Labrinth has made a bold declaration against his record label, his longtime partnership with HBO’s Euphoria and the music industry as a whole in a fiery post that came seemingly out of nowhere Friday (March 13).

Written in white, all-caps text against a stark black backdrop, the singer-songwriter’s message on Instagram cut right to the chase. “I’M DONE WITH THIS INDUSTRY,” it read. “F–K COLUMBIA. DOUBLE F–K EUPHORIA.”

He concluded, “I’M OUT. THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT X.”

Billboard has reached out to Columbia and HBO for comment, as well as Labrinth’s rep for additional information.

It’s unclear what sparked Labrinth’s post. The musician had just released new album Cosmic Opera Act I in January via the Sony-owned label, to which he’s been signed since 2019. He also posted a teaser for new music on Instagram on March 4 with the caption “04.10.26,” possibly referring to his upcoming score for the third season of Euphoria, which premieres April 12.

The producer has been working with Euphoria and its creator, Sam Levinson, since the show’s beginning in 2019, composing, producing and sometimes singing on all of the songs on the soundtracks for seasons one and two. “I’m Tired” from the second season, which features leading lady Zendaya on vocals, reached No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“I don’t think I was excited about composing for a TV show, honestly speaking,” Labrinth told Billboard in a 2022 interview. “I did want to compose music, but the thing that excited me the most was Sam’s passion for the show, and what he wanted to do … It felt like method acting with music. And especially with Euphoria, where one minute you’re making funk and then the next minute you’re making, I don’t know, some Vivaldi piece of music, for me that was super fun.”

Before Euphoria, Labrinth debuted in 2010 with single “Let the Sun Shine.” His first album, Electronic Earth, came out two years later. It was one of two LPs he dropped while signed to Syco, Simon Cowell’s record label, before switching to Columbia.

Nineteen people were convicted in a Moscow court on Thursday for their roles in the deadly 2024 attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue, where four gunmen opened fire on concertgoers before setting the building ablaze, killing 149 people and injuring more than 600 in one of Russia’s deadliest terror incidents in decades.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility, and U.S. officials later attributed the assault to ISIS‑K, a regional affiliate. Russian authorities identified the four gunmen as Tajik citizens and said they attempted to flee toward Ukraine before being captured the day after the massacre.

The trial, held behind closed doors in a military court due to terrorism charges, ended with 15 defendants receiving life terms, while four others — accused of roles such as selling the attackers a car, renting them an apartment, or providing logistical support — were sentenced to between 19 and 22-and-a-half years. According to the Associated Press, judges also imposed fines ranging from 500,000 ($6,300 USD) to 2.7 million ($34,000) rubles.

Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have repeatedly claimed — without providing evidence — that the attack was linked to Ukraine, a charge Kyiv has denied. The court echoed those allegations in its verdict, asserting that the masterminds acted “in the interests of the top political leadership of Ukraine,” despite not offering any corroborating proof.

The four gunmen appeared in court shortly after their arrests bearing signs of severe beatings, drawing human-rights concerns during the investigation. Alongside them, 11 men accused of providing weapons or funding were handed life sentences as well.

The massacre has had lasting social repercussions. According to The New York Times, the fact that the attackers were Tajik nationals fueled a surge in xenophobic backlash against Central Asian migrants, prompting the Russian government to impose tighter regulations, including new restrictions on school access for migrant children. As a result, many Tajik workers — a key part of Russia’s labor force — have left the country, deepening an already significant labor shortage.

Two days before he is set to perform at the 2026 Oscars, Josh Groban has announced his new album, Cinematic, which is due May 8 via Reprise Records. A tribute to music from the silver screen, the 10-track album was produced by Greg Wells and was recorded in both Los Angeles and London.

It’s Groban’s 10th studio album and his first in more than five years. Cinematic is something of a companion to his 2015 album Stages, which consisted of songs from Broadway musicals. Stages brought Groban a Grammy nod for best traditional pop vocal album, one of three he has received in that category.

To herald the announcement, Josh has shared his soaring new rendition of the Elton John/Tim Rice ballad “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King, featuring the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles.

Two other tracks also feature special guests. Jennifer Hudson, who is the special guest on Groban’s upcoming North American tour, is featured on “Unchained Melody,” best known for its appearance in the 1990 film Ghost. Groban’s dad, Jack Groban, plays a trumpet solo on “Moon River,” the classic ballad from the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

“There’s something incredibly powerful about the way a song or score can elevate a story and stay with you long after the credits roll,” Groban said in a statement. “With Cinematic, I wanted to honor that feeling — the nostalgia, the drama, the romance — while bringing my own voice and perspective to these timeless songs. Recording this album felt like stepping into some of the most iconic moments in film history, and I hope listeners are transported the same way I have always been when the lights go down and the music begins.”

Five of the 10 tracks won Oscars for best original song. Two others were nominated but didn’t win. “Unchained Melody” was nominated when it was written for the 1955 film Unchained. (It lost to “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing.”) Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” was nominated, but lost to Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You.”

The three other songs on the album weren’t eligible for Oscars because they weren’t written for the films in which they appeared. They are “Brucia La Terra,” a Sicilian-language rendition of “Love Theme From The Godfather” (sometimes known as “Speak Softly, Love”); “As Time Goes By,” famous for its use in Casablanca; and “Stand By Me,” which was a hit long before it was featured in Rob Reiner’s classic film of the same name.

On Feb. 7, Groban kicked off his GEMS World Tour with a performance in Honolulu. There are seven remaining dates on the World Tour. From June 2 to July 3, the tour continues through North America with special guest Jennifer Hudson. Groban will return to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace this fall for “GEMS The Las Vegas Residency” (Oct. 2, 3, 7 and 9).

See Groban’s Cinematic announcement and tracklist below:

In the opening shot of the “Risk It All” music video, Bruno Mars sits poised, guitar in hand, dressed in a crimson matador-style suit and cowboy hat. Around him, L.A.-based Mariachi los Criollos de Guadalajara appear in crisp off-white charro suits complete with embroidered bow ties and wide-brimmed sombreros. Behind them, Guardian Angel Catholic Church in East Hollywood glows with worn blue plaster walls against the SoCal golden-hour sun.

The music matches the mood. Tenderly plucked nylon strings, and a sound that begins to swell: trumpets cry and violins hum with longing, all while Mars delivers crooning verses that lift the intensity further still. The bolero harkens back to love songs from a bygone era, but one kept alive by timeless tradition and passionate musicianship.

For Grammy-winning producer D’Mile, who co-produced Mars’ latest album, The Romantic, helping craft the opening bolero track wasn’t landing on a good version of the song — it was about finding the version. “Most of the time was spent figuring out what world we wanted to go to,” D’Mile tells Billboard Español. While Mars already had the title and a clear hook in mind, D’Mile says, “We tried so many different versions of that song.” The two-year process eventually led them to the lush, romantic bolero heard today.

Released on Feb. 27, “Risk It All” has already captured hearts. This week, it debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, three spots behind The Romantic‘s lead single “I Just Might,” which tops the chart. Meanwhile, “Risk It All” landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and the Streaming Songs list. He’s one of only two artists, alongside Kendrick Lamar, to simultaneously top the Hot 100 and Global 200 with separate tracks. The album also debuted atop the Billboard 200.

For an artist whose hits have leaned heavily into funk-pop anthems and retro-modern grooves, opening his first solo album in a decade with a bolero is an unexpected statement — but a fearless embrace of his cultural and artistic heritage. Mars was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to a Puerto Rican and Jewish father from Brooklyn and a Filipino mother.

At first, the team, along with Mars’ band the Hooligans, explored funkier, more uptempo directions, but nothing seemed to match the emotional power of Mars’ lyrics. “[We] just always just try a bunch of different ways to do it, until we land on something that just feels great to us,” D’Mile explains. “There was some funky versions, and one that felt like how [Romantic album-mate] ‘God Was Showing Off’ ended up feeling like. But then one day, [Bruno] was like, ‘I think the biggest mistake we’re making with that is that maybe it has to be a slow song.’ Most of the other versions were more up-tempo. And because of the lines that he was saying, ‘Say you want the moon, watch me learn to fly,’ maybe it shouldn’t be fun. It should be more romantic.”

That realization shifted everything. Mars and D’Mile decided to approach the song as a bolero, where its slower tempo, delicate guitar and lush instrumentation could amplify the romance at its core. D’Mile remembers the moment clearly: “I picked up the acoustic guitar and noodled around, and Bruno was freestyling and singing along. That started the whole idea, and we were like, ‘Okay, this is where we go.’”

“I was very much excited about that version more than any other version that we did,” he continues. “I don’t think I’ve heard him do anything quite like that, and I just remember telling him, ‘This one is great, because it’s different for you.’” It was a version that showcase Mars’ rare ability to innovate while exploring his roots — a delicate balance that redefined expectations for the album opener.

When it came time to translate the bolero into a music video, Mars recruited Mariachi Los Criollos de Guadalajara to bring an added layer of authentic elegance. Though the mariachi ensemble didn’t play on the official recording — Mars’ band, The Hooligans, handled the studio production — the group played a pivotal role in shaping the visuals that have already captivated nearly 34 millions of viewers on YouTube, since its’ two-week release. On Spotify, it’s already over 70 million streams.

Mariachi Los Criollos de Guadalajara was initially hired to appear in the video, performing to playback audio. “They hired us to pretend to play the instruments,” recalls the group’s bandleader Joel Jacques, but the band had other plans. “In the end, we learned the song by ear and actually played it. When [Bruno Mars] heard us, he said, ‘Wow. These are real musicians.’” Jacques adds that it’s not a good look to fake playing the music, hence learning the song immediately.

How the group landed the gig speaks to its professionalism and stature. “It was a casting,” Jacques explains, adding that their impressive online reputation, bolstered by their Yelp following of over 150 five-star reviews, helped them land the gig. To seal the deal, Jacques emphasized the importance of authenticity and tradition, sending videos of iconic artists like Elvis Presley performing “Guadalajara” with Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán — the gold standard of mariachi music. “I told them, ‘Look at Vicente Fernández or Juan Gabriel. None of them came out with small mariachis; there were always 10, 11 musicians. That’s how it should be,’” Jacques recalls. His insistence on grandeur resonated with the casting director.

“As representatives of our Mexican music, we have to always be impeccable,” Jacques says. Mars followed suit, delivering a visual and sonic tribute to mariachi elegance.

For Jacques, the rich, layered visuals of the music video mirror the multifaceted global legacy of mariachi, a tradition rooted in his native Guadalajara, one of the birthplaces of mariachi music. “Being from the land of mariachi means something. I was always taught to respect and wear the charro suit with pride,” Jacques says, reflecting on mentors like the late Lino Briseño, an original member of Mariachi Vargas, who instilled in him discipline and reverence for the craft.

While regional Mexican music has exploded internationally in recent years, Jacques acknowledges that norteñas and corridos tend to dominate the genre’s spotlight. Yet, he doesn’t see this collaboration as a departure from mariachi’s core — it’s simply another chapter. “Regional Mexican music is now categorized as norteño, banda — a whole bunch of things, but not mariachi,” he says, lamenting how the genre that forms “the foundation of all our Mexican music” is sometimes overlooked. For him, this bolero’s moment in the spotlight is a long-awaited opportunity to showcase the genre’s instrumental richness and romantic core. “It’s a fusion of huapangos, sones, guitarrón, vihuela, and harp. It’s something beautiful and full of feeling,” Jacques says.

That sentiment, Jacques adds, connects the music of Mexico and Puerto Rico. Songs like “En Mi Viejo San Juan” — originally by Puerto Rican composer Noel Estrada, but made iconic by Mexican mariachi legend Javier Solís — embody the bonds shared between the two traditions. “Puerto Rico and Mexico have always been twinned in musical matters,” Jacques explains, underscoring how bolero bridges their romantic legacies.

With a Puerto Rican father and a rich musical upbringing, Mars seemed to draw on those roots. For D’Mile, the themes of “Risk It All” may have acted as a bridge between Mars’ artistry and his cultural heritage.

“I feel like, yes,” D’Mile says when asked whether this song was a way for Mars to explore his roots. Though it was never explicitly discussed, D’Mile reflects, “Sometimes I do wonder the reasons for his choices. When you look back, it’s probably in the back of his mind — he was thinking, ‘Yeah, I do want to tap into that side of things.’ Because that’s what he grew up on. His father was a percussionist. His whole family, they were all into that side of things.”