Alicia Keys had a busy Friday (Nov. 21). Not only did the 17-time Grammy winner release a new holiday song and guest on a single from an Italian vocal legend, but she made a special appearance alongside the cast of her semi-autobiographical Broadway musical, Hell’s Kitchen, at the Shubert Theatre. Keys was in the house to deliver a mini-set as part of an “encore sessions” performance, but she was also there salute to the Broadway debut of Grammy-winning gospel singer Yolanda Adams, who just joined the cast as Miss Liza Jane.

After belting the “Empire State of Mind” finale with the cast, Keys and Adams took the stage together. “First of all, I’m grateful,” said Adams, hugging Keys. “All that dancing made me feel younger, but my feet say no. I have to thank Alicia for saying, ‘Hey, what do you think about…?’ And I’d already thought about it, and I tried it, and I love it.” When Adams left the stage, Keys was in her element, blissfully relaxed at an upright piano while crooning her cover of Prince’s “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?”, duetting with cast member Durrell “Tank” Babbs on a gorgeous cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and singing “Underdog” before sending the ecstatic audience out into the streets of Manhattan (incidentally, not far from Hell’s Kitchen).

Just hours before dazzling Broadway, Keys spoke to Billboard about “Hell’s Kitchen’s a Merry Little Christmas,” which hit DSPs on Friday. She says the idea of a holiday song for her Broadway musical Hell’s Kitchen was broached a year ago. “For different reasons it didn’t come together,” she tells Billboard. “This year we knew we wanted to do it, so we put it together now.”

“Hell’s Kitchen’s a Merry Little Christmas” mashes up the standard “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” with the musical’s opening number, Keys’ “The Gospel.” The recording features Adams along with principal performers including Amanda Reid, Phillip Johnson Richardson and Jessica Vosk.

“I love it so much,” Keys continues. “It’s such a beautiful version. Of course, the holidays are such a beautiful time to celebrate that warm, festive feeling. We wanted to bring some Hell’s Kitchen energy.”

The recording was produced by Adam Blackstone, Keys’ longtime collaborator who also serves as music supervisor and co-orchestrator for the musical. “Our process of bringing the music to life for Hell’s Kitchen has been so thrilling and exciting,” Keys says. “We had no idea that someone as phenomenal as Yolanda Adams would be joining the cast. The life of Hell’s Kitchen has just been such an incredible experience.”

With a book by Kristoffer Diaz, Hell’s Kitchen premiered at the Public Theater in late 2023, moving to the Shubert Theatre in March 2024. It was nominated for 13 Tonys, with Kecia Lewis, who played Miss Liza Jane, wining for best featured actress in a musical and Maleah Joi Moon, as Ali, taking home best actress in a musical at the 2024 Tony Awards. The original Broadway cast recording, featuring the three brand-new songs Keys penned for the musical, came out in 2024 and hit No. 1 on Billboard‘s Cast Albums chart.

The first North American tour, meanwhile, kicked off during October in Cleveland, with 30 cities on the schedule for its first year.

“That’s such a huge accomplishment,” Keys says. “And I’m so excited the country will get to experience it — even if you can’t come to New York — in a city near you. And this cast is unreal. I just can’t believe how good they are.”

The holiday song isn’t Keys’ only new music to drop on Friday. It coincides with the release of her feature on “L’aurora,” a new single by Italian vocalist Eros Ramazzotti. “It’s my first time singing in Italian,” she says. “It’s such a beautiful process to continue to learn and try things that are new and different, so I’m really excited about that.” Keys is also working on new material as she works toward a follow-up to her last studio album, 2021’s Keys, and 2022’s holiday effort Santa Baby.

“I’m writing right now, creating new music,” she says. “It is very, very special. I just feel like I’m getting better and better, so that’s all happening. There’s a lot of phenomenal things bubbling, but I just take my time — just like Hell’s Kitchen, just take my time putting it all together. It’s just a beautiful time of no limits. That’s how I look at everything.”

Ornella Vanoni, a beloved performer who had a seven decade-long singing career with such international hits as “Senza Fine” and “L’appuntamento,” has died. She was 91.

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In a post on X Saturday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her deep sorrow for the loss of Vanoni, whose “unmistakable voice” left an imprint on Italian culture for generations. “Italy loses a unique artist who leaves us with an unrepeatable artistic heritage,” Meloni said.

Vanoni died of cardiac arrest at her Milan home, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported.

Vanoni recorded more than 100 albums with sales of over 55 million copies, vaulting her to iconic status among generations of fans and earning her the moniker “The Lady of Italian Song,” according to LaPresse newspaper.

Born in Milan in 1937, Vanoni’s first love was the theater, which culminated with performances on the Broadway stage in 1964. But her passion for music combined with what LaPresse described as a “highly personal and sophisticated performing style” and vast repertoire from jazz to pop led her to collaborate with some of the most important songwriters in Italy and abroad.

Vanoni’s partnership — and love affair — with famed Genovese singer-songwriter Gino Paoli produced the hit “Senza Fine” (Without End), which shot her onto the international stage in 1961.

Her later collaborations spanned a range of artistic talent including Gil Evans, Herbie Hancock and George Benson, according to Italy’s ANSA news agency.

Vanoni excelled in numerous prestigious music festival awards in Italy, including the country’s most popular Sanremo Music Festival in which she participated eight times, earning second place in 1968 with the song “Casa Bianca.”

Her talent extended into songwriting which was recognized when she twice won the prestigious Tenco Award — the only Italian singer to be awarded the prize as a songwriter and the only woman to have won it twice.

ANSA said Vanoni was much sought-after as a guest on television programs in her later years because of her unpredictable nature, the vast wealth of anecdotes she shared and her “complete indifference to political correctness.”

Bad Bunny kicked off his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour Nov. 21 at Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where he’ll play a second show tonight (Nov. 22).

The highly-awaited tour is Bunny’s official world trek, which will take him through Latin America, Europe and Asia after his historic 31-show residency in Puerto Rico.

Bad Bunny’s connection with the Dominican Republic is close. In 2022, he dedicated a Latin Grammy to the country after winning best urban fusion/performance for “Tití Me Preguntó.” That same year, he sold out two consecutive nights at the Olympic Stadium — and before that, he’d built a strong bond with the Dominican audience through collaborations like “La Romana” with El Alfa. He even gives them a shoutout in “El Apagón,” saying, “Si no me voy pa’ RD… un saludo a mis vecinos, ey (de lo’ mío’, ¿qué lo qué?)” –which roughly translates to, “If I don’t go to DR… a shoutout to my neighbors, hey (my people, what’s up?).”

So it was no coincidence that for these particular two shows, the preferred seating area in the stadium was named Los Vecinos (“The Neighbors”) in honor of this connection. The local production of the show was handled by businessman Gamal Haché, with a setup that took nearly two weeks to complete. For the first time outside of Puerto Rico, the show included Bad Bunny’s iconic “casita,” a key feature of his residency. Its presence at the Olympic Stadium not only added a visual nod to that historic time but also enhanced visibility for fans in the stands and VIP areas, while maintaining the intimate, theatrical vibe of the original show.

Here’s the complete setlist from Bad Bunny’s opening night of the Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour in Santo Domingo (note: the setlist may vary in other cities):

Rolling Loud has unveiled the full lineup for its 2026 Australia edition, confirming a heavyweight bill of U.S. rap acts alongside some of the country’s most prominent homegrown names.

Rolling Loud Australia is set to take place across two cities in March: Sydney’s Centennial Park on March 7, and Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse on March 8. The twin one-day events mark Rolling Loud’s first shows in Australia since 2019, and the first time the global hip-hop festival brand has expanded to a two-city format in the country.

Gunna will headline the two-city run, following Rolling Loud’s earlier confirmation that the rapper would anchor the event. Ken Carson joins him at top billing, extending the Opium-affiliated artist’s growing presence across the festival’s global footprint. Sexyy Red — previously announced — leads the second tier of performers.

The 2026 bill includes several major U.S. rap acts across its main stages. Sexyy Red, Tyga, Swae Lee, Lil Tjay, Ski Mask the Slump God, NLE Choppa, Quavo, Ian and rising rapper Osamason are among the international performers scheduled across the weekend. The lineup spans established touring names, TikTok-driven breakout acts and core Rolling Loud regulars who have been fixtures across the festival’s global editions.

In addition to the international programming, Rolling Loud Australia will feature a dedicated stage focusing on local artists from Australia and New Zealand. Acts announced for the regional platform include Hooligan Hefs, Youngn Lipz, Amarni, Day1, Lil Golo & Cult Shotta, 4ourttune and Jonny Chopps. While each city will include select local-only performers, the core lineup remains consistent across both dates.

Rolling Loud first debuted in Australia in 2019 with a one-day event at Sydney Olympic Park headlined by Future, Playboi Carti and Rae Sremmurd. That edition sold out quickly and became a key marker of the festival’s global expansion cycle. Its return in 2026 marks the brand’s first Australian event in seven years and the first time Rolling Loud has staged back-to-back shows in two Australian cities.

The announcement follows a period of continued international growth for the Miami-born festival, which recently added new editions across Europe, Asia and India. Rolling Loud India will take place later this month with a lineup headlined by Central Cee, Wiz Khalifa, Don Toliver and Karan Aujla.

Rolling Loud Australia 2026 will run in partnership with Primuse Entertainment as the local production partner. Further scheduling and site details are expected in the lead-up to the March events.

British music has had such a banner year in 2025, that Radiohead’s return has flown a touch under the radar. With Olivia Dean, Yungblud, Lola Young and RAYE all conquering the Billboard charts in the U.S., and Oasis putting on the biggest tour of the year, the return of the art-rock fivepiece after an seven-year absence feels low-key in comparison. There is no new music to plug, simply a run of shows in major European cities, and an unpredictable setlist – this is as understated as an arena-headlining band could ever dream to be.

That said, 2025 has still been notable for the group. Earlier this year they reassessed their 2003 album Hail to The Thief and worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company for a new production of Hamlet. Elsewhere “Let Down,” an album track from their 1997 opus OK Computer went viral and landed on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time. Their Spotify monthly listener count now tops 44m users, higher than other British rockers such as Oasis, The Rolling Stones and even The Beatles.

All this comes despite a period of relative inactivity. The band’s last LP A Moon Shaped Pool was released in 2016 and the group completed touring for it in 2018. Yorke told The Times in an exclusive interview that touring was paused for Radiohead because “the wheels came off a bit,” but the fire has still burned. Since their hiatus, each member has embarked on solo projects, most prominently garage-rock side project The Smile featuring frontman Thon Yorke and guitarist Jonny Greenwood.

Last year, however, word of a comeback started to spread. Bassist Colin Greenwood let slip that the group had reconvened to rehearse their back catalogue, and rumours of a wider tour soon followed. A limited run of tour dates was announced in September, featuring 20 shows in Madrid, Spain; Bologna, Italy; London, England; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Berlin, Germany. 70 songs were touted as being in contention (the band have played 43 different tracks thus far) and the group announced they would be playing in the round for the first time.

The shows thus far have been a triumph, a rare chance for the band to look back at their discography and perform live without the necessity of promoting new music. This is a comeback that has proved as mysterious and thrilling as their studio material thus far. As the tour hit the halfway mark, Billboard was on hand to see the band’s first U.K. show in eight years. These were the best moments.

Spotify’s stock price has fallen more than $200 below its all-time high of $785.00 set on June 27 after falling 8.2% to $583.62 in the week ended Friday (Nov. 21). The Swedish streaming giant’s share price dropped more than 7% in the two days after it announced the purchase of WhoSampled, an online song samples database, to power a new song credits feature, SongDNA.

Investors’ reaction to a relatively small acquisition appears to be part of a larger theme in recent weeks. While Spotify is one of the better-performing music stocks of 2025, it has struggled since the company announced on Sept. 30 that CEO Daniel Ek will step down and assume the role of executive chairman. Ek attempted to assuage investors who might be wary of his departure, saying in an open letter that “very little will change” when Spotify is led by co-CEOs Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström, two longtime Spotify executives. Ek added that he will operate with a European-style approach to the executive chairman position that is “more hands-on than the traditional U.S. model.”

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But investors aren’t showing much faith in the post-Ek era. Since the announcement, Spotify shares have fallen 19.9%, erasing $29.7 billion of market value. 

Driven by Spotify’s 8.2% decline — the worst for all music companies this week — the Billboard Global Music Index (BGMI) fell 4.8% to 2,571.67. Eight of the index’s companies had gains while 11 finished the week with losses. The BGMI has not posted a gain in 10 weeks and now stands 17.5% below the all-time high of 3,117.20 set during the week of June 30.  

Markets were down around the world this week. In the U.S., the Nasdaq fell 2.7% to 22,273.08 and the S&P 500 dropped 1.9% to 6,602.99. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 sank 1.6% to 9,539.71. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index and China’s Shanghai Composite Index each dropped 3.9%. 

Warner Music Group (WMG) finished the week up 1.1% to $30.69. After releasing earnings on Thursday morning (Nov. 20), WMG shares dropped 2.7% on Thursday but gained 3.4% gain on Friday. Investors may not have received their desired message from WMG management, but analysts were upbeat about the numbers and management’s outlook. CFRA bumped WMG shares up to a “hold” rating from the “sell” rating it issued in July. Guggenheim kept its “buy” rating and $37 price target while noting that WMG’s “capital efficient” joint venture with Bain is likely to provide growth to both revenue and earnings. J.P. Morgan, which maintained its “overweight” rating and $40 price target, was “encouraged” by WMG management’s comments on margin expansion and market share gain. 

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CTS Eventim shares rose 7.2% to 84.65 euros ($97.52). The German concert promoter and ticketing company released third-quarter earnings on Thursday that showed revenue rose 4%. The week’s gain brought CTS Eventim’s year-to-date gain to 0.8%. 

Netease Cloud Music fell 7.1% to 189.40 HKD ($24.33) after its third-quarter earnings, released on Thursday, revealed a 2% decline in revenue. Cloud Music remains one of the year’s best-performing music stocks, however, with a 2025 gain of 68.8%. 

Live Nation shares fell 3.9% to $130.55. Deutsche Bank lowered its price target to $160 from $173, which suggests 22.6% of upside based on Friday’s closing price, and maintained its “buy” rating. 

The week’s greatest gainer was Cumulus Media, which rose 29% to $0.11. Such large swings are common for Cumulus, which has lost 85.7% of its value in 2025 and experiences sizable moves when it rises or falls a mere penny. With a market capitalization of just $2 million, the radio broadcaster has little effect on the BGMI. 

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GloRilla has defeated a lawsuit that accused her of stealing a social media personality’s viral catchphrase “all natural, no BBL” for her 2024 song “Never Find.”

The federal copyright case was filed this summer by Natalie Henderson, aka @slimdabodylast on Instagram, who claims she coined the catchphrase referencing “Brazilian butt lift” surgery. Henderson says GloRilla (Gloria Woods) stole the phrase for her lyric “All natural, no BBL/ Mad hoes go to hell” on “Never Find,” a bonus track off her debut album Glorious.

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GloRilla’s lawyers denied any infringement and argued that nobody can copyright a “cliched” expression like “all natural, no BBL.” But it doesn’t look like a court will have to decide these substantive questions; Judge Lance M. Africk dismissed Henderson’s lawsuit on Friday (Nov. 21) based on geographical technicalities.

The suit was brought in Henderson’s home state of Louisiana, but the judge ruled that wasn’t enough to establish jurisdiction over GloRilla, a Georgia resident, or the various label defendants also named in the lawsuit — California-based Universal Music Group and Warner Chappell, Tennessee-based CMG and New York-based BMG.

Henderson tried to argue that jurisdiction was established by GloRilla doing business in New Orleans, including by attending the 2025 Super Bowl and performing at the city’s Smoothie King Center when she opened for Lil Baby’s It’s Only Us tour in 2023 and Megan Thee Stallion’s Hot Girl Summer tour in 2024. But Judge Africk was not convinced.

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“Plaintiff’s claims do not arise out of or result from defendant Woods’s concerts or personal appearances in Louisiana, particularly when plaintiff has not made any allegations that ‘Never Find’ was ever performed in Louisiana,” wrote the judge.

Judge Africk similarly rejected Henderson’s contention that the case could be brought in Louisiana because “Never Find” was distributed in the state. He noted that the song was available worldwide — and also pointed out a major hole in Henderson’s argument.

“Plaintiff relies on her counsel’s purchase of a copy of defendant Woods’s album Glorious on vinyl at a New Orleans record store as evidence that defendants ‘specifically targeted consumers in Louisiana,’” wrote the judge. “However, ‘Never Find’ was not included on the vinyl that plaintiff’s counsel purchased, as it was only released as a bonus track on an exclusive digital version of the album Glorious.”

The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning Henderson can attempt to refile the lawsuit in a different state if she so chooses. Her lawyer did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday, and neither did GloRilla’s reps.

This isn’t GloRilla’s first time defeating a copyright infringement lawsuit. Another case, which alleged her hit songs “Tomorrow” and “Tomorrow 2” sampled a decades-old hip-hop track without permission, was also dismissed out of New Orleans federal court last year for jurisdictional reasons.

GloRilla was sued again a year ago alongside Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B and Soulja Boy for supposedly sampling the 2008 Plies song “Me & My Goons” without clearance on their collaboration “Wanna Be.” That case was voluntarily dropped in March.


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Mexican rapper Santa Fe Klan takes a turn in his career with the release of Baile Cholo, a cumbia vallenata album featuring 26 songs that speak about love, heartbreak, loneliness, sadness, and pain.

“Since I was a child, before I started rapping, cumbia ran through my veins, so I always wanted to do something like this,” the artist tells Billboard Español. “It was a difficult mission and a lot of work on my part and the team’s, but today I can say we’re going to make everyone dance.”

Released on Thursday (Nov. 20) as his second album under Prajin Records, Baile Cholo was recorded in Monterrey, Mexico, a place that for many years has had a large Colombian and Mexican community dedicated to cumbia and vallenato.

The LP features multiple collaborations: Anaidita y Su Sonora on “No Hace Falta,” Alberto y Roberto on “Perro Lobo,” APV Passion Vallenata on “Nomás Lokeez,” Javier López y Los Reyes Vallenatos on “Bájate La Falda,” Los Kombolokos on “Tú Perfume,” and Toy Selectah, the renowned DJ from Control Machete, on “Y Si Nos Vamos.”

“This project comes from the heart. The collaborations aren’t for personal gain; rather, I’m supporting the people I’m collaborating with on the album,” Santa Fe Klan, whose real name is Ángel Quezada, says. “I’m opening the door for them to be known by my fans, just as they’re lending me their musical style and movement.”

Soon to turn 26 this month, the artist co-produced the set with Julián Villareal, blending raw lyrics — very much in Santa Fe Klan’s style — with the celebratory vibe inspired by the genre. “It’s a heartfelt gift for my fans,” he adds. “The songs are full of emotion, the kind of emotion that comes from the people in the neighborhood. Unity is strength to take this movement to the top.”

Below, Santa Fe Klan breaks down five essential tracks from Baile Cholo. To listen to the full album, click here.

Santa Fe Klan, "Baile Cholo"

Santa Fe Klan, Baile Cholo

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Taylor Swift’s prolific songwriting skills have endured through the 2000s, 2010s and deep into the 2020s. With 13 Hot 100 No. 1 hits (including “The Fate of Ophelia” with six weeks on top of the chart currently) and 15 Billboard 200 No. 1 albums (her latest release, The Life of a Showgirl, also sits at the top of that chart for its sixth straight week), she’s found great success with her catchy hooks, gorgeous melodies, and storytelling powers.

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In addition to her charting accolades, Swift counts the record-breaking Eras Tour on her résumé as the highest-grossing tour of all time, as well as 58 Grammy nods (she and her longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff are tied with the most nominations in the song of the year category with eight), with 14 wins, including four album of the year wins: Fearless in 2009, 1989 in 2005, Folklore in 2021 and Midnights in 2023, the most of any artist.

Her pen is spread throughout not just her own catalog, but others’ work too. She’s written songs for Miley Cyrus’ alter ego Hannah Montana, Boys Like Girls, B.o.B, Calvin Harris, Little Big Town, Sugarland, Big Red Machine (the indie supergroup of Swift friends Aaron Dessner – who produced and wrote with the superstar for Folklore, Evermore, Midnights 3 AM Edition, and The Tortured Poets Department – and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, who appears on both of her 2020 albums) and more.

Here are the 13 songs that Swift has penned that either other artists have recorded, she wrote directly for, or on which she appears as a feature.

Taylor Swift has been collaborating with musicians for almost her entire career — but her lyrical references to musicians date back even further.

“Bubbly” singer Colbie Caillat was the first artist Swift tapped for a feature, joining her on “Breathe” from her second studio album, Fearless, in 2008. Since then, artists across genres, including Ed Sheeran, The Chicks, Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey, Bon Iver and Sabrina Carpenter, have joined the pop superstar for a verse or two.

On the other hand, Swift’s first mention of a musician was on her debut single, “Tim McGraw,” which became her first Billboard Hot 100 hit when it debuted on the chart dated Sept. 23, 2006. “When you think Tim McGraw/ I hope you think my favorite song” was the lyric that took the country world by storm, introducing a then-17-year-old Swift to the music scene in Nashville. Swift was massive fan of McGraw at the time, and his music captured the high school relationship she wrote about in her freshman math class.

“Tim McGraw” was just the beginning. Swift has since name-dropped a number of famous faces in lyrics across her 12. “Dear John” probably includes her most infamous namedrop (albeit, never confirmed to be about John Mayer, but widely speculated). “Style” includes her most popular name drop (“You’ve got that James Dean, daydream look in your eye”). And The Tortured Poets Department album probably contains the most name drops across a handful of different songs.

Below, however, Billboard revisits only Swift’s musician name drops — whether direct or indirect — in chronological order. Check them out:


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