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On Valentine’s Day, Drake teamed up with OVO signee and frequent collaborator PARTYNEXTDOOR to release the collaborative album Some Sexy Songs 4 U, a 21-track project that marks his first release since the three-track project 100 Gigs last August.
More significantly, it’s his first release since he filed a lawsuit against his record label, Universal Music Group (UMG), on Jan. 15 for defamation over the release of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” the searing, chart-topping diss track aimed at the Canadian rapper that was released by UMG’s Interscope Records. In the lawsuit, lawyers for Drake alleged that “UMG intentionally sought to turn Drake into a pariah, a target for harassment, or worse,” by pushing a “false and malicious narrative” that the star rapper was a “certified pedophile,” as Lamar rapped on the track. (UMG, in response, said in part, “Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist—let alone Drake—is illogical.”)
That raises the question: How is Drake able to release an album while he’s actively suing the record label to which he’s signed?
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First, the logistics: The new album was released jointly through OVO Sound, to which PARTYNEXTDOOR is signed, which is distributed by Santa Anna, a company under Sony Music Group’s Alamo Records umbrella; and OVO, which is Drake’s vehicle through UMG’s Republic Records. They are co-billed that way and in that order on digital service providers like Spotify and Apple Music. These types of joint releases are relatively common; think Future and Metro Boomin’s back-to-back We Don’t Trust You albums last year, released jointly via Future’s label Epic Records (also a Sony label) and Metro’s label Republic Records. (Coincidentally, We Don’t Trust You contained the song “Like That” featuring Lamar, the track that kicked off the Drake-Kendrick beef in earnest.) Another, more current, example is the Lady Gaga–Bruno Mars collaboration “Die With A Smile,” currently sitting at No. 1 on the Hot 100 for its fifth week, which is co-billed to Gaga’s Interscope and Mars’ Atlantic Records.
That means UMG would have had to legally clear Drake’s appearance on the album, an outcome that a handful of lawyers consulted by Billboard say would not necessarily be affected by any ongoing litigation. “Suing UMG shouldn’t preclude him from working with them legally,” one lawyer says. “As for their desire to be in a contractual relationship with him while he is litigating against them, that’s a different story.” Adds another, who agreed that it would not affect his ability to release an album: “Whether or not UMG decides to properly fund and support a release that Drake wants to do while Drake is suing UMG is another question.”
A UMG spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In its response to the initial lawsuit last month, the company wrote, “We have invested massively in [Drake’s] music and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success. … Throughout his career, Drake has intentionally and successfully used UMG to distribute his music and poetry to engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth ‘rap battles’ to express his feelings about other artists. He now seeks to weaponize the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression and to seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.”
An artist suing their record label is not an unheard-of occurrence; it has happened several times through the years, often over royalty payments or other contractual disputes. Suing their own record label for defamation over a diss track, however, is unprecedented; given the mutually beneficial financials involved in an artist and an album’s commercial success, it would stand to reason that UMG would not aim to materially harm one of their superstar artists. But that’s a determination for the courts to make.
Additional reporting by Elias Leight.
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It’s time to take another trip to the White Lotus.
The Emmy-winning HBO original series The White Lotus is back, bringing a whole new cast of seemingly picture-perfect travelers and enthusiastic hotel employees to an idyllic locale for its third season. Taking place at an exclusive Thai resort, this new group of guests and employees will party, fight and undoubtedly cause mischief within the span of a week. Who will come out unscathed? Tune in to the White Lotus season 3 premiere airing this Sunday (Feb. 16) at 9 p.m. ET/PT, airing on HBO and streaming on Max.
As much as we loved the season 2 cast, we can’t wait to uncover all the dark, twisted mysteries that a new batch of characters are hiding. This season of the anthology series stars Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Michelle Monaghan, Walton Goggins, Aimee Lou Wood, Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Sarah Catherine Hook, Sam Nivola and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Also, making her acting debut in the upcoming season is BLACKPINK’s LISA.
“I don’t know what to feel right now. I’m just so excited. I can’t wait for all of you guys to watch this show,” LISA told Variety in a recent interview. “It is my first acting [experience] so I don’t know what to expect on set, but everybody just being so supportive helped me a lot. So thank you, everyone.”
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To learn more about how you can watch The White Lotus season 3, check out our guide below.
Here’s How to Watch & Stream ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3
The eight-episode season makes it the longest of the series so far. The season 3 premiere will air this Sunday (Feb. 16) at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with following episodes airing weekly on HBO and streaming on Max. Not subscribed to Max? There’s plenty of bundle streaming deals to help you save big and offer an even bigger library of shows, movies and live TV.
Max’s bundle deal with Hulu and Disney+ allows subscribers to stream from all three platforms for one base price. On their own, each streamer costs $10/month, but the Max bundle gets you all three for just $16.99. That’s a 43% savings and one of the best Max deals online.
For Amazon Prime members, get a 7-day free trial to Max here. Max doesn’t currently offer a free trial on its site, so this Prime Video promotion is the only way to stream Max online for free right now.
The above free trials are reserved for Amazon Prime members exclusively. Not a Prime member? Get a 30-day free trial to test out the service here. Besides Prime Video, the subscription includes free shipping on millions of items, a subscription to Amazon Prime Music and other member benefits.
Want to experience your own (hopefully more peaceful) White Lotus vacation? The Mike White-created series teamed up with Away for a limited-edition luxury travel collection. The collab features a trio of getaway bags, including the popular hardside carry-on luggage, luxe beach bags, and custom accessories. Each item features raffia-inspired exterior and leather details. Shop the collection below.
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Watch the trailer for the upcoming season 3 of The White Lotus below.
With the beginning of Presidents’ Day weekend and Valentine’s Day coming together on the same day, a number of today’s biggest stars have dropped new music for fans to enjoy all long weekend. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news To kick things off, Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR got fans […]
Westside Gunn is back like he said he would be. The Buffalo rapper and Griselda Records head honcho dropped a project today entitled 12. The tape is 11 tracks long and features Estee Nack, Stove God Cooks, Brother Tom Sos, AA Rashid and Eljiah Hook, plus production from The Standouts, Denny Laflare, Daringer, Crucial Guillotine, […]
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. Two lightweight boxers go head-to-head in “The City That Never Sleeps” on Friday (Feb. 14): Denys Berinchyk (19-0-0) battles Keyshawn Davis […]
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Jelly Roll achieves his seventh No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “Liar” rises 2-1 to the top of the ranking dated Feb. 22. It increased by 1% to 30.3 million impressions Feb. 7-13, according to Luminate. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Nashville native co-authored “Liar” […]
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was one of the most watched shows of all time. We’re taking you inside the big day with an exclusive interview from the NFL’s Head of Music sharing how the show was created, talking with the hottest stars about his performance and more! What did you think of Kendrick’s […]
Looking for some tunes to help you celebrate a queer-inclusive Valentine’s Day? Allow us to help: Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ+ artists.
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From Sam Smith’s lovestruck new single to Lucy Dacus’ stunning new track, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Sam Smith, “Love Is a Stillness”
Throughout their decade-plus in the music business, Sam Smith quickly became defined as a once-in-a-generation singer turning heartbreak into gorgeous ballads. Their most recent LP took Smith in a new, more joyous direction, embracing high-camp club pop aesthetics and lighter emotional these. Now, Smith is bringing those two worlds together on “Love Is a Stillness,” their new song marketed as a Valentine’s Day gift to fans. Bringing the beautiful balladry of In the Lonely Hour and melding it with the jubilant lyricism of Gloria, “Love Is a Stillness” sees Smith stripping themself down to their sparest elements in order to deliver a short, gorgeous ode to the simplicity of love.
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Lucy Dacus, “Best Guess”
When you take away the admittedly excellent artifice surrounding Lucy Dacus’ new single “Best Guess” — including its star-studded music video paying homage to “hot mascs” everywhere — you’re left with a rich love song that deserves more credit for its gorgeous lyricism. Dacus has long been one of the best songwriter’s currently working in the business, and that poetic streak certainly does end here. Add onto that the singer’s emotionally resonant and understated alto voice, and you’ve got a must-hear love song for this Valentine’s Day.
Japanese Breakfast, “Mega Circuit”
Got any toxic men in your life that need to be checked really quick? Press play on Japanese Breakfast’s new single “Mega Circuit,” and you’ll hear Michelle Zauner commiserating right along with you. Over a sometimes-spooky, always-catchy shuffle provided by legendary guitarist Jim Keltner, Zauner looks at the state of masculinity in 2025 with a rueful shake of her head: “Plotting blood with your incel eunuchs,” she sighs. “I could be the home you need.”
Jake Wesley Rogers, “God Bless”
It’s a sentiment that you do not need a reminder for yet bears repeating all the same: the world is chaos right now. But instead of succumbing to the inherent pain of that idea, Jake Wesley Rogers wants to embrace it. On “God Bless,” the singer invokes an original gospel-style hymn to point out all the inherent contradictions and paradoxes in our modern society, both good and bad, before settling on a mantra we all can get behind: “God bless, it’s a beautiful f–king mess.”
Rainbow Kitten Surprise, “Espionage”
After releasing their excellent album Love Hate Music Box in 2024, Rainbow Kitten Surprise is taking a victory lap with their new single “Espionage.” Over some truly groovy pianos and guitars, frontperson Ela Melo lets her laid-back vocal speak for itself, as she and the rest of the band join in to deliver this “anti-love anthem’s” irresistible chorus. If you’re not really feeling the love this V-Day, then let Rainbow Kitten Surprise take you somewhere else entirely.
Morgan Saint, Out of the Blue
Morgan Saint’s debut album Out of the Blue is an LP that might take some time to digest — the singer herself says that it took her a while to untangle all the emotions involved. But that’s also what makes this album such a remarkable listen; across 11 tracks, Saint explores a series of constant themes in all of our lives, from love (on the stunning title track in particular) to trauma (“Deep”), all over a series of increasingly great indie-pop tracks. She may have appeared Out of the Blue for you, but keep an eye on Morgan Saint. Now that she’s here, she’s sticking around.
Madison Rose, “She’s the One”
Let’s close this out with a certified club banger, shall we? Queer pop paragon Madison Rose’s “She’s the One” isn’t interested in being taken seriously, or being taken in any particular way for that matter — as Rose cooly declares halfway through the track, “if you call her a bitch, but that in front of it.” A growling beat, some banging production and Rose’s unparalleled confidence make for the perfect strut soundtrack. Looking for a pick-me-up this weekend? Look no further, because this song is, in fact, the one.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
Rosalía is set to join the cast of HBO’s hit series Euphoria for its third season, set to premiere in 2026. First reported by Deadline on Friday (Feb. 14), the Spanish singer-songwriter and producer will act alongside returning original cast members including Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney and Hunter Schafer. New cast additions also include […]