00:00 - Mizzle fights back in the harassment lawsuit against her.
00:02 Becky G drops by our studio for a chat.
00:05 We explain the rise of regional Mexican music.
00:07 Billboard takes you to the hottest shows
00:09 in LA, New York, and Paris.
00:11 And we've got bops from some of your favorite artists.
00:14 - Welcome to Billboard News for Friday, September 29th.
00:20 I'm Tetris, and kicking off our episode today
00:22 is our Friday Music Guide.
00:25 ♪ Take you to a better place, yoo-hoo ♪
00:28 - We said, "I want you back," and they delivered.
00:31 Instinct dropped their first new music in over 20 years,
00:34 and it's called "Better Place"
00:35 from the new movie "Trolls Band Together."
00:38 New Jay-Z ad-libs?
00:39 I can't.
00:41 ♪ I'm gonna make you kiss the sky tonight ♪
00:45 - We'll have more new music throughout the show,
00:47 but let's get to some news.
00:49 Lizzo is asking the judge
00:50 to toss out the harassment lawsuit
00:52 brought against her by her former dancers.
00:55 ♪ Truth hurts me, that's something I'm always fighting ♪
00:58 ♪ Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum ♪
01:01 - Lizzo is requesting the court dismiss her case,
01:03 and if the court declines to dismiss it,
01:05 the singer is requesting a jury trial.
01:07 A new document filed this week by Lizzo's lawyers
01:09 lays out more than 30 defenses
01:11 to dancers' complaints of sexual harassment
01:13 in a hostile work environment.
01:15 A spokesperson for Lizzo said in a statement,
01:18 "This is the first step of a legal process
01:20 "in which Lizzo and her team will demonstrate
01:22 "that they have always practiced what they preach,
01:24 "whether it comes to promoting body positivity,
01:27 "leading a safe and supportive workplace,
01:29 "or protecting individuals from any kind of harassment.
01:32 "Any and all claims to the contrary are ridiculous,
01:35 "and we look forward to proving so in a court of law."
01:38 In response to the new filing,
01:39 the dancers' attorney released
01:40 the following statement in part.
01:42 "Lizzo's answer merely consists of boilerplate objections
01:45 "that have nothing to do with the case.
01:47 "That said, the key takeaway is that Lizzo is agreeing
01:49 "to our client's demand for a jury trial.
01:52 "We look forward to presenting our case in court."
01:55 From one boy band to one of our faves from another,
02:00 Jungkook keeps delivering collaborations
02:02 for his solo efforts.
02:03 And from Lotto to now Jack Harlow,
02:05 BTS' youngest member is carving his lane.
02:09 ♪ And if you're like ♪
02:09 ♪ I wanna see it ♪
02:11 ♪ In motion, in three ♪
02:13 - I love my girl Becky G from Inglewood.
02:16 She came through and was the sweetest as always.
02:18 Check it out.
02:19 - I feel like that essence of me being Chicana,
02:22 born and raised in Inglewood,
02:23 and obviously being very proud of being my Mexican roots,
02:27 I think it's always been there.
02:29 Two years ago when I lost my papi,
02:32 my abuelito Miguel, que descansa en paz,
02:34 he was kind of the catalyst as to why I decided
02:37 it was time to do the project,
02:38 'cause it was a dream of mine.
02:39 I definitely feel like it's a part of my soul
02:42 when I sing musica regional.
02:44 I think I've always felt like I'm not
02:47 this side of the streets that raised me
02:48 or this side of the streets.
02:49 I am literally la esquina.
02:51 I'm at la esquina where those cross streets are
02:54 of like I always say, those two languages,
02:56 those two flags, the two cultures.
02:58 It's a very intentional body of work
03:00 from all the visuals and all the song selections
03:03 and all of the collaborators.
03:06 Edgar Barrera is like family to me
03:08 and he really helped kind of create a sound
03:10 that I think represents me in this space.
03:12 And so it's been a lot of hard work,
03:16 but I feel like you can really hear me
03:18 and see me in this album.
03:21 I worked with Peso y estuvimos en el estudio.
03:23 Like we didn't really have intentions.
03:25 It was just to introduce to each other,
03:27 what are you working on?
03:28 This is some of the music I've been working on.
03:30 And you know, somebody with Edgar whips out a guitar
03:33 and next thing you know, we wrote the song
03:34 in like 45 minutes.
03:35 Así de la nada.
03:36 It was, you know, instant chemistry between Peso and I
03:40 and same with like, it was really sweet.
03:42 One of my favorite memories is working with Ivan Cornejo
03:44 on our song for the album.
03:46 He almost canceled the studio session
03:48 'cause le tocó nervios and he's like,
03:50 "No, it's just I feel really a little bit of pressure.
03:53 "I wanna do a really good job.
03:54 "You know, I'm gonna be going on my first tour
03:55 "and I just don't wanna let you down."
03:57 And I was like, "Bro, you can literally come
03:58 "and we can eat in and out and just like hang.
04:01 "Like we don't have to write anything.
04:02 "We don't have to do anything.
04:03 "Like let's just vibe."
04:04 And then one thing leads to another
04:05 and you start creating these beautiful friendships, you know?
04:08 - The full interview is on Billboard.com.
04:11 Looking for some harmony?
04:12 Ally Brooke is delivering new pop gold titled "Gone to Bed."
04:16 ♪ Shoulda left you in my head ♪
04:18 ♪ Yeah, I really shoulda gone to bed ♪
04:22 - Billboard staff stays busy.
04:24 Like me, I just landed from Paris last night
04:26 and I saw Usher.
04:28 Let's take you to some hot music events from this week.
04:31 - Rock legends and Mexican superstars
04:33 to hip hop chart toppers
04:35 and even a Super Bowl preview in Paris.
04:38 Billboard All Access is going global.
04:40 Juez de Veguida brought the house down
04:43 at the Prudential Center in New Jersey last Friday.
04:46 (singing in foreign language)
04:50 Performing for a packed audience
04:52 with their regional Mexican flair and high energy hits.
04:55 They had to pause the show for a little crowd control.
04:58 - Hey, I'ma get the (beep) out of here.
05:00 You guys keep on fighting, man.
05:01 - But got back to the fun in no time.
05:03 (singing in foreign language)
05:07 The week prior, Becky G celebrated
05:09 Mexican Independence Day performing in New York City.
05:12 Even getting a little emotional thanks to the crowd's love.
05:16 - So now I'm crying.
05:17 Oh my God, I see you guys crying here.
05:19 (crowd cheering)
05:21 - But she didn't let that stop her from turning up
05:24 only in the way that Becky G can.
05:26 - Come on!
05:28 (singing in foreign language)
05:30 - New York was the place to be for dance music too.
05:33 (singing in foreign language)
05:37 Purple Disco Machine turned out the Brooklyn Mirage
05:39 with their banging beats.
05:41 (singing in foreign language)
05:46 Bob Dylan made a surprise performance
05:48 at Willie Nelson's Farm Aid Festival in Indiana,
05:51 taking the stage without introduction 38 years
05:54 after coming up with the idea for the festival at Live Aid.
05:57 Here in Los Angeles, Gunna lit up the stage
06:00 for a sold out show at the YouTube Theater.
06:03 (singing in foreign language)
06:07 Rapping in the air over a packed crowd.
06:11 Finally, Billboard headed to the City of Love
06:13 to get a little taste of what's to come at the Super Bowl.
06:17 (upbeat music)
06:20 Usher's show had everything.
06:23 Strippers, roller skates,
06:26 and of course his signature dance moves.
06:29 (upbeat music)
06:32 But the real Parisian treat was Usher's voice.
06:38 (singing in foreign language)
06:42 (audience applauding)
06:44 Ed Sheeran has time to tour and drop new music.
06:47 Cue album, Autumn Variations.
06:50 ♪ My English girl in an American town ♪
06:53 ♪ Overlevated to the fifth floor ♪
06:54 ♪ I'll bring in the bars and then you'll be back down ♪
06:57 Peso Pluma is the best,
06:59 and we have an Explains episode breaking down his success
07:02 with regional Mexican music.
07:04 Is Peso Pluma Mexican music's next global superstar?
07:07 The Latin genre has been growing in popularity
07:09 over the years, and Peso is at the center of the explosion.
07:12 This is Billboard Explains,
07:14 Peso Pluma and the Mexican music boom.
07:16 Peso had a breakout year in 2023
07:19 and has reached milestone after milestone ever since.
07:22 But what is it about Peso and other young artists
07:25 that has captured everyone's attention?
07:27 One answer, this new generation is honoring the music
07:30 of their parents and grandparents
07:31 by putting their own spin on the traditional sound.
07:34 Artists are also collaborating
07:36 with non-regional Mexican artists to widen their appeal.
07:39 Artists are seeing a huge increase in streams.
07:41 In the last year, Peso Pluma's average daily listeners
07:44 increased on Spotify by over 4,000%,
07:47 and his average daily streams increased by almost 11,000%.
07:51 It's clear that Mexican music is taking over,
07:54 and it shows no signs of slowing down.
07:56 We can't wait to see where Peso
07:57 and the new generation of artists take us next.
08:00 The full episode is on Billboard.com.
08:04 And whoop, there it is, that's Friday's show.
08:06 We leave you with one more Friday Music Guide entry.
08:09 Lovable girl group XG has delivered many addicting songs,
08:13 but now we have their full debut mini album, New DNA.
08:17 ♪ Welcome to the birthday show ♪
08:19 ♪ Where we're playing with the ghosts and ghosts ♪
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