AJ McLean Reveals the Backstreet Boys Song His Daughter ‘Hates’

The Backstreet Boys have millions of fans worldwide, but member AJ McLean sometimes faces a tough crowd when it comes to his kids.

The superstar told People at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday night (March 17) that his 12-year-old daughter Elliott “hates” Backstreet Boys’ classic 1999 hit, “I Want It That Way.”

“My oldest daughter hates that song, hates it with a passion,” McLean explained. “Because she gets teased at school when she walks into school.”

He added, “When I drop her off, the boys [sing the lyrics], ‘Tell me why,’ and she’s like, ‘Stop doing that.’ And then I start doing it to embarrass her because that’s what dads do.”

However, Elliott still “secretly” likes her dad’s music, according to McLean.

Despite Elliott’s opinion, McLean and the Backstreet Boys have plenty of excitement coming up this year. The group’s Millennium 2.0 will arrive on July 11, a 25 years after the original album first topped the Billboard 200 for 10 weeks. The anniversary edition — for which the group members recreated their iconic album cover — will feature remastered versions of all the songs on the original tracklist, plus a few uncovered demos and some live recordings from their 1999-2000 Into the Millennium World Tour. 

The band is also hosting a residency at Las Vegas’ The Sphere, which kicks off the same day Millennium 2.0 drops and will continue throughout July and the first week of August. Ticket information is available on the band’s website.  

/by

Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, GloRilla & More Backstage at 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards: Best Behind-the-Scenes Photos

The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles came alive with some of music’s biggest stars Monday night (March 17), with Billie Eilish, Benson Boone and Gracie Abrams all winning big at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

Among the prizes given out were album of the year, which went to the “Birds of a Feather” singer’s Hit Me Hard and Soft; song of the year, which the Missouri-born pop-rock prodigy took home for his smash “Beautiful Things”; and breakthrough artist, which the “That’s So True” musician accepted. SZA also won R&B artist of the year for a record third year in a row, while Jelly Roll nabbed country artist of the year and GloRilla snagged hip-hop artist of the year. Plus, Lady Gaga was honored with the 2025 iHeartRadio Innovator Award, and Mariah Carey received the 2025 iHeartRadio Icon Award.

And in between accepting their respective awards, all of the musicians on hand at the L.A. venue also got the chance to brush shoulders, say hi to old friends and introduce themselves to new pals at the ceremony. Many of the best moments were captured in photos behind the scenes, with Bad Bunny and Becky G posing together backstage, Glo, K Carbon and Sexyy Red getting cheeky in matching gold outfits and winners such as Boone and Carey showing off their new hardware for the cameras.

For a full roundup of who won during the broadcast, check out Billboard’s full breakdown. As for what you didn’t see onscreen at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, check out all of the best behind-the-scenes photos below.

/by

Martha Stewart Shares Tips From Her New ‘Gardening Handbook’ With Celebratory Livestream

The newest addition to the Billboard Book Club comes from none other than Martha Stewart, who released her 101st book this week, Martha Stewart’s Gardening Handbook: The Essential Guide to Designing, Planting, and Growing.

To celebrate, Stewart and her head gardener Ryan McAllister went live on shopping and streaming platform TalkShopLive to discuss the book from her greenhouse headquarters and offices. Randomly selected copies of the Gardening Handbook will be signed by Stewart, when purchased via Billboard and TalkShopLive.

Throughout the conversation, Stewart gave a tour of her gardening bag and answered fan questions, including the one plant she couldn’t live without. “How about flowers? It’s a silly question because, what flowers?” she responded. “My other answer is vegetables. If you’re stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere, and they ask you if you could take one thing with you, you have to say nutritious food.”

She also shared some hilarious wisdom: “If you want to be happy for a year, take a spouse. If you want to be happy for a decade, get a dog. If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, make a garden.”

Retailing for $40, the Gardening Handbook provides an in-depth guide to teach fans to cultivate a flourishing garden, from understanding soil composition to learning about different types of plants and gardening methods.

Check out Stewart’s message to Billboard viewers and watch the full TalkShopLive livestream above, where you can purchase a randomly signed Gardening Handbook.

/by

‘The Voice’ Battles: Miley Cyrus Cover Leaves Coaches Torn

Team Kelsea’s Alanna Lynise and Brook Wood turned The Voice stage into a spectacle with their rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “Angels Like You.”

The two singers, who had formed a genuine bond, delivered a heartfelt performance that showcased their unique strengths, making for one of the most riveting battles of the season.

From the start, their chemistry was undeniable. Brook’s powerful, crystal-clear vocals seemed tailor-made for country star Kelsea Ballerini’s team, while Alanna’s airy, soulful delivery added an unexpected layer of depth to the performance. The result? A beautifully intertwined vocal moment that left the coaches struggling to pick a winner.

Michael Bublé was immediately captivated. “You guys are so cute together,” he gushed before diving into his critique. “Alanna, I love your voice. I love that it’s breathy and airy and sweet. Brook, you have such a wonderful clarity, especially when it gets big.” Ultimately, though, he leaned toward Brook, declaring, “Today, I felt the battle was won by Brook.”

John Legend was equally conflicted, torn between Alanna’s mesmerizing tone and Brook’s undeniable stage presence. “Alanna, I truly, truly love your tone. It’s gorgeous and it’s really interesting. I want to hear it on a record. I thought you had some moments throughout that were pitchy, okay? But your voice is so cool,” he noted. “Brook, your voice is so powerful. I thought, in general, your performance was more, like, on point, though I do prefer Alanna’s tone a little bit more.” Even Legend admitted his feedback wasn’t much help, joking, “So, my God, that’s so unhelpful. None of this is helpful. I’m really sorry.”

That left the decision to Ballerini, who was visibly torn. “Alanna, your voice — there’s so much nuance to it, and I feel like we were really able to see that in the verses, and, yes, there were pitch issues. That’s fine. It’s okay. It happens,” she said. “Brook, you’re just such a powerhouse. You are going to be an artist no matter what.”

In a shocking twist, Ballerini ultimately picked Alanna, leaving Brook eliminated. Even the other coaches seemed surprised by the decision, given Brook’s commanding performance. But Ballerini’s belief in Alanna’s artistic depth and emotional connection secured her a spot in the next round, proving that sometimes, raw artistry trumps pure vocal power.

/by

Queen, Herbie Hancock & Barbara Hannigan Named 2025 Polar Music Prize Laureates

British rock royalty Queen, American jazz great Herbie Hancock and Canadian soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan are the 2025 recipients of the Polar Music Prize. The ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 27, at the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm and is set to broadcast live in Sweden on TV4 at 8 p.m. CET.

Related

Timothée Chalamet in 'A Complete Unknown'

Bob Dylan Biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’ Tops $125M in Global Box Office: See Where It Ranks Among Top…

The three surviving members of Queen – Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon – said in a joint statement: “We are highly and deeply honoured to be given the Polar Music Prize this year. It’s incredible, thank you so much.”

Hancock, 84, said: “The Polar Music Prize is a prestigious honour, and I am both thrilled and humbled to be a recipient. The Laureates who have come before me have left an indelible mark on humanity through their profound examples of inspiration and dedication.”

Hannigan, 53, said: “I am deeply moved and humbled to receive this year’s Polar Music Prize. Thank you so much for including me among this incredible and inspiring group of Laureates.” 

Hancock has worked closely with previous Polar Music Prize Laureates Joni Mitchell and Wayne Shorter. Hannigan has worked with previous Laureates Pierre Boulez, György Ligeti and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Formed in 1970, Queen are one of the most successful bands ever to have emerged from the U.K. Bohemian Rhapsody, the 2018 biopic about the band, is the top-grossing music biopic in film history. The film received four Oscars, including best actor for Rami Malek as lead singer Freddie Mercury (who died in 1991).

Queen was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Queen, shockingly, never won a competitive Grammy, and received just four nominations. But the band received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2018.

In 1987, Hancock became the first Black composer to win an Oscar for best original score for Round Midnight. (Prince had previously won best original song score for Purple Rain.) Hancock has received 14 Grammy Awards, across R&B, jazz and pop categories. His highest-profile Grammy was album of the year in 2008 for River: The Joni Letters, a tribute to Mitchell. Hancock received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2016.

At the inaugural MTV Video Awards in 1984, Hancock won five awards, more than any other artist, all for the video for his instrumental hit “Rockit.” He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2013.

Having started her career as a soprano, Hannigan turned her hand to conducting at age 40 at the Châtelet in Paris. Now, she balances both pursuits. Hannigan is principal guest conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and l’Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, and associate artist with the London Symphony Orchestra. In 2026, she will take the helm of Iceland Symphony Orchestra as their chief conductor and artistic director.

Hannigan won a Grammy in 2018: best classical solo vocal album for Crazy Girl Crazy.

Previous Polar Music Prize Laureates include Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Chuck Berry, Ennio Morricone, Led Zeppelin, Patti Smith, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kronos Quartet, Elton John, Metallica, Iggy Pop, Ravi Shankar, Renée Fleming, Miriam Makeba, Sofia Gubaidulina and Angélique Kidjo.

The Polar Music Prize is presented at a ceremony in Stockholm in the presence of the Swedish royal family. Each Laureate will receive a cash award of one million Swedish Krona (approx. £74,082 GBP and $93,897 USD).

The Polar Music Prize awards committee is an independent, 11-member board who select the Laureates. It receives nominations from the public as well as from the International Music Council, a nongovernmental organization founded by UNESCO which promotes geographical and musical diversity.

The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig “Stikkan” Anderson, a legend in the history of Swedish popular music. Anderson was the manager, publisher and lyricist for ABBA, and played a key role in the quartet’s enormous global success. The prize was named after Anderson’s record label, Polar Music.

/by

Courtney Love to Become a British Citizen: ‘Can’t Get Rid of Me’

Courtney Love is set to become a British citizen, revealing that she will be able to officially gain U.K. citizenship in six months.

The former Hole frontwoman, who has lived in London since 2019, made the announcement during a conversation with Todd Almond at London’s Geographical Society on March 4, where she also performed Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.”

“I’m really glad I’m here. It’s so great to live here. I’m finally getting my British citizenship in six months. I get to be a citizen. I’m applying, man! Can’t get rid of me,” she told the audience, according to the Daily Mail.

Love, 60, has previously spoken about her love for London and the lifestyle it offers. “Laws. No guns. Four seasons. Discourse. You stan a middle-aged woman far better. Discretion,” she told Soho Home in 2022 when asked why she preferred life in the U.K. In a 2024 interview with the London Evening Standard, she reiterated her admiration for the city, saying, “I’m left alone, there are laws here that protect me when I’m being outspoken, I like the friends I’ve made here.”

While she did not explicitly link her move to the political climate in the U.S., Love did not hold back in her criticism of the country’s current state, saying (as per the Daily Mail), “n terms of Trump, and particularly this group… it’s like emperor-core—like, [they’re] wearing million-dollar watches,” sheEmperor-core is going on at Mar-a-Lago. It’s frightening now. It’s like cyanide now.”

Love joins a growing list of celebrities who have opted to leave the United States for new homes abroad. Rosie O’Donnell recently revealed that she relocated to Ireland earlier this year, citing concerns about political changes and equality issues in the U.S. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi also moved to the English countryside in 2024, reportedly purchasing a home after selling their California estate for $96 million.

While Love’s transition to British citizenship is in progress, her music legacy remains deeply rooted in both the U.K. and U.S. scenes.

As the frontwoman of Hole, Love helped shape the alternative rock movement of the ‘90s. The band’s breakthrough album, Live Through This, peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard 200, while their follow-up, Celebrity Skin peaked at number 9 on the Billboard 200, and garnered the band its first and only number 1 single, “Celebrity Skin”, which topped the Modern Rock Tracks. 

/by

Fontaines D.C. Cancel Mexico and South American Tour Dates Due to Medical Issues

Irish rockers Fontaines D.C. have been forced to cancel their upcoming run of dates throughout Mexico and South America after vocalist Grian Chatten suffered a herniated disc.

Chaten announced the news via Fontaines D.C.’s Instagram Stories on Monday (March 17), revealing that the band will be cancelling their next five shows due to his own health condition.

“I am devastated to announce that, due to a herniated disc, we must cancel our show in Mexico tomorrow night and our forthcoming dates in Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia,” he wrote.

“I have been really excited to play these beautiful countries for years and it really hurts to be here in Mexico City and not be able to go onstage, but I have been advised today, that I require urgent medical attention,” he added. “We are very grateful for all your support and, with all my heart, I am sorry that I can’t play for you.”

Fontaines D.C. recently wrapped up a run of tour dates throughout Australia and New Zealand just last week, and were scheduled to perform in Mexico on Tuesday (March 18). The remainder of March was set to see them perform at the Argentinian, Chilean, Colombian, and Brazilian editions of the Lollapalooza festival. Currently, the band’s upcoming U.S. tour dates – which launch in April and run through May – are unaffected, though further updates may arrive as necessary.

The Irish quintet – who formed back in 2014 – have burst into 2025 off the back of their fourth album, 2024’s Romance. Their first to chart on the Billboard 200 (reaching No. 97), it also reached the top 20 of both the Independent Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts.

In February, the band returned with their first piece of new music since Romance, releasing “It’s Amazing To Be Young” as a 7” single with another fresh track titled “Before You I Just Forget.”

/by

A2IM Launches Early Bird Tickets for Inaugural Indie Week Australia Edition

Ahead of the launch of its inaugural A2IM Indie Week Australian Edition, A2IM (The American Association of Independent Music) have launched early bird tickets for the upcoming event.

Held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide, the A2IM Indie Week Australian Edition will be hosted by AIR (Australian Independent Record Labels Association) at their annual 2025 Indie-Con Australia Conference, with all festivities running from July 30 until Aug. 1.

Described as a “historic event” for A2IM, the forthcoming event is the first time that the trade body is bringing its flagship conference beyond the U.S. for the first time in its 20 years of existence. Partnering with AIR and supported by the South Australian Government, the international expansion was first announced in August 2024 as part of the 2024 AIR Awards, the annual celebration of Australia’s independent music sector.

“We are honored and excited to bring A2IM Indie Week’s first-ever international event to Adelaide, Australia’s UNESCO designated City of Music,” commented A2IM general manager Lisa Hresko. Upon the announcement, it was noted that the event is promised “to be a global hub for independent music, fostering a dynamic community of industry leaders and sharing future-shaping ideas that will propel music forward.”

The 2025 edition of Indie-Con Australia Conference operates in much the same way as A2IM’s Indie Week, bringing together industry and speakers from around the globe to talk about challenges and opportunities for the sector. While the full program of events will be announced in June, the 2024 edition of Indie-Con featured over 80 speakers featuring global music industry experts, label representatives, independent artists and journalists, and representatives from over 50 different companies.

This year’s festivities will launch on July 30 with A2IM Indie Week Australian Edition, while the Indie-Con Australia Conference will take place across July 31 and Aug. 1, with everything held at Adelaide’s Mercury Cinema. The roster of events will also include the 2025 Air Awards, which will be held at the Adelaide Town Hall on July 31. Meanwhile, the 17th annual Indie Week will return to New York City from June 10 – 12. 

Early bird tickets for the A2IM Indie Week Australian Edition are on sale now, with AIR member tickets priced at $249 AUD ($158 USD), and non-member tickets priced at $349 AUD ($222 USD).

/by

Tiësto Spills Who He Wants To Work With Next & More | iHeartRadio Music Awards 2025

Tiësto caught up with Billboard’s Tetris Kelly on the red carpet at the iHeartRadio Music Awards 2025.

/by

Jesse Colin Young, The Youngbloods Frontman, Dies Aged 83

Jesse Colin Young, the co-founder and vocalist for ‘60s folk-rockers The Youngbloods, has passed away at the age of 83.

Young’s passing was announced by his wife and manager, Connie Young, who confirmed that he died at his Aiken, South Carolina home on Sunday (March 16). No cause of death was given alongside the announcement.

Born Perry Miller in New York City in 1941, Young grew up in a musical household and was encouraged by his parents to learn piano from a young age. Attending Massachusetts’ Phillips Academy on a scholarship, Young studied guitar but was expelled, later enrolling in Ohio State University after high school before transferring to New York University. Deciding to become a full-time musician in the early ’60s, he adopted the Jesse Colin Young moniker from famed western outlaws Jesse James and Cole Younger, and Formula One innovator Colin Chapman.

Young issued his debut album, The Soul of a City Boy, in 1964 via Capitol Records, before following it up with Young Blood on Mercury in 1965. That same year, Young teamed up with guitarist and folk singer Jerry Corbitt with whom he would form The Youngbloods, named for his recently-released album.

Though debut single “Rider” would not chart upon its release in 1966, its follow-up “Grizzly Bear” would give the band their first success when it reached No. 52 on the Hot 100. The tracks were featured on their self-titled debut album in 1967, which also featured a version of the Chet Powers-penned “Get Together.” The single would only hit No. 62 on the Hot 100 upon its release, but was reissued in 1969 where it went to No. 5, ultimately going Gold, and defining the musical sound that accompanied the peace-loving attitudes of the ‘60s.

“As the frontman of The Youngbloods, he immortalized the ideals of the Woodstock generation with ‘Get Together,’ an international hit that called for peace and brotherhood during the turbulent 1960s,” a statement released following Young’s passing noted. “During the decades that followed, Young expanded both his audience and his artistic range, releasing a string of solo albums that mixed socially conscious lyrics with top-tier guitar skills and gorgeous vocals.”

The Youngbloods would split in 1972 following five albums, though would later reform in late 1984 for a brief tour. Young returned to his career as a solo musician upon the band’s initial breakup, with his most successful record, 1975’s Songbird, peaking at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 upon its release.

In 2012, Young retired from performing following a diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease, though he returned to the stage in 2016, with Dreamers arriving as his final album in 2019.

“An acclaimed songwriter, singer, instrumentalist, producer, label owner, podcast host, and longtime social/environmental activist, [Young] has established a permanent place in America’s musical landscape – while continuing to make modern music that’s every bit as vital as his work during the counterculture era,” the statement issued upon Young’s passing concluded.

Young is survived by his wife and manager, Connie; their children Tristan and Jazzie Young; and two children from his first marriage, Juli and Cheyenne Young.

/by