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Drake & PartyNextDoor’s ‘$ome $exy $ongs 4 U’: All 21 Tracks Ranked

The OVO teammates partner for their first-ever full collaboration album.

On Friday (Feb. 14), Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR entered Valentine’s Day with stealthy intentions as they delivered their long-awaited collaborative album $ome $exy $ongs 4 U.

For 21 songs, the OVO tandem scripts entrancing songs about love, heartbreak and lust. Whether they tag-team on records (“SOMEBODY LIKE YOU”) or welcome newcomers like Pim to grab the wheel (“PIMMIE’s DILEMMA”), it’s clear that the Toronto showstoppers are looking to play spoilers for thriving relationships in 2025 during Valentine’s Day weekend.

As for Drake, all eyes are on him after his lyrical adversary, Kendrick Lamar, steamrolled his way to five Grammy wins for his scathing diss track “Not Like Us” and took yet another victory lap during his record-breaking Super Bowl Halftime Show performance. Though $exy $ongs is a love-laden effort, Drake does have choice words not only for his PG Lang foe but also for his long-time critic, Joe Budden. Despite his menacing barbs, Drake’s attention remains primarily on the ladies throughout the 74-minute effort.

For PND, who’s coming off arguably his best album last year with PND4, he continues his hot streak as an R&B stalwart. He doesn’t only complement Drake as a formidable co-pilot, but when given the keys, is a cerebral lead artist, as proven on “DEEPER.” Time will tell if Drizzy can land his 14th No. 1 album with his newest effort.

Join Billboard as we recap the best (and less-best) songs on Drake and PND’s $OME $EXY $ONGS 4 U, and see if the Toronto Boys live up to the occasion on this R&B-centric album.

Tyla Taps Sean Paul for ‘Push 2 Start’ Remix: Stream It Now

Tyla tapped Sean Paul for the “Push 2 Start” remix that dropped Friday (Feb. 14).

“Everyone loves Sean Paul, there’s so many songs of his that I absolutely loved growing up,” she tells Billboard while singing the hook from his 2003 hit “I’m Still in Love With You.” “All those songs are so nostalgic and special and vibey. I really wanted that feeling on the song. And he’s been speaking to me about wanting to do something, so I felt like this would be the perfect thing.”

This wouldn’t be the first time the South African singer collaborated with a Jamaican artist. She recorded “Jump” with dancehall star Skillibeng and Gunna on the original version of Tyla.

“Push 2 Start” was originally released in October as one of three new tracks on the deluxe edition of Tyla’s self-titled debut album. It became her second entry on the Billboard Hot 100 following her top 10 smash “Water,” peaking at No. 88, and spent eight weeks atop U.S. Afrobeats Songs.

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The 23-year-old artist performed “Push 2 Start” for the first time at the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show as well as the MTV Europe Music Awards, where she won best Afrobeats, best R&B and best African act, and the Billboard Music Awards, where she won top Afrobeats act and top Afrobeats song.

Tyla will receive the Impact award at Billboard‘s annual Women in Music event, which will take place Saturday, March 29, at YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.

Listen to the “Push 2 Start” remix below.

Dexta Daps Celebrates Valentine’s Day With New ‘Lockdown’ Single: Stream It Now

After winning performer of the year (dancehall) at last year’s Caribbean Music Awards, Jamaican reggae sensation Dexta Daps is set on securing the next Valentine’s Day anthem with his new “Lockdown” single.

Over waltz-evoking guitars, Dexta forgoes the fete to spend some intimate one-on-one time with his special lady singing, “I’ve been staying home lately because outside has been too much for me/ Spending quality time with my baby/ I could be somewhere out there in the club, but I’m here with you making love/ There is beauty inside when two lovers lockdown.” Though it’s nearly impossible for the phrase “lockdown” not to invoke memories of the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dexta’s smoldering vocal delivery — which blends the intricate rhyme schemes of dancehall with sultry R&B riffs and instrumentation — prevents that era from completely cannibalizing the song.

“Lockdown” — which hit DSPs on Friday (Feb. 14) — is Dexta’s second release of the year. Last month (Jan. 10), he released “X-Gal,” a Dretegs-produced track whose official video has amassed over two million views in just one month. Since the release of “X-Gal,” Dexta has dedicated his official Instagram feed to teasing behind-the-scenes footage of the “Lockdown” music video. “[One] ting, if you work with Dexta Daps, you gonna laugh,” he quipped in one caption. “Well, except the [camera] man!”

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Known for hits such as “Shabba Madda Pot” and “Breaking News,” Dexa Daps earned his first entry on Top Reggae Albums with 2020’s Vent (No. 10). Three years later, he notched his first entry on the U.S. Afrobeats Song Chart with “Bop” (No. 22), a Davido collaboration from the Nigerian star’s 2023 Timeless LP.

Listen to “Lockdown” below:

Here’s What Young Thug Attorney Brian Steel Has to Say About Drake & PartyNextDoor Naming a Song After Him

Drake and PartyNextDoor are dropping their joint album $ome $exy $ongs 4 U on Thursday night, and one song title on the recently revealed track list stuck out: The duo named the project’s ninth track “Brian Steel” after the attorney who represented Young Thug during his much-publicized RICO trial.

New York Times reporter Joe Coscarelli reached out and posted a screenshot of Steel’s response on his X account, and while the lawyer said he was “unaware” of the song, he had nothing but nice things to say about Drake.

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“I have had the honor and pleasure of meeting with Mr. Graham,” Steel wrote. “He is so kind, considerate, generous, inspirational, intelligent—a true leader and great model for our community.”

Brian Steel’s name was originally misspelled when the track list first surfaced, but it looks like that mistake was fixed, as per the updated list Drake posted on his Instagram.

Before Young Thug was released from Fulton County Jail in the fall, he tried to settle things between Drake, Metro Boomin and Future after the latter duo helped set off the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle that popped off last year. “@Drake @1future @MetroBoomin we all bruddas. Music aint the same without us collabin,” Thugger posted on X in October.

According to Akademiks, Drake apparently went to see Thug after his release and hit him with a bag of money. “When Thug gets let out of jail, the talk is this: They say two hours afterward, Drake flew to Thug and allegedly gave him a [million dollars],” the streamer said.

Billboard reached out to Brian Steel’s law office for additional comment.

The Top 50 R&B Love Songs of All Time

When it comes to making love songs, arguably no other genre has mastered that craft to the degree of R&B.

Its smooth melodic mix of jazz, blues and gospel rhythms, coupled with emotion-packing vocals, dates back to the ‘40s. Since then, the genre has undergone various iterations in its ongoing evolution — soul, funk, hip-hop, neo-soul, contemporary and alternative — while heavily influencing other genres along the way, such as rock n’ roll, country and pop.

Lyrical themes have run the gamut as well, from freedom, protest and pride to joy, pain and simply surviving. But when it comes to the subject of love in particular, R&B brims with colorful and insightful takes on every phase of that rollercoaster emotion: first encounter, between the sheets, courtship, break-up, make-up, marriage, divorce … then taking aim once again with the aid of Cupid’s arrow.

So in celebration of love and Valentine’s Day — and also in recognition of Black History Month — Billboard has compiled a chart-based tally of the Top 50 R&B Songs of All Time. Going back 60 years, the list encompasses the genre’s rich legacy of legendary solo singers and groups, as well as their contemporary counterparts delivering slow-burning ballads, bouncy bops and midtempo paeons to love. All of which are connected by one throughline: Love never goes out of style. And neither do these timeless gems.

Billboard’s Top 50 R&B Love Songs of All Time is based on weekly performance on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart from Jan. 30, 1965, (then the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart) through Feb. 1, 2025. The tally is comprised of songs whose main theme revolves around romantic love versus love of self and others, heartbreak or strictly physical attraction. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.

Marlon Wayans Claps Back at Soulja Boy After Being Called a Homophobic Slur for Supporting His Trans Son

Marlon Wayans is not tolerating Soulja Boy after the rapper’s homophobic comments.

The Scary Movie actor and the musician have been feuding online ever since Wayans called out Soulja Boy for performing at the Crypto Ball in Washington, D.C. in celebration of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. The back-and-forth came to a head when Soulja began poking fun at Wayans’ role in White Chicks, in which he portrays an FBI agent who goes undercover as white woman.

“I can’t believe I’m arguing with a n—- that dressed up like a white b—- wtf is wrong with me,” Soulja Boy wrote, before taking aim at Wayans’ transgender child via a series of homophobic tweets, calling 24-year-old Kai “a t—– that suck d—.” He then wrote about Wayans’ support for his child: “That f—– s— run in the family huh? @MarlonWayans no wonder u like dressing up as a b—- it’s in your blood.”

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Upon seeing those tweets, Wayans immediately fired back, writing, “If @souljaboy had a career he could get canceled for this type of slander. Luckily he ain’t been relevant since 2007.”

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He followed up with a photo of Soulja Boy, writing, “Hey @souljaboy My child had top surgery and still has more chest than you.”

Wayans has been a passionate supporter of his child, and most recently opened up about his “beautiful, magical” journey to acceptance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, noting that Kai is “the same child they was before — they just got a beard now. Okay! Same baby.”

He also told People, “At the end of the day, in my heart, only thing that matters to me is that my child is happy.”

R. Kelly Convictions and 30-Year Prison Term Upheld by Federal Appeals Court

R. Kelly’s racketeering and sex trafficking convictions, along with a 30-year prison sentence, were upheld Wednesday by a federal appeals court that concluded the singer exploited his fame for over a quarter century to sexually abuse girls and young women.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled Wednesday after hearing arguments last March.

The Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling R&B songwriter was convicted in 2021 in Brooklyn federal court of multiple charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking.

Attorney Jennifer Bonjean, representing R. Kelly, said in a statement that she believed the Supreme Court will agree to hear an appeal. She called the 2nd Circuit ruling “unprecedented,” saying it gives prosecutors limitless discretion to apply the racketeering law “to situations absurdly remote” from the statute’s intent.

Last year, the high court declined to hear an appeal of a 20-year sentence Kelly received after he was convicted in 2022 of child sex charges including charges of producing images of child sexual abuse in Chicago.

The 2nd Circuit rejected Kelly’s arguments that the trial evidence was inadequate, the constitutionality of some state laws used against him were questionable, four jurors were biased, the trial judge made some improper rulings and a racketeering charge more commonly used in organized crime cases was improper.

“Enabled by a constellation of managers, assistants, and other staff for over twenty-five years, Kelly exploited his fame to lure girls and young women into his grasp,” the appeals court said, noting members of his entourage helped introduce him to underage girls.

“Evidence at trial showed that he would isolate them from friends and family, control nearly every aspect of their lives, and abuse them verbally, physically, and sexually,” the three-judge panel said.

The appeals court said it was “neither arbitrary nor irrational” that several accusers were permitted to testify at trial that Kelly gave them herpes without disclosing he had an STD, and it was not unduly prejudicial or cumulative that seven witnesses who were not yet adults when Kelly began to abuse them were allowed to testify.

“None of the testimony was more inflammatory than the charged acts,” the appeals court said.

The 2nd Circuit also said it was not unfairly prejudicial for the trial judge to let jurors view graphic videos. The videos, the appeals court said, “were properly admitted to show the means and methods of the enterprise, including the level of control and dominance Kelly had over his victims.”

Bonjean, in her statement on R. Kelly’s behalf, also cited a partial dissent in which one 2nd Circuit judge, Richard J. Sullivan, concurred with what he described as the majority’s “excellent opinion,” but dissented in part over a restitution award given one victim for a lifetime supply of a suppressive regime of herpes medication. The award was based on the cost of the brand-name drug when a generic drug is available.

“This was not restitution. This was an effort by the government to unfairly enrich government witnesses for their testimony,” Bonjean said.

Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, is known for work including the 1996 hit “I Believe I Can Fly” and the cult classic “Trapped in the Closet,” a multipart tale of sexual betrayal and intrigue.

Kelly sold millions of albums and remained in demand even after allegations about his abuse of young girls began circulating publicly in the 1990s. He was acquitted of child sexual abuse image charges in Chicago in 2008, but a second trial in Chicago in 2022 ended with his conviction on charges of producing images of child sexual abuse and enticing girls for sex.

Widespread outrage over Kelly’s sexual misconduct did not emerge until the #MeToo reckoning, reaching a crescendo after the release of the documentary “Surviving R. Kelly.”

This story was originally published by The Associated Press.

AJ Tracey & Jorja Smith Drop R&G Banger ‘Crush’: Watch the Music Video

AJ Tracey and Jorja Smith have linked up once again for an absolute banger.

The pair started promoting the Rhythm & Grime song earlier this week with a clip on social media, with Jorja rapping her verse in a driveway with a beautiful money-green BMW E30 and AJ Tracey dipped in a pink Palace and Corteiz ‘fit like the British-Trini version of Cam’ron. She also handles chorus duties, on which she displays that voice we all know and love.

“Like I spent time tryna build/ And you just wanna make me fall, what?/ I like that, when you say you’re gonna hold me down/ Fight back, if you don’t surf, I’ll drown,” Smith raps, while AJ starts his verse off with a couple of slick bars, rapping, “Like my girls how I like my coffee, sweet/ Or like my Hennessy, neat.”

The song samples the classic 2006 grime track “Used to Be” featuring Scorcher, Mercston and Ghetts from Wretch 32’s debut mixtape Learn From My Mixtape, which flipped Brandy‘s “Love Wouldn’t Count Me Out” from her 2002 album Full Moon.

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The video is directed by LateMilk and the track is produced by Raheem Balogun, AJ Platinum and Nathaniel London.

AJ Tracey hasn’t dropped a project since 2021’s Flu Game, so hopefully this means he’s gearing up for his third LP. He told Capital XTRA Breakfast with Robert Bruce and Shayna Marie in 2024 that he was planning an album inspired by his “British experience. “The theme is just being British – my British experience – what it means to be British,” he said. “Me growing up, I listened to funk, so this rhythm is like a little funky reference; grime obviously, dancehall, like, whatever my influences are as a black British person, is going to be what the album sounds like.”

Check out “Crush” below.

Halle Bailey Kicks Off 2025 by Announcing New Single ‘Back & Forth’

Halle Bailey is ready for her next musical era.

The Little Mermaid star took to Instagram on Tuesday (Feb. 11) to announce that her upcoming single, “Back and Forth,” will be arriving on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14). The corresponding cover art fits the romantic theme, featuring the 24-year-old singer lounging on a pink platform, dressed in a white bra top and matching flowing maxi skirt. She stares into the camera, surrounded by a lips-shaped red curtain.

See the post here.

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Halle hasn’t released a song since her August 2024 single, “Because I Love You.” Ever since she started releasing music outside of Chloe x Halle, she’s been dropping a stream of singles including “Angel” and “In Your Hands,” prompting fans to buzz over an upcoming full-length solo project. Halle was also featured on the 16-song track list for her sister Chlöe‘s sophomore album, Trouble in Paradise, lending her vocals to “Want Me.”

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Beyond music, it’s been a major few years for Halle, who welcomed her first child, a son named Halo with rapper DDG, in late 2023. Halle announced his birth six days into January, sharing a photo of his tiny hand on Instagram and writing, “Even though we’re a few days into the new year, the greatest thing that 2023 could have done for me, was bring me my son.”

Additionally, in 2023, she starred as Princess Ariel in Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, which grossed more than $118 million during its opening weekend. Bailey also contributed to the Rob Marshall-helmed film’s hit soundtrack with renditions of Little Mermaid classics such as “Part of Your World” and original tracks including “For the First Time.”

Anthony Mackie Reveals Kendrick Lamar Recorded Title Track for ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ | Billboard News

Anthony Mackie shared that Kendrick Lamar has recorded the title track for Marvel’s new film, Captain America: Brave New World. Keep watching to see what he said and how his previous title track, “All the Stars,” received various accolades. 

Are you excited for Kendrick’s track? Let us know in the comments!

Tetris Kelly:
Actor Anthony Mackie has been doing the rounds to build hype for his upcoming movie, Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World. During an interview with our friends over at ET, Mackie let slip that Kendrick Lamar recorded the title track for the film.

Anthony Mackie:
Kendrick did the title song for my movie. I hope that’s not supposed to be a surprise.

Tetris Kelly:
This isn’t the first time Kendrick has lent his talents to a Marvel movie soundtrack. Back in 2018, Kendrick teamed up with SZA for the hit song “All the Stars,” which was the lead single for Marvel’s Black Panther. “All the Stars” was a big single for Marvel. It reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, received numerous accolades including a nomination for best original song at the 76th Golden Globe Awards and the 91st Academy Awards, as well as receiving four nominations at the 61st Grammy Awards, including record of the year and song of the year. Not to mention that K.Dot and SZA just performed the hit track “All the Stars” this weekend during the Super Bowl Halftime Show. We can’t say the name of the track or its release date just yet, but I might have seen a screening of it and the track is epic.

Captain America: Brave New World releases in theaters this Friday, Feb 14.

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