Shortly after the April release of his breakout smash single, “Million Dollar Baby,” Tommy Richman and his close collaborator and good friend Kavi made a “club pop-out” appearance together. The club, Abigail in Washington, D.C., holds about 250 people — but it was soon clear to Kavi that that wasn’t going to be nearly big enough.

“The second we stepped out, there was actually, like, paparazzi taking photos of us. I’m walking down to the club, and there’s a line around the block, packed out,” Kavi recalls. “Around 700 people showed up… It was just such a wonderful night.” He pauses, then stipulates with a laugh: “At least for me and Tommy. I don’t know if everyone else [thought so], because it was just so packed at the club!”

Such flashbulb moments have quickly become commonplace for Richman, Kavi and the rest of their inner creative circle — which also includes “Baby” co-producers Max Vossberg and Jonah Roy, recording artist Paco (currently opening for Richman on his Before the Desert mini-tour) and videographer Josh Belvedere, whose kinetic behind-the-scenes clips of the song’s recording helped it catch prerelease fire on TikTok. Kavi says his role on the team is as much executive producer as producer: “When [Tommy] sets down a vision, I can think of people that can collaborate on it that would be best for it and sounds that we can chase — just sort of creatively direct which way it should go.”

While the 21-year-old Los Angeles-based producer is one of five credited on the sublimely smoked-out, falsetto-led “Baby” — with Mannyvelli and Sparkheem rounding out the group — Kavi was responsible for the song’s “aha” moment. He was going through a sample pack of Canadian producer DJ Smokey’s that he found on Reddit and heard the vocal chop that ended up inspiring the song’s striking, pitched-down opening hook. “I was just like, ‘Oh, this is sort of hard!’ ” Kavi recalls. “And Tommy agreed… So we catered that vibe based off of the chop that I found and just built it into its own world.”

Born Kavian Saleh in Iran, where he grew up in Shiraz and Tehran, Kavi moved to L.A. at the age of 11. Growing up in Iran, Kavi says his musical influences were a mix of alternative rock bands like Muse and The Cure and EDM acts such as Skrillex and Knife Party, “a mishmash of what my parents showed me and what any 12-year-old on YouTube would find.” Not hip-hop, though: “Rap music doesn’t really exist in Iran,” he says. “And if it does, it’s pretty ass.”

That changed upon his U.S. arrival in the mid-2010s, when the future producer was exposed to rappers like Future and Chief Keef. “Wow… This is what it’s about!” he recalls thinking. “It really, like, tweaked me out.” His infatuation with those artists led him to study the techniques that then-rising producers like TM88 and Southside used on their records. “My main focus at first was very, very much just trap beat-oriented,” he says. “That’s all I did for a good four years.”

His relationship with Richman began about three years ago, when Kavi DM’d the singer-songwriter after catching his 2021 song “Chrono Trigger” on TikTok. The two began a creative relationship and friendship, and after pausing on collaborating while Kavi continued his trap production work, they reunited in 2023. When they started recording again, two of the first songs they worked on together were “Million Dollar Baby” and its follow-up, “Devil Is a Lie,” released in June.

Kavi admits that the immediate success of “Million Dollar Baby” — which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent its first 17 weeks in the chart’s top 10 — was not something his crew saw coming. “We were like, ‘Oh, this is a good vibe, this is sick,’ ” he remembers. “It wasn’t anything where we all sat down and were like, ‘Wow, this is a headbanger! This is crazy!’ It just was another record we worked on.” (Kavi says that he personally prefers the more “swagged-out” groove of “Devil Is a Lie” — which did not quite match the runaway success of “Baby,” but has shown impressive legs, debuting and peaking at No. 32 and spending 13 weeks on the Hot 100.)

Still, he is grateful for the exposure “Baby” has granted his close-knit team — “the best part about this is… all of us are coming up together, and we keep the sound and the circle very sacred and tight,” he says — and for the opportunities it’s now affording him, both as one of the central collaborators on Richman’s debut full-length, Coyote, and with his own work. Since his “Baby” breakout, Kavi has linked up with A$AP Rocky and also has been doing more pop-oriented productions for the first time with Disney Channel star Kylie Cantrall. Kavi says he has begun studying the work of pop super producers like Jack Antonoff and Max Martin as he tries to expand his skills and his portfolio: “I think I’ve developed my sound more now to not necessarily just be one-sided when I’m in the room.”

Meanwhile, Kavi is also working on his own solo music, which he likens to enigmatic alt-R&B singer-songwriters like Jai Paul, and plans on having his newly minted star buddy make an appearance on his upcoming debut project as well — though Kavi hopes that ultimately, his own name starts to stand out.

“Tommy’s my main priority because that’s like my best friend — we’re developing something great here,” he explains. “But I’m trying to build my own legacy as a producer as well. I don’t mind being the guy in the background… But also, I want my name to be known as, like, ‘Oh, this is Kavi’s production. Wow, that’s great.’ Build a legacy around it and just make some amazing music, you know?”

This article appears in the Oct. 5 issue of Billboard.

Ever wondered what Green Day‘s ode to soul-sucking boredom “Longview” would sound like if it was re-recorded on a doorbell? How about the hard-charging Dookie classic “Welcome to Paradise” rendered in 8-bit glory on a Game Boy cartridge?

Well, then you’re in luck, because on Wednesday (Oct. 9) the band announced that as part of the ongoing 30th anniversary celebration of their breakthrough 1994 major label debut the punk-pop trio has added to the already super-stuffed deluxe edition box that dropped last September with an innovated Dookie Demastered edition featuring all 15 songs recorded on what a press release described as “obscure, obsolete and otherwise inconvenient limited-edition formats.”

The collaboration with BRAIN features purposely lo-res, glitchy versions of the songs rendered on everything from the long-dead 8-track format (“Sassafras Roots”), to floppy disc (“Having a Blast”), wax cylinder (“When I Come Around”) and, of course, a toothbrush (“Pulling Teeth”).

“Instead of smoothing out its edges and tweaking its dynamic ranges, this version of Dookie has been met­icu­lously mangled to fit on formats with uncom­promis­ing­ly low fidelity, from wax cylinders to answering machines to toothbrushes,” reads a press release. “The listening experience is unparalleled, sacrificing not only sonic quality, but also convenience, and occasionally entire verses. It’s Dookie, the way it was never meant to be heard.”

All 15 formats can be played here, with fans encouraged to enter a drawing for a chance to buy one of the one-of-a-kind recordings in a drawing that ends on Friday (Oct. 11) at 11 a.m. ET. Green day have been celebrating the Dookie anniversary, as well as the 20th anniversary of American Idiot, on their massive Saviors stadium tour, which will hit Corona Capital stadium in Mexico City on Nov. 15.

Check out the promo video for Dookie Demastered and the format track list below.

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Dionne Warwick is speaking out on social media following the death of Cissy Houston, the Grammy-winning singer who was aunt to the “That’s What Friends Are For” vocalist and mother to Whitney Houston. 

On Tuesday (Oct. 8) — one day after Cissy’s death at age 91 — Warwick wrote on X that she is “so deeply saddened” by the passing of her family member. “However, knowing that my Aunt Cissy died peacefully and that she is in a much better place, is a consolation and comfort to me,” she continued.  

“I have seen your messages of condolences,” Warwick added. “On behalf of my family, thank you. ❤️” 

Cissy’s passing was confirmed Monday (Oct. 7) by her daughter-in-law Pat Houston, who shared that her mother-in-law had died that morning in her New Jersey home while in hospice for Alzheimer’s disease. “Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness,” Pat told the Associated Press. “We lost the matriarch of our family. Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives.”  

“A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry and community,” Pat added at the time. “Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.” 

In addition to being Warwick’s aunt, Cissy also at times served as the “Then Came You” artist’s backup singer in the group the Sweet Inspirations, which Cissy formed with Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warrick. The trio also sang backup for Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, The Drifters and more. 

In 2022, Warwick — who is part of this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class for musical excellence — opened up about her relationship with Cissy. “I called her Aunt Cissy growing up,” she told People at the time. “Because we were so close in age, I always looked at her as an older sister … Cissy had an incredible voice and that transferred to her little baby, Whitney. Watching Whitney was like seeing Cissy grow up again.” 

See Warwick’s tweet below.

I’m so deeply saddened, however, knowing that my Aunt Cissy died peacefully and that she is in a much better place, is a consolation and comfort to me. I have seen your messages of condolences. On behalf of my family, thank you. ❤️

— Dionne Warwick (@dionnewarwick) October 8, 2024

On singer-songwriter Julie Williams’ new five-song EP Tennessee Moon (out Oct. 17) the Florida native draws listeners into songs that evince all the facets of who she is, both as a person and as an artist, intertwining elements of folk, ‘90s country, and pop with her soothing vocal.

“Music was always in our household in every single car ride, my mom and I listened to ‘90s country women like The Chicks and a lot of folk too, indigo Girls, John Denver, Dan Fogelberg, that was the soundtrack to my mom’s car,” Williams tells Billboard. “And my dad played a lot of Michael Jackson, Prince, the Temptations. So there was music constantly.”

In elementary school, Williams became involved with music programs, then singing and performing at church. By middle school, Williams was singing the national anthem prior to Tampa Bay Rays baseball games. A friend from church who played guitar began giving Williams guitar lessons and eventually they formed an acoustic music duo and playing at bars around Tampa Bay.

Williams’ aspirations have always centered around making a difference in the lives of others, and to that goal, she studied public policy at Duke University, but was also still drawn to music. She signed to Small Town Records at one point, and continued writing songs more regularly, pouring out songs of elegance, vivid detail and forthright honesty.

In 2019, shortly after graduating, she chased her musical aspirations to Nashville. Williams, a proudly mixed-race, queer singer-songwriter, found her musical breakthrough when she wrote “Southern Curls,” detailing her experience of growing up in the South, but with, as she sings, “the wrong kind of Southern curls.” The sharply-written, exquisitely-sung track also delves into forging her own path in her early days in Nashville, with the lines, “Twenty-three in Music City with dreams and high heeled boots/ Singin’ for a crowd of blue eyes/ Will they want me too?”

“That’s when it felt like, ‘Oh, I’ve tapped into who I am as an artist and the type of songwriter I want to be,’” Williams says.

She continued writing and performing songs, resulting in her 2023 self-titled EP. Meanwhile her music and artistry caught the attention of The Black Opry, as well as CMT. She was named a member of CMT’s Next Women of Country class in 2023, and was part of the CMT and mTheory Equal Access program.

Her keen artistic mission further evolves on her new five-song EP. Williams is a writer on every track, working with writers including Melody Walker and Natalie Closner. She looks back on the last moments of a relationship in “Tennessee Moon,” while “Reckless Road” meshes banjo, pedal steel and acoustic guitar, evoking the timeless feel of ‘90s country songs.

“I know it’s not going to be an easy road,” Williams says of her journey as an artist. “Every single day is a grind and a step. But for me, if I’m moving in an authentic way and I know that I have people around me that love me, I don’t care. I just love it so much. I’m just going to keep doing it for as long as I can.”

She just launched her Tennessee Moon Tour, which runs through November. Billboard spoke with Williams about her inspirations, career journey, her new EP, her work with the Black Opry and more.

What is one album you could play forever and never get tired of playing?

Eva Cassidy was one of my first musical influences and my dad used to play [Cassidy’s versions of] “Autumn Leaves” and “I Know You By Heart.” Her album Songbird is one I listen to, and it feels like my Dad is with me.

Who would be your Mount Rushmore of country music?

The Chicks, 100 percent. I remember when they got kicked out of country music radio and I was so mad. I remember in my fourth grade class, we had to write a speech. I wrote about how mad I was at the president [then-president George W. Bush] because he got my favorite band kicked off the radio. And then Sara Evans, I loved “Born to Fly,” and all of the late ‘90s, early 2000’s country.

What inspired the title track to Tennessee Moon?

I went to Percy Priest Lake [in Nashville] with a former partner, and I took this photo of them under the sunset, as the daylight was fading away. I could just tell that the relationship was fading, but I wanted to capture it and hold onto what it felt like in this golden era. Something about sunsets, as beautiful as they are, you can’t quite capture them. I think there’s beauty in how fleeting it is — and there are people in our lives aren’t necessarily meant to stay, but we just appreciate them when we have them.

One of your frequent collaborators on this project is Melody Walker. How did the two of you connect as musicians?

I believe we met at a Song Suffragettes show. I was a big fan of the music she was making and we sat down to write and came to her with that photo that inspired “Tennessee Moon.” I just said, “I want a song that feels like this picture.” Within two or three hours we had the whole song and we just keep coming back to each other because if we really do have that writing chemistry, I think we push each other in some ways. I can sometimes get so lost in lyrics and verses — if I could just write verses for the rest of my life. She’s like, “Okay, what’s our hook? What’s our big moment?” We work well together and it’s great to have people in Nashville that you feel a hundred percent comfortable to be yourself around.

Another song on the album, “Just Friends?,” also highlights part of your journey as a queer woman. How did that song come about?

I was playing shows with an artist called Denitia, and she has a song that’s called “Old Friend.” And I was hearing her play this song night after night about looking back at an old friendship, and it made me think of some friendships in my past and one in particular. I just was wondering why I am not close with that person anymore and why looking back at it, I felt so much pain and regret, almost felt like it was a breakup. I look back now, and realize, “I think I had feelings for that person,” but I didn’t even know at that time.

That was just such a powerful time to write this song that touches on that confusion of young love, of friendship, female friendship, especially for queer women, kind of discovering who it is that you love — it can be a confusing process at first. I grew up with very, very liberal, accepting parents and I still felt confused. So, I wanted a song that would capture that and I wanted to give myself a little bit of grace, too. I was very lucky that my queer journey, it wasn’t a sad one. I was very lucky that when I told my family they were accepting and my friends as well, but it still was something that took that time. So, I wanted to show the beauty in that journey, too.

What was your journey like in finding community as an artist in Nashville?

I didn’t find that community when I first moved to Nashville, but also because I don’t think I really knew myself too much then. I still was straightening my hair. I found this picture of the first Whiskey Jam [concert] I was playing, and I used to spend hours straightening my hair just to then curl it into those big, southern curls. I was like, “Why am I straightening and curling my hair again just to get a different curl pattern, because I think this is what people want to see?”

I moved here and I was in a long-term partnership that I thought this was going to be the person that I was with for the rest of my life, and I didn’t think I’d ever have a chance to explore my queer identity and I didn’t really know myself. Writing songs like “Southern Curls” and getting connected with organizations like Song Suffragettes and the Black Opry, I met some of my favorite people that I work with and my favorite collaborators.

How has the Black Opry been instrumental in your career?

I met [Black Opry founder/leader] Holly G and a number of the Black Opry folks, and just sat with them in a hotel room and passed around a guitar and played songs. I told Holly at that moment, “I will play whatever show you have. It could be in a dumpster and I’ll be there.” I was really wondering if I was going to stay in Nashville. I had gone and visited friends in New York and DC and was like, “I think I’m going to go back into the policy world. I don’t know if this is going to work out over here.”

Right after that was when I first went on my first Black Opry tour, and it really changed everything. I started playing with Black Opry and then realizing that there were opportunities outside of Nashville, that there were venues and places that wanted to be a part of what Black Opry was building.

How did you build upon those shows you played with the Black Opry?

I would just reach out to [those venues] as an individual — this is before I had an agent. I would just reach out and say, “Hey, I saw you booked Black Opry this time. I’m a Black Opry artist. I would love to come and play.” And so I started booking myself and doing my own tour. That’s when [management company] Prater Day saw what I was doing and wanted to jump in, too.

The past few years, I’ve played over 120 shows and I think it’s 26 states now and a few countries. And I think that once again touches on that magic that I had found when I first started playing. But now I get to feel that all around the country and the world and meet new people. And so, I think my career is now growing because of my time on the road and the road will continue to have a huge part in my story.

You are also an activist and in 2023 launched Green Room Conversations, to raise awareness of sexual harassment in the music industry, and to offer a safe space for women to discuss navigating the industry. Why has that been so important for you?

I wanted to start that organization, just being a touring musician and just a woman in this industry. I’ve had my own share of stories, and I think you could throw a rock and ask somebody to share a story that they have had in the music industry. I wanted to empower people with those little frank lessons that can help save people from a lot of uncomfortable situations. I remember when I first met [singer-songwriter-radio host] Rissi Palmer in a little café in North Carolina, it was just before I moved to Nashville. I remember asking if she had any advice for me and she said, “Do not take a business meeting with a man past 6:00 p.m.. That’s not a business meeting; that’s a date. If he wants to work with you, you can get coffee the next day.”

I think music is an industry, where at least for artists, there is no HR [department]. It’s an industry where show are late at night, that often involve alcohol. You could be in a position where you have to share a hotel with a co-worker because there’s not enough money to get everybody solo hotel rooms. Or you’re writing a song about sex and love, but that doesn’t mean you want to sleep with your coworker.

We come into this industry with so many hopes and dreams and we tell people to say yes to every opportunity because that could be your next break. We’ve been going to different colleges, talking with music business students. We’re just saying those frank things that women have been saying in green rooms forever, like, ‘Watch out for this guy,’ or ‘This person who you think holds so much power over you in your career, you don’t have to work with them.’ Sometimes you need that permission to say no and know that it’s not going to destroy your career. And in fact, there’s people out here that can support you.

What book or podcast are you into right now?

One that I’m reading right now that I’m really liking is called Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield. It’s a little weird, but I love it. It’s so cool. I’ve just been just diving in.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z have received a public apology from Piers Morgan after the polarizing talk-show host aired inflammatory allegations about them on his program. 

About a week after interviewing Jaguar Wright on Piers Morgan Uncensored — during which the singer-songwriter called the Roc Nation founder and Sean “Diddy” Combs “monsters,” and claimed that the famous couple had hundreds of victims — Morgan kicked off the Tuesday (Oct. 8) episode of his show by sharing he’d been contacted by the Carter family’s lawyers, who denied Wright’s allegations. Noting that “there are legal limits” that even he must follow, Morgan went on to explain that he’d obliged a request from the attorneys to remove the claims from his on-camera interview with Wright before issuing an apology to Bey and Jay. 

“Jaguar Wright unexpectedly made several serious allegations about Jay-Z and Beyoncé during that interview,” he told viewers of his Oct. 2 interview with Wright. “As I said, in the moment, they were not present to respond or defend themselves, but now they have. Their lawyers contacted us to say that those claims were totally false and have no basis in fact.” 

“We’ve therefore complied with the legal request to cut them from the original interview,” the former host of CNN’s Piers Morgan Live continued. “Editing interviews is not something we do lightly on a show called Uncensored. But, like the proverbial cries of fire in a crowded theater, there are legal limits on us, too. And we apologize to Jay-Z and Beyoncé.” 

Billboard has reached out to Wright for comment.

Elsewhere in his opening remarks Tuesday, Morgan tried to justify why he’d invited Wright on his show in the first place. “The reality of the modern world is that pretty much everyone has a platform as long as they have something to say that other people want to hear,” he said. “The people making these claims have an audience with or without shows like mine.” 

Morgan also noted that Wright has been garnering a lot of attention amid Diddy’s ongoing fall from grace. The Bad Boy Records founder is currently being held in custody as he awaits trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering following his Sept. 16 arrest. 

Watch Morgan’s apology to Beyoncé and Jay-Z below.