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Bad Bunny is back with Adidas to launch another hot shoe, and it might be his best collaborative style yet.

Eagle-eyed fans have likely already seen the new shoe before. The “Nuevayol” singer laced up his latest Ballerina style in vivid red during his sold-out residency in Puerto Rico. According to a press release from Adidas, the Ballerina color scheme was inspired by “the vibrant bloom of Puerto Rico’s Flamboyán trees as they flower in late May.”

The new Ballerina colorway drops on Saturday, May 30, at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on Adidas.com. The shoe retails for $120 and comes in fiery red with contrasting white accents.

Textured suede uppers give way to bungee-cord laces, keeping the shoes more securely fastened to the feet than traditional closures. This is a slim, streamlined silhouette designed for everyday wear that looks very similar to Adidas’ Taekwondo shoe released in the early 2000s, created for performance without laces for martial arts combat.

Where to buy Adidas x Bad Bunny's new Ballerina shoe online.

Bad Bunny Ballerina in Vivid Red

The Flamboyán tree produces vibrant red flowers. The tree and its flowers hold a special place in Puerto Rican folklore, seen as a symbol of resilience.


We love the vivid red Ballerina because it is a sporty take on dancerly footwear and one that you can wear more frequently without damage, unlike a less-structured ballet flat made of flimsier materials. You’ll get more mileage out of a shoe like this because of its sturdy construction. We also recommend the Bad Bunny Ballerina because the color isn’t already available in Adidas’ Ballerina line, and is vastly different in color from anything the artist has dropped with the brand in the past. It’s an entirely new offering, and it can serve as a statement shoe in your rotation.

Adidas and Bad Bunny last dropped a new BADBO 1.0 model on March 28 to widespread fanfare. The beige and black sneaker sold out almost instantly, just like the other collaborative styles the musician has had a hand in creating. The current resale value of the shoe is astronomical, nearly $700 on sites such as StockX, GOAT, Stadium Goods or Farfetch. With all the hype surrounding the BADBO 1.0, it’s likely this new Ballerina shoe will go just as fast. You’ll want to buy while you can before it gets marked up for high prices on resale sites.

Originally launched in 2025, Adidas’ Ballerina comes in many forms, from pink satin like your standard ballet shoe, to a lace-up low top. There are even models with crisscrossing velcro straps that wear similarly to a Mary Jane. Bad Bunny’s first Ballerina model launched back in 2025 in a bold gold colorway. Similar to his latest vivid red creation, the bold gold Ballerina featured suede touches but came in a yellow gold hue.

The two first partnered up in March 2021 with an inaugural launch of The First Cafe, a coffee-inspired Adidas Forum Buckle Low. Since then, they have come together on numerous occasions to give fans and followers styles all inspired by Bad Bunny’s style, music and swagger, including the Adidas AdiRacer GT, Adidas Forum Powerphase and, our personal favorite, the Adidas Gazelle Indoor.

From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

Milo J Earns Top Prize at Argentina’s Premios Gardel

At just 19, Milo J made history at the 2026 Premios Gardel on Tuesday (May 26), becoming the most awarded artist ever in a single edition after taking home 13 trophies, including the coveted Gardel de Oro. His wins included album of the year for (La Vida Era Más Corta), song of the year and record of the Year for “Niño,” plus trophies spanning urban, folklore, hip-hop/rap and music video categories.

Accepting the night’s top prize, the artist said, “I want to thank everyone — especially those I don’t always have time to thank for everything they’ve done for me. I want you to know that, in one way or another, you saved my life. And to music, which saved me from not being happy.”

The Argentine star opened the night with a moving performance of “Niño” and “Luciérnagas,” backed by a children’s choir. He also added, “La Vida Era Más Corta was an album that, beyond what it may have generated in people, changed my life; mine and a lot of other people’s. I want to thank everyone, those I don’t always have the time to thank for everything they did for me. I want you to know that you saved my life in one way or another. And to music, which saved me from not being happy.”

Milo J wins 13 Premios Gardel, including the coveted Gardel de Oro. Credit: Agustín R. Dusserre

J Balvin Receives Special Honor from New York’s Museo del Barrio

J Balvin was honored in New York on Thursday (May 28) with a special recognition from El Museo del Barrio for his “impact as a global artist and for his contribution to promoting and raising the profile of Latin culture worldwide,” says the statement. The tribute took place during a ceremony in the city, where the Colombian star attended with his partner, Valentina Ferrer.

Founded in 1969 in East Harlem, El Museo del Barrio has long served as a key cultural institution for Latin communities in the U.S. Balvin was honored alongside Agustín and Isabel Coppel and Uruguayan art historian Estrellita Brodsky, with the recognition presented after remarks from Vogue México and Latinoamérica editorial director Karla Martínez de Salas.

J Balvin and Valentina Ferrer at El Museo del Barrio’s 2026 Gala. Credit: Peter Zwolinski / Courtesy of El Museo del Barrio.

Shakira and Carlos Vives’ “La Bicicleta” Turns 10

One of the biggest Colombian pop hits of the past decade turned 10 this week. Released in 2016, Carlos Vives and Shakira’s “La Bicicleta” became a major crossover success, reaching No. 1 on Latin Airplay and Latin Pop Airplay, among other chart achievements.

“10 years ago we made this song that we called ‘A desperate vallenato,’ but when Afo Verde had the idea of sending it to Shakira … ‘La Bicicleta’ was born,” Vives captioned on Instagram on Thursday (May 28). “We have sung and danced to it around the world and we have been very happy. And well, what can I tell you, I am still the same messy-haired guy, on a bike that takes me everywhere. I love you Shak!!! Happy birthday to our song and thank you Andres Castro for creating it with us.” 

Watch the 1.8 billion stream video below.

New Podcast on the Birth of Salsa in NYC, Hosted by Rosie Perez

Salsa’s origin story is getting a fresh spotlight with Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York, a new eight-episode podcast hosted by Rosie Perez and produced by Futuro Media. Premiering Tuesday (May 26), the series is described in a press release as “the most comprehensive audio narrative yet made about the birth and wild heights of salsa, a genre that continues to shape global culture today.”

The podcast goes back to 1964, when a Dominican musician and an Italian-American ex-cop founded Fania Records in New York City, ultimately helping spark a global cultural revolution, according to the release. It chronicles the rise of Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades and the Fania All Stars, while tracing a legacy that runs through the artists dominating music streaming today, like Bad Bunny, Rauw Alejandro, and Karol G.

Topics across the eight episodes include “the night salsa crystallized as an art form at the Cheetah Club in 1971, the Young Lords and FBI surveillance of Fania artists, Celia Cruz’s ascent to global icon, and the Afro-Caribbean roots of the music, the drugs, betrayal, and lawsuits that ultimately brought the label down,” according to the release.

Nicky Jam Returns to Puerto Rico With Two Sold-Out, Star-Studded Shows

A decade after his last performance on the island, Nicky Jam returned to the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot (a.k.a. El Choli) on Memorial Weekend (May 23 and 24) with two sold-out El Regreso a Casa concerts. The back-to-back shows marked a full-circle moment for the reggaetón star, whose homecoming drew a multigenerational lineup of surprise guests including J Balvin, Jowell & Randy, Tito El Bambino, Zion, Cosculluela, Justin Quiles, Lenny Tavárez, Lunay and Ñejo.

The pair of sold-out shows underscored Nicky’s everlasting bond with his native Puerto Rico and the genre’s roots. Framed as a celebration of reggaetón’s past and present, the event brought together key figures from across eras of Latin urban music on one of Puerto Rico’s most important stages.

Nicky Jam sold out concerts at Coliseo de Puerto Rico. Credit: Daniel Granada

Killswitch Engage have added a second Melbourne show to their 2026 Australian and New Zealand tour after the first date sold out in under two weeks — the latest sign that demand for the Massachusetts metalcore veterans is as strong as ever in a region they haven’t headlined since 2018.

The new show at the Forum falls on Monday, Nov. 9 — the night before the already-sold-out Nov. 10 date. Tickets for the added show and all remaining tour dates are available now via SBM Presents.

The run marks Killswitch Engage’s first headline tour of Australia and New Zealand since 2018 and their first visit to the region since September 2024, when they opened for Iron Maiden. British metal outfit Sylosis join as special guests across all dates — the Reading, England act made their Australian debut at Soundwave in 2013, returned for their first headline tour of the country in 2025, and arrive this time on the back of their latest album The New Flesh, released in February 2026.

The tour supports This Consequence, Killswitch Engage’s ninth studio album, released in February 2025 and their first since Atonement in 2019. Its lead single “I Believe” became the band’s first song to crack the top 10 of the U.S. Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, peaking at No. 4 and marking a commercial milestone for a group whose fanbase has remained loyal across more than two decades without ever fully crossing into mainstream radio territory.

Formed in Westfield, Massachusetts in 1999, Killswitch Engage are widely credited as one of the architects of modern metalcore — a genre that has since spawned generations of bands and remains one of the most commercially viable corners of heavy music. Their 2002 debut Alive or Just Breathing, recorded with then-vocalist Jesse Leach, is still considered a genre landmark. The End of Heartache (2004) — recorded with Howard Jones, who had replaced Leach — debuted at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold by the RIAA. Disarm the Descent (2013) — their first album with Leach back on vocals after Jones departed in 2012 — debuted at No. 7, and Incarnate (2016) reached No. 6, their career-best Billboard 200 position to date. Across their career they have earned three Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance — in 2005, 2014 and 2019 — and accumulated billions of streams, while sharing stages with Iron Maiden, Slayer, Slipknot, Mastodon, My Chemical Romance and Parkway Drive.

The Melbourne sellout continues a strong run of momentum for the band in Australia, where metalcore has long maintained a dedicated and vocal live following. With one Forum show already gone and the second expected to move quickly, fans in other cities are advised to secure tickets soon.

Killswitch Engage — Australia & New Zealand 2026 (with Sylosis)

Oct. 31 — Auckland, NZ — Powerstation

Nov. 1 — Wellington, NZ — Meow Nui

Nov. 3 — Brisbane, AUS — Fortitude Music Hall

Nov. 6 — Sydney, AUS — Enmore Theatre

Nov. 7 — Wollongong, AUS — Waves

Nov. 9 — Melbourne, AUS — Forum (new show)

Nov. 10 — Melbourne, AUS — Forum (sold out)

Nov. 12 — Adelaide, AUS — Hindley Street Music Hall

Nov. 14 — Fremantle, AUS — Metropolis Fremantle

BABYMETAL have released “from me to u (Jordan Fish Remix),” the second preview from their forthcoming METAL FORTH (DELUXE EDITION), due June 26 via Capitol Records.

Fish — keyboardist and producer best known for his decade-long tenure with Bring Me The Horizon — delivers the latest reworking of “from me to u (feat. Poppy),” following a Major Lazer remix released last month.

The deluxe edition expands the original METAL FORTH with three live performances and both remixes, and will be available digitally and on a limited zoetrope vinyl pressing that brings ten album icons to life in motion.

The release arrives alongside news of BABYMETAL’s 2026 World Tour, spanning North America and Latin America. The North American leg launches on Aug. 30 in San Diego, where the band will open for My Chemical Romance, before headlining their own run with support from Halestorm and Violent Vira. In Latin America, the band will play their first-ever stadium show in Mexico City, supported by I Prevail and Bilmuri. Tickets are on sale now.

METAL FORTH debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 upon its release last year, marking the group’s first U.S. top 10 album and the first time in history that an all-Japanese fronted act has broken into that tier of the chart. The album moved 36,000 equivalent album units in its first week — of which 33,500 were pure album sales — amassed over 200 million global streams, debuted at No. 10 on Spotify’s Top Albums Debut U.S. chart, and landed at No. 2 on the U.S. iTunes Download Album chart.

Internationally, it reached the top 10 in Germany — a career-best, improving on No. 24 for THE OTHER ONE and No. 18 for METAL GALAXY — and broke the top 20 in the U.K., with career-high positions also recorded in the Netherlands and France.

Formed in Tokyo in 2010, BABYMETAL — fronted by SU-METAL, MOAMETAL and MOMOMETAL — built their following through explosive live shows before breaking internationally, opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Korn and Lady Gaga en route to becoming one of the most distinctive and widely followed acts in global metal.

Stream “from me to u (Jordan Fish Remix)” below.

Brandon Lake was a double winner at the 2026 K-LOVE Fan Awards, which premiered on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and the TBN+ app on Friday (May 29). (An encore showing is scheduled for Friday June 5).

Lake, 35, won both artist of the year and male artist of the year. Gospel legend CeCe Winans, 61, took the award for female artist of the year.

Related

MercyMe, which formed 32 years ago, won group of the year.

The K-LOVE Fan Awards, now in their 13th year, honors artists, songs and performances in Christian music, as well as recognizing achievements in television, film, books, sports and digital media. This year’s show was taped at Nashville’s Opry House on May 24. It was co-hosted by Sadie Robertson Huff and Lauren Daigle. Robertson won the podcast impact award for Whoa That’s Good. Daigle was shut out despite three nominations.

Other artists who received three nominations but didn’t win this year were Jeremy Camp, Josiah Queen and Elevation Worship.

Jamie MacDonald won song of the year for “Left It in the River,” which reached No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart. Phil Wickham won worship song for “Homesick for Heaven,” which reached No. 8 on that chart.

Here’s the complete list of nominees for the 2026 K-LOVE Fan Awards, with winners marked.

Artist of the year

WINNER: Brandon Lake
CeCe Winans
Elevation Worship
Jamie MacDonald
Jeremy Camp
Josiah Queen
Lauren Daigle
MercyMe
Phil Wickham
TobyMac

Male artist of the year

Ben Fuller
WINNER: Brandon Lake
Chris Tomlin
Jeremy Camp
Jon Reddick
Josiah Queen
Matthew West
Phil Wickham
Seph Schlueter
Tauren Wells

Female artist of the year

Anne Wilson
Blanca
WINNER: CeCe Winans
Emerson Day
Hope Darst
Jamie MacDonald
Katy Nichole
Lauren Daigle
Leanna Crawford
Terrian

Group of the year

CAIN
Caleb & John
Elevation Rhythm
Elevation Worship
for King & Country
WINNER: MercyMe
Passion
We the Kingdom

Song of the year

“Can’t Steal My Joy”– Josiah Queen/Brandon Lake
“Get Behind Me”– Emerson Day
“Heaven On My Mind”– TobyMac
WINNER: “Left It In the River”– Jamie MacDonald
“Let It Be a Hallelujah”– Lauren Daigle
“Make It Well”– MercyMe
“No Fear”– Jon Reddick
“No Survivors”– Jeremy Camp
“The Love I Have For You” – Colton Dixon
“Wait For Me” – Zach Williams
“What an Awesome God”– Phil Wickham
“Won’t Start Now”– Seph Schlueter

Worship song

“Alleluia”– Elevation Worship
WINNER: “Homesick for Heaven”– Phil Wickham
“How Good It Is”– Chris Tomlin
“Mighty Name of Jesus”– Hope Darst & Josh Baldwin
“The Lord Will Provide”– Passion
“Washed”– Elevation Rhythm

Breakout single

“All Joy”– Natalie Layne
WINNER: “Get Behind Me”– Emerson Day
“I Need You”– Jet Trouble
“Somebody’s Praying”– Bay Turner
“Stay”– Zahriya Zachary
“Where Would I Be”– Peter Burton
“Why Should I Worry”– Carly Anne Taylor

Film impact

David
WINNER: I Can Only Imagine 2
Light of the World
Sarah’s Oil
Soul on Fire
The King of Kings
The Last Rodeo
Truth & Treason

TV/Streaming impact

Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain’s Journey
WINNER: House of David: Season 2Miracle
Testament
The Chosen Adventures
The Promised Land
Virgin Birth

Podcast impact

Back Porch Theology – Lisa Harper
Girls Gone Bible – Angela Halili & Arielle Reitsma
Hey! It’s the Lusko’s – Levi & Jennie Lusko
Livin’ the Bream – Shannon Bream
The Bible Recap –Tara-Leigh Cobble
The Bryce Crawford Podcast – Bryce Crawford
There Is More Podcast – Karen McAdams & Rachel Faulkner Brown
WINNER: Whoa That’s Good – Sadie Robertson Huff

Book impact

And She Got Up – Courtney Pray Duke
Beloved – Francis Chan
Blessed Are the Spiraling – Levi Lusko
WINNER: Hey Girl – Anne Wilson
Jesus Shaped Life – Lisa Harper
Joy Bomb – Tauren Wells
Tame Your Thoughts – Max Lucado
We’re So Blessed – CAIN

Sports impact

WINNER: Robert Anthony Cruz “Coach RAC”- Savannah Bananas

It’s been quite the remarkable few years for Megan Moroney. Since releasing her debut album three years ago, she’s quickly risen to the top ranks of the most popular women in country music with such hits as “Tennessee Orange,” “Am I Okay,” “Six Months Later” and “Beautiful Things.”

In March, her third studio set, Cloud 9, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 all-genre albums chart, making it the first country album by a woman to reach the pinnacle on the chart since Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter in April 2024, and making her only the 10th women to top the chart with a country album this century.

She followed that with receiving nine nominations for the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards, the most nods received by an artist in a single year.

On Friday night (May 29), the Emo Cowgirl reached another first: kicking off her first arena headlining tour with a sold-out show at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio. Just as she kept all her outfits in different shades of blue for 2025’s Am I Okay outing, Cloud 9 brought out all manner of pink costumes, including a pink sparkly short onesie with silver fringe and a delicate sheer light pink gown with silver appliques.  

The energetic show drew from all her albums, but focused largely on Cloud 9, with 15 of the 23 songs coming from the set. In her surprise song slot, she slid in “Hair Salon,” which has now become a fan favorite since it came out on her 2022 EP, Pistol Made of Roses.

The tour moves to Indianapolis Saturday (May 30) and then two sold-out nights at Chicago’s United Center. The U.S. leg concludes at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Aug. 21-22 before heading to Europe.

Below is a full set list from opening night.

It looks like Shaboozey is a Summer House fan.

The Grammy winner — who’s getting ready to release his fourth studio album, The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales, in July — has revealed the release date for his upcoming single “Cowgirl,” while teasing that Bravo star Ciara Miller will join him in the music video.

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He shared a short preview on social media, offering a glimpse of the video’s Western-inspired aesthetic while the song’s chorus played in the background. In the clip, he and Miller dance together, dressed in coordinated cowboy and cowgirl attire.

“They say behind every outlaw is a cowgirl twice as dangerous. ‘Cowgirl’ out 6/5,” reads the caption on Shaboozey’s Instagram and X posts. On Instagram, he collaborated on the post with Miller, who later shared it to her Stories and confirmed the news with the simple message: “I’m the cowgirl.”

The video perfectly fits the theme for Shaboozey’s upcoming The Outlaw Cherie Lee album, which comes out July 31 and is the follow-up to his breakout 2024 project Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going. Over the past two years, he’s delivered a string of hits, starting with his monster single “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which set a new benchmark by spending more time at No. 1 on Billboard’s Radio Songs chart than any song before it and spending 19 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. The success of “A Bar Song” also cemented Shaboozey’s place in music history, making him the first performer to reach the top 10 simultaneously on Country Airplay, Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay, and Rhythmic Airplay charts. Additionally, it became only the second song by a Black artist to lead both the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs chart.

Miller has also been making recent headlines, as her Summer House castmates Amanda Batula and West Wilson confessed back in March to having a secret relationship behind the backs of West’s ex-girlfriend (and Amanda’s alleged best friend) Ciara and Amanda’s ex-husband Kyle Cooke. The illicit relationship drew the ire of Summer House fans and loud support for Miller, with HAIM’s Alana Haim even appearing on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live wearing a “Team Ciara” T-shirt last month.

Watch Shaboozey and Miller dance to “Cowgirl” together below:

SoCal’s beloved Lightning in a Bottle festival returned this past weekend (May 21-24), with its 23rd edition thrown in the event’s characteristically loose and groovy style.

Drawing roughly 25,000 people to the Lake Buena Vista Recreation Area near Bakersfield, Calif., the sold-out camping festival featured one of the highest-profile lineups in its history, with headliners Mau P, Sara Landry, Empire of the Sun, Zeds Dead, Chase & Status and Barry Can’t Swim all pulling up to play in addition to a swath of other acts across dubstep, drum & bass, house and beyond. LiB, as it’s called by its regulars also hosted nightly stage takeovers by venerable L.A. party-mongers Respect Drum & Bass, A Club Called Rhonda and Baile World.

It was, straight-up, hot as hell over the weekend, with temperatures that hit upward of 95 degrees, making the site’s lake all the more crucial for the many attendees who floated around on inflatables shaped like ducks, unicorns and sharks during the day, with the music being played on shore adding to the hot and heady vibe.

As always, along with the music, the fest hosted workshops on food, art, intimacy, health, spirituality and more, along with loads of yoga. There was a sacred fire, there was a gong tent, there was a giant telescope where you could line up to see the famous Butterly Cluster of stars, there was LiB’s brilliant Mixtape area, where DJs played off cassettes and everyone danced in an area designed to look like the basement of your parents’ house after a rager in 1998.

It was, as always, fun and meaningful. These are some of the best photos from the weekend.

Drake’s blockbuster Iceman release has broken multiple Billboard Canadian chart records.

After dropping three albums earlier this month — Iceman, Maid of Honour and Habibti — the Toronto-born rapper is reaching new chart heights in his home country.

The same week that he beat Michael Jackson’s record for most No. 1s in the U.S.

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Drake’s “Janice STFU” is his 14th No. 1 song on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 dated May 30.

That marks Drake’s 14th chart-topping song since the chart’s inception in 2007, and it breaks a tie with Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift for the most No. 1 songs in Canadian Hot 100 history.

Drizzy scores all top nine spots on the Canadian Hot 100 this week.

That’s a major feat, occupying 9 out of the top 10 simultaneously, though it doesn’t quite pass Taylor Swift. She holds the record for the most entries in the top 10 simultaneously, with 10 on Nov. 5, 2022, and Oct. 18, 2025.

Drake did break another of Swift’s records, though, charting 17 songs in the top 20 simultaneously of this week’s Canadian Hot 100. Previously, Swift held that record, with 15 tracks.

Drake has had 51 tracks in the top five and 84 tracks that have hit the top 10 —both extending his personal records.

Drake has 42 out of 100 of the total chart spots on this week’s Canadian Hot 100. That’s another record, surpassing the 37 tracks that Morgan Wallen stacked on the May 31, 2025, chart, powered by his chart-topping release I’m the Problem.

40 of Drake’s songs make their debut on the chart this week, and two re-enter, setting a new record for the most charting hits in a single week.

Find all of Drake’s Canadian chart records here.

Music ‘Streaming Tax’ Update Is ‘Forthcoming’ as CRTC Triples TV Streaming CanCon Contributions to 15%

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has increased its base contributions for major audiovisual streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

The federal broadcast regulator has revealed that platforms earning more than $25 million in revenue will be required to pay 15% of their income to Canadian content funds. It’s a 10% increase from the 5% base contribution requirement proposed in 2024.

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“The total contributions are expected to stabilize the funding at more than $2 billion in support of Canadian and Indigenous content, such as French-language content and news,” the federal broadcast regulator’s statement reads. “These measures will help ensure that Canadian stories continue to be told and made available to audiences across the country.”

The CRTC made the decisions as part of its implementation of the Online Streaming Act, in an effort to boost Canadian and Indigenous content discoverability.

To ensure the CRTC’s requests are met, online streaming platforms will be required to take steps to make diverse content available and visible. Details of those requirements have yet to be publicly revealed.

So, what does this mean for music streaming?

A spokesperson for the CRTC tells Billboard Canada, “a decision on the Consultation on Canadian content for audio services is forthcoming, and any changes affecting music streaming services would be set out in a public decision following that process.”

As it stands, CRTC regulations state that at least 35% of music played on commercial radio stations must be localized content — a.k.a. CanCon. This standard doesn’t extend to music streaming services, with many independent Canadian groups pushing for this change with the 5% base contributions. Currently, rollout is paused.

Read more here.

National Music Centre Names Steve Kane as Chair of NMC Board of Directors

Canada’s National Music Centre (NMC) has promoted Steve Kane to chair of the organization’s board of directors.

Previously, he served as a board member for the Calgary-based music organization, rounding out over 30 years championing Canada’s music scene and working at some of today’s biggest Canadian record labels.

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Kane, former longtime president of Warner Music Canada and a member of the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame, succeeds Rob Braide, who is retiring from the Board after 13 years. Braide helped to open and launch NMC, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. In celebration, the organization has kicked off a year-long lineup of exhibits, events and programs.

As he enters this expanded role at NMC, he shares that he’s excited to “amplify the power of music in Canada, both nationally and internationally.”

“I’m thrilled and honoured to be taking on this expanded role on the Board of the National Music Centre. Our songs and stories are central to our identity as Canadians from coast to coast to coast,” he tells Billboard Canada. “At NMC, we don’t just preserve the past. We are helping create the future of Canadian music with educational programs, artist development initiatives, world-class recording studios, and unique live events that incorporate NMC’s historic collection of musical instruments.”

In the late ’90s, Kane kicked off his music industry career as senior vice president of Polygram Records and Universal/Island/Def Jam Canada. While he stayed at the latter label for four years, his longest stint was as president of Warner Music Canada for 20 years, starting in 2001. In 2021, he was succeeded by Kristen Burke at the Canadian major label, who remained in the role until 2025, when Eric Wong was tapped for the position.

Throughout Kane’s decades-spanning career, he has served on various music boards, including Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA), Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and Unison.

Kane will be joined by current board member Jennifer Buchanan, who is stepping into the role of vice-chair.

Read more here.


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During the streaming era of TV, everything we watch, including live sports, is divided across a number of networks and services. If you’re a sports fan, you might be overwhelmed with all of the streaming options to watch your favorite leagues. However, DIRECTV is the one streaming platform that is a step above the rest, especially when it comes to delivering live sports to your 4K TV, smartphone, tablet, laptop or other internet-connected devices.

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