Ole Obermann & Rachel Newman Named Apple Music Co-Heads

Apple Music has named Ole Obermann and Rachel Newman as the company’s new co-heads, Billboard has confirmed.

The news was first reported by Music Business Worldwide.

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Ole Obermann

Ole Obermann to Exit as TikTok’s Global Head of Music Business Development

Obermann, who left his role as global head of music business development at ByteDance earlier this year, worked at the Chinese company for more than five years, having started as vp/global head of music at TikTok. Before that, he worked at Warner Music Group as chief digital officer/executive vp of strategy and business development and at Sony Music, where he worked on striking licensing renewals with Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and other DSPs. During his time at TikTok, the platform became a prime music discovery engine, leading to a massive shift in the way music was created and marketed. It also went through a tense period with the record labels, including a prolonged standoff with Universal Music Group that ended when the two companies struck a licensing deal last May. Obermann was succeeded in his role at ByteDance by Tracy Gardner.

Newman, meanwhile, is an Apple Music veteran, having been with the streaming platform for more than 16 years, most recently as global head of content and editorial. This year, she was named to Billboard‘s Women in Music list alongside several of her colleagues. “We have really leaned into one of our most core attributes as a company this past year: weaving the humanities into everything we do,” she told Billboard at the time.

Along with its continued role as the sponsor for the Super Bowl halftime show, Apple Music’s recent initiatives include its 100 Best Albums editorial initiative and its Apple Music Live series, through which it has produced live performances for artists including Björk, SZA, Camila Cabello, Jennifer Lopez and Kacey Musgraves.

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Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Tour Kicks Off: Rumi’s Special Debut & More | All Access | Billboard News

Beyoncé kicked off her Cowboy Carter Tour in L.A. at SoFi Stadium on Monday night, and we’re taking you inside the highlights of the night. From Rumi making her debut onstage to Beyoncé performing her classic hit “Crazy In Love,” keep watching for more!

Were you at the opening night of the Cowboy Carter Tour? Let us know in the comments!

Tetris Kelly:

This ain’t Texas, it’s L.A., and we’re taking you to the opening night of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour at SoFi Stadium in Billboard All Access POV: Beyoncé. Of course, the Queen opened with “Ameriican Requiem” but had us shook when she went into the national anthem. She looked and sounded amazing all night. And it was a family affair: Blue is always a star, but Rumi was introduced to the stage and we are overwhelmed. We even got ‘Renaissance’ moments!! And I will never get over the transition from “Texas Hold ’Em” into “Crazy in Love.” Thank you, Beyoncé.

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Inside Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour Night 1: She’s Every Woman

With the release of Cowboy Carter last year, a lot of noise was made about whether Beyoncé was “country enough” to put out a country album. More than one year (and her first album of the year Grammy) later, the answer is: of course she was. And she’s further proving her genre prowess on the just-launched Cowboy Carter Tour.

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Beyoncé Slays L.A., Brings Out Kids at Cowboy Carter Tour Opening: Review & Best Moments

Katie & Keith were both inside for night 1 of the 32-date tour, which kicked off Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and on the latest episode of the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast we’re discussing Bey’s message with the new tour. The superstar refuses to be put in a box throughout the nearly three-hour show, proving she can perform country side-by-side with dance music, be an ever-present mom and remain a top-of-her-game pop star, and be a proud American while still questioning our country’s past, present and future.

Listen to our full discussion about the kick-off of the Cowboy Carter Tour in the podcast below.

Also on the show, we have chart news on SZA’s SOS returning to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for a 13th nonconsecutive week, how Billboard’s 2025 Woman of the Year Doechii hits the top 10 on the same chart for the first time with her Grammy-winning Alligator Bites Never Heal, and how Jack Black sets a new — short — record on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

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Philip Glass & Michael Nyman to Be Honored With Lifetime Achievement Awards at 2025 World Soundtrack Awards

UPDATE (April 29): British composer Michael Nyman will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the film music concert “Minimalism in Motion: Glass, Nyman and Beyond.” The concert is the closing event of Film Fest Gent’s WSA Film Music Days 2025 and the 25th World Soundtrack Awards. Previously, it was announced that Philip Glass is also a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

Nyman, 81 is a three-time Golden Globe nominee for best original score – motion picture, for The Piano (1994), Gattaca (1998) and The End of the Affair (2000). Nyman’s soundtrack album to Jane Campion’s The Piano reached No 41 on the Billboard 200 in 1994 and went gold. Nyman has composed numerous operas, six concerti, five string quartets, and many other chamber works, many for his Michael Nyman Band. He is also a performing pianist.

Nyman will be honored on Oct. 16 at Music Centre De Bijloke in Ghent at the film music concert “Minimalism in Motion: Glass, Nyman and Beyond” – a celebration of the evolution of minimalist film music. During the concert, Brussels Philharmonic, conducted by maestro Dirk Brossé, will perform a selection of Nyman’s work.

PREVIOUSLY (April 5): American composer Philip Glass will be celebrated with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 25th annual World Soundtrack Awards on Oct. 15 and at a film music concert which will close the Film Fest Gent’s three-day Film Music Days 2025 on Oct. 16 in Ghent, Belgium.

Previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award include Marvin Hamlisch, John Barry, Giorgio Moroder and Elliot Goldenthal. (Full list of previous recipients below.)

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FINNEAS and Billie Eilish at the 96th Annual Oscars held at Ovation Hollywood on March 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Billie Eilish & Finneas’ ‘Barbie’ Song Leads 2024 World Soundtrack Awards Winners…

The celebration will be held at the film music concert “Minimalism in Motion: Glass, Nyman and Beyond,” which will be held at Muziekcentrum De Bijloke in Ghent. During the concert, a selection of Glass’ work will be performed by the Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brossé, who personally presented the award to Glass in New York.

While initially renowned for his work for opera and his symphonies, Glass has made an equally impressive contribution to film music. He has received three Oscar nominations for best original score for Kundun, The Hours and Notes on a Scandal.

Glass, 88, has received many other accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a Drama Desk Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for four Grammy Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He has also received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1995, the National Medal of Arts in 2010, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2018, and a Trustees Award from the Recording Academy in 2020.

Glass’s work was recognized at the World Soundtrack Awards in 2007 with two nominations for his score for Notes on a Scandal.

This year’s WSA Film Music Days will be held from Oct. 14-16 during Film Fest Gent (Oct. 8-19). Tickets to the film music concert are now available on filmfestgent.be and worldsoundtrackawards.com.

Here’s a complete list of previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipients at the World Soundtrack Awards:

2024: Elliot Goldenthal

2023: Nicola Piovani and Laurence Rosenthal

2022: Bruno Coulais

2021: Eleni Karaindrou

2020: Gabriel Yared

2019: Krzysztof Penderecki and Frédéric Devreese

2018: Philippe Sarde

2017: David Shire

2016: Ryuichi Sakamoto

2015: Patrick Doyle and George Fenton

2014: Francis Lai

2013: Riz Ortolani

2012: Pino Donaggio

2011: Giorgio Moroder

2010: John Barry

2009: Marvin Hamlisch

2008: Angelo Badalamenti

2007: Mikis Theodorakis

2006: Peer Raben

2005: Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

2004: Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman

2003: Maurice Jarre

2002: George Martin

2001: Elmer Bernstein

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Devin Townsend Announces ‘Indefinite’ Break From Touring

Prolific Canadian metal musician Devin Townsend has revealed to fans that his forthcoming run of North American tour dates will be his last for the “foreseeable future” as he takes a “vacation” from touring.

The 52-year-old shared the news with his fans via a video message on Monday (April 28), telling them they should embrace the upcoming opportunity to catch him live throughout May.

“For nearly 35 years, I’ve followed a creative path guided by instinct—each album, each tour, each project a new chapter in a story I’ve felt compelled to tell,” he added in an accompanying message. “My mind latches onto concepts, and I love chasing them down. That chase has made this journey wild, unpredictable, and deeply fulfilling.

“Over the years, I’ve heard it countless times: ‘Dev, take a break… please.’ But the flood of ideas, the excitement, and the support of incredible musicians and listeners have kept me going, kept me touring, and kept me grateful for a life on the road.

“That said, things have changed—especially since the pandemic,” he added. “Booking tours now means planning up to two years in advance. With fewer venues, fewer crews, and a saturated touring circuit, it’s become more challenging than ever to line things up.”

As a result, Townsend explained that when he wraps up his upcoming run of dates in Los Angeles on May 23, it will be the “last time you’ll see me on stage for the foreseeable future.” Continuing, he noted that his extended period of rest will see him taking time to “breathe and recalibrate” as he deals with the necessities of life and he tends to the “dozen things that I’ve been waiting to do for all these years that have to be pushed aside due to the constant touring.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m done playing live. Not by a long shot,” he continued. “I’ll be performing until my final breath. But right now, I need to be present for the people who need me, and to give myself the space to reflect on everything I’ve been through.”

Townsend also added that he would be taking the time to launch a new YouTube series called The Ruby Quaker Show where he explores the numerous creative ventures he has had on the back burner for years. “Now I’m making the time to bring them to life, without that familiar pressure of knowing I’ll be gone again in a month,” he says.

In the meantime, Townsend also added that he would be doing his best to make the upcoming shows as “meaningful and unforgettable as possible” before he takes an extended period of leave from the stage.

“I will return to the stage. But first, I need to reset,” he concluded. “Touring has been a beautiful, exhausting constant in my life, and for once, I’m listening to the voice that says: slow down. I want to create from a place of calm inspiration rather than frantic obligation. And until I can truly be there for the people who rely on me, my creativity won’t be at its best.”

Townsend first rose to prominence in the ‘90s after working with and touring alongside Steve Vai, before founding Strapping Young Lad in 1994. The group would ultimately split in 2007, though Townsend had already embarked upon a prolific solo career by this point, with releases under the Devin Townsend Project and Casualties of Cool monikers also arriving over the years.

While the Devin Townsend Project’s 2012 release Epicloud would hit No. 105 on the Billboard 200 and top the Heatseekers chart, he would receive his biggest success in 2013 when Z² reached No. 73 on the Billboard 200.

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Haim Announce 2025 North American and U.K. ‘I Quit’ Tour Dates

As Haim ready the release of their long-awaited fourth album, the trio of siblings have dropped an extensive run of North American and U.K. tour dates.

The Haim sisters officially confirmed the title of their upcoming album only a week ago during a show at The Bellwether theater in Los Angeles on April 23. The show itself was their first full show in nearly two years, with the trio revealing that I Quit will be their moniker of their fourth LP.

The follow-up to 2020’s Women in Music Pt. III, the upcoming record will officially arrive on June 20, and has so far been previewed by way of singles “Relationships,” “Everybody’s Trying to Figure Me Out,” and the newly-released “Down to Be Wrong.”

As the countdown to the record’s release slowly ticks away, Haim have now unveiled a run of tour dates to occupy them during the latter half of the year. 

Launching their upcoming tour plans with festival dates across the U.K, Europe, and Japan over the summer, the I Quit tour will see the trio embark upon a 23-date tour of the U.S. and Canada between September and October, before returning to the U.K. that same month with a six date run of shows.

In a recent interview in i.d. magazine, self-proclaimed “serial monogamist” Danielle said the new album is the first they’ve made without the involvement of her longtime boyfriend, producer Ariel Rechtshaid, and that she’s single for the first time since 2011. “Being single now, I’m just trying to embrace it, because I’m… I feel like I’m the age where I need to embrace it,” she said.

Alana said that the album is “the closest we’ve ever gotten to how we wanted to sound,” with Danielle diplomatically adding that working again with another longtime collaborator Rostam was “very quick, kinetic with him, which I really love as an artist… Maybe before, it wasn’t that way, it was kind of a more… longer, searching, labored situation.”

Haim – 2025 I Quit Tour Dates

Sept. 4 – TD Pavilion at the Mann, Philadelphia, PA
Sept. 5 – The Stage at Suffolk Downs, Boston, MA
Sept. 6 – Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Sept. 8 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Sept. 9 – Westville Music Bowl, New Haven, CT
Sept. 10 – Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
Sept. 12 – United Center, Chicago, IL
Sept. 13 – The Rave, Milwaukee, WI
Sept. 14 – The Armory, Minneapolis, MN
Sept. 17 – Edgefield, Portland, OR
Sept. 18 – WAMU Theater, Seattle, WA
Sept. 20 – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre, Vancouver, BC
Sept. 23 – Mesa Amphitheatre, Phoenix, AZ
Sept. 25 – The Bomb Factory, Dallas, TX
Sept. 26 – Moody Center, Austin, TX
Sept. 28 – White Oak Music Hall- Lawn, Houston, TX
Sept. 30 – The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN
Oct. 3 – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Denver, CO
Oct. 4 – The Great Saltair, Salt Lake City, UT
Oct. 7 – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
Oct. 9 – Kia Forum, Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 10 – The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, San Diego, CA
Oct. 11 – Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA
Oct. 24 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, UK
Oct. 25 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff, UK
Oct. 26 – Brighton Centre, Brighton, UK
Oct. 28 – The O2, London, UK
Oct. 30 – AO Arena, Manchester, UK
Oct. 31 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow, UK

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The Dream Setlist for Post Malone and Jelly Roll’s BIG ASS Tour

In February, when Post Malone and Jelly Roll announced they planned to join forces for the BIG ASS Stadium Tour, it made perfect sense.

After all, the pairing takes two artists with deep roots in hip-hop who have crossed multiple genre borders throughout their musical adventures, both embracing rock, pop and country and proving equally adept at all styles. And for an outing of this size, it makes them ideal tourmates.

There’s also no shortage of hits between the two: Post Malone has scored 11 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including such No. 1s as Rockstar (featuring 21 Savage), “Psycho” (featuring Ty Dolla $ign), “Sunflower” with Swae Lee and “Circles.” Jelly Roll is on a, well, roll, with six straight No. 1s on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, among them “Halfway to Hell,” “Save Me” (featuring Lainey Wilson) and his first country chart-topper, “Son of a Sinner.”

Both artists are also coming off triumphant appearances in the desert — at Coachella for Post Malone and Stagecoach for Jelly Roll — so they should be primed and ready to go when the 26-city tour kicks off Tuesday (April 29) at Salt Lake City’s Rice-Eccles Stadium. The U.S. dates end July 1 at San Francisco’s Oracle Park. Americana sensation Sierra Ferrell will open a number of shows on the U.S. leg.

A few weeks ago, the superstars announced plans to extend the tour for a series of European dates that includes stops in Berlin, London, Barcelona and Lisbon.

Below is our dream setlist for their show — if we were in charge.

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P1Harmony, SEVENTEEN’s HxW & More Among KCON Los Angeles 2025 Performers

The first wave of acts locked in to perform at this year’s KCON Los Angeles has been announced.

As unveiled Monday (April 28), the 2025 performer lineup will feature, in alphabetical order: CRAVITY,
SEVENTEEN subunit HxW, IS:SUE, IVE, izna, JO1, LEE YOUNGJI, NMIXX, P1Harmony, Roy Kim and ZEROBASEONE. Organizers of the three-day event are expected to announce several more batches of artists in later weeks.

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20 Things You Didn’t See During KCON LA 2024 Weekend

Taking place Aug. 1-3 at Crypto.com Arena in L.A., 2025’s KCON LA will also have a theme: “KLOVER’S CLUB FAIR.” Drawing inspiration from lucky four-leaf clovers, the event will feature different stages and activities that cater specifically to K-pop fans while promising the good fortune of access to their favorite artists. And those who love Korean culture as a whole will have much to experience in addition to music, with stations focusing on fashion, beauty and food.

The L.A. installment of KCON is just one of many that take place annually around the world, with the festival also hosting iterations in Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, United Arab Emirates, France, Mexico, Australia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia since first kicking off in the United States in 2012. In 2024, KCON LA attracted more than 5.9 million fans from 170+ countries, both on-site and through virtual opportunities to join in.

The 2025 KCON LA will be extra special for the guys of P1Harmony, who will return this year after performing at last year’s festival as well. “It’s really a convention to show off Korean culture and what’s hot and upcoming in Korean culture, like K-beauty, music, food,” band leader Keeho told Billboard backstage at the 2024 event.

He added at the time: “To be able to go there and just be part of that wave of representation, and showcase what’s new, I feel like it’s really really good to take part.”

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Jelly Roll, Shaboozey, Guy Fieri & More on Stagecoach & Country’s Growth | Billboard News

Stagecoach 2025 was full of the hottest country stars and the best food, and we caught up with Goldenvoice’s Stacy Vee, Jelly Roll, Shaboozey and Guy Fieri to get their take on how the festival has grown over the years. 

Did you go to Stagecoach this year? Let us know in the comments!

Tetris Kelly:

I mean, hanging out with Stacey, you’re a legend. You’ve been with this thing since the beginning. So how is it to like come here, have these amazing artists join you and support you?

Stacy Vee:

I mean, it’s pretty amazing to see this collection of personalities, talent partners, bookers, we all come together with a common goal of pushing the genre forward and having a bunch of fun in the process. 

Tetris Kelly:

I mean, and Guy, how has it been to work with Stacey over all these years? 

Guy Fieri:

Well, she is the queen, the godmother, she’s the one that curates this. I know everybody loves to come to Stagecoach, but all of our careers have been impacted by her vision and awareness of what’s going on in the world, in the world of music, the world of food, the world of, you know, a party and Stagecoach is Stagecoach because of Stacy Vee. 

Tetris Kelly:

I mean, you’re rolling up to Stagecoach, man, this is three weekends for you. I’ve been laughing about you and T-Pain. Coachella, Coachella, Stagecoach. How’s it to be here tonight?

Shaboozey:

It’s amazing, man, to be over here with my brother. Man, we just put out a song and and, you know, I’m just really humbled and grateful to be here. 

Keep watching for more!

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How to Watch the 2025 Tony Nominations Announcement Livestream

You can be among the first to find out who is nominated for the 78th annual Tony Awards by tuning into a livestream on the Tony Awards YouTube Page on Thursday (May 1) at 9 a.m. ET. If you’re really a dedicated Broadway fan, be sure to tune in to CBS Mornings at 8:30 a.m. ET, where a selection of categories will be announced.

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Tony winners Sarah Paulson (Appropriate) and Wendell Pierce (as a producer of Clybourne Park) will announce the nominations live from Sofitel New York on the livestream. A complete list of nominees will be available at TonyAwards.com immediately following the announcement. There will also be full coverage here at Billboard.com.

Maybe Happy Ending, Dead Outlaw, Death Becomes Her and Buena Vista Social Club are among the leading candidates for best musical. Oh, Mary!, Purpose and John Proctor Is the Villain are among the leading candidates for best play.

Floyd Collins, Gypsy and Sunset Blvd. are among the top candidates for best revival of a musical. Glengarry Glen Ross and Othello are among the top candidates for best revival of a play.

This year’s Tony Awards will return to Radio City Music Hall in New York City for the first time in three years. Hosted for the first time by Cynthia Erivo, the Tonys will broadcast live to both coasts on Sunday, June 8 (8-11 p.m. ET/5:00 – 8:00 p.m. PT) on CBS, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. 

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Cynthia Erivo to Host 2025 Tony Awards

The Tony Awards are produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, and White Cherry Entertainment. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss are executive producers and showrunners for White Cherry Entertainment. Weiss will serve as director.

A limited number of tickets to the show are now on sale to the general public. Ticket prices begin at $595 for seats in the second and third mezzanines and are available for purchase at TonyAwards.com and Ticketmaster.com. There is a six-ticket limit and all ticket sales are final. (Ticketmaster services charges will apply).

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