Music

Hear tracks by Summer Walker, Nilüfer Yanya, Ed Sheeran and others.

In his music, the songwriter cut to the emotional quick. A new book of his drawings, many never seen before, reveals he did the same in thousands of pieces.

Cultic and unclassifiable — “clearly some sort of monstrous hybrid” — Bley’s “Escalator Over the Hill,” a 1971 album, is being staged at the New School.

Ms. Sobule, known for her advocacy as well as her music, died in a house fire. She had been scheduled to perform songs from an autobiographical musical she wrote.

Leading the Welsh band known for 1980s anthems like “Sixty Eight Guns,” he later became a strong voice in the fight against cancer, which he battled for decades.

The president’s budget proposal also called for getting rid of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Widely admired for his intense and precise playing, Mr. Krosnick stayed with the quartet for over 40 years, longer than either of his cellist predecessors.

The writer and director Ryan Coogler narrates a sequence from his film.

Part spoof and part serious, the film is about mythmaking as much as it is about music. The result is delightfully destabilizing.

A former N.B.A. player and the father of the All-Star Kevin Love, he was also the brother of the pop group’s Mike Love and a caretaker for its troubled leader, Brian Wilson.

Attendees at the organization’s gala, which celebrated Duke Ellington’s 125th birthday, shared what they listen to.

As she has aged, the pinniped’s rhythmic abilities have only improved.

The director Alex Ross Perry said Stephen Malkmus of Pavement told him to “avoid the legacy trap.” The result is a music documentary with made-up elements that really existed. What?

The latest in the author’s Acoustic Rooster franchise, a PBS Kids special and series aim to teach children the beauty of collaboration and improvisation.

The guitarist and singer, who turns 89 in July, discusses his role in Ryan Coogler’s musical horror drama and his promise to Muddy Waters and B.B. King.

In his company debut, the director Claus Guth takes a psychological approach, surrounding the title character with six versions of her younger self.

As Puffy, Diddy or Love, the mogul found success and trouble. After years of accusations with few consequences, he’ll stand trial next month.

The artist, 25, struck platinum with “Sailor Song.” Her debut album is a tribute to her lost sister, and an attempt to make sense of a few rudderless years.

An admirer of Nat King Cole, he began as a child performer and as part of a family trio before emerging as a master of the American songbook.

“Steve’s Lava Chicken,” a 34-second song from “A Minecraft Movie,” made the Billboard Hot 100. He charted before with a song from “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

Hit play on Sleep Token, Cortisa Star, Bon Iver and more.

The superstar’s new stage show turns reclamation, personal and musical, into joyful extravaganza.

Keith Lockhart, who leads the Boston Pops, is a beloved figure in his city’s musical scene, and 30 years in he still has more to give.

Two and a half decades since the group won the hearts of a young generation — and more than 15 years after calling it quits — the indie-rock heroes are hitting the road.

Sabrina Teitelbaum bares it all in her raw, crunchy songs. On her second album, “If You Asked for a Picture,” she’s weighing how much of herself to give away.

The renowned German director Claus Guth is staging Strauss’s breakthrough opera with a focus on themes of trauma and abuse.

The 21-year-old pianist turned the great set of variations into the story of a young man’s maturation from innocence to experience.

Unpacking the Ryan Coogler movie starring Michael B. Jordan, and its relationship to music, genre and gatekeeping.

On Broadway, the musical adaptation is a bouncy crowd pleaser about female empowerment, self-acceptance and chasing one’s dreams.

Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Bad Company and Soundgarden — but not Oasis or Phish — are also part of the 40th anniversary class.

A truly twisted yarn about a long-lived corpse makes a surprisingly feel-good Broadway musical.

With only one of its original members in the group, this ensemble is still identifiably itself, and still going strong.

Groff is sensational as the ’60s “nightclub animal” in a Broadway jukebox bio-musical that doesn’t live up to its star.

As a singer and songwriter, he pushed the boundaries of punk and art-rock, producing a half century of music, writings and performances and always upending expectations.

With his off-kilter sensibility and deep musical grounding, he brought attention to New Wave and alternative artists at the groundbreaking station KROQ.

Music Charts, News, Photos & Video

Go ahead and grab the perfect sentimental gift.

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. Instead of having tons of photos and memories stuck to your fridge, this tech-savvy magnet from Gaeshmide allows you to display up to nine photos — and it even plays the song of your choice. It’s definitely the best way to commemorate a night at a concert or a fun, affordable Mother’s Day gift. This magnet is the perfect way to display multiple photos in a way that is as cute as it is functional. At 3.86 by 3.86 inches, it is great for those that need to condense their collection of photos, and it allows you to choose how they are displayed. It also allows you to choose a song, which you can play by simply pressing a button built into the magnet itself. At $19, it would be a great way to integrate customization into a thoughtful gift, or to save display space on your fridge. Gaehsmide Custom Music Fridge Magnet $18.99 Buy Now On Amazon Since it plays music, it is conveniently rechargeable. A USBC charging cable is included, and provides the magnet with up to three hours of play time, which is the equivalent of playing a song once per day for an entire month. The sound itself is incredibly clear, especially for the compact size of the magnet. You can choose between a few different photo formats, some of which feature graphics or collages that would be ideal if you’re creating it to showcase a special date or series of memories. Most of the options are in the shape of a tile, however you can also opt for a heart-shaped option for a little extra cute-factor. The magnet is also incredibly strong, so it would be a great choice for lockers due to its durability. At only $19, it’s a great option for those hoping to truly customize a gift. Whether you’re shopping for someone special or just hoping to reorganize your photos, it’s sure to be a newfound staple in your home. Shop below. Buy Now On Amazon

Universal Music Group, Spotify, Live Nation and Deezer also posted gains following their quarterly earnings reports. 

Though economic uncertainty lingers, some music companies’ stocks got boosts following their first quarter earnings releases this week, while a better-than-expected jobs report on Friday (May 2) lifted stocks across the board. K-pop companies were among the top performers of the week. Led by HYBE’s 13.8% gain following its first quarter earnings report on Tuesday (April 29), the four South Korean companies had an average share price gain of 10.3%. JYP Entertainment rose 11.7% and SM Entertainment, which announces earnings on Wednesday (May 7), improved 9.0%. YG Entertainment gained 6.6%. Related Are Music Companies Seeing Consumer Pullback? This Week's Earnings Calls Offered an Answer 05/02/2025 The 20-company Billboard Global Music Index (BGMI) rose 3.6% to 2,690.13, its fourth consecutive weekly improvement. At 2,690.13, the BGMI has improved 19.1% since a two-week slide and stands just 2.4% below its all-time high of 2,755.53 set during the week ended Feb. 14. Music stocks slightly outperformed the Nasdaq and S&P 500, which rose 3.4% and 3.1%, respectively. Foreign markets were mostly positive but more subdued. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 rose 2.2%. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index gained 0.5%. China’s SSE Composite Index lost 0.5%. Universal Music Group (UMG) gained 4.3% to 25.86 euros ($29.23) following a quarterly earnings report showing that recorded music subscription revenue grew 11.5% and overall revenue improved 11.8%. JP Morgan analysts’ conviction on UMG “remains very high,” and the strong quarter “should help rebuild confidence and share price momentum” dented by Pershing Square’s sale of $1.5 billion in UMG shares, analysts wrote in an investor note on Tuesday. Related 2025 Q1 Earnings: Here’s What Every Music Company Made 05/01/2025 Spotify finished the week up 3.7% to $643.73 despite its shares dropping 3.4% on Tuesday after the company’s first-quarter earnings report included guidance on second-quarter subscription additions that seemed to underwhelm investors. Gross margin of 31.6% beat Spotify’s 31.5% guidance. Loop Capital raised Spotify to $550 from $435, while Barclays lowered it to $650 from $710. UBS maintained its $680 price target and “buy” rating. Guggenheim maintained its “buy” rating and $675 price target. Live Nation, which reported first quarter earnings on Thursday (May 1) and predicted a “historic” 2025, gained 2.3% on Friday and finished the week up 0.7%. A slew of analysts updated their price targets on Friday. Two were upward revisions: Jefferies (from $150 to $160) and Wolfe Research (from $158 to $160). Two were downward revisions: Rosenblatt (from $174 to $170) and JP Morgan (from $165 to $170). Nearly all streaming stocks posted gains. LiveOne was the week’s top performer, jumping 18.0% to $0.72. Chinese music streaming companies Cloud Music and Tencent Music Entertainment gained 11.6% and 7.1%, respectively. French music streamer Deezer gained 1.4% to 1.44 euros ($1.63) after the company’s first-quarter earnings on Tuesday. Abu Dhabi-based Anghami fell 3.1% to $0.62. Cumulus Media fell 33.% to $0.14. Most of the decline came on Friday as the stock ceased trading on the Nasdaq and began trading over the counter.

Also this week: apl.de.ap and more artists speak out on the Lapu Lapu Day Festival tragedy.

Billboard Canada is getting ready to spotlight some of the most vital players in the music industry: music managers. Managers to Watch — Billboard’s spotlight on the teams behind music’s biggest breakout artists — will expand to Canada for the first time at this year’s NXNE festival. Related Managers to Watch: The Rising Execs Helping Sabrina Carpenter, Shaboozey, Young Miko & More 01/13/2025 A special invite-only Managers to Watch reception will take place on June 11, directly before Billboard Canada Power Players. The event will build on Billboard Canada’s new partnership with Music Managers Forum, which is moving its Honour Roll celebration of the most legendary managers in the business to NXNE this year. Both recognitions will be given out at the Managers to Watch reception, after which all invited managers will be invited to stay and mingle with the most influential members of the industry at Billboard Canada Power Players. The event will foster community and opportunity for self-managed artists and managers, who play a critical role in the success of Canadian artists on the international stage. “We’re proud to partner with MMF Canada to spotlight the managers powering the next wave of talent,” says Mo Ghoneim, president of Billboard UK and Billboard Canada. “They’re key players behind many of the industry’s biggest breakthroughs, and we’re excited to recognize their contributions on a global stage through Billboard.” The Music Managers to Watch list will feature a hand-selected list of artists and self-managed artists making waves in the industry. It will be chosen by the editorial team at Billboard Canada. Managers can submit for consideration using this form. Find more info here. – Richard Trapunski CIMA Makes an Appeal to Prime Minister Mark Carney The votes were still being tallied in the Canadian federal election on Monday morning (April 29) when the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) sprang into action. The trade org issued a press release congratulating Mark Carney and the Liberal Party of Canada on their electoral victory while urging Carney to, in its words, “make the investment in and promotion of Canadian-owned cultural businesses a top priority.” Related In Canada: Canadian Live Music Association CEO Cites ‘Growing Uncertainty’ in Open Letter Ahead… 04/11/2025 The statement stressed that “the global cultural economy is changing rapidly, and with it come significant risks to Canada’s cultural and economic sovereignty. Recent developments — including TikTok’s decision to walk away from licensing negotiations with Merlin, a key representative of independent music worldwide; Universal Music Group’s acquisition of Downtown Music’s assets; and the legal challenge by global tech platforms, in partnership with foreign-owned multinational record companies, to avoid regulation under Bill C-11 — starkly illustrate the growing concentration of global corporate power in Canada’s cultural sector. If left unchecked, these trends threaten to erode Canadian ownership of intellectual property, diminish our global competitiveness, and compromise the future of Canadian cultural exports.” CIMA emphasizes four priorities for the most industry and suggests the government act quickly: Prioritize Canadian ownership in cultural policy and investment frameworks; Strengthen competition, trade, and copyright policies to protect Canadian IP holders; Champion independent Canadian businesses in international markets; Defend Canada’s right to regulate its cultural industries against multinational corporate resistance. CIMA concluded by noting, “We are eager to work with your government to secure a strong future for Canadian culture — Canadian culture remains Canadian-owned, Canadian-created, and world-renowned.” Read more here. – Kerry Doole Black Eyed Peas’ Apl.de.Ap and Other Lapu Lapu Day Festival Performers Speak After Van Attack in Vancouver Artists are sharing their heartbreak after a deadly attack at Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu Day festival. The attack killed 11 people, leaving dozens more injured, when an SUV drove through the block party on Saturday (April 26.) A 30-year-old man has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder. Organized by Filipino BC, the festival is a celebration of Filipino hero Datu Lapu-Lapu and an annual occasion for the Filipino-Canadian community to celebrate resilience and cultural heritage. The attack took place in the evening, following a day of performances from artists like The Black Eyed Peas‘ apl.de.ap (the Filipino-American artist also known as Allan Pineda Lindo), multi-disciplinary artist Kaya Ko and R&B singer Sade Awele. Festival performers are sharing messages and calling for support for the B.C. Filipino community following the attack. Apl.de.ap and Filipino singer J. Rey Soul had recently left the stage after finishing their headlining set when the attack took place. “It’s hard to describe the shock and heaviness we feel,” they shared in a joint statement on social media. “Please keep the victims, their families, and the organizers in your prayers.” “The one thing I have noticed, from the audience to the messages sent around, is the sense of community that wraps its loving arms around us.” Festival chair RJ Aquino spoke about the support that’s been pouring in from around the world. “It’s not lost on us … that the spirit of the festival was about that resistance, resilience, that courage, that strength,” he told reporters, per CBC. “And you know, we’re going to have to call that up in ourselves.” Awele shared her prayers for the B.C. Filipino community on Instagram. “I was barely able to sleep thinking about the tragic incident that occurred after the festival,” she said. “We can’t keep living like this — treating each other with hate and violence. We have to do better.” Read more here. – Rosie Long Decter

FIFTY FIFTY released their newest EP, ‘Day & Night,’ and the group shares the inspiration behind the concept album, how they created the music video for “POOKIE” and more! What do you think of FIFTY FIFTY’s ‘Day & Night?’ Let us know in the comments! FIFTY FIFTY: For ‘Day & Night,’ our album ‘Day & […]

FIFTY FIFTY released their newest EP, ‘Day & Night,’ and the group shares the inspiration behind the concept album, how they created the music video for “POOKIE” and more! What do you think of FIFTY FIFTY’s ‘Day & Night?’ Let us know in the comments! FIFTY FIFTY: For ‘Day & Night,’ our album ‘Day & Night’ is something… It’s definitely something new that we wanted to show everybody. It has a bunch of different genres incorporated in it. There’s three songs, it’s a total of six songs, but three of those songs kind of go with the day concept and three of those songs go with the night concept, so it’s an album you can listen to all day round that goes with any time of day. There’s a song for any moment. When we recorded “POOKIE,” we really focused on bringing out the cute lyrics and the bouncy rhythm. I personally really liked the rap parts, and during recording, those parts really stood out to me. Well, since we’re one team, there’s a part in the song where we all go ‘da-da-da-da’ together. We really captured our chemistry in that moment, and expressions looked genuinely happy- so it became the most memorable music video shoot for me. The hardest part- well, not really hard, but since we had to bring “POOKIE” to life, we needed to make cute while we were monitoring each other and giving feedback like “this part looks good,” or”that one works better,” I think our team really stood out in that process. Honestly, instead of any real difficulties, what I remember more is the effort we put into everything. For me, if you listen to the song it’s very rhythmical, very exciting and just like a happy, vibey song. Keep watching for more!

The embattled mogul's trial starts next week, and his former artist may or may not be there.

Mase is considering making an appearance at Diddy‘s upcoming trial. The former Bad Boy artist opened a recent episode of his sports talk show It Is What It Is by asking viewers to vote on whether he should pull up or not. “I wanna put it out to the fans,” he said. “I’ll let the fans vote on it — unless you wanna vote on it, Killa. They’re asking me to come to the Diddy trial, You think I should go this week?” Related Diddy Trial: Everything You Need to Know — From RICO Charges to Cassie Tape to ‘Freak Offs… 05/02/2025 His co-host Cam’ron then sarcastically answered, “It’s up to you, I don’t know your relationship. What is y’all relationship?” Mase then revealed that he had some folks reach out to him to see whether he was going and that he was actually being serious about his question. “Nah, just a few people reached out to me to ask me was I going. I was trying to figure out a way I could go at least a day,” he said to Cam, who then asked why Mase didn’t go to the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards where Diddy received the Global Icon Award. “Why you ain’t go to the MTV lifetime achievement award when he won that?” Cam asked as everybody in the studio burst into laughter. “Because I see his son performing all y’all’s parts on the song. Why you didn’t go to that?” Mase then asked Cam why he just couldn’t answer the question. “What’s the question? If I’m going? I’ll go with you if you’re going. Yeah, I’mma go with you,” he answered. “Just me randomly going? Nah, I ain’t going by myself.” The topic then went back to the MTV VMAs after their co-host Treasure “Stat Baby” Wilson said it was a funny question. “How do you feel about that? Now that I think about when somebody else wear they hat to the back, dress like you, and start spinning around on stage,” Killa asked, to which Murda answered, “I think it’s flattering. I think it’s a good thing.” Diddy’s trial is set to begin on Monday, May 5. You can check out the full episode below.

Check out these Twin Cities hotspots for vinyl, CD and cassette hunters.

One of the great music capitals of America, the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN) gave us Prince, The Replacements, Jam & Lewis, Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum, The Time, Semisonic, The Jayhawks, Atmosphere and more. Not to mention serving as early stomping grounds for Minnesota-born legend Bob Dylan and, more recently, a pre-fame Lizzo as she cut her chops. Given that history, it’s no shock that the Twin Cities punches above its weight when it comes to record stores. While a lot of beloved spots have closed over the years, it’s a testament to the city’s thriving music culture that quite a few record stores have stayed open for 30-plus years now, still going strong after weathering the sharp decline in physical media consumption in the era of streaming (a trend that has happily begun to reverse). Even as Minnesota-based chain retailers such as Best Buy and Target have scaled back (or in some cases eliminated) their music offerings, these independent record stores are keeping physical music – CDs, vinyl and cassettes — alive in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Whether you’re visiting and looking for a store to browse, a local collector looking for new crate-digging turf or someone just beginning to put together their physical music collection, these stores all come highly recommended. Some of them double as coffee shops, others include performance spaces – all of them are worth a trip (or 10). (On a personal note, it was at two of them – Eclipse and Cheapo – that I began to scoop up vinyl for a collection that’s now in the thousands.) What follows is a breakdown of each store’s space, selections, prices and general atmosphere. The descriptions are by no means comprehensive of everything each store carries. For each store (listed in alphabetical order), please check out its website and/or socials before visiting to keep up to date on what days/times the store is open, whether they’re doing Record Store Day that year and what special events they may be hosting. Many of them sell titles online, too, and nearly all of them buy as well as sell.

"At a time when doing so could have cost her everything, she chose truth," Sarah Kate Ellis writes.

Following Jill Sobule’s tragic death on Thursday, the president and CEO of GLAAD released a statement honoring the groundbreaking singer/songwriter. “Jill wasn’t just a trailblazer in music—she was a beacon for queer artists, and I was incredibly lucky to call her a dear friend,” Sarah Kate Ellis wrote on Friday morning (May 2). “Long before it was safe or common, Jill was writing and singing about sexuality and identity with raw honesty and wit. Related Jill Sobule Dies at Age 66 in a House Fire 05/01/2025 “At a time when doing so could have cost her everything, she chose truth,” Ellis continued. “That courage helped pave the way for today’s artists like Brandi Carlile, Tegan and Sara, Lil Nas X, Sam Smith, Adam Lambert, and so many others who now stand proud and open in their music.” After shouting out Sobule’s Drama Desk-nominated musical F*ck 7th Grade, the GLAAD executive concluded by writing, “Jill was a rare light—funny, fearless, and full of heart. Her impact will live on through her art and through everyone she inspired. Res in power, Jill. You are so loved.” Sobule died in a house fire in Minnesota at age 66. The folk-pop singer became the first artist to crack the top 20 of a Billboard chart with an explicitly gay-themed song after her 1995 single “I Kissed a Girl” peaked at No. 20 on what is now the Alternative Airplay tally. She was also known for the single “Supermodel,” which was featured on the Clueless soundtrack. Read GLAAD’s social media post paying tribute to Sobule’s life and legacy here.

Sphere Entertainment Co. wants the singer to remove the video segment from future tour stops, arguing it amounts to unauthorized use of the company's intellectual property.

The owner of Las Vegas’ Sphere has hit Beyoncé with a cease and desist letter over fan-shot concert footage that shows the superstar picking up a computer-generated version of the iconic Las Vegas venue and briefly juggling it between her hands, Billboard has confirmed. Related Beyoncé Slays L.A., Brings Out Kids at Cowboy Carter Tour Opening: Review & Best Moments 04/29/2025 “Beyoncé — many orders of magnitude larger than the Sphere venue — leans over, picks up the venue, and looms over it,” the letter reads, according to the New York Post, which first reported the news, leading to “significant speculation that Beyoncé will end her tour with a Sphere residency.” (Billboard has not independently obtained the letter.) The filmed sequence plays during an interlude at Beyoncé’s newly launched Cowboy Carter tour. Sphere unsuccessfully lobbied the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer to perform at the venue in the past, sources with knowledge of the negotiations tell Billboard. Attorneys for Dolan, who is also the chairman/CEO of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Group, want Beyoncé to cut the brief sequence from her three-hour concert, which she performed for a second time at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday (May 1). The letter is addressed to Beyoncé’s production company, Parkwood Entertainment, on behalf of Sphere Entertainment Group and authored by Kathleen McCarthy of the law firm King & Spalding. In the letter, Spaulding accuses Parkwood of using imagery of the Sphere’s likeness “without permission” and accuses the singer of misleading her fans. Related Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour Setlist: Every Song From the First Show 04/29/2025 “It has recently come to SEG’s attention that a Cowboy Carter tour interlude video contains the unauthorized use of SEG’s intellectual property,” the letter reads. “SEG is sure that multiple aspects of the interlude video, including other brands, clips and music, were duly cleared by the tour with rights permissions from the rights holders whose works were used in the video, as is common practice. SEG, however, was never asked and the prominent appearance and manipulation of SEG’s Sphere™ venue in the video is unauthorized.” “SEG demands that the tour cease and desist from using the Sphere™ venue in the video immediately,” the letter continues, demanding that Parkwood “refrain from using this imagery on any merchandise, promotional or marketing materials, or in tour movies, etc. Should you fail to do so, SEG reserves all rights to take further action as SEG deems appropriate without notice to you.” Though Beyoncé has never performed at Sphere, she’s set to play Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium when her Cowboy Carter tour stops in the city on July 25 and 26. Billboard reached out to representatives for Beyoncé and tour promoter Live Nation for comment, but did not receive a response by press time.

Co-composers David Yazbek & Erik Della Penna open up about making a musical with a corpse, and why it's the definition of exciting "f---ing theater."

One of the most acclaimed new musicals on Broadway right now has all the charm of a corpse — literally. The unlikely subject of Dead Outlaw is the life — and death — of Elmer McCurdy, a late 19th-century ne’er-do-well who came to an early end but whose corporeal form enjoyed a bizarrely long afterlife as a well-preserved (well, for a time) traveling oddity. On paper, it might not sound like typical musical fare, but thanks to an expert creative team — led by co-composers David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, director David Cromer and writer Itamar Moses — Elmer’s tale becomes not just strangely humorous and poignant but deeply thought-provoking. Related 'Buena Vista Social Club,' 'Death Becomes Her' and 'Maybe Happy Ending' Lead 2025 Tony Award… 05/01/2025 Yazbek has a résumé stacked with great musical adaptations of films — including The Full Monty, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Tootsie and The Band’s Visit, the latter of which won him the Tony for best original score. But Dead Outlaw is an increasingly rare breed of show on Broadway these days, based on no pre-existing intellectual property and not driven at the box office by celebrity names above its marquee. So far, that’s working out well: Dead Outlaw just received a best musical nomination for the 2025 Tony Awards, one of seven nods for the show also including best score for Yazbek and Della Penna’s music, which is performed by a crackerjack band onstage. Yazbek is rarely working on one show at a time — among many overlapping projects, he’s also creative consultant on the Tony-nominated Buena Vista Social Club — but he and Della Penna took the time post-opening to talk to Billboard about Dead Outlaw and why often, on Broadway, smaller is better. How did you become aware of McCurdy’s crazy story in the first place, and how did you know it would lend itself well to musical form? David Yazbek: The answer to the second part of that question is not until basically opening night (laughs). I heard the Elmer McCurdy story like 30-something years ago; when his body was discovered in 1976 by The Six Million Dollar Man TV crew it was a national story briefly, and I think a college friend’s mother sent him clippings about it. He told me the story and it really stuck, especially the themes of identity and death and mortality and greed and fame. For years and years, anyone who heard the actual true story was just amazed that it actually happened. And one of the people I told it to eventually was Erik, who I was in a band with and had written some songs with, and he got hooked. Erik Della Penna: It was just such an odd story that it’s immediately compelling — anybody I tell this story to is immediately interested. I consider myself a student of American music and of history in general, so this kind of hit all my buttons for those interests Yazbek: And those factors don’t make it an obvious thing for a musical or a play or whatever, but… Della Penna: I feel like a musical is sort of the best way to tell the story. Theater really succeeds when it in some way represents an otherworldly environment, and there’s only scant facts in the Elmer McCurdy story. So it’s the perfect way to present them and to really show the depth of it, and not just the cold facts — to bring some humanity to it and relatability. Yazbek: We both had the instinct that that would be the way to tell the story, and that we could write the songs to tell the story. And, you know, I guess we’re right. So far. Erik Della Penna (left) and David Yazbek The ideas it brings up about achieving fame and notoriety at any cost — about this very American obsession with being remembered for something, anything — feels especially timely… Yazbek: I have his memory of when I was maybe 15, I wrote a short story for a class, and it was kind of about that ephemeral idea that for some reason being remembered will afford you some degree of immortality. It’s just another f–king illusory comfort, but it really does drive people, sometimes for their entire lives — this idea of, “Oh sh-t, I’m gonna die. But wait a minute, I’ll be remembered! I’ll have a legacy!” Even the word legacy is dangerous. It’s why some people amass much more wealth than they should and put their name on buildings. Della Penna: It doesn’t even work with buildings. Like, [New York’s] Alice Tully Hall is now David Geffen Hall, so what happened to Alice Tully? Now we all forget about her? The onstage band is central to the show. Did you have a particular sonic palette or influences you were drawing upon in writing the music? Della Penna: I think Yazbek asked me because my musical interests were in early 20th century American music… Yazbek: That’s pretty accurate. I don’t read reviews, but people keep throwing little bits at me, and [the New York Times review] was referencing an album of mine called Evil Monkey Man, and Erik is all over that album, and just like in this show, he’s playing lap steel, different electric and acoustics, and there’s some banjo. That’s sort of at the root of all of this: Erik and I are both capable of being very eclectic in our songwriting. We both love this genre — I don’t want to call it Americana, but like you just said, that early 20th century American music… Della Penna: And that includes Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jimmy Rogers… Yazbek: And all of that stuff is very apropos for this show. The show is 100 years of American history. And from the very beginning, we sort of said, “Let’s Lennon and McCartney this” — in other words, let’s not be counting bars and who wrote what, let’s go all in, and that was part of the fun of it. Though you do have two standout performances in central roles — Tony nominees Andrew Durand as Elmer and Jeb Brown as the narrator and bandleader — this truly feels like an ensemble piece. The cast is a band too, in a way. Della Penna Absolutely — the cast as a band, that’s right. We were thinking about that for a while, getting a star in there [as] the narrator. I thought that would be more guaranteed juice for this to move [to Broadway]. But I also felt bad that it was sort of a cop out for the quality of the piece and the quality of the music. So I’m glad where it landed. Yazbek: Yeah, me too. I was talking to somebody, maybe one of our producers, about how there’s the artistic currency of a show, but then there’s also, like, the currency for marketing the show itself. And to me, the currency for marketing the show is quality with a capital Q. The star of the show is how great everyone is who’s in it, and its uniqueness and its depth. Like, can’t you market that? (laughs) Dead Outlaw Dead Outlaw started out at New York’s Minetta Lane Theater as part of Audible’s theater series there. How did that help launch the show? Yazbek: There are several independent theaters, regional and local, that should have just immediately said, “Oh, the Band’s Visit guys. Oh, this music, oh, this story. Yeah, sure, here’s a slot.” And for some reason, I guess because we didn’t have a star and it wasn’t [preexistent] IP, they didn’t do it. I’ve had at least two artistic directors tell me how much they regret not doing it, which is very satisfying. But it was [Audible’s] Kate Navin who said, “Oh, I think we can do this. I think we want to do this.” And as the budget grew, she just saw us through the development. That takes vision. David, you’ve done big, splashy shows, and you’ve done smaller shows like this one. As creators, does doing a smaller-scale show allow you to do something that a big budget spectacle doesn’t as much? Yazbek: Part of it is like independent film versus studio films. There are producers out there who don’t really understand how to bring quality, other than just bringing the big flying helicopter or whatever the money can buy. There are economic exigencies to putting up a show on Broadway and keeping it running. And from the very beginning [with Dead Outlaw], I had that in my head. When we first were thinking, “Oh, well, let’s just do this as a band show with one narrator, and that narrator’s in the band” — to me, that was like, how could you say no to that? It’s just got to be good, but it’ll also be so inexpensive that you could put it in a playhouse and it could run as long as people want to see it without us having to charge $800 a ticket. Sometimes great art is done with a limited palette, as opposed to with anything you want. How much value is there in seeing these eight performers do 60 parts, and they’re great? Like, that’s f–king theater right there.

The "Sexy to Someone" singer attended her fellow pop star's show in Brooklyn, New York, with TikToker Blizzy McGuire.

Clairo proved the “Apple” doesn’t fall far from the tree at Charli xcx‘s tour stop in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday night (April 30). In attendance for the first of Charli’s four sold-out nights at Barclays Center on the ongoing Brat Arena Tour, the “Sexy to Someone” singer was filmed doing the viral choreography to “Apple” alongside TikTok influencer Blizzy McGuire during the show. Related Charli xcx Salutes ‘Best So Far’ Crowd at Minneapolis Brat Tour Stop: 5… 04/27/2025 The video quickly made the rounds online, leading to Charli herself reposting the clip and tweeting, “love you claireeeee love you blizzy!!!!!” The Grammy winner then punctuated the sentiment by tagging both Clairo and McGuire and typing out an old-school heart symbol. The two pop starlets have long history of friendship, including Charli tapping Clairo to collaborate on the album cut “February 2017” off her self-titled 2019 album Charli. (The deep cut also features a Korean-language outro by Brooklyn-based DJ and artist Yaeji.) In other “Apple”-related news, the creator of the popular TikTok dance, Kelley Heyer, sued Roblox in April for including the choreography in a new version of its “Dress to Impress” game without her permission. Meanwhile, Charli brought her Grammy-winning 2024 album to Coachella last month, where she engaged in an amusing miniature feud with Green Day over the band headlining the festival. Clairo also performed at the Indio, Calif.-based festival — her set was introduced by a surprise appearance from Vermont senator Bernie Sanders. Next up, the Charm singer is set to headline All Things Go New York in September along with Doechii and Lucy Dacus. Check out Charli’s giddy reaction to Clairo’s “Apple” dance moves here.