bbnews

In the most recent episode of the Inevitable podcast, J. Cole reveals that he wanted to create a dream collab album with Big Sean and Meek Mill. Keep watching for the full story!

Narrator: 
From a “Heaven’s EP” to a dream collab EP? The Dreamville rapper dropped some news on the latest episode of his Inevitable podcast, which chronicles his career, sharing that he once considered creating a team-up album with rappers Meek Mill and Big Sean. Cole revealed that the idea came about back in 2012 when the three men were in studio with mega-producer No ID. It would’ve been a dream album as all three men were already collaborating on each other’s tracks during that time. Here’s a quick history lesson: J. Cole appeared on “24K of Gold” from Big Sean’s 2012 mixtape Detroit, and Big Sean appeared on “Burn” from Meek Mill’s 2012 mixtape Dreamchasers 2. Sadly, it looks like the stars never aligned, as we never got that collab EP. We’ll just have to chalk this up to one of those great “what ifs.” We’ve got our ears locked to J. Cole’s Inevitable podcast as he continues to drop retro and introspective gems on each episode, and stay tuned here at Billboard for all the latest in hip-hop news.

Kendrick Lamar is on a roll. After debuting at No. 1 on both the Hot 100 & Billboard 200 thanks to ‘GNX’, the rapper just announced a joint stadium tour with SZA, and more music could possibly be on the way. Keep watching to see our full breakdown of what Kendrick’s been up to!

Narrator:

Kendrick Lamar is ending 2024 with a bang! A just announced tour with SZA and is he dropping more music? Hold the presses! Kendrick just announced that in 2025 he’s going on tour with his labelmate R&B queen, SZA for the Grand National Tour. Apple Music announced that Kendrick’s hit “Not Like Us” is the top song of 2024. The Grammy nominated diss track marks K.Dot’s first No. 1 on Apple Music’s year-end global songs chart. Next, Kendrick has joined an exclusive list, he is one of only four artists to claim the top 5 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time. “squabble up” debuted in the No.1 spot followed by “tv off” at No. 2, “Luther” at No. 3, “wacced out murals” at 4 and “hey now” at 5. Oh did I forget to mention that Kung Fu Kenny’s latest album ‘GNX’ has rocketed in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album charts. And if the rumors are true, K.Dot isn’t done dropping new music. While on IG Live West Coast spokesperson and SiriusXM radio host DJ Hed hinted that Kendrick could be dropping more music sooner rather than later.DJ Hed teased: “We ain’t gonna give them too much. I will say this: the homie ain’t done…” If one thing’s for sure, it’s a good time to be Kendrick Lamar. We are impatiently awaiting new music. Stay tuned for more hip hop news here at Billboard.

Beyoncé takes the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century, and we’re going through her extensive career and accolades that have landed her at No. 1. From nine solo Hot 100 No. 1s to 27 Billboard Music Awards and the most Grammy Awards of any artist in history, we’re breaking it down for you. Which Beyoncé song is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

Tetris Kelly:
With nine solo Hot 100 No. 1s, three more this century with Destiny’s Child, 27 Billboard Music Awards and the most Grammy Awards of any artist in history, Billboard staff’s pick for the No. 1 greatest pop star of the 21st century is none other than the Queen Bey herself – Beyoncé.

Hailing from Houston, Texas, Beyoncé got her start in the popular girl group Destiny’s Child and gave us hits like “Say My Name,” “Independent Women – Part 1” and “Bootylicious” – songs that all topped the Billboard Hot 100. After years of success with Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé stepped out on her own as a solo artist in the early 2000s. Her debut album Dangerously in Love was a hit, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and the album’s lead single, “Crazy in Love” with future husband Jay-Z, also topped the Hot 100. She continued to dominate the Billboard 200 with her next albums, including I Am… Sasha Fierce, which featured one of her most notable hits — “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” We all know that iconic dance.

But Beyoncé changed the game when she dropped her album Beyoncé without anyone knowing it was coming. That release popularized the term “surprise drop,” and she paired it with a full visual album with music videos for each song, transforming the way artists market their new releases. The album topped the Billboard 200 and gave us hits like “Drunk in Love.”

Keep watching for more!

Tyla is next up on the list to perform at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, airing on Thursday, Dec. 12. Keep watching for all the details! 

Narrator:
New performer alert! Tyla will perform at this year’s Billboard Music Awards! The South African singer is set to grace the Billboard Music Awards stage on Dec. 12. Tyla is also nominated for eight Billboard Music Awards, including Top R&B Artist, Top Afrobeats Artist, Top R&B Song, Top R&B Album and Top R&B Female Artist awards. On top of all of that, her hits “Water,” “Truth or Dare” and “Jump” are all nominated for the Top Afrobeats Song award. Talk about competing with yourself! So get ready, all you Tygers out there, as Tyla roars on stage with a must-see performance.

The Billboard Music Awards airs on Thursday, Dec. 12, on Fox. For updates on all Billboard Music Award announcements, keep it locked here at Billboard.

XG just finished the North American leg of their The First Howl World Tour and they share their experience throughout touring, how ALPHAZ have continuously shocked the girl group with the outpour of support, what fans can expect from their new album AWE, why outer space is a significant theme for the girls and more! 

Jason Lipshutz:
We’re missing Cocona today, but we have the rest of XG and I’m very happy to have you guys. You guys have had a huge year! You guys have been touring. How has the tour been going so far? How is everything?

XG:
The tour has been going great. We just finished our North American tour, we had so much fun. We met so many of our U.S. ALPHAZ. They were all dressed up with amazing, cool outfits they designed top to bottom. They were singing their hearts out, so that was crazy, and we got so much good energy from them so it was amazing.

Cool. What has it been like performing across the United States, performing for new fans, meeting fans for the first time?

We’ve just finished our Japan, Asia and U.S. tours. The energy that the ALPHAZ fans show us has been incredible. We take that energy to fuel our performances and give more excitement to the stage. So it’s like a give-and-take. In that regard, we’re really excited to do that again in the upcoming European tour. 

In terms of the fans, performing some of these songs for the first time for them, obviously you’ve worked on this music for a long time, some new singles, some new choreography. What has it been like presenting them to the fans for the first time?

During this world tour, we’ve been dropping new songs and albums along the way. We want each performance to be fresh and exciting. Whether they are longtime ALPHAZ or seeing us for the first time.

Keep watching for more!

Kendrick Lamar’s surprise drop of his new album, ‘GNX,’ lands him his 5th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. Keep watching for all the details!

Narrator:

Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, ‘GNX,’ debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Kendrick dropped the surprise on November 22nd, much to the delight of his fans.  ‘GNX’ marks the “Not Like Us” rapper’s 5th consecutive chart topping album. Behind 2022’s ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,’ 2017’s ‘DAMN.,’ 2016’s ‘Untitled Unmastered,’ and 2015’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly,’ ‘GNX’ also yields the year’s biggest streaming week for any R&B/hip-hop album. The beauty of ‘GNX’ is that Kung Fu Kenny wasn’t going it alone, it’s a full on West Coast affair. He’s got TDE labelmate SZA, Roddy Ricch, LA rapper Dody6, South Central’s Young Threat, Compton native Siete7x, and last but not least…Mustard! With an album that goes this hard, we can’t wait to see what Kendrick does for the Super Bowl. For more hip hop news, stay tuned here to Billboard.

SEVENTEEN and Teddy Swims are set to perform on the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, airing Thursday, December 12th. Keep watching for all the details!

Narrator:

SEVENTEEN and Teddy Swims are set to perform at this year’s Billboard Music Awards! Casting a spell on fans since their formation in 2015, SEVENTEEN has taken the world by storm with their harmonies and spectacular choreography. And this just in: “Bad Dreams” crooner Teddy Swims will also be performing at this year’s Billboard Music Awards! We know he’s going to put on one hell of a show so don’t forget to tune in! The Billboard Music Awards airs on Thursday, December 12th, on Fox. For updates on all Billboard Music Awards announcements, keep it locked here at Billboard.

Kendrick Lamar takes over the Hot 100.

Tetris Kelly:
Kendrick Lamar’s surprise drop causes a takeover as Christmas comes early. This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated Dec. 7. Jingling back to the top 10 is “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” From Kendrick Lamar’s album GNX, “Man at the Garden” is at nine and “Reincarnated” is at eight. Gaga and Bruno stay in the mix at seven, as does Shaboozey at six, Kendrick’s “Hey Now” is at five, with “Wacced Out Murals” at four. “Luther” at No. 3, and “TV Off” at No. 2. And Kendrick grabs his third No. 1 this year with “Squabble Up.”

If you want more Billboard, make sure you hit the subscribe button and ring the bell to be notified on all our latest videos.