Trust Mariah Carey to bring glitz, glamour and vocals wherever she goes!

The Songbird Supreme delivered a terrific rendition medley of “Volare” and “Nothing Is Impossible” at the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday (Feb. 6). Donning a gorgeous white-and-silver gown adorned with a dramatic, feathery overcoat, Carey seamlessly sang “Volare,” a 1958 Eurovision Song Contest track, locally known as “Nel blu dipinto di blu,” in Italian. After nailing one of her signature whistle notes, the Grammy-winning legend then transitioned into “Nothing Is Impossible,” a standout ballad from her latest album, 2025’s Here for It All.

Carey revealed that she would perform at this year’s Winter Olympics, which takes place Feb. 6-22 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, during the holidays. Additional performers for the opening ceremony included five-time Grammy nominee Andrea Bocelli and Grammy and Golden Globe winner Laura Pausani. In addition to an appearance from Emmy Award-nominated White Lotus star Sabrina Impacciatore, the opening ceremony also featured a special surprise message from Taylor Swift.

“I am very grateful for everything you’ve done to get to this point in your life and grateful that you’ve brought all of us along on this journey,” said Swift, who also dropped her “Opalite” music video the same day. “Wishing you all the best of luck and a safe journey, and I hope this is an experience you cherish for the rest of your life.”

Friday’s Opening Ceremony performance continues a busy month for Carey. On Jan. 30, she was honored as MusiCares’ 2026 Person of the Year with a sprawling tribute medley featuring Jennifer Hudson, Foo Fighters, Taylor Momsen, Billy Porter, Maggie Rogers, Charlie Puth, FLO and more. She also covered Billboard’s first issue of 2026.

Here for It All peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, marking Carey’s 19th top 10 album and also debuting atop Album Sales. Two of the set’s singles, “Type Dangerous” and “In Your Feelings,” have hit No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay, while the Kehlani and Shenseea-assisted “Sugar Sweet” peaked at No. 17 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. As of Jan. 12, “Nothing Is Possible” is the latest Here for It All single; the ballad, which Billboard ranked the album’s best track, will be worked to adult pop and adult contemporary formats.

This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music including Carlos Vives’ “Te Dedico,” a new W Sound tune by Myke Towers, Westcol & Ovy on the Drums called “5 Estrellas” and 18, a sweet album by Conexión Divina, to name a few.

In a first collaborative effort, Cuban artists Dale Pututi and Nesty team up with Puerto Rican reggaetón pioneer Tito El Bambino for “Los Despechaos.” The tune, which effortlessly and gracefully laces música mexicana with the Cuban reparto genre, navigates heartbreak and healing from a man’s point of view. “I haven’t forgotten you, but things are going well for me/ I still miss you, but I’m managing,” goes the chorus.

Moreover, Marc Anthony and Nathy Peluso join forces on a classy salsa tune called “Como en el Idilio,” co-produced by Marc and Venezuelan hitmaker Motiff. “Nathy loves salsa; it is in her blood. She is a musical genius with an incredible ear and a clarity about what she wants that is truly inspiring. And her voice … her voice is a delight. I am mesmerized by her voice,” Marc said in a statement of the Argentine powerhouse.

Meanwhile, Grupo Máximo Grado and Thalia’s “Miro Tu Cara en la Luna” won the most recent New Music Latin poll with more than 47 percent 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 9:00 a.m. ET on Monday, Feb. 9.

Generative AI is becoming a new force in the music industry, often posing a threat to artists, music labels and trade organizations.

In light of this, SOCAN has launched a national campaign, urging the Canadian government to eliminate copyright exceptions that permit free and unauthorized use of copyright-protected works for AI training — prioritizing human-created music.

Artists and organizations have signed in support, including Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies’ Ed Robertson, Elisapie, Dan Mangan, Mac DeMarco, Leith Ross and more. BMG Music Publishing and Nettwerk Music Group are signatories, too.

“This is a defining moment for Canada. AI companies are taking copy-protected works without consent, and the impact is being felt across the music industry,” Jennifer Brown, CEO of SOCAN, tells Billboard Canada. “Music creators cannot compete in a system that devalues human expression while AI companies profit from the unlicensed use of their work.”

“Every day, global streaming platforms are flooded with tens of thousands of AI-generated outputs by tools trained on copyright-protected works without consent, without credit and without compensation,” SOCAN’s campaign claims, noting that “generative AI is reshaping the music and cultural sectors at an unprecedented pace.”

Outside of the industry, local music fans are not receptive to AI-generated work. Last November, a SOCAN report found that 87% of Canadians said they wanted to listen to music created by humans, with 65% saying it’s “very important” to them.

“Canadians have been clear: they value human creativity and expect their government to protect it,” Brown says. “The decisions made now will determine whether music creation remains a viable profession and a vital part of our cultural identity.”

In addition to protecting the country’s creative integrity, the campaign addresses policymakers directly, “at a critical moment,” demanding that the government protect human expression, require transparency from AI companies and ensure clear labelling of AI-generated outputs.

“Canada has long championed cultural sovereignty and the value of human creative expression,” the statement reads, noting that if the government lacks a clear policy direction, the country will lose its “legacy of Canadian storytelling,” the value of human expression and the economic benefits of a strong music industry.

“This is the moment to defend human-made music and ensure it remains valued and protected in Canada,” the letter reads.

Read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh

The Guess Who Return with Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings, But Two Former Members File a New Lawsuit

The classic Randy Bachman-Burton Cummings lineup of The Guess Who has returned to the live stage after more than two decades, but their ongoing legal saga continues.

The Canadian rock stars are back on the road with the band’s legendary principal members, with their first date on an extensive North American at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls on Saturday night (Jan. 31) reportedly proceeding without a hitch.

Just a few days later, however, members of a controversial former lineup of The Guess Who filed another lawsuit. Rolling Stone has reported that on Feb. 3, Guess Who founding drummer Garry Peterson and founding bassist James Kale filed a complaint in federal court against U.S. performing rights management firm BMI.

“Peterson and Kale claim they suffered millions of dollars in losses when lead singer and songwriter Burton Cummings – who owns the publishing rights to the Guess Who’s biggest hits, including ‘American Woman,’ ‘These Eyes,’ and ‘No Time’ – went nuclear two years ago and terminated his entire performing rights agreement with BMI,” the magazine reports.

“Cummings took the extraordinary step of yanking the Guess Who’s songs from the BMI licensing catalog covering concert venues because he wanted to stop Peterson and Kale from staging what he called ‘fake bullshit shows,’ using a different singer and guitarist.”

BMI’s move in April 2024 prompted the Peterson/Kale version of the Guess Who and booking company BiCoastal Productions to immediately cancel a tour they had scheduled, losing millions in the process.

In the new lawsuit, the pair now claim that BMI misinterpreted the termination’s effective date and that a notice period that had not yet expired, meaning their concerts did not need to be cancelled.

The lawsuit accuses BMI of breach of fiduciary duty, negligent misrepresentation, intentional interference with contractual relations and fraud. It seeks compensatory damages estimated at several million dollars, to be determined at trial, as well as punitive damages based on what it describes as BMI’s “willful, oppressive, fraudulent, and malicious” conduct.

““There is no merit to this lawsuit,” a spokesperson for BMI tells Billboard Canada in a statement. “BMI responded accurately and in accordance with the information provided to us by SOCAN, the foreign society that represents the copyright holders. We stand by our response.”

This is just the latest legal twist and turn in a saga that dates back decades and fuelled serious discontent between different members of the Guess Who over who had the rights to the band’s name.

Read more here. — Kerry Doole

Justin Bieber, Karan Aujla Among Spotify’s Most-Streamed Music from Canadian Artists to End 2025

Canadian artists are connecting with fans beyond their home country.

Spotify has revealed its newest Canadian Global Impact List, which highlights homegrown acts whose songs were in heavy rotation among listeners across the globe. This list covers the second half of 2025.

Justin Bieber is at the top of the list, while the ranking also highlights songs by Tate McRae, Daniel Caesar, Punjabi stars Karan Aujla and his longtime collaborator Ikky and popular independent rapper bbno$.

Spotify’s Global Impact List for Canada

Read more on the list here. — HTS

Taylor Swift is ready to see the Olympic athletes shine like opalite on the slopes and skating rinks, with the pop superstar making a cameo during the Opening Ceremony on Friday (Feb. 6) to deliver a special message to them.

During the first 20 minutes of the program — which began streaming live on NBC and Peacock at 1:40 p.m. ET before the official ceremony’s kickoff at 2 p.m. — the pop star’s Billboard Hot 100-topping “The Fate of Ophelia” started playing as clips of stars such as Usher and Jeff Goldblum made their entrances in Milan to watch the beginning of the Winter Games. Then, Swift herself popped up on screen in a pre-taped video, wearing a sweatshirt with a teddy bear on it.

“This is a message to all the athletes,” she told the camera. “Getting to learn your stories, and seeing everything you sacrificed and all your determination and hard work and passion … it’s just really inspiring.”

“I am very grateful for everything you’ve done to get to this point in your life and grateful that you’ve brought all of us along on this journey,” Swift continued. “Wishing you all the best of luck and a safe journey, and I hope this is an experience you cherish for the rest of your life.”

Andrea Bocelli and Mariah Carey were slated to perform later in the ceremony. The program will also feature the lighting of the Olympic cauldron following a torch relay — in which ENHYPEN’s SUNGHOON took part.

The Winter Olympics will last from from Feb. 6 to 22, featuring competitions in skiing, skating and more. The 2026 Games aren’t the first the 14-time Grammy winner has taken part in, with Swift narrating a Team USA commercial in the summer of 2024.

Fridays’ ceremony came the same day Swift dropped a music video for her The Life of a Showgirl single “Opalite,” featuring cameos from Domhall Gleeson, Graham Norton, Greta Lee and more. The visual is available to watch only on Apple Music and Spotify until Feb. 8, when it’ll arrive on YouTube.

“I had more fun than I ever imagined — Made new friends, metaphors and fashion choices,” Swift wrote on Instagram after the video’s release. “It was an absolute thrill to create this story and these characters.”