Sylvia Rhone, the first Black industry executive and woman to chair a major record company, is exiting her post as chairwoman/CEO of Epic Records. Effective at the end of this month, Rhone’s departure comes six years after she was promoted to chair/CEO in 2019. Prior to that, Rhone had served as Epic’s president since 2014.

In a statement to global Sony Music employees obtained by Billboard, Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer said, “Today, I want to take a moment to reflect on the extraordinary career of Sylvia Rhone. In an industry defined by its constant evolution, Sylvia has adapted and embraced change, time and time again. Her journey is more than just a list of accomplishments. She is a trailblazing executive with a distinguished background and unwavering commitment to supporting artists.

“She has made history including becoming the first woman to be named Chair of a major record company and guided some of the biggest artists in our business across every genre. Sylvia’s influence is rooted in an understanding of music’s power to connect with people. 

“And as Chairwoman and CEO of our Epic Records, she has shepherded No. 1 chart successes with 21 Savage, Future, Travis Scott and Tyla among others. It has been our honor to work with a true icon and our collective responsibility to continue to build on her work at Epic Records. Thank you, Sylvia, for your leadership and inspiration.”

In a letter obtained by Billboard that Rhone addressed to “My Sony Family,” she said in part, “It’s been an extraordinary journey: 11 years since my promotion to President of Epic Records and six years since my appointment as chairwoman and CEO. This role at Epic represents the third time in my career that I’ve been the first woman and first Black person to serve as CEO of a major record label owned by a Fortune 500 company.

“And today, I am moving on from this historic role at Epic and I’m very excited about the future. I’ve always been surrounded by excellent teams, but our current one at Epic is extraordinary. Spanning multiple generations, our team understands music’s history, finds meaning in complex data, and anticipates emerging trends. From Travis Scott, Future and 21 Savage, to Meghan Trainor, Tyla and Madison Beer, Zara Larsson to Giveon and Mariah The Scientist,  Q-Tip to Andre 3000 and the late, great Ozzy Osbourne, Epic artists thrive through bespoke campaigns that honor their unique voices and goals … From day one, we set out to build something special at Epic — and we have.

“This moment of my transition invites reflection on a journey that has been wide-ranging in its scope and impact … I am blessed to have worked with some of the most brilliant and influential artists in the history of recorded music. And I’ve discovered this: when we channel our strength and creativity in service of a vision, and collaborate with artists who do the same, we create music that reflects our world, questions our assumptions and uplifts our spirits. This is a kind of magic, a deeply human connection. Right now, when music’s DNA is being reimagined, when artists face existential challenges, and when all of us are building the future in real time, there is little that is more profound.

“I am forever grateful for my prior teammates from over the years. Not only did we work great music, but we also created an amazing network of advocacy and goodwill! Thanks to Rob Stringer for his trust and camaraderie and to Doug Morris for empowering me to shatter the glass ceiling … I have worked in our industry since vinyl ruled, and women were rarely if ever in line for C-level or even vice-presidential roles. I am proud of my achievements, and of my commitment to those who take inspiration from them.”

There is no word at this time as to who will succeed Rhone, whose exit further illuminates the underrepresentation of women and people of color in music’s top C-suite echelon. Her departure follows in the wake of three other label chair/CEO exits: Capitol Music Group’s Michelle Jubelirer and Atlantic Music Group’s chair/CEO Julie Greenwald — both in 2024 — and UMG Nashville’s Cindy Mabe earlier this year. Former Motown chair/CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam left that post at the end of 2022.

Currently the only woman chair/CEO in the major label system is Taylor Lindsey at Sony Music Nashville, who joined the label at the top of 2025. And Def Jam Recordings’ Tunji Balogun is now the only Black chair/CEO heading a major record label.

Over the course of her 11-year tenure at Epic, Rhone helmed a diverse global roster of established and rising stars such as Future, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Tyla, Andre 3000, Camila Cabello, GIVEON, Mariah the Scientist, Meghan Trainor, Judas Priest and the late Ozzy Osbourne. Over the last two years, the label has scored chart wins by Future (a trio of Billboard 200 No. 1s with We Don’t Trust You, We Still Don’t Trust You and Mixtape Pluto), 21 Savage (American Dream) and Travis Scott (UTOPIA) as well as the top 10 Hot 100 mega-hit “Water” by South African artist Tyla, who won the first-ever Grammy for best African music performance in 2024.

A division of Sony Music Entertainment — along with sister frontline labels Columbia Records, RCA Records, Alamo Records and Sony Music Nashville — Epic registered a significant gain in year-end 2024 current U.S. market share, jumping to 2.59% from 2.31% to secure eighth place. And in terms of year-end 2024 overall market share, the label claimed eighth place with 2.67%. Currently, Epic stands at 1.66% for 2025.

Rhone’s trailblazing, five-decade career evolution from record label secretary to chairwoman/CEO in the still overwhelmingly male-dominated music business has inspired generations of women pursuing C-suite roles in the industry. The music-loving Harlem, NY native and Wharton School graduate’s ascension dates back to 1974 when she eschewed a banking career for an entry-level secretarial job with independent label Buddah Records. Subsequent learn-the-ropes jobs with labels including ABC Records and Ariola Records led to Rhone being hired by Elektra Records as northeast regional promotions manager of special markets in 1981.

Five years later in 1986, Rhone was promoted from her then-post as Atlantic Records’ director of national Black music promotions to vp/gm of Black music operations at Atlantic. Two years later, in 1988, she was elevated to senior vp of Atlantic’s Black music division. During her Atlantic tenure, Rhone guided the careers of, among others, LeVert, En Vogue and Brandy. As an early champion of hip-hop, she also brought artists such as MC Lyte, The D.O.C., Yo-Yo and Kwame to the forefront.

When Atlantic established East West Records America in 1990, Rhone broke music’s executive glass ceiling for the first time when she was named the new label’s chairman in 1990. Its roster ran the gamut from rockers Pantera and AC/DC to pop/soul band Simply Red and hip-hop duo Das EFX.

Rhone shattered the glass ceiling once more when she made history as the first Black woman to be appointed chairman and CEO of a major record company — Elektra Entertainment Group (EEG) — in 1994. Piloting the merger of Elektra, East West and Sire Records into EEG, Rhone developed a diverse roster that included Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Metallica, Yolanda Adams, Anita Baker, Tracy Chapman, Phish, Natalie Merchant and Jason Mraz.

Exiting Elektra after a 10-year tenure in 2004, Rhone was named president of Universal Motown Records, executive vp of Universal Records and chairman of the Universal Motown Record Group that same year. Two years later, the Universal group was split into two labels, Universal Republic Records and Universal Motown Records. Named president of the latter label, Rhone released key projects via both Cash Money Records (Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj) and Motown (Kelly Rowland, Erykah Badu, Akon, Kid Cudi). A year after leaving Universal Motown in 2011, Rhone established her own boutique label, Vested In Culture, in partnership with Epic Records. Two years later in 2014, she began her 11-year tenure with Epic — first as its president then as chair/CEO.

Over the course of her pioneering career, Rhone has won a host of accolades, including the City of Hope’s Spirit of Life Award, the Black Music Collective’s Recording Academy Global Impact Award, the Black Music Action Coalition’s BMAC Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award and the Vanguard Award at the inaugural Black Women in Music dinner last year. Named Billboard’s Women in Music executive of the year in 2023, Rhone was saluted as “a force, an alchemist, a savant of creative artistry and an inspiration to all women for the glass ceilings you have conquered.”

President Donald Trump is expected to approve a long-sought deal to keep TikTok open for business in the United States, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal and Reuters. The deal, which will reportedly be formalized through an executive order later this week, aims to satisfy national security concerns by transferring TikTok’s U.S. assets from Chinese parent ByteDance to a still-unclear American ownership group.

The agreement follows months of U.S.-China negotiations and is seen as a key moment in broader trade discussions. Under the proposed terms, TikTok’s algorithm will be secured and operated within the U.S., outside of ByteDance’s control. All data from American users will be stored on Oracle-run cloud infrastructure, ensuring compliance with U.S. cybersecurity standards.

A new entity will be created to manage TikTok’s U.S. operations, with a board composed mostly of Americans with national security credentials, Reuters reported. Existing investors and new American partners — including Oracle, Dell Technologies and private equity firm Silver Lake — would collectively own about 80% of the company, the WSJ reported. ByteDance’s stake would fall below 20%.

Over the weekend, Trump named several prominent business figures as potential participants in the deal, including Rupert Murdoch, his son Lachlan Murdoch, Michael Dell and Oracle founder Larry Ellison. Trump praised them as “American patriots” — he is suing the elder Murdoch over the Wall Street Journal’s reporting on his close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein — and expressed confidence in their ability to manage the platform.

The president also revealed that he discussed the TikTok deal directly with President Xi Jinping of China during a recent call. The two governments have until Dec. 16 to finalize the agreement, following the latest deadline extension by Trump.

TikTok has faced scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers over concerns that its algorithm could be manipulated by Chinese authorities to influence content. Congress previously passed legislation — signed by President Joe Biden — calling for a ban on TikTok starting in January, but Trump has repeatedly delayed enforcement while negotiations continue.

Trump has acknowledged his initial bias against TikTok but credited the platform with helping him win over young voters, saying slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk had urged him to embrace it as a powerful tool for engagement.

Although the deal appears to be progressing, key details remain unclear as representatives for Ellison, Dell, and the Murdochs have not commented publicly, and TikTok has yet to issue a formal response.

This week, Dasha previews her upcoming EP Anna with a tender track chronicling the slow process of making a new town feel like home. HARDY also previews his upcoming album Country! Country! with a tender track that looks at life from the perspective of man’s best friend. Meanwhile, bluegrass group The Infamous Stringdusters offer up a country-tilted new track, while Chase Rice brings a rustic, introspective new song, and Lauren Watkins and John Morgan team up for a new collaboration.

Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of some of the best country, bluegrass and/or Americana songs of the week below.

Dasha, “Train”

“Austin” hitmaker Dasha trades boot-stompin’ rhythms for tender introspection on her latest song. Elevated by slashes of pedal steel and dobro, “Train” depicts the slow accumulation of moments that prove one’s transition from stranger in a new town to resident, when the new space begins to feel more familiar. The sound of a train that was once jarring becomes background noise, pictures hung on a wall makes a new place feel cozy and newly-forged friendships begin to give a sense of community. “You learn the turns and time the lights/ The town you didn’t recognize becomes a little more like home,” she sings, while her tender, conversational vocal style proves a perfect fit for the song’s tender sentiments. “Train” marks singer-songwriter Dasha’s first outside cut, and is a solo write from Kyle Sturrock. Her EP Anna releases Oct. 10.

HARDY, “Dog Years”

HARDY once again proves why he’s one of country music’s most talented tunesmiths on his new release. The decade-old song underscores his sharp songwriting instincts, even in his formative years as a writer in Nashville. Written from the perspective of a faithful canine, the song finds the pooch at the end of it’s life, recalling the day he was rescued from the side of the road, and vividly detailing the scores of memories made since that day and highlighting the bond between humans and their pets. Though the song’s premise has potential to veer into overly-sentimental sappiness, the song’s rich portrayal of key memories keeps it feeling like a vulnerable but respectful tribute. This solo write from HARDY previews his upcoming album Country! Country!, out Friday (Sept. 26).

Chase Rice, “Good Side of Gettin’ Older”

Over the past several years, Chase Rice has left his bro-country past behind him and reinvented himself with a sound that leans more heavily on rustic instrumentals and vulnerable, oftentimes poetic lyrics. He continues that run on his new project, the stripped-back Eldora. This song from the project, “Good Side of Gettin’ Older,” written by Rice, Oscar Charles and Wyatt McCubbin, encapsulates the inevitability of time’s passage, but frames it not with nostalgia, but with a resolve to embrace what lies ahead. “Life has got me writing different songs/ And time’s got me missing things before they’re gone,” he sings. Like the rest of the project, “Good Side” is woven with captivating lyricism and heightened by Rice’s warm vocal tone.

The Infamous Stringdusters, “Dead Man Walking”

Grammy-winning band The Infamous Stringdusters, known for their latticework of country, bluegrass and folk sounds, lean into more heavily into the country sphere on their new single, while still retaining the group’s superb musicianship and intricate arrangements. Written by the Dusters and Larry Keel, the song’s vulnerable lyrics are boosted in particular by banjoist Chris Pandolfi and dobro player Andy Hall, who serve up blistering cascades of banjo and dobro, alongside bandmates Travis Book (double bass), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle) and Andy Falco (guitar). The Infamous Stringdusters will release their new album, 20/20, on Jan. 23, 2026.

Lauren Watkins and John Morgan, “Slippery Slope”

Lauren Watkins and John Morgan team up for this barroom weeper, as they look at the “slippery slope” of how a single drink and the smokey haze of a favored local dive bar is continually the catalyst to a relational backslide in a complex, on-again, off-again romance. Their lilting voices wrap gloriously around lines such as “Why can’t a round just be one round/ When we end up in the same bar?” Watkins wrote this track with Will Bundy, Mark Trussell and Lydia Vaughan. “Slippery Slope” is on Watkins’s upcoming project In A Perfect World, out Oct. 10.

Billboard and Telemundo announced on Monday (Sept. 22) the first wave of artists that are set to perform at the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Danny Ocean, Ozuna, Olga Tañón, Laura Pausini are set to take the stage at the James L. Knight Center in Miami on Thursday, Oct. 23. Also confirmed to perform are La Arrolladora Banda El Limón de René Camacho, Beéle, Juan Duque, Musza, Netón Vega, NXNNI and Óscar Maydon.

Pausini — who will be honored with the Billboard Icon Award — had been previously announced as a performer. Meanwhile, Danny Ocean, Netón Vega and Óscar Maydon are all finalists at the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, scoring multiple entries throughout a number of categories.

Bad Bunny leads the list of finalists, with 27 entries, setting a historic record for the awards. The Puerto Rican superstar is followed by Fuerza Regida with 15 mentions and Rauw Alejandro with 14. Leading the female artists is Karol G with 10 mentions, matching those of rising regional Mexican artist Tito Double P who also has 10, while Peso Pluma is a nine-time finalist.

The 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards will broadcast live on Telemundo and also stream on the Telemundo App and Peacock, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

The event coincides with Billboard Latin Music Week, which returns to Miami Beach Oct. 20-24 with a roster of star speakers, including Kali Uchis, Daddy Yankee, Xavi, Laura Pausini, Ozuna and many more. Get your tickets today for the Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 here.

Howard Stern has never been shy about expressing his opinion, and on Monday morning (Sept. 22) the SiriusXM superstar broke his silence on what he called a troubling situation that is near and dear to his heart for several reasons: the suspension of his friend Jimmy Kimmel from ABC.

Stern opened Monday’s show by breaking his recent vow to not talk about politics after vehemently speaking his mind during the most recent presidential election, saying, “I can no longer keep my mouth shut.”

“I feel obligated to say something, because s–t’s getting outta control,” said Stern, who has famously been a free speech advocate for more than half a century amid his own battles with censorship and government entities threatening to curtail his right to speak freely on the airwaves. “This involves the network ABC. They did something really dumb and f-kin’ horrible,” Stern added, before going into a classic fake-out bit complaining about the changes to the network’s dating show The Bachelor.

“Everyone knows what happened with Jimmy Kimmel. The bottom line is you really don’t need my voice to know that something horrible happened at ABC,” Stern said about the network’s decision to temporarily suspend Kimmel’s show from the air amid backlash over the late night host’s comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week.

Stern, who said he considers Kimmel one of his closest showbiz friends and who frequently has the comedian on his SiriusXM show, said on a personal level the network’s decision was painful to him because he loves Kimmel and wife Molly McNearney, whom he called “dear dear friends.”

“I believe Jimmy is such a big talent, and quite frankly so is his wife. They’re two of the funniest people I have ever met,” Stern said, noting he’s so enamored with the couple’s comedic chops that he “shuts down” around them so as not to try to compete with their quick wit. Noting that many people have written to him asking “what should we do?,” Stern said he is doing something.

“I feel all of this is a smokescreen to stop talking about what’s really going on. We got a problem with inflation, gas prices, groceries, there’s all kinds of problems,” said Stern, who said he’s spoken to Kimmel but did not ask if the suspension — which was applauded by President Trump, who also encouraged NBC to do the same to Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers — is permanent or if the veteran late nighter fears he might get fired.

“I just know when the government begins to interfere… when the government says, ‘I’m not pleased with you, so we’re going to orchestrate a way to silence you’ it’s the wrong direction for the country. It isn’t good, and I should know.” Stern then recalled that in the 1990s the Federal Communications Commission put pressure on the shock jock’s then-parent company, Infinity Broadcasting, by threatening to slow down its planned merger with Viacom over its objections to the content of Stern’s notoriously envelope-pushing morning show.

Stern was able to survive that battle, but he said now ABC, as well as many universities, broadcasters and social media company owners, were being put in the same position, and, he said, “they all bent the knee and they all cower.”

While he said he feels for ABC and their tough position, “someone’s got to step up and be f–kin’ saying, ‘hey, enough, we’re not gonna bow.’” Stern was clear that he’s not trying to lead any boycott movement, but, like many others, he pledged to cancel his Disney+ subscription out of protest to say he doesn’t support the action on Kimmel.

“It’s a scary time when the government starts threatening you, which is not right,” Stern said. “And I don’t think ABC should have to be in this position. It’s ridiculous. But I know most broadcasters would agree with me. I don’t care what they broadcast, whether they’re these right-wing types, or left-wing types, whatever type you are we can’t have the government in this country dictating [speech].”

Stern had been off the air since the Kimmel suspension was announced last week, but in his first chance to weigh in, he said it was chilling to read that ABC’s action came after FCC chairman Brendan Carr made what sounded like a threat to the network during an appearance on a right-wind podcast last week. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

The latter was widely interpreted as a threat by Carr to launch investigations and regulatory action against licensed broadcasters who air Kimmel’s show; shortly after, the owners of dozens of local ABC affiliate stations said they would be be pre-empting Kimmel. While many democrats and free speech advocates interpreted Carr’s comments as an attempt to chill free speech, even such stalwart Trump supporters as Republican Sen. Ted Cruz — who leads the FCC oversight committee — characterized Carr’s statement as a dangerous slippery slope.

“I got to say that’s right out of Goodfellas,” Cruz said of the implied Carr threat that he likened to the mob rules in the legendary Martin Scorsese gangster flick. “That’s right out of a mafioso coming into a bar going, ‘Nice bar you have here. It would be a shame if something happened to it.’”

Another staunch conservative, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, called Carr’s comments “absolutely inappropriate. Brendan Carr has got no business weighing in on this,” Paul told NBC News’s Meet the Press over the weekend. The FCC does not have legal authority to censor what Kimmel says on his show and many critics have said that Carr’s comment amount to an illegal action called “jawboning,” which is the improper use of threatened government action to influence a private entity.

Whether or not you like Kimmel, Stern said, “it’s about freedom of speech. It’s one thing if ABC wanted to fire Jimmy because they didn’t like him, or he had low ratings… They didn’t want to fire him. They’re being pressured by the United States government. We can’t have that, not if we’re gonna have a democracy. And companies have to say f–k you.”

Well aware that the Kimmel headline will be quickly pushed off the top of news feeds by the next outrage, Stern encouraged fellow defenders of free speech to bond together and accept that “each of us are obligated to be the watchdog for each other’s rights and freedoms… we can’t turn our heads, we can’t pretend this didn’t happen.”