Noah Kahan is beloved for his lyrically vulnerable indie folk music, and now the artist is on the verge of sharing even more of himself with the world.

Speaking with Billboard‘s co-chief content officer Jason Lipshutz at The Billboard House @ SXSW on Sunday (March 15), Kahan and director Nick Sweeney talked about their forthcoming documentary Noah Kahan: Out Of Body. Coming out soon via Netflix, the film chronicles Kahan’s life and the lives of his family amid tour stops, studio time and daily life outside of music.

“I’m nervous,” Kahan told the packed audience. “I feel like being vulnerable in music is something that’s always come really naturally to me. I think it was a lot harder for me to open up in that way knowing that it would be an examination of my life and my family, and it was hard… I think it’s important to approach the things that make you feel vulnerable or scared, because a lot of people want to connect with that, and you kind of have to forget about yourself and think about the person that’s watching that maybe needs to see that experience.”

Of creating the documentary with Kahan, Sweeney told that crowd that while the doc was always going to focus on Kahan’s music, in the filming process he also realized that it was also becoming a story about a person grappling with big questions.

“What I noticed from the first conversation is that Noah is really willing to go there; there’s nothing that was off limits,” said Sweeney. “As we got further into filming, I was constantly waiting for him to be like ‘I don’t want to talk about that,’ or ‘let’s not go there,’ and it never happened, ever.”

The film is especially personal given that it heavily features Kahan’s family — his mom, dad and siblings. “I think I had a lot more fear for it than they did,” Kahan said of his family. “I thought they were all really brave and open in letting Nick in, and I think they also understand that they’re a fundamental part of the story I’ve told in my music. They were very willing, and I think it created a lot of conversations between me and my family that maybe wouldn’t we wouldn’t have had without the impetus of a documentary being made about me.”

So too does the film incorporate the citizens of Kahan’s hometown of Strafford, Vermont, with Sweeney filming interviews with locals about the ripple of effect of a musical superstar hailing from the town.

“I think what’s really important about talking to people from Strafford is the perspective on what life is like there, and what it’s like growing up in a small town, but also the way that the town has always moved in the same way,” said Kahan. “My career has obviously brought more people there, but they’re still living as the same people there.”

“My favorite scene the entire documentary,” he continued, “is when Nick goes and asks all the people in Stratford if they listen my music, and they’re like, ‘Not really.’ I love it! It’s what I love about Vermont; it represents a safe space for me and a place that feels consistent with all the change in my life. That was captured very well in the film. This is a place where people have been and will be for hundreds of years, and one indie folk singer/songwriter isn’t going to change the whole architecture of the town, and I thought that was really important.”

The documentary also follows Kahan while he’s in the process of making the music that would become The Great Divide, his fourth studio album coming out on April 24, with the film capturing personal breakthroughs that ultimately influenced this new music.

“I was like, literally sitting and asking my mom for forgiveness for exposing things about her life in my music and [having] those conversations I really might never have had,” said Kahan. “It was incredibly cathartic, and I feel like it allowed me to go into the writing process for my album in a way that felt more honest and less guarded.”

The black-clad crowd at Moody Amphitheater was a sea of Sad Boyz and Sad Girlz — ready to lose themselves in Junior H’s melancholic tales and hit anthems. From the moment he stepped at Billboard The Stage @ SXSW just past 9:30 p.m. local time on Saturday night (March 14), it was clear that he was ready to command the scene.

Junior exuded an aura of rebellious elegance — clad in black with an Amiri bomber jacket, sunglasses and a long silver chain attached to his pants, and sipping on a red cup. He kicked off with “En Dónde Estás,” the introspective ballad from his recent No. 1 Top Regional Mexican Albums-charting DEP<3$$ED MFKZ, a duet originally with Gael Valenzuela that showcases his soul-baring musical approach. It’s moments like this, vulnerable and tender, that remind fans why Junior H became a generational voice — but make no mistake, he didn’t linger in softness for long.

On stage, the 24-year-old pivots effortlessly between personas. One song sees him as the heartbroken balladeer, pouring anguish into his lyrics, while the next has him waging war, accompanied by guitars and trumpet lines, and channeling a risk-taking goth rocker. The setlist wasn’t a streamlined narrative but a mosaic of emotions. Plus, the sold-out crowd knew every word — whether he was reflecting on the ache of love lost in “Y Lloro” or diving into hedonistic chaos with “Rompe La Dompe,” originally with Peso Pluma and Oscar Maydón.

The performance, however, went beyond Junior H’s ability to make fans cry or scream on command. It was layered with deeper meaning and controversy. One of the night’s most charged moments was his impassioned “El Azul” — the song that reportedly earned him a $23,000 fine in Mexico, and a ban from performing in Zapopan, Jalisco, until 2027 for allegedly glorifying criminal lifestyles. While restrictions back home keep him from performing certain songs, the U.S. stage offered an opportunity to share his complex artistry without those legal constraints. It was a topic Junior discussed on a Billboard panel earlier that day.

The Mexican superstar also balanced heavy moments with electrifying hits like “Tres Botellas,” “Disfruto Lo Malo” and “Lady Gaga.” There was also plenty of levity, as he strung together fan-favorites that tugged at the heartstrings while still turning the amphitheater into a wild party. Yet the closing song, “Culpable” (2025), brought the house down. With its soaring saxophone and sweeping vocal delivery, Junior channeled Luis Miguel vibes, cementing the night as an unforgettable experience. The fans sang along passionately as Junior held the Mexican flag high.

Tijuana star Óscar Ortiz was the opening act for Junior’s headlining show.

Junior H will kick off his Latinoamérica en Lágrimas $ad Boyz Tour 2026 on May 12 in Bogotá, Colombia, bringing his raw emotion and signature $ad Boy vibes to fans across the continent.

As insightful interviews and industry conversations took place inside, a handful of emerging artists hit the outdoor Mohawk stage at Billboard House @ SXSW.

It was a hip-hop and R&B-themed day one to kick things off on Friday afternoon (March 13) in Austin, as Dizzy Fae took the stage shortly after noon CT following DJ Cortez’s set to warm up the crowd.

The Minnesota native’s luscious vocals had the audience in a trance with her SWV cover of “You’re Always on My Mind.” She dipped into various avenues of her discography with emotional ballads like “Try,” “Magnify,” “I Can’t Lend You My Heart,” and her newest track, “Cupid’s Call,” which she bills as a “rediscovery of self-love.”

Alicia Creti is a vocal powerhouse and her candid ballads stole the show at Billboard House. She introduced a pack of new fans to the carnal desires of the weighty “Strange,” which found the Montreal native grappling with love. Creti also welcomed Mohawk attendees to the world surrounding her potent MINDFIELDS project, which arrived earlier in March.

Kairo Keyz brought his frenetic energy across the pond to SXSW. The British rapper turned the crowd up with his “Went Up” anthem and a handful of bustling tracks before passing the baton to Babyfxce E, who closed the showcase. The Michigan resident continued to build on the momentum from his 2026 Da Realest album, while solidifying himself as next up on the Flint scene.

Up-and-coming Latin artists took center stage at Billboard House on Saturday (March 14), while Sunday (March 15) saw a mix of talent highlighted by Infinity Song’s Momo Boyd, who performed an unreleased track titled “Cold Hands” for the crowd.

With Hollywood’s biggest night around the corner, parties popped up across Los Angeles all weekend long. At the Sun Rose Hotel in West Hollywood on Friday night (March 13), a particularly special celebration was being held.  
 
Hosted by HarbourView Equity Partners and musical director Adam Blackstone, Las’ Set: Legacy Experience brought together some of the biggest names in R&B and soul to celebrate the life and legacy of the late, great Quincy Jones.  

“[Jones] didn’t just create hits, he created moments that move culture. And at HarborView, we often speak about stewardship, because those of us who work at the intersection of music, story and legacy understand something clearly,” said Sherrese Clarke, founder and CEO of HarbourView Equity Partners, to open up the night. “Great work is never merely an asset. It’s history, it’s identity, it’s the living memory of a people. Quincy’s catalog carries all of that and the weight of it demands reverence.” 

An intimate pre-Oscars party, Las’ Set invited a star-studded lineup of Jones’ co-collaborators, mentees and artists inspired by his work to the stage to perform hits from the legend’s extensive catalog.  
 
At the top of the show, Blackstone — who, alongside his band, backed an intergenerational cast of singers all night — welcomed the crowd to “Q’s Juke Joint.” 
 
A range of Jones-written and produced tracks from “Killer Joe” to “Home” from The Wiz to, of course, a slew of Michael Jackson hits were performed throughout the evening. Performers included longtime Jones collaborator Terrace Martin, two-time Grammy winner Lucky Daye, “Man in the Mirror” co-writer Siedah Garrett and soul icon Lalah Hathaway. D Smoke made a surprise appearance and performed a freestyle dedicated to Jones over a sample of one of his tracks. 2026 Grammy Award winner Durand Bernarr closed the night with an electric performance of Rufus and Chaka Khan’s hit “Do You Love What You Feel” (No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 1979).
 
The stars on stage weren’t the only ones in the room on Friday night. Dr. Dre, Hit-Boy and Jimmy Jam were among the revelers in the audience. Actresses Jurnee Smollett and Natasha Lyonne, singer Estelle and film producer William Packer also made appearances. Also in the audience were members of Jones’ family, including Quincy Jones III (QD3) and Martina Jones, excited to celebrate their father’s legacy.