UPDATE (July 16): Diplo has been added to the lineup for the iHeartRadio Music Festival Lineup in Las Vegas on Sept. 19 and 20, ensuring that dance music will be well-represented at the annual all-genre event. Justice, the French electronic duo which won a Grammy earlier this year for “Neverender,” its hit collab with Tame Impala, was already on the bill.

PREVIOUSLY (June 3): Jelly Roll, Tate McRae, Mariah Carey, Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran are among the artists set to perform at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Festival. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the event will be held on Sept. 19 and Sept. 20 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The lineup will also include performances by Bryan Adams, Feid, GloRilla, John Fogerty, Justice, Lil Wayne, LL COOL J, Sammy Hagar, The Offspring and Tim McGraw, with more to be announced.

On each of those two nights, the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Festival presented by Capital One will broadcast live via iHeartMedia radio stations throughout the country across more than 150 markets. Hulu will be the official streaming destination of the festival, with performances livestreamed each night exclusively to all Hulu subscribers. Additional information about the livestream will be posted across Hulu’s platform and social media channels.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on AXS.com beginning Friday, June 13, at 2 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. PT.

Eligible Capital One cardholders will have priority access to presale tickets for the iHeartRadio Music Festival beginning Wednesday, June 11, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET through Friday, June 13, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET or while presale tickets last. Cardholders will also be able to add a Capital One Access Pass to their purchase to enjoy an exclusive pre-show party with LL COOL J on Friday or Jelly Roll on Saturday, which includes food, drinks and a private performance. Pre-sale info and tickets will be available at iHeartRadio.com/CapitalOne.

In addition, throughout a summerlong on-air and online promotion, iHeartMedia station listeners across the country will have chances to win exclusive trips to Las Vegas.

The iHeartRadio Music Festival will be executive-produced by John Sykes, Tom Poleman and Bart Peters from iHeartMedia and Diversified Production Services (DPS). iHeartMedia will also executive-produce the livestream and VOD special on Hulu.

For more details about the iHeartRadio Music Festival, visit iHeartRadio.com/festival. iHeart notes that artists and/or the event are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

The European Commission will begin a formal antitrust investigation into Universal Music Group’s planned acquisition of Downtown Music later this month, according to a Reuters report.

The European Union’s competition regulator is expected to begin the four-month probe of UMG’s Virgin Music Group’s $775 million bid for Downtown after its standard preliminary review of the deal wraps up on July 22, says Reuters, citing three anonymous sources.

The deal, which UMG has said could close later this year, has triggered waves of backlash from independent music trade organizations and companies who object to the world’s largest music company being allowed to acquire one of the few remaining standalone services powering distribution for independents.

A spokesperson for the European Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A UMG rep declined to comment because it is awaiting the European Commission’s decision. The company went on to say, “We do, however, remain confident that the combination of Virgin and Downtown will create an improved offering in the growing and highly competitive label services category that today consists of roughly 100 companies, one that will provide a wide range of services to help independent artists, labels and entrepreneurs achieve their commercial and creative goals. “

Founded in 2007 in New York, Downtown Music Holdings is the parent company of the direct-to-creator distributor CD Baby, and the direct-to-business technology and distribution platform FUGA, as well as SongTrust and several other companies.

Independent music organizations IMPALA, Beggars Group, A2IM and Secretly Group and others have called for regulators to block the deal, objecting to it on anticompetitive grounds. Some have voiced concerns that UMG could gain access to data from the indies that use FUGA as their pipeline to the broader marketplace.

Virgin’s co-CEOs Nat Pastor and JT Meyers pushed back against those claims in a note sent to staff in early July, saying the Downtown deal would strengthen Virgin’s foundation and add to the flexibility it can offer clients of its indie services.

UMG most recent acquisition of an independent music company came last fall when it expanded its ownership stake in [PIAS], an indie label group that includes Play It Again Sam, harmonia mundi and Spinefarm. At the time, a UMG executive said the deal “enhances our ability to support the independent artist and label community globally.”

Billboard revealed the lineup for its Hip-Hop/R&B LIVE concert — the centerpiece of Hip-Hop & R&B Week — on Wednesday (July 16), which will be headlined by fast-rising R&B star Leon Thomas.

The free show, which is sponsored by State Farm, will also see performances from some of the brightest the genres have to offer, as GELO, Odeal and Ravyn Lenae are set to hit the Webster Hall stage in New York City on Sept. 5.

“Billboard has always been at the forefront of recognizing and promoting emerging talent,” said Mike Van, CEO of Billboard. “This concert is a testament to the vibrant future of hip-hop and R&B and our commitment to celebrating artists who are shaping the music landscape.”

Fans looking to attend the show should RSVP at the Billboard Hip-Hop LIVE website. Other activations at the event will include a State Farm-sponsored printing station for custom T-shirts and a L’Oreal – Ralph’s Club photo booth.

Leon Thomas has put together a banner campaign in the last year as his hit “MUTT” continues to climb the Billboard charts, where the D. Phelps and Freaky Rob-produced track peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Thomas and Odeal connected for the guitar-tinged “Miami” earlier on July 9, marking the talented artists’ first collaboration.

GELO picked up his basketball and burst onto the hip-hop scene in January with the release of his viral “Tweaker,” which reached No. 29 on the Hot 100. The hooper-turned-rapper is gearing up for the arrival of his anticipated League of My Own debut album on Friday (July 18).

Ravyn Lenae has been a breath of fresh air in R&B. The Chicago native’s 2024 “Love Me Not” served as Lenae’s breakout anthem as the soulful track rumbled to No. 12 on the Hot 100.

Stay tuned for more events to be announced for Billboard‘s Hip-Hop & R&B Week.

In the first half of 2025 in the United States, Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem was the most popular album, while Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” was the most-streamed song (by on-demand audio streams), respectively, according to data tracking firm Luminate.

Read more about midyear metrics in the 2025 Luminate Midyear Music Report.

No ‘Problem’: For the tracking period of Jan. 3 through July 3, 2025, Wallen’s I’m the Problem was the most popular album in the U.S. The set was released on May 16 and earned 2.562 million equivalent album units in the first half of the year. (See full top 10 chart, below). I’m the Problem debuted at No. 1 on the weekly Billboard 200 chart dated May 31 and spent its first eight weeks atop the list (through the most recently published chart, dated July 19). It marked his third leader on the chart, following 2023’s One Thing at a Time and 2021’s Dangerous: The Double Album. The two projects also finished as Luminate’s most popular album of 2023 and 2021, respectively.

The most-streamed song by on-demand audio streams (inclusive of user-generated content [UGC] streams) was Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther,” with 530.4 million clicks in the first six months of the year.

Equivalent album units – for album titles and chart rankings cited below (but not industry volume numbers) – comprise traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sales, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album, or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official and audio streams generated by songs from an album.

Equivalent album units cited for album titles in this story, and in the “Midyear Top 10 Albums in U.S.” chart do not include user-generated content (UGC) streams. UGC streams are included in Luminate’s industry volume numbers and its midyear song streaming rankings. (UGC streams are not factored into any of Billboard’s weekly charts.)

For the sake of clarity, equivalent album units do not include listening to music on broadcast radio or digital radio broadcasts. All numbers cited in this story are rounded, and for the U.S. only. Programmed streams are not included in any of the data in this story.

Luminate (formerly MRC Data, Nielsen Music and SoundScan) began tracking music consumption in 1991. Luminate’s sales, streaming and airplay data is used to compile Billboard’s weekly charts.

Of I’m the Problem’s 2.562 million equivalent album units earned at midyear, SEA units comprise 2.326 million (equaling 3.06 billion on-demand official audio and video streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 211,000 and TEA units comprise 25,000.

The top five most popular albums at the midyear point in the U.S. are I’m the Problem, SZA’s Dec. 2022 release SOS (1.711 million; bolstered by its December 2024 deluxe reissue dubbed SOS Deluxe: LANA), Lamar’s 2024 release GNX (1.706 million), Bad Bunny’s 2025 release DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (1.65 million) and Sabrina Carpenter’s 2024 album Short n’ Sweet (1.331 million). Short n’ Sweet and SOS were the Nos. 3 and 4 most popular albums of the year in Luminate’s 2024 year-end report.

2025’s Midyear Top 10 Albums in U.S. (by Equivalent Album Units)
1. Morgan Wallen, I’m the Problem (2.562 million)
2. SZA, SOS (1.711 million)
3. Kendrick Lamar, GNX (1.706 million)
4. Bad Bunny, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (1.650 million)5. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet (1.331 million)6.The Weeknd, Hurry Up Tomorrow (1.229 million)
7. PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U (1.229 million)
8. Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time (1.099 million)
9. Lady Gaga, MAYHEM (966,000)
10. Playboi Carti, MUSIC (949,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Jan. 3 through July 3, 2025. UGC (user-generated content) streams are not included in this chart, but are included in Luminate’s on-demand streaming charts (below). Luminate’s equivalent album unit totals include SEA and TEA for an album’s songs registered before an album’s release, but only during the tracking period.

2025’s Midyear Top 10 Selling Albums in U.S. (Physical & Digital Album Sales Combined)
1. The Weeknd, Hurry Up Tomorrow (495,000)
2. Kendrick Lamar, GNX (326,000)
3. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet (275,000)
4. Lady Gaga, MAYHEM (238,000)
5. Morgan Wallen, I’m the Problem (211,000)
6. Taylor Swift, Lover: Live From Paris (206,000)
7. Chappell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (180,000)
8. Stray Kids, HOP (149,000)
9. ENHYPEN, DESIRE : UNLEASH (145,000)
10. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande & Various Artists, Wicked: The Soundtrack (134,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Jan. 3 through July 3, 2025.

2025’s Midyear Top 10 Selling Vinyl Albums in U.S.
1. Kendrick Lamar, GNX (226,000)
2. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet (169,000)
3. Taylor Swift, Lover: Live From Paris (164,000)
4. The Weeknd, Hurry Up Tomorrow (144,000)
5. Lady Gaga, MAYHEM (122,000)
6. Chappell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (105,000)
7. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft (92,000)
8. Tyler, The Creator, IGOR (91,000)
9. Fleetwood Mac, Rumours (83,000)
10. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande & Various Artists, Wicked: The Soundtrack (76,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Jan. 3 through July 3, 2025.

Total U.S. Album Consumption Increases 3.9% at Midyear: Year-to-date, total equivalent album units increased by 3.9% (to 558.9 million) as compared to the same time frame in 2024 (537.9 million in the span of Dec. 29, 2023, through June 27, 2024).

Total U.S. album sales — traditional purchases of physical and digital download albums — declined by 6% to 41 million (down from 43.6 million in the first half of 2024). U.S. physical album sales (vinyl, CD, cassette, etc.) dipped by 3.2% to 34.2 million (down from 35.3 million) and U.S. digital album purchases (like those from the iTunes Store and similar download stores) fell 17.7% to 6.8 million (down from 8.3 million).

Notably, Luminate highlights that if one excluded Taylor Swift albums from the year-over-year comparisons, then both total U.S. album sales, and U.S. physical album sales, would have increased year-over-year. (Swift loomed very large in the first half of 2024 with her monster album The Tortured Poets Department, while her overall album catalog posted big sales figures around her then-ongoing The Eras Tour). If one removed Swift’s albums from the math, U.S. album sales would have increased by 1.9% in the first half of 2025 (to 40.2 million), while U.S. physical album sales would have rose by 5.5% (to 31.7 million).

Luminate also notes a trend break in its midyear report regarding independent retail physical sales: The 2025 Midyear Music Report “includes U.S. physical sales for independent retailers using modeled data. Luminate updated its reporting methodology for independent retail sales in 2024. In this report, modeled data from Luminate’s next-generation CONNECT platform replaces unmodeled data found in Music Connect for (the first half of) 2024.”

U.S. On-Demand Audio Streaming Up 4.6%, ‘Luther’ Most-Streamed Song: Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” was the most-streamed song by on-demand audio streams in the first half of 2025 in the U.S. (see list, below), with 530.4 million streams.

Total on-demand audio streams at midyear increased by 4.6% in the U.S. as compared to the same point a year ago (696.6 billion versus 665.8 billion).

UGC streams are included in Luminate’s industry streaming on-demand volume numbers (above) and its midyear streaming song charts (below). UGC streams are not factored into any of Billboard’s weekly charts.

In general, all songs in the below charts combine the assorted remixes of a song into one overall total.

2025’s Midyear Top 10 Most Streamed Songs in U.S. (On-Demand Audio)
1. Kendrick Lamar & SZA, “Luther” (530.4 million)
2. Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile” (421.4 million)
3. Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay, “TV Off” (370.4 million)
4. Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us” (368.0 million)
5. Drake, “NOKIA” (326.3 million)
6. Morgan Wallen, “I’m the Problem” (326.3 million)
7. Teddy Swims, “Lose Control” (320.9 million)
8. Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (319.6 million)
9. Alex Warren, “Ordinary” (319.3 million)
10. Billie Eilish, “Birds of a Feather” (319.1 million)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Jan. 3 through July 3, 2025. Includes UGC streams.

‘Smile’ Sizzles at Radio: The most-heard song on U.S. radio in the first half of 2024 was Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile,” with a cumulative 1.762 million audience impressions across all formats monitored. The track led Billboard’s weekly Radio Songs airplay chart for eight weeks between February and April.

2024’s Midyear Top 10 Radio Songs in U.S. (Based on Audience Impressions)
1. Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile” (1.762 billion)
2. Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (1.655 billion)
3. Kendrick Lamar & SZA, “Luther” (1.592 billion)
4. Myles Smith, “Stargazing” (1.391 billion)
5. Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso” (1.372 billion)
6. Billie Eilish, “Birds of a Feather” (1.273 billion)
7. Teddy Swims, “Lose Control” (1.170 billion)
8. Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things” (1.164 billion)
9. Morgan Wallen, “Love Somebody” (1.112 billion)
10. ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, “APT.” (1.110 billion)
Source: Mediabase; Luminate Metro Radio Streaming, for the tracking period Jan. 3 through July 3, 2025.

Univision has revealed the date and location for the 2025 Premios Juventud, Billboard can exclusively announce Wednesday (July 16). 

For its 22nd edition, the ceremony will take place in Panama City, Panama, for the first time, and will air live on Sept. 25, coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month. Nominations for the fan-voted awards will officially be announced on Aug. 19. 

“Our alliance with the Republic of Panama reaffirms our commitment to honoring the strengths of Latin American countries, which form the foundation of our community, values and traditions. Panama’s strategic location, vibrant culture and rich ethnic diversity stand out as key hub for investment, tourism and international business,” Ignacio Meyer, president of Univision Networks Group at TelevisaUnivision, said in a press statement. “We are excited to host Premios Juventud in Panama this September, as part of our Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, showcasing everything the country has to offer to the world.”

Known for recognizing young artists and creators for their contributions in society and music, this year’s event will also honor Panamanian music icons who continue inspiring audiences today, as noted by Meyer. 

“This celebration in Panama is a clear sign of trust in our country as a creative, vibrant epicenter full of possibilities,” added Maruja Herrera, minister of culture of the Republic of Panama. “This international recognition highlights the strength of our identity, the richness of our artistic expressions and the dynamism of a new generation that builds with courage, imagination and commitment. Panamanian and Latin American youth will find here a space to shine, to share their voices and to strengthen the connection between cultures, musical genres and unifying causes.” 

For minister of tourism Gloria de León, Premios Juventud taking over the Central American country is an “invaluable boost for tourism.”

“From the Tourism Authority, we celebrate this great opportunity because it means global exposure for our landscapes, culture, gastronomy and hospitality,” she expressed. “Every image that comes from Panama in this broadcast will be an open invitation to the world to come and discover us. I am deeply moved to see our country shine before so many eyes. This platform not only gives us visibility but also energizes our tourism economy and solidifies Panama as the ideal venue for major international events.” 

Additionally, this year’s vibrant Premios Juventud logo — created by Panamanian artist Eduardo Bragin — is inspired by Mola, which, according to the statement, is “a traditional hand-crafted textile art from Panama that is an essential part of the clothing worn by the indigenous Guna women.”