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A few unsuspecting Little Monsters were learning the choreography to Lady Gaga‘s “Abracadabra” when, just like magic, the pop star appeared right in front of them for an emotional surprise.
In a video shared by Mastercard on Tuesday (March 11), Gaga secretly watches from behind a one-way mirror as a handful of fans take a class with one of the 14-time Grammy winner’s longtime dancers, who teaches them some of the moves from the “Abracadabra” music video. “[There’s] something about Little Monsters that is this deep connection,” Gaga says while looking on proudly. “They were just giving it their all — I didn’t expect myself to feel so emotional.”
After finishing the dance, the group posed for a photo — at which point the A Star Is Born actress suddenly popped out from behind the sliding mirror. In response, the shocked fans loudly screamed and cheered, some of them covering their mouths with surprise.
Gaga then sat on the floor with the Little Monsters for a heart-to-heart conversation, during which the fans told her their personal stories about how long they’ve been fans. “The purpose for why I kept making music really was all of you,” the vocalist told the group. “It means so much to me, the way you have been celebrating this song.”
“Abracadabra” was one of three singles that preceded Gaga’s new album, Mayhem, along with Billboard Hot 100-topper “Die With a Smile” featuring Bruno Mars and “Disease.” The full LP dropped March 7, marking the musician’s first album since 2020’s Chromatica.
Gaga has long maintained a special relationship with her fans, but in a recent interview with Billboard, the star said that something about the Mayhem era that’s brought them even closer. “I’ve seen Little Monsters be so amazing for almost 20 years,” she said at the time. “I haven’t seen us like this in a long time.”
“Between the dancing, the makeup, the hair, the costumes, it gives me so much life,” she continued. “I am really honored. All I ever want to do is make something that you press play and you feel good for the duration of the record, and maybe you play it again.”
Watch Gaga surprise her fans above.
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Now that Ma$e is back in the spotlight thanks to his and Cam’ron’s highly successful sports talk show, It Is What It Is, it seems like the former Bad Boy artist is readying his long-awaited return to the rap scene, as he’s announced that he has a new project in the works.
During the March 7 episode of It Is What It Is, Ma$e revealed that not only does he have a new album on the way, but that he’s dropping it on the same day that Diddy’s trial is set to begin! Once known as Murda Ma$e when he first came into the rap game, could the artist also formerly known as Pastor Ma$e be trading in his former monikers for something like Petty Ma$e? We don’t know, but it certainly seems to fit the bill. But hey, we’re not mad at him one bit.
During his conversation with former football player Maurice Clarett, Ma$e let it “slip” out that he was working on a new album and that Cam’ron was helping him pick and choose which songs would make the cut saying, “I’m listening to the songs that Killa picked out of the stuff I made.” When asked when we would be hearing his new project, Ma$e didn’t hesitate to say, “May 25. The first day of the Diddy trial. We’re dropping. You like that? You made me put it out there. I wasn’t going to put that out there, but Mo, you made me.”
While the Diddy trial is actually slated to begin on May 5, Ma$e is clearly looking to send a message to his former boss and might just tweak his release date once he realizes the trial is set to begin a lot sooner than he originally thought.
Interestingly enough, Ma$e is also revisiting a trend from Hip-Hop’s golden era by releasing a double album, which would’ve consisted of a double CD (do kids even know what CDs are these days?), but he’s taking it a step further by dropping a triple album so things can be “even.” What that means to him is anyone’s guess, as it could be related to business or simply a personal statement. But regardless, it will be interesting to see what Ma$e and Cam have been cooking in the lab come May.
Will Ma$e have songs aimed directly at Diddy? Will it be ready for a May 5 release date? Will his day one fans want to hear what he has left in the tank?
Are y’all looking forward to a new Ma$e album? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
The numbers don’t look good for festival promoters — and they’re getting worse.
Since the end of the pandemic, the economics of stadium concerts have become so much more favorable for fans and artists that major festival promoters are losing headliners who can dependably drive ticket sales.
Take Zach Bryan. In 2023, the then-rising star headlined the Railbird Festival in Lexington, Ky.; the Two Step Inn Festival in Georgetown, Texas; the Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin, Tenn.; and Under the Big Sky in Whitefish, Mont., among the eight that he performed at that year.
After playing just two festivals last year and releasing a wildly successful fifth studio album in July, Bryan, now a superstar, had festival buyers rejoicing in September when he was announced as the opening headliner for 2025’s Stagecoach festival. But instead of signing on as the top draw for other country festivals like Faster Horses or Tortuga, Bryan opted to partner with Stagecoach producer AEG Presents for 10 large-scale shows this summer, including stadium dates in New York, San Francisco and Ann Arbor, Mich., at the newly rebuilt Michigan Stadium, the largest such venue in the country, which will host Bryan as its inaugural concert.
He’s not alone. Festival staples like Post Malone and Kendrick Lamar, who performed at 10 apiece in 2023, are mostly ditching those live events this summer in favor of stadium concerts in major markets like Los Angeles, where the SoFi Stadium is hosting a record 19 shows from Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Shakira, Blackpink and more during the first half of the year.
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Add in stadium dates from Coldplay and Metallica and a co-headliner tour with Chris Stapleton and George Strait, and it’s easy to see why festival promoters are feeling suffocated by the abundance of stadium concerts in most major markets.
“The popularity of stadium concerts represents a significant challenge to festivals,” says Josh Kurfirst, a partner at WME who runs the agency’s 40-person festival department. From a competitive standpoint, festivals face a number of disadvantages compared with stadium concerts “that are very difficult to overcome,” he explains.
The biggest of those drawbacks is the economics. At most, festival headliners earn $5 million to $6 million per appearance, while an artist with an aggressively priced stadium show can generate double that amount. The trade-off is the costs an artist pays — a festival slot has little to no costs to cover, while a stadium headliner is responsible for nearly all of the show’s expenses. On a one-to-one basis, an artist’s net from a big festival date might be the same as what the artist would earn from a stadium show. But when those costs are amortized over a dozen stadium dates, the economics heavily favor the stadiums. That’s especially true in 2025, when the number of festivals capable of paying out high-seven-figure headliner slots has dropped significantly while the number of markets hosting stadium shows has increased.
The numbers work in favor of consumers as well. Most stadium concert tickets cost $200 to $300, while festival tickets have climbed considerably in recent years to offset rising costs, often averaging $400 to $700 per attendee. And while most festivals stretch out to several days and include access to dozens of artists, “many fans would prefer to spend an afternoon at a concert seeing their favorite artists and knowing that they have a seat to sit down in and access to basic creature comforts,” says Jarred Arfa, executive vp/head of global music at Independent Artist Group.
“It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, and there’s significantly more work involved in promoting a stadium concert than booking an artist on a festival,” Arfa continues. “But in general, a stadium concert is more appealing to older fans than a GA pass to a festival.”
That said, Arfa points out that the number of acts capable of leaping from festival headliner to the top of a stadium tour lineup is quite small and that as early incubators of artists, festivals have the resources and reach needed to cultivate a new generation of top talent.
Kurfirst adds that the headliners come and go for most major festivals and that the best brands tend to be defined by their cultural significance, the fan experience and the community that supports the festival. To remain relevant, maintain ticket demand and attract star acts, he says festival organizers need to understand the appeal of their brand and “double down on superserving the fan. Find out what your audience wants and deliver it to them in a way that no one else can.”
This story appears in the March 8, 2025, issue of Billboard.
The 2025 Baja Beach Fest lineup has been announced with J Balvin, Don Omar, and Maluma joining this year’s festival as headliners. They will be performing at the beachfront event on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively. Returning to Rosarito Beach, Mexico from August 8 to 10, Natanael Cano and some of his artist friends are also scheduled for a special performance on Sunday.
The festival’s 2023 edition marked a pivotal moment, as the festival, initially dedicated to música urbana, embraced regional Mexican music, spotlighting Tijuana’s own Grupo Firme. Last year, Peso Pluma, Fuerza Regida, and Xavi made waves at the festival—the former two as headliners.
This year, a wave of Música Mexicana stars have already been confirmed including Tito Double P, Oscar Maydon, and for the first time at the fest, Los Tucanes de Tijuana.
Also making her Baja Beach debut this year is Anitta, who’s part of the lineup that includes El Alfa, Wisin, Arcangel, Young Miko, Myke Towers, Danny Ocean, Rels B, and Blessd. Newcomers Cris MJ, Yerimua, and De La Rose also form part of the festival that embodies the slogan “Menos hate, Más perreo” (less hate, more twerking).
Since its inception in 2018 by founders Aaron Ampudia and Chris Den Uijl, Baja Beach Fest 2025 continues to build on its legacy as a must-attend event, especially for Southern California residents, with Rosarito being a 45-minute drive south of San Diego, Calif.
For ticket sales and more information, visit the Baja Beach Fest website here, and check out this year’s full lineup below:
Stray Kids has broken yet another record! The group’s latest album, HOP, is officially RIAA-certified gold, giving them most gold certifications of any K-pop artist in history.
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HOP, released in December 2024, also marked Stray Kids’ sixth No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart. The band then became the first act to debut at No. 1 with its first six chart entries in the nearly 69-year history of the chart. They previously debuted atop the chart with ODDINARY and MAXIDENT (both in 2022), ROCK-STAR and 5-STAR (both in 2023) and ATE (earlier in 2024).
The eight-member group — featuring members Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and IN — will continue their touring success this year, with the next leg of their World Tour, marking their first full run of stadium dates around the world. The Live Nation-promoted, JYP Entertainment-produced tour will kick off in Chile at the Estadio Bicentenario La Florida on March 27, before moving on to stops in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil, as well as Lima, Peru and Mexico City before shifting to North America.
That run will launch on May 24 in Seattle, WA at T-Mobile Park before hitting stadiums in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Arlington, TX, Atlanta, Orlando, New York, Washington D.C. and Chicago, and winding down in Toronto at Rogers Stadium on June 29. The tour will then hop over to Europe for gigs in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Madrid and a final show slated for July 26 at Stade de France in Paris. The U.S. run will feature the eight-man group making their debuts at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and Citi Field in New York.
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Better Man isn’t your average biopic — the film captures the rise of English singer Robbie Williams as told through a motion-captured CGI anthropomorphic chimpanzee. In fact, the visual effects were so impressive that it was nominated for an Academy Award earlier this year.
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Now, the musical biopic is available to stream, so in case you missed it in theaters, you can watch it at home. Find out how below:
Starting on Tuesday, March 11, Better Man will be available to stream on Paramount+ for subscribers only.
If you’re not a subscriber, then you can take advantage of the streaming service’s seven-day free trial to watch Paramount+ originals, including Halo, Star Trek Discovery, 1883 and more. You can also watch live sports from the NFL, PGA, NWSL and UEFA Champions League, as well as live news from CBS News. After the free trial is over, you can either keep watching, or cancel altogether.
Paramount+ has two tiers for streaming plans. The first is the Paramount+ Essential plan, which is ad-supported and goes for $7.99 per month. It grants you access to everything the streamer has to offer, including and catalog titles — from hubs such as CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and The Smithsonian Channel — but with limited commercial breaks throughout movies, TV shows and live TV.
The other is Paramount+ with Showtime, which is ad-free and goes for $12.99 per month. This plan has all of Paramount+ originals and network hubs, as well as programming from Showtime with hits including Yellowjackets, Billions, The Curse, The Chi and others without any commercial breaks.
Meanwhile, Better Man hits physical media on Tuesday, May 13. The movie is ready for pre-order on DVD for $24.99, or on 4K Ultra HD for $39.99 on Amazon.
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‘Better Man’
Release date: May 13
Directed by Michael Gracey, Better Man follows the rise, fall, and rise again of British pop superstar Robbie Williams (Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies). The movie also stars Steve Pemberton, Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvany, Frazer Hadfield, Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno and others.
Stream Better Man in 4K Ultra HD on Paramount+ for subscribers only.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
The Abbey Road Institute is set to launch its newest campus in Los Angeles this summer, it was announced Tuesday (March 11). The state-of-the-art facility will be led by Grammy-winning engineer, mixer, producer and musician Rafa Sardina.
Designed to provide students with a unique professional experience, the West Coast campus will feature the institute’s renowned curriculum along with a faculty of Los Angeles-based producers, engineers and musicians, including Alan Meyerson, Barry Rudolph, John Boylan and Vanessa Garde.
“Abbey Road Institute Los Angeles is the culmination of a long-held dream,” said Sardina — who has worked with Stevie Wonder, Rosalia, Alejandro Sanz, Dr. Dre, Camila Cabello, Lady Gaga and more — in a statement. “I want to share the invaluable professional experiences of my closest musical colleagues and myself with outstanding new generations of mixers, producers, and other music and music business professionals. I can’t wait to welcome our first students and witness the beginning of their exciting career journeys.”
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Luca Barassi, CEO of Abbey Road Institute London, added: “We are thrilled to be working with Rafa and his team as we continue expanding our educational footprint in the U.S. Rafa has a strong affinity with how we teach, and an ambition to pass on his expertise to the next generation. Establishing our second U.S. campus in Los Angeles — a creative, dynamic, and globally influential city — will provide students with an immersive experience at the heart of a thriving international music scene.”
The program offers intensive and immersive education in a small, focused-learning environment, emphasizing hands-on, apprenticeship-style training to equip graduates with the skills necessary to thrive in the music industry. Graduates will earn a diploma in music production and sound engineering. Additional diplomas in audio post-production for film and TV & music business will be offered in the future.
“We are incredibly proud of the success of Abbey Road Institute graduates,” Universal Music Group COO and Abbey Road board member David Sharpe added. “Some of them have earned multiple Grammy and Billboard awards, along with numerous Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations. Bringing Abbey Road Institute’s world-class education to Los Angeles will provide aspiring producers and engineers with the training they need to make a strong entrance into the music industry.”
The campus’ exact inauguration date and location will be announced soon.
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Source: Andy Wenstrand / Getty
Ben Affleck is an award-winning actor and filmmaker and starred in motion pictures that have made millions in theaters. Ben Affleck is also a dad of children who love fancy gifts, and the Massachusetts native let it be known that his kids won’t be running his packets for expensive sneakers.
As spotted on Buzzfeed, Ben Affleck and his 13-year-old son went viral after attending a Got Sole sneaker convention in Los Angeles at the top of the month. Affleck’s son pointed out some Jordan 1 Dior lowtop sneakers and tried to get his father to get him the sneakers. When Affleck heard the $6,000 price tag, he ribbed his son by saying he’s going to have to mow a lot of lawns to get a pair. Of course, the kid took it in stride, and we’re pretty certain Dad didn’t leave the convention without something.
Affleck was at the annual SXSW conference to premiere his new film, The Accountant 2, and was approached by Access Hollywood to chat about his latest work, where Affleck deferred and praised his cast, the stunt workers, and director Gavin O’Connor. Toward the end of the chat, the outlet asked Affleck about the sneaker convention moment, and all of Affleck’s Massachusetts accent came out.
“That’s what happens when you tell a motherf*cker you have to mow a lawn, all of a sudden, they don’t want those shoes anymore,” Affleck says with a smile in his eyes. What makes the moment so great is that Ben Affleck is in total media training mode during the first part of the segment, but it all goes away once the sneaker conversation comes up.
Check out both aforementioned moments below.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Pacific Press / Getty / Tesla / Elon Musk / Donald Trump
Donald Trump and his MAGA cult are now all-in on electric cars, specifically, Elon Musk’s crappy Tesla vehicles after the company’s stock continues to take a hit, and sales stall due to him Musk hitching his wagon to the Trump train and being a douche.
Orange Mussolini and his loyal supporters are vowing to buy the once popular, but extremely poorly designed electric car in response to protests of the EV company across the nation in response to Musk’s DOGE ruining federal workers’ lives following unjust mass layoffs in the name of reducing government spending.
Taking to his favorite megaphone, Truth Social, Trump announced he will purchase a Tesla vehicle to show confidence in Musk and his company while incorrectly calling boycotts of Tesla illegal.
Per CNBC:
“I’m going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American,” Trump wrote in a post published early Tuesday morning on Truth Social.
Trump said “radical left lunatics” are “illegally and collusively” boycotting Tesla, which the president described as one of the best automakers in the world. This action, Trump said, was meant as an attack on Musk and what he stands for.
https://x.com/atrupar/status/1899520772139372904
For those who believe everything Trump says, boycotting companies is not illegal. In 1982, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment protects American citizens’ rights to protest private businesses.
Elon Musk’s Businesses Are Suffering Globally
Source: ELSA BIYICK / Getty
Anyway, in a recent interview, Musk himself acknowledged that the self-inflicted harm to his businesses was leading to him running them “with great difficulty.” This wouldn’t have been the case if he hadn’t gotten into politics, specifically giving Donald Trump ridiculous amounts of money to ensure his return to the White House.
https://x.com/MirageWL8/status/1898870276315927032
Musk rallied against the people who were buying his vehicles, opting to side with the folks who clowned his cars in the first place because electric vehicles can compare to good old fashioned gasoline-powered cars that ruin the environment and cause climate change that they they constantly deem a hoax, even thought they have seen their houses burn down or be washed away in unprecedented natural disasters.
MAGA Republicans Love Tesla Electric Vehicles All of A Sudden
Now, as we are in the upside down, in an attempt to “own the libs,” following Cheeto Jesus’ footsteps, they are claiming they are getting Teslas to help Musk out and stand with him as he loses billions.
https://x.com/rolandsmartin/status/1899505153239101713
Bruh, the stupidity mixed with hypocrisy is off the chains.
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It seems like every week in 2025, there’s some new breakthrough for Doechii. The rising rapper and breakout pop star of late 2024 has already won a Grammy and delivered the most-acclaimed performance on Music’s Biggest Night, and this week she adds to her growing list of accolades with the title of Billboard‘s Woman of the Year for 2025.
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Meanwhile, Doechii continues to excel on the Billboard charts — particularly the Billboard Hot 100, where she notches two songs in the top half of the listing this week (dated Mar. 15): breakout hit “Denial Is a River” rebounds to No. 22, one off its previously reached peak of No. 21, while the Sleepy Hallow-led redo of her old YouTube upload “Anxiety” debuts at No. 45. And those two songs are likely to be joined next on the chart week by Doechii’s own solo ‘Anxiety,” which she released to DSPs last Thursday (Mar. 5.)
Which of these songs has the biggest Hot 100 potential? And how important is it that Doechii capitalize on her momentum ASAP? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.
1. “Denial Is a River,” from 2024’s Alligator Bites Never Heal, continues to hang around the 20s on the Hot 100 this week, rebounding 25-22 after previously hitting a No. 21 high on the chart. Do you think it will eventually reach the top 10, or is it running out of time to make such a jump?
Rania Aniftos: I would love to see it make the top 10, but I can see her dropping a slew of new songs that might make their way up to the top 10 quicker. It’s only the beginning for Doechii’s chart success, without a doubt.
Kyle Denis: “Denial” has already gotten several high-profile live performances (the Grammys, Cobert, Tiny Desk) and a star-studded music video (featuring a weeks-long rollout and cameos from Zack Fox, ScHoolboy Q, etc.), so its best bet for a stint in the top 10 at this point is probably when it starts to peak on radio. The song has only just reached the top 10 on Rap Airplay (No. 9) and Rhythmic Airplay (No. 10); and it’s still climbing on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (No. 14) and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (No. 15). “Denial” will need to peak on radio right when the 2024 Hot 100 holdovers (“A Bar Song,” “Lose Control,” etc.) start to slip out of the top 10; it’s not impossible, but the timing will be tight.
Jason Lipshutz: It depends on what Doechii does next. The rapper is so red-hot at this moment that casual fans are diving into her back catalog, which includes her mixtape from 2024, as well as songs that came out well before it; the recent success of “Denial Is a River” is due to the song’s bouncy personality, as well as the general demand for Doechii music. If she lets “Denial” simmer for a few more months, the track might eventually climb into the top 10 — but if Doechii drops more singles or a new project in the near future, that material will likely crowd out “Denial” on the Hot 100.
Heran Mamo: I don’t think it’s running out of time. When I think about Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” — a song that debuted at No. 100 on the Hot 100 and spent a record-breaking 59 weeks climbing to No. 1 – it reminds me that almost anything is possible these days when it comes to the charts. Doechii’s current momentum can certainly give “Denial is a River” more of a boost, while her future performances can also help continue increasing the song’s profile.
Andrew Unterberger: The rising tide of All Things Doechii will continue to lift it — I have to imagine it’ll at least hit the top 20 soon — but getting inside the top 10 will definitely either take an additional pronounced bump from a new remix or live performance or viral moment, or it will take wide and sustained radio support. The latter feels unlikely to me — “Denial” is pretty unconventional for a radio single — and the former has already happened so many times it’s hard to imagine it has many more such bullets left. I wouldn’t bet on it happening, but I wouldn’t bet against it (or against anything Doechii-related, really) either.
2. Meanwhile, even older Doechii songs are becoming new hits: “Anxiety,” a 2023 Sleepy Hallow song featuring a sample of Doechii’s straight-to-YouTube 2019 song of the same name, debuts at No. 45 on the Hot 100 this week. Is the desire for new Doechii so strong that folks are now finding all songs to seize onto, or do you think there’s another reason for the song’s newly viral popularity?
Rania Aniftos: I think a massive wave of people are finally discovering her! She’s been that girl for a while, but ever since her groundbreaking Grammys performance, she picked up a whole lot of new fans. They loved “Denial Is a River,” so they’re going back through her discography and finding new gems to enjoy — “Anxiety” being the latest one to receive much-deserved attention.
Kyle Denis: I think it’s definitely the desire for all things Doechii right now; it’s why she’s the undisputed winner of Paris Fashion Week and why an offhand Hot Ones quip can inspire a week’s worth of social media discourse. I also think a lot of people are genuinely feeling quite anxious right now. Whether it’s economic anxiety, political anxiety or just general nerves around how the world is evolving, “Anxiety” is the kind of song that speaks directly to those feelings instead of offering escapism – and we’ve had a lot of music do the latter since the turn of the decade and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jason Lipshutz: The desire for Doechii music really is that strong across the board. In the streaming era, one of the clearest signs that an artist is about to explode and reach superstardom is when multiple songs in their back catalogs start receiving significant upticks, as previously unfamiliar fans dive in to their discographies and create belated hits. “Anxiety” has a hook that’s ripe for stressed-out TikTok confessionals — but if another artist was delivering it, the song wouldn’t be as in-demand as it is now, with Doechii attached.
Heran Mamo: Given the current state of the world (insert deep sigh), a song about our collective anxiety couldn’t have resurfaced at a more appropriate time. But my theory is that there’s been a growing interest in Doechii’s YouTube channel that’s documented her come up for years (including her “I got fired thank God” video that started making the rounds on the internet shortly after her historic Grammy win in February) and featured original music. Fans were probably initially attracted to “Anxiety” because of her clever reworking of the Gotye sample. And not only are they having fun with it now, but other celebrities are too. Will Smith shared an old clip from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, featuring the origin of the “Anxiety” TikTok dance trend, that had Doechii’s song playing over it. Raye and Nara Smith did a cute twinning TikTok to it. And Demi Lovato danced to it. What’s not to love about it?
Andrew Unterberger: It’s the right song at the right time, but more importantly it’s the right artist. A Gotye-sampling stressed-out anthem was always gonna have a good chance of hitting in 2025, but with Doechii singing the hook — all it needed was a little viral spark, and it’s not surprising at all that it’s since caught fire the way it has.
3. While the version of “Anxiety” with her as a featured artist continues to take off, Doechii has also caught fire with her original solo version, which she has now released to all streaming platforms. Which of the versions do you prefer, and which do you think will ultimately become the bigger/longer-lasting chart hit?
Rania Aniftos: It’s the solo version for me. Doechii shines so bright on her own, and the corresponding TikTok trend has been spreading the track at a rapid rate — which will surely be reflected on the charts in the coming weeks.
Kyle Denis: Easily Doechii’s solo version, and I’m willing to bet money that it will eclipse the Sleepy Hallow version in under a month.
Jason Lipshutz: The Sleepy Hallow version is a bit more effective to me because the Gotye sample is backgrounded, so that both artists can create something distinct in front of it. That said, the solo version of “Anxiety” offers more Doechii, at a moment where she’s quickly ascending to a new level of stardom, and that just-released version will also receive a pronounced promotional push. I’d expect both takes on “Anxiety” to linger around the chart, but the solo version to swiftly outpace the original.
Heran Mamo: I personally like Doechii’s solo version of “Anxiety” better because I like its dramatic flair, especially the “Quiet on set, please” interlude. She’s such a dynamic artist, and I love how that plays out even within a single song. Sleepy Hallow’s version made major chart moves in the week following the release of Doechii’s solo version – the song had previously peaked at No. 3 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 and No. 31 on Rhythmic Airplay, and it shot to No. 45 on the Hot 100 and No. 11 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs this week (dated March 15) – but I think Doechii’s version will ultimately become the bigger charting hit due to the demand from her fans.
And it certainly seems to be trending that way: Doechii’s “Anxiety” has already reached No. 5 on Spotify’s global chart. And after Doechii broke down the lore behind “Anxiety” on TikTok and explained that Sleepy Hallow’s track samples her version — with people then flocking to the original Coven Music Session YouTube video (that has now amassed more than five million views at the time of publication) — her original “Anxiety” track is bound to get even more attention. Somebody’s watchin’ her alright, and they’re listening, too.
Andrew Unterberger: To my surprise, I actually prefer the Sleepy Hallow version to the full Doechii solo version, but mostly because it has a lighter touch with the “Somebody That I Used to Know” sample, just using the tense acoustic shuffle of the verse without dipping into the much-more-obvious intro or chorus melodies. In any event, it seems practically guaranteed that the solo version will have the higher chart ceiling — it’s already doing gangbusters numbers on streaming, being greeted with the excitement and enthusiasm of a brand new Doechii single — and I feel like it has a pretty good shot of becoming her first Hot 100 top 10 hit in the next couple weeks.
4. Outside of her single releases, Doechii has been on an incredible run of live performances and music videos and other big moments in the past half year or so. Is there one such moment that you think of as being a particular difference-maker for her in terms of bringing her to the level of exposure that she’s currently at?
Rania Aniftos: I already mentioned the Grammys, but that performance really was a mainstream display of her creativity and stage presence. However, to switch it up a little, I’m going to also mention her incredible performance for NPR’s Tiny Desk. There were so many viral TikTok clips surrounding that performance, and that likely helped boost “Denial Is a River” upon its release.
Kyle Denis: I think there are actually three key moments. I’d say the first was the release of “Alter Ego” with JT in March; it served as something of a palette cleanser for those who were more enamored by Doechii’s idiosyncrasies that her middle-of-the-road pop-rap offerings like “What It Is” and “Booty Drop.”
The second moment comes with the release of “Boom Bap” a week before the full Alligator Bites mixtape dropped. By this point, we had already gotten several entries in her Swamp Sessions series as well as “Nissan Altima,” but the actual boom bap sound of the record coupled with her fearless bars and incorporation of tongues set social media ablaze, perfectly setting the tone for the full project.
I’d say the third moment – and most important – was the one-two punch of her Late Show and Tiny Desk performances. Not only did the two promo stops happen in consecutive days during Grammy voting, but they also allowed the general American audience to experience how dynamic of a live performer Doechii is. She opted for medleys both times, showcasing the versatility of her sound while offering something completely new and distinct – visually and aesthetically – both times. With those performances going viral leading people to discover her mixtape, Doechii perfectly set the stage for her star-making 2025 run.
Jason Lipshutz: When we look back on the 2025 Grammys, we will see a performance that yielded a new top 10 hit — Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” — and another that minted a new star. Doechii may have taken the stage as part of a medley of best new artist nominees, but she dominated with vision and command, showcasing her technical skill while also pulling off elaborate choreography. A lot of people already knew Doechii before that performance, but the Grammys resulted in a mainstream groundswell that unlocked a new level of fame.
Heran Mamo: Performing alongside Ms. Lauryn Hill last weekend has to be the one. Not many rappers, whether they’re emerging or established, can say they’ve been able to do that. And it’s special because Ms. Hill was the first woman to win the Grammy for best rap album and Doechii became the most recent one (and third female winner overall) last month. Doechii also wrote on Instagram that The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was the first full-length album she ever listened to. “I would sing your songs as if I wrote them, imagining myself on stage,” she said. I wonder if she ever imagined herself on stage with Ms. Hill. Talk about a full-circle moment!
Andrew Unterberger: A lot of other moments set the table for Doechii, but her Grammys performance was the proper meal. Coming just after she’d won best rap album for Alligator Bites, she put on an absolute clinic of a live performance, one that had no less accomplished a Grammys fixture than Billie Eilish absolutely gasping in the audience. Her consumption numbers zoomed up immediately afterwards, and they haven’t stopped climbing in the weeks since.
5. Doechii has become Billboard’s Woman of the Year before even releasing an official album. Do you think it’s important for Doechii’s career that she capitalize on her incredible momentum of early 2025 by releasing an album in the immediate future, or would she be better off letting all these moments she’s cultivating get their full shine and then coming back with the official debut once she’s had a chance to breathe a little?
Rania Aniftos: That’s a tough one. Like I’ve said, she’s so unique and creative, so I hope she doesn’t feel the pressure to rush out an album. She can do just fine dropping strings of singles until she’s ready for a debut album that she’s really proud of. I trust Doechii’s instincts and judgement fully on this one.
Kyle Denis: I don’t think she should feel pressured to drop her debut album anytime in the immediate future. “Anxiety” is clearly gearing up to be probably her biggest chart hit since “What It Is” and people still have Alligator Bites in heavy rotation. Knowing how volatile social media can be when artist experiences success – and how especially cruel they are to Black queer artists – an immediate album release could backfire and speed up how overexposed she feels. I say she coast off these moments and “Anxiety” through the summer and start rolling out the debut album after we’ve celebrated a year of Alligator Bites. Regardless, if Doechii has proven anything over the past few months, it’s that she only really needs to listen to herself.
Jason Lipshutz: Doechii could release a new album in the next few weeks and surf the current hype wave at its crest; she could also let her current singles simmer a bit more, then fire up a brand new project for the fall, to close out the year with a bang and put herself in 2026 Grammys consideration. Neither option is bad! As long as she capitalizes on her moment in some form or fashion, Doechii is going to remain a very big deal for the foreseeable future.
Heran Mamo: Considering all she’s been able to accomplish before releasing her debut album, I think Doechii has bought herself a little more time. She already delivered a critically acclaimed and now Grammy-winning project with Alligator Bites Never Heal just last summer, but given the recent viral success of “Anxiety,” fans have proven they have quite a ravenous appetite for her music and want to be satisfied quickly. Her label TDE is known for long album cycles – as well as high-quality albums. It might take some more time for Doechii & co. to make sure she’s putting out the best possible product, but I don’t doubt they’ll find ways to keep her in the conversation until then and make sure she doesn’t lose her hot streak.
Andrew Unterberger: I think the “what” matters a lot more than the “when” with the album. It’s tempting to point to someone like Ice Spice as an example of an artist who was as white-hot a couple years ago as Doechii is now, and point to the underperformance of her 2024-released Y2K as evidence that waiting too long to drop her debut LP was a big mistake. But if that album had been extraordinary, I don’t believe it would’ve really mattered so much how long fans had to wait for it. And if Doechii’s debut album is extraordinary — which, given her track record, we have to believe it probably will be — it won’t really matter if it’s released three months from now or three years from now. So I’d tell her to focus on that first and foremost, and every other concern will quickly become secondary.