Expectations for the music team behind Netflix’s Wednesday were always going to be high when it came to season 2, with the first installment of the reimagined Addams Family series pulling in historic numbers for the streamer when it first premiered in 2022. With 341.23 million hours watched, it broke the record previously held by Stranger Things 4 for first-week views on the platform.  

But part of what made the show’s debut as successful as it was can be chalked up to its memorable musical moments, both planned and not. Everything from Jenna Ortega’s original choreography to the black dress she was wearing at a Nevermore Academy formal scene became “iconic” – as music supervisor Jen Malone tells Billboard – thanks to a perfectly creepy-crawly “Goo Goo Muck” synch, after which The Cramps also got an 8,650% streaming boost on the track. And when fans started using the scene to make edits paired with Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary,” the show’s popularity only continued to surge while the 11-year-old Born This Way deep cut became an unofficial yet unequivocal part of the Wednesday universe.  

Naturally, three years later, fans of the series weren’t just going to be dying to see how Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega) would return to handle her unfinished business with love interest-turned-killer monster Tyler Galpin — and solve the mystery of her anonymous stalker — they would also be expecting even more inspired musical choices. Adding to the pressure was Mother Monster herself joining the show, with Gaga coming aboard to play the ghost of a deceased Nevermore professor — who at one point sends Wednesday down a dangerous path as she tries to regain her psychic abilities – and contribute an original song titled “The Dead Dance” to the show.  

But just as Miss Addams always seems to find a way out of trouble – near-death experiences included – the Wednesday music team absolutely rose to the occasion on season 2, particularly shining on the second batch of episodes that premiere Wednesday (Sept. 3). Below, Malone, co-supervisor Nicole Weisberg and composer Chris Bacon tell Billboard all about how they pushed the show’s sonic world into even darker territory, while simultaneously subverting viewer expectations with an Enid-approved BLACKPINK tribute, honoring the Addams family’s Hispanic roots, working with Gaga and more. 

(Also, beware – spoilers for the second half of Wednesday are fair game beyond this point!)

What was it like to score music for Lady Gaga’s scenes? Did you take any cues from her performance on screen while composing?

Bacon: It was naturally very exciting to see Lady Gaga pop up on screen, but it was also just treating her like she’s any other character. What is her job? What is her role in this story? Who is who is her character? What is her emotional arc? She brings a certain mythology with her, and there’s a certain mystery and maybe a hint of darkness to her, just like everybody in the Wednesday universe. So it was fun to get to play with that musically.

She delivers her performance in a very specific way, and I don’t necessarily need to add to that as much as complement it in a way. So, I played a lot with some more synthetic sounds, kind of at a higher frequency, and played with reverse effects based on what her job is in the story. 

The “Bloody Mary” phenomenon from last season was almost a moment of reverse music supervision, with fans being the ones to say, “This is the song we think goes best here.” As music supervisors, what was your reaction to that, especially now seeing how it led to Gaga joining the show? 

Weisberg: When we first heard about it, we were like, “What? What is happening?” That’s sort of pop culture for you at its best, evolving on its own. It has a mind of its own sometimes. 

I mean, Lady Gaga is so iconic that it’s like — who knows if this would have happened on its own or not? But it was definitely a treat for all of us to see, like Chris said, someone like that popping on screen and bringing such an added element. 

“Goo Goo Muck” also went crazy viral last season. Did you feel pressure to recreate that virality this time around?

Malone: We really don’t look for that, and that’s not really our job. Our job is to service the story and the characters. The song just being what it is, I think it really lent itself to that sticky moment. But we definitely do not look for or try to recreate moments that will go viral. 

Like with BLACKPINK, that’s just Enid’s sound. We have used K-pop in both season one and in season two, so that was just a natural extension of her character as opposed to, you know, “Ooh, maybe this can go viral.”

As you mentioned, BLACKPINK’s “BOOMBAYAH” plays during an unforgettable sequence where Enid (Emma Myers), trapped inside Wednesday’s body (and vice versa), cheerfully frolics around campus in uncharacteristically colorful clothing. Of all the K-pop hits, why was that the perfect one? 

Weisberg: Producers had this song in mind, and also, I think the nature of the song and the way the lyrics are, it kind of makes for a playful moment instead of, like, a K-pop love song. “BOOMBAYAH” and the way that song felt called for the comedic dancing that was going to go with it. But really, Jenna brought that whole sequence to life. 

When we got the script, we were pretty certain it was going to play well, just the counterpoint of her and Enid. The body-switch episode was definitely a really great script to receive. You’re kind of already imagining what it could be. 

Do you think Enid is a BLINK?

Weisberg: I think she’s a fan. Most people that age are. 

I think season one, it was more like, “Oh, she’d probably be into K-pop.” And then — I mean, it definitely hasn’t gotten less popular. So I think it sort of made sense to stay aligned there. When you think about, like, KPop Demon Hunters and what that’s doing right now on the charts … it’s sort of taking over, more so than pop music from the 2000s might have been. I think anyone her age is definitely aware of K-pop at this point. 

I bet Enid would love KPop Demon Hunters.

Weisberg: Yeah. I’m sure she would too. 

Malone: On many levels. [Laughs.]

How much was Jenna involved in the music this season?

Weisberg: She’s always involved in the cello, in her moments, for sure. She makes playlists, she’s really into being a part of that. 

Malone: She works very closely with her cello teacher because she has to get these pieces well in advance to learn. And she’s definitely involved in giving us notes and helping us get these songs arranged to where they need to be. 

This season, there seemed to be more allusions to the Addams family’s Hispanic roots, like when Gomez (Luis Guzmán) takes a shower while singing along to “Besame Mucho.” How much did you think about their heritage while crafting the music in S2?

Bacon: From a score standpoint, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez were much more involved this season, and they had more specific moments to themselves and also in conjunction with Wednesday. I think there were some more overt Latin elements this season as well. I mean, you have Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jenna Ortega in a blindfolded duel, and it was fun to introduce little guitar elements every now and then that could kind of connect to that, or to have an accordion presence that would come in with Gomez’s over-the-top romantic gestures.

We’re not trying to paint it too heavily, but just kind of nod to those moments. 

Weisberg: I would say it’s a pretty large part of forming their playlists. That is a big conversation point on our end, like, ‘What kind of Latin songs can we include that would make sense?’ The tango in episode three was definitely a fun way to allude to the traditions of Addams family past, but kind of bring it to now. 

“Besame Mucho” was a great choice for the comedy of the moment, while also speaking to [Gomez’s] roots. There’s an artist we use in the first episode, Chavela Vargus, that we used in season one for a Wednesday moment. It’s sprinkled in there. I don’t know how much the audience notices that happening, but it’s definitely a large part of their musical palettes. 

You also reimagined The Cranberries’ “Zombie” and R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” as instrumentals this season. What went into utilizing those songs? 

Malone: These were songs that have been on our playlist from season one that we were able to use in season two. 

Weisberg: I really like “Zombie.” I don’t think we’ve had a piano element before. But the way the sequence turned out, it’s playing over so much plot. It’s always nice when you can milk a use, for lack of a better term, like, just have it extend and play across multiple things and apply multiple ways. And I think that melody, everyone knows it at this point. As soon as it comes in, I feel like it sort of sets a tone for that long montage.

Bacon: I think what’s fun about that moment specifically is that it plays so differently from the original version. It’s almost subconscious a little bit, until you realize, “Oh, wait, I’ve heard this before. What is this?” But it doesn’t distract you from it. And that’s where I think some of the magic happens, is that there are a lot of layers happening there, and you hear this beautiful, romantic piano version of this anthemic rock song. And then to have it happening over a prison break with zombies eating brains and things like that, there are a lot of layers that go into making it land in a unique way.

What would you say are the biggest differences between the music in season one and two?

Weisberg: Expanding on Morticia and Gomez as characters. They weren’t as present in season one, so kind of getting to dig into: What are the Morticia songs? What are the Gomez songs? That was a really fun shift.

Bacon: I think from my standpoint, it’s just bigger. You haven’t seen the finale yet, but it’s sort of, like, epic moment after epic moment after epic moment. It’s very cinematic and ambitious, but also really delivers in a way that’s very satisfying. Getting to utilize those [musical] tools of cinema for what we call TV – although, who knows what TV is anymore? – it felt very expanded and dramatic.

Malone: Everything was much bigger this season, even plotwise. There’s so much going on, and there are so many new characters. So, being able to just expand the musical palette a little bit, but still stay very true to our roots and what we built in season one … this season we had just a little bit more opportunity.

Renowned American pianist Arthur Hanlon, alongside Colombian superstar Carlos Vives and his compatriot Goyo, one of the most influential voices in contemporary Afro-Latin music, will appear Tuesday night (Sept. 2) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, showcasing their vibrant collaboration “Goodbye.”

Produced by Nicolás “Navi” de la Espriella and included in Hanlon’s album 2 Manos 1 Mundo, “Goodbye” — which he co-wrote and performs — blends the Mississippi Delta’s blues with cumbia from Colombian’s Caribbean coast. The track features Vives and Goyo singing about the loss of love, while the pianist accompanies them with his passionate keyboard. Released in April under Sony Music Latin, the song was included in Billboard’s list of The 25 Best Latin Songs of 2025 So Far, published mid-year.

Tuesday’s performance marks the start of Fallon’s new season with an unforgettable musical moment: “A fusion of cultures, musical virtuosity, and powerful voices that embody the spirit of 2 Manos, 1 Mundo; one world united through music,” according to a press release.

During the show — recorded hours earlier from NBC’s studios in New York’s Rockefeller Center — Hanlon, at an elegant black Yamaha piano, Vives and Goyo ignite the audience with their performance, filling the space with their contagious blend of rhythms, their evident joy and Latin flavor. They are accompanied by Vives’ renowned gaitera and percussionist Mayte Montero and Hanlon’s band members Yainer Horta (keyboards), Fabio Pimentel (guitar) and Otoniel Vargas (drums).

Hanlon, who has called himself “the most Latin gringo,” has placed multiple songs in the top 10 of Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart, ranging from the 2005 No. 1 hit “La Gorda,” featuring Tito Nieves, to 2024’s “Repetimos,” with Yotuel and Darell, which reached No. 9. Known for blending classical virtuosity with the rhythms and soul of Latin America, he’s also collaborated with stars such as Luis Fonsi, Juanes, Laura Pausini, Marc Anthony, and Ozuna. (Editor’s Note: Hanlon is married to Billboard’s chief content officer of Latin and Español, Leila Cobo.)

Vives, winner of two Grammy Awards and 18 Latin Grammys, is renowned for revolutionizing vallenato and bringing Colombian sounds to the global stage. With more than 20 million albums sold, hits like “La Gota Fría,” “Fruta Fresca,” and “La Bicicleta” (with Shakira) remain iconic staples of Latin music.

Goyo, co-founder of the Grammy-winning group ChocQuibTown and recipient of the Agent of Change award at Billboard Latin Women In Music 2023, is a singer and songwriter celebrated for her bold voice and activism in favor of diversity and female empowerment. She represents a new generation of Latin artists who are daring and authentic.

The Tonight Show new episode, which also features actors Jessica Chastain, Paul Mescal, Josh O’Connor and Sabrina Impacciatore as guests, airs at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC and streams on Peacock. If you don’t have access or missed it for any reason, check back on this story, as we will update it with a video of the performance once available.

Jurors easily rejected claims that Cardi B cut a security guard’s face with her nails during an altercation at a Los Angeles doctor’s office in 2018, granting a total win to the rap superstar following a weeklong civil trial.

The jury deliberated for under an hour on Tuesday (Sept. 2) before unanimously determining that former security guard Emani Ellis did not prove assault, battery, infliction of emotional distress and negligence claims against Cardi (Belcalis Almánzar). The rapper smiled and looked visibly relieved when the verdict was read, clasping her hands and making the sign of the cross.

Speaking to press outside the courthouse following the verdict, Cardi reiterated that she “did not touch that woman” and is “super, completely innocent” of Ellis’ claims. The rapper also had a warning for those who think litigation is an easy way to win settlement money from celebrities.

“This time around, I’m gonna be nice, but the next person that try to do a frivolous lawsuit against me — I’m going to countersue, and I’m gonna make you pay because this is not okay,” Cardi said. “I work hard for my money for my kids and for people I take care of, so don’t you ever think that you gonna sue me, and I’m just gonna settle and just give you my money. It’s not gonna happen.”

Meanwhile, Ellis’ lawyer said they intend to appeal the jury’s verdict. Ellis herself told the press that she does not believe the outcome “reflects the truth.”

“We know that the justice system is sometimes flawed, and unfortunately that was the case for me,” said Ellis. “I still stand firm on my position. I still stand firm on my attorney. I think we fought a good fight.”

The trial stemmed from Cardi’s visit to a gynecologist’s office in Beverly Hills back in 2018, when she was four months pregnant with her first child. Ellis said she crossed paths with Cardi outside an elevator and that the rapper cursed, spat and scratched at her cheek with a sharp, three-inch-long acrylic nail.

Ellis claimed this scratch was so bad that she needed plastic surgery to repair the scar and that she suffered immense emotional trauma from the incident. She wanted Cardi to repay $32,500 in medical bills, plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional damages for pain and suffering.

“You have the power to make this wrong right and close the chapter for Ms. Ellis so she can move on with her life,” Ellis’ attorney, Ron Rosen Janfaza, told jurors during his closing argument on Tuesday morning.

Cardi, meanwhile, said she never touched Ellis. During a viral two-day stint on the witness stand, the rapper testified that she and Ellis had a verbal-only altercation after she realized that the guard was recording her — a major concern, Cardi said, because she was still concealing her pregnancy from the public at the time.

The rapper said Ellis is the one who got aggressive during this encounter, backing her into a corner and refusing to leave her alone. Cardi also said her nails weren’t capable of cutting anyone, and the jury saw a photo of her at the NBA All-Star Game the week of this incident, sporting square nails that she described as less than an inch long.

“This is not a difficult case. It is not a close case,” Cardi’s attorney, Peter Anderson, said in his own closing argument on Tuesday. “Cardi did not do anything wrong except try to protect her baby and get to a doctor.”

This was not the rap superstar’s first time in a courtroom. She won a nearly $4 million defamation judgment against gossip blogger Tasha K in 2022 for spreading outlandish falsehoods about drug use, STDs and prostitution. She prevailed in another trial the same year, defeating claims that she harmed a California man by photoshopping his back tattoo onto her raunchy Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 1 cover.

Fugees rapper Pras Michel had emergency surgery for colon cancer removal on Thursday (Aug. 28), postponing a key court hearing following his conviction on illegal foreign lobbying and conspiracy charges.

Michel was originally due in court Friday (Aug. 29) for a hearing over how much money he must forfeit to the government over the 2023 convictions. But in a filing last month, his lawyers said he had “experienced a significant medical concern” that would prevent him from appearing.

In a statement to Billboard on Monday, Michel’s spokeswoman Erica Dumas revealed why: Doctors had discovered colon cancer in Michel during a routine checkup.

“Pras missed Friday’s sentencing hearing while undergoing emergency surgery for colon cancer removal,” Dumas said. “We stand with him and his family and wish him a full recovery as he addresses this serious health matter.”

The artist is “recovering right now until he is in the clear and focused on spending time with his family ahead of sentencing,” Dumas said, adding, “He still remains hopeful for his future.”

Comprised of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Michel, the Fugees rose to fame in the 1990s with hits like “Killing Me Softly,” “Ready or Not,” and “Fu-Gee-La.” After splitting up in 1998, the three each had successful solo careers and mostly stayed separate until recent years, when they have attempted multiple reunion tours.

In 2019, Michel was hit with sweeping federal criminal charges over accusations that he funneled money from now-fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low, the mastermind of the 1MDB embezzlement scandal, to Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign. Michel was also accused of trying to squelch a Justice Department investigation into the scheme, and of trying influence an extradition case on behalf of China under the Trump administration.

In April 2023, following a trial that included testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Michel was convicted on 10 counts including conspiracy, witness tampering and failing to register as an agent of China.

Prosecutors are seeking a decades-long prison sentence, arguing starkly that Michel “betrayed his country for money.” His lawyers have asked for a far lighter sentence of 36 months, which they say would be a “just sentence in this case.” A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

The hearing initially scheduled for Friday was to decide forfeiture — the process of turning over ill-gotten gains after a criminal convictions. The federal government is seeking a whopping $64,923,226 from Pras; his lawyers have called that sum “grossly disproportionate to the offenses of conviction.”

Federal prosecutors consented to the postponement of Friday’s hearing over Michel’s health issues. A new date is scheduled for Oct. 3.

Sabrina Carpenter is rewriting the chilling ending to her Rocky Horror-inspired “Tears” music video.

On Friday (Aug. 29), the 26-year-old pop star released the original version of her haunting “Tears” video, coinciding with the drop of her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend.

The nearly five-minute clip follows Carpenter as she recovers from a car accident that appears to have killed her traveling companion. Alone and disoriented, she stumbles upon a creepy, isolated house. Inside, she discovers a world of sex and hedonism, evoking the cult classic horror musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The video culminates with Carpenter ending the life of her presumed-dead lover.

“Wait, no, you died earlier, I thought? It’s a thing, someone has to die every video,” she says, as she throws a stiletto into his chest. “I’m sorry. We’ll always remember you, though.”

On Monday (Sept. 1), Carpenter teased “a new ending” to the “Tears” video on her Instagram Story, sharing a link to the clip on YouTube. In this alternate conclusion, her traveling partner meets yet another grisly fate.

After Carpenter is ejected from the eerie house, she looks up to see the man emerging from the woods. “Babe, I’m so glad you’re okay,” he says, limping and coughing. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Suddenly, lightning strikes as he jitters with sparks and nervous laughter. Carpenter warns him to move aside as a cracking sound approaches. Before he can react, a tree crashes down on him. “I told him to move over,” she says, standing and grabbing her hat.

The video also features Academy Award-nominated actor Coleman Domingo in drag and accompanies Man’s Best Friend, Carpenter’s Jack Antonoff-produced follow-up to 2024’s Short n’ Sweet, which spent four weeks atop the Billboard 200.

Watch Sabrina Carpenter’s “Tears” video — now with a brand-new ending — above.