Olivia Rodrigo is headed to Spain to rep Barça — and perform a one-night-only show for her most devoted fans.

The singer-songwriter is the latest artist to team up with FC Barcelona and Spotify, kicking off the partnership with the unveiling of her own blue and red striped jersey featuring Rodrigo’s logo on the front in place of Spotify’s. The announcement comes a little over a week before the the fútbol club’s El Clásico match at the newly-renovated Spotify Camp Nou, where the team will play against their rival, Real Madrid and feature Rodrigo’s jersey on the pitch.

The Blaugrana wear is also available to purchase via the Barça Official Stores in Spain and online in limited quantities as part of the Olivia Rodrigo Collection, which also includes a “Força Barça” t-shirt, hoodie, bucket hat, stickers and more.

Rodrigo and Spotify will also treat fans to an intimate, one-off concert in the Spanish city on May 8 celebrating “the fandom unique to Livies and the connected spirit which flows through the community,” according to a press release. The show will be invite-only for Rodrigo’s top fans — who will have the opportunity to attend based on their Spotify listening — and arrives a little over a month before Rodrigo drops her third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love on June 12. Its lead single, “drop dead,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week and is set to be performed by Rodrigo during her Saturday Night Live debut double-duty stint on May 2.

“Seeing ‘OR’ on a FC Barcelona jersey for El Clásico, I don’t even know how to process that. It’s been so fun seeing the jersey come to life and creating a full collection with Spotify and Barca,” Rodrigo said in the release. “On top of that, getting to perform for the fans who’ve been listening since day one, in a city like Barcelona, is going to be so special. That’s everything to me. I cannot wait to see them.”

While FC Barcelona will don Rodrigo’s jersey on the May 10 match, FC Barcelona Femení will be wearing the jersey in their Liga F match against Levante on May 6.

Over the past four years, Spotify has teamed up with FC Barcelona to create artist jerseys for Travis Scott, Coldplay, Karol G, Drake and more. So far, Rodrigo is the youngest artist to takeover the uniform. Watch the trailer above.

The Tragically Hip, Loverboy songwriters Mike Reno and Paul Dean, Feist and Roch Voisine are headed to The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF). All platinum-plus selling and award-winning artists, they will all become 2026 inductees.

They will receive this prestigious honour at an induction ceremony presented by Amazon Music that will take place at Massey Hall in Toronto on September 26. The evening will feature performances and tributes from Canadian and global artists paying tribute to their songbooks. Performers and guests will be announced soon.

The event will also be livestreamed globally on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch for the second time, and streamed across Canada on Prime Video.

The Tragically Hip have sold over 14 million albums worldwide and won 17 Juno Awards, including the Humanitarian Award at the 50th Juno Awards. They were honoured with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2002, and in 2022, recognized again for their humanitarian efforts supporting social and environmental justice.

In a statement, the band express gratitude for the honour but regret that the late Gord Downie can’t be there to celebrate with them.

“We’re excited to be entering the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and joining previous inductees, as well as this year’s, whose songs we greatly admire,” they say. “It is humbling to be in their company; although it is bittersweet that our bandmate, lyricist and dear friend, Gord Downie, will not be standing with us.”

Read more on all the nominees here. — Kerry Doole

Breakout Canadian Artist TALK Signs With Big Loud Rock, Releases First Single in Three Years

Big Loud Rock — the alternative and rock imprint of heavyweight U.S. country label Big Loud Records — has added a rising Canadian act to its roster.

The Nashville-based label announced the signing of TALK today (May 1). It coincides with the release of his first single in three years, “Time Machine,” out now.

Known for crafting cinematic alternative and pop-rock anthems, the vocal powerhouse, born Nicholas Durocher, captured listeners with his debut single, “Run Away To Mars,” inspired by Christopher Nolan’s film Interstellar.

Released in 2021, the heartfelt ballad resonated with listeners during the pandemic, and went viral on TikTok and across streaming services. The song peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, and made major waves across the border, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart and receiving a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Two years later, TALK shared his debut album, Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees. It went gold in his home country, was longlisted for 2024’s Polaris Music Prize and led to his first-ever Juno win for breakthrough artist of the year. Since then, he has performed alongside artists like Shania Twain and Luke Combs, while landing major synch placements in Grey’s Anatomy and CBS’s Tracker.

Now, he’s stepping into a new era with the U.S. label imprint, as he gears up for his sophomore record, which he worked on at Sandy Pandya’s Toronto-based music company, ArtHaus, which handles his management.

“Big Loud Rock quickly emerged as the most exciting partner to work with on my second album,” he says. “Their belief in pure artistry, drive, and heart above all else has renewed my belief in this unpredictable industry. I’m more than proud to call them my home.”

TALK joins fellow label signees including HARDY, Blame My Youth, Dexter and the Moonrocks, Girl Tones, , Mercury, Zoe Ko and more.

“We’re excited to welcome TALK into the Big Loud Rock family,” shares Big Loud partner and Big Loud Rock president Joey Moi (a Canadian living in Nashville). “His powerhouse vocals and eccentric creative concepts really blew us away. He brings such a fresh, infectious energy to the alternative rock space that we couldn’t help but immerse ourselves in it.”

Moi and his team aren’t wasting any time showcasing TALK’s talents to the world, with the new single “Time Machine” out today. The song is co-produced by Moi, Tofer Brown, TALK and Connor Riddell.

Listen and read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh

CMRRA Marks 50th Anniversary by Distributing $94 Million in Royalties to Publishers and Songwriters in 2025

The Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) is marking 50 years with some good news. The agency has revealed that it distributed $94 million in royalties to publishers and self-published songwriters in 2025.

While it’s a notable figure, it’s an overall 2% decrease in distributions from 2024, which saw the agency distributing $96 million. Still, 2025’s numbers are a 19% increase from 2023’s figures at $78 million.

This year, much of the CMRAA’s growth is credited to its 477 new client affiliations, which include music publishers, self-published songwriters and administrators. Of that number, 137 were allotted for international collections – a royalty segment the agency didn’t start collecting until 2021. It’s a 33% increase in client affiliations from last year.

Meanwhile, broadcast mechanical distributions — royalty payments that are issued when a musical composition is reused for broadcast on radio or TV — increased by 119%.

It’s a change from the major drivers for last year’s distribution numbers, which were fuelled by a growth in streaming and TikTok.

The numbers come hot on the heels of the CMRRA’s 50th anniversary. In 2025, the agency reported that it renewed licensing deals with major streaming platforms and collaborated with partners including the Juno Awards, Honey Jam and the Indigenous Music Summit.

Looking ahead, the agency shares it will remain focused on supporting music publishers and self‑published songwriters, as the rise of AI and modern technology continues to dominate the Canadian music industry. Ensuring that partners “respect copyright and value songs as creative works,” the agency will continue evolving its licensing framework to be “grounded in consent, transparency and fair value for creators.”

“As we build on our 50‑year legacy, CMRRA is focused on the future, investing in technology, data intelligence, and scalable services that support music publishers and self‑published songwriters,” says the agency’s president, Paul Shaver. “The industry is evolving rapidly, and CMRRA is committed to leading that change by delivering smarter tools, building stronger relationships and creating sustainable opportunities for our clients well into the future.”

Read more here. — H.T.S.

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Two world-class cruiserweights go head-to-head in Las Vegas with Mexican boxer Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (48-1-0) defending his WBA and WBO titles against Mexican-American David “El Monstruo” Benavidez (31-1-0) in a highly anticipated championship match on Saturday, May 2. The bout is scheduled for 12 rounds.

David Benavidez vs. Zurdo Ramirez takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The main event begins around 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

Want to watch David Benavidez vs. Zurdo Ramirez online? The Benavidez vs. Ramirez PPV price is streamable for $79.99 on DAZN.

However, if you sign up for the “Ultimate Tier,” you can get access to the PPV livestream for $49.99 per month with an annual plan. The package comes with 12 PPV events, HDR video quality with Dolby 5.1 surround sound for select events, access more than 100 live fights every year, along with fight replays, highlights, documentaries and much more.

DAZN is home to worldwide sports, such as International Federation of Association Football, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, National League, UEFA Women’s Championship League, European Rally Championship and World Rallycross Championship, The Ring Boxing, Riyadh Season Boxing and other sports leagues. Learn more about DAZN here.

Main Card, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

What Is Ramirez’s and Benavidez’s Walkout Music?

While Premier Boxing Champions has yet to announce each boxer’s walkout music for the main event, they usually approach the octagon to the same songs during their matches. Ramirez typically walks out to “Serenata Huasteca” by Luis Miguel, while Benavidez prefers to walk out to “Kalashnikov” by Clave Especial. It’s likely that these songs will make an appearance during the event.

On Saturday, May 2, David Benavidez vs. Zurdo Ramirez PPV is streamable on DAZN, starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The main event is expected to start around 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.

Megan Moroney earns her fourth top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “Beautiful Things” rises two spots to No. 10 on the list dated May 9, delivering 17.7 million audience impressions (up 7%) April 24-30, according to Luminate.

Cowritten by Moroney, Jessi Alexander, Jessie Jo Dillon and Connie Harrington and produced by Kristian Bush, the track is from Cloud 9, her third studio album, released in February. “Beautiful Things” becomes the second single from the Billboard 200 No. 1 set to reach the top 10, following “6 Months Later,” which rose to No. 2 in January. Moroney first hit the tier with her debut single, “Tennessee Orange” (No. 4, 2023), while “Am I Okay?” followed with a No. 2 peak last summer.

“Beautiful Things” reaches the top 10 in its 27th week, in line with the five-year average for songs to reach the tier dating to May 2021. It joins 20 other songs by solo-billed women to make the top 10 in that span. Lainey Wilson leads that group with six in that frame, followed by Moroney’s four, Ella Langley’s three and Gabby Barrett’s two; Ashley Cooke, Dasha, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Carly Pearce and Carrie Underwood have one each. Overall, women, solo or in collaboration, account for 39 of the 241 top 10s in that stretch (16%).

Debuts: ‘Anymore’ & More

Ella Langley and Morgan Wallen arrive with “I Can’t Love You Anymore” at No. 19 (10.2 million). It marks Langley’s highest debut among eight Country Airplay entries and ties for Wallen’s third highest among 37. Langley, who wrote the song with Austin Goodloe and Joybeth Taylor, debuted it during Wallen’s concert in Tuscaloosa, Ala., April 18; it was teased in the closing moments of her “Choosin’ Texas” video before the duet’s April 24 release.

Meanwhile, Kacey Musgraves gets her 11th entry as “Loneliest Girl” opens at No. 35 (3.4 million). The track is one of 13 on Middle of Nowhere, her sixth studio set, released on Friday (May 1). Plus, singer-songwriter Jacob Hackworth debuts with “What Took You So Long” at No. 60 (720,000), marking his first appearance on any Billboard ranking.

Yellowcard and Good Charlotte, two mainstays of the 2000s pop-punk scene, team up for the latest No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, as “Bedroom Posters” rises a spot to rule the May 9-dated list.

The song, from Yellowcard’s 2025 album Better Days and featuring Good Charlotte, marks Yellowcard’s second total and consecutive No. 1 on the list, following the three-week reign of “Better Days” last August-September. The act led the chart 22 years after it first reached Alternative Airplay, then setting a record for the longest wait between an initial appearance and reaching No. 1.

That record stood until now, as “Bedroom Posters” is Good Charlotte’s first leader on any Billboard airplay ranking. The rockers first hit Alternative Airplay in September 2000 with “Little Things” –– making it an unprecedented 25 years, seven months and one week between an act’s first appearance on the tally and its first No. 1. (Yellowcard still holds the mark for the longest wait among artists first hitting No. 1 as a lead act.)

Good Charlotte cracked the top 10 once prior to “Bedroom Posters” with “The Anthem” in 2003. The band’s highest-charting airplay appearance overall before “Bedroom Posters” was “Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous,” a No. 6 hit on Pop Airplay in 2003.

Concurrently, “Bedroom Posters” lifts to No. 20 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 2 million audience impressions in the week ending April 30, a gain of 7%, according to Luminate. It’s Good Charlotte’s highest-charting song there, having exceeded the No. 34 peak of “Rejects” in 2025.

“Bedroom Posters” premiered sans Good Charlotte on Better Days before the collaborative version arrived Jan. 16. Better Days was released on Oct. 10, 2025 and has earned 31,000 equivalent album units to date.

All Billboard charts dated May 9 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, May 5.

Dame Dash sat down with Art of Dialogue recently to talked about a variety of topics, one being the discographies of his former business partner Jay-Z (two co-founded Roc-A-Fella with Kareem Burke in 1994) and Ye (formerly known as Kanye West.)

When asked who has the better catalog, the Harlem businessman answered without hesitation that he would take Ye.

“Kanye destroys Jay,” he continued. “It’s not even the same class. You know what I mean? As far as artistry goes and being creative and all the verticals that are stimulated, and the people — no one wants to dress like — Jay can’t do a clothing line. Kanye has a movement, he’s unstoppable. Kanye don’t need nobody to fill an arena. You know, homeboy needs friends. This n—a just stands up there and just, he don’t even have to rap. He just does listening sessions in a stadium.”

Adding, “Kanye is different and he’s bipolar…He’s pure art. The world should be so grateful for Kanye’s presence because he keeps things so interesting. The world would be so boring without Kanye. It’s like Van Gogh. Like any minute he could cut his ear off while he’s painting, but it’s always art. Kanye is an artist. Jay’s not an artist…I would say Jay’s just more of a — he’s cunning, and he doesn’t mind playing with the devil.”

When asked to elaborate on what he meant by “cunning,” Dame continued by saying “[Jay-Z] will make you believe he’s your brother when he really hates you. That’s cunning to me.”

Later on in the clip he also claims that nobody cares about Jay’s debut album. “Reasonable Doubt doesn’t sell sh-t. Why you think I gave it away,” he said referring to New York State auctioning off Dash’s Roc-A-Fella Inc. shares to collect on his back taxes. “That sh-t barely went gold. Nobody gives a f—k about Reasonable Doubt other than people that were there.”

You can watch the clip below.

Noah Kahan’s “The Great Divide” becomes the sole longest-leading No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart this decade, as well as in nearly 10 years, spending its 11th week atop the tally dated May 9.

The song’s command, which began on the Feb. 28-dated chart and has run consecutively, equals the 11-week lead for Portugal. The Man’s “Feel It Still” in 2017.

“The Great Divide” is one of just three songs to spend at least 10 weeks at No. 1 on Adult Alternative Airplay in the 2020s, following 10 each for Mumford & Sons and Hozier’s “Rubber Band Man” (2025-26) and Hozier’s “Too Sweet” (2024).

The all-time leader, U2’s “Beautiful Day,” dominated for 16 weeks beginning in 2000. (The chart’s history dates to January 1996, with the list currently measuring weekly plays on nearly 50 stations in the format.)

“The Great Divide” has more than doubled Kahan’s previous longest No. 1 stay on Adult Alternative Airplay, besting the five weeks for “Northern Attitude,” with Hozier, in 2024.

Previously, “The Great Divide” notched six weeks at No. 1 on Alternative Airplay. It’s also continuing its ascent at pop radio: it bullets at No. 19 on Adult Pop Airplay and rises 26-25 on Pop Airplay.

The song is set to gain on this week’s multimetric Billboard Hot 100, when its parent album of the same name, released April 24, will make its chart start. The track debuted at its No. 6 Hot 100 high in February, becoming Kahan’s second and highest-charting top 10.

All Billboard charts dated May 9 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, May 5.

Maverick City Music has won a court order halting a competing Christian music project launched by its estranged co-founder — at least for now.   

A New York judge granted Maverick City’s request for a preliminary injunction on Wednesday (April 29) against Tony Brown, who sold his shares of the Grammy-winning worship collective to current CEO Norman Gyamfi for $5 million in 2023. A bitter legal battle is now waging over the terms of that buy-out deal, with Maverick City’s Gyamfi alleging Brown violated a non-compete provision by launching another Christian music group called God Aura after his departure.

Brown alleges the non-compete is void, along with the rest of his buy-out agreement, because Maverick City has underpaid him by roughly $2 million. Judge Nancy M. Bannon ruled Wednesday that whether the contract holds up remains an open question that will depend on the evidence — and that until a fulsome decision is reached, Brown cannot release any new music.

Among other things, the injunction requires Brown to pull God Aura’s December 2025 album Wonderful Child down from streaming services. The lawsuit now moves into the discovery phase, meaning Maverick City and Brown will exchange evidence with each other.

A lawyer for Maverick City, Steven Cooper of Reed Smith, said in a Friday (May 1) statement to Billboard that his clients “are very pleased that the court shut down Anthony Brown’s improper competitive activities.”

“Mr. Brown tried repeatedly to avoid this hearing, and ultimately his attempts failed, and his bad acts were exposed,” added Cooper. “Mr. Gyamfi and his companies will continue to aggressively pursue those who violate contracts and engage in wrongdoing against them.”

Attorneys for Brown declined to comment on the injunction.

Brown co-founded Maverick City in 2018 alongside Jonathan Jay. The Atlanta-based music collective has won five Grammy Awards and topped Billboard‘s Christian and gospel charts with members and collaborators including Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine and Brandon Lake.

Gyamfi joined Maverick City as a part-owner and executive around 2021 and helped grow Maverick City’s Christian music empire. He eventually bought out Brown, but Brown alleges Gyamfi failed to complete the promised payments based on unsubstantiated sexual harassment complaints against him.

Brown initially sued Maverick City in Georgia, but the dispute was kicked to New York in February due to a forum selection clause in the buyout deal. In that decision, an Atlanta judge rejected Brown’s claim that he was coerced into signing the contract due to threats from Louis Burrell, a music industry veteran and the brother of MC Hammer.

Meanwhile, Maverick City is also dealing with separate litigation tied to Moore’s abrupt departure from the group last month. Moore is alleging that Gyamfi stole his royalties, but the group denies this and says Moore failed to fulfill his contract before exiting.

Just like in the Brown lawsuit, Maverick City tried to get an injunction to stop Moore from pursuing a solo career while the dispute plays out. But the group was unsuccessful in that attempt, and Moore is now releasing music on his own.

As if having Kid Cudi as a dad wasn’t cool enough, Cudder pulled a couple of strings so his daughter and her friends could see Taylor Swift in style on the Eras Tour.

Cudi had actor Adam Scott on as a guest of his Big Bro With Kid Cudi show earlier this week, which saw the Ohio native recall making a few calls to hook his teenage daughter, Vada Wamwene Mescudi, and her friends up to see Taylor Swift on tour.

The pop supernova came through in a major way, as Swift’s team rolled out the red carpet for Vada and her friends, who got the VIP treatment for an Eras Tour stop.

“My daughter’s a Swiftie,” Cudi explained. “She texted me one day, ‘Daddy, is it possible for you to get tickets for me and my friends to see Taylor Swift?’ I was just like, ‘Let me see what I can do.’ Taylor Swift had me looking like the coolest dad ever.”

He continued: “I hit up Taylor’s team. We were like, ‘Do you have any extra tickets?’ They gave us the friends-and-family tickets, so it was a good location in the stadium. I remember my daughter texted me back like, ‘Dad, you’re the best.’ I was just like, ‘Yeah, man!’ Thank you, Taylor Swift.”

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour was one of the hottest tour tickets of the century. Across 149 shows spanning 2023 and 2024, Swift’s record-breaking trek grossed over $2 billion and sold more than 10 million tickets, according to Billboard Boxscore.

Perhaps Cudi could return the favor for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, with the “Pursuit of Happiness” rapper currently on the road for his 33-date Rebel Ragers Tour, which will make stops in Austin and Dallas this weekend.

Watch the clip of Kid Cudi talking about getting his daughter Taylor Swift tickets below.

Taylor Swift had Kid Cudi looking like the “coolest dad ever” ❤️‍🔥😎

“My daughter texted me one day, ‘Umm daddy is it possible for you to get tickets for me and my friends to see Taylor Swift?’

“I was like, ‘Let me see what I can do.'” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/fgpYN5DYVs

— Big Bro with Kid Cudi (@bigbrocudi) April 30, 2026