Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times” makes a splash on Billboard’s Top Movie Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), for March 2026, bowing at No. 3 after it was featured in the newly released Project Hail Mary.
Rankings for the Top Movie Songs chart are based on song and film data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of March 2026. The ranking generally includes newly released films from the preceding three months, with exceptions given to movies whose music is still experiencing a high volume of public interest.
“Sign of the Times,” Styles’ debut solo single, was initially featured in Project Hail Mary’s trailer in June 2025. It’s then utilized in the film itself via a karaoke scene in which the song is performed by the character Eva Stratt, played by Sandra Hüller.
In March 2026, “Sign of the Times” received 18.2 million official streams in the United States and sold 6,000 downloads, according to Luminate. With the latter count, it broke back onto the weekly Digital Song Sales chart for the first time since 2022, eventually reaching No. 19 for two weeks so far (April 11 and April 18).
The track debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2017, the first of what has become nine top 10s solo for Styles, including three No. 1s, most recently via “Aperture” in February.
Top Movie Songs remains led by HUNTR/X’s “Golden,” from KPop Demon Hunters, earning 71.7 million streams and 15,000 downloads in March 2026. The eight-week Hot 100 No. 1 spent the entirety of March in the chart’s top eight. In March, the song was performed at the 2026 Academy Awards ceremony, at which it also won the award for best original song.
Shakira’s “Zoo,” from Zootopia 2, follows at No. 2 (27.3 million streams, 6,000 downloads), benefiting in part from the film’s Disney+ on March 11. The song returned to the Hot 100 at a new peak of No. 73 on the March 28-dated survey.
See the full top 10 below.
Rank, Song, Artist, Movie
“Golden,” HUNTR/X, KPop Demon Hunters
“Zoo,” Shakira, Zootopia 2
“Sign of the Times,” Harry Styles, Project Hail Mary
“Soda Pop,” Saja Boys, KPop Demon Hunters
“How It’s Done,” HUNTR/X, KPop Demon Hunters
“What It Sounds Like,” HUNTR/X, KPop Demon Hunters
“Your Idol,” Saja Boys, KPop Demon Hunters
“Takedown,” HUNTR/X, KPop Demon Hunters
“Free,” EJAE & Andrew Choi, KPop Demon Hunters
“Twisting the Knife,” Ice Nine Kills feat. Mckenna Grace, Scream 7
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-04-17 17:10:442026-04-17 17:10:44Harry Styles Scores Top Movie Songs Chart Debut Thanks to ‘Project Hail Mary’
Live Nation, SiriusXM, Symphonic Distribution, Music Business Association, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Publishing and more have been named standout companies for women in music.
The latest edition of WIM Best Places To Work — the study conducted by nonprofit organization Women in Music in partnership with company reviews platform InHerSight — also credited Ticketmaster, Spotify, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Loeb & Loeb, Nettwerk Music Group, The Mechanical Licensing Collective, The Orchard, A2IM, The Syndicate, The Recording Academy and Bright Antenna Records for excelling in workplace inclusivity and employee satisfaction.
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“We know that statistically, women in workplace leadership enhance financial performance and drive innovation, but they remain underrepresented,” said Women in Music president Nicole Barsalona. “This year, we’re excited to highlight companies that are working to fix a system that too often fails to create a culture where women can thrive. Companies like Live Nation and The Recording Academy had high response rates, demonstrating openness and commitment to transparency and accountability, increasingly rare and commendable these days.”
“This recognition reflects the culture Live Nation Women is committed to helping build every day,” said Live Nation Women president and chief strategy officer Ali Harnell. “One that supports women at every stage of their lives and careers so they can grow, lead, and drive impact across industry.”
Big Picture Media, Music Business Association, Bright Antenna Records, The Orchard and A2IM all came in with perfect scores for equal opportunities for women and men. Meanwhile, Big Picture Media, Bright Antenna Records, Music Business Association, The Orchard and A2IM all had perfect scores in women in leadership. The top companies for salary satisfaction were SiriusXM, Music Business Association and Bright Antenna Records.
“As an independent company built from the ground up, this recognition is especially meaningful,” said Symphonic founder and CEO Jorge Brea. “From day one, our focus has been on people, creating a culture where our team feels supported, valued, and empowered to grow. That foundation has allowed us to build a global company without losing the human touch that got us here.”
Despite the individual company accolades, persistent disparities continue to plague women in the workplace. The survey found that nearly half of women say they would not recommend their workplace, and 45% of women believe company support for women has declined. More than 70% of women plan to start or continue looking for a new job in 2026 due to better-paying opportunities.
“The past year has had a devastating impact on women’s careers. Women have left the workforce in droves, and the areas where they are currently thriving like healthcare and education are often undervalued and underpaid,” said InHerSight co-founder and CEO Ursula Mead. “Meanwhile, many companies choose to remain silent, quietly stepping back from or dismantling initiatives that support women’s advancement — advancement that has historically made our workplaces more innovative, creative, and profitable. That’s why the transparency we’ve seen in this year’s Women in Music® campaign is so encouraging at a time like this.”
The WIM Best Places to Work survey is conducted on an opt-in basis at 185 companies. More than 6,875 recipients replied to the survey that was first conducted in 2025. The survey inquired about management opportunities, flexible work hours, maternity and adoptive leave, employer responsiveness and other factors for women.
Big Picture Media, Bright Antenna Records, Music Business Association, SAG-AFTRA and The Syndicate scored perfectly on the company’s sense of belonging, with Universal Music Group, Live Nation, The Recording Academy, The Orchard, Concord, Spotify, The MLC, Kobalt, Nettwerk and more receiving high marks in the category.
“Being recognized by the 2026 Women in Music Best Places to Work list — in categories such as, Women in Leadership and Sense of Belonging — is a true honor and a testament to the intentional, people-first culture we’ve built at the Recording Academy,” said Recording Academy chief people and culture officer Shonda Grant. “We believe that when our team feels seen, supported, and empowered, they do their best work on behalf of music creators everywhere.”
Women in Music is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, unaffiliated with Billboard, founded in 1985 to educate, empower and advance women in the music industry. WIM hosts year-round educational and career development programming in chapter markets around the world, with equity-focused initiatives that include WIM Safe(r) Spaces, the WIM Workplace Initiative, the WIM Mentorship Program and the WIM Executive Internship Program. To become a charitable partner or to make a donation, go to womeninmusic.org.
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Olivia Dean has scored the second U.K. chart double of her career with concurrent No. 1s on the albums and singles charts dated April 17.
Dean first achieved the feat in October 2025 and has repeated it once again with The Art of Loving at the summit of the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, and “Rein Me In,” a joint track with Sam Fender, at the top spot on the Official Singles Chart.
The Art of Loving, Dean’s sophomore album, is now in its eighth non-consecutive week at No. 1; “Rein Me In” has also scored eight non-consecutive weeks as the nation’s biggest song. The latter first appeared on Fender’s People Watching LP with Dean joining for a new version in June 2025. The song is up to No. 64 on the Billboard Hot 100, Fender’s debut appearance on the charts.
On the Official Albums Chart, Dean sees off competition from Jack Savoretti, whose We Will Always Be the Way We Were finishes at No. 2.
Amid a massive North American tour, RAYE’s This Music May Contain Hope finishes the week at No. 3, while Holly Humberstone debuts at No. 4 with her second album, Cruel World. BTS’ ARIRANG holds its position at No. 5.
Ella Langley’s Dandelion is at No. 7, her first appearance on the Official Albums Chart, while Enter Shikari’s surprise LP Lose Your Self lands at No. 16.
On the Official Singles Chart, “Rein Me In” is closely followed by Tame Impala’s “Dracula” which moves up one spot to No. 2. Alex Warren’s “Fever Dream” lifts two spots to No. 3, while sombr’s “Homewrecker” closes at No. 4 and Dominic Fike’s “Babydoll” comes in at No. 5.
Justin Bieber is among the acts to see their catalogue earn a post-Coachella bump. Following his divisive headlining set, Bieber sees 2012 track “Beauty and a Beat” spike 358% week-on-week to land at No. 11 on the Singles Chart, an improvement on its previous peak (No. 16), with “Daisies” (No. 15) and “Yukon” (No. 26) also benefitting. On the Albums Chart, his 2015 LP, Purpose, is at No. 25 with 2025’s Swag placing at No. 37.
KATSEYE, who drew one of the weekend’s biggest crowds, see “PINKY Up” debut at No. 11 for the group’s best ever finish.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-04-17 17:00:542026-04-17 17:00:54Olivia Dean Scores U.K. Chart Double as Justin Bieber Sees Post-Coachella Bounce
If Beyoncé‘s next album is rock-inspired — as it has long been rumored — there’s practically no one better to serve as a guest artist on the project than Hayley Williams.
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That’s why one fan at the Paramore frontwoman’s solo show in Maryland on Wednesday (April 15) took the chance to ask her flat-out whether she’s going to be featured on Bey’s Act III. As captured in a video taken at the concert, Williams coyly told the shouting concertgoer, “What do you want me to do if I am?”
“Girl, I don’t know if I am or not,” the vocalist continued. “I have no answer. I wish I could tell you. If I could tell anyone, it would be you right now.”
Williams added, “You might know before I do.”
Bey has been in the process of rolling out a trilogy of albums since 2022, when she dropped Act I, Renaissance. In 2024, she released Act II, Cowboy Carter; both projects topped the Billboard 200.
The first two albums in the series both marked distinct genre pivots for the Destiny’s Child alum, who experimented with dance music on the first act and country on the second. Fans have long wondered which genre she’ll explore on Act III, but the most popular guess is arguably rock. And since Cowboy Carter featured so many guest artists — from Dolly Parton to Willie Nelson, Shaboozey, Miley Cyrus and Post Malone — it would make sense for the trilogy’s finale to follow suit.
With all that in mind, Williams — one of modern rock’s foremost stars — could be the perfect person to feature on Bey’s highly anticipated next album. For now, the “Misery Business” singer is busy with her tour in support of her 2025 album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party. Following her stop in Maryland, she’ll play next at The Fillmore in Minneapolis on Friday (April 17) before traveling through more parts of the United States this spring and Europe this summer.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-04-17 16:35:332026-04-17 16:35:33Paramore’s Hayley Williams Addresses Whether She’s on Beyoncé’s ‘Act III’ Amid Rock Rumors
Ye’s (formerly Kanye West) upcoming concert in Chorzów, Poland, has been canceled. A rep for Silesian Stadium, where West was set to perform on June 19, told Wyborcza in a story published Friday (April 17) that “the concert will not take place.”
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“We will inform the organizer in a few hours,” the rep added in a statement. “Our lawyers are preparing a letter regarding this matter.”
Reuters also reported on the show’s cancellation, citing stadium director Adam Strzyzewski’s statement posted to the venue’s Facebook page, which read: “We would like to inform you that the Ye (Kanye West) concert planned for 19 June 2026 at the… Slaski stadium will not take place due to formal and legal reasons.”
Billboard has reached out to West’s rep for comment
The decision to pull the plug on West’s concert in Chorzów comes shortly after Ye postponed his June show in France amid backlash from the country’s interior minister and the U.K. government’s ruling to deny Yeezy a travel visa, which led to the cancellation of London’s Wireless Fest, where he was set to headline, due to Ye’s past antisemitic remarks and hate speech.
Poland’s culture minister,Marta Cienkowska, spoke out against Ye potentially having a show in the country on social media on Thursday (April 16), calling the decision “unacceptable.”
“The decision to organize a Kanye West concert in Poland is unacceptable,” she wrote in a message posted to X on Thursday (April 16). “We are talking about an artist who has publicly made antisemitic views, downplayed crimes and profited from selling swastika T-shirts. These are not ‘controversies’. This is a deliberate crossing of boundaries and the normalization of hatred.”
Cienkowska continued: “In a country scarred by the history of the Holocaust, we cannot pretend this is just entertainment. Artistic freedom does not mean giving a free pass to everything. Culture cannot be a space for those who use it to spread contempt.”
West has yet to release a statement regarding the show cancellation in Poland. According to the Yeezy website, he’s still slated to perform in New Delhi, Istanbul, the Netherlands, Italy, Madrid and Portugal later this year.
The polarizing Chicago native is still dealing with the fallout from his actions, which included selling a swastika T-shirt and releasing a song titled “Heil Hitler” in 2025.
Ye released his Bully album on March 28, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. He returned to the stage in the U.S. with a pair of SoFi Stadium shows on April 1 and April 3.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-04-17 16:30:332026-04-17 16:30:33Ye’s Poland Show Canceled After Culture Minister Condemns Rapper: ‘We Cannot Pretend This Is Just Entertainment’
You know that old saying about “don’t quit your day job?” Well, that’s excellent advice for Zohran Mamdani, who has a solid gig as New York’s Mayor since his election last November. But according to the New York Times, on Thursday (April 16), Mamdani, 34, and his wife, graphic designer Rama Duwaji, released the details of their joint tax return and let’s just say it’s a good thing his new gig pays in the mid-$250K range, because the cash coming in from Mamdani’s previous rap career isn’t going to keep the couple afloat.
The paper said that the couple reported a total 2025 income of $145,000, most of it coming from Mamdani’s state assemblyman salary of $131,296. A much smaller portion, $1,643, came in the form of royalties from Mamdani’s former gig as a rapper under the name Mr. Cardamom, with more than half of that figure coming from abroad. At press time it was not known what Mamdani’s previous-year hip-hop-related earnings amounted to.
Even though the royalties were modest, according to Luminate, Mamdani’s U.S. streams exploded in 2025. The six songs from his 2016 EP, Sidda Mukyallo, credited to Young Cardamom and Mamdani’s musical partner HAB (Abdul Bar Hussein), pulled in a combined 58,000 U.S. official on-demand streams in 2025. To date, the EP has 79,000 streams, meaning that 74% of its lifetime streams came last year.
In addition, his 2019 single, “Nani,” had 219,000 U.S. official on-demand streams in the U.S., which is a majority of its 232,000 lifetime total. Young Cardamom and HAB’s 2016 “#1 Spice” song had 243,000 official on-demand U.S. streams in 2025 out of its 595,000 lifetime total.
Before his rise to Mayor, Mamdani had a side hustle as a rapper under the stage names Young Cardamom and then Mr. Cardamom. As he gained more name recognition during his run for the city’s top office, his catalog picked up steam, with his streaming numbers getting a significant bump.
In addition to the Sidda Mukyaalo EP — on which the two men rap in six different languages, while drawing from their shared Ugandan heritage — they also released “#1 Spice” on the soundtrack to the Disney biographical drama Queen of Katwe.
Previously, the U.S. streams for Young Cardamom and HAB’s catalog went from less than 1,000 in late May of 2025, before Mamdani’s secured the nomination, to more than 15,000 from June 13-19, the week before he became the presumptive Democratic candidate for Mayor, with streams rising by 582% during that period.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-04-17 16:20:472026-04-17 16:20:47Zohran Mamdani’s Lucky He’s Mayor, Because His Streams Blew Up in 2025, But His Rap Royalties Do Not Pay the Bills
Just days after confirming that Confessions II will bring the Queen of Pop back to the dance floor this summer, Madonna has unveiled the first full taste of the upcoming album, “I Feel So Free.”
Prior to hitting DSPs, iHeartRadio’s Pride Radio exclusively debuted the track at 10 a.m. ET on Friday (April 17) and is playing Madonna’s “I Feel So Free” on the hour for at least the duration of the day. (She even recorded a lil bit of audio for the LGBTQ radio station: “Hi, this is Madonna.” Says it all, doesn’t it?)
A propulsive, driving dance song that harks back to the beat of Lil Louis’ 1989 house classic “French Kiss,” “I Feel So Free” exists within the continued sonic realm of Confessions on a Dance Floor, evoking “Future Lovers” from that 2005 disco-pop masterpiece.
Confessions II reunites Madonna with that album’s producer, Stuart Price, who also served as the music producer on her massive 2023-2024 The Celebration Tour. Since then, Madge and Price have been dropping social media teasers about new music together (when I asked Price about this in 2023, he coyly replied, “You measure a working relationship not by the gaps between but by how easily you pick up again from when you left off”). Just this week, Madonna officially confirmed that Confessions II was dropping via Warner Bros. on July 3.
Label reps confirmed to Billboard that the new Madonna song was serviced to radio on Friday morning. Billboard has reached out to reps for Madonna to learn when it will hit DSPs. A Confessions II countdown on Spotify reveals the album has 16 tracks.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-04-17 16:06:232026-04-17 16:06:23Madonna’s ‘I Feel So Free,’ the First Full Taste of ‘Confessions II,’ Has Arrived
In the summer of 2025, Kehlani found herself at a confounding crossroads: Just as the singer was being roundly criticized for following her moral compass, she was simultaneously being showered with praise for her then-new, fast-rising single that signaled a return to her R&B roots.
When Cornell University canceled Kehlani’s performance there due to her public comments about the war in Gaza, she responded by reaffirming her solidarity with Palestinians and stating, “I am anti-genocide”; days later, Central Park SummerStage called off her planned concert there for similar reasons.
Watch Billboard’s Women in Music 2026 live on YouTube.com/Billboard and Billboard.com on April 29, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT. For more coverage on Women in Music, click here.
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Around the same time, Kehlani dropped “Folded,” the throwback slow jam that slowly grew into the biggest hit of her career, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 (her first top 10 on the chart) and eventually winning Grammys for best R&B song and best R&B performance. “Folded” also earned her respect and plaudits from peers across the R&B world. “I was waking up and my favorite artists ever were covering my song, and I just remember being like, ‘What is happening?’ ” she says. Brandy covered it during her tour rehearsals; Toni Braxton posted a rendition as a “gift” to her fans on her 58th birthday; and the Jackson State University marching band played its own take during a halftime show performance.
The various covers inspired Kehlani to release the Folded Homage Pack in late October, an EP with remixes by Brandy and Braxton as well as JoJo, Mario, Ne-Yo and Tank. For Kehlani, 30, who released her debut full-length nearly a decade ago, “Folded” kicked off a new chapter — and proved that an R&B veteran can still reach new career peaks and score a crossover smash while speaking her mind freely. “You could think this is the furthest I’m ever going to go and this is the biggest it’s ever going to get,” says this year’s Women in Music Impact honoree, “and then God just surprises you and says, ‘No, I thought bigger for you always.’ ”
Joelle Grace Taylor
“Folded” has become the biggest hit of your career. What does that prove to you?
I’m just happy to be here. And this has definitely allowed me to reshape my framework in that way where now I can be like, “Wait, is it OK that I want to do bigger things? Is it OK that I have some things that I think I have the potential to do?” It completely rerouted me.
Why is “Folded” a good introduction to your music for new fans?
People keep asking me what I think the magic sauce is in “Folded,” and beyond it being a great R&B song, I have a deeper, longer theory that it’s just about where I’m at in my life. I don’t think that there was another time that I could have handled the success that I’m currently receiving and the way I’m receiving it. I’m ready now.
What has made you feel ready to meet this moment?
I’m just growing up. Something happens when you turn 30 — everything’s making sense. My motherhood is going incredibly well [Kehlani gave birth to her daughter in 2019]. My family life, my friends, my whole internal world is finally clicking.
Joelle Grace Taylor
Joelle Grace Taylor
In 2017, you receivedBillboard’s Women In Music Rulebreaker honor, and in your acceptance speech you said, “My entire career I’ve been very outspoken … I can’t help it.” How have you held true to that?
I’ve learned a lot about what it means to carry your morality and your humanity and be under a microscope for it. I’ve learned a lot about what that expectation of perfectionism looks like … what kind of pressure that comes with. I learned a lot about how to handle it correctly — and I’ve learned a lot of it through mishandling it and being contradictory and hypocritical, and it’s something everybody goes through when there is something you’re passionate about that involves two very opposing opinions. I think the most important thing for me was to learn how to be called in and let people teach me, but also to really just trust that I know my heart and trust that even in the instances when I can’t explain to millions of people why I’ve done something or what this meant, that there was a good reason because that’s who I am.
How has “Folded” shifted the tides in your career?
When you’ve experienced a lot of resistance that you are acutely aware is resistance … like, “Wow, nothing is working out … No matter which direction I turn, everything feels like pulling teeth. Making photo shoots happen is impossible. Getting people to call me back is impossible,” all of this is just like, “Wow.” I’m having these conversations and I’m like, “Wait, really? That’s it? You’re down?” I’m in a period of the least resistance. And it’s a really nice place to be.
Joelle Grace Taylor
Of all your tattoos, is there one that reminds you most of your impact?
Yes, because I run into people with it all the time. The paper plane that used to be on my face — it is no longer really on my face, I’ve been getting it removed. I run into people with it all the time and I’m always so curious, I’m like, “Why did you get that?” Because I barely knew why I got it initially, but the meaning kept unfolding — ha, ha — as time went on.
“Folded” will appear on your upcoming fifth album, Kehlani. What impact do you hope this album will have?
I want to do this album at Carnegie Hall with an orchestra. I really want some of these songs to make it into movies … and ultimately just have a really historical personal moment for me, and hopefully keep adding to the genre because that’s the coolest thing that “Folded” has done beyond anything — I’m watching the conversation change and I’m a part of it.
This story appears in the April 18, 2026, issue of Billboard.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-04-17 16:06:232026-04-17 16:06:23Kehlani Followed Her Moral Compass — And Scored The Biggest Hit of Her Career: ‘My Whole Internal World Is Finally Clicking’
Two years ago, WrestleMania 40 — arguably WWE’s greatest spectacle ever — took over Lincoln Financial Field. Home to the Philadelphia Eagles, WM40 drew more than 120,000 wrestling enthusiasts and unfolded as a cinematic answer to Avengers: Endgame. Heavyweights like The Rock, The Undertaker and John Cena flexed their in-ring superpowers, leaving thousands awestruck just hours before reality came calling.
Minutes away, inside the Xfinity Mobile Arena, Trick Williams was writing his own origin story. Headlining NXT Stand & Deliver, the former NFL hopeful was inching closer to the stage he had always envisioned for himself.
Now, his moment has arrived. On Sunday night, Williams will look to carve out his WrestleMania moment, making his official debut alongside Lil Yachty, with the United States Championship in his sights.
“This is my first WrestleMania. This stage is the biggest and where the lights are the brightest,” Williams tells Billboard in his first-ever interview with the publication. “On top of that, I have a purpose and a why. My mom had knee surgery about a month ago — she got a knee replacement. She’s been rehabbing every single day. She said, ‘There’s no way in the world I’m going to miss my baby’s first WrestleMania.’ I got to show up and show out. If she’s fighting, I’m fighting. It’s way bigger than me.”
Williams’ volcanic rise isn’t only a product of grit and tenacity — it’s charisma. His in-ring promos drip with it, leaving fans hungry for more. Add in his entrance theme, powered by triumphant horns inspired by Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem’s Grammy-winning track “Family Ties,” and Williams feels like a star built for more than just the squared circle. He’s an in-ring firecracker with rap sensibilities, ready to conquer the entertainment world. On Thursday (April 16), Williams leaned further into that lane, releasing his new song “Gingerbread Man” featuring Lil Yachty, which is aimed at his WrestleMania opponent Sami Zayn.
“Some people are gonna kick, fly, flip, and that’s cool. But Trick Williams ain’t no stunt double — I’m a superstar,” he says. “I’m gonna make you want to watch me work. When I come out, I don’t have to do all the moving. I’m gonna sit still and soak it in.”
For entry 020 of Mic Drops and Elbow Drops, Williams speaks with Carl Lamarre about Kendrick Lamar’s influence on his entrance theme, his own musical ambitions, working with Lil Yachty, and navigating comparisons to The Rock.
Two years ago, you were main-eventing NXT Stand & Deliver. Now you’re on the WrestleMania card fighting for the U.S. Title. What’s been the biggest shift in you as a performer and as a man during that rise?
I think it’s the pressure. Going into the deep end time after time again and having ups and downs. You mentioned Stand and Deliver and that was my first time main-eventing during WrestleMania weekend. I remember being hyped for that match with myself and [Carmelo Hayes], which was crazy. It was the biggest NXT attendance ever — no title involved. I remember just saying to myself, “Oh shoot. We’re breaking records.”
I just remember the pressure and the anxiety that came with that. But, as time progressed, with winning and losing the title eventually, main-eventing, going to TNA — no, excuse me, “Trick-N-A” — as the world champion, I had to learn to be a dog, jump off the deep end and work with some GOATs who were honestly better than me. Now, you take all that and transition to Smackdown, I felt the fire. I felt the pressure. Now I can stand across from Randy Orton. I can stand across from Sami Zayn and call him Ginger Ale or Ginger Snap, because I been here before. I’ve been working my whole life for this entire moment.
Your relationship with Carmelo Hayes goes back to your early NXT days. What did it mean to share the ring with him again on SmackDown, this time as two fully realized stars?
It was a dope moment. Even in that environment, with us trying to make it to Elimination Chamber, it felt oddly familiar hearing his music play before mine — or I’m sure it felt the same way for him hearing my music. We’ve both been here both countless times. So it’s cool to see all that hard work that we put in from day one manifest into something great like Smackdown every single Friday.
With that history between you and Melo, how much deeper can the storytelling go now that you’re both on the main roster stage?
I feel like that’s not really up to me. I’ll be honest with you: I’m not really chasing the past. Ex-girlfriends, they’re back there. I’m getting married soon. That’s just how I look at it. The past is in the past, and if Melo is in the main event scene, shoot, I’ll meet him there — because that’s what I’m on the way to, ’cause there’s where I’m trying to be.
“Whoop That Trick” went from an NXT crowd chant to arguably one of the hottest themes in WWE today. Why do you think it connects the way it does?
The theme song is just lightning in a bottle. There’s a lot of things you can’t orchestrate or predict the way they need to hit. I’ll tell you this, Carl, I just knew I wanted horns at the beginning — because to me horns signify royalty. When Jesus is coming back, there’s gonna be horns playing. I love [Baby Keem and] Kendrick Lamar’s “Family Ties.” [Starts humming the beat.]
Triumphant.
Triumphant. Glorious. It feels like something big is on the way to the ring and I love that. I said I needed some trap drums on there, some 808s and something to make it feel like hip-hop because that’s a large part of who I am being The Anointed One. So I sent the “Family Ties” instrumental to our musical team and they sent me back my instrumental within the next 10-20 minutes. Right away, I said, “That’s a hit.” I could feel the energy.
Man, I was in my living room and just walking out remembering where I was going to hit my points — I already knew it. Mind you, the “Whoop That Trick” chants — if you listen to the instrumental — there’s no words in the song. Since day one, when I had a match against IIja Dragunov and debuted this theme, the crowd was right there, chanting “Whoop That Trick.” That’s why I said it’s lightning in a bottle: Because I didn’t know they were gonna chant. They were chanting “Whoop That Trick” with my old theme — which is why it crossed over so smoothly — but you don’t know if it’s gonna hit the same. It fell right on their lap. Then, Booker T was right there with the ad-libs. Nobody heard this before. There were no rehearsals.
I’m manifesting Kendrick and Keem popping out at WrestleMania 43 and 44 to do a mash-up of “Whoop That Trick” with “Family Ties.”
That would be so tough, man. Inspirational place to be. I love that.
You’ve shown flashes on the mic, even rapping on NXT. Could you ever see yourself taking music seriously like John Cena or R-Truth did?
Absolutely. Trick Williams and music are intertwined. I speak from this, because I’ve been a fan of music for a very long time. So I understand music — maybe not to the doctorate level where I’m hitting notes and everything — but I know what sounds good and I know what doesn’t. Now that I’m rocking with Lil Yachty, we might have a little something on the way. Gingerbread, let’s [talk] about it. Music, it gotta happen.
Lil Yachty recently appeared alongside you on SmackDown. How do you see that relationship evolving both creatively and musically?
Can’t lie. Working with Yachty has been dope, man. He loves the business. He’s not here to be no part-timer or just pop in for WrestleMania, he wants to be here for [even the smaller markets like] Delaware or Baton Rouge. He wants to hit the cities because he loves the game. It’s funny seeing him before we went out on [Smackdown]. You can tell he was getting in his state. He said, “Man, I don’t even get nervous for no concert no more, but I feel something for this.” That’s special.
Your charisma is undeniable. How do you make sure the personality enhances and not overshadows your in-ring work?
I can’t be worried about that. Shoot, I’m just gonna do my thing, nah mean? [Laughs.] If it overshadows, then so what? Everybody here for a different reason.
As the kids would say, some people just have that aura.
You know what I’m saying? And the work gotta be there. That’s a non-negotiable, like having your degree. Yeah, it’s a necessary requirement to get the job, but it doesn’t make you qualified in the sense that you’re the best to do it. So know I can lean on more than what I can do inside the ring. I want to make you feel like it’s a whole other environment when my music plays. You just stepped into Trick Willy’s world. Let’s talk about it.
Wrestling feels more embraced by hip-hop and the Black community than ever right now. From your perspective, what’s changed and what does that mean for the next generation?
Wrestling was cool — it was always cool — but especially in the Attitude Era. Stone Cold been accepted amongst us. The Rock, Booker T, DX, it was cool. People were proud to say, “Did you see what The Undertaker did last night? — it was part of the culture. Things are circling around to where wrestling is becoming hotter now than it was ever before. Shout-out to TKO, Nick Khan, [and] Triple H, because they got us on different platforms where the brand can expand to places we ain’t ever been before. Now we’re on The Breakfast Club, and ESPN. I’ve been on ESPN five times.
You were on First Take with the Lemon Peps.
With the Lemon Peps. Me and Stephen A [Smith] kicking it, talking about South Carolina basketball. This doesn’t happen 10 years ago. It’s a good time to be in the game.
You’ve drawn comparisons to a young Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. How do you take that as motivation without letting it define you?
When it comes to being a WWE Superstar, that’s one of the best compliments you can ever receive, because I feel like nobody has ever done it like The Rock. That being said, I don’t want people to see The Rock in my work. Maybe the way people feel might be similar to when The Rock was doing his thing now that Trick Williams is doing his. I want that to be the extend of it, but as far as, “Oh man. He’s doing what The Rock does?” Absolutely not, man. Trick Williams is his own man because The Rock is one of those guys who can really, really say, “I’m going to pursue this.”
When I was putting down my football helmet with the Philadelphia Eagles — it was around KofiMania time — I said let me go back to what made me love wrasstling. I watched The Rock and his promos. I saw how he can pick the crowd up and set ’em down and they can know everything he was about to say. He controlled the crowd. It was almost like a pastor at church. It was crazy how he can do it. I said if I was going to do this, I want it to feel like this. I gotta find my way to make the people know that they can have a great time. I’m not The People’s Champ, I’m The Anointed One. Let’s talk about it.
Billboard set the tone for a weekend of nonstop music with The Arrival, an invite only, star-studded desert dance party in the Coachella Valley, headlined by electronic dance duo, Louis the Child.
Held at a private estate in Indio, California on Thursday, April 9, dance music titans, industry executives and tastemakers came together for a night of elevated hospitality and, of course, some unexpected moments. The night kicked off with an opening set from Arlo. British sensation Jonas Blue provided a mix of crowd pleasing hits including the international smash “Edge of Desire”. Headliner, Louis the Child served up hits to the crowd during a high-energy set, including most recent hit “I Go Hard”. To top off the excitement, HNTR brought out surprise guest Juicy J to round out an incredible evening.
Beyond the music, the luxe estate experience extended to a late-night spread featuring some fan favorite sandwiches and munches from Jimmy John’s, alongside the buzzy supper club Mary Lou’s, whose VIP section quickly filled with industry power players.
The renowned supper club has also made waves in Palm Beach, Miami, Montauk and Aspen. Separately, guests were met with a beauty pit stop, which offered accommodations from ESW Beauty, PanicPanties, Fazit, and CLUTCH Glue.
The Arrival was also supported by SKECHERS U.S.A., who provided fans “Hands Free Slip-In shoes so they could dance all night long, and Lovesac’s “First Class Comfort Lounge” where guests could relax in style.
Additional partners included FanUp, Buldak Ramen, Bandero Tequila, Adobe, Blind Lemon Hard Lemonade, The Beast, Haku Vodka, 196 Vodka Seltzer, VOSS Water, SharkNinja and Monster Energy.
The night turned into the go-to spot to kick off the weekend festivities, with appearances including Close Friends Only, Cain Culto, Kiana Lede, Diplo, Jonas Blue, Tyga, Tim Myers (One Republic), Juicy J, Louis The Child, Murda Beats, Sasha Anne, John Alto, HUNTR, Moe Shalizi, Jasmine Medar (Palm Tree Crew), Bailey Greenwood, Chanel West Coast, Jourdin Pauline, Don Benjamin, Walshy Fire (Major Lazer), Script, Johnny Manziel, Rich the Kid, Trevor Wallace, DJ Hunny Bee and many more…
Missed out? Scroll on for a closer look inside of The Arrival!