XG member Cocona has publicly come out as transmasculine non-binary, sharing a heartfelt letter with fans in honor of their 20th birthday.

The rapper, vocalist, and performer from the Japanese girl group posted an emotional statement on Instagram on Saturday (Dec. 6) reflecting on identity, growth, and self-acceptance.

“Today, I turned 20,” Cocona wrote. “As I reach this new chapter in my life, I want to share something that’s been in my heart for a long time. I am AFAB transmasculine non-binary. Earlier this year, I had top surgery. I was born and perceived as female, but that label never represented who I truly am.”

Cocona continued, “The hardest thing I’ve ever faced was accepting and embracing myself… Now, I can finally say, ‘There’s nothing wrong with who I am inside.’” The performer also expressed gratitude toward their XG bandmates, XGALX founder and producer Simon (Jakops), and their parents, adding that their support helped make the journey possible.

The message quickly drew an outpouring of love and praise from fans, with XG supporters and members of the LGBTQIA+ community celebrating Cocona’s honesty. The post, which included emoji symbols of unity and infinity, ended with the words: “May these words gently light a spark in someone’s heart. And to everyone who needs it — may my love reach all of them.”

Shortly after, XGALX CEO and artistic director Simon (Jakops) shared his own statement on Instagram, expressing respect and support for Cocona. “I am deeply moved and filled with respect as Cocona courageously shared their passion with the world,” he wrote. “I will continue to provide sincere support so that each member can be truly respected not only as a ‘working artist’ but also as a person.”

Simon reflected on the group’s journey together — noting that all members have now reached adulthood — and reaffirmed that XG’s mission goes beyond music and visuals, aiming to share “the pure and essential heart of each member” with fans around the world.

Since debuting under XGALX in 2022, XG has earned international recognition for their polished performance style, multilingual lyrics, and message of female empowerment. Cocona’s coming-out marks a significant and visible moment for LGBTQ+ representation within the global pop landscape — particularly in the Japanese and Korean entertainment industries, where conversations around gender identity continue to evolve.

After facing sharp criticism from Sabrina Carpenter and her fans, the Trump White House has quietly removed a controversial video that featured her song “Juno” in a post promoting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.

The post quickly went viral—but not for the reasons the administration may have hoped, as the White House seemingly deleted the post on Friday without explanation.

On Tuesday (Dec. 2), the pop star slammed the government for posting a compilation of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers chasing, tackling and handcuffing people on the streets while a snippet of the Short n’ Sweet hit “Juno” plays. “This video is evil and disgusting,” Carpenter wrote on X.

“Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” she continued.

Following Carpenter’s objection earlier this week, in a response shared with Newsweek, spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, “Here’s a Short n’ Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: We won’t apologize for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles from our country. Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”

As of press time, the White House has not posted an explanation for the removal, and representatives for Carpenter have not issued additional comment beyond her viral reply. Carpenter closes a breakout year with multiple Hot 100 hits and a sold-out arena run, and “Juno” remains one of her most visible live moments.

The deleted clip followed recent instances in which official Trump-era channels paired pop hits with political messaging — a tactic that’s drawn pushback from artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, who last month condemned the White House for pairing a video encouraging self-deportations to her song “All-American Bitch.”

“Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda,” she wrote at the time.

The recent use of Carpenter’s “Juno” was especially charged given the song’s fan-favorite status on Carpenter’s Short ’n Sweet Tour, where she playfult “arrested” people for being too attractive just before performing “Juno” each night. Before the trek wrapped in November after more than a year on the road, Carpenter had distributed fuzzy pink handcuffs to everyone from Millie Bobby Brown, to TWICE, SZA and Miss Piggy of The Muppets.

Live Nation was the standout music stock for the week ended Dec. 5, though it rose only a modest 6.0% to $139.33. Its share price was up even as the company faces a barrage of legal issues, including an antitrust lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice, another lawsuit filed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and yet another brought by Taylor Swift fans. At the same time, though, Ticketmaster isn’t suffering as much as its peers in the secondary market. Amid efforts to cap profits on ticket resales, StubHub shares are down 47.1% from the company’s Sept. 16 IPO price, and Vivid Seats shares have fallen 91.8% this year. Ticketmaster operates a secondary market, but the company encourages artists to raise the price of primary tickets to capture revenue that would otherwise go to scalpers.  

This week, the 19-company Billboard Global Music Index (BGMI) added to its woes by falling 2.1% to 2,542.64, marking its ninth decline in the last 11 weeks. The BGMI now stands 18.4% below its all-time high of 3,117.20 set the week ended June 30 and sits at the same level it reached in April.

Elsewhere, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 fell 0.6% to 9,667.01, lowering its year-to-date gain to 17.5%. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index, which has gained 67.9% in 2025, rose 4.4% to 4,100.05. China’s Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.4% to 3,902.81, raising its year-to-date improvement to 21.5%. 

Music is underperforming other indexes as stocks have remained resilient in the face of tariff uncertainty and job losses. Since the week ended Sept. 12, the Nasdaq composite index is up 4.2% and the S&P 500 has risen 3.1%. The BGMI, on the other hand, has fallen 18.0% over those 11 weeks through the week ended Dec. 5. Many of the index’s largest components have sank over those 11 weeks, including Universal Music Group (down 7.3%), Warner Music Group (down 14.7%), Live Nation (down 14.9%) and Spotify (down 23.1%). 

The previously high-flying Spotify fell another 5.7% to $564.93 this week, making the Stockholm-based company the second-worst performer behind French music streamer Deezer, which dropped 6.0% to 1.03 euros ($1.20 ). Spotify shares have fallen 22.4% since the company’s Sept. 30 announcement that CEO and co-founder Daniel Ek would step down as CEO and assume the role of executive chairman at the end of the year. And although Spotify is still up 21.1% in 2025 — besting the Nasdaq’s 20.2% gain and the S&P 500’s 15.6% improvement — its share price has dropped 28.0% from its 52-week high of $785.00. 

MSG Entertainment was the week’s second-greatest gainer after rising 4.7% to $51.79, while sister company Sphere Entertainment Co., which has capitalized on the success of The Wizard of Oz, fell 0.3% to $84.31. The company announced on Tuesday (Dec. 2) another milestone for its Oz motion picture: Through Monday (Dec. 1), Oz grossed more than $200 million in sales from over 1.5 million tickets sold since debuting on Aug. 28. Unlike previous milestones, however, this latest threshold didn’t goose the stock price. 

Other notable movements included SiriusXM (up 3.6%), Warner Music Group (up 1.3%), Universal Music Group (down 1.3%), CTS Eventim (down 3.6%) and iHeartMedia (down 5.6%). 

Spotify has shared the top artists streamed in Canada, with rapper Drake taking the top spot, followed by Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen. Scarborough native The Weeknd comes in at No. 4, while Drake’s rival Kendrick Lamar ranks at No. 5. Two spots down at No. 7 is Canadian pop singer Tate McRae.

Despite Drizzy accusing the streaming service of contributing to an illegal “scheme” involving bots, payola and other methods to push Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” the Toronto rapper has maintained a spot at the top of listeners’ playlists.

Canada’s Top Artists of 2025

Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping I’m The Problem was the most-streamed album in Canada, followed by the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack and SZA’s lengthy SOS Deluxe: LANA.

The top album by a Canadian was Tate McRae’s So Close to What, which comes in at No. 4, while Drizzy’s team-up with fellow Canadian PARTYNEXTDOOR, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, ranks at No. 7. Despite releasing in October, Taylor Swift’s chart-topping album, The Life of a Showgirl, comes in at No. 10.

Canada’s Top Albums of 2025

Head here to read all about the Canadian most-streamed lists, including songs and Franco-Quebec artists and songs. — Heather Taylor-Singh

Marc Miller Named New Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture After Steven Guilbeault’s Abrupt Resignation

Canada has a new Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture.

As part of a cabinet shuffle this week, Marc Miller was appointed to fill a position made vacant on Nov. 27 when Steven Guilbeault resigned from the Mark Carney-led cabinet to protest the Prime Minister’s controversial energy deal with Alberta. Guilbeault was also Minister Responsible for Official Languages and Minister of Nature and Parks Canada, as well as Carney’s Lieutenant in Quebec.

The former Justin Trudeau-era minister was sworn in along with two other new ministers during a brief ceremony at Rideau Hall late Monday afternoon.

As Billboard Canada noted last week, the Ministry of Canadian Identity and Culture has a direct impact on the Canadian music industry via its administration of the recently-renewed Canada Music Fund, which supports both FACTOR and Musicaction. These granting bodies provide artists, labels and other organizations with funding for a wide range of activities, including recording, touring, marketing and music video production. Many in the industry, including the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), appealed to Guilbeault to act for the Canadian music industry during a pivotal moment.

Miller takes on his new role after the Heritage/Culture portfolio has seen a rapid turnover in recent years. 

The Canadian Live Music Association was quick to congratulate Miller, looking forward to “working together to unlock the full economic and cultural potential of Canada’s live music industry.”

“Live music is one of Canada’s strongest growth opportunities,” said Erin Benjamin, president & CEO of the CLMA. “With smart, modern policy, we can strengthen the touring infrastructure that allows artists to thrive, support local businesses in every region, and ensure more fans — from right here at home and around the world — have access to unforgettable live music experiences in their own communities. This is good for artists, it’s good for audiences, and it’s good for the Canadian economy.”

Read more on the new minister and what his appointment means to the Canadian music industry here. — Kerry Doole

Tate McRae’s ‘So Close to What’ Climbs Back to No. 2 on Billboard Canadian Albums Chart Following Deluxe Edition

Tate McRae is so close to a sweet victory on the chart — for the second time.

This week, the Canadian pop singer’s album, So Close to What, climbs from No. 10 to No. 2 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart on the chart dated Dec. 6. Its rise follows the release of So Close to What??? (Deluxe) last month, in which she added five extra tracks to the record.

Leading up to the deluxe album’s release, McRae released “Tit For Tat,” thought to be inspired by her breakup with fellow pop hitmaker The Kid LAROI. It became her third top-five hit on the Canadian Hot 100, debuting at No. 3, and this week, it rises from No. 23 to 16.

The remaining four SCTW deluxe tracks have arrived on the Canadian Hot 100 this week too, including “Nobody’s Girl” (No. 13), “Anything But Love” (No. 22), “Trying On Shoes” (No. 28) and “Horseshoe (No. 40).

Three tracks from the standard version have also re-entered the Canadian Hot 100: “Miss Possessive,” “Dear God” and “Siren Sounds” — at No. 84, No. 86 and No. 93, respectively.

So Close to What scored the Calgary native her first No. 1 on Canadian Albums in March, following the project’s release, sitting at the top for two weeks. It made waves in the U.S., too, claiming the top spot for one week.

Read more on this feat and more from the Billboard Canadian charts here. — HTS