Actress Debby Ryan has given birth to her first child, welcoming baby Felix Winter Dun with husband Josh Dun, drummer of Twenty One Pilots.
Ryan posted the birth announcement Saturday (Dec. 13) on Instagram, where she shared a personal video clip of herself in a home birthing tub, as well as the first public photos of the couple’s child, including a snapshot of Josh Dun holding their newborn.
“We sat under the full moon— the cold supermoon— reminiscing on our life as a family of two, and told the child I was harboring that we were ready to become three. By midday, Felix was born under christmas lights with snow outside our bedroom window, right into her father’s hands,” Ryan captioned her post.
The actress said her husband was “an incredible teammate,” and thanked her birth team and the women who provided support during her pregnancy. Ryan then wrote about baby Felix, whom she affectionately called “lil moonbeam.”
“Her hair is made of silk and her breath smells like vanilla ice cream and every chirp, squeak and whimper is music and everytime I look away and look back, she’s gotten smaller somehow,” wrote Ryan. “I know too soon, I’ll look away and look back and she’ll be bigger and bigger still so for now I’d like to spend my days trapped under the immovable 8 pounds of Felix Winter Dun. I’ve been a lot of things but her home, a grow light, a portal to bring a new soul into the world— these are my greatest honors. Welcome to earth lil moonbeam. Love you forever.”
Dun and Ryan were married in a New Year’s Eve ceremony on Dec. 31, 2019, a year after the two got engaged.
Ryan, who had her breakthrough as a Disney Channel series regular on Jessie (2011-2015) and The Suite Life on Deck (2008-2011), most recently appeared on American Horror Stories and in the film Turtles All the Way Down (both in 2024). She’s next expected to be seen in celebrity thriller Famousalongside Zac Efron, Phoebe Dynevor, Nicholas Braun, and is set to topline sci-fi thriller Orion.
Twenty One Pilots just earned their 13th career No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart with their latest single, “City Walls,” marking their third No. 1 on the chart this year following “The Line” (in August) and “The Contract” (in February). The band ties Cage the Elephant and Green Day for the third-most No. 1s on Alternative Airplay since the chart began in September 1988. (Red Hot Chili Peppers hold the record with 15 Alternative Airplay chart toppers.)
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-14 00:11:232025-12-14 00:11:23Debby Ryan Welcomes Baby With Twenty One Pilots’ Josh Dun
Lady Gaga suddenly halted her show in Australia after one of her dancers fell off the stage.
During her Mayhem Ball stop at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on Saturday (Dec. 12), the 39-year-old pop superstar paused mid-performance after a dancer accidentally slid off the stage while performing “Garden of Eden.”
Related
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars’ ‘Die With a Smile’ Makes History as Year-End Hot 100 No. 1
8 Songs You Didn’t Know Lady Gaga Wrote
Lady Gaga Makes Triumphant Return With The Mayhem Ball’s Homecoming Show in New York City: 7 Best Moments
Fan-captured video on X shows the dancer, Michael Dameski, gliding off the end of the stage, which had become slippery due to heavy rainfall at the open-air venue, according to TMZ.
After noticing the fall, Gaga immediately stopped the concert to check on the performer, earning applause from the audience. Fans on social media reportedly noted that she paused the show long enough to help him find shoes with better grip.
Following the concert, Dameski shared a video on social media dancing in what appeared to be a hotel bathroom amid animated rain, confirming he was not injured.
“Hey everyone! I’m ok. Thank you for checking. Happy I was able to finish the last show of the year!” he captioned the clip on his Instagram Story.
“The show must go on!” he wrote in a second clip, which showed him performing during the concert.
Gaga’s back-to-back shows at Accor Stadium, concluding Sunday night (Dec. 13), marked the final 2025 dates of her Mayhem Ball Tour. Dameski is expected to return when the tour resumes in Tokyo in January 2026.
The pop superstar ranked No. 12 on Billboard’s 2025 year-end top tours list, grossing $166.2 million and drawing 722,000 concertgoers across 35 shows, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. The year-end tracking period includes all worldwide shows between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025.
The Mayhem Ball tour notably marked Gaga’s return to arenas after performing in stadiums for The Chromatica Ball (2022) and combining both stadiums and arenas on the Joanne World Tour (2017–18).
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-13 20:45:332025-12-13 20:45:33Lady Gaga Abruptly Stops Mayhem Ball Show Mid-Performance After Dancer Falls Off Stage in Australia
The Quintanilla Family on New Selena Album ‘Moonchild Mixes’: ‘It’ll Move You Emotionally’
‘Selena y Los Dinos’ on Netflix Gives Fresh Look at Life of Tejano Queen
The Ultimate Selena Timeline: From Her First Big Hit to ‘Dreaming of You’
“It’s with a heavy heart to let you guys know that my Dad passed away today…” A.B., Selena’s brother and producer, wrote on Instagram.
The post included a photo of Quintanilla set to Pedro Infante’s “Cien Años.”
A cause of death had not been disclosed as of press time.
Born in 1939 in Corpus Christi, Texas, Quintanilla began his music career as a teenager, joining the vocal group the Dinos in 1956. He later left the band in the late 1960s to focus on raising his family.
Quintanilla was married to Marcella Quintanilla, and together they had three children: A.B., Suzette and Selena, who was fatally shot at age 23 in March 1995 by her former fan club president, Yolanda Saldívar.
After recognizing Selena’s talent at a young age, Quintanilla went on to manage and help develop one of Latin music’s most celebrated artists. He oversaw Selena y Los Dinos, the family band that included A.B. on bass, Suzette on drums and Selena’s husband, Chris Pérez, on guitar.
“I found out she had the talent to sing when she was six-and-a-half years old,” Quintanilla told Billboard in August 2022. “As she grew older, I would sit down with her and teach her how to sing in Spanish. I would teach her how to pronounce the word and what the word meant so she can put some emotion into it. She learned it very well. She was a good student in learning music.”
Selena’s short-lived but historic career earned her the title of the Queen of Tejano. In the 1990s, she revolutionized the genre and broke barriers in a male-dominated field, powered by hits such as “Como La Flor,” “Dreaming of You,” “Amor Prohibido” and “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.”
On the Billboard charts, Selena logged 24 entries on Top Latin Albums, including 16 top 10s and seven No. 1 titles. Among them were Amor Prohibido, which spent 20 weeks at No. 1 in 1994, and the posthumous Dreaming of You, which topped the chart for 40 weeks in 1995. She also earned seven No. 1 albums on the Regional Mexican Albums chart and six on the Latin Pop Albums chart.
See A.B. Quintanilla’s post about his father’s death on Instagram here.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-13 18:45:302025-12-13 18:45:30Selena Quintanilla’s Father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Dies at 86
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.
Shakira & Sons Sing Live in Concert
In the midst of the Latin American leg of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour, Shakira surprised fans in Buenos Aires by bringing out her two sons onstage. In the very rare performance — and a first in her world tour — the Colombian artist was joined by Milan and Sasha for the live debut of “Acróstico,” a powerful open letter to her children that she released on Mother’s Day in 2023. “Buenos Aires, thank you for this moment that will last forever,” she expressed on social media following the heartfelt moment on stage. “It was magical to sing with my children and see them express the music they have inside, while we watched entire families also singing and hugging each other!”
This week, Carlos Vives and wife Claudia Elena celebrated 10 years of their foundation Tras La Perla—created to improve the quality of life in Vives’ native Santa Marta, and the ecosystems of Sierra Nevada and the Ciénaga Grande. “Looking back and reflecting on the journey we’ve taken over these years, it fills us with hope to see how an idea rooted in love for our land has blossomed into projects that are now transforming realities in the territory where I was born,” Vives said in a press statement. Throughout the decade, Tras La Perla—which also offers health care and education to families in need—has fostered the connection of communities “through restored habitats and by strengthening their identity, history, and culture as key elements of their holistic development,” according to the foundation’s website.
Carlos Vives and Claudia Elena
Tras La Perla
Grupo Frontera & Perlita
In one of their latest music videos for “Se Me Sale,” Grupo Frontera documented the sweet encounter they had with one special fan named Perla Leyla, who’s a cancer patient. In the nearly three-minute clip, where they sing about a beautiful girl that has their heart racing in their true cumbia norteño fashion, the Texan group is seen spending quality time with their young fan in Disney. The heartwarming video also demonstrates clips of Perlita’s process in the hospital and features adorable moments with her parents. “Dedicated to Perlita, who found light even in the darkest days. All funds collected from this video will be for her and her family,” reads a letter at the beginning of the clip.
Silvana Makes Late-Night TV Debut
Silvana Estrada made her late-night TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where she was joined by Los Angeles Philharmonic for a powerful performance of “Dime,” part of her Vendrán Suaves Lluvias album. “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!!! I’m overwhelmed with emotion and nerves. It’s beautiful to see the journey these new songs are taking me on. I feel so much gratitude,” the Mexican singer-songwriter expressed on Instagram when she shared the news. Following her performance, Estrada shared an anecdote on how she drove from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and made it just in time for her Kimmel Live rehearsal. “It was a very emotional moment for everyone, especially considering that I wrote this song during a very difficult time in my life and now it’s been captured in this little bubble in Los Angeles during this beautiful moment in December. Thank you for supporting my music,” she noted on Instagram.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-13 15:00:472025-12-13 15:00:47Shakira Performs With Her Sons in Argentina & More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music
In March, a nearly six-years-long battle ended: She announced that she bought back her masters from Shamrock Capital. (The private equity investment firm purchased them from Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2020, who owned them through Braun’s acquisition of Swift’s former label Big Machine Records in 2019.)
“To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually being pretty reserved about it. To my fans, you know how important this has been to me — so much so that I meticulously re-recorded and released four of my albums, calling them Taylor’s Version,” she wrote at the time in a letter on her website. “The passionate support you showed those albums and the success story you turned The Eras Tour into is why I was able to buy back my music.”
After lying low professionally most of the summer, by August she made more headlines. Swift hopped on her then-boyfriend Travis Kelce’s podcast with his brother Jason, to reveal her 12th studio album – The Life of a Showgirl – would make its curtain call in October.
About two weeks later on Aug. 26, she broke the internet with the news: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” she captioned the Instagram post of her engagement. (Later, we’d learn, thanks to her interview on The Graham Norton Show, Kelce popped the question the same day the pair recorded New Heights.)
But she wasn’t done. Swift released her tour docuseries The End of an Era along with The Eras Tour: The Final Show, just one day before her 36th birthday, which is today, Dec. 13.
So let’s celebrate Swift and all her accomplishments with 13 triumphant lyrics about life, love and perseverance from her catalog.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-13 13:01:302025-12-13 13:01:3013 Celebratory Taylor Swift Lyrics in Honor of Her Birthday
Jewel is revisiting one of the most surreal and dangerous chapters of her early career — a real-life encounter with Mexican police during a drug bust that would later inspire one of her most enduring songs.
Speaking during her Not Alone Summit at Wynn Las Vegas in November, the singer, who has reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 with six albums, reflected on the experience in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, which first reported the story exclusively.
According to Jewel, the incident took place in the summer of 1994, when she was 20 years old and traveling through Mexico with longtime collaborator Steve Poltz during a break from writing music.
What began as a quiet songwriting retreat quickly escalated into something far more perilous. While spending time on a remote beach in Baja California, Jewel and Poltz were approached by armed men in uniform identifying themselves as Mexican federal police.
After casually asking if the officers knew where they could go whale watching, the pair were invited onto a small boat — only to learn mid-trip that the officers were in the middle of an active drug bust.
“They said, ‘We’re on a drug bust,’” Jewel recalled. When she asked if the situation was dangerous, she said the officer responded simply: “Sí.”
The singer later realized that the wooden bench she was sitting on doubled as storage for automatic weapons. As the boat chased a fleeing vessel that refused to identify itself, Jewel said she watched officers pursue suspects, uncovering large quantities of marijuana hidden under rocks along the shoreline.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Jewel recalled moments of disbelief and dark humor, including fears that she and Poltz could be framed or imprisoned.
“I was really paranoid we were gonna end up in a Tijuana prison,” she said.
Photographs from the incident — including one showing Jewel holding a rifle alongside officers — later circulated online, becoming a piece of ’90s music lore.
In the aftermath, Jewel and Poltz remained in Mexico briefly, continuing to write music. One of the songs born from that period would become “You Were Meant for Me,” released in 1995 on her debut album Pieces of You.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-13 08:15:462025-12-13 08:15:46Jewel Says a Dangerous Drug Bust in Mexico Inspired ‘You Were Meant for Me’
The Florence + the Machine leader appears in Taylor Swift’s new Disney+ docuseries Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour – The End of an Era, where she recounts her surprise duet performance of “Florida!!!” during Swift’s final night at London’s Wembley Stadium in August 2024.
The moment marked a rare onstage link-up between the two artists — and, as Welch admits, came with a heavy dose of pressure.
“I have performed on big stages, but I thought I’d just run around because that’s what I do at my own shows,” Welch recalls in the doc.
“When I got there, they were like, ‘This is your choreography.’ I was like, ‘No, no, no, wait, you must be confused. I don’t do this! I’m gonna f— this up!’”
Of course, she didn’t — Welch nailed her cues, hit the emotional high note, and helped close out one of Swift’s five Wembley nights without a hitch. But even a seasoned performer can get a little starstruck when faced with the sheer scale of Swift’s universe.
“The feeling of coming up for the first time in that lift, it was kind of like landing on Mars, ‘cause I’d never seen the stage lit up before,” Welch continues. “It’s like, you see this cultural moment from the outside, and I suddenly was inside of it. It was wild, but it was really fun and completely terrifying.”
Welch also admitted that seeing Swift as the pop deity at the center of a global phenomenon — rather than as her “cozy” friend — briefly scrambled her brain.
“Taylor is my friend, and I know her as this very cozy person, and I came out of that lift and I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s f—ing Taylor Swift!’”
The docuseries, which dropped its first two episodes this week on Disney+, pulls the curtain back on the tour’s unseen moments — from backstage rehearsal hangouts with Ed Sheeran to personal calls with Travis Kelce that Swift likens to a “vitamin drip.”
“I want to overserve the fans,” Swift says in the series. “That was my main goal.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-13 06:35:432025-12-13 06:35:43Florence Welch Opens Up About ‘Terrifying’ Eras Tour Duet With Taylor Swift
Fat Joe has revealed what he describes as one of the most surreal moments of his career — claiming he was once invited to “shoot rockets” by alleged members of the Taliban while performing in Lebanon.
The Bronx rapper shared the story during the Dec. 2 episode of his Joe and Jada podcast, where he and co-host Jadakiss were joined by comedian Bill Bellamy. The trio had been discussing the unpredictable scenarios that can come with international travel when Joe launched into a tale that left both his co-host and guest stunned.
“I was in Lebanon,” he began. “I do a show in Lebanon, it’s so incredible. I come back to this hotel, and when I come back, three guys stand up like synchronized swimming.”
According to Joe, the men approached him with a cryptic message: “The guys, they wanna shoot rockets with you.”
When he asked who “the guys” were, the response instantly sent up red flags.
“‘The Taliban, they love you,’” Joe recalled being told. “My a**hole got this tight, okay,” he joked, before clarifying that the situation didn’t feel like a joke at all. “I met the Taliban, it’s no f***ing bullshit. The real Taliban came through and was like, ‘Yo, shoot rockets?’”
Joe says he declined the invitation and immediately made moves to get out.
“I rushed upstairs, packed my bags and went to the airport at one in the morning,” he explained. But even that escape wasn’t easy. “This s*** ain’t take off until 10 in the f***ing morning. We stood in the airport overnight just shook to death.”
While Joe didn’t specify the exact year, he has performed in Lebanon multiple times, including appearances at Beirut’s Pier 7 nightclub in both 2011 and 2012. The incident allegedly took place following one of those shows.
“We really thought something was about to happen,” he said. “That was one of those nights I’ll never forget.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-13 06:01:472025-12-13 06:01:47Fat Joe Claims He Was Invited to Shoot Rockets With the Taliban
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
2025 was a big year for Deadheads, as Grateful Dead celebrated its 60th anniversary, with a series of concerts under the Dead & Company offshoot. Now, Grateful Dead fans have something else to celebrate this Christmas season with the release of this Dead-inspired rubber ducky. The legendary jam band has now spawned a bath-time toy (though it also makes for a great collector’s item or gag gift).
Yes, you can now take the jam band to the bathtub with this floating rubber ducky that’s seemingly inspired by Jerry Garcia.
Made in the USA, the yellow rubber ducky is re-imagined as a bearded, tie-dye and sunglasses-wearing guitarist. While this isn’t an official Grateful Dead release per se, it’s become a bestseller on Amazon, with hundreds of duckies purchased in the last few weeks alone, according to the site.
The rubber ducky measures 4.5 x 4 x 5.5 inches and doesn’t have to stay in the water — it also makes a great display piece for collectors to keep on their desks or shelves, and it’s a great stocking stuffer idea for the holidays. Don’t just take our word for it: happy shoppers give this Dead-inspired ducky a 4.8-star rating (out of five) from more than 4,000 verified reviews.
Looking for other last-minute Grateful Dead holiday gift ideas? Here’s a look at other Grateful Dead-inspired collectibles, accessories and Christmas ornaments that you can buy online right now.
Kurt Adler Grateful Dead Guitar Ornament with Guitar Case
This officially-licensed Grateful Dead ornament features a mini guitar and guitar case adorned with all the familiar Dead motifs. This measures approximately 5.5 inches in size.
This official Grateful Dead Christmas ornament features the colorful dancing bars riding in an old-school van, adorned with a peace symbol and the band’s lightning bolt logo.
Hang this Grateful Dead stocking by the chimney with care and fill it with one or more of the stocking stuffers on this list. This officially-licensed stocking, from Kurt S. Adler, measures 19 inches tall.
Grateful Dead 60 Years Anniversary Dancing Bears Band T-Shirt
This giftable set features four 16 oz. pint glasses that each commemorates one of the band’s legendary concert tours. Each glass features artwork inspired by the original concert tour posters. The glasses themselves measure about six inches in height.
What’s better than finding a fun sweater to wear to your holiday party? Finding a Grateful Dead-themed kit, like this one from Liquid Blue. Made in the USA, the lightweight, long-sleeve sweater features a blue and white print that’s ideal for Christmas, Hanukkah and other winter celebrations.
Get an eight-pack of Grateful Dead “dancing” air fresheners, great for your rearview mirror, closets and pantries alike. These cardstock designs feature a minty “cool ice” scent and reviewers say the smell lasts up to two weeks. When it fades, you can also spritz your favorite fragrance or perfume on the cardstock to extend their lifespan.
Liquid Blue Grateful Dead Spring Training Baseball
One of our favorite Grateful Dead gifts to give is this official “Spring Training” baseball tee, which features the band’s legendary mascots stepping up to the plate. The colorful, tie-dye tee is sure to be — yes — a home run for the holidays and beyond.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-13 01:11:152025-12-13 01:11:15A Grateful Dead Rubber Ducky, Air Freshener and 8 Other Deadhead-Inspired Christmas Gifts
Warner Music Canada has laid off at least 24 people, Billboard Canada has learned. The cuts come amidst global restructuring and layoffs at Warner Music Group.
According to multiple former staffers, the layoffs came on Nov. 18, the same day Julia Hummel and Madelaine Napoleonewere announced as new Warner Music Canada co-general managers.
Related
TikTok Lays Off Around 15 Employees in U.S. and Latin American Music Divisions
Universal Music Group Opens UMusic Shops In New York, London
After ‘Sand in My Boots’ Rebrand This Year, Hangout Music Festival Won’t Return in 2026
A companywide email reportedly went out on Nov. 17 informing the staff that the office would be closed the following day and that they should make themselves available for meeting invitations from human resources. Many staffers were informed during those video meetings that their position had been eliminated.
The layoffs reportedly affected departments companywide, including positions in business, catalogue, design and video production, publicity, sales and more, including significant reductions in A&R and marketing. They also included executive vice president and general manager Andy West, as previously reported by Billboard Canada.
According to a 2025 annual report by Warner Music Canada, there were previously approximately 185 employees working in Canada, which would mean the layoffs represent at least 12 to 13% of the workforce — though some have suggested the percentages could be higher.
In a statement to Billboard Canada, Warner Music did not confirm the number of layoffs or budget or resource details for Canadian operations, but affirmed their commitment to investing in Canadian artists and staff.
“Canada is rich with musical talent,” a Warner Music spokesperson says. “We remain committed to growing our presence here. These changes will help us focus on the most extraordinary local artists and help them have a greater global impact.”
The company’s roster includes developing Canadian talent including Ari Hicks, Crash Adams, Jade LeMac and Diamond Cafe. The spokesperson declined to answer whether or how their deals would be affected by the company changes.
The layoffs follow a tumultuous period for Warner Music Canada. In September, former president Kristen Burke departed the company, with New York City-based president of East West Records and head of global A&R at Warner Music Group Eric Wong stepping in to lead business in Canada. In an email to staff, Burke wrote that the appointment would mean Warner Music Canada would “now be connected more directly to the U.S. team.”
Burke’s departure followed a Warner Music Group global restructuring and a series of layoffs across territories.
Billboard Canada 2025 Year-End Charts: The Biggest Chart Trends and Stories of the Year
What a year it’s been for music in Canada. We saw some huge chart runs, major breakthroughs from Canadian artists and global heavy-hitters keeping their grip on the top spots. Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” had the year’s biggest chart run, with the sentimental ballad challenging for a Billboard Canadian Hot 100 record set by Shaboozey last year. Was he successful?
Internationally, Taylor Swift proved once again she’s the queen of album sales, though country music’s main man, Morgan Wallen, challenged her for the Top Artist and Canadian Albums crowns. The charts were buzzing with a mix of viral TikTok hits, surging K-pop tracks and Punjabi music hits, showing us how Canadian audiences are finding their tunes.
Related
Morgan Wallen Is Billboard’s Top Artist of 2025
This year, Billboard Canadadebuted seven Canadian Airplay charts, which you can find on our charts page every week. This year, we’re rolling out year-end versions of all seven, along with the top overall Radio Songs year-end chart. There’s also the debut of the Top Canadian Artists chart, which is topped in 2025 by a surprising winner: Tate McRae.
Billboard Canada has also just dropped the year-end versions of several other key Billboard Canada charts, as well: the Canadian Hot 100, Canadian Albums, Top Artists (which pulls data from both), Canadian Airplay, Canadian Streaming and Canadian Digital Song Sales.
Every chart tells a unique story about the Canadian music landscape in 2025.
This year’s song of the year was hotly contested. Towards the end of August, Alex Warren’s anthemic ballad “Ordinary” approached the record for the most weeks at No. 1 on the Canadian Hot 100, reaching 21 weeks. But while the 2025 hit arguably earned the song of the summer title, the song it was chasing still couldn’t be shaken for song of the year: Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”
The country singer’s ditty dominated 2024’s year-end charts, after spending a record 25 weeks at No. 1 — and it’s stayed at the top. The song holds No. 1 on the year-end Canadian Hot 100 chart for 2025, with Warren’s “Ordinary” following at No. 2.
The Beaches were the Billboard Canada Women of the Year 2025 — and it’s clear to see why they were deserving of the accolade — the first given to a group in the award’s history.
The beloved Toronto-based band has kept a hold on their home country, becoming a mainstay on the Modern Rock chart, securing four spots on the year-end ranking, including their hit “Last Girls At the Party,” which held the No. 1 spot on the chart earlier this year for 11 weeks, and comes in at No. 3 on the year-end chart.
Female artists played a big role on the rock charts this year, and on the airplay charts in general.
Read more here. — Richard Trapunski, Heather Taylor-Singh
Divide Between Québec Institutions, Artists and Consumers Grows as Government Debates French Music Streaming Quotas
Debate over Québec’s Bill 109 is resurfacing with new force, as fresh consumer data adds a critical layer to the conversation.
A Léger survey released in late November shows that most Québec music streaming users oppose government intervention in determining what music appears on digital platforms — a notable finding as the province continues to deliberate on the bill.
Related
French President Macron Outlines Vision for the Future of the Music Industry at France Music Week
As Billboard Canada recently reported, the legislation would require digital platforms to prioritize French-language cultural content. Escalating debate has widened the divide between the streaming industry and the cultural sector.
The Digital Media Association (DiMA), which represents platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, has been among the most vocal critics, warning the legislation could negatively impact consumer experience, artist revenues and platform operations in the province.
The new survey, commissioned by DiMA, found that 66% of Québecers believe the government should not influence the music available on streaming services, while 76% say they would oppose the bill if it resulted in higher subscription prices. Only 4% of respondents consider regulating streaming platforms a government priority, placing it far below concerns such as affordability, housing and health care.
The findings land as Québec’s National Assembly debates the bill, introduced on May 21, 2025, by Culture and Communications Minister Mathieu Lacombe. The bill — formally titled An Act to affirm the cultural sovereignty of Québec — aims to strengthen the visibility of francophone cultural content on digital platforms and would impose new obligations on major global streaming services and connected-device manufacturers.
Québec cultural organizations and industry representatives have pushed back against claims that Bill 109 would limit consumer choice, instead framing the proposed legislation as a necessary tool to support French-language culture in an increasingly globalized digital environment.
Last spring, several major organizations and artists featured in Quebec media — including ARRQ (the Quebec Directors’ Guild), GMMQ (the Quebec Musicians’ Guild), SARTEC (the Quebec Society of Radio, Television and Film Authors) and UDA (the Quebec performers’ union) — voiced their support for stronger regulatory measures on streaming platforms. Their comments, published in Le Devoir, Radio-Canada and other Québec outlets, argued that market-driven discoverability alone has not been enough to ensure the long-term visibility of francophone works. ADISQ, which represents Québec’s music and live performance industries, has also consistently supported regulatory intervention.
While major cultural institutions have largely rallied behind Bill 109, the response on the ground tells a very different story — especially within Québec’s multilingual and underground communities. Artists working in hip-hop, anglophone pop and folk, electronic, Afro-diasporic, Latin and other non-francophone genres say the bill overlooks their realities and risks deepening long-standing disparities in cultural visibility.
Laval producer High Klassified — a multi-platinum artist known for his futuristic sound and collaborations with global acts including The Weeknd, Drake, Future, Migos, A-Trak, Metro Boomin, as well as Damso and Hamza — is a central figure in Québec’s electronic and hip-hop scenes. He argues the legislation fails to reflect how music is consumed today, pointing to what he describes as “a huge generational gap” at the core of the debate.
“Streaming services give us the freedom to listen to what we want, when we want. It’s a new era, a new way of consuming music,” he tells Billboard Canada. “The government shouldn’t decide what we listen to. People choose for themselves — that’s the whole purpose of streaming.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-13 00:50:532025-12-13 00:50:53In Canada: Warner Music Canada Lays Off at Least 24; Tate McRae & Shaboozey Top Year-End Charts