Steve Aoki is obsessed with numbers. It’s why the Grammy Award-nominated producer and mega-DJ has a seven-page rider specifying the exact weight and dimensions of the sheet cakes he hurls into the delirious crowds of fans who flock to his shows holding signs that say, “CAKE ME!” It’s why, despite an “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” tattoo on the back of his neck, he knows per one epigenetic measure that he has slowed his aging process down to 0.8 out of 1 thanks to a rigorous biohacking regimen that includes tracking how much REM sleep he’s getting on his WHOOP watch. And it’s why, when asked why he wants to live so long in the first place, he equates life to winning the lottery and quotes the statistical probability of simply being alive on this earth as 1 in 400 trillion. But there is one number Aoki prefers not to know: the amount he’s getting paid per show. He worries that knowledge might subconsciously affect the energy he brings from one massive outdoor stage to another, that it might cloud the sacred union he feels between himself, the lucky lottery winner, and his fans, who tend to embody the rollicking frenzy of a punk show that Aoki has injected into electronic dance music (EDM). Trending on Billboard It’s a high that he says he has grown ­addicted to, which explains why he DJ’d 209 shows last year and holds the 2012 Guinness World Record for most traveled musician in one year, and (though they’ve since been broken) the 2014 records for longest crowd cheer and most glow sticks lit simultaneously. It’s fitting, then, that on this Wednesday evening in April, Aoki is Zooming with me from a lounge at the San Francisco International Airport as he prepares for a flight to Australia, where he’ll DJ five shows in 48 hours before headlining the Siam Songkran Music Festival in Bangkok. At 46 years old — or 36.8, if you take into account his 0.8 aging rate according to TruDiagnostic, an epigenetic testing company — Aoki has little interest in slowing down. “I still have the thirst,” he says. “I still have the enthusiasm, and with music, there’s no greater energy force. There’s no greater high than playing your records at your show in front of a crowd that knows your music and everyone’s just f–king lit up. Like, there’s nothing greater than that.” Whatever you might make of his persona as a fist-pumping, hair-shaking, Takis-munching, EDM-spinning, sheet cake-throwing party bro who seems to have perpetually lost his shirt, it’s hard to dispute that over the last two decades, Aoki has firmly established himself as a pioneering figure in the world of dance music. That he has done so globally and exuberantly — despite the reserved Asian American stereotypes he grew up absorbing — is a testament to his unabashed confidence, unrelenting work ethic and entrepreneurial instincts, which extend far beyond music. For starters, there’s the all-electric race boat team he recently purchased to compete in the UIM E1 World Championship against competing owners Tom Brady and Rafael Nadal; the Hiroquest graphic novel he published in April with comic book legend Jim Krueger, about a genetically augmented meta-human who journeys into the multiverse 400 years into the future; and his various forays into science and tech, from investing in brain research through his Aoki Foundation to ventures in cryptocurrency, esports, non-fungible tokens and cryogenics. In 2022, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa selected Aoki as one of eight civilians to join his SpaceX moon trip, with a yet-to-be-determined launch date. “There’s always a new thing every year, and the whole team kind of shrugs their shoulders like, ‘OK, let’s go learn how to do this,’ ” says Matt Colon, Aoki’s business manager of 20 years and the global president of music at talent management agency YMU. “He embodies that spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that is so inspiring,” says Paris Hilton, a friend of Aoki’s since she was 16 who released her first-ever collaboration with him late last year. “Every venture he takes on, he does it with a sense of style and purpose. He has turned his artistic vision into an empire, and that’s something that I deeply respect and connect with in my own business endeavors.” Balenciaga hoodie and jacket. Jessica Chou Colon sees it as his job to foster his client’s excitement — even if he admits that roughly half of Aoki’s business ideas “get dismissed kind of out of hand because once you get into the details, they don’t really make sense.” Still, Colon notes that it was that out-of-the-box thinking that allowed Aoki to break into the industry in the first place, by way of Dim Mak Records, the Los Angeles-based label he founded in 1996. In the early ’00s, Dim Mak became a tastemaker by signing acts like The Kills, Bloc Party and Gossip. But perhaps more significantly, Aoki became godfather of the scene that coalesced around Dim Mak Tuesdays, the indie sleaze Hollywood party he threw from 2003 to 2014 to promote the label. With then-rising acts like M.I.A., Lady Gaga, Kesha and Justice clamoring to perform and buzzy guests like the Olsen twins all enshrined by the famed nightlife blog The Cobrasnake, the party took on a life of its own. Aoki only started DJ’ing to fill the time before performances at Dim Mak Tuesdays, and in the beginning, “he admittedly was not a great DJ,” Colon says. But Aoki attributes his success today to his willingness then to keep trying, to fail in public, sweat bullets and then ask for help. “I don’t have any kids, but if and when I do, that’s one of the most important things I want to share: You need to have that shamelessness,” he says. “It’s such an important rule of thumb.” “He’s an early adopter,” Colon adds. “It’s in his blood, and it’s often because he doesn’t have the shame of being afraid to ask. Most people just wait until it’s offered to them. Steve will always ask.” Despite his far-reaching business interests, Colon says DJ’ing remains Aoki’s primary revenue stream, both internationally and in Las Vegas, where he lives and maintains residencies at three venues. As a producer, he has proved agile at working deftly across genres, collaborating with everyone from Linkin Park and Hayley Kiyoko to Lil Jon and Diplo. “When you’re on the road that much, you come across new people, new trends and new sounds,” Lil Jon says. “He’s just really easy to work with. He’s not overly pushy in the studio — he lets me do my thing but still has input. Neither of us half-ass anything.” Versace shirt. Jessica Chou Aoki’s reach also spans continents, having worked with South Korea’s BTS, Mexico’s Danna Paola, Japan’s Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Colombia’s Maluma. This hodgepodge has bolstered Aoki’s international appeal; he says his global fan base is particularly receptive in Central and South America. He plans to release his ninth album this summer, featuring collaborations with Big Freedia, a rework of Lil Jon’s “Get Low” (called “Get Lower”) and a lead single with Ne-Yo called “Heavenly Hell” — a phrase he’s quick to point out inspired the title of a chapter he’s working on in the sequel to Hiroquest, which also happens to be the name of his last two albums that also spawned a line of trading cards meant to bolster his graphic novel’s intellectual property (IP) across platforms. This is the way Aoki’s mind works — seemingly at its best when it has at least seven tabs open, all the better to connect the various dots that compose the Aokiverse. It’s an impulse he attributes to his father, Rocky Aoki, the wrestler turned powerboat racer turned founder of Japanese restaurant chain Benihana, who died in 2008 but remains Aoki’s North Star, a larger-than-life figure who seemingly did it all. “He would just fly in like Superman, coming in to pick me up and take me on an adventure, and then drop me off [at] the humble abode of my mom’s house,” says Aoki, who was raised by his mother, Chizuru, whom he calls “my rock,” in Newport Beach, Calif. “So when I was with him, I just experienced all these things that he was doing. Like ‘Oh, my God. This life is crazy over there.’ ” I was in college while you were coming up in the early aughts, and it felt kind of shocking to see someone who was Japanese American, like I am, take up so much space so aggressively in alternative culture. Were you thinking about ideas of representation back then? I’m not going to go down memory lane too deep, but I remember when I first got into music in high school, the first thing I did was sing. You just didn’t see Asian singers. You just didn’t see Asian people in music, period, and if you did, they were really quiet, like the singer of Hoobastank, whom I looked up to. Actually, I am reworking [the Hoobastank song] “The Reason.” I guess we can announce it here: There’s a Steve Aoki-Hoobastank record coming soon. But it was cool to actually work with that guy [singer Doug Robb] because I remember looking up to him when I was in high school. The other main artist I looked up to big time was Chad Hugo from The Neptunes. This is when I first got into production, around 2003. I was in L.A., and I remember hiring someone on Craigslist to teach me how to use Pro Tools because I just started dabbling on the computer. And I was like, “Chad Hugo, that’s my hero because he’s Asian, but he’s also quiet.” I’m always like, “Where are the loud ones?” I wanted to see someone Asian that’s just loud and in charge and commanding audiences. Balenciaga hoodie, robe, jeans and shoes. Jessica Chou Did you become that character because you wanted to see it, or did that exuberance onstage come naturally to you? One of the really important things that music gave me was a voice because I really, truly felt invisible. Growing up in Newport Beach, the statistic was 96% of the population is white — this is in the ’80s and ’90s. So I’m already kind of out there, I’m already different, and Asians, generally speaking, don’t rock the boat. Japanese people are quiet. My mom’s quiet. Your dad wasn’t quiet. No, he wasn’t, but I was raised by my mom. I mean, I’m sure I was inspired by my dad going, “Holy sh-t, my dad’s doing his thing and is successful, and it’s not bothering him that he’s Japanese, he’s just connecting with the world.” That is what I loved — the idea that it shouldn’t bother you. But when I was a kid, I was bothered, and that’s where music gave me the voice. You could just belt your sh-t out. A lot of it was just understanding who I was, finding my identity through the music and allowing me to be unabashed about it. I grew up in the punk hardcore scene, and they thrive off that. It’s thriving off these underrepresented voices. That’s how the culture grows. So I was in the right place to foster this kind of attitude to be heard. As someone who’s known for being a prolific collaborator, how do you connect with other artists? Do you still reach out to people? It goes both ways for sure. In some cases, if we meet in person, the energy of that meetup ends up becoming something. When I met up with BTS in 2016 at a house in L.A., we just hit it off really well, and in 2017, I ended up remixing “MIC Drop,” which later led to [the BTS collaborations] “Waste It on Me” and “The Truth Untold.” But sometimes I just do cold DMs. I’ve always been very unabashed about that. Whoever I want to work with I just send a DM, and if it hits, it hits. What’s your success rate? I would say my success rate is pretty low. You know, of all the collabs I’ve done that are out, I’ve reached out to far greater [than have reached out to me], like 80%. How does that make you feel? It’s like a game of baseball. That’s how I see it. I don’t have a problem as long as I hit the ball and I get the home runs, you know? Like the best baseball player in the world hits the ball three out of 10 times. So if you hit the ball two out of 10 times, you’re actually above average. If you hit the ball once, you’ve made the cut. If I can make a record that’s meaningful to culture, meaningful to my fans, meaningful to what I’m doing, what my purpose is, then it’s worth it and I’m excited. I never lose my excitement on this stuff. I think that question would provoke a different answer if I was tired. If I was jaded. If I wasn’t really into what I do. When you love what you do, you still fight for it. You still have the hunger. Balenciaga hoodie, jacket, pants and shoes. Jessica Chou What do you like about collaborating with such a wide range of artists? I think some producers would find that really challenging. It is. It’s extremely challenging. It’s challenging on many different levels, too. It’s not just challenging on the creative side, but it’s challenging to your fans. Like whenever I started collaborating in a different space, I would get a lot of hate; I get a lot of criticism. What’s an example? When I started working with hip-hop artists in the early 2010s, there was a lot of negative criticism, even when I did Kolony, which was an entirely hip-hop album that I produced in 2017. You know, I’m a sensitive guy. I don’t like seeing negative sh-t just pile up. Do record sales matter to you? Honestly, no. In the beginning, it does matter, when you have your first hit, when you have something that’s just catching steam. But then, going back to your question about collaborating across different genres, I can’t think too much about what the world thinks. Of course, it’s incredible if I have a song that breaks 100 million streams on Spotify. That’s pretty f–king cool. But I can’t put my emotional place there. That would probably make me jaded. That would probably hinder my creative spirit, 100%. It’s more about, “How does it penetrate the culture? Do the fans at the festivals and the shows sing along? Are they connected to it?” It sounds like the measurement for your success is more experiential than data-driven. How else do you gauge that? Yeah, it is something that grows over time. You could sort of gauge it on some level of metrics, but then there’s a lot of other layers. You can’t just type in “What’s Steve Aoki’s biggest song on the festival circuit?” If you type that in, you might not get the correct answers. [Artificial intelligence] cannot generate that. For example, “No Beef” is an old song of mine that I made with Afrojack in 2011. That was before streaming was actually a big deal, but everyone knows the vocals to that at my shows. As an artist, what are your thoughts on AI? I’m still a novice in the usage or utility of AI, but I use it mainly for lyric generation. It has actually helped me quite a lot. If I have an idea of what lyrics I want to put down on a record, I’ll work that out with AI, and if I have a songwriting team in my house and we get stumped, we can always use AI. As far as sampling, I’ve used AI to get a particular female sound using certain words, and that has been fantastic. What about the fear of it replacing producers and DJs entirely? See, of course that’s the conversation topic because the possibilities are endless. But when that happens, I’m assuming, just like everything that we do with technology, we’re building safeguards. And you can’t stop AI. It’s not like, “Oh, f–k. AI is going to take away our jobs. F–k technology, it’s going to take away jobs.” You can’t. You just have to ride the wave with it and just start building safeguards as we go. We’ve been doing this the whole time with the internet. Versace top, shirt, jeans, and shoes. Jessica Chou Let’s pivot to another serious topic: How does it feel to throw a sheet cake into someone’s face? OK, there’s a lot of points here. One, I think it really goes along with this idea that people are singing your songs at your show and your music is their music. So we’re all part of the same culture. You’re partially responsible because you created that music and that experience. That’s what the cake is. I’ve been able to share an experience that was such a silly idea, and now it’s a thing. As a culture, people want to get caked, and it’s a very Steve Aoki thing. How many years have you been doing it now? Thirteen. Wow. That’s a lot of cake. Yeah, over 20,000 cake faces. It’s pretty epic. How consciously are you aware of yourself, Steve Aoki, as a brand? It’s interesting because when I see “Steve Aoki” on things or I see the logo, I look at it as a company. And I’m just part of that company. You’re just another worker? (Laughs.) I mean, really. It’s like, “Oh, my God. There’s a person with a Steve logo or a tattoo on his arm.” It does excite me. I’m like, “Wow, that’s so incredible.” But that’s the music, you know? It’s not me personally. So I finally started separating myself from that because I’m the same kind of fan. I have a band [tattooed] on my back that inspired me when I was in high school called Gorilla Biscuits. It’s not someone’s name, but Steve Aoki is like a band to someone. So I understand the way music moves people and why you do that. It’s a community. That’s how I see the brand. I think a lot of this is not just about the music, too; it’s the experience, you know? And the experience itself is something that can last a lifetime. That’s why the live show is so important. It’s not just about being a producer in the studio and getting the music out there and having people connect with the music in their homes. A lot of my IP is based on the actual experience [of a live show], and unfortunately, I can’t clone myself because as an entrepreneur, you would think, “How do you scale that?” Is that why you play so many shows? Yeah. It’s like you get this momentum going when things are happening, and I’ve seen a lot of friends, a lot of artists, taking their brick and just disappearing. And they didn’t have the same momentum to come back as strong as they were. Are you scared of that happening to you? I am. I think I am. I mean, I don’t want to say that, but I think it does have this effect on me because the thing is, I love what I do. Like, to be able to be onstage and the high that you get after a show, it’s just incredible. What’s the secret to keeping this so fun after doing it for so long? I’m glad you asked this question. I just was in South Africa and I did two shows out there, and during my extra time, I worked on music with two South African artists. I actually connected with more African artists from different regions as well and their beats, like Afrobeats and amapiano, have definitely been coming up inside my beats. The sounds, the rhythms, the percussions, I have a strong affinity to this music. That was so much fun. That’s what keeps things going. I think being a global artist, being able to travel all the time, my natural way to connect with different cultures is to musically connect and collaborate with different people of that culture. And fortunately, they’ve allowed me to work with them in different capacities that have brought out some of these incredible global records that connect my sound to their sound. And the more and more I do it, the more exciting it is and the more it’s connecting with a whole different world of people, with a different culture. You see it at the shows. It just becomes more exciting to do more outside of what you normally do. It’s a challenge, too, and I love the challenge. This story will appear in the April 27, 2024, issue of Billboard.

In addition to our Steve Aoki cover story, check out this Q&A with Jessica Chou, who photographed Aoki for Billboard‘s AAPI issue.Tell us a little about your own background.  I’m from the San Gabriel Valley – a suburb in Los Angeles. Interesting fact: the city I grew up in was the first city in the U.S. to reach a majority-Asian population according to the 1990 U.S. Census. I feel like growing up in a suburb with a majority-minority population has informed my views and experience on American life. I’ve been working as a freelance photographer for 13 years, focusing on portraiture, photographing everyday people and high-profile public figures alike. I come from a photojournalism/documentary background and I think those observational qualities of storytelling have definitely informed how I approach my portraiture. You’ve worked with Billboard for a long time – you shot Steve for us 10 years ago, spending 36 hours with him, playing on your background in reportage. What are your standout memories from that shoot?   Gosh, 10 years. Yikes! It was such a whirlwind experience. I remember flying into Vegas and from the second I got to Steve, it was non-stop action for the next 36 hours, going from his residency in Vegas to his headlining performance at Tomorrowland in Bethel Woods, New York. I don’t think I had ever seen this kind of mix of business and play on such a high level at that point. There was such a huge intensity/euphoria that came from his fans both in Vegas and at Tomorrowland – I mean, people were begging to get caked in the face – and then there was the other side of being an artist with producing music and creating business collaborations. And Steve seemed to have this limitless amount of energy – I remember at some point thinking, “Omigosh, can we just like not do something for just a little bit? I can’t keep up.” [Laughs] But it was exhilarating. It’s still an experience I carry with me as a photographer. What was your impression of Steve before the shoot? And what stood out to you most about him once you met?  I had some impressions of Steve before the shoot, mostly from the Cobrasnake era of the early 2000s, and him being a staple of the parties of those days. When I photographed Steve in 2014, it was at the height of EDM music in the U.S. and his show antics were such a part of that time. I just remember Steve being a very high-sensation seeker and he had a way of provoking and creating that experience. I think it’s what sets him apart as an artist and an individual. And so much of house and techno music is about freeing your mind for new experiences, but there are only so many personalities that can follow through on that mantra while still being put together. How did that experience influence how you came up with the creative for this new cover and feature with Steve? Can you talk a little about that concept? I think Steve’s level of energy with this laid-back attitude has always been an interesting hook for me and I was wondering what would be a good way to show this. This one afternoon, when I was driving out of another photoshoot in Los Angeles, I saw the billboard for the new Guy Ritchie series on Netflix (The Gentlemen) and thought, “Oh, that’s the right amount of polish and intensity” — but I needed that to feel less English and a little more Californian flair. This then led me to think of The Dude of The Big Lebowski. So it turned into The Dude meets Guy Ritchie’s energy with Steve Aoki’s signature. Something about this mixture just felt like the right balance for Steve’s style of fun, irreverence and action. Last year, Billboard also had its first-ever K-pop issue, for which you shot Chairman Bang of HYBE for the cover. Tell us a little what he was like a subject and what the shoot was like. Chairman Bang was probably the opposite of Steve Aoki – in the sense that Chairman Bang is a very behind-the-scenes guy. Creative yet controlled. And he was a more than gracious sitter – I remember that he wasn’t feeling very well that day, yet he still showed up and was game to try anything. This is Billboard‘s first AAPI issue – what does it mean to you to be part of it? I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of this and to be a part of highlighting contributions of AAPI community to the culture at large. I grew up not feeling very seen, represented or proud of what was represented in the mainstream media. Being able to find and see paths of “what could be for you” is an important part of self-actualization. When I got older, I started learning more about the contributions of the Asian community to culture at large – particularly in the arts and entertainment. I started realizing how much has been done before me and how those stories were readily available. Culture and celebration is informed by the stories we tell. I’m proud to be part of an issue that is blazing this path in one of the world’s most important music magazines.

Def Leppard’s first two albums vaulted five boys from working-class Sheffield, England to the vanguard of the new wave of British heavy metal. On 1983’s Pyromania, the quintet set their sights even higher. “There’s no point in trying to appeal to half the population,” bassist Rick Savage tells Billboard. “Why not appeal to 100% of the population?” With ace producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange back in the studio after 1981’s High ‘n’ Dry, Def Leppard crafted a technically sophisticated album of hard chugging yet melodic songs that catapulted them onto radio waves and stages usually reserved for pop stars. Prior to Pyromania, the music industry had been reluctant to invest in metal; an article in the April 14, 1984, Billboard quoted a radio executive who described “a longhaired kid wearing a torn Def Leppard shirt” as “the kind of person you wouldn’t want in your store.” After Pyromania, radio and record labels couldn’t ignore the growing genre any longer. Pyromania went all the way to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 (soaring past their previous peak of No. 38), produced two Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1s (“Photograph” for six weeks and “Rock of Ages”) and gave the band three top 30 Billboard Hot 100 hits (the aforementioned singles plus “Foolin’”). Trending on Billboard The album’s blockbuster success — which also eventually included a diamond RIAA certification for over 10 million units shipped — paved the way for the pop-metal crossover of bands like Bon Jovi, Guns N’ Roses and Poison, and set Def Lep up for a long, fruitful career. In 2022, the still-active band became only the third group to notch a top 10 album on the Billboard 200 in every decade since the ‘80s. Ahead of the 40th anniversary edition of Pyromania (out April 26), Savage and frontman Joe Elliott hopped on a Zoom call with Billboard to pull back the curtain on the making of the classic — as well as share thoughts on a former CMT Crossroads collaborator who has since become the biggest pop star in the world. Pyromania had the same producer, Mutt Lange, as the album that came out before it, High ‘n’ Dry. Even so, that one feels a bit rawer compared to Pyromania. Was it a conscious decision to give the album a cleaner production? Rick Savage: Yeah, absolutely, from day one. I mean, I don’t know if I’d call it clean. What we really set out to do was create this a wall of sound. High ‘n’ Dry was very much in your face and very aggressive. It was our first album with Mutt and he got us ultra-focused in creating a rock song. With Pyromania, we wanted to take a lot of elements of that but develop the harmonies, banks of vocals, banks of guitars, just everything very multitracked and very orchestral. And I think that’s the biggest thing, apart from the songs, which were obviously more developed and had a lot more nuances to them. Basically, the progression from High ‘n’ Dry is creating a wall of melodic mayhem, if you like. Joe Elliott: Yeah, that’s a good way of putting it. The obvious observations for those two records is that High ‘n’ Dry sounds like a band playing live and Pyromania sounds like a band in the studio — à la Pink Floyd, à la the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper — that sat down to craft some songs. They’re not just, “Okay, hit the record button and play it live.” That’s what High ‘n’ Dry sounds like — even though it actually wasn’t, because we did that in bits and bobs. But it has that impression. Technology was starting to change. Recording studios in 1981 were pretty much the same as they were in 1979. Recording studios in 1982, ’83, there’s new bits of equipment coming in on a daily basis that can do things: synthesizers, drum machines. Drum machines were a big part of the music industry, with The Human League and New Order. We were using this kind of stuff, but most rock bands weren’t. And the great thing about having Mutt on your side is he’d be very enthusiastic about saying, “Well, why not? Why can’t a rock band…” and then fill in whatever phrase you want. It would be like [why can’t a rock band] “use that technology that these arty pop bands are using within the field of rock and see where it gets you”? We didn’t want to make High ‘n’ Dry 2. I was looking through the Billboard archives, and an article from 1984 postulated that a lot of Def Leppard’s appeal was connected to youth. Other metal acts at the time – Ozzy, Motörhead, whatever – were in their thirties, but you guys were a bit younger and maybe more attractive to girls. Is that something you were aware of back in the day? Savage: God, yeah, absolutely. It was always 50-50, and in some cases, actually more girls than boys. There is a youthfulness to it, but it’s the music actually — we were just slightly different from the standard heavy metal, if you like. You mentioned Motörhead and Ozzy — two fantastic acts, don’t get me wrong, but they were very definitely of a certain sound. We were trying to expand on that and appeal to a wider range. We want to appeal to as many people as we can. There’s no point in trying to appeal to half the population — why not appeal to 100% of the population? All of a sudden, from Pyromania onwards, so many women and girls came to our shows. And it’s just testament to the actual songs, because they’re the things that get people first interested, and then everything else follows from that. Elliott: We are a weird band in that respect, because we’ve always wanted to be honest with people. When you are five kids from Sheffield and you want to get up on stage and play rock music, there’s an oomph to it. It’s got a feeling that I don’t think — with the greatest respect to, say, the Human League, when we opened for them one night in their embryonic stage, they’re behind plexiglass sheets with keyboards. It doesn’t really have that Townshend windmill factor to it. It’s always fun to play the rock stuff, you know, “Highway to Hell” or “Tie Your Mother Down.” But honestly, when we were in the factory rehearsing before we even played our first gig, we’d be talking about music way different than what we were playing. Me and Sav instantly bonded over the fact that we loved Kate Bush. Or the first two Peter Gabriel albums, which we were listening to way more than Motörhead. I don’t think Motörhead ever sat up a rehearsal room and had a discussion about “Wuthering Heights,” whereas we would. We always wanted it to be a glam rock, power guitar thing: Bowie, Slade, Sweet, Queen. That’s the fun element. [embedded content] That sophistication is especially apparent on “Photograph,” which is very well constructed. Speaking of, I know “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” got some MTV play, but “Photograph” was a huge staple for the channel. Was that on your minds at the time, using this new marketing tool to hit a wider audience? Savage: I don’t think so. It kind of happened in reverse. We weren’t really trying to market anything or become influenced by the latest media thing. We just got picked up from it, and we were fortunate in that respect. Before Pyromania was released, we knew that videos were coming to the fore. MTV was getting more and more popular, so it was just an obvious thing to do. We made two videos, one for “Photograph” and one for “Rock of Ages.” That was done in December of ’82, the album didn’t come out till early ‘83. Elliott: Yeah, there’s no doubt that when we were making the album, the last thing on our mind was worrying about, “Oh, we got to make videos.” The one that really started to get a bit of traction was “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak.” In London, we’d start receiving the odd phone call from management in New York saying, “Oh, yeah, they played ‘Bringin’ on the Heartbreak’ 40 times on MTV last week.” “Okay, interesting.” Then you three weeks later you get another message saying that High ‘n’ Dry started selling again. Three weeks later, you get another message: “Bloody hell, it’s selling 50,000 a week.” By the end of the year, we’re getting this message that it’s gone gold, so we know that this is not going gold because the radio — it’s gone gold because of MTV. We were just getting little messages as we’re [making] the [Pyromania] album. It’s like a mosquito in your ear, like, “Yeah, okay, fine.” “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak’ knocked on the door, but “Photograph” kicked it off its f–king hinges. It was the combination of radio — the song was absolutely produced to sound good on FM, there’s no doubt, it was Mutt Lange’s job to do that — and the video. By the time we got to America, we’re getting our head around the fact that this MTV thing is really a big deal. By the time we got on tour, the first thing we would do is check into the hotel and try to find it. It’s like, you can’t believe that there’s this 24-hour rock video channel — because as kids we had 30 minutes of Top of the Pops on a Thursday and an hour of the [The Old Grey] Whistle Test if you were allowed to stay up to watch bearded musicians play bearded music. That’s when we really realized the value of it. When we were delivering the videos, it was on the advice of people going, “You got to do this.” As you were saying about youth, because we were all 21, 22 years old, when somebody says, “You got to spend a day in Battersea Power Station shooting videos,” you go, “Great.” We learned after the fact that a lot of seasoned bands from the ‘70s were reluctant to do them, which is why a lot of videos by bands from the ‘70s that were presented in the ‘80s were crap. I think the only band that really grasped the nettle when they came back with a resurgence was Aerosmith. Really, they did a brilliant job with videos. But lots of other bands were like, “I don’t see why we’re having to do this.” We were the next generation, and started to realize, “This is almost as important as making the record.” Speaking of TV and “Photograph,” fast forward about 25 years. You’re on CMT Crossroads with a very young Taylor Swift singing that song. Did you ever think, “This person is going to become the biggest pop star in the world?” Savage: She was pretty big then, to be honest. It was unbelievable that somebody had such youth, but almost like an old head on young shoulders when she came to songwriting. It was actually quite eye-opening. It was great fun; it was a bit of a laugh. She’s quite popular now, isn’t she? But trust me, she was pretty popular then as well. I mean, not to the level she’s at now, obviously — but within the country scene she was as big as they came. It was a really great experience working with her and the band. She had a great band back then as well. Elliott: We were together for a week in Nashville for rehearsals. We were just so very impressed with Taylor — because, as you know, the album 1989 is called that because that’s year she was born. So basically, in the womb, she was listening to Pyro and Hysteria, because her mom was a big fan. She was born to Def Leppard, basically. [Prior to CMT Crossroads] we saw this article where she said, “There’s only one band I would do Crossroads with,” and it was us. We were beyond flattered and management said, “We should get in touch with her management to see if she actually really means it.” And she did. What impressed me the most was that when we got to the table of like, which songs we’re going to do, she wanted to do a lot of [Songs From the] Sparkle Lounge. I’m thinking, “She’s heard that song?” And then “Two Steps Behind” got pulled out, which wasn’t going to be suggested, but she says, “I want to do that one.” It’s all very logical and all very organic. It really was. I got to sing “Love Story,” bits from the perspective of a guy. She was really enthusiastic and obviously a big fan. And we became fans of her. I think we’d all be lying if we said we knew she was going to become as big as she has because she’s actually become bigger than anything that’s ever been before. She’s probably bigger than The Beatles and The Stones combined, for her generation of fans. I’ll probably get lynched by some 75-year-old reading this, but it’s all relative. Today it’s all about the streaming numbers and all that kind of stuff. There’s been a lot of massively successful bands, but she’s taken success to a level that is unheard of. It’s absolutely mad. It’s success beyond anything that anybody could have ever dreamed of, probably her herself. I’ve seen the Eras film and it’s astonishing what she’s done. I hope she works with us again one day. [Laughs.] [embedded content] I’ve read that “Rock of Ages” has a back-masked message of “F—k the Russians” on it. I wanted to ask if that was true, and if so, what inspired that. Savage: [Laughs.] Elliott: There’s a lot of backwards stuff in the middle of the solo, because we had we discovered all these toys that could instantly do things backwards. This is what I was talking about with the technology. It was 1982, England was at war with Argentina over the Falklands, and there was the Cold War, which was always on the horizon. You know, you read in the paper, Brezhnev this, and whoever the American was in it, Reagan. You’d be reading about it and we were just jokingly saying things on the mic and would just turn it around backwards. And it wasn’t what you said, it was how it sounded backwards. It’s like, “That sounds really weird, shove it in the solo!” What was more important was how it sounded the other way around. In fairness, one of the words was “a—hole” backwards, and it just went really well within the melody of the solo, you know? Savage: The song is so sparse and open. We needed cues as guitar players as to when we’re going to come in because we didn’t have a vocal at the time. It was very easy to get lost in, because we’re just playing it to a drum machine. A lot of the stuff was there as cues to when the next part was coming up, of which “gunter gleiben glauchen globen” was one of them. It was much like saying, “1-2-3-4, here comes the bridge” sort of thing. So yeah, there was a load of stuff going down on that particular song, just to keep us interested. Elliott: Yeah, absolutely. Like you said, this was born out of cabin fever, because this was the first time that we’d been in a studio doing 22-hour days, six days, maybe seven days a week and we’re probably into month six or seven so you start to go a bit ’round the bend. You start doing crazy stuff. People always mock rock bands for being silly, but I’ve read so many articles about what you might call sophisticated artists doing stuff just as stupid because they had cabin fever. The Beatles, Clapton, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, just doing goofy s–t in the studio because it relieves the tension, relieves the boredom.

Billboard and Tres Generaciones Tequila are partnering to find out the Get Up Anthems of select cities, and the first stop is Houston, Texas. Ahead of the curated list, in this ‘Man on the Street,’ we tapped Houston locals to help share some of their favorite hometown hits that have inspired and energized their city, including “Savage Remix” by Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé and artists like Bun B, Pimp C and more! Be sure to check out the official Get Up Anthems for Houston presented by Tres Generaciones Tequila. Tetris Kelly: It’s Tetris. Billboard and Tres Generaciones Tequila have partnered up to find the biggest Get Up Anthem in each city? Today we’re in Houston, the home of barbecue and southern wraps, and we ask the locals which bops inspire and energize this city. Okay, so we’re putting together the Top 10 Get Up Anthems in Houston by people in Houston. So what do you think should be on that list? Local #1 I think “Wanna Be A Baller” is a cult classic.  Tetris Kelly: Are you a baller?  Local #1: Oh you know it. Tetris Kelly: Okay I was just checking.  Local #2: Pimp C. It’s all Pimp C. Tetris Kelly:  Anything Pimp C is representing the city right? Local #2: Yeah! Local #3: My opinion, DeeBaby is killing the game right now. Him and That Mexican OT. Yea Tetris Kelly: This man is giving me so much knowledge right now. Local #4: I want to say Beyonce because she’s from Houston, Texas. Hey, no, Hold ’em. Tetris Kelly: I gotta know what’s your Houston anthem?  Local #5: “Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion and Beyonce. Tetris Kelly: Oh I knew it. Local #5 H-Town hotties! Tetris Kelly: Oh I was told Tres is for the hotties.  Local #6 We got Tejano, we got Spanish, RnB, it’s a little bit of everything. I’m a Bun B baby though, I’m a Bun B baby Local #7 For me it’s gonna be that “Get throwed”  Tetris Kelly: Oh Bun B! Keep watching to learn more!

It’s time for another spindle around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music. Sony Music Germany appointed Jean-Sebastien Permal and Jenny Walzer to run noted. records, the label giant’s newly launched electronic music imprint. A&R and strategy at the Berlin-based label will be handled by Permal, whose day job is vp of A&R for Europe & Africa, while marketing and operations will be the purview of Walzer, also a senior product manager at Sony Music. The label’s first signing is DJ-producer Anfisa Letyago, whose first track on noted. — “Feelin” — was just released. Germany is the fourth-biggest market for recorded music, growing 7% in 2023, according to IFPI’s latest global report. The country also has the most dance music listeners on Spotify, on a monthly basis, according to figures via the annual IMS Business Report. Another key finding in that tome: “The global dance music business is now firmly in its post-pandemic growth phase,” with 17% annual growth and a valuation of $11.8 billion. Trending on Billboard “Electronic music as a genre has never been as potent as it is today,” said Permal. “We recognized the need to provide a home for artists with a strong and unique musical and visual identity. We are thrilled to have Anfisa Letyago as our first signed artist and are incredibly ambitious about her project.“ Meanwhile… ASM Global named veteran sustainability strategist Lindsay Arell as its first-ever chief sustainability officer. The company’s portfolio already boasts more than 50 green certified venues, and Arell’s appointment speaks to its “leadership and commitment to sustainability,” says chief executive and president Ron Bension. Arell said she will will continue to lead Honeycomb Strategies, her 14-year-old consulting firm advising sports and events industry leaders on sustainable strategies. “I’m thrilled at the chance to spearhead ASM’s sustainability initiatives working alongside our teams and communities across our over 400 global venues.” Arell said. “By providing our venue teams with the necessary knowledge and resources, we can accelerate the progress of our program significantly.” Reservoir made a slate of key promotions at Big Life, its UK-centric artist management agency. Kat Kennedy, Colin Roberts and Claire Kilcourse were promoted to partners, with Kennedy also taking on a new role as managing director, the company said. Combined, the trio have clocked roughly 46 years at Big Life — no small fete. “They’ve all shown incredible loyalty to the company,” said Big Life co-founder Tim Parry. “The longstanding relationships they have built with their clients are testament to their dedication, thoughtfulness, and expertise as managers, and I look forward to the continuing success they will bring to the Big Life brand.” Samantha Sklar Position Music promoted Samantha Sklar to vp of A&R at the Virgin Music-distributed indie publisher. Sklar, who joined Position in 2022 following a fruitful tenure at Warner Chappell Music, recently found success with the signing of Jack LaFrantz, who co-wrote Benson Boone’s hit “Beautiful Things.” While at WCM the A&R exec notably signed Stephen Kirk, co-writer of BTS’ “Butter.” Position Music head of A&R Mark Chipello dubbed Sklar a “publisher through and through [who] has an incredible drive to serve writers and create opportunities for them.” Como No‘s founder Andy Wood announced he’s stepping down as director of the U.K.-based Latin music promoter company after 40 years, with Elena Beltrami unveiled as the new director. Wood will stay on as a non-executive board member. “On a daily basis I have felt humbled by the breadth of talent from Latin America and beyond that I have had the good fortune to work with,” said Wood, who formed Como No in 1985 and founded La Linea Festival, which just wrapped its 24th edition. “It’s been a privilege to work within a culture that I love, and with artists that I love in this great city of ours, for incredible audiences and with supportive venues and partners.” –Griselda Flores AIM and BPI appointed Roxy Erickson as project manager of its ramped-up Music Climate Pact. The pact, initiated by the two UK organizations, works to bring music businesses together to take collective action to combat the climate crisis. The pact’s signatories include BMG, Beggars Group, Ninja Tune, Partisan Records, Secretly Group and the big three majors. Erickson is co-founder of Creative Zero, a collective of like-minded professions working to “generate positive environmental and social impact throughout the creative industries,” according to its website. ALL IN THE FAM: Pam Sturchio is Billboard‘s new regional vp of brand partnerships, effective immediately. The Chicagoan joins Billboard after more than 10 years at Conde Nast, where she oversaw Midwest sales for the media company’s sprawling portfolio of brands … We also welcomed Lilian Gonzalez as our new e-commerce writer, based in Los Angeles. She was previously an associate producer at POPSUGAR, where she focused on all things beauty and fitness (including the Dance Fitsugar video series). Joanne Hunter and Renata Muniz launched a new media and brand strategy agency called Out of Office Group. The partners, who both served as vps of media and brand strategy at Def Jam Recordings, have hit the ground running and are already working with several breakout acts, including KenTheMan, Shanae and Genia, among others. You can reach the LA-based Hunter and the NYC-based Muniz at info@outofofficegroup.com. Dan P Carter, longtime curator of ‘The Rock Show’ on BBC Radio 1, joined Spinefarm Music Group as director of artist development. The London-based rock n’ roll evangelist will work alongside the Spinefarm team to sign and develop artists, and is set to report directly to general manager Jonas Nachsin. Other recent Spinefarm hires include Leah Devine and Tristan Pratt as marketing managers. Spinefarm’s current roster includes Bullet For My Valentine, Atreyu, Airbourne, Killing Joke, Black Label Society and While She Sleeps, among others. Please & Thank You, an agency specializing in VIP events & experiences, hired a couple veterans of the experiential arts. Meg Pollaro is the Eddie Meehan-founded company’s new vp of business development and partnerships, following notable roles at CAA, WME/Endeavor and Superfly. At P&TY, she’ll connect the dots between brands, consumers and artists. Jason Barrett joined as vp of strategy and development following a GM role at WMX, the creative services division of Warner Music Group. At his politely named new job, Barrett will focus his efforts on creating long-term deals for artists, managers and agents. Kendra Whitehead NASHVILLE NOTES: Brown Sellers Brown welcomed Kendra Whitehead as director of artist relations and day-to-day management of Joe Nichols. The veteran radio promoter previously banked 11 years with BMG, specifically with Wheelhouse Records and Red Bow Records … The Folk Alliance International named Jennifer Roe executive director of the organization after holding the post in an interim capacity. She was previously the FAI operations director. Recording Academy veteran Jeriel Johnson is celebrating early successes following the launch of Telescope Arts & Music Group, his own artist management and consulting company. Johnson, former executive director of the Academy’s DC chapter and most recently a senior director at UMG, announced that his first signing, Bajan singer-songwriter Ayoni, signed a record deal with Def Jam Recordings earlier this month. Johnson is also co-producing the next United States Army Field Band album and, as an artist, helped write a new track on Shenseea’s forthcoming album. You can reach Johnson at jeriel@telescopearts.com. Endeavor hired public policy executive Matt Kaplan as vp of government relations. Kaplan was most recently director of public policy at Meta, with prior experience at Instacart and Lyft. In DC, he has worked for Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and the Biden-Harris campaign in 2020. His appointment at Endeavor was first reported by Variety. Greg Kastelman joined Park Avenue Artists as co-director of artist bookings, working alongside co-director Devi Reddy. Kastelman spent the last five years running his own booking agency and brings to PAA a roster that includes Brazilian singer Badi Assad and Ethio-American singer Meklit Hadero, among others. “PAA’s approach reaffirmed my confidence that artist managers and agents could be compassionate and forward thinking, affirming artists in their journey,” Kastelman notes. “I am thrilled to be working alongside Devi and the agency to tackle big challenges and embrace unique opportunities.” BOARD SHORTS: Indie music publishers trade body IMPF elected six new members to its board at its 2024 general assembly in Dublin. They are Emily Stephenson (Downtown Music Publishing), Rosa M. Vizcaíno Gómez (Ediciones Musicales Clipper’s), Claudia Mescoli (Edizioni Curci), Tatjana Bukvić (Tin Drum Music), Cecilia Léon Rodrigo (Ediciones Joaquín Rodrigo) and Denise Andrikopoulou (D-Version Music Publishing) … The National Association of Broadcasters elected five new members to its NAB Radio Board: Mary Menna (Beasley Media), Chris Forgy (Saga Communications), Erik Hellum (Townsquare Media), Tim Swift (Bonneville) and Jerry “J” Chapman (Woof Boom Radio). Symphonic Distribution hired BMG and UMG veteran Stephen Nightingale as vp of A&R and business development, Canada. Reporting to Symphonic’s chief creative officer, Randall Foster, Nightingale will be responsible for expanding the independent music distribution and marketing company’s roster and building up its partnerships in the region. Based in Toronto, Nightingale was most recently vp of recorded music in Canada for BMG. Earlier in his career, he was a marketing and business development exec at Universal Music Group. ROYAL TEA: Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have a new executive communications team in place. Charlie Gipson is director of communications and will be point of contact for all UK and European media outlets. Kyle Boulia is deputy press secretary and director of communication for US media relations and is based in Los Angeles. They replace Miranda Barbot, who has been upped to vp of programs and media operation for the D&DofS. ICYMI: Elliott Wilson Gary Roden abruptly resigned as general manager of Oak View Group’s Co-op Live, the UK’s biggest arena that’s been beset with hiccups ahead of its opening … Audacy reduced its workforce by “less than 2%” … Elliott Wilson was named editorial director of UPROXX, HipHopDX and Dime magazine … Kelli Skye Fadroski joined the AEG-owned Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater, and L.A LIVE as Manager of Communications. Last Week’s Turntable: ‘Tiny Desk’ Maestro Has New Job