A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
IT’S A WHOLE NEW WORLD — and the artists seeking stardom across its borders today face a mindbending new set of opportunities and challenges. While streaming has made distributing music easier than ever, the business is struggling to break new global stars in the face of fierce and fragmenting competition for fans’ attention. Local-language tunes rule in many of the 40-plus markets where we introduced our Hits of the World charts earlier this year. Touring has become a logistical nightmare in the wake of the pandemic: Soaring inflation and supply shortages of everything from trucks to tour bus drivers are ratcheting up the price of playing abroad to woo new foreign fans. And Russia’s war on Ukraine, in addition to destroying thousands of lives and displacing millions, has left musicians in both countries fighting for their freedom and their livelihoods, while further complicating the touring landscape.
Amid all this, we decided to turn the spotlight on some of music’s most promising contenders for world domination — both in this issue and on the stage at our new global music summit, MusicCon, which will kick off May 13 in Las Vegas, ahead of the Billboard Music Awards on May 15. Our two cover stars, Brazil’s Anitta and Nigeria’s Burna Boy, will discuss their innovative plans to grow their fandoms far and wide. Jamaica’s Shenseea will showcase her fusion of dancehall and hip-hop. Puerto Rico’s Rauw Alejandro will examine the future of reggaetón. Ukraine’s Max Barskih will illuminate the plight of his country and perform his new song, “Don’t F@ck With Ukraine.” Meanwhile, some of Ukraine’s other notable musical acts — photographed for Billboard by Kharkiv-born photographer Sasha Maslov — tell us their remarkable stories from the front lines (see page 58).
At MusicCon, we’ll also celebrate the industry’s brightest young executives cracking the code to this new world order at our first-ever 40 Under 40 dinner on May 14. We look forward to toasting their inclusion on our 40 Under 40 list (see page 50) and to building MusicCon into a gathering where tomorrow’s music leaders, stars and fans can learn from one another and forge relationships that will fuel their careers for years to come.
Please join us there and mark your calendars for next year, when we’ll no doubt have a very different world to make sense of. Here’s to hoping it’s a peaceful one — and full of hits that get the whole world singing together again.