Universal Music Group has entered a strategic partnership with AI music company KLAY.

To date, KLAY has not yet released any of its products, but the AI start-up is said to be developing what it calls a “Large Music Model,” dubbed “KLayMM” which will “help humans create new music with the help of AI,” says a spokesperson for the company. According to a press release about the deal, KLAY notes it is dedicated to working with the music industry to produce ethical AI music models which will be “fully respectful of copyright as well as name and likeness rights.” When asked if this partnership included the licensing of UMG’s publishing or recorded music catalog, KLAY declined to comment.

KLAY is led by music producer Ary Attie and former president of Sony Music Entertainment Thomas Hesse. The team will soon be joined by Björn Winckler of Google Deepmind as well.

This is the latest in a string of partnerships that UMG has forged with “responsible” AI companies in the last year. In the past, the world’s largest music company has started working with Soundlabs, Bandlab and Endel. Last week, UMG’s deal with Soundlabs produced an AI-powered Spanish translation of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee, just in time for the holiday season.

Michael Nash, executive vp, and chief digital officer of Universal Music said, “We are excited to partner with entrepreneurs like the team leading KLAY to explore new opportunities and ethical solutions for artists and the wider music ecosystem, advancing generative AI technology in ways that are both respectful of copyright and have the potential to profoundly impact human creativity. UMG has always endeavored to lead the music industry in driving innovation, embracing new technologies, and supporting entrepreneurship while protecting human artistry.”
 
Attie, founder and CEO of KLAY added, “Research is critical to building the foundations for AI music, but the tech is only an empty vessel when it doesn’t engage with the culture it is meant to serve. KLAY’s obsession is not just to showcase its research innovation but to make it invisible and mission-critical to people’s daily lives. Only then can music AI become more than a short-lived gimmick. Our great artists have always embraced the newest technologies – we believe the next Beatles will play with KLAY.”

Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin were among the prominent artists who showed support for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign on Sunday (Oct. 27) after a speaker at a Donald Trump rally made a racist joke about Puerto Rico. All three boosted a video from the Democratic candidate pledging to do her best for the citizens of the island nation following what CNN described as a Trump rally brimming with “blistering anti-migrant rhetoric [that] ranks alongside the most flagrant demagoguery by a major figure in any Western nation since World War II.”

Their show of support for Harris came after comedian/podcaster Tony Hinchcliffe opened for convicted felon Trump at a rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden by offering up the racist jibe, “There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”

In addition, Hinchcliffe — one of nearly 30 speakers who warmed up the crowd for twice impeached former Pres. Trump — also made other racist and sexist jokes about Latinos (“they love making babies… there’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country”) as well as racist jibes about his Black “buddies” who he “carved watermelons” with and an antisemitic joke about how “Jews have a hard time throwing that paper.”

According to reports, the attempts at humor did not go over well inside the room, where they were met with tepid applause. And in an unusual apology from the Trump campaign, a senior advisor said in a statement afterwards that “this joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” seemingly in reference to the Puerto Rico joke. The Harris campaign referred to the Hinchcliffe set as “a vile racist tirade against Latinos.”

The racist comment immediately galvanized the trio of Puerto Rican artists, with Bad Bunny re-posting a video message from Harris in which she discussed the importance of the election for the citizens of the U.S. territory, reminding them what Trump “did and did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader” after the nation was hit with devastating damage after Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017; a new report revealed that the Trump administration obstructed an investigation into why officials withheld $20 billion in hurricane relief from P.R. following Maria.

In addition to Bad Bunny sharing the message with his 45 million Instagram followers, Martin also boosted the Harris video to his nearly 19 million followers on his Instagram Stories, adding the message, “I remember @kamalaharris,” as did Lopez, whose re-post to her 250 million Instagram followers included links to Harris’ socials as well as a hands clapping emoji. Martin also claimed that his posts on X with similar content were being suppressed on the platform owned by Trump financial backer Elon Musk.

“Despacito” star and P.R. native Luis Fonsi reposted the Hinchcliffe video on his Stories with the message “Are you serious?,” as well as a portion of the Harris video and a lengthy personal note responding to the hate speech. “I understand comedy, I’m a big fan of it,” he wrote. I love roasts, trust me I get it. BUT… this is far from comedy. Not now, not against my island [Puerto Rico flag emoji], my people. Hell nah!”

Fonsi said it’s okay to have different views, but racism is not acceptable. ““We are not OK with this constant hate. It’s been abundantly clear that these people have no respect for us and yet they want our vote,” Fonsi wrote. “I purposely wrote this in English cause yes we’re American too.”

The shocking comments from Hinchcliffe at the Trump rally where CNN reported Republican candidate Trump and his MAGA surrogates spewed “racist, vulgar attacks at Harris and Democrats” came nine days before Americans go to the polls, and just a few after Trump’s former chief of staff, retired Marine General John Kelly, said the former reality TV star fits into the “general definition of a fascist” and frequently praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It also comes as both Harris and Trump are spending precious time and money in the waning hours of the campaign to win over voters in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, where nearly 500,000 Puerto Ricans live, representing the third-largest P.R. diaspora in the U.S.

While the quartet of P.R.-born superstars did not explicitly endorse the Harris campaign in their posts, the show of support for the Democrat vying to the the first woman and person of Asian American descent to become President comes as both campaigns have been laser-focused on trying to win over crucial voting blocks including Black and Hispanic men.

Tyler, the Creator released his seventh studio album, Chromakopia, on Monday (Oct. 28) via Columbia Records.

He released one single on DSPs ahead of the project, “Noid,” with a music video featuring Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning The Bear actress Ayo Edebiri.

Chromakopia arrives three years after his last album, Call Me If You Get Lost, which earned the rapper his second Billboard 200 No. 1 and second best rap album Grammy award. He released the deluxe edition, Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale last year, with additional songs featuring Vince Staples, A$AP Rocky and YG.

Following his Chromakopia listening party in Los Angeles on Sunday night (Oct. 27), he’ll take the album all around the globe with the Chromakopia: The World Tour. Along with special guests Lil Yachty and Paris Texas, the trek will kick off on Feb. 4 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., and goes through major cities such as his hometown of L.A. (where he’ll host a three-night stint at Crypto.com Arena), Atlanta, Miami, Chicago and New York before wrapping up on July 27 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. He also has dates set in Europe, Australia and New Zealand for next year.

He’ll also be celebrating the 10th anniversary of his music festival and carnival Camp Flog Gnaw at Dodger Stadium from Nov. 16 to 17. Erykah Badu, André 3000, Playboi Carti, ScHoolboy Q, Doechii, Sexyy Red, Kaytranada, Raye and more are set to perform.

Listen to Chromakopia below.

Matty Healy is no stranger to controversy, but when it comes to Taylor Swift, he’s playing his cards close to the chest.

In a recent appearance on the Doomscroll podcast, Healy shared insights into his approach to songwriting amid intense public scrutiny—remarks that many fans see as subtle nods to his rumored history with Swift.

Admitting he “used to write about relationships a lot more,” Healy explained, “Last year I became a way more well-known public figure for loads of different reasons. The only reason that I was interested in is what I was doing.”

“I think that a lot of artists, they become very interested in their lore, or they become interested in the things that have happened outside of their art that people know about and they want to address that, and fair enough.”

Healy continued, “Honestly, I would kind of just be lying if I made a record about, I don’t know, all the stuff that was said about me or my casual romantic liaisons — or whatever it may be that I’ve kind of become known for just because I was famous.”

“That’s an obvious thing to draw from, and I’m just not interested in [it]. The idea of making a record about something that personally happened to me, that by the time I put it out is gonna be, like, two years old… I see people doing that as well, and it’s not interesting,” he added.

Speculation about Healy and Swift first emerged in early 2023, following Swift’s high-profile split from longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn.

Rumors of a brief romance between the 1975 frontman and Swift gained momentum when Healy was spotted attending several Eras Tour dates, including performances in Nashville and Philadelphia, where he even joined opener Phoebe Bridgers on stage. They were then photographed leaving New York’s Electric Lady Studios together in May, with Healy later seen near Swift’s apartment that same day.

Swift’s The Tortured Poet’s Department has been a treasure trove for fans eager to decode possible references to Healy.

Songs like “Guilty as Sin?” and “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” have fueled speculation that the 1975 frontman inspired parts of the album. The title track’s line, “You smoked then ate seven bars of chocolate,” struck a chord with fans, who pointed to Healy’s on-stage smoking habit and the 1975’s hit “Chocolate.” Another reference to a “tattooed golden retriever” has been interpreted as a poetic nod to Healy’s blend of charming unpredictability.

In April, Healy brushed off the rumors when asked by paparazzi about a supposed “diss track” aimed at him on Swift’s album. Healy responded: “My diss track? Oh! I haven’t really listened to that much of it, but I’m sure it’s good.”

While both artists have since moved on—Swift is currently dating NFL star Travis Kelce, while Healy recently got engaged to model Gabbriette Bechtell—the fascination with their short-lived connection endures. Healy’s recent comments have only reignited speculation, with fans reading between the lines for clues about his feelings toward the pop superstar.

Meanwhile, Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department has been a powerhouse on the Billboard charts. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming Swift’s 14th No. 1 album—a milestone that ties her with Jay-Z for the second-most No. 1 albums ever, just behind The Beatles. In its first week, the album racked up 2.6 million equivalent album sales in the U.S., with 1.9 million in pure sales, marking her biggest sales week yet.

The success didn’t stop there. The album held onto the No. 1 spot for 15 weeks, a personal best for the singer-songwriter, and made her the first artist in the modern era to have seven albums that each sold over a million copies in their debut week.

Bad Bunny, who supports Kamala Harris, a source close to the artist tells Billboard, is getting the Democratic presidential candidate’s latest message for Puerto Rican voters out to his 45 million followers on Instagram.

“There’s so much at stake in this election for Puerto Rican voters and for Puerto Rico,” Harris says in a campaign video posted on Sunday (Oct. 27), which Benito shared clips of on Instagram Stories not just once, but four times. “And this election is not just a choice between Donald Trump and me. It is a choice between two very different visions for our nation. One, his, focused on the past and on himself, and the other ours, that is focused on the future and on you. Puerto Rico is home to some of the most talented, innovative and ambitious people in our nation, and Puerto Ricans deserve a president who sees and invests in that strength.”

In the video, Harris tells voters: “As president, I will bring down the cost of housing, invest in small businesses and entrepreneurs and fight to finally secure equal access to programs that strengthen the healthcare system and support children, seniors and working people. I will create a new Puerto Rico economy task force where the federal government will work with the private sector, with non-profits and community leaders to foster economic growth and create thousands of new, good-paying jobs in Puerto Rico, including for our young people.”

“I know that Puerto Rico’s economic future depends on urgently rebuilding and modernizing the island’s energy grid. That’s why I will cut red tape, ensure disaster recovery funds are used quickly and effectively, and work with leaders across the island to ensure all Puerto Ricans have access to reliable, affordable electricity. I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader. He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after back-to-back, devastating hurricanes, and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults. Puerto Ricans deserve better,” Harris says.

Bad Bunny emphasized Harris’ “I will never forget what Donald Trump did” line in his reposts of the speech.

Harris’ message to Puerto Rican voters on Sunday arrived the same day Trump was set to appear at a rally at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, where Tony Hinchcliffe, a podcast host/roast comedian, spewed racist jokes in an opening slot. He referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.” Later, he made a remark that Latinos “love making babies” in a lead up to a crude joke, which Vice President Harris’ campaign headquarters called a “vile racist tirade against Latinos” on X (formerly Twitter).

“This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” Trump campaign senior advisor Danielle Alvarez said in a statement sent to Billboard Sunday night.

Benito, who was born and raised in Vega Baja, has a history of being vocal about social-political issues affecting the Puerto Rican community.

In September he placed billboards across San Juan in protest of the Partido Nuevo Progresista (New Progressive Party), a major political party that holds the seat of governor and resident commissioner in Puerto Rico, soon after releasing the song “Una Velita.” The billboards displayed messages including “To vote for PNP is to vote for corruption,” “Who votes for PNP doesn’t love Puerto Rico” and “Voting for PNP is voting for LUMA” (the private energy company responsible for power distribution and transmission on the island). In an Instagram post showing the billboards, the star said, “Announcements paid by Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio. A Puerto Rican who does love Puerto Rico.”

“Una Velita,” released on Sept. 19, has Bad Bunny reflecting on Puerto Rico’s response to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017. “There were five thousand that they let die, and we will never forget that,” he chants on the track that addresses what happened in the wake of the Category 5 hurricane that devastated the island.

In 2022, he released a documentary-style video for Un Verano Sin Ti‘s “El Apagón.” With a runtime of almost 23 minutes, the short film takes aim at local government for its inaction in addressing blackouts, gentrification and other issues affecting Puerto Ricans.