanael Cano, Adriel Favela, Christian Nodal, and Carín León are among the notable figures from this desert state in Mexico who have infused their own style into Mexican culture, shaped by influences from banda sinaloense and norteño music.

HarbourView Equity Partners, the Newark, NJ-based music and media investment company that owns rights to the catalogs of Fleetwood Mac, Nelly and Kane Brown, said on Thursday it acquired a stake in the catalog of powerhouse singer and original American Idol queen Kelly Clarkson.

The acquisition includes partial rights to some of Clarkson’s most recognizable hits: “Since U Been Gone,” which spent its first seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard‘s Pop Songs chart; “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” which remains the best-selling single by any American Idol contestant; and three other releases that charted in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 “Because of You,” “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” and “Underneath the Tree,” which peaked on the chart this holiday season. In total, the Texas native had 12 singles hit the top 10.

Details including financial terms the types of rights were not disclosed.

A three-time Grammy Award-winner, including two for her sophomore album, 2004’s Breakaway, Clarkson’s career has gone full circle, with her returning to television with her The Kelly Clarkson Show recently getting renewed for its seventh season. Her success across multiple music and entertainment platforms — Clarkson is currently doing a residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas — compliments HarbourView’s multi-platform investment strategy, founder Sherrese Clarke tells Billboard.

“Kelly she is a multi-hyphenate already,” Clarke says. “She came to be from television. She knows and understands television as a medium and is such a talented vocalist. She like us is more than one thing. It’s important to us to collaborate with people who are thoughtful about how to navigate multiple mediums.”

In a statement, Clarkson said, “My music is such a huge part of my journey – not just professionally, but personally. Knowing these songs will continue to be heard and discovered by new generations means everything to me. I’m grateful to HarbourView for valuing and supporting this catalog.”

Last month, HarbourView announced it raised $500 million through the sale of a private asset-backed securitization (ABS) to insurance vehicles managed by global investment firm KKR. It was the second half-a-billion-dollar securitization the comapny has issued in two years, having completed the other in March 2024.

Since Clarke founded HarbourView in 2021, the firm has acquired more than 70 music catalogs and accumulated approximately $2.67 billion in regulatory assets under management. Their portfolio includes stakes in songs by artists like Wiz Khalifa and Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie, as well as stakes in the production companies MACRO and Mucho Mas Media.

Through its entertainment-focused arm, Harbourview is financing a slate of hip-hop biopics — including one about Queen Latifah — for Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios, Flavor Unit and Jesse Collins Entertainment. The company also recently announce a strategic partnership with Issa Rae’s ColorCreative and it led an $85-million investment round into the children’s content company Animaj, powered by proprietary, creator safe, GenAI, reflecting its broader vision for media innovation.

Clarke acknowledges the marketplace for content remains challenged by the industry’s shift to streaming economics, but says HarbourView’s investment strategies rely on vigorously vetted data.

“The media landscape is undergoing a massive shift,” Clarke tells Billboard. “But we also still know that we all are consuming a lot of content all the time. Whether that’s Fleetwood Mac, Kelly Clarkson, Issa Rae, we believe the audience is on the other side. We follow that because we see the data.”