In Canada: bbno$ Found Sanctuary Online. Now, He Wants to Pay It Forward to Others
Categoria: Musica
Also up north this week: Billboard Canada reveals its music managers to watch, and Diljit Dosanjh meets students enrolled in a university course dedicated to him.
Por Billboard | 05/06/2026
Who is bbno$? If you ask the music industry, he’s one of the most successful anomalies on the global charts. He’s the always-viral rapper, singer and songwriter who’s earned more than a billion Spotify streams, back-to-back Juno Fan Choice Awards and prime upcoming slots at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and NXNE next week (check back at Billboard Canada for more details). Related Bbno$ Climbs Into Top 10 of TikTok Billboard Top 50 | Billboard News Clive Davis Hospitalized in New York After Respiratory Issue — UPDATE How Access Opera's John Burton Kickstarted Ye's Touring Comeback: 'He's Like the Michael Jordan of This Thing' He’s the artist who has record labels scratching their heads by reaching the fans they wish they could, right where they live: on the internet. He’s also someone who describes his live show as “the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in my life” and means it as high self-praise. But for the 30-year-old Vancouver native, the tougher question is: who is Alex Gumuchian? “It’s a fine line,” he says, speaking over Tibetan momos at Loga’s Corner in Toronto. “I use bbno$ as an avenue to be the most extravagant self I want Alex to be on a regular basis, but I can’t.” His music has helped him find his voice and his confidence. Now, he’s focused on figuring out the man behind it. bbno$ (pronounced “baby no money” not bibinos) is currently on the Internet Explorer Tour, his biggest-ever global tour on the heels of his self-titled 2025 album that hit No. 33 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart and spawned the hit “check,” which took over the airwaves and landed at No. 50 on the 2025 Year-End Billboard Canada Radio Songs Chart . A bbno$ show is a high-energy and unpredictable event, filled with memes, costumes, props and laser dicks. It’s also extremely supportive, a space for fans to be their weirdest selves and bond over brain rot. It’s like a non-toxic version of the internet come to life. For Gumuchian, that’s important. Online is where he found community as a homeschooled child in B.C. “It was kind of like my main friend,” he remembers. “I played World of Warcraft for years, and I met so many people that way. I fell in love with how much community there is [online]. The most important thing for me is distilling that for people who enjoy positivity and want to have fun, because there’s so much of the opposite in the world.” In this new Billboard Canada cover story, he opens up about the man behind the music. From sexuality to strategy, he’s creating a sanctuary for himself — and his fans — to express themselves freely. Read the full story here . — Richard Trapunski Billboard Canada Announces Matthew Burnett and Jordan Evans as Music Managers of the Year for 2026 Matthew Burnett and Jordan Evans are Billboard Canada ‘s 2026 Managers to Watch. The powerhouse duo behind Daniel Caesar have been working closely with the R&B singer from the very start, helping guide one of the