HYBE and JYP Entertainment were among the few music stocks to make gains this week as markets stumbled globally. HYBE, home to BTS and its members’ solo projects, rose 7.2% to 215,500 won ($146.19), its best closing price since Nov. 20, thanks to Friday’s news that BTS member J-Hope will soon release new music and commence a world tour starting in Seoul on Feb. 28. JYP Entertainment, which has had global success with Stray Kids and ITZY, rose 5.6% to 71,600 won ($48.57) after the company announced it will launch a new boy band, Kickflip, on Jan. 20.

The 20-company Billboard Global Music Index (BGMI) slipped 1.4% to 2,126.33, marketing the fourth time in five weeks the index has lost value. Only five of the 20 stocks finished the week in positive territory. Other than HYBE and JYP Entertainment, only CTS Eventim (up 3.4%), Believe (up 3.2%) and Universal Music Group (up 1.1%) posted gains. Three stocks (Cumulus Media, Deezer and Anghami) were unchanged while 12 stocks had losing weeks.

Music stocks were dragged down by numerous market forces this week. Stocks fell sharply on Friday (Jan. 10) following healthy employment numbers that investors likely interpreted to mean the U.S. Federal Reserve would not seek to lower interest rates at its meetings in January or March. Also, data from the University of Michigan released Friday showed consumers’ expectations for future inflation rose to 3.3% from 2.8%. In the United States, the Nasdaq composite fell 2.3% to 19,161.63 and the S&P 500 dropped 1.9% to 5,827.04. In the United Kingdom, the FTSE 100 rose 0.3% to 8,248.49. China’s Shanghai Composite Index dipped 1.3% to 3,168.52. South Korea was an outlier as the KOSPI composite index rose 3.0%. 

Warner Music Group (WMG) shares dropped 5.4% to $29.33 after three analysts lowered their price targets ahead of WMG’s quarterly earnings release on Feb. 6. Guggenheim lowered its WMG price target to $40 from $44 after taking into account an expected 1.5% foreign exchange impact on the latest quarter’s revenue and a 1.7% impact on revenue for the full fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2025. Guggenheim also dropped its recorded music licensing estimate while maintaining its recorded music subscription revenue growth forecast in the “high single-digit” range. Evercore lowered WMG shares to $35 from $36. UBS lowered WMG to $41 from $43 and maintained its “neutral” rating. 

Spotify, which announces fourth-quarter earnings on Feb. 4, fell 1.5% to $459.53. Goldman Sachs raised its Spotify price target this week to $550 from $490. Spotify shares have fallen in five of the last six weeks and are 9.3% below the all-time high of $506.47 set on Dec. 4. 

Music streaming company LiveOne had the index’s biggest decline, dropping 12.4% to $1.20. Radio broadcaster iHeartMedia fell 11.7% to $1.88. SiriusXM continued its losing streak, sinking 6.8% to $20.83. SiriusXM shares fell 58.3% in 2024 and have dropped 16.4% in the last three months. K-pop company SM Entertainment sank 5.1% to 68,900 won ($46.74).

Rosé and Bruno Mars’ are making chart history with their duet “APT.,” which continues its reign at No. 1 on the ARIA Singles Charts for its ninth non-consecutive week. The track now holds the title of the longest-running No. 1 duet since Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” dominated for 10 weeks back in 2020-21.

The milestone cements “APT.” as one of the most iconic duets of the decade, holding its own amidst fierce competition from Gracie Abrams’ emotional anthem “That’s So True” and Mariah Carey’s holiday staple “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” which had a brief resurgence during the festive season.

Sabrina Carpenter is also celebrating a landmark moment with her album Short n’ Sweet. The record has now notched nine non-consecutive weeks at the top of the ARIA Albums Chart, making it the longest-running No. 1 album by a female artist since Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) held the spot for 14 weeks in 2023-24. Excluding Taylor’s catalog, Carpenter’s achievement is unmatched by a solo female artist since Adele’s 21, which spent an incredible 32 weeks at No. 1 in 2010-11. The only longer recent run by a female artist was Lady Gaga’s A Star Is Born soundtrack, credited alongside Bradley Cooper, which logged 11 weeks at No. 1 in 2018-19. Carpenter’s success with Short n’ Sweet is a testament to her growing dominance in the global pop scene.

The ARIA Singles Chart is also spotlighting emerging talent this week. British DJ Chrystal has broken into the top 10 for the first time with her remix of “The Days (Notion Remix),” which leaps from No. 18 to No. 7. Meanwhile, SZA continues to thrive with “BMF,” a fresh track from the new Lana edition of her 2022 album SOS. The song rises from No. 27 to No. 17 as the SOS album itself holds strong at No. 2 on the Albums Chart.

Morgan Wallen makes waves on the Singles Chart with his newest release “Smile,” which debuts at No. 36. The track, his third single from his upcoming fourth album, marks Wallen’s seventh top 50 hit in Australia and adds to his growing country-pop repertoire, which includes chart-toppers like “Last Night” and “I Had Some Help” featuring Post Malone.

Over on the Albums Chart, Lil Baby’s Wham debuts at No. 42, becoming his third solo album to chart in Australia. Previous entries include My Turn (No. 20 in 2020) and It’s Only Me (No. 7 in 2022), along with his collaborative effort with Lil Durk, The Voice Of The Heroes (No. 20 in 2021).

The top albums of the week are led by Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet in first place, followed by SZA’s SOS, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft, the Wicked movie soundtrack featuring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department.

Veteran actor Rob Lowe has used a recent episode of his podcast to reflect on how he almost embarked upon a music career thanks to Toto.

Lowe made the claim during a discussion with journalist, author, and fellow podcaster Bill Simmons as part of the latest episode of SiriusXM’s Literally! With Rob Lowe. During their chat, the pair switched their focus onto the world of ’80s music and nascent documentary Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary, for which Simmons is an executive producer.

“That’s the other thing about yacht rock,” Simmons said during a focus on the somewhat negative attitudes to the genre in recent years. “These songs were some of – literally – the biggest songs of the year; songs that won Grammys.

“[The Doobie Brothers’] ‘Minute by Minute’ won a Grammy, Christopher Cross won, like, four Grammys. Toto crushed at the Grammys. Toto crushed at the Grammys to the point that people got pissed about it. Like, there was a Grammys backlash. They were like, ‘Who the fuck are these guys?’”

Lowe countered Simmons’ claims about Toto’s success at the 1983 Grammy Awards (in which they won six awards due to the success of Toto IV and lead single “Rosanna”) by recalling how he too had a brush with the Los Angeles rockers.

“I got one for ya. There was a minute in the ’80s where I was definitely doing too much Bolivian marching powder and just being a fucking lunatic,” Lowe remembered. “And [it was] also coming at the time in a young actor’s career where they’re too old to play the roles they’ve been playing, but they’re too young to play the roles that will last you the rest of your life, which are really the great ones. And you can kind of feel it.

“I love music so much, as evidenced by this talk and all of that, that I got it into my head that maybe I should think more about music and I cut a demo with Toto.”

“Wow, this is one of the reasons you’re the world’s most interesting man,” Simmons responded. “You were partying with the Showtime Lakers as they were winning titles during the Magic’s shots scenario. Who weren’t you involved with in L.A. in the ’80s?”

“Probably nobody, because I also took having fun very seriously,” Lowe added.

Lower did not elaborate on the track further, and it’s unclear what happened to the demo that he recorded with Toto, or if it may ever see a potential release – ideally on a future sequel to the Yacht Rock documentary.

John Mayer is sending a message to victims of the devastating wildfires across Los Angeles County, recognizing that many of the losses suffered this week are truly and tragically irreplaceable.

On his social accounts, Mayer shared a photo of a file folder containing photos of his 97-year-old father, Richard, “spanning his life from being a baby, an educator, a husband and a father,” which the singer/songwriter called “the most valuable thing I own.”

“It’s the only evidence of his life that will exist over time,” Mayer wrote in his caption. “These are the ‘documents’ you read about people taking from their homes. When you hear someone say they’ve lost everything in a fire, this is much of that everything, if not all of it. Those who say they’ll be okay still have their folders and their albums. Those who are inconsolable have lost them.”

Many ordered to evacuate fire zones starting on Tuesday had just minutes to round up their families and pets and grab anything they could before leaving homes they might never return to. Mayer’s caption addressed those who didn’t have time to salvage anything beyond the essentials, like the sentimental treasures that can never be replaced.

“Just behind the immeasurable loss of life is the loss of the proof of life,” he wrote. “I don’t practice prayer but tonight I will say one for everyone who no longer has these items. It’s not about the art and the collectibles. It’s the photos, the letters, the class rings, the eyeglasses and the things we keep to remind us that those we loved were here. May those who have lost so much find some semblance of hope and support from their family and friends.”

Mayer ended his message by urging everyone to “stay safe, look out for yourself and for one another, and trust that humanity and all it entails, though sometimes hard to see, is alive and well. This is truly devastating.”

Five people have been confirmed dead after multiple fires raging throughout Los Angeles County, starting on Tuesday. Late Thursday, the latest blaze, called the the Kenneth Fire, was threatening the Calabasas area. Billboard has compiled an updating list of organizations offering relief for musicians and music industry professionals affected by the hugely destructive blazes, as well as an ongoing roundup of events and concerts canceled or postponed due to the fires.

Find Mayer’s full message below:

Lily Allen just gave fans another update on her mental health, shutting down rumors that she’s been using drugs.

On the latest episode of her Miss Me? podcast posted Thursday (Jan. 9), the 39-year-old singer told co-host Miquita Oliver that she’s “really not in a good place” lately. “I know I’ve been talking about it for months, but I’ve been spiraling and spiraling and spiraling and it’s got out of control,” she continued.

Noting that she’s having trouble feeling “interested in anything,” Allen detailed how panic attacks have forced her to leave events and hangouts with friends early. “I just can’t concentrate on anything except the pain that I’m going through,” she added.

That said, the “Smile” singer revealed that she’ll be taking an extended break from the podcast — but not for any other reason that might be gleaned from the “vicious rumors” Allen said she’s seen about herself in recent weeks. “I do want to reassure people, because there will be speculation … I’ve not relapsed,” she told listeners.

Allen has been open in the past about her struggles with addiction. She got sober in 2019 and, the following year, married her husband, Stranger Things star David Harbour.

And despite what might be circulating online, Allen affirmed that she still hasn’t looked back since. “I know there’s been some horrible blind items on the internet about me being found by my husband in a crack den being surrounded by men,” Allen said on Miss Me? as Oliver laughed in disbelief. “I don’t know who’s spreading these vicious rumors, but that’s not true.”

Allen’s latest update comes a few weeks after she said on a December episode of the podcast that she’d been “going through a tough time over the last few months” as her eating had “become a real issue.” The English singer-songwriter has also previously opened up about being diagnosed with ADHD in 2023 and struggling with PTSD after delivering a stillborn son named George in 2010.

The podcaster is also Mom to daughters Ethel and Marnie, whom she shares with ex-husband Sam Cooper. On the latest episode, she also touched on how she’s been leaning on her family unit during her difficult period, telling Oliver, “We are a support network for each other and encourage each other to talk about our feelings, but I think the main thing is telling them we’re going to get through it and be fine.”

If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health or substance abuse disorders, reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration‘s national helpline 24/7 at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for confidential treatment referrals and information. If you or someone you know is struggling with disordered eating or an eating disorder, you can contact the ANAD helpline at 1 (888) 375-7767 or the National Alliance for Eating Disorders at 1 (866) 662-1235.

Listen below.