State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
Page: 30
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Black Thanksgivings are always a vibe; the kind of holiday where the food, the people, and the energy all come together to create pure comedy and comfort. There’s the sound of laughter in the kitchen, the smell of something frying that probably shouldn’t be frying, and at least three people yelling at the TV during the football game. Somebody’s blasting old-school R&B, somebody else is asking who made the potato salad, and everybody’s plate looks like they’re trying to avoid cooking for the next three days. It’s warm, it’s loud, it’s chaotic, and it’s home.
What makes Black Thanksgiving memes and GIFs so funny is that no matter where you’re from, the traditions are basically identical. We all have that uncle who shows up late and still wants a to-go plate, that cousin who suddenly “don’t eat pork no more,” and that elder who turns the pre-meal prayer into a whole sermon. We joke about it every year, but we also know it’s precisely what makes the holiday feel right. Those shared experiences, the inside jokes that every Black family somehow has in common, make the internet feel like one big living room.
Then there are the reaction moments that only Black families truly understand. The way everyone freezes when someone mentions politics. The side-eyes exchanged when a new partner is introduced. The dramatic gasps when someone announces they’re trying a new mac and cheese recipe. Memes and GIFs capture this stuff so perfectly that you can’t help but laugh, because it’s literally your family on screen, even if the people look nothing like yours. They’re funny because they’re us – loud, loving, messy, and memorable.
So, before diving into the list of memes and GIFs that’ll have you crying with laughter, grab a plate, sit back, and get ready to relive every chaotic, heartwarming moment of Thanksgiving with a Black family… because if you know, you know!
1. Something Fathers Don’t Play About
Source:KingJosiah54
2. A Mix Of Shame & Confusion
Source:Phil_Lewis_
3. CP Time Forreal. Lol
Source:Phil_Lewis_
4. A Heavenly Nap On The Horizon
Source:Phil_Lewis_
5. Blowing Up The Spot
Source:TOOTTHEBARBER
6. We Have Chairs. Lol
Source:TreBanks
7. “Gotta Jet”
Source:MochaDropNIQ
8. So Accurate. Lmao
Source:l3sliee
9. Do We Have To?
Source:SCseminole99
10. PLOTTING HARD
Source:SCseminole99
11. Thanksgiving Clapbacks >
Source:cyiaray
12. Granny’s Still Got It!
Source:Essence
13. Myyy Dawg
Source:Girlzlovejordan
14. We ALL Know This One. Lol
Source:penspiffy
15. Give It A Break Already
Source:twerkuleez
16. REAL TEARS
Source:penspiffy
17. Servant Vibes. Lol
Source:Mike_SaysSo
18. Great Food, Even Better Tea
Source:Chmira_
Trending on Billboard
It took four years following 2021 predecessor Sitll Over It, but R&B star Summer Walker‘s Finally Over It finally arrived two Fridays ago (Nov. 14).
The third and presumed installment in Walker’s highly acclaimed Over It album series debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart this week, with 77,000 first-week units. The numbers mark the best debut for an album by a woman R&B artist in 2025 — defining such albums as those that are eligible for, or have charted on, Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart — but are down from Still, which entered at No. 1 with 166,000 units in 2021.
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How do those numbers compare to our expectations? And does the album itself live up to the first two parts of the trilogy? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.
1. Summer Walker’s Finally Over It debuts at No. 2 this week with 77,000 equivalent album units. Are those numbers higher, lower, or about what you expected for it?Mackenzie Cummings-Grady: This is personally right in line with what I expected, and if No. 1 wasn’t T-Swift and it wasn’t the week before Thanksgiving, this number easily could have been higher. Considering it’s been four years since Summer’s last project, and the only hit single to hype up this album was “Heart of a Woman,” which is over a year old at this point, 77,000 just gets more impressive the more you realize it highlights how devoted Summer’s fanbase is at this point.
Kyle Denis: These numbers are certainly lower than I expected. Both Over It and Still Over It opened with over 130,000 album units, so to go from that to barely surpassing 75,000 — with nearly 20 songs, multiple deluxe editions and an overall buzzier collection of guest artists — is pretty disappointing.
Gail Mitchell: Given the debut numbers for Walker’s first two albums, Over It (134,000) and Still Over It (166,000), this new number is lower than I expected. However, four years have elapsed since her last album, with Finally Over It landing in a very different economic climate. Consumers deal with higher prices for food, healthcare and other essentials. Meaning that for some, purchases of concert/festival tickets, music and other discretionary items are lower priorities right now.
Michael Saponara: I’d say that number is slightly higher than I anticipated. Even though 77,000 is less than half of what Still Over It did in 2021, we’re just in a much different climate when it comes to album sales. Couple that with an extended rollout that didn’t include a hit single leading into the project released this year, and the sum makes sense.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s a little lower. The rollout was messy and the singles were poorly timed, but I thought the continued interest in Walker and affection for the Over It series was enough to transcend the promotional miscues — especially because I think the album itself is quite strong. But a lot of artists are pulling up a little short of expectations on streaming right now, and I suppose Walker is no exception.
2. Finally Over It arrives over a year after she initially announced the album, and almost exactly four years after she released its predecessor, Still Over It. Based on the early returns, would you say the protracted rollout helped its debut performance, hurt it, or had no major impact on it?Mackenzie Cummings-Grady: I think the tour with Chris Brown definitely helped keep Summer as a part of the conversation, even though the rollout didn’t really kick into high gear until maybe a month or two ago. I think if it had been any other R&B singer, this rollout would have seriously hurt the project. If anything, these impressive first-week numbers show that Summer Walker has a real, devoted fanbase who show up for their girl even if the momentum culturally isn’t all the way there. For Summer fans, this may sound obvious, but for someone who doesn’t religiously follow her, I found it impressive and surprising how deep that support really went.
Kyle Denis: Over the past year, the Finally Over It rollout has felt very start-stop, which caused confusion and exasperation among some fans. We seemed to be headed somewhere after “Heart of a Woman” arrived in October 2024… and then it was practically radio silent until “Spend It” came around six months later. While “Spend It” came and went quickly, Summer opened select dates on Chris Brown’s Breezy Bowl XX Tour, but her sets didn’t contain any tangible messaging regarding when fans could expect her new album. In fact, the latest stage of the Finally Over It rollout began at the top of October, just a month and a half before the album hit DSPs and after a year of confusing false starts. I’m sure the clunky campaign caused some listeners to tune out or put the album on the backburner, thus hurting its debut performance.
Gail Mitchell: I don’t think the protracted rollout had a major impact on its debut. Walker still made an impressive bow at No. 2 against Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl juggernaut. So Walker still hasn’t lost her status as an R&B/pop crossover torch-bearer. Plus she’s back in the Grammy derby again with two nods (best R&B performance, best R&B song) for the album’s platinum-certified lead single, the aching “Heart of a Woman.” That’s not too shabby given the four-year break between albums.
Michael Saponara: I think the protracted rollout hurt the album a bit when it came to commercial performance. Summer had plenty of solid tracks and star-studded collaborations in the holster to raise hype and awareness surrounding the final installment of the trilogy to build her world out even further heading into Finally Over It. While “Heart of a Woman” is a Grammy-nominated single, it was still released over a year before the project ultimately arrived.
Andrew Unterberger: It probably hurt it a little, especially just in that if this album had come out in 2023, when streaming numbers across the board were still a little higher, I bet it would’ve done some brisker business there. But whether it’s about the industry, the timing or the album itself, it also feels like maybe the excitement just isn’t quite there for Finally Over It like there was for its two predecessors.
3. The new album also charts seven songs on the Hot 100 in its debut frame. Which, if any of them, seems like the likely breakout hit from the project to you? Mackenzie Cummings-Grady: I’m a little surprised by how low these songs debuted on the Hot 100, considering how impactful the album as a whole was, but the order they’re in makes sense to me. Fans were really talking about Doja and Latto’s features on “Go Girl,” so I can see that song separating from the pack in a few weeks.
Kyle Denis: I’m gonna put my money behind “No” right now. It’s right in that ‘00s R&B pocket that’s spinning out career-best chart hits for Kehlani right now, and the Beyoncé flip is clean. “FMT” has the advantage of a new music video, and while I think it’s one Summer’s best attempts at a straight-up pop ballad, I think it’ll end up more of a minor hit à la SZA’s “Nobody Gets Me” (which it bears notable sonic similarities to). I’d also keep an eye on “Baller” (the verses are hit-and-miss, but the hook is sticky) and “Go Girl” (TikTok might be clowning it, but it’s clearly also connecting with people).
Gail Mitchell: “Heart of a Woman” is a strong act to follow. However, “No” is another equally potent contender with its infectious hook and clever interpolation of Beyoncé’s 2003 song “Yes.” Through Walker’s emotive vocals, you feel the angst, frustration and heartbreak she’s endured… but also the maturity, strength and self-love she possesses now that she’s on the other side of the romance conundrum. And it’s all encapsulated in a one-word declaration: No. Honorable mention: “1-800 Heartbreak.”
Michael Saponara: I’m going with “Baby.” Chris Brown has still been able to dominate radio and I could see the apologetic track picking up steam on the airwaves and remaining in the R&B zeitgeist heading into 2026. It’s also an addictive listen and fans are already familiar with the Mariah Carey “Always Be My Baby” interpolation and sample built into “Baby,” which debuted at No. 68 on the Hot 100.
Andrew Unterberger: Yes to “No.” That’s some classic, timeless R&B right there. 4. Over It and Still Over It were two of the most acclaimed and successful R&B albums of the last decade — does Finally Over It feel like a worthy closer to the trilogy to you?Mackenzie Cummings-Grady: It’s definitely not as captivating as Over It and Still Over It were when they first came out, with the former being a certified classic at this point. Both of those albums felt fresh and unique, and I think Finally Over It instead offers more of what we’ve come to expect from Summer at this point, which is both a good and bad thing. She’s in her bag, and the highlights are high, but the album is long and grows sluggish at points. Regardless, it feels like a fitting closer, and hit me the same way The Dark Knight Rises did when it first hit theaters — I was entertained and satisfied with the conclusion, even despite its bloated runtime, but to compare it to The Dark Knight’s perfection in any way felt like a travesty.
Kyle Denis: I think I need more time with Finally Over It. I appreciate the bigger swings and more polished late ’90s/early ’00s sound, but there’s a rawness and vulnerability that’s missing for me — and those are the elements that most draw me into a Summer project. At the very least, Finally feels like a natural progression from its two predecessors.
Gail Mitchell: Yes it does, especially given the title track that helps close out disc two. “It’s over/ All the mess… all the stress,” Walker sings before pledging that “With you, love doesn’t hurt / Love is for better or worse / So I do.” Her hard-won journey/catharsis as depicted in the trilogy is finally over.
Michael Saponara: Finally Over It serves as a worthy closing chapter to the trilogy, as Summer enters her healing era from repeated heartbreak. Initially, I was skeptical coming in with four years passing since Still Over It, the lack of a 2025 hit single and the abundance of collaborators joining her, but Summer stitched it all together and remained the centrifugal force of an ambitious operation. The growth is evident as she leaned into more of a traditional R&B sound than the trap or distortion of her previous hits. The gold digger motif also spiced up her world-building. Ultimately, Summer serves up a cynical handbook on navigating love in the TikTok era.
Andrew Unterberger: I like this album a bunch. The lifts and samples are (mostly) inspired, the writing and performance is still strong, the feeling is still consistent with the first two albums. There’s a lot that’s familiar from the rest of the series, but enough new looks — the alluring two-parter “Don’t Make Me Do It”/”Tempted,” the burning Teddy Swims duet “Allegedly” — that it feels fresh, too. The only thing it doesn’t quite have is the urgency or edge of the first two, stuff like “I’ll Kill You” or “4th Baby Mama” that almost unnerved with its intensity. But let’s be honest, third installments of trilogies rarely feel as vital as the first two. 5. Now that Walker has dropped Finally, who’s the proven R&B artist with a long-awaited new project that you’re most eagerly anticipating?Mackenzie Cummings-Grady: We could go down the list considering how unbelievably high R&B is riding right now. This past year had some of the best R&B music I’ve heard in years, especially from newcomers. For now, I’m just gonna play it safe and go with Chris Brown. I don’t think the anticipation for a CB record has been this high since F.A.M.E., so I’m hoping he delivers.
Kyle Denis: Kehlani’s upcoming album isn’t necessarily long-awaited, but I think it’ll blow the roof off 2026 once it’s here. If we’re being strict about “long-awaited,” then I’ll go with Victoria Monét and Jazmine Sullivan. And of course, whenever Beyoncé returns with an R&B album, we’ll all be tuned in.
Gail Mitchell: Rumors about a new Sade album have been floating around for several years, with the latest buzz pegging 2026 for her anticipated return. Like Halley’s Comet, the mercurial singer-songwriter is known for her long hiatuses between albums — it’s now 15 years since her last project, 2010’s Soldier of Love. But there’s no doubt that the fascination and mystery about what she and her band are cooking up will be worth the wait.
Michael Saponara: Frank Ocean, ducks.
Andrew Unterberger: Come back Brent Faiyaz! “Have To” was tight.
Trending on Billboard
This past January, Alison Wonderland tweeted an earnest request:
“Since cancelling 3 shows in December I have been getting constant s–t from Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok about it and it somehow isn’t dying down. I just want to let everyone know that I had to leave Asia for emergency surgery and then the week after I had a fever of 102 + for 4 days straight and couldn’t leave my bed.
“One day I will explain why I needed surgery,” she continued, “but right now I have not even processed it myself. I am asking nicely for all you ‘plur’ ravers to just be a bit more understanding- what I am dealing with in my private life right now is painful enough and I just want to concentrate on healing and music . Love u all.”
Nearly a year later, the producer sat down with Billboard News to talk about what she was going through during that time.
Speaking in mid-October, just weeks before she gave birth to her second son, Wonderland revealed that she experienced a miscarriage in December of 2024 that forced the cancellation of said shows. She says the online backlash she subsequently received “was so horrible, to have people so unsupportive and rude. And I had said ‘Look, I’m going through a lot. It’s surgery; it’s medical; it’s an emergency, please respect my privacy.’ And to this day I’m getting bombarded about the fact that I had to cancel shows at the end of last year. But I hope that you see this, and I hope you know it’s because I had a miscarriage … That sucked, because I did not feel like a person and I just didn’t want to have to tell everyone that. I wasn’t ready to. I don’t owe them that.”
Wonderland also reveals that this was her fourth miscarriage, with these experiences inspiring her June single “Again? F–k.”
“I was so messed up,” she says of writing the track. “I was like, ‘The only way I can get through this is writing a song with a sense of humor and like, kind of being aggressive about it, because it’s like, ‘How do I move forward?’” she also revealed that “I Want to Live in a Dream” is about “trying to escape that feeling of reality” which she felt due to the miscarriage but which she’s found is something many people around her are grappling with in various contexts.
“I think a lot of people at the moment feel like they don’t fit in anywhere,” Wonderland says. “A lot of people have said that to me, a lot of big artists have said that to me, that they’re struggling, because it’s very quick quick quick quick quick right now, and I’m an album artist. I’ll always be an album artist.”
To wit, both of the aforementioned singles come from Wonderland’s fourth studio album Ghost World, out Dec. 6. The producer says that the world building and story telling inherent in the album creation process is something that’s core to her creative process.
Elsewhere in the interview Wonderland discusses a sense of not fitting in in the dance world, her plans to tour again after giving birth and much more. Watch the complete interview above.
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If Thanksgiving is for the NFL, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is for the NBA. The top teams in the in-season tournament, including the Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors and others, face off in group play.
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Read on for details, plus ways to livestream NBA Cup games live online.
When Does NBA Cup Group Play Start?
NBA Cup group play broadcasts live on Wednesday, Nov. 26 with a triple-header that kicks off at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. The pro basketball games air on ESPN. Check out a complete schedule for the NBA Cup here.
Who’s Playing During NBA Cup Group Play?
There are three NBA Cup games scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 26 on ESPN.
Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics: 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT
Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
DirecTV
A subscription to DirecTV — which comes with ESPN — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $49.99 per month (with the streamer’s current deals). The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as NBC, ABC, CBS and PBS, while you can also watch many cable networks, including ESPN, FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others.
Sling TV
With prices starting as low as $1 for the Sling Day Pass, a subscription to Sling Orange, which comes with ESPN, gets you access to live TV from popular cable channels. Additionally, you can watch cable networks, including ESPN2, ESPN3, Disney Channel, Freeform, MotorTrend, A&E, AMC, BBC America, BET, CNN, Comedy Central, Food Network, Fuse, HGTV, History Channel, IFC, Lifetime, Nick Jr., QVC, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, Vice and many others.
Please note: Prices and channel availability depends on your local TV market. You can learn more about Sling TV here.
Hulu + Live TV
NBA Cup group play is available to watch with Hulu + Live TV too. Prices for the cable alternative start at $89.99 per month, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited for free.
Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one bundle. It also features many other networks, including ABC, ESPN2, CBS, Hallmark Channel, BET, CMT, Disney Channel, NBC, Fox Sports and more.
Fubo
To watch NBA Cup group play on ESPN, Fubo starts at $54.99 per month (the streamer’s current deal) with more than 200 channels — including local and cable — that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers. And with a five-day free trial, you can watch for free, if you act fast and sign up now.
The service even gets you live access to local broadcast networks including ABC, Fox and CBS, while it also has dozens of cable networks, such as ESPN2, CMT, ID, TV Land, VH1, TLC, FS1, MTV, FX, Ion, OWN, Paramount Network and much more.
Which Celebrities Are Making Appearances During NBA Cup Group Play?
It’s likely there will be a number of celebrities and recording artists in attendance during NBA Cup group play games — such as Detroit Pistons fans Eminem, Sada Baby and Kid Rock; Boston Celtics fans Gucci Mane, Steven Tyler and Becky G; Minnesota Timberwolves fans Yung Gravy, Lil B and Craig Kilborn; Oklahoma City Thunder fans Kristin Chenoweth, Bill Hader and Billy Martin from Good Charlotte; Houston Rockets fans J. Cole, Travis Scott and Simone Biles; as well as Golden State Warriors fans E-40, Zendaya and Carlos Santana. Tune in to find out who’s sitting courtside.
Starting at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, NBA Cup group play tripleheader broadcasts on ESPN, while it’s also available to livestream with DirecTV on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson Jr. was released from a Chicago hospital after entering the facility to address complications related to his progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) diagnosis. With Jesse Jackson now at home with family, a statement released by his organization assures the civil rights leader’s supporters that his condition is stable.
According to a press release from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Rev. Jesse Jackson was released from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago on Monday (November 24).
From the press release by way of family spokesperson and Rev. Jackson’s son, Yusef Jackson:
“Our family would like to thank the countless friends and supporters who have reached out, visited, and prayed for our father. We bear witness to the fact that prayer works and would also like to thank the professional, caring, and amazing medical and security staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. We humbly ask for your continued prayers throughout this precious time.”
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Back on November 16, the organization released a statement that Jackson was breathing on his own despite conflicting reports that he was on life support. According to sources, Rev. Jackson will be recovering at a home location, although it wasn’t shared whether that was in Illinois or beyond.
Now 84, Jackson’s status as a notable member of the civil rights movement and his alignment with some of its top figures have kept him in the limelight for decades. Along with his accomplishments as an activist, Jackson was also the first successful Black candidate to run for president until President Barack Obama’s historic win.
Rev. Jesse Jackson was initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013, which was eventually diagnosed as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurological disorder that affects eye and body movements, walking, and balance.
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Photo: Getty
Trending on Billboard Billboard published the October Boxscore report on Tuesday (Nov. 25), with Chris Brown repeating as the biggest touring act of the month. But while the biggest stars of rock, hip-hop and more packed stadiums, comedians were road warrioring their way to sold-out theaters and arenas. Here, we’re looking at the five biggest […]
Trending on Billboard
Pop superstar Sir Elton John is begging politicians around the world: Don’t let the sun go down on vital research for eradicating HIV/AIDS.
In a new cover story for Variety published Tuesday (Nov. 24), John called out a lack of political support for combatting the lethal epidemic, saying that politicians have the ability to help bring an end to the disease in our lifetimes. “I just am enraged by it,” John said. “It’s very frustrating when you’ve got the tools in your hand to end it, and then you find that countries in Africa, Russia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe won’t help.”
Turning his attention to the U.S. specifically, John praised the efforts of the current administration to bring an end to the war in Gaza, while simultaneously calling them out for fumbling an issue as vital as ending HIV and AIDS. “There’s another war with people who are suffering from HIV and AIDS that should be able to get their medicine but can’t, because governments won’t let them. It’s inhumane,” he said. “So my big beef at the moment is, yes, thank God, maybe there’s peace, after more things are sorted out. But there are crimes against millions of other people that are happening because of governments and stigma and hate.”
John has plenty of experience in the arena of combatting HIV/AIDS — his non-profit, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, is currently the fifth-largest funder for research into the disease globally. To date, the organization has helped raise more than $650 million for the cause.
When speaking about Donald Trump specifically, John made the argument that if the president dedicated his efforts to helping end the global epidemic, he could go down as “one of the greatest presidents in history” for doing so. “If he ended AIDS, that would really be a feather in his cap,” he added.
Despite John’s wishes, the Trump administration has turned the opposite direction, halting funds originally intended for global programs aimed at HIV prevention and openly threatening federal funding for domestic programs aimed at helping those afflicted with the disease.
“It’s so frustrating when you have the medicine, you have PrEP, you have the antiretrovirals,” John concluded. “We can stop the spread of AIDS, if people just got off their backsides and treated human beings in a Christian kind of way.”
Trending on Billboard
We’ve known Kevin Jonas for the better part of 20 years as the eldest member of the Jonas Brothers, and last week, we were introduced to what he sounds like when he’s all on his own.
Jonas officially released his first solo single “Changing” last week, but he’s been playing an abbreviated version of the track on the JoBros’ ongoing Greetings From My Hometown Tour, starting with their August date at Boston’s Fenway Park.
“What a great way to start it off,” Jonas told Billboard‘s Pop Shop Podcast of making his solo debut at the famed ballpark. “Really thrown into the fire, getting to actually do that at Fenway Park, which was wild. You know, this tour has been about surprises. It’s been about the surprise guests we’ve been bringing out from the start of it. And so I guess, in essence, I was also another surprise guest.”
In addition to the tour, Kevin’s role in A Very Jonas Christmas Movie — which arrived earlier this month on Disney+ alongside a soundtrack album via Hollywood and Republic — also set up his solo debut, but that hadn’t been the plan all along. Listen to Kevin’s full interview in the podcast below, and find highlights from our chat as well — including whether there’s more solo music on the way.
Why was now the right time for Kevin’s solo music?
I didn’t have the right song. I think for me, it was about finding my voice in the music, and it took a long time. You know, I’ve recorded and wrote songs and recorded music for 15, 16, 17-plus years, and nothing ever really just felt like authentically me and real and honest and like how I wanted it to sound. And also, maybe my vocal ability didn’t feel as strong as I wanted it to be. I’m pretty critical of myself. You know, it’s kind of challenging when you’re standing next to two of the best vocalists I’ve ever met.
How did he find the perfect song?
I wrote Jason Evigan — a longtime friend, songwriter, producer — and I wrote him in February, and I said, “Hey, man, do you have any songs that you feel could work for me?” … And I didn’t hear back from him until June, and he wrote me and said, “I thought about you last night, and I remembered I have this song.” I’m like, oh, OK, five months later. [Laughs] It doesn’t matter; it’s all about timing, right? And he sent me “Changing,” and it just instantly felt like a song I’ve heard before. It felt weirdly like a part of the ether for me. And I was like, “I know this song. I feel like I’ve lived this song.” It’s weird. And I was like, “I’m coming to L.A. in two weeks. … I would like to cut it.” I flew in early, and we cut it, and instantly, while singing it, it was the first time I’ve ever felt at ease cutting vocals like that for myself. And I was like, “OK, this feels different.” And I got the cut, and [producer] Mark Schick and team, they killed it, and they really made me feel great and comfortable.
Is more solo music on the way?
I have been recording more music with this team, yes, but I luckily, as an independent artist — which is fun to say, outside the Jonas Brothers, right? I’m really able to do kind of whatever I want, so I don’t have to follow specific rules. I don’t know if an album’s in the works. Maybe an EP, maybe just a collection of some music that I like over the course of the year. I really don’t have exact plans. I know the next song I want to release, but as of right now, I’m gonna get through this one first.
How did A Very Jonas Christmas Movie set up his solo debut?
My song “Changing” wasn’t even a thought yet. And so for now, for this movie to come out, which has that storyline, and then the next thing comes out, and it’s a week later, [is] my song. The stars are kind of aligned on it.
Why now for a Jonas Brothers Christmas movie?
I will say, it’s been a bucket-list item for us to do a Christmas movie ever since the days back working with Disney, like when we were much younger. We met with Bob Iger and team, and we said, “We’ve always wanted to do a Christmas movie.” Who doesn’t love the holidays, right? And it didn’t come together then, but then the last couple years, we’ve been reigniting our relationship with Disney, and now we’re doing Camp Rock 3 as executive producers, and we’re in the film and then working with them on this project. It really happened at the right time. Our families are involved. I think we can speak to the adult nature of things now, at the same time of allowing it to be just enough fun so kids will love it, but still, like, you know, I’m almost 40, so I think it’s a little easier to digest as a film.
How did the movie soundtrack come together?
The album and soundtrack is incredible. You know, it really is special that we got to work with an incredible team. Justin Tranter did a great job of creating and helping us craft this universe. “Coming Home This Christmas” is a song that we’ve actually held on to for a while. We had it before the movie, and we kind of ended up knowing that it felt perfect for this film, and so we kind of built the story around that as well. Sometimes you’ve just got to collect those songs and just hold on to them for a little bit.
How did Kevin prepare for his first non-music-video acting gig with his brothers since their Disney Channel days?
I leaned on [Joe and Nick] a lot. I worked with an amazing acting coach who’s a really good friend, Michael Park. He’s a Broadway actor. We’ve seen him in a lot of things, but he’s like one of our best friends, and I really called him every day. Just leaned on him. Because playing yourself to start is a weird challenge. … Nick’s done a lot of movies, Joe’s done a lot of movies and acting, and I just kind of had to do the best version.
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Also on the podcast, we’ve got chart news on how Taylor Swift continues to dominate both the Billboard 200 albums and Billboard Hot 100 songs chart; how Summer Walker, NF and 5 Seconds of Summer all debut in the top 10 on the Billboard 200; and how Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” jingles back into the top 10 on the Hot 100. Plus, Katie tells Keith about seeing Robyn’s first concert in six years (plus the live debut of her newest single “Dopamine”) and the penultimate show of Sabrina Carpenter’s year-plus Short n’ Sweet Tour.
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)
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When Mavo celebrated his 22nd birthday at the top of this month, he had “1” “2” and “3” LED marquee numbers to symbolize another significant figure. He had occupied the top three spots of the Apple Music Nigeria Top Songs chart with “Money Constant” with DJ Maphorisa, DJ Tunez and Wizkid, “BODY (danz)” with CKay, and the “Shakabulizzy (Remix)” with Davido.
“My friends actually did that for me. My friends did a surprise party for me,” he tells Billboard while on Zoom in Cape Town, South Africa, where he reveals he’s recorded another song with Davido (their “Galorizzy” collaboration with Scotts Maphuma, Morravey, Ecool and Iphxne DJ was announced less than a week after our interview and released the following week). “Davido is my friend. After I dropped the ‘Shakabulizzy’ remix, we’ve been always talking.”
Such an auspicious musical career is quite the extracurricular for someone who’s currently studying optometry at Afe Babalola University in Ekiti State, Nigeria, where Mavo (real name Oseremen Marvin Ukanigbe) will graduate in July 2026. But outside of wanting to specialize in eye care, he’s also taken a special interest in linguistics when it comes to his music.
His self-described “Burbur music” is an experimental hybrid of Afrobeats and rap that’s riddled with his idiosyncratic slang and unfiltered storytelling. “Burbur” – meaning “something that’s crazy, something that’s busting out speakers,” he describes – is one of 80 terms that Mavo has devised for his Bizzylingua vocabulary and defined in the Bizzpedia, A Native Bur Bur Dictionary that he worked on for two years and recently published with NATIVE Mag.
The “Bizzy” prefix is Mavo’s self-appointed nickname, which personifies his hustle as an independent artist and university student. He says listening to Wizkid at a young age inspired the semantic highlight of his music. “He’d start songs by saying ‘yaga.’ This guy’s feeling fly on the song. I’m like, ‘These are things I need to think about. How can I create words that when you say them, you’d be like, ‘What’s he saying?’ But they also sound cool at the same time,” he explains.
His favorite slang is “burti,” a “term referring to a great deal of swag and motion” as defined by the Bizzypedia. Many words in the Bizzylingua are suffixed with “izzy,” as popularized by his witty street-hop “Escaladizzy” hit with WAVE$TAR that BNXN co-signed, while ZerryDL put his own spin on it. Zerry’s brother and Plutomania Records boss Shallipopi individually reached out to contribute a verse to the remix, as did Ayra Starr and Zlatan, so Mavo combined their starpower on “Escaladizzy II.”
“I knew that anything was possible,” he reflects after “Escaladizzy II.” And while the stars continue aligning for – and collaborating with – Mavo, he’s determined to end his breakout year on a high note and continue his ascent into the new year.
Billboard spoke with November’s African Rookie of the Month about juggling his optometrist career goal and A-list artist ambitions, educating his listeners on the Bizzylingua, and cooking up the viral “Your body na meat pie” lyric from “BODY.”
When did you know music was your calling?
When I was in secondary school, there was a music club. So before I went to university, I had already written songs but not so full of metaphors or any form of literature, just basic lyrics. When I went to uni, I wanted to be more imaginative and innovative in my lyrics. I always try to trigger people with what I’m saying. I don’t want to say triggering, but that’s what it does. People [ask], “Why would you say this?” And that’s what works for me: the ability to make people want to know more.
How did your upbringing in Ekpoma, Edo State impact the music you listen to and the music you make?
It was a do-it-yourself thing. You had to be independent. I was in an all-boys school. There’s no impressing any girl. Nobody’s going to do anything for you because they like you. I was growing the habit of being independent for six years while I was in school before I went to uni.
Who are some of your favorite artists whom you grew up listening to?
Wizkid, Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, Burna [Boy], Lil Uzi Vert, Davido, Rema, Seyi Vibez, Omah Lay. Future and Young Thug are my greatest inspirations ever. I’ve not dropped a lot of music, so people can’t tell that, but in due time. I’ve worked on so much music. Right now, I have over 1,500 songs on my laptop.
You’ve recorded that many songs since you’ve started making music in general or just recently?
Over the past three years. I started recording commercial music when I was in 300 level optometry. When I got to 300 level, I had time to multitask by recording songs and reading my books.
As you’re recording and studying at the same time, what does your schedule look like these days?
I had to choose channeling my school energy into my music. I have some songs where I met this girl when I was coming from class, or I met this girl when I went to buy food last night and I just tell the story. What I could do during my leisure [time], when guys are going to play basketball, I just record in my room. I have my microphone and everything.
Most of my songs, like “Escaladizzy,” were recorded in my room in my hostel. I believed that me doing it in my room is actually better than me going to a bigger studio. But for “Shakabulizzy” and moving forward, I saw the importance of actually going into the studio and following proper engineering routes.
How did you learn to record music in your room?
In my 200 level, I had friends that did music as well. We bought the equipment then started recording. My friend already knew about FL Studio and he started telling me about it and setting me up. Because I was in medicine, I had to stay back in school for three months. I was practicing FL Studio every day and finally made one banger, the song was so sweet. I sent it to my manager like, “Bro, can you hear the song?” She’s like, “Yeah, this song is crazy.” I’m like, “Yeah, man, I just recorded it.” And that’s how everything started.
And what made you pursue optometry?
My mom had some issues. I don’t know what it was, but I knew it was some issues with her eye. That was when I was really small. It was really hard for me to juggle school and my mom. I already had it in mind I wanted to become a doctor but not an eye doctor in particular. I was studying medicine originally. After a while, I told my lecturers I wanted to change and study optometry.
I already knew I was going to do music. I just needed something to inspire my educational side. I didn’t want to study music. I was doing really, really well in science. And my parents didn’t really want me to do art. Funny thing is when I started studying optometry, I realized that it was so fun. It’s different from being an optician or a regular eye specialist. You have a lot of things in your hands, you are closer to the patients. You are next to the ophthalmologist. It’s a lovely opportunity to become an optometrist.
How do you envision your career path being post-grad?
It’s going to be very interesting. I’m not really a person that likes to spill tea. I have a song with Wizkid and Davido, and nobody actually knew about it until the day they were dropping. But I have a really, really big thing happening during the first quarter of next year. That’s all I can say. Serious music. What I’m going to do is going to actually blow minds by God’s grace.
Take me back through the making of “Escaladizzy.”
I wrote it when I was in school. I had classes that week and during the weekend, I had shows in Lagos. After writing the song on Thursday, I had to go to Homecoming [Festival] on Friday. I performed [it] in my set the next day, it was unreleased. [WAVE$TAR] was like, “You should come to the studio” the next day. I was like, “No problem. I’ll pull up to your studio tomorrow.”
I went to the studio, I recorded one song, then I’m like, “Yo, yo. I’m still feeling the vibes. I feel like we need to record another song.” He’s like, “Oh yeah, yeah, that’s calm. Let’s do it.” Then I recorded “Escaladizzy.” I had the beat on my phone already. I had already written my part before I came there. But we didn’t finish it. I had to finish it three weeks later when it was hitting on TikTok.
When did you know that that song was special? Were you caught by surprise by the fan reaction to the snippet you shared on TikTok?
Trust me, I have a lot of songs that I know would do a lot of things, like more than 100, but I didn’t know this one was going to do this. After I recorded “Escaladizzy,” the only way it was going to work out for me business-wise was if I made another song like “Escaladizzy.” So I went to make “Shakabulizzy.”
Between “Escaladizzy” and “Shakabulizzy,” what is the significance of your signature “izzy” suffix?
The Bizzy form of something is going to be “izzy,” so the Bizzy form of an Escalade is Escaladizzy. The Bizzy form of Shakabula is Shakabulizzy. The Bizzy form of a clock is a clockizzy. The Bizzy form of a socket is a socketizzy. It just depends on if you want to do this. I don’t use my words all the time. It’s like an alternate word if I want to joke with my friends or be funny.
How did you get Davido on the “Shakabulizzy” remix?
He just texted me on Instagram. He’s like, “Could you send me ‘Shakabulizzy’? I want to do something.” I sent it to him. And he sent it to me the next day. Then he sent me a lot of money for the video as well. He’s a really nice person.
When did you realize that you were going to have a song with Wizkid and a song with Davido come out on the same day?
I knew that a month before it happened. They came to me. DJ Tunez texted me in September saying, “Wiz and you should do a song. Can you send the chorus?” I’m like, “OK, can you send me the beat?” Then he sent it. I just did my thing.
What was your reaction to occupying Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on Apple Music Nigeria Top Songs chart with “MONEY CONSTANT,” “BODY (danz)” and the “Shakabulizzy (Remix)”?
We knew it was going to happen. My team already told me. Surprisingly, I felt like there was going to be some sort of shuffling, like it was going to come on, go off, maybe [Nos.] 1, 2 [and] 5. But the funny thing is my team already told me it was going to go [Nos.] 1, 2 and 3.
Speaking of “BODY (danz),” how did you come up with the viral lyric “Your body na meat pie?”
I initially was telling you about being more metaphorical in my music, being more literature-based, trying to make a body of work an actual art piece. Let’s just say “meat pie” is metaphorical.
Did you expect that line to get as much attention as it has?
That, I can’t say — because I’ve related the body to a lot of other foods, trust me.
One X user commended you as a “lyrical genius” and broke down the mathematical meaning behind “meat pie,” equating that to “she’s a ten.” What do you think of all the lyrical breakdowns?
I see a lot of crazy breakdowns. I didn’t even know this was happening. But it’s cool to know that if you do that, it actually works.
You performed “BODY” at a club where everyone was holding up meat pies. What was going through your head as that was happening?
[Laughs.] I was like, “Why are you guys holding up meat pies?” Yeah, I said, “Your body na meat pie.” But this doesn’t mean you guys [should] actually hold up meat pies. I think for my live show in December, I’m going to give free meat pies to everybody there.
Who would you love to collaborate with next?
SZA, Travis Scott or Drake. Future and Young Thug is going to happen, but I want to go step by step. The way original Afrobeats artists have already worked, I feel like it’s only right if I do a song with Drake or Chris Brown. My music doesn’t really go in line with Chris Brown’s music. But I love Drake so much.
What’s been the biggest “pinch me” moment of your career so far?
Wizkid calling me. Anytime Wizkid calls me, it still doesn’t feel like it’s him calling. It’s crazy. Somebody I’ve been looking up to can just call me like, “Yo, Mavo, I’m coming in December. Hold it down for me.”
You’ve had multiple causes of celebration recently, since you just turned 22. What’s at least one career goal you have for yourself in the new year?
In 2026, I’ll be a mainstream international artist, like A-list. I personally want to drop three projects next year. And I want to make sure I get the collaboration of the year award.
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Suno and Warner Music Group (WMG) have signed a licensing agreement to forge “a new chapter in music creation,” as Suno CEO Mikey Shulman put it in a company blog post. The deal effectively settles WMG’s part of the $500 million copyright infringement lawsuit against Suno, which it filed alongside UMG and Sony Music last summer. (UMG and Sony Music’s part of the lawsuit is still ongoing).
The deal also includes Suno’s acquisition of the WMG-owned live music discovery platform Songkick, which will continue to run as-is. “The combination of Suno and Songkick will create new potential to deepen the artist-fan connection,” says a press release about the deal.
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As Suno’s blog post puts it, the licensing agreement with WMG “introduces new opportunities for artists and songwriters to get paid,” but it does not describe exactly how. It does, however, note that participating is optional for WMG artists and songwriters, who can “opt-in” for the use of their names, images, likenesses, voices and compositions to be used in AI-generated music as they wish. A press release about the deal also notes that it will “compensat[e] and protect artists, songwriters and the wider creative community.”
The blog post also states that the WMG partnership “unlocks a bigger richer Suno experience for you,” including “new, more robust features for creation, opportunities to collaborate and interact with some of the most talented musicians in the world.” It adds that the deal “preserves the magic of Suno and the way you’ve come to love creating with it.”
News of the agreement comes just weeks after Universal Music Group (UMG) forged a licensing deal with Udio, which was also sued by the majors in a near identical lawsuit. That deal resulted in Udio pivoting its service significantly, becoming more of a fan-engagement platform where users could play with UMG copyrights whose rights holders opted into the platform’s “walled garden” environment, rather than one where users can create and download AI-generated songs at the click of a button. WMG followed suit with a similar agreement on Nov. 19.
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The press release states that in 2026, Suno will make several changes to the platform, including launching new and improved licensed music-making models, but it is not pivoting away from its core offerings. When that new model rolls out, the release says that the current one will be “deprecated,” given that it is not licensed. “Moving forward, downloading audio will require a paid account. Suno will introduce download restrictions in certain scenarios: specifically in the future, songs made on the free tier will not be downloadable and will instead be playable and shareable,” the release adds. Paid users of Suno will also be limited in the number of downloads they can make each month; to unlock additional downloads, they will have to pay extra fees.
“This landmark pact with Suno is a victory for the creative community that benefits everyone,” said WMG CEO Robert Kyncl in a statement. “With Suno rapidly scaling, both in users and monetization, we’ve seized this opportunity to shape models that expand revenue and deliver new fan experiences. AI becomes pro-artist when it adheres to our principles: committing to licensed models, reflecting the value of music on and off platform, and providing artists and songwriters with an opt-in for the use of their name, image, likeness, voice and compositions in new AI songs.”
Suno CEO Shulman added: “Our partnership with Warner Music unlocks a bigger, richer Suno experience for music lovers, and accelerates our mission to change the place of music in the world by making it more valuable to billions of people. Together, we can enhance how music is made, consumed, experienced and shared. This means we’ll be rolling out new, more robust features for creation, opportunities to collaborate and interact with some of the most talented musicians in the world, all while continuing to build the biggest music ecosystem possible.”
