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31 Mar 2023

From Jisoo to Boygenius, What’s Your Favorite New Release of the Week? Vote!

It may be the last day of March, but we’re going out with a bang when it comes to new music thanks to releases by Jisoo, Boygenius, Chlöe and more.

The BLACKPINK singer became the final member of the the girl group to go solo with her single album ME, featuring songs “Flower” and “All Eyes on Me,” while Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers reunited for their full-length album The Record a full half-decade after forming their alt-rock supergroup for their self-titled 2018 EP.

Chlöe Bailey also unveiled her debut solo album, In Pieces, on the heels of previously released singles “Pray It Away,” Chris Brown collab “How Does It Feel” and the piano-driven title track. Plus, Tyler, the Creator re-upped on his 2021 opus Call Me If You Get Lost by dropping Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale — a deluxe edition with eight new tracks not on the original album, including single “Dogwood” and collaborations with Vince Staples (“Stuntman”), A$AP Rocky (“Wharf Talk”) and YG (the 2020 demo version of “Boyfriend, Girlfriend”).

Meanwhile, on the new song front, Taylor Swift stripped down her bombastic Midnights opener “Lavender Haze” for a ghostly acoustic version that could sound easily at home on her 2020 album Evermore.

Becky G and Peso Pluma delivered a horn-blasted Spanish-language duet with “Chanel,” and Charlie Puth teamed up with Dan + Shay for their boundary-setting ballad “That’s Not How This Works.” (A promised remix with Sabrina Carpenter is still a couple of weeks away.) Plus, rising U.K. pop star Maisie Peters offered yet another irresistible sneak peek of her upcoming sophomore album The Good Witch with the triumphant “Lost the Breakup.”

Vote for your favorite release in Billboard‘s latest new music Friday poll below.

31 Mar 2023

New Music Latin: Listen to Releases From Vico C, Becky G, Gaby Moreno & More

New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

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Vico C, “Pregúntale a Tu Papá Por Mi” (Age Muzik Dist. By Nain Music, LLC)

In a triumphant revival, Vico C unleashes “Pregúntale a Tu Papá Por Mi” — a nearly six-minute-long track filled with savvy punchlines and head-bopping rhythms. The comeback single, which translates to “ask your dad about me” and forms part of his first studio album in 14 years, is a reminder to old and new generations that he’s one of the pioneers of Latin rap (Vico kicked off his career in Puerto Rico in the 1980s). “Be careful!/ That it’s been a long time since I’ve sounded/ Because I’ve been like a bear in hibernation, and I’m no tired bull,” spits the artist born Luis Armando Lozada Cruz. “To the reggeatoneros that don’t know that when it comes to beats, I got more options than a street-vendor,” he later chants.

Backed by ‘90s hip-hop beats — charged with live drums and a record-scratch sound effect — Vico explains that the more than 10 years of silence represent over a decade of personal growth, and each wise verse is on “Pregúntale a Tu Papá Por Mi” reflects that. “This is not a moment where I say ‘despite everything, I got up again,’ but one where I say ‘despite everything, I kept walking […] the path was 14 years of growth that is projected today in the form of music… my music,” he expresses in a press statement. — JESSICA ROIZ

Gaby Moreno & Oscar Isaac, “Luna de Xelajú” (Gaby Moreno/Cosmica Artists)

The talented singer songwriter Gaby Moreno has drawn the renowned actor Oscar Isaac into music to serenade us with a touching interpretation of the Guatemalan classic “Luna de Xelajú”. The single is the lead track from Moreno’s upcoming acoustic album X MÍ (VOL. 1) to be released on May 5. In the song, the duet intertwines their voices to give a profound and soulful acoustic performance of the classic, written in 1944 by Paco Perez, which has become a second anthem of their country. 

“Just two voices with two guitars, singing together this timeless, sweet, and nostalgic song from our motherland,” comments Moreno in a statement. For his part, Isaac comments, “My grandmother Graciela Argentina Nicolle de Estrada would perform ‘Luna De Xelajú’ in the concert halls of Guatemala. Growing up it was always hummed or sung as a lullaby by my mother Eugenia.” In the video, the artists are seen performing in an empty auditorium accompanied by acoustic guitars and owning their Guatemalan roots — not only through music, but also with their clothing choices. It ends with the phrase, “Con amor para Guate” (“With love, for Guate”). — LUISA CALLE

Yahritza y Su Esencia, “Nuestra Canción” (Lumbre Music/Columbia Records)

Siblings’ trio Yahritza Y Su Esencia have gifted fans a two-song project with the songs “No Se Puede Decir Adiós” and “Nuestra Canción.” The former, penned by award-winning songwriter Edgar Barrera (who also produced the track), is a departure for the Mexican-American act, not so much in the sense of its style — it’s still very much driven by raw acoustic guitar — but in it being the rare song from the young artists to not be written by the trio itself. Still, Yahirtza’s evocative vocals shine in this slightly more rhythmic track. The second song in the bundle, “Nuestra Canción,” written by siblings Armando and Yahritza, takes the trio back to its core somber sierreño sound and signature guitar solos — a bulletproof formula for the group. — GRISELDA FLORES

Becky G & Peso Pluma, “Chanel” (Kemosabe Records/RCA Records)

Becky G further demonstrates her genre versatility on latest release “Chanel,” featuring corridos tumbados newcomer Peso Pluma. With a voice well laid back, or bien tumbada, and an octave deeper than usual, the Inglewood star leaves the past behind her and pushes forward with lyrics that express better days ahead. “I will remember you forever in my life, baby/ And even though I know I’ll never be able to see you again/ And for that I love you, baby,” she remarks. Although Becky and Peso trade verses like two star-crossed lovers ready to move on, their desire for the nice things in life just might have been their undoing: “I took you to Chanel/ Also chose from Cartier/ And one day she left me/ To one day never to return,” he barks back against a snarling upbeat acoustic backdrop.  

Peso Pluma is March’s Billboard Latin artist on the rise, and is one of the most exhilarating artists of the burgeoning regional Mexican movement, which incorporates a dash of hip-hop elements into more traditional corrido stylings. The song is Becky G’s first single from an upcoming all-regional Mexicano album she’s set to release later this year, with more collaborations to be announced soon. The Chicana hitmaker is also slated to perform at Coachella on April 14. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Emilia, “Jagger.mp3” (Sony Music Latin)

In her first release since her debut album of 2022 tú crees en mí?, Emilia offers a funky, upbeat dance floor banger inspired by the sounds of the early 2000s. Sprinkled with some English but written mostly in Spanish, “Jagger.mp3” is a steamy song that plays with different tempos and is reminiscent of hits by Ciara and Missy Elliott. “Lo que tengo de buena lo tengo de mala/ I’m, I’m, I’m bad bitch, ‘toy volando sin alas”, the Argentine artist sings. The music video, directed by Ballve, matches the style of the mp3 era, with vibrant colors and choreographies and trendy vintage vibes. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Below, stream Billboard’s New Music Latin playlist featuring other releases in Latin.

31 Mar 2023

Yup, Lionel Richie Totally Wrote the Second Verse of Kenny Rogers’ ‘Lady’ In the Men’s Room

How many times have you heard a songwriter say that the inspiration for one of their greatest songs came in the shower? But the toilet? Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Lionel Richie finally confirmed a long-running story about the latrine-spiration for the second verse of “Lady,” the hit 1980 song he wrote for pal Kenny Rogers.

Back in 2014, Rogers told the Today Show that when the two stars were in the studio working on the song he asked where the lyrics for the second verse were and someone said, “Lionel’s in the toilet writing them right now.” The rest is history, as the song spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

And now, in an interview on Thursday’s (March 30) Drew Barrymore Show, Richie confirmed the story. The American Idol judge explained that after Rogers asked him to write a song for him he began work on a “Lady” as well as a second track called “Goin’ Back to Alabama” (which later appeared on Rogers’ 1981 Share Your Love album).

Halfway through the sessions for “Alabama,” Richie told Barrymore that Rogers changed his mind and said, “‘I don’t want to sing that song. I think I want to do ‘Lady’ first.’” What Rogers didn’t know, though, was that Richie had only gotten the first verse of “Lady” written at that point.

“I said, ‘Excuse me for a minute. Let me, uh, go to the bathroom,’” Richie said he told Rogers, who died in 2020 at age 81. “I’m sitting in the stall writing the second verse to ‘Lady.’” Barrymore was shocked that Lionel could so quickly produce such a massive hit under such pressure and Richie said you’d be surprised when, and where, inspiration can strike.

“You will do some amazing things when you’re scared to death,” he said. “The idea of telling Mr. Rogers that I don’t have the second verse was not going to happen in my lifetime.”

Watch Richie talk about his “Lady” session below.

31 Mar 2023

Reba McEntire Slams Tennessee’s Anti-Drag Laws: ‘God Bless ’Em to Wear Those High Heels’

Reba McEntire prefers to stay out of politics, but when it comes to the recent anti-drag laws passed in Tennessee, she’s making her opinion clear.

In an interview with the L.A. Times published Friday (March 31), the 68-year-old country queen opened up about feeling “disappointed,” but not surprised, by the actions of the state’s Gov. Bill Lee. Earlier this month, the politician signed widely controversial laws banning minors from receiving gender-affirming care and blocking drag queens from performing in many public spaces.

“I wish they would spend that much time and energy and money on feeding the homeless children in those two counties,” she countered.

The “Survivor” singer reasserted her policy of staying out of politics — “My job is to entertain … I’m not there to influence people one way or another how to vote” — but said she thinks the anti-drag bill missed the mark so clearly, she sees no issue in speaking out about it. “I mean, we’ve got a real problem in this country, and to be worrying about men wanting to dress up as women?” McEntire continued.

“God bless ’em to wear those high heels — I feel for ’em,” added the three-time Grammy winner. “But let’s center our attention on something that really needs attention.”

McEntire is currently gearing up to headline the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles for the first time Saturday (April 1) in addition to coaching contestants on this season of The Voice as a guest mentor, for which she’ll work alongside former daughter-in-law Kelly Clarkson. In 2015, the Reba star divorced Narvel Blackstock, whose son Brandon Blackstock split from Clarkson after seven years of marriage in 2020.

McEntire’s comments about the Tennessee bills come on Transgender Day of Visibility. She joins dozens of other musicians in speaking out against the recent surge of anti-LGBTQ laws, including Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Lizzo, Jason Isbell and more.

31 Mar 2023

Kane Brown to Launch ‘Different Man Radio’ on Apple Music

Kane Brown will launch Different Man Radio on Apple Music on Tuesday, April 4, Billboard has learned. The four-episode series finds Brown welcoming guests to discuss their experiences with success, including how they navigated the life and career changes that come with it. Brown will also share songs that influenced his own artistry, as well as tracks that have special meaning for his guests.

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The series will launch at 8 a.m. PT on April 4 for Apple Music subscribers, with all four episodes available on demand. The first episode, featuring six-time NBA All-Star and Miami Heat player Jimmy Butler, will be on Apple Music Country at 5 p.m. PT for non-subscribers.

The guests on the other three episodes will be Max Thieriot, Darius Rucker and TimTheTatman.

In addition to his basketball career, Butler is a longtime country music fan who starred in Luke Bryan’s “Light It Up” video. During the episode, Butler tells Brown about his work on his own upcoming country music album.

“I’ve just been writing songs with some incredible song writers, and they have been teaching me the ropes,” Butler shares with Brown. “Basketball is way easier than making sense of a story and putting it in a song form and then doing videos and radio. Like, look, I tip my hat to y’all because it stresses me out, and I’m not even the person that really does this for a living. I do want to do this music thing for a little bit. I’ve got to see.”

“I think the tough thing for you is having basketball and then going in, basically doing a whole other career,” Brown replies. “I think that’s what makes it stressful for you. I think if you just got to work on music, I think you would really enjoy it.”

Butler, however, was quick to distinguish his own musical exploration from the careers of top artists in the country music genre.

“I wouldn’t call music a career though, bro. Not for me. Music is just a hobby, and I think it’s a way for me to hone my [craft and] does not mean you’re good at everything,” Butler clarifies, referring to himself more as a country music fan with a hobby, rather than a full-fledged artist like Brown.

“Come on,” Brown counters. “We all started off as fans of somebody, bro.”

Butler also talked about listening to country music in the locker room.

“I’ve actually gotten a lot of my teammates on country music,” Butler says. “And I think right now the song all the way around the locker room is ‘Heaven,’ honestly. But it’s really not even because of me. Tyler Hero adores … loves your song, bro.”

Butler adds, “[Country music] puts me in the mood to want to go out there and compete, knowing that this is y’all’s livelihood, this is what y’all do and y’all are so great at. It kind of flips a switch in my head like, ‘Yo, you’ve got to get like that. You’ve got to be great. So you’ve got to go out there and do it.’ That’s what country music does for me for the games.”

Brown, who has nine Billboard Country Airplay chart-toppers to his credit (including his latest, “Thank God” with wife Katelyn Brown), is set to bring his headlining Drunk or Dreaming tour to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Friday (March 31).

Watch a trailer for Different Man Radio below:

31 Mar 2023

Rolling Stones Copyright Accuser Won’t Get No Satisfaction, Experts Say

When the Rolling Stones released “Living In A Ghost Town” in 2020, a lot had changed in the eight years since the legendary rock band had last put out a new song. Streaming music had become dominant, the UK had exited the European Union and a global pandemic had taken grip.

It had also seemingly become more common for the creators of hit songs to face lawsuits. In the wake of a multimillion-dollar verdict in 2015 against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams over “Blurred Lines,” a slew of major stars had faced similar copyright infringement cases over some of their biggest hits – including Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Dua Lipa.

So it should have perhaps come as no surprise to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards when, last month, they were hit with a lawsuit claiming they’d illegally borrowed key parts of “Ghost Town.” Sergio Garcia Fernandez, who performs under the name Angelslang, alleged that they had “misappropriated many of the recognizable and key protected elements” from his 2006 song “So Sorry,” as well as his 2007 tune “Seed of God.” (Read the full complaint here.)

But such lawsuits, while plentiful, often face long odds. In just the past month, similar song-theft cases against Donald Glover (over his Childish Gambino chart-topper “This Is America”) and Nickelback (over the band’s 2005 hit “Rock Star”) have both been dismissed at the earliest stage of litigation. In Glover’s case, a federal judge ruled last week that the lyrics of the two songs were “entirely different.” In Nickelback’s dispute, another federal judge ruled the week prior that the case at times “borders on the absurd.”

And, according to legal and music experts, the new lawsuit against the Stones likely faces a similar fate.

“Living in a Ghost Town,” a blues-rock tune with some reggae vibes, does sound similar to “So Sorry” and “Seed of God.” Fernandez claims that’s because the new song borrowed key features from his songs, including the “vocal melodies, the chord progressions, the drum beat patterns, the harmonica parts [and] the electric bass line parts.”

But according to Joe Bennett, a forensic musicologist and a professor at Berklee College of Music, “Ghost Town” flatly does not include those elements from Fernandez’s songs. Full stop.

“It simply doesn’t,” Bennett says. “These elements are not the same when compared — all the notes and chords are very obviously different. It’s significant that the complaint doesn’t contain any music notation, because a simple side by side transcription would demonstrate the dissimilarity.”

So then why do the songs sound similar? Bennett says it’s because they share an overall vibe – based on mid-tempo rock grooves in the key of A minor – that’s been ubiquitous in rock and blues since the beginning. Without much digging, he pointed to at least four other songs that sound pretty similar, including B.B. King’s rendition of the “The Thrill Is Gone.” But those commonplace musical tropes cannot be monopolized by one band under copyright law.

“The similarities we hear aren’t protectable elements, and certainly not the intellectual property of Mr. Fernandez,” Bennett said. “The Stones didn’t copy from Fernandez, because they didn’t need to; they’ve been playing grooves like this for a very long time, as have many others.”

Beyond such musical problems, the case against the Stones also potentially suffers from a simpler legal flaw.

In any copyright lawsuit, an accuser needs to show that the alleged infringer had “access” to their work in order to copy it. In cases involving big songs – like in the looming trial against Sheeran over Marvin Gaye’s iconic “Let’s Get It On” – a plaintiff can easily argue that the song was so widely-available that the defendant obviously heard it. But the case against the Stones involve songs of far less renown; when the lawsuit was first filed, the allegedly-copied “So Sorry” listed less than 1000 streams on Spotify.

Faced with that situation, Fernandez instead aimed to directly show how the Stones might have heard the song. In his complaint, his lawyers wrote that he gave a demo CD to “an immediate family member” of Jagger, who then allegedly confirmed in writing that the songs had “a sound The Rolling Stones would be interested in using.”

But according to James Sammataro, a veteran copyright litigator and the co-chair of the music group at at the law firm Pryor Cashman, those arguments fall well short of what’s required under law.

He noted that the complaint “conspicuously” failed to name that family member, and also did not directly claim that they had actually handed the song off to Jagger or had been involved in creating “Ghost Town.”

“A charitable read of the complaint is that plaintiff purportedly gave his demo to a family member of Jagger who might have passed along the demo to Jagger, but that plaintiff have no idea whether it actually happened,” Sammataro wrote. “Such speculative allegations are far too attenuated to infer a reasonable possibility of access. If there was a strong claim of access, the plaintiff would have presumably pled it.”

31 Mar 2023

Gary Clark Jr. to Perform Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute at 2023 CMT Music Awards

Four-time Grammy winner and Austin native Gary Clark Jr. has been added to the performers lineup for the 2023 CMT Music Awards. He’ll be delivering a tribute to the Texas blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Clark’s performance joins the previously announced tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, as well as performances from Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Carly Pearce and many more.

The CMT Music Awards, hosted by Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini, will take place at Moody Center in Austin for the first time, on Sunday, April 2, airing on CBS Television Network and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+.

Also announced on Friday (March 31), is this year’s roster of presenters. The musicians, actors and athletes set to appear are Pearce, Underwood, Charles Esten, Dixie D’Amelio, Dustin Lynch, HARDY, Ian Bohen + Jen Landon (Yellowstone), Jon Pardi, LeAnn Rimes, Madison Bailey (Outer Banks), Max Thieriot (Fire Country), Megan Thee Stallion, Noah Schnapp (Stranger Things), Parker McCollum, Peter Frampton, Shania Twain, Steve Howey (True Lies) and Travis Kelce.

Vaughan was born in Dallas in 1954, and released six studio albums, beginning with 1983’s Texas Flood. He would become one of the all-time great guitarists, melding the influence of jazz and blues on songs such as “Crossfire” and “Love Struck Baby.” Though Vaughan died in August 1990 in a helicopter crash, his music has continued to inspire artists such as John Mayer and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Clark Jr. has earned three top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, including 2012’s Blak and Blu, 2015’s The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, and 2019’s This Land.

The Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute will feature Slash of Guns N’ Roses, Wynonna Judd, Billy Gibbons, Chuck Leavell, Cody Johnson, Paul Rodgers, Warren Haynes and LeAnn Rimes. The tribute performance follows the death of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s final original founding member, guitarist Gary Rossington, who passed away on March 5 at age 71.

31 Mar 2023

‘Amor Prohibido,’ ‘Dreaming of You’ & More: What’s the Best Selena Album? Vote!

Selena Quintanilla’s legacy and music continue to shine throughout the years, especially on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, where she has placed 24 entries, including her longest-leading No. 1 sets Amor Prohibido and Dreaming of You.

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With the former, home to hits such as “No Me Queda Mas” and “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” Quintanilla clocked her first No. 1 on the chart in June 1994. The album remained atop the tally for 20 weeks. The latter,  released four months after her death (March 31, 1995), includes English and Spanish songs and debuted at No. 1 in August 1995, selling 331,000 copies in its first week and selling over 1 million in two months. It spent 44 weeks at the top.

Dreaming also made history as the first predominately Spanish-language album to debut at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, placing the Queen of Tejano at another level of stardom.

In total, seven of the 24 titles reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, including the experimental Enamorada de Ti (2012), where thanks to advanced technology, new versions of her hits were created, some turned duets like: “Amor Prohibido” with Samo; “Como La Flor” with Cristian Castro; “Fotos y Recuerdos” with Don Omar; “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” with Selena Gomez; and the new electro-merengue “Enamorada de Ti” with Juan Magán.

Below, Billboard highlighted the seven Selena albums that reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, from Amor Prohibido to Dreaming of You and beyond. Vote for your favorite one!

31 Mar 2023

Real Hot Girl Sh*t: Megan Thee Stallion Throws Out First Pitch At Houston Astros’ Opening Day

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Chicago White Sox v. Houston Astros

Source: Logan Riely / Getty / Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion is continuing to live her best damn life.

The proud Houstonian threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Houston Astros home opener on Thursday night, March 30, at Minute Maid Park.

Before she hit the diamond and took the mound, looking like a goddess in dress in all-white while wearing a custom Houston Astros jersey with Pete, her last name, and the number “222” on the back, the “Savage” rapper was practicing throwing strikes beneath the stadium according to the announcer.

While making her way to the mound, the Houston did note that she was nervous and took a moment before delivering the first pitch to David Hensley, which was just a little outside, landing in the left-handed batter’s box. Hensley showing off his second and third baseman skills, was able to scoop up the pitch quickly.

To seal the deal, Thee Stallion blessed Hensely and Orbit, the Astros’ iconic mascot, with a hug.

No, her pitch wasn’t perfect, but it was damn sure better than other first pitches from other Hip-Hop stars. Looking at you, 50 Cent. 



The hotties were happy to see their queen hit the pitcher’s mound to throw out the first pitch at a professional baseball game while her shooter, Tory Lanez, tries to find a way to get his conviction thrown out. 

We are all happy to see Megan Thee Stallion in good spirits again after going through the ordeal she went through, with people calling her a liar and blaming Roc Nation and everyone else except the actual person that shot her.

You can see the reaction to her first pitch in the gallery below.

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Photo: Logan Riely / Getty

1. Real hot girl sh*t

3. Legends link up.

4. We love her.

31 Mar 2023

Third Eye Open: Erykah Badu Calls “Woke” The New Conservative “Thug” 

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In an interview with Ari Melber on MSNBC, Erykah Badu talked about her 2008 song, “Master Teacher” which is often credited as most recently popularizing the term “woke.”

The song, which also featured Georgia Anne Muldrow, had a chorus that said, “I stay woke,” and the 52-year-old singer further explained her role in popularizing the phrase. “There’s a song on [New Amerykah Part One] called ‘Master Teacher,’ and in that song… the chorus is ‘I stay woke,’ so ‘stay woke’ was introduced to the world by this album,” the 52-year-old neo-soul icon said. “And I tweeted it about this group that was detained, Pussy Riot… In my tweet, I said ‘Free Pussy Riot…stay woke.’ After that, ‘woke’ took off.”

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The word woke has most recently been used by the GOP as a buzzword for any part of the liberal agenda from teaching Black history to protecting LGBTQ rights. 

But, when asked directly what Badu thinks conservatives mean when they use the word, she said plainly, “I think they mean ‘Black,’” the singer said. “It’s just another way to say ‘thug’ or something else, right?”

She also noted, “It is what it is. It doesn’t belong to us anymore, and once something goes out into the world, it takes a life of its own. It has an energy of its own.”

The term woke has found its way into the mainstream lexicon with Republicans using it daily to describe almost anything that they disagree with. The most significant legislative action was the passage of the Stop WOKE Act signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022. The legislation restricts how racism and other parts of history can be taught in schools and workplaces. It even includes language that is supposed to prevent white students from “feeling bad” about actual American History. 

The act is behind the banning of several books in the state as well as sanitized versions of Black historical facts like Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. 

While the popular and eclectic singer may have brought the term back to the forefront of American culture, social and culture historians note that the phrase can be traced back to as far as the 1930s. 

According to MadameNoire, American folk legend Huddie Michael Ledbetter (aka Lead Belly) coined the term during an interview discussing his hit song “Scottsboro Boys,” according to NewsOne. In the 1938 interview, Belly urged Black people to stay vigilant when traveling through Alabama to avoid racial tension.

African American author Melvin Kelley also used the phrase in a New York Times essay where he examined Black language and idioms as a pushback against white supremacy called, “If You’re Woke You Dig It.” 

The most recent use and retaliation against the phrase originated in 2020 during national protests against the police state in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin. 

Badu said in the interview that the true meaning of the expression belongs to the people who created it. 

“It means being aware, being in alignment with nature,” the Grammy-winning singer added. “It’s not only in the political arena. That means with your health, that means in your relationships, that means in your home, that means in your car, that means in your sleep.”