Tyla’s mom had “premonitions” that her daughter was pregnant, and the “Water” singer duped her with a prank call. As part of Elle‘s Phoning It In segment on Monday (Sept. 23), Tyla made a few prank calls to her mother, Central Cee, her manager and more. She attempted to scare her mom, Sharleen Seethal, with a pregnancy prank, but things took a turn when her mom had a feeling the singer was pregnant.

“Mom, I think I’m pregnant,” begins Tyla, who recently accepted Billboard‘s Global Force award at the R&B No. 1s party.

Her mom replied: “Yeah, I’m happy. I had a feeling for a long time. That’s what I’m seriously shocked about. Oh my God. I swear to God. I had premonitions. I swear to God.”

“I don’t know who the father is,” Tyla continued. She couldn’t lead her mother on any longer and fessed up to the prank.

“Tyla, but I had a premonition,” Seethal countered. “I spoke to Auntie Mila and I told her I need grandchildren. Oh my God, Tyla. Am I supposed to scream?”

While Tyla isn’t actually pregnant, her mother clearly wants her 22-year-old daughter to give her some grandchildren in the future.

As for Central Cee, Tyla went with the prank that she was flying to London, but her Airbnb wasn’t ready and her team needed a place to stay in the U.K. in the meantime.

“I’m supposed to go to London tomorrow and I just have a problem,” she told him. “Literally, like, my whole family is meeting me there and I booked an Airbnb and everything … They said the wait is going to be, like, a few hours before they can actually get in so I was just wondering if they could, like, maybe wait at your place.”

Cench said: “This is the maddest question I think anyone’s ever asked me.”

She eventually gave up on the prank, but Central Cee was happy that he showed he was willing to step up and house Tyla and her party of five.

Watch the full clip below.

McHale’s Bar & Grill, a pub in midtown Manhattan, bills itself as “the best Irish bar in NYC.” It opens bright and early, at 10 a.m. on weekdays; it also happens to be right around the corner from Warner Music Group’s New York office. And on Thursday (Sept. 19), it was crammed full of Atlantic Music Group employees gathering to honor colleagues who had been laid off earlier that day. Several staffers clambered onto chairs to deliver spontaneous speeches about their time at the storied label. 

McHale’s “is the only thing open during the day in that area,” says one employee who survived the cuts. At the impromptu gathering, “Lots of people who have been at Atlantic for 10- or 20-plus years said they loved being able to work with everyone. People were feeling supported since a lot of staff had been let go” — around 150 layoffs in total, according to WMG’s SEC filing. 

Multiple sources stress that these departures, as well as the new regime being put in place by incoming Atlantic Music Group CEO Elliot Grainge, represent a seismic shift for Atlantic — a generational changing of the guard. A number of high-profile executives will be leaving the company, including Atlantic Music Group CEO Julie Greenwald, who co-led Atlantic for nearly 20 years; WMG’s CEO of recorded music Max Lousada, who had been at WMG for decades; 300 Elektra Entertainment chairman/CEO Kevin Liles; Atlantic general manager Paul Sinclair; and Atlantic co-president of Black music Michael Kyser, along with several department heads at both Atlantic and Elektra Records. 

In the wake of the cuts, sources say the Elektra side of 300 Elektra Entertainment is down to fewer than 20 people; Warner announced that 3EE president Gregg Nadel will move to become co-chair of Warner Music Nashville, but did not mention a replacement. (Lousada and Liles will also not be replaced.) Atlantic made further cuts to its radio team, which now has fewer than 10 employees, having already been hit in previous waves of layoffs. The label slashed the publicity department to just a handful of people. 

In addition, Atlantic and Elektra eliminated their touring teams, which help artists with promotion and production on the road. The creative departments of Atlantic and 300 — the staffers who help furnish artists with the content they need in a visual, social media-driven age — suffered losses as well. And the label cut some A&R executives. 

All these vanished jobs are the latest sign that the definition of a major label is transforming rapidly. “The old advantages that a big label had in the past, radio and press and TV, those just aren’t as powerful as they were,” says Jonathan Daniel, a veteran artist manager. The industry is trying to “remodel what a major label is, because the old way is unsustainable at this point.”

That retooling process has led to a number of layoffs at both WMG and Universal Music Group over the last 18 months. (Cuts at Sony Music have been more moderate, sources have said, at least so far.) Executives in traditional departments, like radio and press, have been especially vulnerable. And companies have tried to reduce overlapping roles at frontline labels in favor of a shared central system of services.

Grainge, 30, has expressed disdain for the more sprawling, old-fashioned major label model in the past. In 2016, he founded the label 10K Projects, which has billed itself almost as an anti-major: Small and fleet-footed instead of large and lumbering, with a heavy focus on modern tools (digital marketing) at the expense of more old-fashioned ones (radio). He has had success with this approach, helping boost the early careers of artists like Ice Spice, XXXTentacion and Trippie Redd.

Several Atlantic staffers started to worry about the possibility of additional staff cuts in August, as soon as WMG unexpectedly announced that Grainge would replace Greenwald starting October 1. In the past, major leadership changes at labels have often been accompanied by layoffs. Roughly 20 years ago, for example, not long after Lyor Cohen took over as chairman/CEO of WMG, the company let go of around 1,000 employees.  

That said, the record business was shrinking then, rather than growing. And WMG had already made three rounds of cuts in the past 19 months before last week’s layoffs. 

Some executives believe that Atlantic Music Group, which has struggled to produce new breakout artists in the last two years, was still too big and too inefficient, even after the previous reductions in staff. It’s nearly impossible to turn a massive ship quickly, and speed is crucial in what WMG CEO Robert Kyncl recently called a “fast-paced, fiercely competitive industry.”

The company’s realignment is intended to strengthen the core Atlantic Music Group structure while also making it more flexible, so it can throw its full weight behind artists at Atlantic, 300 or Elektra at any given time, sources say. “Elliot is confident in the team he’s put in place and they’re all focused on moving the needle,” a source inside WMG tells Billboard. The mission, this person continues, is focusing on “artists, artist development, great music. With all the anxiety about changes, there is excitement about the future, too.”

But others wonder if deep cuts will ultimately affect a label’s ability to deliver on behalf of its artists. “They’re smart people; obviously there’s some sort of plan” with the restructure and the layoffs, says Motti Shulman, who exited his role as senior vp of rhythm promotion at 300 Elektra Entertainment in 2023. “But if you keep cutting the fat, at some point you dig into the muscle. I think they’ve gone beyond the fat.”

Earlier this month, WMG employees say Grainge spent time in the company’s Los Angeles and New York offices along with Zach Friedman and Tony Talamo, who are set to become chief operating officer and general manager of Atlantic Music Group, respectively. Several Atlantic staffers believed that the incoming leadership was evaluating their work and weighing who might be cut. 

When layoffs began in New York last Thursday, a number of employees were told they were being let go in individual meetings with Greenwald — who had, in many cases, played an instrumental role in hiring them, sometimes decades ago. Some staffers started to call the artists they had collaborated with to notify them that they had been laid off. Others updated their LinkedIn profiles: #OpenToWork. 

Historically, when labels cut a lot of employees — as Universal Music group did in 1999, and WMG did in 2004 — they often trim artist rosters as well. Specific employees often champion specific artists in the building; if those cheerleaders are gone, the label may in turn sever ties with the acts they cheered for. On top of that, remaining staff might be spread too thin to aid as many acts as it did previously. Many managers are still waiting to hear if their artists will be affected in the shakeup.

Todd Rubenstein, a veteran music lawyer, has been watching the steady drumbeat of layoffs across the major labels since the start of 2023. “I find it all sad,” he says. “Not just from the human level of people losing their jobs, but everyone was already complaining before about what labels were not doing for their artists. What happens now that a hundred people got let go?”

On Monday (Sept. 23), Atlantic started trying to answer that question. The company announced a “new era” and a series of promotions. Kyncl promised that the label will be “deeply passionate about artists.” 

“We are committed to a single principle,” Grainge added. “Maximum impact.”

Eric Church recently paid homage to Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson as only “The Chief” can during the 17th annual ACM Honors, which were held in August at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and airs Tuesday (Sept. 24) on Merit Street Media.

During the event, Jackson — who has earned 26 Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 hits and is a co-writer or sole writer on most of those — was celebrated with the ACM Poet’s Award for his songwriting.

“Alan Jackson is an institution and an American treasure. It’s my honor to be here and play for him,” Church said before he offered a soulful performance of Jackson’s 1990 hit “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.”

Before launching into the performance, Church also offered up a story from being on the road with another country music luminary.

“I was touring with Hank [Williams] Jr., and every night he would play ‘Family Tradition,’” Church said, recalling that after he tried putting his own spin on the song, “Hank tolerated me for about 30 seconds and he pulled his glasses down and said, ‘Brother, don’t paint on the Mona Lisa.’ So tonight I’m going to try to paint around the Mona Lisa, OK?”

Church’s rugged rendition was passionate, clearly conveying the two artists’ shared experiences chasing their dreams — and weathering rejections — in Music City. Church earned a standing ovation and one of the most fervent applauses from the crowd, along with praise from Jackson himself.

This year, the annual ACM Honors celebrates honorees including Jackson, Trisha Yearwood, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton and Luke Bryan, as well as producer/former label head Tony Brown, music executive Shannon Sanders, songwriter Walt Aldridge, various music venues and several top-shelf musicians who play on so many of the country music albums emanating from Nashville.

Other performers and presenters during the evening include ACM Honors co-hosts Carly Pearce and Jordan Davis, as well as Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Jackson Dean, Kameron Marlowe, Lee Ann Womack, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Tyler Hubbard, Jamey Johnson, Ashley McBryde, Terri Clark and Keith Urban.

Watch the sneak peek look at Church’s performance below:

On Thursday, September 5, the heart of New York City’s music scene came alive as Tres Generaciones Tequila hosted an intimate dinner, bringing together the industry’s movers and shakers. Held ahead of the much-anticipated 2024 Hip Hop and R&B Power Players Award Celebration, this exclusive evening served as both a prelude to the prestigious awards and a celebration of the profound connection between music, culture, and community.

The dinner, held in a stunning green oasis in the heart of Times Square, was graced by key decision-makers, trendsetters, and notable artists, including NLE Choppa, Toosie, Serayah, and Saint Jhn, adding to the evening’s sense of prominence. A curated guest list ensured an air of exclusivity, where conversations flowed between the stars shaping the soundtracks of today and tomorrow.  The dinner also marked a toast to those shaping the future of music, showcasing the powerful partnership between Tres Generaciones and Billboard.

As the evening began, Rocsi Diaz, celebrated host of the Get Up Anthems series, took to the stage to share heartfelt words on the enduring power of music in the community. Her speech set the tone for the night, sharing how music, much like tequila, has the power to move, inspire, and unite us, reminding everyone in the room of the shared mission of Tres Generaciones: to bring people together in celebration.

Diaz then introduced the evening’s guest of honor, Joey Bada$$, a fellow New Yorker and Get Up Anthem participant, whose impact on the hip-hop scene has been undeniable.

Guests savored a perfectly paired, elevated culinary experience featuring signature cocktails crafted by Tres Generaciones Tequila, adding a luxurious flair to the evening. The “Trespresso Martini” and the “Tres 75,” both custom creations, perfectly complemented the sophisticated palette dinner. These drinks, like the artists in the room, were crafted with complexity and innovation, reflecting the essence of Tres Generaciones’ 50-year history of excellence. Born in 1973 to celebrate three legendary generations of distillers, Tres remains a symbol of Mexican pride, made with only three simple ingredients—agave, yeast, and water—and triple-distilled for a smoother finish.

Following the dinner, attendees were invited to descend two floors into the iconic Paradise Room, where the 2024 Hip Hop and R&B Power Players Award presentation awaited. The energy was electric as the room filled with industry titans ready to celebrate the night’s honorees. Joey Bada$$, having already captivated the dinner audience with his humility and wisdom, was honored with the prestigious Impact Award, presented by Tres Generaciones Tequila. The award recognized his enduring influence, innovative artistry, and his role in shaping the next generation of musicians and creatives.

This night, defined by intimacy, elegance, and a shared passion for the art form, set the stage for what promises to be a defining year for Hip Hop and R&B, reminding all in attendance of the cultural and creative power music holds. The Impact Dinner, like the music it celebrated, was more than just an event—it was a moment, a memory, and an ode to the voices that continue to move the world.

Continue the vibes at home and relive the night by watching Joey Bada$$’s acceptance speech HERE and check out the recap sizzle of this unforgettable evening. 

Tres Generaciones’ partnership with Billboard is built on a shared mission of inspiring and uplifting communities through music and celebration. Together, they spotlight the pivotal role that both music and tequila play in bringing people together—whether through the Get Up Anthems content series, which travels city to city celebrating iconic tracks, or the Get Up Sessions concert tour, showcasing the next great generation of artists.

To keep the evening’s magic alive, try recreating the signature cocktails served at the event. 

Cheers to music, culture, and continuing the celebration at home!