BE:FIRST boasts a dozen No. 1s on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, played its first stadium concerts this past spring and has a world tour set for the fall. Now, the group is officially unveiling the first step in its effort to rise to greater prominence in the U.S. market.

With the release of its new single, “BRUCE WAYNE,” the J-pop band is revealing its new U.S. distribution partnership with The Orchard, along with hello82 for physical distribution, Tom Windish at THE·TEAM for touring outside Asia, and ex-AVEX USA CEO Naoki Osada‘s Nebula17 for A&R and marketing initiatives.

“BRUCE WAYNE,” BE:FIRST’s first release under its Orchard deal, is a swaggering, Atlanta hip-hop–indebted single produced by ATL Jacob and featuring Flo Milli, with lyrics by Starrah (Rihanna, Drake, Camila Cabello), Taylor Ross (Normani, Pitbull, Bebe Rexha) and the group’s executive producer SKY-HI, who is also CEO of the group’s Japanese music label BMSG. The track feels in line with some of the group’s harder hits, including 2023’s sleek and synth-y “Mainstream” and the anthemic “BE:FIRST ALL DAY” and its B-side “Rondo,” released in the spring.

“BRUCE WAYNE” is the lead single from WATCH ME, which the group describes as its first “global” EP, slated to arrive on Sept. 18. The set will also include a track featuring BIA as well as production from Tommy “TBHits” Brown.

While three of BE:FIRST’s members did recently carve out a trip to the World Cup final (“I love Messi,” youngest member Ryuhei says), the group is largely in discipline mode to meet arguably its biggest global moment yet. Over a video call from Los Angeles on Friday (July 31), group members Manato, Ryuhei, Sota, Junon, Shunto and Leo are quick to clarify that they have not been sightseeing but have instead spent their days taking English-language lessons, rehearsing choreography and undergoing media training with their new U.S. partners.

This weekend, BE:FIRST heads to Phoenix to perform at the 2026 World Hip-Hop Dance Championship (the same competition BE:FIRST member Sota won four different times), before playing Head in the Clouds in Los Angeles on Aug. 8. The group’s upcoming world tour, its second, launches in September, with two shows slated in New York.

“No time to play, basically,” Manato says with a laugh.

Formed on Japan’s 2021 singing competition THE FIRST, BE:FIRST has been mapping out its current global push years in advance as part of its annual goal-setting summits, the members tell Billboard.

The run-up has already included two collaborations with K-pop chart-conquerors ATEEZ (plus an opening slot at that group’s 2024 Los Angeles stadium shows) and a hit Janet Jackson remix released after the American pop icon played four dates across Japan this year (BE:FIRST and Jackson’s collaborative “Doesn’t Really Matter (Remix)” hit No. 12 on the Japan Hot 100 in June, while its video has earned 7.9 million YouTube views to date).

“Our entire team is giving absolutely everything we’ve got to bring you the absolute best version of BE:FIRST and share their music with the world,” SKY-HI shared in an exclusive statement with Billboard. “Please look forward to what’s to come.”

Below, read more from Billboard‘s exclusive interview with the group, spoken in a mix of English and Japanese, with members’ Japanese responses translated.

You’ve made some moves to collaborate beyond Japan via the K-pop market: Janet Jackson, Jonas Blue. Why was this the right time to go bigger?

Shunto: Every year, SKY-HI and the members hold a meeting where we set goals — “by such-and-such year, we want to be doing such-and-such.” This [upcoming] year is our fifth, so there had been discussions that starting from the fifth anniversary, we’d push to further [our] worldwide presence and exposure. At that stage, we couldn’t yet picture the songs or what this would look like, but it’s been in the works for us. So, now that that’s arrived, we’ve been pushing and polishing ourselves — mentally, but also in practical ways too, like going to language school. All of it is an accumulation of work that we’ve done, and now we’ve sort of arrived at the right time to put things in a different gear.

Let’s talk about “BRUCE WAYNE.” You’ve got Flo Milli, you’ve got ATL Jacob. How did the song come about, and why was it the right introduction to this new chapter?

Manato: I was in the same studio with ATL Jacob and Starrah in January. Actually, I was a fan of him. We also love Future, Atlanta hip-hop itself, and we kind of have an Atlanta sound style ourselves, so we were very excited to record the song. We gave some directions, like how we wanted a more dark sound, so we went back and forth. It’s not the typical kind of hip-hop; it’s like a luxurious style of hip-hop. We can easily sing the words. Also, all of us — but especially Manato — like Batman. [Laughs.] It feels like our “destiny song.”

Was Flo Milli attached from the beginning or did she record her part later?

Leo: It came together partway through — once the track was made, we searched [for a feature]. I think ATL Jacob shared it and she really loved the song. And we loved it, so we were like, “Let’s go!”

This leads off WATCH ME, which is being described as your first global EP. What does that sound like and what do you want it to say to listeners?

Ryuhei: Rather than targeting one specific culture or sound, we pursue whatever fits the things we love and think are genuinely cool — and that will create our own style. So, this album has a lot of genres and styles packed into it. But for each genre we settled on, we wanted the idea that “only BE:FIRST can do this” as the core, and we pushed the quality as far as it could go. Compared to our last releases, we were that much more focused and concentrated to make it a really quality album.

Does it feel like there are still barriers for Japanese artists trying to cross over into the Western markets?

Sota: There’s a real focal point on calling it a “global EP” for us. We can be seen as a dance team with a layer of hip-hop, singing in Japanese as a Japanese boy band. That is who we are, but we want to be seen not just as a Japanese boy band. I think the EP really defines what that means. Rather than keeping it contained within Japan, we want it to finally go out into the world. It’s about time.

Sota: The biggest thing is that the trends and the culture — around the world, in specific parts in Asia, even just in America or the music industry — we don’t know them the way we know Japan. America is a big country. What we don’t know, we don’t know — sometimes it’s even like that in Japan. How much will the things that we believe are good actually be accepted? That’s the barrier we hit, and not being able to break that wall feels a little challenging and difficult. But what we don’t want to do is make any kind of creative sacrifice or bend in order to go global; that would make going global meaningless. So, it comes down to how much we can raise what we want to do — in terms of quality, in musical value — put it out and have it recognized as something that’s uniquely us as BE:FIRST. On that, we can’t compromise. That’s what’s most important for us.

Leo, you mentioned being in the studio, and I know several of the members write on songs. How are you all creatively involved so you don’t lose that identity?

Manato: We build together. That’s our style. On one Japanese release, four members might do the co-writing; on another, three. Rather than one member being in charge of something, everyone participates, brings their best parts, and everyone’s identity feeds into it.

You did a remix with Janet Jackson when she came to Japan, and also have recorded two songs with ATEEZ and opened their Los Angeles shows. What did you take from these experiences?

Sota: From start to finish, [collaborating with Janet Jackson] was like a dream come true — that’s the number one thing; it was a really big moment for us. But in terms of what we learned as artists, singing and dancing is the single most important thing about BE:FIRST, and to see up close a legend who still treats both as essential and strives for perfection — it made me feel like we’re on the right path. That’s the reputation we’re going for too. Honestly, when you’re a group, people tend to focus on one or the other, but there’s a chemical reaction that comes from doing both singing and dancing. Seeing and feeling that up close, my respect grew enormously, and so did my gratitude that she keeps doing it.

Junon: After our own opening set, we got to watch ATEEZ’s show and took it all in as any member of the audience. There was a side of them, fully immersed in the performance, with such an incredible force that you can’t imagine from how they normally are. It’s an originality only they can produce. Watching it made us want to push the things that make us stand out.

Do you have any Billboard chart goals you want to put out there as you start this new era?

Leo: Be first.

Manato: Yeah!

Sota: Yeah, BE:FIRST will be first.

Karol G understands that her fans value her honesty and that her success lies in her vulnerability as an artist.

The Grammy winner announced Wednesday (July 29), while onstage, that her forthcoming studio album, No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto (I Don’t Regret Feeling So Much), will arrive Aug. 7.

The album is G’s sixth studio set and has already sparked speculation about whether the artist is planning a full rebrand following her Tropicoqueta era, which was coded with an upbeat, vibrant and celebratory style, accompanied by reds, yellow and orange sunset tones and an obvious display of Latin and Colombian pride. That influence is also visible in the performances on her Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour, which kicked off this month in Chicago.

The album’s baby blue cover features the artist posing with a serious, pouty expression — drawing comparisons to Britney Spears’ 2003 album In the Zone — along with a glittery title that follows the silhouette of her body, clearly indicating that she’s entering a moodier moment in her journey. She spoke about the intentions behind the project with Elle, stating that fans will see her in a more “alternative realm” that she hasn’t fully dipped her feet into before.

“This is an album that opens a door for my fans to a more intimate Carolina — in my room, I have a ritual: I put up little lights, I burn candles and incense. I want people to listen to this new album that’s coming, in their own rooms, and see what comes up for them,” said the artist, who released the album’s first single, “Matadora,” onstage during the opening night of her tour July 24.

In the interview, the singer confessed that she’s a very sentimental person and hasn’t always liked that sensitive side of herself, but in the end, she prefers to feel deeply than not at all.

“I’d rather suffer because I lived too much — because I loved too much, because I had too much fun — than to not have had those experiences, you know? I’m inviting everyone to be a little more dramatic, a little more extra.”

No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto arrives a little more than one year after the Colombian artist released Tropicoqueta in June 2025. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

During a recent appearance on Talk With Flee, Cam’ron and co-host Sen City were talking about sample clearances when Sen brought up Killa’s “Pull It” collab with DMX, and asked if he had any memorable stories he was willing to share about the late rapper.

That’s when Cam could barely keep himself together as he told a story about the time the two were staying in a hotel and X had allegedly set up a fight between his dog and a raccoon. “I was filming Paid in Full the same time he was filming [Cradle 2 the Grave] with Jet Li,” he began by saying, “We were both staying in the same hotel at the same time in Connecticut. And he had a dog, I can’t remember if it was Boomer or not — rest in peace, Boomer, you know he loved Boomer — but he had a dog in the hotel with him and we kept bumping into each other. And he’s like, ‘Yo, bro, what you doing later?’ And I’m like, ‘I just gotta film, I’ll be back’ and he said, ‘Oh, aight, good. You gonna be done by 7?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, yeah, I’ll be back’ and he said, ‘Oh, cool, 7:30 we gonna be at the back of the hotel. Boomer is gonna fight this raccoon.’” [Ed. note: Billboard does not endorse animal fights. PETA considers staged animal fighting to be “cruel.”]

Adding, “How do you know where a raccoon gonna be at, at 7:30? How’d you set this match up with your dog and a raccoon to fight a n—a at 7:30 to where all parties are gonna be available to fight this raccoon.”

He then continued by saying that he ran into DMX the next day where he learned that the dog won the bout in easy fashion. “Then I remember seeing him the next day and he was like, ‘Yo, where you was at?’ I said, ‘I forgot all about it, X. What happened? He f—ked him up?’ He said, ‘Yeah, he f—ked him up. A f—kin’ raccoon can’t fuck with my n—a.’”

“That’s probably the No. 1 story out of all the stories with DMX that stands out to me,” he continued. “This n—a knew where a raccoon was gonna be at, at a particular time, and he had everybody set up to see the fight. I actually missed it, but I heard that his dog won and s—t.”

You can watch the full episode below.

On “Girl, So Confusing,” Charli xcx and Lorde worked it out on the remix — and at Lollapalooza 2026, they worked it out on the stage.

After making a cameo at the New Zealand native’s headlining set in Chicago on Thursday (July 30), Charli shared a post on Instagram commemorating the surprise duet, writing, “the more we do this the more special it feels <3”

“love you ella,” she continued, captioning photos of herself and Lorde backstage at the festival and performing the Brat remix track. “congrats on headlining and ty for bringing me out!!!! ps i headline lolla tonight… im excited ;)”

In the comments, Lorde wrote, “Take care of it tn”

“U the f–kin one,” the “Royals” singer added.

Though the collaboration disrupted the internet when it dropped in 2024, Charli and Lorde have only sung it together live a handful of times. The two gave the remix its live debut at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in September 2024, when Charli brought out Lorde during her co-headlining show with Troye Sivan. When the British dance-pop star performed it at Coachella in 2025, Lorde joined her in the desert to assist, later inviting Charli to sing it with her during an Ultrasound World Tour stop in Los Angeles.

The two women’s ability to perform the “Girl, So Confusing” remix speaks to how far they’ve come since they first teamed up on the song. In her 2024 Billboard cover story, Charli told senior writer Kristin Robinson that she originally penned it about ambiguous, unspoken tension she felt with Lorde.

“Then the day before the record came out, I left her a voice note,” Charli said at the time. “[Lorde] replied straight away and was like, ‘Oh, my God, I had no idea you felt this way. I’m so sorry.’ And then was like, ‘You know, maybe I should be on a version of the song.’ I didn’t even ask her. She brought it up.”

“I love that we truly did work it out on the remix,” Lorde added in the same article. “Only Charli could make that happen. She had opened up a channel between us, and it made me say things that I had never said.”

As Charli noted in her post, she will now take the baton from Lorde and headline night two of this year’s Lolla on Friday (July 31), following sets from Zara Larsson, Lil Uzi Vert, Yungblud, Mustard and more. The festival goes all weekend, featuring respective night three and night four headliners Olivia Dean and Tate McRae.

Charli is fresh off the release of her new album, Music, Fashion, Film, which dropped July 24. Lorde’s most recent LP, Virgin, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 last year.

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While the World Cup has wrapped up, for millions of fútbol fans, the excitement of watching the sport in Spanish continues year-round. Whether it’s the energy of a Telemundo broadcast or following every match with Spanish-language commentary, many viewers prefer experiencing the biggest moments in the language they grew up with.

For viewers who want more entertainment in Spanish, DIRECTV’s MiEspañol package offers a dedicated TV bundle featuring more than 60 Spanish-language channels for a promo price of $32.99 the first two months for new users. After that, it’s just $37.99 per month.

Designed for Spanish-speaking households that want a streamlined selection of channels without paying for programming they don’t watch, MiEspañol includes popular networks like Telemundo, Univision, ESPN Deportes, FOX Deportes, TUDN, CNN en Español and more.

The package also includes access to year-round fútbol coverage, including Liga MX and UEFA Champions League matches, allowing Spanish-speaking viewers to keep up with the sport through broadcasts in their preferred language.

What Is Included With DIRECTV MiEspañol?

MiEspañol gives subscribers access to more than 60 Spanish-language channels spanning sports, news, movies, entertainment and family programming. Some of the included channels are:

Subscribers also receive ViX Premium with ads at no additional cost, giving viewers access to Spanish-language streaming content alongside their live TV lineup.

How Much Does DIRECTV MiEspañol Cost?

DIRECTV’s MiEspañol package costs $37.99 per month plus tax with no annual contract required but is on promotion right now for $32.99 for the first two months. New customers can start with a five-day free trial before the service automatically renews at the current monthly rate unless canceled.

For households who primarily watch Spanish-language programming, MiEspañol offers a carefully curated selection that simplifies access to their favorite channels.

For more information on this Genre Pack, go to directv.com/affiliates/genre-packs.

*Access ViX through the ViX app or at http://vix.com. DIRECTV account verification required. No separate ViX registration needed.

Warner Records co-chairman and COO Tom Corson was promoted to COO of the larger Warner Music Group (WMG), succeeding Armin Zerza in the role, the company announced on Friday (July 31).

Corson has served as co-chairman and COO of Warner Records, where he led business operations, strategy and commercial development, since 2018. During that time, he’s succeeded in growing the label and its artists, which include Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dua Lipa, Zach Bryan, Benson Boone, Michael Bublé, Teddy Swims, Linkin Park, Cody Johnson, and Sombr. Warner Records finished in fifth place in label market share at midyear, notching a 5.11% mark.

In a statement, WMG CEO Robert Kyncl described Corson as a “dynamic, respected, and effective executive.”

“Together with [Warner Records CEO] Aaron [Bay-Schuck], he’s helped architect Warner Records’ resurgence, and we’ll leverage his vision, disciplined execution, and deep experience across the entire company as we continue to deliver for our artists and songwriters while achieving our top and bottom line goals,” Kyncl said.

“It’s an honor to step into this role during such a transformative era for both our company and the industry at large,” added Corson. “A huge thanks to Robert for the opportunity, as well as to Aaron and the Warner Records team for the unforgettable run. I’m looking forward to building on our momentum, turbocharging operations, and creating even more impactful opportunities for our incredible artists and songwriters worldwide.”

Zerza’s departure was announced earlier on Friday.

A music industry veteran, Corson has spent more than four decades in senior leadership roles at various companies. Prior to Warner Records, he was most recently president and COO of RCA Music Group.

Michelle Branch extends her history on Billboard’s charts to more than 25 years, as her new version of “The Game of Love,” her early 2000s smash, debuts on Adult Pop Airplay.

The update, with fellow veteran hitmakers New Radicals, enters the Aug. 8-dated list at No. 33, thanks to play on outlets including KBIG Los Angeles, WBMX Boston and Music Choice, according to Mediabase, which provides airplay data for Billboard’s radio rankings via data tracker Luminate.

The original version — by Santana featuring Branch — dominated Adult Pop Airplay for 13 weeks in 2002-03. Gregg Alexander, the longtime frontman of New Radicals, and Rick Nowels cowrote the song.

The reimagination introduces Branch’s EP Everywhere and Back Again, due Nov. 6. Her first collection on BMG features other new interpretations of her hits.

Branch boasts five top 10s among 10 Adult Pop Airplay entries, going back to her breakthrough, “Everywhere,” which hit No. 9 in 2001; it brought her Billboard chart debut when it arrived on the list dated June 30 that year. She returned to the top 10 with “All You Wanted” (No. 4, 2002), “The Game of Love,” “Are You Happy Now?” (No. 3, 2003) and a second Santana collaboration, “I’m Feeling You” (No. 6, 2005). She makes her first appearance this week since 2011, when “Loud Music” reached the top 20.

The original “The Game of Love” became Branch’s highest-charting hit on the Billboard Hot 100, climbing to No. 5. It also won the Grammy for best pop collaboration with vocals in 2003.

“‘The Game of Love’ has been such a special song in my life, made possible by one of my personal musical heroes, Gregg Alexander,” Branch shared in a statement upon the new version’s release July 15. “Being able to sing this together with him is really a full circle moment and captures the original spirit of the demo.”

Branch’s chart accomplishments also encompass her run as half of The Wreckers. In 2006, the pair, which she formed with Jessica Harp, hit No. 1 on Hot Country Songs with “Leave the Pieces.”

New Radicals likewise stretch their notable Billboard chart history, which began in 1998 with their signature hit, “You Get What You Give” (whose “one, two … one, two, three, ow!” intro is mirrored in that of the new “The Game of Love”). The single, which Alexander and Nowels also cowrote, rose to the Hot 100’s top 40 and led Adult Alternative Airplay for six weeks in 1999.

Branch is set to begin her Everywhere and Back Again Tour, which kicks off Sept. 27 and runs through Nov. 13. (Included is a Nov. 7 date at The Muse in Nantucket, Mass.)

All charts dated Aug. 8 will update Tuesday, Aug. 4, on Billboard.com.