J. Cole is back.

The North Carolina rapper followed up announcing the the long-awaited release date for his upcoming album The Fall-Off with what is looking like the project’s lead single. And while he didn’t provide a title for the song, he did hint at The Fall-Off being a double disc by naming the track “Disc 2 Track 2,” so it’s safe to assume the tracklist will be revealed in due time.

The video, directed by Ryan Doubiago, starts off with a disclaimer before taking us through an Inception-like labyrinth of Cole’s life in reverse as the rapper narrates his story in the same fashion almost reminiscent of Nas‘ “Rewind.”

The disclaimer reads: “For the past 10 years, this album has been hand crafted with one intention: a personal challenge to myself to create my best work. To do on my last what I was unable to do on my first. I had no way of knowing how much time, focus and energy it would eventually take to achieve this, but despite the countless challenges along the way, I knew in my heart I would one day get to the finish line. I owed it first and foremost to myself. And secondly, I owed it to hip-hop.”

As far as the production goes, there hasn’t been a producer credited yet, but fans have pointed out that he’s rapping over a leaked beat from the scrapped Drake and Ye collab album Wolves.

The Fall-Off will be J. Cole’s first full-length solo album since 2021’s The Off-Season, and his first project post-Big 3 battle when he released the mixtape Might Delete Later and walked back the Kendrick Lamar diss song “7 Minute Drill.”

Still shaken by the sudden loss of Yeison Jiménez, one of the biggest stars in Colombian “música popular,” thousands of fans (14,000, as announced onstage) gathered at the Movistar Arena in Bogotá on Wednesday (Jan. 14) to pay tribute to the artist.

Jiménez, known for hits like “Aventurero” and “Destino Final” with Luis Alfonso, died Saturday in a plane crash in Paipa (Boyacá) after the aircraft failed to gain enough altitude and crashed. Five other people, including Jefferson Osorio, the artist’s manager; Oscar Marín, his personal assistant; and Weismann Mora, a photographer, also lost their lives.

For the artist’s farewell, entrance to the Movistar Arena was divided into two sessions: the first from noon to 4 p.m. (local time) and the second from 6 to 10 p.m. In both time slots, entry was allowed until the venue reached full capacity. Admission was free, and organizers emphasized the importance of not bringing candles, food or drinks. Fans began arriving as early as Tuesday night, and by morning, thousands were already outside the venue.

Stars joined the farewell to Jiménez

The first to appear was little Thaliana, the artist’s daughter, who was carried on shoulders through much of the arena to greet her father’s fans — as if she felt it was now her responsibility to make them feel welcome.

Pipe Bueno was the first star of “música popular” to take the stage, visibly moved as he performed “Tengo Ganas,” a song by Jiménez on which he collaborated. Before leaving, the Cali-born singer, now based in Mexico City, noted: “Sometimes in our rush, we forget that we’re already rich, very rich, but in things that aren’t material.”

Next was Alzate, who performed “Sin Decir Adiós” and “Mi Venganza,” the latter recorded as a duet with Jiménez. The two were not only colleagues but also friends; Alzate contributed to some of Jiménez’s hits, such as “Hasta La Madre.” “Thank you for singing my lyrics; you made me great too,” he said before leaving the stage.

Jiménez’s “Ya No Mi Amor” was the next song in the lineup, this time performed by Jessi Uribe and Paola Jara, whose rendition set the stage for the arrival of Jiménez’s mother and young daughter, Thaliana. “Whether it’s a lot or a little, I don’t know, but I’ll always be here to take care of your children, your wife, and those who might be weaker than you. As long as God gives me life and health,” said Lucy, the artist’s mother, who also dedicated the song “Confieso” by Kany García to her late son.

Francy and Arelys Henao, who alongside Jara form the leading trio of women in Colombian popular music, also paid their respects. Francy performed her song “El Adiós,” while Henao gave an emotional rendition of “Nadie Es Eterno” by Darío Gómez, an icon of Colombian music with whom Jiménez had collaborated on Pipe Bueno’s “Guaro Remix”.

Sebastián Ayala, another artist in the “Colombian regional” genre (a term Jiménez often used), captivated the audience with “Qué Tonto Soy,” which he originally recorded as a duet with Jiménez. Ayala mentioned that the two had plans to record together again in 2026. John Alex Castaño performed “Amanecí Contento” and recalled the moment he first met Jiménez, saying the latter had visited him wearing shorts and carrying a notebook filled with writings.

Among the attendees were Pasabordo, the duo of Jhonatan and Gabo, who had collaborated with Jiménez on “Hasta La Madre,” which they performed during the event. The duo has also written several hits for Colombian regional artists, such as “Cuánto Vale” by Luis Alfonso and “La Llamada” by Jiménez.

As the first session of the day neared its end, Ciro Quiñonez took the stage to perform the remix version of “El Embustero.” This song has a touching backstory, as its writer, a young empanada vendor named Yeison Majé, went viral with it, leading to a collaboration with Jiménez and Luis Alfonso. It was the first time the three had performed it together. Quiñonez also performed his biggest hit, “Regalada Sales Cara,” alongside Alfonso, Uribe, and Bueno — one of the genre’s most popular remixes in recent years. Jessi Uribe’s “Dulce Pecado” was also sung by the four artists.

For the thousands of fans shedding tears inside and outside the Movistar Arena (many also following the event via social media), the night couldn’t conclude without Luis Alfonso performing “Destino Final.” “Even though his body is gone today, his legacy, his music, and his spirit will always be with us […] It’s no secret that we’re not mourning saints today; we’re mourning crazy, entrepreneurial, joyful people,” he said, apologizing to Jiménez’s family for his candid and bold farewell to his dear friend.

To conclude the event, Jhonny Rivera and Andy Rivera also took the stage. Jhonny sang “Siga Bebiendo,” his collaboration with Jiménez, while his son Andy — who had also collaborated with Jiménez— performed “Borracho Te Busco.” Several of the musicians then joined on stage to sing “El Mejor (Remix),” a song the beloved artist recorded just over a year ago with Mexican singer Chayín Rubio. “Sing it loud; this is Yeison Jiménez’s fourth sold-out show at the Movistar Arena,” someone suddenly exclaimed, referencing the three shows the artist had given at a the venue in late 2024.

—This story was originally published by Billboard Colombia

SYDNEY, Australia — After three editions, SXSW Sydney is calling time.

On Wednesday, Jan. 14, organizers announced that South by Southwest “will not proceed” in Sydney this year, and that the summit would “conclude its run.”

The decision “reflects a changing global environment that is impacting major events, festivals and cultural programs worldwide,” reads a statement.

Produced by TEG, SXSW Sydney worked closely with the NSW government and SXSW’s global owners, Penske Media Corporation, parent of Billboard, to explore potential pathways forward for the event, the statement continues. However, “prevailing market conditions” meant the Sydney leg “will not be going ahead at this time.”

SXSW Sydney’s brief lifespan was bright, and busy. According to a statement from TEG, the event generated an estimated A$276 million in total economic impact across its three-year run; attracted more than 63,000 out-of-region attendees; and recorded a 35% year-on-year growth in international visitation between 2024 and 2025.

For last year’s final SXSW Sydney, more than 345,000 attendees attended its showcases, panels, keynotes and more, a 15% year-on-year increase.

A social post from the SXSW team confirms the worst. “Every great story has a final page, and it is with a heavy heart that we share that SXSW Sydney has reached its closing chapter and will not be returning in 2026. It’s bittersweet to be saying goodbye while the momentum is so high.”

SXSW Sydney represented the brand’s first expansion outside of the United States, and a push into the vibrant Asia-Pacific region. But it did so post-COVID, as costs soar across the board. Money is tight. And competition is tough, both from the established BIGSOUND event, which is presented one month earlier in Brisbane, and the Amsterdam Dance Event, which overlapped with the first two editions of SXSW Sydney.

It was a “Golden” night at the 2026 Golden Globes for the KPop Demon Hunters crew, with the Netflix hit’s eight-week Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper winning for best original song and the film itself being named best motion picture – animated. Plus, Ludwig Göransson took home the prize for best original score for his work on the Ryan Coogler film Sinners.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about what the music wins could mean for the 2026 Oscar race, with voting starting this week and nominations set to be announced on Jan. 22. Listen to the latest episode below:

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem is back at No. 1 on the BIllboard 200 for the first time in four months — and for a 13th total week — and how Olivia Dean climbs into the top three for the first time (and hits new peaks on two more key charts). Plus, how Djo (aka Joe Keery) rides the Stranger Things finale to big gains on the charts — including his first top 10 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.)

Music creation platform Splice has designated Afro house as its sound of the year following the genre’s 778% growth surge on the platform in 2025 — a number driven by 1.3 million searches for and 6.7 million downloads of the genre, the company revealed Tuesday (Jan. 13).

The surge helped lift the broader house genre itself up from the platform’s fifth most downloaded genre in 2023 to its second most downloaded genre in 2025, with Afro house driving 70% of that growth. Meanwhile, melodic house downloads on the platform grew by 75%, garnering 3.2 million downloads.

These stats come from Splice’s new report, Sounds of 2026: An In-depth Look At the Trends Driving Music Creation, which looks at significant trends on the platform. The report was prepared by data analysis firm MIDiA Research and covers data from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Download the full report for free here.

“This year, more than ever, we are seeing a world where the biggest trends are reaching a subset of people,” the report states. “In an industry now dominated by microtrends, it is nearly impossible for a single person to keep track of them all. With Splice’s data, however, we can zoom in on the trends and microtrends driven by the music industry’s biggest fans and most influential tastemakers: creators.” 

Other key takeaways include hip-hop remaining Splice’s most downloaded genre, while trap remains its top subgenre. The report notes that generally, “growth in hip-hop is being driven by subgenres such as rage, boom bap and pluggnb, highlighting a shift away from a single defining sound.”

Meanwhile, pop returns to the top three genres, with bedroom pop being pop’s top subgenre, owing to a 297% rise in downloads. Other key subgenres here under the pop umbrella include hyperpop and indie pop.

Beyond Splice’s top three genres — hip-hop, house and pop — Splice’s top 10 genres are RnB at No. 4, trap at No. 5, soul at No. 6, EDM at No. 7, cinematic at No. 8, techno at No. 9 and tech house at No. 10.

Notably, electronic music was also one of Splice’s fastest-growing genres, with speed garage climbing 625% year-over-year to more than three million downloads in 2025. Also among the fastest-growing genres on the platform were hardwave, phonk and hard dance.

“Music has entered an era where the biggest trends are personal,” Splice CEO Kakul Srivastava said in a statement. “Our data shows creators pulling inspiration from everywhere at once, blending global sounds and local scenes to create music that feels both deeply human and culturally expansive. Sounds of 2026 captures that shift in real time.”

“In a music economy increasingly shaped by micro-trends, sample usage offers one of the clearest signals of what’s coming next,” added Mark Mulligan, MIDiA Research’s managing director and music analyst. “The sounds creators choose today reflect not only genre evolution, but deeper cultural shifts towards global exchange and scene-driven growth.”