Category: Music

Monica isn’t a fan of sleepovers.

Instagram entertainment account TheNeighborHoodTalk reposted a video of a single father expressing frustration with not being able to throw his daughter a slumber party because some of the other mothers weren’t comfortable having a male host.

“When I found out why I couldn’t throw my daughter a slumber party I got very sad and depressed,” TikTok user markdjangocrazy‘s caption read. However, during his explanation he revealed that he was once taken advantage of by an older woman that he trusted when he was younger and still couldn’t understand why some parents would be apprehensive in letting their daughters stay over at his house.

Of course, a bunch of discourse went down in the comments, and Monica’s opinion was one that stood out. “We don’t do sleepovers,” the R&B singer wrote before suggesting that maybe he should’ve considered asking some of the moms to be chaperones. “My mother didn’t, I don’t either and that applied to my sons & daughter! In his case inviting some moms to be there overnight to chaperone may work but that would be a no for me as well.”

Many of the replies agreed with her, with the comments suggesting he shouldn’t take it personally, it’s just the times we’re living in.

In other Monica news, she and Brandy just kicked off their “The Boy Is Mine” Tour and hit a bit of a snag this past Saturday when Brandy abruptly left the stage at Chicago’s United Center after feeling out of sorts. “To my dear fans in Chicago,” she wrote. “Thank you all for the overwhelming love, support, and—most importantly—your prayers. I sincerely apologize for the abrupt end to last night’s performance in Chicago. After weeks of nonstop rehearsals, last night I experienced dehydration and feelings of wanting to faint. Everyone involved agreed that prioritizing my well-being was of the utmost importance.”

Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 is bringing the biggest Latin music stars to Miami for a weeklong conference, including Ozuna, Tokischa, Yailin, Aitana, Pablo Alborán, Yami Safdie, De La Ghetto, Silvestre Dangond and many more. The artists – who spoke at panels and/or performed at showcases – also posed for Billboard’s photo booth.

Puerto Rican hitmaker Ozuna spoke at the Afrobeats panel alongside Goyo, Kapo, Humby and Venesti who talked about fusing their signature sound with Afrobeat. “I didn’t know much about the rhythm, but I was interested in learning, I was into reggaetón, and this rhythm opened doors for me,” Ozuna said.

Meanwhile, Tokischa sat down with Ivy Queen for a one-on-one conversation about feminism, sexuality and music. Toki also spoke about her upcoming album. “I finished my album mid-year. I worked on a super intimate project, spending seven months in the studio all day,” she said. “[On the album] I’m talking about my story — beyond being Tokischa la perra, la bellaca, I’m raw and honest, in terms of all the traumas I’ve overcome, from my years as an addict. I had an unstable moment because I had to uncover all those traumas and record. In my career, I’ve had to start over from scratch twice.”

Artists including Daddy Yankee, Laura Pausini and Kali Uchis took centerstage for Superstar Q&As. Other returning panels included Making the Hit Live!, this year featuring Pablo Alborán and Julio Reyes Copello, and the Women’s Panel with artists Aitana, Silvana Estrada, Yailin, Ela Taubert and Yami Safdie.

Latin Music Week also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.

See some of the best photo booth gems captured backstage throughout Latin Music Week.

Joe Budden added another chapter to his feud with Drake earlier this month, when he called the 6 God a “bi—” after a federal judge tossed his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group.

“The Drake news broke about the lawsuit,” Budden said during a recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast. “To me, it’s not that important. I was never one that believed that was going to go a different way.”

Budden then interrupted Marc Lamont Hill’s review of the lawsuit to give a summed-up version of how he viewed the proceedings.

“For the people that missed it, yesterday evening, somewhere around 6 or 7 o’clock, it was finally confirmed,” he said. “The news broke that Drake’s a bi—.”

The rapper-turned-podcaster continued: “The same sh– that I told y’all 11 months ago rang true yesterday at around 6 o’clock. Some tweet was going around that said Drake lost the n—a way and the white way. That was a good one. And people just started having fun with this.”

Essentially, a federal judge didn’t believe Kendrick Lamar was truly labeling Drake as a pedophile in diss tracks like “Not Like Us.” The judge looked at the heated back-and-forth as a “war of words” and said some of the subsequent lawsuit tied to the battle was “logically incoherent.”

Budden also trolled Drake with a post to his IG Story following the lawsuit ruling, as he posted a photo of Drake looking a bit fatigued.

Even back in February, Drake had some fun at Budden’s expense when posting a video of him getting out of a car on his PlotTwist burner Instagram account.

Budden fired back, calling Drizzy a “corpse.” “Drake, don’t shoot at me now that you’re ice cold,” he replied. “I’m not doing the back and forth with a corpse… Don’t go get shot all year and then pop up like Bernie in Weekend at Bernie’s wanting to shoot at me now.”

Watch the clip below.

The Recording Academy’s immersive pop-up experience, Grammy House, will expand globally in 2026 with the launch of Grammy House Giza in Egypt. Previous Grammy House activations have occurred in Los Angeles and New York. 

Grammy House Giza will unite artists, producers, songwriters and industry leaders from around the world for several days of programming in October 2026. The event will feature live performances, cultural exchanges, educational panels and collaborative sessions.

“It is a thrill to expand the Grammy House experience globally, and to see it come to life at one of the world’s most iconic locations,” Harvey Mason jr, CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “Grammy House Giza represents the spirit of the Recording Academy’s vision to amplify music people worldwide and create meaningful gathering places for our entire music community. Next year’s event will be a beacon of collaboration, discovery and inspiration, and will continue to connect us to the creators, innovators, and fans who are shifting and shaping culture.” 

The announcement was made on Wednesday (Oct. 22) during a celebration at the Great Pyramids of Giza that honored Egypt’s musical heritage with performances by composer Omar Khairat and regional pop star Carole Samaha. In attendance were leaders from the Grammy organization, Taitan Capital Japan and Global Entertainment Holdings, the Academy’s official partner for staging Grammy House Giza in 2026. During the event, the Grammy House logo was displayed with the Great Pyramid in the background.

Grammy House Giza is part of the Recording Academy’s global expansion initiative, first announced in 2024. In the coming years, additional Grammy Houses will launch in key international regions, serving as gathering places for creators to collaborate, learn and celebrate the shared power of music.

Rising global stars of Latin music like Aitana (Spain), Silvana Estrada (Mexico), Yami Safdie (Argentina), Ela Taubert (Colombia) and Yailin (Dominican Republic) gathered Tuesday (Oct. 21) to discuss the challenges of achieving gender equity in the music industry during the second day of activities at Billboard Latin Music Week 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida.

During the “Women’s Panel: Global Rise,” moderated by Billboard Español editor Sigal Ratner-Arias, the artists also talked about the biggest challenges they’ve faced as women in the music industry, the role of social media in their lives and careers, how they’ve found their unique sound, and the importance of mental health.

The conversation showcased a wide range of opinions, styles, cultures, creative processes and challenges faced by these female stars in the Latin music industry, who share similarities in age (all in their 20s), a solid career path in music, and clear global growth. Some of them have won Latin Grammy Awards and sold out stadiums in their home countries

“When we come together, we are stronger,” Estrada, who won the Latin Grammy for best new artist in 2022, said as she spoke about the challenge of achieving gender equity in an industry that has historically been predominantly male-led and highly competitive.

Yami Safdie, who started out years ago as a popular content creator in Argentina, stated that the standards for men and women in the music industry are different. From her experience, she said, “Women are constantly being pitted against one another.”

“I didn’t know how to dance, and in this industry, they teach you that pop singers must know how to dance well, but men aren’t expected to dance well,” added Spanish star Aitana. “I thought, I’m not a good pop artist if I can’t put on a show.”

Silvana Estrada shared that many people told her she wouldn’t be able to achieve her dreams, but her strong belief in herself helped her turn her aspirations in music into a reality. She added that she has received great support from colleagues and friends like fellow Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade. “The rivalry [imposed by society on women] is designed to weaken us, to isolate us, when in reality, when we come together, we are stronger,” she expressed.

Colombian artist Ela Taubert admitted that winning the Latin Grammy for best new artist in 2024 left her feeling insecure about what would come next and whether she would be able to meet expectations. “I’m afraid of disappointing people. The pressure is there,” she said. “But then came the advice from my mom… The key is to enjoy the process.”

Yailin, who was a bit more reserved than her peers on the panel, spoke about the importance of mental health and recalled being a victim of online hate due to her high-profile relationships with urban music artists. “I faced hate I didn’t deserve,” she said, “but my way of dealing with it was by delivering joyful music to my audience.”

With over 30 years of history, Latin Music Week is the largest and most important gathering of Latin artists and music industry executives worldwide. The event also coincides with the Billboard Latin Music Awards 2025, which will air on Thursday (Oct. 23) on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as the Artist of the 21st Century.

Reggaeton icon Ivy Queen and icon in the making Tokischa joined forces at 2025 Billboard Latin Music Week on Wednesday (Oct. 22) for a candid conversation about feminism, sexuality and music — also marking the first time the Dominican breakout star and Puerto Rican icon met.

“I’ve seen a lot of perceptions of who you are, how you present yourself. What do you feel when people put a label on you without knowing you?” Ivy Queen asked Tokischa.

“I recently went to the dermatologist who says she’s religious,” Tokischa said. “She started talking to me about God and told me that I had a very big name, Altagracia [her middle name]. I understand what it means. It’s the name of the virgin, a message from God. People don’t expect me to be a person who believes in God, who prays, who gives thanks, who asks for forgiveness. I’m a firm believer in God, and I know what that name entails.” 

Amid the conversation — during which they bonded over breaking stereotypes in the music industry, having things in common like being Pisces, and talked about relationships — Tokischa opened up about the ultra-personal album she’s working on. 

“I finished my album mid-year. I worked on a super intimate project, spending seven months in the studio all day,” she expressed. “[On the album] I’m talking about my story — beyond being Tokischa la perra, la bellacal, I’m raw and honest, in terms of all the traumas I’ve overcome, from my years as an addict. I had an unstable moment because I had to uncover all those traumas and record. In my career, I’ve had to start over from scratch twice.”

“That’s normal. It’s happened to me a lot. If it’s about being reborn, I’m a phoenix,” Ivy Queen said, sharing encouraging advice. “This business takes the best of you. You have to ride the wave while it lasts, and when the sea is rough, know how to balance yourself. I considered myself an ugly duckling in this industry, and I had to blossom. You are blossoming. You’re at a stage where you’re enjoying being human, and I want you to keep rocking it, to continue being you.”

Spanning 36 years, Latin Music Week is the single largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. This year’s event — which also features Carlos Vives, Carín León, Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen, Gloria Estefan, Kapo, Laura Pausini, Netón Vega, Ozuna, Pablo Alborán, and Xavi, among others — hosts panels, marquee conversations, roundtables, networking and activations, in addition to its celebrated Billboard En Vivo showcases. 

Latin Music Week also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.