Author: Rap Hooks

Vocalist Jane Eugene, a founding member of the ‘80s British band Loose Ends — which scored No. 1 R&B hits on the Billboard charts with “Hangin’ on a String (Contemplating)” and “Slow Down” — has been detained by ICE agents for nearly three months owing to a visa overstay.

Currently housed in a correctional facility in Kentucky and facing deportation, Eugene is scheduled to attend a hearing this week in hopes of being released on bond and allowed to stay in the country, even provisionally. In the meantime, a GoFundMe page has been organized on Eugene’s behalf to raise donations for her bail, legal fees, medical assistance and basic needs.

According to Eugene’s representatives, the singer — who has lived in the U.S. for decades — was traveling across the Canadian border when she was stopped by immigration officers. That’s where ICE picked Eugene up and took her to a jail in upstate New York before her transfer to the Kentucky facility. She’s now been housed there for nearly three months, along with inmates convicted of various other crimes. Those “conditions are taking a huge toll,” as noted on her GoFundMe page. “Jane’s health is rapidly deteriorating. Unable to work or generate income for the past few months and foreseeable future, Jane needs our help.”

As also explained on the GoFundMe page, a provision under Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) states that people who entered the country and applied for a green card before 2001 are allowed to reapply for legal status while still in the U.S., even if they’ve overstayed their visa. Because Eugene has lived in the U.S. for decades, she “meets the requirements for 245(i) and is ‘grandfathered’ in.”

Together with vocalist/guitarist Carl McIntosh and keyboardist/vocalist Steve Nichol, Eugene comprised the founding lineup of Loose Ends in 1980. The trio landed its first No. 1 R&B hit in 1985 with “Hangin’ on a String (Contemplating),” followed a year later by a second chart-topping R&B single, “Slow Down.” Before exiting Loose Ends in 1990, Eugene appeared on additional hits by the band, including “Watching You” and “Mr. Bachelor.” Since then, she’s been touring as Loose Ends featuring Jane Eugene.

If deported, Eugene faces the possibility of being banned from the U.S. for a decade.

“She loves America, has made her home here and wants to fight using every legal remedy available,” states the GoFundMe page. “To those of us who know her personally, she’s not just an R&B legend; she’s one of the most caring and compassionate human beings you will ever meet. Aside from enriching the lives of millions through her performances through the years and influencing numerous musical genres, including neo soul, house and hip-hop, she mentors aspiring artists and actively supports members of any community in need.”

Prize-winning Japanese comedian, Netflix star and all-around entertainer YURIYAN RETRIEVER can now add major-label solo artist to her illustrious list of titles, dropping her debut single “YURIYAN TIME” on Wednesday (July 16).

The versatile funny woman, now based in the U.S., worked with sought-after music producer yonkey — producer of ATARASHII GAKKO! — on the new song, an earwormy number that naturally inspires courage after repeated listening despite its comical nature. YURIYAN, whose stage name as a singer is stylized in all caps, says that’s the core of what she aimed to convey through the track that showcases yonkey’s expertise. The 34-year-old multi-hyphenate and 28-year-old music producer opened up about the creative process of “YURIYAN TIME” in this conversation for Billboard Japan.

Tell us about your first impressions of each other.

yonkey: We met in a sort of conference room and talked about a lot of things. She said, “Could you listen to this song I wrote?” This often happens whenever I’m meeting with other musicians I produce, but they usually just play it on their iPhone. But YURIYAN was like, “I don’t have a recording, so do you mind if I do it here?” and performed it for me right there in full with just the beat. I was floored. My first impression of her was that she was more enthusiastic than any other artist.

YURIYAN: He says I was enthusiastic, but I just didn’t have the skills to make sounds or to record them, so I had to do it directly.

yonkey: I mean, usually it’s embarrassing to sing in front of someone at a distance of a table between you. But I had this gut feeling that if she could perform even under such circumstances, the project would definitely work out. It was such an electrifying moment.

YURIYAN: He asked me, “What kind of vibes do you like in a song?” I often think songs that have catchy intros are cool, so I told him, “I like songs that start off in a unique way.” And when I told him that I often put my thoughts and feelings into my comedy routines, he said… was it a scribble? A scrawl?

“Itemize them,” maybe?

YURIYAN: Yes! “An itemized list is fine, so write your thoughts down.”

Did you have an idea of what you wanted it to sound like?

yonkey: I was invited to go see YURIYAN’s comedy show once, and one of her segments had a kind of horror story feel to it. I wanted to add some scary sounds reminiscent of Japan and Japanese children’s songs. I thought I could reproduce that horror-tinged flavor that YURIYAN had written into her comedy routine by using delay on crows cawing in the intro to evoke the image of dusk.

YURIYAN: I heard from yonkey that he added that Japanese flavor to the track to suggest I was going global from Japan. You know what, though, a fortune teller once told me long ago that my guardian spirit is a crow. A yatagarasu, the three-legged crow used as the symbol of the Japanese national soccer team, is apparently watching over me. Also, my hometown is NYC… Oh, Nara Yoshino-cho, I mean. I thought maybe my guardian yatagarasu possessed yonkey and made him add those caws.

How did you two work out the lyrics?

yonkey: I only knew YURIYAN from what I’d seen in the media, so I wanted to know what she usually thinks about. She wrote about her love life and about the pent-up resentment she feels from daily life in the notebook she used to list her ideas, so I took her words and designed them into music. YURIYAN inspired the basic ideas and words of the lyrics, while I did the designing to make them sound pleasing.

YURIYAN: I sent him the list I jotted down, and he wrote lyrics about the core part of me that I hadn’t even realized I had, and it made me really happy. It was also catchy and cute on top of that, so I was impressed.

Could you elaborate on that “core part” that you didn’t realize you had?

YURIYAN: At first I wrote about feeling disappointed because my love life wasn’t working out, but when you read yonkey’s lyrics, you can see that it’s not just limited to romantic relationships. It’s about not catering to anyone and being like, I’m fine the way I am, you know? It’s basically about finding value in who you are and saying, “I’m OK with this!”

yonkey: But she also has sensitive and vulnerable sides to her, and I was really impressed by the way she’s like, “I’m the best” even though she has such traits. In the first verse, YURIYAN intentionally says she feels faint-hearted sometimes, but follows up immediately, “No I don’t, dumbass!” and flexes her strong self. I wanted to express that duality in the song.

There are plenty of other key words pulled from your list in the lyrics.

YURIYAN: Stuff about my comedy routines and personal life. And about playing the role of (professional wrestler) Dump Matsumoto in Netflix’s The Queen of Villains, and about my fitness coach Tomo Okabe, who I’ve been training with for a long time.

yonkey: All the parts that show her daily life I took from her notes. In hip-hop, it’s sometimes hard to get a message across when the lyrics only cover universal topics. I think it’s best to honestly express that person’s lifestyle, so I was confident that it would work out if she told me about such things.

And now YURIYAN has made her debut as a solo artist with the song.

yonkey: I always had the idea of making it an introduction to YURIYAN since this is her debut number. And since she’s based in the U.S., I was meticulous about the track, aiming to make music that could be included in Spotify playlists all over the world. I also wanted to make sure to include Japanese identity in the music, so I asked her to sing the song in Japanese.

I produce ATARASHII GAKKO! and I’m particular about using the Japanese language with them as well. You know how Japanese people have a hard time pronouncing English? I’ve been told by producers from other countries that they find our pronunciation to be distinctive, and I think that’s something we can use as a weapon. Translation features are available everywhere nowadays and we can understand what people are saying, so I figured Japanese was the only language that could draw out YURIYAN’s uniqueness even more. That’s another thing I focused on when I wrote this song.

YURIYAN: I talk about this as if it were normal, like, “Yeah I got to make my debut,” but I’m actually like, “Can this really be happening?” and still find it hard to believe. I really want to do what I can to make it a hit. I started TikTok a few days ago in a hurry because I want “YURIYAN TIME” to create a buzz. [Laughs] It’s a song that introduces me, and I want people to get to know me, but I think it’s also a song that will boost the energy of anyone who listens to it. So I hope people will enjoy it by replacing it with their own names, like “AKIKO TIME” or whatever. I want people from all over the world to listen to it, grown-ups and kids alike.

This interview by Atsuo Nagahori first appeared on Billboard Japan.

Fans of Demi Lovato‘s pop music can officially come out of mourning. According to a report from Rolling Stone published Monday (July 21), the singer is set to resurrect her mainstream influences on a dance-heavy new album, despite committing to a punk-rock pivot over the past few years.

Though many details of the LP are still under wraps, the publication confirmed that Lovato has been hard at work on a “celebratory dance-pop album” with executive producer Zhone, who says that the former Disney star is a “master in the studio.” “It’s been so inspiring working with Demi and experiencing her journey of continued leveling up,” he told RS.

“This album is about letting inhibitions go, and we had so much fun making this music!” Zhone added. “It really comes across throughout.”

Led by an EDM-tinged single titled “Fast” — which Lovato has been teasing via video snippets on social media — the upcoming full-length is expected to mark a return to the form of the Camp Rock alum’s past pop-focused Billboard Hot 100 hits (think: 2015’s “Cool for the Summer” or 2017’s “Sorry Not Sorry”). It’ll follow 2022’s distinctly punk-rock effort Holy Fvck, which reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200.

Shortly before releasing Holy Fvck, Lovato commemorated the end of a pop-music era by posing solemnly in a photo with members of their team — including then-manager Scooter Braun — dressed all in black. “A funeral for my pop music,” Lovato wrote at the time on Instagram.

The star later doubled down on her pivot to rock music by releasing Revamped, an album of past Lovato pop hits reimagined in the edgier genre. With the new album approaching, however, Lovato recently shared a video on TikTok poking fun at their past departure from the mainstream, writing, “my pop music coming back to life after we held a funeral for it.”

One major change in Lovato’s personal life that has informed her musical homecoming is the vocalist’s marriage to producer Jordan “Jutes” Lutes,” according to RS. The pair tied the knot this past May.

“Over the past few years, Demi has found love, joy, and newfound confidence, making the choice to approach life with much more lightness and fun,” one unnamed source reportedly told the publication. “She took this sentiment into the studio, which can be felt in every track on this celebratory dance-pop album.”

Though Lovato always had an edgier sound than many of their fellow Disney Channel-bred pop stars, the performer shined in the pop-music landscape before transitioning away to rock. From 2008’s debut LP Don’t Forget to 2021’s Dancing With the Devil, all seven of Lovato’s studio albums leading up to Holy Fvck charted in the top 5 of the Billboard 200.

Lovato has also scored a number of Hot 100 hits over the course of her pop career, including top 10 entries “Heart Attack” and “Skyscraper.”

OneRepublic will release “Beautiful Colors,” the theme song for Season 2 of the anime Kaiju No. 8, on Friday (July 25). Following the upbeat “Nobody” and the cool, mature “Invincible,” the latest track for the series is a soaring ballad that reintroduces the band’s emotional side.

In this interview with Billboard Japan, Ryan Tedder, the band’s frontman, songwriter and producer, talks about the different approaches taken with each song, as well as the unique challenges of writing music for anime. 

I want to go back a little and ask about how your collaboration with Kaiju No. 8 began. What drew you to the collaboration between OneRepublic and the anime project?

It first came to our attention, I think it was 2022—maybe 2023. We were approached by Universal Music Japan Group, our label in Japan. They said, “Hey, are any of you guys fans of manga or anime?” And we said, “Yes, we are, in fact.” 

I grew up doing cartoons and drawing. I used to think I was going to be a cartoonist. Back in the ’90s, anime was exploding, and the coolest stuff you could draw was Japanese anime. A couple of the guys in the band read manga and they absolutely love Kaiju No. 8. So they already knew what it was. Then UMJ said, “the team behind Kaiju No. 8 would like to come to your concert in Tokyo and talk to you afterward about potentially writing a song for the series.” I’ve written a lot of songs for TV and film—that’s how I started before OneRepublic—so for me, the answer was easy. I wanted to do it from the beginning. And when they flew out to Los Angeles and showed me the animation, we were hooked and said, “Yes, let’s do it.” 

We submitted several songs until they picked one because we were competing with other artists in Japan and internationally. Everyone wanted to be a part of it. But we got very lucky, and they chose “Nobody” for Season 1. That’s how the whole thing started.

You mentioned that you saw storyboards and early footage before you started writing “Nobody.” Were there any specific visuals or moments that helped shape the song’s tone?

For me, it really started with those early images of Kafka and understanding his story—the idea that he accidentally becomes a kaiju by ingesting a parasite. I thought that concept was absolutely brilliant. His story, and the overall goal of eliminating the kaiju while honoring his best friend and keeping that promise intact—that was the inspiration for the phrase: “Nobody got you the way I do. Whatever demons you’re fighting through.”

It was kind of perfect because, in English, the word demons is used in songs quite a bit. In America, we use demons metaphorically, like running from the demons of your past or your childhood. And then we also have literal, supernatural demons that people talk about in religion, right? So it was kind of perfect because that’s what kaiju meant in this context.

Rarely can I pull a literal phrase from a TV series or film into a song without it sounding cheesy. When you’re writing for TV or film, it’s really easy to cross that line. For example, with our Top Gun: Maverick song “I Ain’t Worried,” we never once mention airplanes, jets, fighter pilots or Tom Cruise (laughs). But for “Nobody” and Kaiju No. 8, I was able to actually include the phrase, “whatever demons you’re fighting through.” It was so perfect for the story that I kind of laughed when I wrote the lyric. I was like, “Oh wow, this is hilarious, it works perfectly.” So that was really the main motivation: Kafka’s storyline.

Having written for films and TV before, did working on “Nobody” challenge or inspire you creatively in a new way? Because, as you mentioned, you need to align more with the anime’s themes.

Yeah, it was a challenge. I’ve been to Japan more times than I can count and it’s one of my favorite countries. My left arm is pretty much all Japanese tattoos. Japan is very near and dear to me, and I work with a lot of Japanese artists. I’ve even helped develop some Japanese artists over the last couple of years. There’s enough of a cultural difference between the U.S. and Japan and those cultural differences are very layered and deep. There’s a lot both countries understand and love about each other, but so many things are also completely different.

When I looked at the Japanese music charts, I realized that, as an American artist, there’s no territory in the world more difficult to break into than Japan. It’s the toughest market in the world. Japan is literally an island, and you generate so much good music and so many incredible artists yourselves, who sing in Japanese. Unless you’re K-pop, it’s very difficult to cut through.

Obviously, kaiju and demons and monsters are dark. So I was nervous when I first sent the song. Even for me, “Nobody” is a very feel-good, poppy song. I was afraid it was too catchy, which is a dumb thing to be afraid of. They told me, “We need a song that’s light that feels good and catchy. Because everything else is dark.”

But I was listening to other Japanese music, and I was like, “Oh man, I really hope the Japanese audience that love anime, manga and kaiju likes this song.” I was so scared they weren’t going to like it. So I really just had to trust the Kaiju No. 8 creative team when they kept saying, “This is the right sound. This is it.” Because I was like, “Guys, I can do five more songs to get this right.” But they were like, “‘Nobody’ is the song.”

Moving on to “Invincible,” the ending theme song for ‘Hoshina’s Day Off.’ It’s a poppy and fun track, but also has a powerful message about resilience and inner strength. What inspired the message of the song?

We worked on that song off and on. We had the beginnings of it, a melody a long time ago. I couldn’t get the lyric right because the word ‘invincible‘ scared me because it felt too obvious. I kept telling the guys in my band, “I love this melody, but the phrase we have is invincible, and it doesn’t feel strong enough yet.” All I had was that one word and this little melody. I didn’t know what to do with it.

Then they presented the film idea to me and the second I saw what they were working on, I said to the other band members, “’Invincible’ is the song.” I knew what to do with that word. 

I wanted it to feel a little cooler and a little more grown-up than “Nobody.” “Nobody” just feels good, no matter what age you are. But I wanted “Invincible” to feel a little older, a little more grown-up, and have a bit more swagger.

The lyrics were inspired by the film itself. And that’s more or less what you are, without being too on the nose. But if you’re a kaiju, you feel like you’re invincible. And for the most part, they are, with the exception of a handful of other entities that can destroy them. So you’re dealing with a character that is, in and of itself, pretty much invincible. 

How did the anime’s story influence the direction of the new song you wrote for Kaiju No. 8, “Beautiful Colors”?

One thing the Kaiju No. 8 team told me was, “We want something deeply emotional.” We already had “Nobody,” which was upbeat and did really well. Then came “Invincible,” which also had tempo but leaned edgier and more mature. Now, they felt it was time for something that gives people goosebumps, even brings them to tears. They wanted to evoke real emotion, because some powerful things happen in the story that needed musical support. That’s where this kind of lyrical ballad came in. 

The main characters go through a lot. If you read the lyrics to “Beautiful Colors,” it will probably give you a strong hint at what’s happening in the storyline. It was meant to be a complete emotional pivot from “Nobody.”

It was exciting for me because we haven’t done a ballad in a long time. But in the coming year, we want to release more songs with that kind of emotional depth. We love making people feel good. We’re like the dopamine band, you know? Crack open a Red Bull, have a few drinks, and just having fun. I love that identity and being the artist whose concert leaves you floating on a cloud.

But I also know it’s time to reintroduce that emotional side, because that’s how we started with “Apologize,” which is a heart-wrenching ballad. “Beautiful Colors” is part of our return to that space.

Are there any musical or production elements in “Beautiful Colors” that you’re especially proud of?

We used strings and orchestral elements, which we haven’t used in a while, and there’s a piano part that kicks off the song. I hate to say this, but it’s one of the most OneRepublic sounding things we’ve done in a long time. It sounds like how we started. You hear that piano line and think, “Oh, that sounds like the guy who did ‘Apologize,’” and that was 18 years ago. So in a way, it’s come full circle. If you liked “Apologize” or if you’ve been with us since 2007 or 2008, this song is for you. It’s the closest thing we’ve done to something like that.

That’s the best way I can describe the production is it sounds like original OneRepublic, but in 2025. We’re not trying to sound dated. You have to constantly be evolving and paying attention to what works. That’s my job as a producer whether I’m working with OneRepublic, &TEAM, or ONE OR EIGHT. The songs have to be great and timeless, but the production is more of a moving target. You’re constantly trying to stay aware of where the world is sonically and that’s a very challenging game, but that’s something that I do every day.

Like you mentioned, you work with artists from different countries including Japan. You also recently worked with a Punjabi artist. Is your approach to production different across cultures?

Definitely, though there are exceptions. I’ve worked a lot with K-pop artists, like LISA and BLACKPINK, who I produced their last single and I also worked on the second single on JIMIN’s album. K-pop is really its own category, sonically. It has a distinct sound, although that’s changing now.

I have a track on Miley Cyrus’ new album called “Easy Lover.” The production sounds like Nancy Sinatra in 2025 and has a little western influence, a touch of country, and that 1970s vibe. I also have a song dropping with Tate McRae that reminds me of back when I first fell in love with Rihanna. It’s completely different in energy and sound from the Miley track.

Then there’s OneRepublic’s “Beautiful Colors” and “Invincible,” which sound nothing alike, and nothing like Miley or Tate. And I’ve got some dance records coming soon with David Guetta and other big DJs, again, which are totally different.

So every song is its own thing. Each one has to be approached differently. You ask, “What does the artist represent? What do they want?” My job is to take that vision and combine it with what I know the world likes or what I think it’s going to like six months from now. I have to predict what’s next. But at the end of the day, I’m making what I personally like. 

When you have a big hit or a global record, it’s usually when your instincts on what you want to hear line up with what the rest of the world didn’t even realize they wanted. If you’re lucky, you get to do that once or twice. And if you’re really lucky like I’ve been, you get to do it for 20 years.

The only way to keep that going is to stay curious and excited about culture and pop culture. That’s why I travel so much. Just two weeks ago, I was in Istanbul, Zurich, Azerbaijan, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, and Mexico, all within 10 days. When you’re in a tuk-tuk in Bangkok and you’re driving through like Sukhumvit or some of the major parts of the city, you’re going to hear music in the streets, in a taxicab and I paid attention to all those songs. 

When I’m in Tokyo, I listen to the radio. I notice what’s playing in shops and cafés in places like Omotesando or Nakameguro. That’s my job. That’s the only way I think that you can stay plugged in and to really understand what each culture is resonating with and listening to. And that’s the only way I know how to do it. Otherwise, I’m just guessing the whole time, which is dangerous.

This interview by Mariko Okada first appeared on Billboard Japan.

Mariah Carey is about to announce MC16, her long-awaited new album.

Just a day after previewing a new song called “Sugar Sweet,” the “Type Dangerous” singer dropped another teaser — this time for her upcoming, as-yet-untitled LP that will be the follow-up to 2018’s Caution.

Carey released a video celebrating her discography on Sunday (July 20) via her social media accounts, counting up from MC1 — her self-titled debut — through MC15, aka Caution. At the very end of the 37-second clip, the text “MC16” appears. Her post on X featuring the clip shows the title “MC16 – Announcement Tomorrow,” indicating that album details will be revealed Monday (July 21).

Though details are currently scarce — though fans will hopefully have more information to obsess over on Monday — last month the pop star did confirm that her new album is complete.

“What is next? The album coming out. I don’t wanna tell too much about it because I just don’t want to reveal the whole thing. It’s finished,” she revealed in an Apple Music interview in June.

Carey released “Type Dangerous” in June and has another single, “Sugar Sweet” — in which she sings, “Imma keep it nice, Imma keep it neat, Imma keep it sugar, Imma keep it sweet” — to come. She uploaded a sneak peak of the light pop track playing in a cute clip of herself baking something in the kitchen on Saturday.

“Type Dangerous” was recently hyped with a remix EP release featuring collabs with the likes of Big Sean, DJ Snake and Method Man.

See the MC16 album announcement teaser below.

BTS‘ Permission to Dance On Stage tops this week’s new music poll.

In a poll published Friday (June 18) on Billboard, music fans chose the K-pop phenomenon’s first-ever live album as their favorite new release of the past week.

Permission to Dance On Stage brought in 94% of the vote, beating out new releases from artists like Alex Warren (You’ll Be Alright, Kid), Nine Inch Nails (“As Alive As You Need Me to Be”), Zach Bryan featuring Gabriella Rose (“Madeline”), and Jessie Murph (Sex Hysteria).

BTS’ 22-track live set features performances of various hits from their 2021–2022 Permission to Dance On Stage tour, including Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers “Dynamite,” “Butter” and “Life Goes On.”

The seven-member band also released a digital package titled Permission to Dance On Stage – Seoul, featuring footage and behind-the-scenes photos of RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook performing at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium in March 2022.

The live album arrives as the Bangtan Boys prepare to officially reunite in 2026, with all seven members having completed their mandatory service in the South Korean military. The septet made the big announcement during a Weverse livestream in early July.

“Starting in July, all seven of us will begin working closely together on new music,” BTS said in a statement at the time. “Since it will be a group album, it will reflect each member’s thoughts and ideas. We’re approaching the album with the same mindset we had when we first started.”

The group added, “We’re also planning a world tour alongside the new album. We’ll be visiting fans all around the world, so we hope you’re as excited as we are.”

The “other” category took second place in the poll with 2.1% of the vote, while Warren’s new album, You’ll Be Alright, Kid, closely followed in third with 2%.

Check out the full results of this week’s poll below and visit Billboard’s Friday Music Guide for more must-hear releases.