Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” scored New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s final advertisement before his election night victory — but the campaign spot has now been removed from X amid a licensing rejection from Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG).

The ad, posted by Mamdani’s various social media accounts just before polls closed on Tuesday (Nov. 4), featured the caption “New York is a-changin’” and a montage of scenes from the 34-year-old progressive’s campaign set to Dylan’s famous protest song. Mamdani was declared the winner of the race Tuesday night, beating former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

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But as first reported by the New York Times, the ad has since been taken down from X and replaced by a notice reading, “This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner.” The video is still available on Instagram and TikTok.

It was not immediately clear who requested that the video be taken down from the social media platform, but a source familiar with the situation tells Billboard that UMPG, which has owned Dylan’s publishing catalog since 2020, previously denied a request from Mamdani’s campaign to license the composition.

Reached for comment on the matter on Wednesday (Nov. 5), a spokesperson for UMPG said, “As a longstanding policy, we do not license Bob Dylan compositions for projects involving political figures.”

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The Mamdani campaign did not immediately return a request for comment. A rep for Sony Music, which owns Dylan’s master recordings, declined to comment. Representatives from Instagram owner Meta and TikTok did not immediately respond to questions about whether the platforms also received takedown notices for the ad.

While individual social media users are free to soundtrack their videos with songs covered by blanket licenses, advertisements must get clearance from copyright owners via a so-called sync license.

Failure to get a sync license for a political video creates potential legal liability, as Billboard has recently reported in the wake of President Donald Trump’s administration posting TikTok videos featuring Taylor Swift’s No. 1 single “The Fate of Ophelia” and Zach Bryan’s track “Revival.”


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Ten months after unleashing his last of many star-studded music sessions, Bizarrap returns with Daddy Yankee in tow for a new “BZRP Music Session.” 

Titled “BZRP Music Sessions #0/66”— which can easily be interpreted as the first of 66 brand new sessions — the collaboration between the Argentine hitmaker and Puerto Rican global star was announced Tuesday (Nov. 4) on social media just hours before it officially dropped on Wednesday.

In the nearly three-minute-long track, DY returns to his roots spitting bars and rhymes over a reggaetón drum. The electric beat speeds up at some points for that rhythmic DY approach, reminiscent of previous hits, including “Llamada de Emergencia.” In the Biza-produced session, he sings about that positive essence that’s guiding his latest projects.

“If you ask me, I owe nothing to anyone,” DY sings. “When I leave here, I won’t take anything with me, I will just leave [feeling] true love, my feet on the ground, always looking up at the sky.”

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“BZRP Music Sessions #0/66” marks Biza’s comeback after releasing “BZRP Music Sessions #61” alongside Billboard’s former Latin Artist on the Rise Luck Ra last December.

The collaboration also comes just weeks after Daddy Yankee’s Superstar Q&A panel at Billboard Latin Music Week 2025, where he sat with Billboard’s Leila Cobo for a one-hour-long conversation about his personal and professional rebirth after his conversion to Christianity. 

“I feel reborn, reenergized, and truly joyful with everything I’m experiencing,” he said then. “The personal, spiritual, and faith-based change certainly feels good in my heart. Each person has a different purpose and design. Everyone has a purpose to fulfill in their lives, and mine was this path: to forefront popular culture, announcing the Kingdom — that’s a challenge. My father is so strategic that he’s calling many people.”

Watch Bizarrap and Daddy Yankee’s “BZRP Music Sessions #0/66” below: 

Taylor Swift attended Miles Teller and Keleigh Sperry’s (fake) wedding, but will the couple attend hers?

In a recent TikTok posted by Parade from the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the actor — who starred with his real-life wife in the pop star’s 2021 wedding-themed “I Bet You Think About Me” music video — was asked whether he’d been invited yet to Swift and Travis Kelce’s forthcoming nuptials.

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“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “That is going to be, I imagine, one impressive wedding,” Teller continued. “But, yeah, we’re just really happy for them. I’ve known Trav for a while, too, and they’re having a blast.”

The Tellers have been part of the 14-time Grammy winner’s posse for several years now. Before they played a couple whose wedding gets crashed by a vengeful Swift in her Red (Taylor’s Version) visual, the singer congratulated them on their actual marriage in 2019 by sending flowers and a note quoting her own “Lover” lyrics.

“May you always be this close, forever & ever,” Swift wrote in the card at the time. “Sending my best wishes to two lovers on their big day. Your friend, Taylor.”

A few months after the Eras Tour headliner started dating a certain Kansas City Chiefs tight end in 2023, the Whiplash star and Sperry joined Swift in a box suite at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to watch the 2024 Super Bowl, which Kelce’s team won against the San Francisco 49ers. Prior to that, Teller and the model stepped out in New York City with Swift to help her celebrate her 34th birthday.

Now, it’s Swift’s turn to walk down the aisle. She and Kelce got engaged in August, and going off of what the musician has previously said about her wedding plans, Teller and Sperry definitely have a good chance of being on the guest list. “I’m inviting everyone I’ve ever talked to,” she joked while on The Graham Norton Show in October. “I think it will be fun to plan.”

Watch Teller discuss Swift and Kelce’s wedding below.

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Miles Teller talks about his former music video co-star Taylor Swift’s engagement with Travis Kelce at SCAD Savannah Film Festival! #TaylorSwift #MilesTeller

♬ original sound – Parade Magazine – Parade Magazine


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Few NFL teams merge culture, community and football together quite like the two-time Super Bowl-winning Los Angeles Rams, and SoFi Stadium has become an entertainment mecca each football Sunday.

Billboard was in the building when the Rams beat the Colts in week 4, and music took center field. Here are seven moments that capture how the Rams continue to redefine what game day can look (and sound) like:

1. VIP Tailgate at CineVita Sets the Game Day Tone

At most stadiums, tailgating means folding chairs and cooler beer. In Inglewood, it means a red carpet and a DJ booth. The CineVita Tailgate is the Rams’ luxury pre-game ritual — a place where locals, celebrities and die-hard fans blend together for one purpose: to celebrate the L.A. Rams. Guests can catch other NFL games on the massive LED screens, play Xbox or trivia for prizes, or lounge on leather couches inside. The pre-game menu honestly tastes like something out of a food festival: loaded potato skins, Ortega taco bars, lemon pepper wings, and a maple-drizzled chicken and waffles station.

2. Mariachi Rams Represents L.A. Culture

Few teams showcase their city’s identity like the Rams do through music. The Mariachi Rams — the NFL’s first-ever mariachi ensemble — have become a fan favorite for the way they blend tradition with modern flair.

“To be the first NFL mariachi ensemble is an absolute honor and a great responsibility,” the group told Billboard. “We might be the first mariachis someone ever sees, so we give it everything every time.”

Their setlist jumps from classics like “El Rey” to mariachi renditions of 2Pac’s “California Love” and Selena’s “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.” “We take contemporary hits and put a mariachi twist on them,” they said. “It honors the genre while paying homage to the pop moments fans love.”

3. SoFi Stadium Turns National Anthem Into a Statement 

At SoFi, the national anthem isn’t just tradition; it’s the show opener. Singer/songwriter Madilyn Bailey described it as a career milestone. “Singing the national anthem at a Rams game can now be checked off my bucket list,” she told Billboard. “I’m not originally from Los Angeles, but the second I stepped off my first plane here, I knew this was my city and these were my people.”

Her performance carried a message of ambition that fits the energy of LA. “Everyone in this stadium is chasing something,” she said. “If a girl from a town of a thousand people can find herself singing in front of 70,000, anything is possible.”

4. The Crucial Catch Halftime Brings Rachel Platten to Fight

Each season, the Rams and Cedars-Sinai transform SoFi Stadium into something bigger than football through the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative, which honors cancer survivors and their families. This year’s ceremony recognized 12 “Crucial Catch Captains,” each representing stories of strength and survival. Among them was linebacker Shaun Dolac, who lost his father to stage four cancer in 2016. 

The highlight came at halftime when singer/songwriter Rachel Platten took the field to perform her anthem “Fight Song.” “The energy is unbelievable,” Platten told Billboard. “There are 70,000 people, and you’re feeding off the team’s energy. The Rams scored a touchdown right before I went on, so the whole place was already lit up.”

For Platten, the moment carried a deeper purpose. “It wasn’t about me,” she said. “It was about the survivors and the people supporting them. My mom is a cancer survivor, so I wanted to channel that strength. This performance was service, not perfection.”

5. Loud Luxury Turns SoFi Stadium Into the Club

Rachel Platten perform at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 28, 2025

Los Angeles Rams

Canadian DJ duo Loud Luxury brings in club-level energy to SoFi with an electrifying set. “It’s unique because everyone is there for the game first and foremost, so it feels like a chance to win over new fans,” they told Billboard. “Also, playing earlier in the day is definitely a bit of a body shock for both of us since our average bedtime is about 4 a.m.”

Their set bridges the worlds of sports and nightlife. “Fans play a huge role in the game atmosphere,” they said. “Our main goal is to energize the crowd, and if that can influence the game in any way, that’s a win for us.”

6. The Rams Junior Cheerleaders Take Over The Field

Before kick-off, nearly 300 Rams Junior Cheerleaders performed a four-minute routine alongside the official squad, showcasing the team’s dedication to community and youth involvement. The program, which builds confidence and teamwork among kids ages 5 to 14, has become one of the most wholesome traditions on game day.

7. Hollywood Park Extends the Game Day Experience Beyond the Stadium

Even after the final whistle, the energy carries through Hollywood Park. Fans can head to The Meeting Spot for drinks, catch a movie at Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas, or experience COSM’s immersive visuals. In American Airlines Plaza, $5 Bud Light specials, face painting and games keep the atmosphere lively through sunset.

MCA has signed country-rock band 49 Winchester to its Lucille Records imprint. On Friday (Nov. 7), the group will release its first new music since partnering with MCA: a cover of Black Sabbath‘s “Changes,” on which the group collaborated with MCA chief creative officer and Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb.

49 Winchester is currently in the studio with Cobb, crafting a full-length project slated for release next year. MCA will team up with New West Records on the upcoming album, while all subsequent 49 Winchester releases will be released exclusively through MCA.

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With a lineup that includes Bus Shelton, Noah Patrick, Isaac Gibson, Justin Louthian, Tim Hall and Chase Chafin, 49 Winchester got its start in Virginia and has become known for songs including “Russell County Line” and “Everlasting Lover.” The group will headline two shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Nov. 14 and 15. In 2023, they were nominated for duo/group of the year at the Americana Honors & Awards ceremony.

“We’re thrilled to be joining the MCA and Lucille family,” Gibson, 49 Winchester’s lead vocalist and guitarist, said in a statement. “Working with Dave Cobb is a dream, and we can’t wait for our fans to hear the new music we’re creating together.”

Chase Chafin, 49 Winchester’s bassist and co-founder, added, “So grateful to the fans and team who helped us build this to where it is today. We couldn’t be more excited for MCA to be the home of future 49 Winchester releases, and to share this next chapter with those who made it possible.“

“We are so excited to have 49 Winchester join Lucille Records,” said Mike Harris, president & CEO of MCA, in a statement. “Their mix of Southern rock is powerful and authentic, and we look forward to supporting them as they continue to evolve.”

“In working with 49 Winchester it felt like they laid it all out on the line,” added Cobb. “The record is pure heart and honesty, a lotta heart, soul and love went into making this album.” 

“Watching 49 Winchester’s remarkable growth and success over the past several years has been incredibly rewarding,” said John Allen, president of New West Records. “Their achievements reflect the band’s extraordinary talent and relentless work ethic, as well as the dedication of everyone at New West. Partnering once again with my longtime friend Dave Cobb is always a pleasure, and MCA is the perfect home for 49 Winchester as we work together to reach even greater heights.”

In addition to 49 Winchester, Lucille’s roster includes Lamont Landers. In February, Cobb and Harris were named the new heads of UMG Nashville, which then rebranded as MCA.

Luminate has announced a new global data partnership with Tencent Music Entertainment (TME), marking the company’s first data collaboration with a chart that measures music engagement in China, the companies announced Wednesday (Nov. 5).

Under the agreement, Luminate, Billboard‘s longtime data partner, will integrate streaming and sales metrics from TME’s platforms — including QQ Music, Kugou Music, Kuwo Music and JOOX — into its music data platform CONNECT. The data will be reflected on CONNECT in the coming weeks and integrated into Billboard‘s global charts on a date yet to be announced. This marks the first time Chinese music market activity will be measured and reflected on the Billboard global charts.

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Wednesday’s news represents the latest international expansion for Luminate, which now tracks data for more than 60 countries, with other recent additions in the Middle East and North and Sub-Saharan Africa. With the addition of TME to its data set, the company will be able to identify the appeal of genres and artists originating in China across markets.

Notably, in 2023, the TME UNI Chart became the first music chart from the Chinese Mainland to be featured on Billboard‘s U.S. website.

“This partnership marks a pivotal moment for the global music industry, underscoring Luminate’s unwavering commitment to providing the most accurate and comprehensive measurement of music activity worldwide,” said Luminate CEO Rob Jonas in a statement. “As the industry’s most trusted source of streaming and sales data, our customers and partners expect as much information as possible to make the best business decisions, and we know how valuable it is for a market as large and influential as China to be represented in those insights.”

Added TC Pan, group vp of TME and president of the Content Cooperation Department, “This collaboration with Luminate represents a data-driven effort to establish a unified global content ecosystem. China is one of the most dynamic music markets in the world, and through this partnership, all content on TME’s platforms — whether domestic or international — will participate in, and even help shape, global music trends. Moving forward, TME will continue to strengthen its content ecosystem, enabling more quality content to be discovered worldwide, realizing long-term value through a journey from ‘data connectivity’ to ‘ecosystem synergy.’”

Also weighing in was Ryan Liang, vp of corporate development and content system at TME, who said, “Our partnership with Luminate marks TME Chart as Billboard’s first in-depth data partner in China,which demonstrates that its objectivity and professionalism have gained recognition from international authorities. We see this partnership as an opportunity to further strengthen the TME Chart’s role as a bridge connecting Chinese music with the global market. By integrating China’s music data into the global chart ecosystem, we are dedicated to delivering Chinese music to a broader audience and enhancing its international recognition.”


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4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?” is back on the Billboard charts, thanks to a viral trend.

The 1993 No. 14-peaking Billboard Hot 100 classic reenters the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally dated Nov. 8 at No. 13, as users on shortform video platforms such as TikTok have been mashing up the track with Nicki Minaj’s 2012 hit “Beez in the Trap.” (Older songs are eligible for Billboard’s multimetric charts if in the top half and with a meaningful reason for their resurgences.)

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In the week ending Oct. 30, “What’s Up?” drew 4.2 million official U.S. streams, up 17%, according to Luminate. It also sold 1,000 downloads, a 34% boost week-over-week, sparking a second week at No. 3 on the Rock Digital Song Sales tally.

Over the past few weeks, streams of “What’s Up?” have steadily gained. A month prior to the Nov. 8 rankings (in the tracking week for charts dated Oct. 4), the song accumulated 2.7 million streams. A year ago this week (Nov. 9, 2024), the track pulled 2.2 million streams.

As for “Beez in the Trap,” the tune from Minaj’s 2012 album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (the track hit No. 7 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs that year) totaled 1.7 million on-demand streams in the week of Oct. 24-30, up 47%. A month ago (week ending Sept. 25), it drew 484,000 streams.

The viral sound featuring both songs synchs up their choruses: 4 Non Blondes singer Linda Perry’s refrain of “And I say, hey, what’s going on?” merges with Minaj’s “Bitches ain’t shit and they ain’t sayin’ nothing/ A hundred motherfuckers can’t tell me nothing/ I beez in the trap” verse.

That said, the original versions of each are having their own moments on platforms including TikTok, although many videos still reference the prevailing meme; some of the top-performing clips, for instance, find users lip-synching to “What’s Up?” but then mouthing along to the lyrics of “Beez in the Trap” at its usual cue even though its audio isn’t playing.

The mashup sound is lip-synch-heavy, as well, with some of the most viral uses indicated by two participants standing back-to-back, one taking the 4 Non Blondes lyrics and the other assuming Minaj’s role. The trend has been utilized by everyone from typical creators to folks dressed up in cosplay or Halloween costumes to celebrities such as Anitta, Jimmy Fallon, Kylie Jenner, Khloe Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez. Lopez’s version even got Perry herself in on the fun.

10K Projects, the Warner-owned label founded by Elliot Grainge, has been sued for allegedly hoarding millions of dollars owed to Taz Taylor’s Internet Money Records under a joint venture.

Internet Money’s lawsuit stems from its 2019 partnership deal with 10K, which was at that point a fast-growing indie hip-hop label started by Grainge three years earlier. The 31-year-old son of Universal Music Group chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge, Elliot is now a powerful music executive in his own right as CEO of Atlantic Records.

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The 2019 joint venture made Grainge’s 10K the exclusive label home for talent developed by Taylor (Danny Snodgrass Jr.) through his Internet Money producer collective, including Nick Mira, JRHITMAKER and KC Supreme. The two companies were supposed to split net profits 50/50, according to the lawsuit.

“Unfortunately, the defendants, in violation of their obligations to plaintiffs, have acted in such a manner that they are the only entities who have benefited from this relationship,” reads the complaint, filed Tuesday (Nov. 4) in Los Angeles federal court.

Internet Money claims 10K has “engaged in a pattern of misconduct, indeed breaching every promise and obligation that was owed to the plaintiffs.” The crux of this alleged misconduct is a series of maneuvers by 10K that allegedly deflated Internet Money’s share of the net profits by at least $4 million.

The lawsuit says 10K has hoarded these profits by improperly cross-collateralizing accounts and overcharging Internet Money for jacked-up expenses, which are categorized as deductions under the joint venture agreement.

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Additionally, 10K is accused in the complaint of diluting Internet Money’s cut from the collective’s hit Gunna collaboration “Lemonade,” which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020. Internet Money also claims 10K has failed to share money made from the singer iann dior and withheld publishing royalties linked to various artists.

“As a direct and proximate result of the breaches, Internet Money Records has been denied millions of dollars in net profits to which it is entitled and continues to suffer ongoing damages due to 10K’s intentional misreporting and bad-faith conduct,” writes Internet Money’s lawyer, Sarah Matz.

The lawsuit brings a slew of civil claims, including breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and fraudulent inducement. Internet Money is seeking monetary damages and a court order requiring Warner Music Group (WMG), which acquired a controlling stake in Grainge’s label in 2023, to provide it with 10K’s financial statements for an audit.

Reps for 10K did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday (Nov. 5). The label has been run under the Atlantic Records umbrella since 2024, when Grainge was named CEO of the storied WMG operation.


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Summer Walker looks like she has the post-wedding blues on the album artwork for Finally Over It, which she unveiled on Wednesday (Nov. 5).

While being showered with white rose petals, the R&B superstar poses with an elderly white man she’s taken as her husband, drawing inspiration from then-26-year-old model and actress Anna Nicole Smith and 89-year-old billionaire oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II’s 1994 wedding photos. In September, Walker stepped out with another elderly white man on the red carpet of the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards — where “Heart of a Woman” was nominated for best R&B — while re-creating Pamela Anderson’s 1999 VMAs look.

While unveiling the vinyl artwork last month, she wrote, “Finally Over It is a 2-part album about the choices we have left when true love feels impossible. One side chooses me, the other sacrifices love completely. For Better or For Worse.”

See the official Finally Over It album cover below:

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Finally Over It will be released next Friday, Nov. 14, via LVRN and Interscope Records. The trilogy-capping LP will arrive four years after her last studio album, Still Over It, and six years after her Over It debut album. Both of her previous projects topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while Still Over It earned Walker her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200.

When she revealed the release date during a lie-detector test, Walker also revealed that Latto will be a featured guest, but she kept her lips sealed when it came to which “other rap girls” will be on the album. The album will also include previously released single “Heart of a Woman,” which reached No. 13 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 20 on Rhythmic Airplay.

Rauw Alejandro turned his acclaimed Cosa Nuestra Tour into a heartfelt tribute to Mexico and its most famous festivity, Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), on Tuesday night when the Puerto Rican star, his dancers and musicians all appeared with their faces painted as Mexican skulls for the first of five shows at the Palacio de los Deportes in the capital city.

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In a stunning surprise for the 18,000 attendees who packed the venue, according to Ocesa figures, Rauw, elegantly dressed in a 1960s-inspired outfit, resembled the character El Catrín — the eternal lover of La Catrina, the legendary skull created by Mexican cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada, who in Mexican tradition is her eternal companion in celebration on life and death.

“I’m singing here in one of my favorite cities,” Rauw said with emotion to the crowd, who erupted in a warm ovation. “Today’s story is a little different, when two cultures become one, when Cosa Nuestra meets Mexico with lots of love and affection, with great respect for everyone.”

The fact that the dancers and musicians accompanying the artist also appeared with their faces painted as Mexican skulls made the experience even more emotional and intimate for his local fans, who, adhering to the singer’s dress code, wore short sequined dresses, feathers, berets, and classic-cut suits.

Día de Muertos is traditionally celebrated on Nov. 1-2. Over the weekend, the performer had shared a series of snapshots on his Instagram account, where he and his team appeared with their faces painted as a skulls enjoying traditional tacos and tequila in Mexico, where he has 10 fully sold-out shows scheduled.

The Mexican leg of his Cosa Nuestra World Tour began on Nov. 2 in the northern city of Monterrey and continues in Mexico City with five shows, from Nov. 4 to 9. He will also stop in the city of Guadalajara on Nov. 15 and 16.

Rauw Alejandro participated on Monday (Nov. 3) in the Billboard Live Music Summit 2025 in Los Angeles, where he spoke with Billboard’s Leila Cobo and Hans Schafer, senior vp of global touring at Live Nation, about how his partnership with the entertainment giant helped him create a Broadway-inspired show that could “travel the world.”

The Cosa Nuestra tour is a high-concept, 1970s New York-inspired spectacle supporting Rauw’s 2024 album of the same name, which hit No. 6 on the Billboard 200. The tour grossed $91.7 million across spring and summer legs in North America and Europe before heading to South America and Mexico. The trek will conclude at the end of this month with a five-date residency at San Juan’s Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot.