Offset returned with his second single of 2025 as he reunited with JID for the menacing “Bodies,” which debuted on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 at No. 72.

The Atlanta rapper celebrated his first Hot 100 entry as a lead artist since 2023 with a post to X on Tuesday (July 1). “Let’s Go!!!” he wrote. “Bodies” compiled 6.6 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate, in the week ending June 26.

Fans appear to be vibing with Set and JID’s latest release while chiming in on social media and reacting to the chart accolade. “Should’ve been top 30 at least,” one person said.

“‘Bodies’ is one of them ones I had to really take my time with,” Offset said in a press release. “It’s about standing on who you are, coming out the mud, and being confident in the face of adversity. I’m always evolving, and I don’t fit in a box as an artist.”

The Drowning Pool sample should sound familiar to longtime wrestling fans, as the band’s “Bodies” was the ECW theme song in the mid-2000s and served as the official track of 2001’s Summerslam.

It’s not the first time Offset and JID have joined forces for a Hot 100 hit. The duo previously teamed up for “Danger (Spiders),” which reached No. 95 on the chart in June 2023.

Offset is currently in album mode and he posted to Instagram in May that his project has been turned in to the label. Set will have plenty to get off his chest as the LP will mark his first since splitting from Cardi B (Cardi filed for divorce from Offset for the second time in August 2024).

There’s still no release date for the project, but Offset might have his eyes on getting a feature from Sabrina Carpenter after he revealed the pop star is his new celebrity crush.

Set’s been busy on stage as he performed at Milwaukee’s Summerfest Bash on June 27, and the Migos rapper stole the show when he brought a handicapped fan on stage with him for an unforgettable rendition of “Walk It Talk It.”

Benson Boone has backflipped his way into any number of American hearts over the last couple years, as his star has continued to rise through the release of 2024 smash hit “Beautiful Things,” its parent album Fireworks & Rollerblades, and any number of subsequent high-profile award show and festival performances.

This week, that ascent continues with the chart bow of his sophomore LP — appropriately titled American Heart — at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, with its two first singles (“Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” and “Mystical Magical”) also ranking within the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100. But the critics have not been as receptive as general audiences, having largely derided and dismissed American Heart upon its arrival.

Is the album’s debut performance better or worse than we might have expected? And is the criticism fair? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.

1. Benson Boone’s American Heart debuts at No. 2 with 61,000 equivalent album units moved. Is that higher, lower, or about what you would have expected?

Stephen Daw: The album’s placement on the chart feels right about on track for where I expected it to land, even if the number itself feels a little bit lower than I thought it could be. I figured American Heart could easily get close to six figures after Benson became a household name in the year since Fireworks & Rollerblades. But, the fact that this album earned a few thousand more units than his last in its first week despite not having a chart behemoth like “Beautiful Things” to bolster its numbers should be an encouraging sign for Mr. Boone. 

Kyle Denis: After the year that Benson has had, this figure is a bit lower than I anticipated. His last album, 2024’s Fireworks & Rollerblades debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 with 58,000 equivalent album units — and that was with “Beautiful Things” still in the middle of its run in the Hot 100’s top 10.

Lyndsey Havens: Higher! A No. 2 debut for an artist who is still relatively new to the charts is great, especially when the only one blocking Boone is Morgan Wallen. Considering Boone’s 2024 debut album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 6, I expected his second set to enter somewhere in the top 10 but wasn’t even sure a top 5 slot was guaranteed. But timing — and his faithful fanbase — were on his side.

Jason Lipshutz: Higher! “Beautiful Things” is still a gargantuan hit, but none of its follow-ups have approached its level of ubiquity, and Benson Boone’s appeal could have been limited to that one smash single — which isn’t included on this new album. Instead, American Heart was released following some splashy primetime performances and festival sets, and right as recent singles like “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” and “Mystical Magical” have continued to rise on the Hot 100. Neither of those songs will likely grow to the size of “Beautiful Things,” but the chart debut of American Heart demonstrates that listeners are interested in Boone beyond his breakthrough single, and that he has successfully transcended one-hit-wonder status.  

Andrew Unterberger: No. 2 feels about right, but I might’ve expected that first-week to be a little higher. Still, he deserves some credit for keeping American Heart to a tight 10 tracks when many artists would’ve stuffed it twice as full and gotten a few extra thousand first-week units out of the additional streams.

2. Both advance singles “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” (No. 19) and “Mystical Magical” (No. 21) jump into the Hot 100’s top 25 this week. Do either of the singles have a good chance of making it to the top 10 sometime in the near future, do you think? Which one?

Stephen Daw: Just looking at the way the upper half of the Hot 100 has remained so static over last few months, I’d say the odds of either of these songs breaking into the top 10 are slim to none. It makes sense that they’d both receive boosts on the week of the album’s release, but I don’t see that trajectory continuing in the weeks to come unless either of these tracks gets some gigantic boost at radio that I don’t know about.  

Kyle Denis: I think “Mystical Magical” is probably the one that gets there. While “Sorry” is my personal favorite of the two, “Mystical” has a bit more personality, the “Physical” interpolation is essentially an ear candy cheat code and it’s the soundtrack to a major brand collaboration and TikTok trend. 

Lyndsey Havens: Oh man, “Mystical Magical” feels like the kind of song that was injected with something to make it as catchy as it is. It suits Boone’s falsetto so well and has had me coming back more often than “Sorry,” even though I think “Sorry” might be the better pick here. 

Jason Lipshutz: “Mystical Magical” sounds like the natural evolution of Benson Boone’s aesthetic, trading in the grandiosity of “Beautiful Things” for some theatrical, summer-friendly pop rock. The song struts in a way that makes sense for Boone’s over-the-top charm, and already sounds like it will be a longtime live staple, with thousands of voices trying to hit that chorus falsetto. The top of the Hot 100 is pretty static these days (thanks, in part, to “Beautiful Things”!), but I wouldn’t be surprised if “Mystical Magical” pushes into the top 10 before the weather starts cooling down.

Andrew Unterberger: Honestly, with the numerous shifts in dynamic, tone and tempo in “Sorry,” I’m kinda shocked it even climbed into the top 20 to begin with. “Mystical Magical” feels like the much more natural radio and streaming hit — and for my money, his best pop song yet — so it mostly comes down to whether it gets an airplay embrace near what “Beautiful Things” has. It looks like it’s starting to catch on top 40, so my guess is it does ultimately scrape the Hot 100’s top 10.

3. Meanwhile, “Beautiful Things” remains the highest-charting song of Boone’s on this week’s Hot 100, though it slides out of the top 10 (to No. 12) in its 74th week on the chart. Why do you think the song has proven such an undying smash for him?

Stephen Daw: Say what you will about this song (and I have said a lot about this song), but it’s an earworm. Even if you’re not particularly fond of the way Benson wails the words “PLEEEEASE …. STAAAAAYY,” it is effectively designed to create an emotional, cathartic release that manages to plant itself in your mind and stay there. For all the people online who love to dunk on this song, the more they talk about it, the more it embeds itself into everyone else’s brains. 

Kyle Denis: “Beautiful Things” is one of those songs that can exist anywhere and be loved by virtually everyone. Instrumentally and vocally, everyone from rock fans to HAC fans can enjoy it; he’s an attractive Gen Z artist, so he gets instant access to that crowd (and some of their thirsty parents); lyrically, the song is quite CCM-coded which allows those who may stray away from secular music to embrace it, and it’s a got a big, belt-y, sing-along chorus that makes it a natural sibling to other recent hits like Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” and Hozier’s “Too Sweet.”

Lyndsey Havens: “Beautiful Things” has the mixings of many top charting hits, beginning as an acoustic, forlorn song before swelling into a pop-rock banger just over a minute in. Both sides of the track show off Boone’s range, while as a whole it satisfies a fanbase that spans genres.  Plus, I mean, that chorus is just undeniable. Who hasn’t bellowed it out once or twice… or more?

Jason Lipshutz: Part of it is circumstantial — “Beautiful Things” is one of a handful of 2024 hits that have been deathless on the Hot 100, joining smashes like “Lose Control,” “Espresso” and “Die With a Smile” — but Boone’s breakout hit has joined that stable of long-running hits by functioning slightly differently from them. “Beautiful Things” doesn’t go down easy, or scan as conventional; instead, the quiet-loud dissonance of the song strikes a nerve with the listener, and essentially divides the song into two halves. The fact that both portions of “Beautiful Things” have proven so durable to pop listeners makes Boone’s achievement even more remarkable. 

Andrew Unterberger: It’s just an undying kind of song, really. It’s got universal lyrics and an anthemic presentation and it hits places and themes that other pop songs don’t hit. There’s 2025-specific reasons why the song has had the commercial longevity that it has, sure, but the reasons why it’ll hold a permanent place in pop culture memory (regardless of how long it takes to fall off the Hot 100) are pretty eternal.

4. While the commercial success for Benson Boone has been relatively consistent, his critical response has been largely negative. Are the bad reviews largely fair (or at least understandable), or do you think they’re missing something fundamental about his appeal?

Stephen Daw: I think two things can be true at once. First, not all of the criticism is valid or made in good-faith (this man should be allowed do his little backflips in peace). But second, I think the general critical distaste for his contrived songwriting and his exceedingly generic pop-rock sound is more than fair. Yes, some of the hate he’s getting online is simply because he got too big too fast and people want to be contrarians, but some it is coming because Benson’s music doesn’t meet (or frankly, come close) to the high bar that has been set by other pop phenoms over the last few years.

Kyle Denis: They’re pretty understandable…. American Heart feels particularly drab, thematically empty and rushed. Very rushed. The album honestly sounds like Benson is still figuring out the kinks of his own appeal, so I can’t fault critics for picking up on that and calling it out. 

Lyndsey Havens: Look, I think many have a hard time looking past the glitzy jumpsuits and never-ending backflips. And while the gimmicks have been successful tools in generating buzz — both good and certainly bad — I would hope that in this phase and beyond Boone can establish himself without them. Having seen him perform at his label’s office years back in street clothes (the kind you might see a young man wearing in Brooklyn or Silverlake), it was a set I never forgot. And seeing him at Coachella I was reminded just how incredible of a vocalist he really is. I think if he can strip it all down to just that, he might win over some of his harshest critics. 

Jason Lipshutz: Generally speaking, the reviews for American Heart have nodded to Boone’s talent as a backflip-friendly performer and beguiling pop personality, while also focusing on his lack of song craft to this point. I think that’s mostly fair — American Heart successfully extends the Boone brand, but doesn’t contain any top-level songwriting or mine unexpected thematic territory. That’s okay! Benson just turned 23 years old, and already has plenty of mainstream buy-in. If the reviews were too negative this time, he’ll have plenty of time and opportunities to make future projects even more rewarding.

Andrew Unterberger: I think parts of it are understandable — the album’s not a masterpiece, and some lyrics lean a little too far into goofiness with others go a little too hard with the melodrama. Generally, there’s an extra-ness to it that often proves critical anathema. But I could say the same thing about countless pop-rock albums from the last two decades — from The Killers to Panic! at the Disco to even Harry Styles — which are similarly flawed, but also have similar moments of genuine inspiration and feeling and fun. The reason only the former quality seems to get acknowledged with American Heart is because Benson Boone is an easy target, and a safe one.

5. Boone has now peaked at No. 2 on both the Billboard 200 and the Hot 100. If he was deadset on grabbing a No. 1 next time out with either his third album or its lead single, what would you advise him to do?

Stephen Daw: I think his best shot for No. 1 at this point is to do a high-profile collab that strays just enough from the folk-pop screeching of “Beautiful Things.” If he were to do a collaboration with someone like Sabrina Carpenter on a tongue-in-cheek capital-P pop single, he could easily snatch his first No. 1 hit. 

Kyle Denis: In terms of albums… maybe wait a little longer into the run of a Morgan Wallen album before gunning for the top of the Billboard 200. For his next lead single, I’d also advise better timing, but, more specifically, give the songs time to breathe. Benson’s songs normally take some time to grow into hits, so maybe just focus on pushing one advance single and use the album release week to lift it to No. 1on the Hot 100.

Lyndsey Havens: Go… smaller. Everything the team is doing is certainly working, and a No. 1 on either chart does seem within reach, but I think having gone so big thus far, dialing it back at some point could be the key ingredient to hitting those top spots. As counterintuitive as that may seem. 

Jason Lipshutz: I’d stay as active as possible, with more tour dates, new music, new videos and different versions of his overall product. Boone has moved beyond “Beautiful Things” by presenting his live show to a much wider audience and cranking out new albums in back-to-back years; he’s been tireless over the past 18 months, but that hardworking attitude has helped make him a star. He just has to keep taking swings of the bat, and the more of himself he puts out there, the more likely he will be a chart-topper in the near future.

Andrew Unterberger: Benson might just need longer tracklists for a No. 1 album, but I don’t want to encourage him to just double down on the kind of songs he’s already doing and pump out lesser versions of them for volume’s sake. So how about this: Benson Boone Rock Opera. It’s the logical extension for all of his musical and theatrical ambitions, and it’ll help him expand the tracklist with all the necessary interludes and half-songs that you need to flesh out such a conceptual project. Plus maybe it’ll get the critics to take him more seriously? OK maybe not. But still.

Warner Music Group plans to cut annual costs by $300 million through a combination of layoffs and chopping expenses related to administration and real estate, according to a memo from CEO Robert Kyncl to staff on Tuesday (July 1).

“Many changes will be implemented in the next three months, with the remainder in fiscal 2026,” Kyncl wrote. Staff cuts will account for $170 million of the planned reductions.

In the memo obtained by Billboard, Kyncl called this “the remaining steps in our plan to help future-proof the company and unlock the next era of growth,” indicating that this would be the end of a series of rounds of layoffs the company has implemented in the past few years.

“I know that this news is tough and unsettling, and you will have many questions,” he added.

Kyncl indicated that the money freed up through these cuts will be reinvested in A&R — “a more holistic and targeted approach to partnering with the world’s greatest musical talent” — and M&A. To that latter point, earlier today, WMG announced it was launching a $1.2 billion catalog acquisition venture with Bain Capital. 

WMG has undergone multiple waves of layoffs since Kyncl took the helm at the start of 2023. The company announced a 4% staff cut that March, and a 10% cut the following year. Atlantic Records was then hit with significant layoffs in September.

While the company’s current market share initially dipped — falling from 17.26% halfway through 2023 to 15.68% halfway through 2024 — it has since started to rebound, climbing to 16.38% through June 26 of this year. WMG’s overall market share is up as well, from 18.22% midway through 2024 to 18.71% so far in 2025. 

That has been reflected on the Billboard charts as well. Atlantic signee Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” has spent four of the past five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while earlier this year Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile” spent five non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 (co-released by Atlantic and Universal-owned Interscope).

In his memo, Kyncl said these gains are evidence that the company’s strategy of becoming “more effective and more efficient” is “gaining momentum.”

“Our artists have held half of the Top Ten on the Spotify Global chart for the past 10 weeks and nailed the No. 1 spot for all but four weeks of 2025,” he wrote. He also called out “new highs” on the publishing side of WMG’s business.

Read Kyncl’s full memo below.

Hi everyone, 

Two years ago, we began to transform our company; not just to tinker around the edges of an old model, but to build a fast, innovative, and collaborative organization that reflects how music moves in the new world. 

Today, our strategy is gaining momentum. Our artists have held half of the Top Ten on the Spotify Global chart for the past ten weeks and nailed the No. 1 spot for all but four weeks of 2025. These aren’t just the biggest hits in the world today; they’re our evergreen catalog of the future. At the same time, we’re starting to see better progress in our global recorded music market share, while hitting new highs in music publishing. These wins are powered by our ability to become simultaneously more effective and more efficient… allowing us to invest in great talent, boost our star-making expertise, and deepen our world-building capabilities. 

Building on this success requires us to keep evolving. Today we’re announcing the remaining steps in our plan to help future-proof the company and unlock the next era of growth. Specifically, we’ll be reducing our annual costs by ~$300 million as we reinvest in the business: ~$170 million through headcount rightsizing for agility and impact, and ~$130 million in administrative and real estate expenses. Many changes will be implemented in the next three months, with the remainder in fiscal 2026.

I know that this news is tough and unsettling, and you will have many questions. The Executive Leadership Team has spent a lot of time thinking about our future state and how to put us on the best path forward. You’ll be hearing from your local leaders as soon as possible about your area of the company and your role within it. We’re communicating this now so, as we move through the process, we can be as thoughtful and open as possible with all of you. These decisions are not being made lightly, it will be difficult to say goodbye to talented people, and we’re committed to acting with empathy and integrity.

As we evolve, we’ll be focused on these core drivers of our success:

We’re putting more money behind the music… via a new growth plan.

A&R: Working with the ELT, we’ve sharpened our investment criteria… a more holistic and targeted approach to partnering with the world’s greatest musical talent, across (i) the most culturally potent and highest potential repertoire centers, (ii) globally managed off-roster catalog, and (iii) music publishing. 

M&A: We also have an ambitious M&A pipeline, especially for timeless catalogs. Our acquisitions of Tempo and start-up RSDL are good signposts of how we intend on growing both our copyrights and our capabilities. And, as you’ve seen today, we’ve announced an exciting venture with Bain Capital that adds up to $1.2 billion to our catalog purchasing power across both recorded music and music publishing.

We’re becoming a stronger, leaner company… for greater cut-through. 

TEAM: Our faster, more agile teams of local experts will be backed by a strengthened suite of services across Marketing, Distribution, Catalog, and Merchandising & Direct-to-Fan. This aligns our collective efforts with our clearest priorities, making it easier for great artistry and ideas to shine through. Our recent changes at LATAM and Atlantic Records, following the long-term rejuvenation of Warner Chappell and Warner Records, prove that teams can get leaner, deliver massive No. 1s, and win market share… all at the same time.   

TECH: We’ll continue to prioritize better digital tools for artists, songwriters, and employees. For example, we’ll expand the rollout of the WMG Pulse app and add more features to give artists and songwriters insights, while landing the benefits of our financial transformation initiative as well as a vastly improved supply chain and data infrastructure. By simplifying how we work, our WMG One platform will enable deeper focus, stronger collaboration, and more powerful outcomes.

In an ever-changing industry, we must continue to supercharge our capabilities in long-term artist, songwriter, and catalog development. That’s why this company was created in the first place, it’s what we’ve always been best at, and it’s how we’ll differentiate ourselves in the future.

As we implement these changes, we promise to communicate with you regularly. Thank you for your patience and support for one another. We’ve got some remarkable music coming, and I know that whatever challenges we’re navigating, your commitment to our artists and songwriters is unwavering. 

Thank you,

Robert

A judge has struck down Jay-Z’s extortion and defamation lawsuit against Tony Buzbee, the personal injury attorney who filed shocking rape allegations against the rap icon, though the duo’s bitter legal battle is far from over.

The order from Monday (June 30) tosses the claims brought by Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) in Los Angeles court against Buzbee, who alleged in a now-dropped civil lawsuit that the rapper and Sean “Diddy” Combs raped an anonymous 13-year-old girl together at an after-party following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.

Jay-Z vehemently denied those allegations and sued Buzbee for extortion and defamation last fall. There has since been lengthy litigation over whether to strike Jay-Z’s lawsuit under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which allows for the quick dismissal of claims that threaten constitutionally protected speech.

Judge Mark H. Epstein repeatedly flip-flopped over what to do with Buzbee’s anti-SLAPP motion, saying in various tentative orders that he was inclined to keep the lawsuit at least partially alive. He has now changed his mind, and Monday’s final decision strikes the claims entirely.

The judge says Jay-Z’s extortion claims must fail because Buzbee was within his rights as a lawyer to demand a settlement payment from the rapper before suing him for rape last year.

“Selling silence for money in the civil context is not extortion; it is a settlement with a non-disclosure element,” writes Judge Epstein.  

Jay-Z’s defamation claims, which take issue with Buzbee’s statements to the press and social media activity, are a closer call. Judge Epstein has determined that these claims must be dismissed too because they don’t meet the so-called “actual malice” standard; that is, Jay-Z has not shown that Buzbee knowingly lied about the rape accusations.

Judge Epstein says the only evidence that Jay-Z submitted on this point is inadmissible: declarations from private investigators who claim they spoke to the anonymous rape accuser, known as Jane Doe; and that she said Jay-Z was not involved in her assault but that Buzbee pressured her to name the rapper.

Buzbee and Doe have both denied the truth of these statements, saying the victim was scared and intimidated by private investigators who showed up at her house. Regardless, Monday’s order deems this new evidence cannot be considered due to the legal hearsay rule.

However, Judge Epstein’s order effectively invites Jay-Z to appeal the admissibility decision by saying that if this evidence were admissible, the situation would “change dramatically.”

“Then there would be some evidence not only that Carter had nothing to do with any sexual assault on Doe, but that Buzbee knew it in the sense that (according to Doe) it was Buzbee that kept pressing to get Doe to implicate Carter,” writes Judge Epstein. “That pressure, coupled with the statement by Buzbee that he had investigated the claims, would be enough to support an inference of actual malice.”

Judge Epstein says himself that he’s not sure whether he reached the right conclusion, noting at the end of his 65-page order that it’s “painfully obvious that the court is struggling with this motion.” If Jay-Z’s efforts to appeal the admissibility decision were successful, he could get his defamation claims reinstated.

“The court is not wholly satisfied that this is the outcome that best serves the legislative and constitutional doctrines,” writes Judge Epstein. “It will be for the Court of Appeal to determine whether the court got it right or wrong, and whether the suit ought to go forward or ought to end. Stay tuned.”

In a statement shared with Billboard on Tuesday (July 1), Jay-Z’s attorney Alex Spiro says he will take Judge Epstein up on his suggestion for an appeal.

“We are surprised and disappointed by this ruling which turns on the misapplication of California law on the admissibility of the investigators’ statements,” says Spiro. “What does it say about our justice system if someone can knowingly bring about completely false claims of the most heinous nature imaginable against an innocent individual and get away with it on a technicality? We plan to appeal this case immediately.”

Buzbee, meanwhile, is celebrating Monday’s decision.

“The court rightly dismissed the case because it has no merit,” writes Buzbee in a Tuesday email to Billboard. “Buzbee wins again.”

In addition to the upcoming appeal of Monday’s ruling, Jay-Z is still pursuing a malicious prosecution lawsuit against both Buzbee and Doe in Alabama federal court. Buzbee also has his own ongoing litigation accusing Jay-Z’s company Roc Nation of encouraging and even bribing former clients to sue the lawyer for malpractice.

Katy Perry had an emotional moment on stage at her final Lifetimes Tour show in Australia, which comes just days after news broke that she and partner Orlando Bloom had split after nine years together.

In a clip captured from her Monday (June 30) performance at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, the singer holds up a hand heart before tearfully expressing her gratitude to fans. “Thank you for always being there for me, Australia,” she says into the microphone.

“It means the world,” Perry adds before launching into “Firework.”

The musician’s last show in Adelaide marks the end of a month-long run of shows in Australia, during which Perry also traveled through Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Days before the leg’s end, People reported Thursday (June 26) that she and Bloom had called it quits after nearly a decade together, a relationship that saw the couple getting engaged in 2019 and welcoming daughter Daisy in 2020.

Rumors that Perry and Bloom were headed for a split had circulated for weeks beforehand, but one moment at a Lifetimes show in late May seemed to indicate at the time that the two stars were still together. While joking with a fan in her Nevada crowd, the musician quipped, “If you keep DMing my man, I’m going to have you removed. Seriously, get your own life — I’m his wife.”

Soon, Perry will bring her Lifetimes trek closer to home with a North American leg starting July 10 in Denver. Following additional legs in Europe, Latin America and Asia, the trek will conclude Dec. 7 in the United Arab Emirates.