Hannah Montana leads this week’s New Music Friday — and, no, the world did not get magically transported to 2006!

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the iconic Disney Channel original series that launched her career, Miley Cyrus delivered a mature, evolved take on Hannah’s sound and style with “Young You,” a heartfelt adult contemporary ballad about reconnecting with your inner child.

Four-time Grammy-nominated musical virtuoso RAYE explored similar feelings, alongside the entire emotional spectrum, on her sprawling, technicolor sophomore studio album, This Music May Contain Hope. Led by “Where Is My Husband,” the 17-song set features collaborations with Hans Zimmer, Al Green, her grandad Michael and her sisters Absolutely and Amma.

Charlie Puth, who performed the national anthem at the Super Bowl on Feb. 8, shared his new Whatever’s Clever! album, which features collaborations with Coco Jones, Ravyn Lenae, Hikaru Utada and more. Swedish pop icon Robyn also dropped her stunning new Sexistential album, while alt-pop singer Melanie Martinez released her highly anticipated Hades LP.

This New Music Friday also featured new albums from Courtney Barnett (Creature of Habit), Elmiene (Sounds for Someone), NEEDTOBREATHE (The Long Surrender), Central Cee (All Roads Lead Home) and Justine Skye (Candy).

Back on the singles side, Beninese music icon Angélique Kidjo teamed up with Afropop sensation Ayra Starr for “Aye Kan (Are You Coming Back?),” Zayn shared the latest taste of his forthcoming Konnakol LP with “Sideways” and country star Thomas Rhett dropped a sweet cover of “Georgia on My Mind” for ESPN’s 2026 Masters Tournament campaign. Conan Gray also put out “The Best,” the first single from the deluxe edition of his Wishbone LP, which dropped last August.

Additional new singles arrived from Infinity Song’s Momo Boyd (“She’s a Sweetheart”), Luke Bryan (“Country and She Knows It”), Libianca (“I Believe in Better”), Ne-Yo (“Up Out & Gone”), Eric Bellinger (“Cry in Front of You”) and Jungle (“Carry On”).

Which new release this week is your favorite? Vote — or share your own pick — in Billboard‘s New Music Friday poll below.

Following a landmark court ruling that musicians can enforce U.S. copyright termination rules across the globe, the major music companies are now using an unorthodox legal maneuver to get the Supreme Court to overturn it: Buying out the guy who lost the case.

The first-of-its-kind decision, issued in January, adopted a novel legal theory that artists can use termination rights to regain not only their American copyrights, but also their overseas rights to the same songs, overturning decades of legal precedent and industry practice.

Artists and advocacy groups hailed the decision as a “game-changer for music creators,” but it was no win for the labels and publishers that stand to lose rights via termination. In court filings, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) have warned that it will disrupt “a half-century of settled industry norms.” And worse yet for them: Since no major music companies were involved, they have no way to appeal the ruling.

So, the majors got creative.

In a Thursday (March 26) court filing obtained and first reported by Billboard, units of all three major music companies (Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment) and BMG announced they had purchased the disputed copyright from Robert Reznik — the owner of the small music publisher who lost the landmark case to songwriter Cyril Vetter — and would take over the case.

And they were upfront about why they did it: “The publishers have made this acquisition for purposes of filing a petition for a writ of certiorari in this matter,” using the legal term for taking a case to the U.S. Supreme Court. “The court should grant such a substitution here, thereby allowing the publishers to protect their newly acquired interest by seeking Supreme Court review.”

Reps for the four music companies either declined to comment or did not return requests for comment.

In a statement to Billboard, Vetter’s attorney Tim Kappel said the majors taking over defense of the case was “a reflection of what we already knew about the importance of this case.”

“It’s not a shock that legacy music publishers are concerned,” Kappel said. “Their deals were designed to maintain perpetual control over assets like [Vetter’s song]. But their intentions are irrelevant. It’s only the intentions of Congress that matter, and on that front, we continue to believe that Cyril has the stronger arguments no matter who we’re up against.”

Termination is a copyright provision that allows authors a “second bite at the apple,” allowing them to recapture their rights decades after they sold them away. But historically, it has only ever applied to American copyrights and had no effect on rights in foreign countries. Under that approach, publishers often continue to own overseas rights even after a U.S. termination, giving them veto power over cross-border projects and a big bargaining chip in negotiations.

In January’s ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit rejected that longstanding precedent. Siding with Vetter in his quest to win back ownership of the 1963 rock classic “Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love),” the court said Congress had written the termination statute with the goal of correcting “unequal bargaining power,” and thus clearly did not intend for authors to win back “only half of the apple” when they invoke the law.

If adopted in courts across the country, the ruling would be a boon for artists and songwriters. It was celebrated by groups like Irving Azoff’s Music Artists Coalition (MAC), which called it a “seismic shift” that would be “fundamentally altering the economic landscape” for musicians. But it was met with silence by labels and publishers, who believe it is legally wrong and will inject uncertainty into the industry at a time when streaming royalties and catalog values are booming.

“[The] decision unsettles the bedrock understanding of foreign exploitation rights against which tens of thousands of agreements respecting recorded music and music publishing copyrights have been drafted, negotiated, and executed,” attorneys for the RIAA and NMPA wrote in a court filing ahead of the Fifth Circuit’s decision.

Thursday’s move to swap in the major labels for Resnik as the defendant in the case is an unusual legal tactic. Influential cases move through the court system every day, but companies that are concerned about their potential impact rarely buy out the defendant in order to litigate them.

Companies and industry groups instead often file amicus briefs, or “friend of the court” filings, in landmark cases, allowing them to argue their positions and warn of potential collateral damage. They also sometimes fund legal teams behind the scenes, allowing a small litigant without resources to continue fighting an important case up the appellate ladder.

The fact that the labels went further in Vetter’s case and directly took over the litigation underscores that they view the case as a crucial precedent that must be overturned. One possible explanation is that Resnik was not going to appeal the ruling at all, leaving unchallenged a decision they think could be undone by the Supreme Court. Resnik’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.

The deadline to file a petition with the Supreme Court is April 13, 2026, though the labels indicated in court documents that they plan to request an extension of time to take the case to the high court.

This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music including a first collaborative effort by Yami Safdie and Alejandro Sanz called “Cuéntame”; Melanie Santiler’s first single of 2026 called “Todo Se Me Da”; and album releases from León Larregui (Manifiesto de un Tremendo Delirio) and Linea Personal (Todo Ø Nada).

Venezuelan forces Elena Rose and Alleh (a 2025 Latin Grammy best new artist nominee) come together for “TUTUTU.” On the sensual afro-pop fusion, produced by Daramola, the artists sing about connecting and desiring each other, and even wanting to have each other’s baby.

Over on the Música Mexicana realm, Edgardo Núñez and Xavi drop the innovative and playful rock n’ roll-infused cumbia “Véngache Pa’ Acá.” “It was difficult to incorporate the accordion, but we pulled it off. All the sounds together resulted in something that people will enjoy and dance to from the very first chord,” Núñez told Billboard Español.

Meanwhile, Draco Rosa, Becky G, and J Balvin have all released new music as well. The most recent poll was crowned by Santos Bravos, whose debut EP Dual nabbed more than 98% of the vote.

Which release this week do you think is best? Give these new releases a spin and vote for your favorite new Latin music release below:

Editor’s Note: The results of the weekly New Music Latin poll will be posted if the poll generates more than 1,000 votes. This poll closes at 9 a.m. ET on Monday, March 30.

Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s “Rein Me In” is No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart for a fifth non-consecutive week on the tally dated March 27.

The song first hit the top spot in February and is the longest running No. 1 of 2026 so far; it’s Fender’s first U.K. chart-topper and Dean’s second. At the 2026 BRIT Awards, “Rein Me In” won song of the year in a fan-voted category.

“Rein Me In” first appeared on Fender’s People Watching, the Mercury Prize-winning album released in February 2025. Four months on, Dean teamed up with the North Shields singer for a new version of the track following a live performance at Fender’s London Stadium show. 

BTS’ “Swim” lands at No. 2 to give the group its highest charting single in the U.K. The track surpasses “Dynamite” (2020) and “Butter” (2021), which both peaked at No. 3, and becomes the band’s fifth top 10 hit. Two further songs from BTS’ comeback album, ARIRANG — which lands at No. 1 on the Official Albums Chart — appear in the top 40: “Body to Body” (No. 28) and “FYA” (No. 39).

Bella Kay’s breakthrough hit “Iloveitloveitiloveit” slips one spot to No. 3, and Harry Styles’ “American Girls” clocks in at No. 4. PinkPantheress’ “Stateside” is at No. 5, and comes in the week that a remixed version of the track with Zara Larsson charts at No. 1 on the Global 200.

There’s more moves for Dominic Fike as “Babydoll” (No. 11) and “White Keys” (No. 17) both see a bump week-on-week. Tame Impala’s “Dracula” is up to No. 12, and RAYE’s collaboration with Hans Zimmer, “Click Clack Symphony,” debuts at No. 18.

Billboard Canada Power Players returns for 2026, spotlighting the executives driving the country’s music business and shaping its global impact.

An extension of Billboard’s celebrated Power 100, the list recognizes the most powerful leaders across sectors whose work is influencing how the industry operates and grows.

The celebration returns to Toronto on June 10 as part of Billboard Canada’s ongoing partnership with NXNE, placing Power Players at the centre of one of the Canadian music industry’s most important music conferences and festivals.

Nominations are officially open. The deadline to apply is April 17, 2026.

Submissions are invited from across all areas of the industry. Candidates will be evaluated based on their impact over the past year using various metrics, including (but not limited to) leadership, market share, revenues and contributions to the wider music ecosystem.

The list is peer-nominated and selected by the Billboard Canada editorial team, with honourees spanning labels, publishing, live, streaming & radio, creative media, management and more.

“Canada hits above its weight when it comes to music — both the artists and the people shaping their success behind the scenes,” says Richard Trapunski, National Editor of Billboard Canada. “It’s always energizing to gather these impactful people together and celebrate their success and influence.”

Find the nomination form and more info here. – Billboard Canada

Spotify Reveals How Much Canadian Artists Earned on the Platform in 2025

Spotify says that Canadian artists have generated over $544 million in royalties from the platform in 2025 — a 19% year-over-year jump and a nearly 60% increase since 2021.

That’s according to the company’s latest Loud & Clear streaming report, designed to provide “artists and fans insights and transparency when it comes to Canada’s music streaming economy.”

More than 370 Canadian artists have each generated over $100,000 on the platform in 2025, Spotify claims — a figure that has nearly doubled since 2018. In addition, over 100 Canadian artists surpassed $500,000, the report says, and nearly 70 artists reached $1 million.

“It represents real income that helps artists build careers from the ground up, whether they’re in a bedroom in Calgary, a studio in Montreal or a basement in Halifax,” the report reads. “This growth shows that more artists than ever are building sustainable careers at every level.”

In comparison, Canada’s total recorded music revenue increased to 5.6%, reaching $957 million, per IFPI’s Global Music Report. According to the worldwide recording industry organization, streaming alone accounted for 4.5% of the country’s revenue, hitting $747 million.

The Canadian-centric Spotify data follows the global report released earlier this month, highlighting that over 13,800 artists generated $100,000 on the platform.

According to the streaming giant, artist discovery — at home and internationally — continues to fuel artist growth. Canadian acts were discovered by first-time listeners on Spotify more than 3.56 billion times last year. It’s only a slight drop, from 3.8 billion in 2024.

Notably, 92% of the earned royalties came from listeners outside of Canada, further highlighting how global audiences can contribute to an artist’s success.

In recent years, Spotify has faced criticism over its royalty share model, which pays artists based on the share of overall streams their music accounts for in a given period. Two years ago, the streamer altered its framework, stating songs with less than 1,000 annual streams would be demonetized.

The results come as Spotify joins other streaming services to oppose ‘Streaming Tax’ measures as part of the Online Streaming Act and pushes back against a new Quebec bill to prioritize French-language content on streaming platforms.

Read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh

U.S. Congressman Targets Canada’s Online Streaming Act in New Bill

U.S. politicians are again targeting Canada’s Online Streaming Act.

Congressman Lloyd Smucker has introduced a new bill, titled the Protecting American Streaming and Innovation Act, that will investigate whether the Canadian legislation “discriminates against or burdens” U.S. companies.

If the investigation, completed by the United States Trade Representative (USTR), finds that this is true, they’re required to “take necessary retaliatory action,” which could include the implementation of tariffs in Canada.

“Digital trade plays a critical role in America’s economy, supporting high-paying jobs and exporting American values,” says Rep. Smucker in a news release statement on his website.

“Canada’s unfair policies stack the deck against U.S. companies, creators, and workers. This bill would protect American creators and companies while permitting mutually beneficial competition and innovation.”

The Online Streaming Act rolled out in 2023, but has yet to be fully implemented by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), becoming the subject of multiple legal disputes.

Notably, one of the legislation’s key updates was the federal broadcast regulator ordering major foreign streaming platforms such as Spotify, Amazon and Apple to make a 5% contribution toward Canadian content. The allocated funds would go towards established organizations and non-profits, including FACTOR Canada and Musicaction — but it didn’t get very far.

The decision — which would’ve cost the platforms an estimated $1.25 million each annually — received pushback from the major streamers, prompting them to appeal the base contributions. The payments have remained paused, but were a hot topic of conversation during the CRTC public hearings in September.

The streaming tax also received criticism from U.S. Congress, which has made it a hot political topic amongst international trade negotiations in the wake of Trump’s tariffs. 18 members of the U.S. Congress, including Smucker. The Congress signed a letter last summer, claiming the act “imposes discriminatory obligations and threatens additional obligations imminently is a major threat to our cross-border digital trade relationship.”

Read more here. – H.T.S.