Angélique Kidjo and JP Saxe have thrown their talents behind a special invite-only concert in New York, part of an expanding United Nations initiative to highlight climate justice and rights-based climate action.

Kidjo, the five-time Grammy Award-winning Beninese-French singer-songwriter, and Saxe, the Grammy nominated Canadian singer and musician, both performed at a private industry event, hosted at the Recording Academy’s office with reps from UN Human Rights watching on.

The Recording Academy is the official music partner of Right Here, Right Now Music, supported by United Nations Human Rights, with both organizations coming together to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the universal declaration of human rights, created in the wake of WWII to outline universal human rights.

Guests at the intimate show also learned “alarming new facts” about the escalating human rights crisis caused by climate change, according to a joint statement.

The music-led project is just getting started. Some of the “most popular arena acts” will be encouraged to use their considerable voice to elevate climate issue for the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert series. As-yet unannounced major artists will be tapped to perform in “small iconic concert venues” around the world, a statement explains, while shining a light on climate issues such as floods, droughts, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, clean water, ocean acidity, deforestation, as well as food insecurity, mental health, and more.

The first international activation is set for Dec. 9 with a show at the Atlantis in Dubai during COP28, the UN’s annual global climate change conference.

Grammy-nominated Lumineers’ frontman Wesley Schultz and British singer-songwriter YOLA performed at the first U.S. event, held April 13 in Boulder, Colorado, at which the performers delivered speeches “addressing the importance of utilizing music as a tool to combat climate change,” read a joint statement issued at the time.

Berlin, London, Kigali, Seoul, and Rio de Janeiro are among the cities being considered for Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts next year.

Through the climate concerts, says David Clark, founder and CEO of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, parent organization of Right Here, Right Now Music, “we seek to reframe the climate crisis as the fundamental human rights crisis that it is and thank the Recording Academy and UN Human Rights for being such dedicated partners in this worldwide effort.”

Adds Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, “I look forward to working alongside UN Human Rights to showcase how the power of music can raise awareness and help promote change surrounding human rights issues around the world.”

Proceeds from the concert series will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and music industry charity MusiCares.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance was presented at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland and has earned support from a growing list of artists, including Jack Black, Camila Cabello, Cher, Dead & Company, Celine Dion, Michael Franti, Quincy Jones, Kesha, Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lennox, LL Cool J, Pitbull, Joss Stone, Bob Weir, and more.

After 25 years in the music industry, Mýa is showing no signs of slowing down. The pop-R&B star made her debut in 1998, when she put out her self-titled studio album via Interscope Records. The debut single from the album, “It’s All About Me” with Sisqó, reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and put the world onto Mýa’s sultry, angelic voice and cutting-edge R&B sound that infiltrated the mainstream pop market while drawing influences from hip-hop, dancehall, techno and more.

She revealed in a new interview with Billboard News that the outfit she wore in the “It’s All About Me” music video, which was inspired by the traditional red Chinese wedding dress, is her all-time favorite look. “I sketched that outfit on paper, drew the designs that I wanted and I saw it come to life,” she said. “But this is something that I’ve been doing for years. I have this whole sketchbook of outfits that I wanted to create before I signed my first deal. And so, that was one of them. The seamstress brought it to life, and that was an amazing experience for me as a brand new artist.”

In June, she re-created the UNC jersey dress from her 2000 “Best of Me (Part 2)” video, featuring Jay-Z, while she was performing at Charlotte R&B Music Experience. (This reporter also re-created the UNC jersey dress look, as well as Mýa’s outfit from the 1999 “Take Me There” video with Blackstreet, Mase and Blinky Blink, due to endless claims that she resembles the singer. Decide for yourself in the video interview above!)

Aside from her iconic looks, pop-dancehall collaborations have been another constant in Mýa’s storied career. Over the years, she’s worked with Jamaican reggae and dancehall artists like Beenie Man (“Girls Dem Sugar,” “Lie Detector,” “Docta”), Sean Paul (“Things Come & Go”), Spice (“Take Him Out”) and, most recently, Bounty Killer, on her latest steamy single “Whine.”

“Funny story is I had a solo version of the video shot two years prior to reaching out to Bounty Killer,” she says. “And I’ve always wanted a feature on that record. And so we went back down to Jamaica two years later, to the same location, and put Bounty Killer in the video, inserted him, and it all looks cohesive now.”

Of her pop-dancehall collaborations, Mýa says they feel like a family effort. “Every time I go down there, it’s usually for music. But then my associates, music friends, become like family over the years. We understand the beauty of independency but also working together. And so, that’s a big part of the culture, too,” she explains. “I think it’s important also to just be authentic for representation, so it was important for me to be in Kingston, in the heart of Jamaica, to capture the essence of the good vibes and the music, the culture and the people and the dance.”

Outside of her debut LP’s 25th anniversary this year, Mýa also celebrated the 20th anniversary of her third album Moodring, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and earned her another Hot 100 top 20 hit with “My Love is Like…Wo.” (Missy Elliott co-produced the track two years after working with her on the five-week No. 1, Grammy-winning smash “Lady Marmalade” with Christina Aguilera, P!nk and Lil’ Kim from the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack.)

Earlier this year, she collaborated with Interscope/UMe to release the digital deluxe 25th anniversary edition of Mya, the digital deluxe 20th anniversary edition of Moodring and the “25th Anniversary Remix” of “It’s All About Me,” accompanied by the Brian Friedman-directed choreography video. Come December, Mýa will ring in the 15th anniversary of her fifth album Sugar & Spice.

“I was a baby, I was a kid, everything was brand new. Working in the studio with Dru Hill for the first album was really like a family and a camp, so I had big brothers around me … I learned a lot from them, watching them,” she reflects. “It’s just a beautiful journey. I’m excited as well about what’s to come. I just love music, so it’s a blessing to just still be here 25 years later and still feel like it’s brand new.”

Watch the full video interview above.

On Sept. 15, Billboard China and QQ Music, a subsidiary of Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME), launched the original music collection THE ONE Endless Dream.

Over the past six months, through a joint selection and recommendation process by QQ Music and Billboard China’s editorial team, 30 musical works were selected. Together, they create a collection that presents unlimited creativity in original Chinese music.

The original music collection THE ONE Endless Dream crosses dimensions and music genres, bringing together 30 groups of highly representative singers and musicians from various fields in the Chinese music industry, including angel-like vocalist Zhou Shen, Chinese soul singer-songwriter TIA RAY, versatile cross-genre singer Fiona Sit, Chinese rap star Ma SiWei , stylistic icon MIKA, young singer Pinlin Zhao, Tencent Music artist Nono Chen and more, as they convey the voice of China to the world.

In the collection, 30 high-quality original musical works are presented in three chapters: Dream Big, Dream Crazy, and Dream Wild. From big names to emerging original musicians, these music creators, with their boundless and wildly imaginative musical aspirations, not only bring fans great music, but also inspire them to set free their imaginations, dare to dream big, and courageously pursue their dreams. In this collection, Laure Shang’s “Follow Your Heart” is an inspiring declaration of bravery, Lala Hsu’s “Behind the Earth” conveys unwavering determination to venture into the unknown, Bonan Yao encapsulates love and creates a dream that never wakes with his “Dumbbell,” Chen Zhuoxuan’s “Skylight” signs “there are more dreams to pursue,” and Jiaqi Chen’s “Set Off” takes listeners on a fantasy journey of freedom with the rhythm of the music.

THE ONE Endless Dream is not only a collection for discovering amazing music, but also a platform for talented music creators to shine on a bigger stage, bringing “Chinese Treasures” paying attention to for music fans worldwide.

In March, Billboard China teamed up with QQ Music to launch the global original music competition THE ONE, collaboratively working with TME’s Qimingxing Music Assistant, Tencent Musician Platform’s NEW FORCES PLAN and premium labels to set up three major competition units: Musical Work, Fresh Face and Label, aimed at discovering music “dream makers” with unlimited creativity and helping talented music creators in reaching a broader audience.

This original music collection also includes several high-quality original musical works uncovered through the three units of THE ONE. Among them, PinkWave from the Qimingxing Musical Work Unit, Jiayuan Dou from the Label Unit, and Slow-mo, Fuzi Zuo, and Duanpaoxiaoshuo from the Fresh Face Unit have all showed their outstanding creative prowess, and with their unique and fresh original compositions, they have demonstrated the thriving vitality of the Chinese original music.

To propel these talented music creators and their exceptional musical works into the international spotlight, Billboard China and TME will collaborate to integrate their internal resources. QQ Music and Tencent Musician Platform, subsidiaries of TME, will provide extensive promotional resources for the collection, while Billboard China will also continuously cover its official overseas websites and Chinese official social media channels. Furthermore, the collection will have a special collaboration with Billboard China Live to start a series of performances, providing selected musicians with more performance opportunities, and boosting them to step onto bigger stages, thus extending their dream of music boundlessly.

Tencent Music Entertainment Group has been consistently perfecting its service system and industry collaboration capabilities, integrating resources from various sectors in the industry, and continuously constructing a service system and support ecology for high-quality original content. Going forward, Tencent Music Entertainment Group aspires to continue leveraging its capabilities, discovering more exceptional original musicians and Chinese original musical works, continuously propelling high-quality development and worldwide propagation of Chinese music, and championing Chinese originality.

David Foster is set to host and perform at the 37th annual Carousel Ball on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Hyatt Regency Denver. Counting Crows and Foster’s wife, singer Katharine McPhee, are also set to perform.

Foster is a 16-time Grammy winner, including three wins for producer of the year, non-classical. He also won a Primetime Emmy for The Concert for World Children’s Day (2003) and has received three Oscar nominations for best original song. Counting Crows are two-time Grammy nominees. McPhee was runner-up on American Idol in 2006.

Attendees are likely to hear many of Foster’s most famous songs, including hits for Earth, Wind & Fire, Boz Scaggs and Chicago; Counting Crows’ “Mr. Jones”; and McPhee’s cover version of Judy Garland’s immortal “Over the Rainbow.”

The event, held every two years, is committed to increasing awareness for type 1 diabetes, raising funds for clinical care and research at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, and supporting programs run by the Children’s Diabetes Foundation. Funds are raised through sponsorships, dinner tickets, a live and silent auction, and contributions.

Dana Davis is event chairman. Barbara Davis is honorary event chairman.

This year’s event will honor Satish Garg, MD with the Founders Award, while Juli and Joe Smolen will receive the High Hopes Tribute Award.

The Children’s Diabetes Foundation is the fundraising arm of the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. The foundation, located in Aurora, Colo., was established by Barbara and Marvin Davis in 1977 after their daughter, Dana, developed diabetes at the age of seven.

As *NSYNC revisit their boy-band days ahead of the release of their first new song in more than 20 years, they have one question: “Who had us pose like that?!”

On Tuesday (Sept. 19), the quintet posted a new Instagram video with that caption, that shows the five bandmates casually entering a room together, soundtracked by Simple Plan’s 2002 song “I’m Just a Kid,” only to fall into a completely ridiculous group pose. We then flash to the original photo, taken in January 2001, which has every guy making an over-the-top facial expression without any context or explanation against a white backdrop.

Justin Timberlake posted the video to his own account with the simple caption “Just kids.” Jersey Shore star Snooki shared her thoughts in the comments section, writing, “I’m calling 911 i can’t handle all of this.”

She’s not alone: Fans are freaking out over the prospect of getting the first new music from *NSYNC — Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick — since 2002 when “Better Place” from Trolls Band Together arrives on Sept. 29. The guys kicked the fan frenzy into overdrive last week when they reunited on the MTV Video Music Awards stage to present Taylor Swift with the best pop award. The next day, “Better Place” was announced in a new trailer for the Trolls threequel, in which Timberlake returns to voice the troll Branch.

Ahead of next week’s song release, on Thursday, the group will appear on Hot Ones, the First We Feast online series that asks celebrities spicy questions as they eat progressively spicier chicken wings. Timberlake previously appeared on Hot Ones solo in April 2020, when he revealed that the FCC nearly pulled “Di– in a Box” from Saturday Night Live last-minute. Good thing they relented: The song, which Timberlake co-wrote with Katreese Barnes, Asa Taccone, Jorma Taccone, Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer, won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding music and lyrics.

Watch the new video below:

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Singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle returns to No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart (dated Sept. 16) with her self-titled set, now available as a deluxe version that adds 13 tracks to the original 10-song album.

Lauren Daigle arrived atop the survey on the list dated May 27 with 25,000 equivalent album units, becoming her fourth leader. After the deluxe edition was released Sept. 8, the set (with both versions combined into one chart listing) rebounds 5-1 for its second week on top. It earned 13,000 equivalent album units (up 388%), with 8,000 in album sales, Sept. 8-14, according to Luminate. On the all-genre Billboard 200, it re-enters at No. 79, after it opened at its No. 21 high in May.

The full LP, which pairs Daigle with producer Mike Elizondo for the first time, is her first through Atlantic Records, with which her longtime label, Centricity, formed a partnership in January 2022.

“It took every ounce of me not to explode the secret of a second half,” Daigle tells Billboard.  “I’ve treasured and stored up this record in my heart for quite some time. I had the privilege of creating with Mike Elizondo and a host of incredibly talented writers who made these songs come to life. Since May, the team has helped pave a way for this music to be heard and I am deeply grateful that people listened. I always say that moments like this take a village. Hats off to all.  Keep sharing the love and the music … it’s what makes this music world go around!”

Daigle had last released new music with Look Up Child, which opened at the Top Christian Albums apex in September 2018 and proceeded to ring up a record 102 frames at No. 1. It was bolstered by the crossover smash “You Say,” which dominated the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Christian Songs chart for an also unprecedented 132 weeks starting in July 2018.

The first single from Daigle’s eponymous LP, “Thank God I Do,” rules Hot Christian Songs survey for a 19th week, having become her sixth leader in May. It tallied 6.1 million in all-format airplay, 2.2 million streams and 1,000 downloads sold during the tracking week. It also leads Christian Digital Song Sales for a 23rd week. It topped Christian Airplay for a week in July, giving the Lafayette, La., native her fifth chart-topper (and reached the top 15 on both Adult Contemporary and Adult Pop Airplay).

The LP’s sophomore single, “These Are the Days,” pushes 24-23 for a new high on Christian Airplay (987,000, up 38%). On Hot Christian Songs, it hops 43-29, after hitting No. 21 in May.

Kid Cudi is getting in the Halloween mood, thanks in part to his sleek new tattoo.

The star took to Instagram this week to show off his new ink done by Mr. Woo, marking the 10th piece he’s gotten done from the popular tattoo artist. “New ink by @_dr_woo_ Skeleton Hand Man My 10th Woo piece. What should I get next? Appreciate u Woo God,” he captioned the post showing off the tattoo, which features skeleton bones completely covering his hand.

See his post here.

In other Cudi news, the musician revealed that the release date for his long-awaited ninth studio has been pushed back to January 2024. “I have to push INSANO back until January. I want to make sure that everything lines up and I give y’all the best version of myself,” Cudi said on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Monday (Sept. 4). Despite the news, Cudi assured his fans that he would release a new single, and released two tracks on SoundCloud — “MOST AIN’T DENNIS” and “ILL WHAT I BLEED” — in the meantime.

“I still plan on releasing the next single soon so don’t even worry about that… Since I’m doing this and I know you all are fiending to get a listen of the album, I’m releasing two new jams from INSANO tonight on Soundcloud,” he said.

Louis Tomlinson‘s documentary, Louis Tomlinson: All of Those Voices, received its theatrical release on March 22 — and now, fans will be able to watch it on Paramount+ starting next month. To preview the release, the streaming platform released the documentary’s official trailer on Tuesday (Sept. 19).

The short clip features archival footage of the English singer-songwriter in his early years, as a confident schoolboy to his ascent to stardom as one-fifth of chart-topping boy band One Direction, multiple years before his solo career would be conceived. Such stardom led to the 31-year-old experiencing self-doubt at his ability to make something of himself outside the comfort of performing alongside his groupmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik.

“I thought for me, it was the band or nothing. It was hard for me to imagine myself on my own. I didn’t see a way back, not even musically, just to do anything,” Tomlinson said in the trailer’s narration of the dark period in his life.

After a period of self-reflection, Tomlinson’s esteem improved, allowing him to get back into the studio again. “I started to feel, ‘Maybe I do have some individual worth. What about making some music on your own.’ I remember calling my mom, and she was like, ‘Well that’s obviously what you’re gonna do,'” he recalled. “It finally does feel like the stars might be aligning for me. I finally feel worthy of where I am and what I’m doing.”

The trailer concluded with several clips from Tomlinson’s life now as a soloist, from performing for packed crowds across the world to enjoying much needed time off and looking happier than ever.

Louis Tomlinson: All of Those Voices — which promises to show the star’s “highs of superstardom, to the lows of personal tragedy,” according the documentary’s official description — is scheduled to arrive on Paramount+ on Oct. 4.

Watch the trailer in the video above.

The famed Roxy nightclub in West Hollywood turns 50 this month, and it’s celebrating its place in history with a new exhibit at the Grammy Museum.

Much of the exhibit, titled Roxy: 50 and Still Rockin’, draws from the personal archive of Roxy co-founder Lou Adler, 89, who opened the 500-capacity club on the Sunset Strip with Elmer Valentine in 1973. Adler is known as a modern master of both film and song whose introductions are typically preceded by a long list of award-winner accolades, but it was his greatest accomplishment – fathering and raising seven successful sons – that gives the exhibit a unique appeal.

Included in the exhibit — which boasts photos and portraits of Hollywood stars and music legends who frequented the club, including Neil Young, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan — is a short documentary that offers a revealing glimpse inside the Roxy’s first family.

Directed by Ashley Stagg and produced by Grammy Museum chief curator/vp of curatorial affairs Jasen Emmons, the documentary focuses on Adler’s place atop the influential family, which includes Adler’s sons, ages 50 to 21: Nic, Cisco, Sonny, Pablo, Ike, Oscar and Manny.

Lou Adler’s two oldest sons, Nic Adler and Cisco Adler, came of age in The Roxy, the On the Rox private club upstairs and the kitchen of the neighboring Rainbow Bar & Grill, all of which their father co-owned along with most of the rest of the Sunset Strip, including other famous outposts including the Whiskey A-Go-Go, the Comedy Store and the Viper Room.

Nic Adler recalls in the film, “As I have my own kids and they say they want to go somewhere…I’m like, ‘That’s unsafe.’ And then I think back to my own childhood, having free reign between the Rainbow and The Roxy and riding my skateboard in the parking lot. And I think at that point I kind of realized that maybe the way I grew up was different.”

Cisco Adler described the venue as an after-school “rock and roll YMCA” with live music, food and a steady stream of Lakers televised games always available.

“I was a musician playing the club before I was actually in a role other than being an Adler, but I can tell you, I still felt that responsibility,” says Cisco Adler in the film, which notes he first performed on stage in 2000 with his band Whitestarr, and came of age around legendary Roxy locals like Slash and Tommy Lee and even joined Bret Michaels on stage to sing “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.”

“When you step on that stage, it’s a big moment,” he explained. As for his other siblings involvement, “Ike has become involved in On The Rox and will become more involved as time goes,” Cisco Adler tells Billboard. “Oscar has started handling merchandise. It’s a true family business.”

In the film, Lou Adler says he never “thought about” making The Roxy part of his sons’ lives but that “it was automatic.”

Also featured in the film is promoter and Coachella co-founder Paul Tollett, who has been designated as an honorary Adler by the family for the years he spent at the venue as a fan, and later as a promoter bringing concerts to the venue. He’s now viewed as the keeper of the flame, managing the venue on behalf of the Adlers through his L.A. concert company, Goldenvoice.

In the film, Tollett recalls seeing Lou pull up to The Roxy in an Aston Martin Lagonda with one of his kids in the backseat — on a school night — and thinking to himself, “What a cool dad.”

The Roxy is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a series of anniversary shows, including two Neil Young concerts set for Wednesday (Sept. 20) and Thursday (Sept. 21) in honor of Young’s concerts that opened the venue in 1973. Additionally, Stephen Marley will perform on Monday (Sept. 25) in honor of Bob Marley and the Wailers‘ historic 1976 performance at The Roxy, which aired live on KMET radio and was released as a live album in 2023. More information can be found at theroxyturns50.com.

The City of West Hollywood is also hosting an exhibit on the history of the Roxy at the West Hollywood Library in conjunction with the Grammy Museum. Click here for more information.

*NSYNC set the internet ablaze when they reunited at the VMAs on Sept. 12 to present the best pop award to Taylor Swift, and sparked larger rumors of new music, touring and more, much to the delight of fans. But fellow boybanders 98 Degrees, who are making a comeback of their own, were a little less than thrilled at having the competition.

Speaking with Andy Cohen for the host’s SiriusXM live show on Tuesday (Sept. 19), the group — which consists of members Nick and Drew Lachey, Jeff Timmons and Justin Jeffre — shared their feelings about *NSYNC’s return to the scene. Cohen wondered “how annoyed” 98 Degrees felt when the “I Want You Back” singers appeared to make their return.

“Stole the thunder,” Nick jokingly replied, with Jeffre adding, “It’s a boy band universe.”

Drew then gave a serious response, saying that *NSYNC’s return can only benefit the entire boyband genre in the long run. “When one succeeds, we all succeed. Because we’re all kind of like us, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, we’re all clumped into the same, into the same kind of pile there. So, if one’s elevated, it elevates everybody,” he said.

Nick added, “But I mean, happy for those guys personally too, because we obviously know them well at this point. And excited for the fact that they’re hopefully gonna do this — they’ve held up for a long time, so [have it] be a big moment. Yeah. Fingers crossed.”

98 Degrees is currently on its 25-year anniversary tour, which will see the boyband making stops will make stops in Florida, New York and Pennsylvania and more before concluding with a show at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in San Diego on Oct. 8.

Watch 98 Degrees talk about *NSYNC’s return — as well as their own — in the video below.