Entertainment

In Canada: Program to Empower Black Canadian Music Managers Launches

Published

8 months ago

October 4, 2025

Vicky

A new initiative is elevating Black Canadian artist managers in the industry.

F.A.M.E. (Foundations & Acceleration for Management Excellence) is designed to strengthen capacity, leadership and sustainability for Black music managers.

Started by Toronto-based non-profit, Breaking Down Racial Barriers (BDRB), the eight-week program — running from October 14 to December 4 — will provide intensive training, mentorship and industry access for Black-identifying music leaders.

Led by music manager Katrina Lopes, the initiative includes weekly Zoom workshops with management industry leaders, one-on-one mentorship and networking sessions with senior music executives and guest speakers from Canadian and U.S. music markets. Participants can gain practical skills, networks and the confidence needed to grow their management businesses and support artists on a global scale.

“F.A.M.E. was created to equip Black music managers in Canada with the tools and resources to build stronger careers and foster more success stories,” says BDRB co-founder and program David ‘Click’ Cox. “F.A.M.E. is about access, mentorship, and community — so managers can thrive and lead the next generation of Canadian music.”

Combining practical knowledge and education with a cultural lens, F.A.M.E. boasts problem-solving skills to tackle future challenges in the music industry — from disruptive technologies to new models of artist sustainability and equity.

“Developed from the ground up with a detailed curriculum specifically curated to the needs of Black music artist managers from the perspective of Black music industry professionals who have successfully navigated the industry,” says Ian Andre Espinet, BDRB co-founder.

Read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh

Allison Russell Talks Working with Joni Mitchell at SOCAN Awards: ‘One of the Most Surreal Gifts of My Life’

SOCAN celebrated its 100th anniversary by presenting the Global Impact Award to a true Canadian legend: Joni Mitchell. The singer-songwriter won the award for her 1969 classic, “Both Sides, Now.”

Mitchell was not able to attend the SOCAN Awards ceremony in Toronto on Sept. 30, but she was honoured in an outdoor ceremony in Los Angeles, including SOCAN executives like CEO Jennifer Brown and the consulate general of Canada.

Instead, the awards brought on a musician who now knows her well: Grammy-winning roots singer-songwriter Allison Russell.

The Montreal-born, Nashville-based artist performed a powerful solo version of “Both Sides, Now” that included a spoken poetry intro, a cappella singing and unaccompanied clarinet. It was an unconventional performance that echoed the mature gravitas of Mitchell’s performances since coming out of retirement at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival. And there’s a reason for that: Russell has been a major part of that comeback.

“I’m very, very lucky to have a wonderful chosen sister, Brandi Carlile, who invited me into the magic circle of Joni Jam [the star-studded performances by Mitchell and a large circle of other musicians],” she tells Billboard Canada on the red carpet before the ceremony. “I play clarinet and sing backups. We’ve done Newport, we’ve done the Gorge, we’ve done Hollywood Bowl, we did the Grammys, which was just extraordinary. [Joni] really likes my clarinet playing, which is mind-blowing.”

Russell has been welcomed by the legendary songwriter at jam sessions in her Los Angeles home, which is a big deal for the musician who grew up idolizing her.

“Walking into her living room is like walking into her beautiful mind,” she explains. “Every inch of the walls are covered with her extraordinary paintings, which she’s planning to donate to a museum in Saskatoon right by the Saskatchewan River when she, I hope 50 years from now, rejoins the stars.”

“Getting to be in creative communion and community with her has been one of the most surreal gifts of my life,” she continues. “I’ve been listening to her since I was in utero. She’s my mom’s favourite singer. My mom’s from Saskatoon, and Joni still has her Saskatchewan accent. She’s been in the Canyon forever, but she still sounds so Canadian. We love talking about Saskatoon together.”

Asked if Mitchell has plans to play more live shows, Russell says she doesn’t know but praises the “determination, grit, resilience and sheer willpower” of her recovery from health struggles after a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 2015. She’s played marathon three-hour sets onstage in the last year, and Russell says she’s playing piano and guitar again.

Read more from the interview with Allison Russell at Billboard Canada here. – Richard Trapunski

Entertainment

Which New Music Release Is Your Favorite This Week? Vote!

Published

4 weeks ago

April 25, 2026

Vicky

It’s the final new music Friday (April 24) of the month, and everyone from Noah Kahan to Kehlani and Suki Waterhouse have put forth some of their best work as May waits just around the corner.

This week, Vermont’s favorite folk-rock singer-songwriter finally returned with a new album after four years of Stick Season, his breakout album that reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The Great Divide is 17 tracks of Kahan reexamining his worldview after struggling with his mental health in the years since he found fame.

And, as if taking cues from the success of first-ever Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “Folded” (which reached No. 6 on the chart in January), Kehlani leans fully into classic R&B flavors in an intentional push to recenter the genre’s traditions. “All the R&B artists, we want R&B to be back,” the artist told Billboard ahead of being named Billboard Women in Music’s Impact honoree. “We want good, long songs. We want three verses and bridges and modulations and all the things – we want that too. We just didn’t think anybody else wanted it. I have an allegiance to the genre, and I’ll keep it there.”

On top of the bounty of new albums, several artists have released fresh singles — including Suki Waterhouse, who returns with “Tiny Raisin” shortly after announcing her next album, Loveland, as well as Hayley Kiyoko and Gigi Perez, who teamed up for heartfelt duet “Collide.” Plus, Dylan Gossett adds “My Boy” to the mix, written as a letter to his son.

But which release is your favorite this week? Let Billboard know by voting in the poll below.

Entertainment

Celeb-Loved Juicy Couture T-Shirts Are On Sale for $8 Right Now (If You Hurry)

Published

4 weeks ago

April 25, 2026

Vicky

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

It’s been almost three decades since the LA-based casual wear brand Juicy Couture first hit store shelves, and the Hollywood-loved label has made its way back into the spotlight in recent years thanks to the Y2K trend resurgence and newfound love from influencers online.

Best known for its T-shirts, handbags and yes, those velour tracksuits (reportedly designed exclusively for Madonna at first), Juicy Couture pieces were seen on practically every major celebrity in the 2000s, from Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, to Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian. Musicians like Miley Cyrus, Nicole Scherzinger and even Beyoncé have also been spotted wearing Juicy Couture, and now, a new Amazon deal makes it easy for you to get into some JC as well.

LIMITED TIME DEAL

Table of Contents

Juicy Couture Cap Sleeve T-Shirt (Five-Pack)

$38.24 $44.99 15% off

Buy Now On Amazon

Amazon is selling a five-pack of Juicy Couture T-shirts right now for just $39. Part of the “Juicy Sport” line, the cropped T-shirts are made from a super soft and breathable “performance” fabric that features a touch of spandex for easy movement and stretch.

That makes the T-shirts as ideal for a workout or yoga session as they are for pairing with your everyday ‘fits. The crop top look leans into the Y2K aesthetic and Amazon’s website shows the shirts styled with shorts, leggings and mini skirts alike.

This Amazon deal gets you five Juicy Couture T-shirts for under $40. That brings the price of each tee down to less than $8 — a virtually unheard of deal for generic T-shirts, let alone a brand name pick.

We like the five-pack above, which gets you a T-shirt in two shades of pink (including a light pink with the signature Juicy Couture cherries), plus navy blue, gray and black. You can choose from other color combinations online. The tees are available in sizes small to XXL.

ALSO AVAILABLE

Juicy Couture T-Shirts (Three-Pack)

$29.74

Buy Now On Amazon

Don’t need five T-shirts? Amazon also sells a three-pack of Juicy Couture tees for just $30, bringing the price of each individual shirt to under $10.

ALSO CONSIDER

Juicy Couture Queen of Everything Mini Duffle Bag

$45.09 $79.00 43% off

Buy Now On Amazon

And if you need a bag to take to the gym (or for an overnight stay), we like this mini barrel-style duffle bag, on sale for 43% off. The two-tone bag measures approximate 8.2 x 4.9 inches in size, which is enough room for your wallet, keys, change of clothes and toiletries. Choose to carry the bag via the top handle or with the detachable shoulder straps.

All of the above picks are officially-licensed products sold through Amazon’s Juicy Couture storefront. As with all Amazon deals, the sale prices could end at anytime, so we recommend adding the deals to cart while they are still live.

Entertainment

Head Back to Hawkins With New ‘Stranger Things: Tales From ’85’ Soundtrack

Published

4 weeks ago

April 25, 2026

Vicky

Netflix is bringing us back to the ’80s, and it’s making sure we have the right music for the occasion.

On Wednesday (April 22), Billboard can exclusively reveal that an original soundtrack is coming this week for the brand-new animated spin-off series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. The score album, composed by Brad Breeck (Gravity Falls, We Bare Bears), will be released globally Thursday (April 23) at midnight ET.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 also arrives Thursday on Netflix, bringing viewers back to the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the ’80s and reuniting us with some of the original show’s main characters. And much like Stranger Things, music plays a large role in the new show.

“This collection bridges the gap between the eerie depths of the Upside Down and the vibrant, neon energy of the mid-’80s,” Netflix said in a statement.

Tales From ’85 will feature not only a brand-new version of the original Stranger Things theme song, but the first episodes also include a selection of ’80s hits from artists like Black Sabbath, Billy Idol, Cyndi Lauper and more. Needle drops throughout the series include “We Got the Beat” by The Go-Go’s, “A Forest” by The Cure and “We’ll Meet Again” by Vera Lynn, “Rebel Yell” by Idol, and Lauper’s Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Time After Time.”

If it’s anything like the original show, artists with songs played in the new series could see a bump in streams and chart placements in the aftermath of the show’s premiere. After featuring the songs in pivotal moments, Stranger Things brought Kate Bush‘s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” to a new peak of No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 2022, 37 years after its initial release, while Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” made its debut on the chart the same year, 36 years after it came out.

Fans can pre-save Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) by Brad Breeck here, and find the full score track list below.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) by Brad Breeck track list

Flamethrower (artists: Brad Breeck feat. Brian Parkhurst)
Kids Riding Bikes
Big Snowstorm Coming
Someone In There
HIC Theme
I Just Saved Your Life
Strange Stones
Gotta Go Dark
How Long Is Detention
Sewer Chase (artists: Brad Breeck feat. Brian Parkhurst)
Towns
Clean Up
Investigating Pumpkins
Heaven Eleven
Nice Time Tonight
Storm the Gates
What Were These Things
Ground Rules
seluR dnuorG
Her Royal Nastiness
We Have To Try
Tales from ’85 End Titles (artists: Brad Breeck feat. Cooper Babbes)