They were born to express themselves. And over the course of a yearslong feud with one another, Lady Gaga and Madonna did exactly that.
In 2011, a disagreement between two of pop’s biggest stars began when Gaga released her LGBTQ+ anthem “Born This Way.” Madonna fans were quick to point out the track’s melodic and lyrical similarities to Madonna’s 1989 classic “Express Yourself.” It didn’t take long for Madge herself to join in on the conversation, with the Queen of Pop going on public record the next year and calling “Born This Way” “reductive.”
And thus, years of public rivalry between the two was ignited.
But everything is not what it seems — not even clear and publicly made digs lobbed at one another. In the years following the OG disagreement, Lady Gaga and Madonna have gone on to both throw a few verbal punches at one another and extend olive branches to their rival. Like most petty disagreements —especially ones clearly stoked by the drama-driven celebrity gossip machine — the feud between the two artists eventually calmed down. Seven years after it began, the drama was officially declared dead when the stars posed for a pic together at Madonna’s exclusive Oscars afterparty in 2018.
Now, 15 years after the initial dispute, Lady Gaga and Madonna are rumored to be collaborating on a new song for the Devil Wears Prada 2 soundtrack. While we don’t know the truth yet, we do know that Gaga (with Doechii) is featured on the soundtrack with the original song “Runway” and Madonna’s 1990 smash “Vogue” appeared in the original movie and has soundtracked much of the sequel’s pre-release promo.
As we impatiently await to see if a collaboration is real or just another rumor added to all the gossip surrounding these two pop legends, Billboard is taking a looking back at the timeline of Lady Gaga and Madonna’s relationship.
Looks like Journey almost went their separate ways two years ago.
In a new statement posted to Facebook on Monday, Journey co-founder and lead guitarist Neal Schon seemingly replied to frontman Arnel Pineda‘s claims that he was prohibited from quitting the band twice.
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“There’s been some recent press and speculation that doesn’t reflect the full picture,” Schon writes.
Though he does not specify what recent press he’s referring to, his statement comes days after a March 31 Rolling Stone feature on his band that quotes Pineda sharing that he almost didn’t join Journey on their current farewell tour. Pineda claims that in 2024, he asked his bandmates to confer with him if they decide to do farewell shows and discuss the schedule with him. He cites age and “personal problems” as major factors in his decision to tour or not. He then alleges that the band went ahead and scheduled the 60-date tour without consulting him.
“It is what it is now…. But then, I was really not happy with how they scheduled this tour,” Pineda says in the article. He then claims that he sent an unhappy email to his bandmates to which they didn’t reply. In response to the silence, Pineda says he told the other Journey members not once but twice that he wanted to leave the group and retire. Again, they did not respond, Pineda alleges.
The article then shares that both Schon and Pineda recognized that quitting the band is not as simple as it seems. They both say that their contract with live entertainment giant AEG prohibits the band from touring without Pineda. It’s a sentiment that is also echoed in Schon’s Facebook statement.
“Touring at this level involves many moving parts, and decisions are made collectively with our team, including management, agents, and promoters,” Schon writes before acknowledging that with any band that’s been around for a long time, different members may feel different pressures in different ways. He then says that he personally did not prohibit anyone from leaving the band. “For clarity, no one was ever prevented by me from making their own personal decisions.”
Schon continues by citing the same AEG contract that was brought up in the Rolling Stone feature: “At the same time, we were all advised by our representatives that there are contractual obligations tied to touring that need to be honored.”
The guitarist concludes by saying his focus is on providing fans with “the best possible experience and keeping the music alive.”
Journey’s Final Frontier Tour is set to continue into August with dates across the U.S. and a stop in Vancouver.
Following Pershing Square’s bid to acquire Universal Music Group (UMG) on Tuesday (April 7), the music giant has confirmed that its board of directors received the “unsolicited and non-binding proposal” in a brief press release in which it expressed “complete confidence in” the company’s strategy under chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge.
“The Board of Directors, together with its advisors, will review the proposal in accordance with its fiduciary duties and analyze its implications for shareholders, employees, artists, songwriters and other stakeholders,” the release reads.
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It adds, “The Board of Directors has complete confidence in UMG’s strategy and the leadership of Sir Lucian Grainge and the Company’s management team. UMG will have no further comment on the proposal until the Board of Directors completes its review.”
The offer from the Bill Ackman-founded investment firm values UMG at more than $60 billion. The proposed deal, which would entail a 9.4 billion euros ($10.85 billion) total cash or 5.05 euros per share ($5.82) offer to shareholders, would result in UMG merging with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings and would move the new entity’s headquarters from the Netherlands to Nevada, while its stock would move from the Euronext Amsterdam to the New York Stock Exchange.
“While business performance has been strong, UMG’s share price has languished,” Ackman wrote in a Tuesday letter to UMG’s board of directors that mentioned uncertainty over UMG investor Bolloré Group’s 18% stake in the company, its decision to delay a U.S. stock offering and the under-utilization of the music company’s balance sheet as reasons for the stock’s overall downward trajectory since its closing price on the first day of trading. “Notably, none of the above issues relate to the company’s execution of its music business, and importantly, all of the above issues can be addressed in a merger transaction.”
Ackman, who held a call to address analysts’ and shareholders’ questions about the proposed deal earlier on Tuesday, wrote that he expects the deal to close by the end of the year.
Miles Gersh was promoted to executive vp of A&R at Warner Records, the label announced on Tuesday (April 7).
Gersh, who joined the company in 2019 and was most recently vp of A&R, introduced Zach Bryan to Warner Records Group CEO & co-chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck in 2020 based on the success of his independent releases. Bryan signed to Warner Records the following year and has since scored five top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, including two No. 1s: 2023’s self-titled set and this year’s With Heaven on Top. He’s also notched three top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100, including the No. 1 smash “I Remember Everything” featuring Kacey Musgraves.
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In addition to Bryan, Gersh has helped develop emerging talent including bunii, IShowSpeed, Maddox Batson, CJ and Veeze. Prior to Warner, Gersh worked at Doug Morris‘ 12Tone Music. He has been recognized on Billboard‘s 40 Under 40 and Country Power Players lists.
“Miles understands that true artist development starts with a deep respect for the creator’s voice,” said Bay-Schuck in a statement. “The partnership he’s built with Zach and his other outstanding artists reflects his commitment to authenticity and his drive to help our talent win on their own terms. Miles is a vital part of the future of Warner Records, and this promotion is a testament to the key role he’s played in elevating our music, our teams, and our culture.”
Gersh added, “I’m deeply grateful to Aaron and [Warner Records executive vp & head of A&R] Karen [Kwak] for their mentorship and for their belief in me as I take on this new role. They’ve championed a culture I’m proud to be a part of — one that consistently puts the artist first. We have a remarkable roster, backed by the incredible Warner team, and I’m excited to build on our momentum to help take our artists to the next level while bringing game-changing new talent into the fold.”
A warrant is out for the arrest of a 55-year-old woman who allegedly stalked and threatened Lindsey Buckingham for years before physically attacking the Fleetwood Mac frontman last month.
Michelle Dick was hit with felony charges that carry potential prison time in a Friday (April 3) criminal complaint brought by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and obtained by Billboard. A judge signed a warrant for Dick’s arrest, ordering that she be held on $300,000 bail if apprehended.
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Prosecutors claim Dick has stalked and repeatedly threatened Buckingham with violence since 2021. The harassment allegedly escalated to physical violence last month, when Dick is accused of hitting Buckingham with her car and dousing the musician with an unknown substance in Santa Monica.
Dick is charged with seven total counts of stalking, making criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon, battery and vandalism. In addition to targeting Buckingham, she’s also accused of stalking another individual referred to in court filings as “Stephanie N.”
Buckingham previously won a restraining order in 2024 requiring Dick to stay away from his family and cease all contact. In court filings from that time, the singer and guitarist said Dick began calling him and his family members in 2021, claiming to be Buckingham’s child and threatening to kill them.
The restraining order petition also claimed Dick had called in threats to venues where Buckingham was performing in 2022. She then went away for a couple of years but allegedly returned in 2024, showing up at the family’s Los Angeles home and making more threatening phone calls.
“She is clearly mentally unfit and harbors delusions, which makes her scary to me and unpredictable,” wrote Buckingham in a court declaration.
Reps for Buckingham did not immediately return a request for comment on the criminal complaint on Tuesday (April 7). Dick could not be located.
Cardi B doesn’t play when it comes to her money, and she noticed a couple of suspicious charges on her American Express card, which led her to reveal she was the victim of credit card fraud.
Even though she’s in the midst of the madness of life on tour, Cardi is still keeping tabs on her expenses. The Bronx native hopped on Instagram Live on Monday (April 6) to detail how she found out that four people had her credit card and went on a little shopping spree for $60,000 at Saks and Apple within an hour.
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“I got clear pictures. As soon as I saw that notification, I was like, ‘Saks $40,000, what the f—?’ Then, when I saw that Apple sh–, because like who the f— is spending $20,000 at Apple? If I get your address before the people doing this investigation, because they got pictures of y’all, I’mma get y’all beat the f— up,” she said. “Word to my mother, I’m gonna get my n—as to spank the sh– outta y’all.”
Cardi continued: “Y’all went to Chase, y’all went to Saks, y’all went to Apple. B—h, y’all going to jail… I got clear pictures of motherf—–s trying to get money out of a Chase… Y’all tried it. I got clear pictures of y’all in Saks and I got clear pictures of y’all in Apple. One thing about me, I don’t play about my f—–g money.”
It’s still unclear how they obtained her AMEX card numbers. The Grammy-winning rapper then described the looks of the alleged thieves that she claims to have photo evidence of. “One of you is bald-headed, with a very thick beard,” she asserted, before again promising that the culprits will be going to jail.
Cardi is in the home stretch of her Little Miss Drama Tour, which will be making stops this week in Philly, Washington, D.C., Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Not every hitmaker stays in one lane. Pharrell Williams has taken on several across the Billboard Hot 100.
Across decades, he has crafted hits as a writer, producer and performer, starting as one-half of The Neptunes and later as a solo star. At a time when producers rarely received the spotlight, Pharrell’s signature often came not through a vocal tag, but through a now-familiar four-count intro, producing songs you can instantly recognize, including “Milkshake” by Kelis and “Tokyo Drift (Fast & Furious)” from the movie The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
His first Hot 100 No. 1 came as a co-writer and producer on “Hot in Herre” by Nelly in 2002, marking an early breakthrough for The Neptunes’ minimalist, rhythm-forward sound. He soon stepped further into the spotlight as a performer, joining Snoop Dogg on “Drop It Like It’s Hot” in 2004, which topped the charts with Pharrell as a featured artist. By the 2010s, Williams was credited as a performer, writer and producer on “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke featuring T.I., which reigned atop the Hot 100 for 12 weeks in 2013. The song’s success helped usher in his biggest solo moment: “Happy,” originally featured in Despicable Me 2, became a 10-week No. 1 in 2014 and cemented Pharrell as a chart-topping artist in his own right.
Beyond his recordings, Williams has gone on to push himself creatively in other ways — from starring in the 2024 animated LEGO documentary Piece by Piece, which explores his beginning and career, to even being appointed men’s creative director for Louis Vuitton.
In honor of the man who can do it all, here’s a look at every Hot 100 No. 1 hit he’s helped create.
As previously announced, big changes are coming to the Oscars. In 2029, the show will move from ABC (its network home since 1976) to YouTube and from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood (its home base for every show but one since 2002) to the Peacock Theater in the L.A. Live complex.
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But, until then, the show will stay the course. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ABC announced on Tuesday (April 7) that the 99th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 14, 2027, and that the 100th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 5, 2028. This is similar to recent years. This year’s show aired on Sunday, March 15. The 2025 show aired on Sunday, March 2. The upcoming shows will air live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
The Oscars didn’t announce who will host the 2027 show, but no one would be surprised if they turned again to Conan O’Brien, who was widely praised for his work hosting the last two shows. If O’Brien does get the nod, he would become the first person to host the Oscars three years running since Billy Crystal hosted four straight Oscar telecasts from 1990-93.
The Academy also announced key dates for the 2027 Oscars season, though they cautioned that these dates are subject to change.
- Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026: Final submission deadline for general entry categories, animated feature film, best picture and RAISE form
- Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026: Governors Awards
- Monday, Dec. 7, 2026: Preliminary voting begins 9 a.m. PT
- Friday, Dec. 11, 2026: Preliminary voting ends 5 p.m. PT
- Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2026: Shortlists announcement
- Monday, Jan. 11, 2027: Nominations voting begins 9 a.m. PT
- Friday, Jan. 15, 2027: Nominations voting ends 5 p.m. PT
- Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027: Nominations announcement
- Tuesday, February 16, 2027: Nominees Luncheon
- Thursday, Feb. 25, 2027: Finals voting begins 9 a.m. PT
- Thursday, March 4, 2027: Finals voting ends 5 p.m. PT
- Sunday, March 14, 2027: Oscars ceremony, 4 p.m. PT
Olivia Dean crowns Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart as “Man I Need” jumps from No. 5 to lead the list dated April 11. The achievement reflects the breakthrough single’s status as the most-played song on panel-contributing adult R&B radio stations in the United States for the tracking week of March 27-April 2, according to Luminate.
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“Man I Need,” released and promoted through Polydor/Island/REPUBLIC, knocks Tank’s “Control” from the summit. The former champ slips to No. 3 after a two-week reign.
With its new triumph, “Man I Need” adds a third Billboard chart radio crown, following a six-week run atop the Pop Airplay chart in January – February and three weeks at No. 1 on Adult Pop Airplay in February. It’s the first song to lead all three lists since Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” captured three weeks atop Adult R&B Airplay, two terms on Pop Airplay and four weeks on Adult Pop Airplay in 2024. Among songs by women, “Man I Need” is the first track to complete this particular triple play since Adele’s “Hello” achieved one, four and seven weeks, respectively, on the radio rankings in 2015-16.
The song’s cross-format appeal echoes the wide popularity for “Man I Need,” which rode a wave of airplay and streaming support to a No. 2 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 and a 20-week (and counting!) stretch in the chart’s top 10. Led by the momentum, Dean won the Grammy Award for best new artist at this year’s ceremony on Feb. 1.
Elsewhere, “Man I Need” continues to scale two other radio charts. Its coronation on Adult R&B Airplay boosts its fortunes on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop stations. There, it climbs 20-19 with 5 million in audience, up 6% from last week. Additionally, it holds at No. 8 on Adult Contemporary.
Through its strength across formats, “Man I Need” repeats at No. 2 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart for a seventh consecutive week and ninth total time in the runner-up spot. The single is a former champ there, with three weeks at No. 1 in February.
En una decisión poco habitual dentro de su política migratoria cultural, pero enmarcada en un momento de creciente preocupación por el antisemitismo en Europa, el Reino Unido negó este martes la entrada a Kanye West (hoy conocido como Ye) debido a su historial de declaraciones antisemitas.
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La medida provocó, como consecuencia inmediata, la cancelación total del Wireless Festival, uno de los encuentros más relevantes de música urbana en el país, que había apostado por convertir a West en su única gran figura durante tres días consecutivos.
El argumento oficial remite al Ministerio del Interior británico. En palabras del primer ministro Keir Starmer, quien escribió a través de X que “Kanye West nunca debió haber sido invitado a encabezar Wireless”, la solicitud de ingreso del rapero fue rechazada bajo el criterio de que su presencia “no sería beneficiosa para el bien público”, una fórmula que el gobierno reserva para casos excepcionales.
Sin margen real para sustituirlo a pocas semanas del evento, programado del 10 al 12 de julio de 2026, y en medio de la retirada de patrocinadores como Pepsi o PayPal, que incrementó el costo reputacional de mantenerlo en el cartel, Melvin Benn, director general de Festival Republic (coorganizadora del Festival junto a Live Nation), calificó los comentarios antisemitas pasados de West como “aberrantes”, pero pidió “ofrecer cierto perdón”.
“El Home Office ha rechazado la ETA (Autorización Electrónica de Viaje) de YE, prohibiéndole la entrada al Reino Unido. Como resultado, el festival Wireless queda cancelado y se reembolsará el importe a todos los poseedores de entradas”, informó la organización en un comunicado.
Sin embargo, la decisión no es repentina. Durante años, el músico ha acumulado un historial de comentarios racistas, declaraciones antisemitas y elogios al nazismo, particularmente evidentes tras el lanzamiento de una canción titulada ‘Heil Hitler’. Este antecedente reactivó las críticas internacionales y elevó la presión en el Reino Unido.
En los días previos al veto, organizaciones representativas de la comunidad judía británica, como el Board of Deputies of British Jews y el Jewish Leadership Council, intensificaron sus críticas y pidieron abiertamente impedir su actuación. Phil Rosenberg, presidente del primero, fue contundente: “Es momento de que Wireless haga lo correcto y retire una invitación que nunca debió haber ofrecido. Puede que Kanye West esté en un camino hacia la salud y la recuperación; sinceramente esperamos que así sea. Pero el lugar para comprobarlo no es durante tres días en el escenario principal de Wireless”.
En enero, West publicó un anuncio en The Wall Street Journal en el que expresó arrepentimiento por sus comentarios antisemitas y los atribuyó a un trastorno bipolar tipo I no tratado, mismo que retomó y actualizó en referencia a la situación con Wireless, en un intento por revertir el rumbo de la situación.
Aseguró que buscaba llevar “unidad, paz y amor” a Londres y se mostró dispuesto a dialogar con la comunidad judía británica. “Sé que las palabras no son suficientes… tendré que demostrar el cambio con mis acciones”, afirmó.
Pero el gesto llegó tarde. Para sus críticos, la oferta fue interpretada más como un intento de salvar su participación en el festival que como una transformación genuina. “No vamos a reunirnos con Kanye West con ese propósito”, respondieron líderes comunitarios.
Aunque inusual, no es la primera vez que el Reino Unido bloquea a un artista. En 2015, Tyler, the Creator fue vetado del país por cuatro años por la entonces ministra del Interior, Theresa May, debido al contenido de sus letras, consideradas homófobas, que “fomentan la violencia y la intolerancia hacia la homosexualidad” y “promueven el odio con posturas que buscan incitar a otros a cometer actos terroristas”.
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