Music News

05 Apr 2024

What’s Your Favorite New Music Release of the Week? Vote!

April is officially here, and a number of today’s top music artists are welcoming the spring season with fresh new album releases.

It was a big week in R&B and hip-hop, as J. Cole surprised fans with a brand new project, Might Delete Later. The 12-track album features assists from a diverse range of artists including Gucci Mane, Cam’ron, Bas, Central Cee, Ari Lennox, Young Dro and more. J. Cole’s last album arrived in 2021 with The Off-Season, which topped the Billboard 200 to give the North Carolina rapper his sixth No. 1 album with 282,000 equivalent album units sold in the first week.

Meanwhile, Doja Cat unveiled the deluxe edition of her fourth studio album, Scarlet, dubbing the expanded version Scarlet 2: Claude, named after the villainous character from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The new album features seven new tracks, including “Masc,” “Acknowledge Me,” “Head High,” “Gang,” “Rider,” “Urrrge” and “Hungry.”

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Bryson Tiller’s self-titled album also arrived, including collaborations with Victoria Monét on “Persuasion” and Clara La San on “Random Access Memory [RAM]” as well as previous singles “Outside,” “Calypso” and “Whatever She Wants.” The lattermost single scored Tiller his first Billboard Hot 100 top 20 single as a lead artist since his 2015 breakthrough debut single “Don’t,” and “Whatever She Wants” also reached No. 8 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

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Over in the alternative rock space, Vampire Weekend dropped their fifth album Only God Was Above Us, while in the Latin world, Young Miko introduced herself to fans with the deeply personal att.

Which is your favorite music release of the week? Check out our Friday Music Guide here, and let us know by voting below.


05 Apr 2024

Davido’s Dream of Headlining Madison Square Garden Is Part of a Bigger One: ‘We’re Changing the Narrative of Being African in America’

Davido has been on a victory lap since last March when he dropped his fourth studio album Timeless, which earned the Afrobeats heavyweight three Grammy nominations this year. But on April 17, he’ll celebrate a very special stop: his first headlining show at NYC’s Madison Square Garden.

“I always said I want to be at the Garden. I think that’s every artist’s dream. The greats have performed there, like Michael Jackson,” he tells Billboard over Zoom while on the set of his music video for the Fave-assisted “Kante.” “I did five arenas last year for the Timeless Tour. But we didn’t have New York, so definitely this time, we wanted to add New York.”

The North American leg of the Timeless Tour included stops in Washington, D.C., Houston, Chicago, Boston, Toronto and Atlanta (the last stop was part of Davido’s A.W.A.Y Fest, which featured additional performances from his “Unavailable” collaborator Musa Keys, Spinall, Victony, King Promise and more). Following his summer stint, Davido embarked on the European leg, which had stops in the U.K., Germany, Denmark, Sweden and France. He ended 2023 back home with three performances in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos. His MSG show is the first of three additional North American arena dates, which continue with a show at Montreal’s Place Bell on April 19 and end with a show at Orlando’s Additional Financial Arena on April 24.

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“My show right now is over two hours [long]. And my new setup for tour, there’s a Stage A and there’s a Stage B, so I’m running up and down the whole night,” he says. “To produce the Davido show right now, we’re talking about $400,000, almost $500,000 – just for production alone. That’s one thing I think we’ve improved on a lot. And I have an amazing band, The Compozers. It’s the full package.”

Davido says he always has a new favorite Timeless track that he enjoys playing live, but “I definitely love performing ‘Feel,’ ‘cause it’s a very energetic record and it’s a feel-good song.” But when it comes to Davido’s other timeless records, he says the crowd still goes crazy over his 2013 track “Skelewu.” “I don’t feel like there’s a major formula to making timeless music. To me, it just comes naturally.” There is, however, one key ingredient needed for Davido’s pre-show ritual. “I definitely need to get my massage, a little 40-minute massage in,” he adds. “I eat, but I don’t like to eat too much ‘cause I don’t want to be too full ‘cause I gotta move around. And 20 minutes before I get on stage, I like to have a little bit of quiet time to myself.”

Performing in New York has also become a special ritual. The first time the Atlanta-born Nigerian artist born David Adedeji Adeleke performed in New York was in 2014 at the Pulse 48 nightclub in Brooklyn, which the New York Police Department had to shut down because the show was overbooked. “I’ve been coming back to New York almost every year since then,” he says. “New York was one of the first cities that was really putting on for African music in the mainstream. The first song that I got on the radio was in New York, so New York has a special place in my heart.”

His 2017 single “Fall,” which was later included on his sophomore album A Good Time, gradually took over U.S. airwaves two years after its release, reaching No. 13 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and No. 14 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay in 2019. And listeners were eager to discover exactly who was behind it: In New York City, “Fall” became a top 10 record on Shazam in 2019, Rolling Stone reported at the time, while “If,” another big Davido record from 2017, was a top 50 Shazam record two years after it came out.

Davido recently scored another hit with his apperance on Chris Brown’s “Sensational,” which earned Davido and fellow featured artist Lojay their first entries on the Billboard Hot 100. “I feel like I should have 100 entries, bro, but they finally let a n—a in!” he laughs. “Shoutout to CB. Me and him have an amazing working relationship, [we’ve] been working for years now, we got a couple records, performed all over the world with my brother. Me and CB ‘bout to drop more records, too. I think we drop another one in a couple of weeks, so watch out for that.” The two have collaborated on “Blow My Mind” and “Lower Body” in 2019, “Shopping Spree” (also with Young Thug) in 2020 and “Nobody Has to Know” in 2022.

His fans will also have to watch out for his upcoming album (“It’s another classic, trust me,” Davido teases) that he’s currently working on – even while he’s on tour. “We got a mobile studio, so I can literally record anywhere. Inspiration can come anytime whether I’m on stage, whether I’m on the road,” says Davido. “I’ll always set up a studio and I have my producers fly with me, travel with me.” 

And as he continues to spread African music and culture across the globe through his recorded and live music, Davido wants his African fans who will be attending the MSG show to “leave and be proud to be who they are, proud of the culture, proud of how far we’ve come. As Africans, we’re changing the narrative of being African in America. Years ago, it was a different thing. Now, when you say you’re African, you’re proud to say it, eat the food, wear the clothes, play the music,” he says. “And [for] the people that are coming to experience African culture for the first time, I want them to leave knowing that they’re never going to forget this.”

05 Apr 2024

Il Volo Discuss New Album ‘Ad Astra’ and the Power of Diversity

Ignazio Boschetto, Gianluca Ginoble and Piero Barone joke about 3 Body Problem, the Netflix series that everyone is watching and talking about. The comparison between them and the three planets comes naturally, also because Il Volo’s new album, Ad Astra, talks about stars and human fragility. The unsolved astrophysics problem that the series talks about is the difficulty of accurately predicting the way in which the three planets move, as well as the evolution of the system they constitute. Il Volo also shows a notable evolution with this new album, released on March 29.

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After 15 years of career and 13 albums, in Ad Astra, Il Volo for the first time decided to interpret original songs written for them by some of the most important Italian songwriters and producers (except for the cover of “Who Wants To Live Forever” by Queen): Michelangelo, Federica Abbate, Edwyn Roberts, Michael Tenisci, Stefano Marletta, Federico Nardelli, Luca Faraone and Bungaro.

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But it’s just the beginning. On April 20, their new world tour will start from China and then move to Japan. It will then touch the main European capitals in autumn and will arrive in the USA, Canada and Latin America in 2025.

Billboard Italy met them on a rainy morning at the end of March in Milan. They joke with each other from the start, except when they reflect on what their music means to their audience.

What determined this change of approach?

Gianluca: After great projects in recent years, especially the tribute to Ennio Morricone, we thought the time had come to sing original songs. We wanted to try to be ourselves 100%. Being an interpreter is great, but singing your own songs is a completely different thing. The songwriters got to know us personally because they came to our concerts. We tried to make a real concept album, very diverse, with an intro and an outro. The album perfectly reflects who we are. Well, some songs reflect one or the other of us in particular. We want to demonstrate that diversity is our strength.

Which song represents each of you the most?

Ignazio: I’d rather say which songs I would listen to every day: “Succede,” “L’infinito,” “Il Mondo all’Incontrario.” I don’t know which one represents me the most. Gianluca: My favorites are “Capolavoro,” “Frammenti di Universo” and “Ad Astra,” with that Genesis-style progressive suite and its theatrical and cinematographic inspiration.

Piero: I too would say “Ad Astra,” then “Saturno e Venere” featuring Irama. We immediately got on well in the studio with him, despite coming from different worlds, and we saw the way he writes his songs. Irama thinks of the melody first, then the words come. It was very fascinating to watch him at work. I also really love “Opera” for the message it sends: try to live your days without thinking too much about tomorrow. It is in small gestures that we must seek happiness.

What’s the most important message you would like to convey to young people who feel under pressure?

Piero: Always look for enthusiasm in what you do, always persevere by pursuing your passions, without putting money first.

Gianluca: I’d say the meaning of the Latin expression “Per aspera ad astra” [“to the stars, through difficulties”]: you cannot achieve great results if you don’t sacrifice yourself. The main problem for young people, but also for adults, is not knowing themselves enough. That way, you don’t feel a sense of purpose.

What kept you together for so long?

Ignazio: We could say the love for music, but that would be too obvious. It is the awareness that our strength lies in our unity and our diversity. As soloists we would never be the same.

Do you feel respected by other artists?

Piero: Things have changed over time: at the beginning we were just newcomers who had signed a contract in the United States, then we made ourselves known. The best answer was the “Tutti per uno” concert at the Verona Arena, with all the artists who wanted to participate. At the beginning it wasn’t easy for them to want to sing with us, but what could they do? There are already three of us and ours is a completely different genre from that of the other singers. But with “Tutti per uno” everyone was able to express themselves as they wanted and it was much simpler. This year too we already have many confirmations for the four night at the Verona Arena in May.

What is the most significant international tour you have done?

Piero: Definitely Japan, where we’ll be returning in a few weeks. We can’t wait. Our music genre gave us the opportunity to have unique, unrepeatable experiences. Last year they wanted us for the inauguration of the Kiyomizu-dera temple in Kyoto, a world heritage site immersed in a forest. We sang between the columns, dressed in white. The emotion was indescribable. Japan is a destination that we recommend to everyone: it showed us how we should behave, always. Respect for others, even for strangers, is an essential value there.

You said that at one of your concerts you initially thought the audience had fallen asleep.

Ignazio: The Japanese close their eyes to concentrate. At the end, however, everyone gets up and wants to come and say hello on stage – strictly waiting for the right moment, of course. Even the way of clapping is different, it’s quieter.

What have been the biggest sacrifices of these 15 years?

Gianluca: Sacrifices are constant, especially in terms of homesickness, despite we do what we love most. There were moments when we didn’t know what to do, like the year before we won Sanremo. In 2014 we kept changing record companies and didn’t know which path to take. With this new album we want to show who we are even more.

And the best moments?

Gianluca: There are many. The victory of Sanremo 2015, the tour with Barbra Streisand, the “We Are The World for Haiti” concert in 2010. But this last edition of Sanremo was also a way to show how much we have grown as artists.

What’s the most unexpected feature you would like to have in one of your songs?

Piero: Lazza, also because he’s very good at playing piano.

05 Apr 2024

Cardi B Drops Angelic, Barely-There Lingerie Photo

Cardi B is leaving fans guessing after posting a sultry new photo that some speculate is a hint at her next era.

Posted on her socials Thursday (April 4), the snapshot finds the rapper posing in platform heels, a barely-there bikini bottom and an angelic veil held up in the back by two helper doves. Another pair of white birds covers her chest, but nothing else — well, besides a metal cross and chain — obscures the rest of her body, leaving the tattoos on her arms, thighs and midriff exposed.

“Jack your set ??,” she wrote in her caption, the OK sign emoji mirroring her pose in the photo.

The Bardi Gang isn’t sure what the artist’s post is for, but many fans are convinced it means she’s gearing up to release her long-awaited new album. “CARDI WHAT IS THIS FOR????” one person commented on the photo on X.

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“OMG IS THIS THE ALBUM COVER,” wrote another admirer.

Billboard has reached out to Cardi’s rep for comment.

Fans have long been waiting for a follow-up to 2018’s Invasion of Privacy, but the Grammy winner has only released a string of singles in the six years since it dropped. These include 2021’s “Hot S–t” with Ye and Lil Durk and 2023’s “Bongos” with Megan Thee Stallion, which peaked at Nos. 13 and 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.

So far this year, Cardi has shared two solo singles — “Like What (Freestyle)” and “Enough (Miami),” which hit No. 38 and No. 9, respectively, on the Hot 100. Most recently, she joined Shakira on “Puntería,” the first track on the pop star’s new album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, which hit No. 72 on the chart.

“I always wanted to do a record with Shakira and it’s like, wow, it landed on my lap,” Cardi said of the collaboration in a recent interview with Million Dollaz Worth of Game. “It really landed on my lap … It’s like, ‘B—h, I’ll do whatever the f–k you want me to do, b—h. I’ll fly to Colombia.’ Like I’ll go over there right now.”

05 Apr 2024

Watch Jake Paul Tune Up For Mike Tyson Fight With One-Punch Lil Pump Knock-Out

By now you may have seen the sweat-drenched videos of former world heavyweight champ Mike Tyson, 57, prepping for his July 20 match with YouTuber-turned-professional-boxer Jake Paul. The bout — which will air on Netflix from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX — will feature the champ taking on 27-year-old Paul in Iron Mike’s first official fight in nearly two decades.

And now we have a clip of Paul’s work-out regime, which appears to involve easily leveling defenseless non-pugilists. In a clip uploaded on Thursday (April 4), Paul positions MAGA rapper Lil Pump just so in the middle of a boxing ring. After Paul asks if he’s ready, Pump, with his be-gloved arms in the air, takes the shot and immediately crumples to the ground in agony after Paul unleashes a single left hook into the unguarded “Big MAGA Steppin” MC’s midsection.

“Ohhhhhhhh!” a shirtless Pump yelps in agony as he crawls around the mat clutching his midsection, his face red from the screaming. With a crew of videographers swarming around the prostrate Pump to capture the clickbait moment for viral posterity — mission accomplished — Paul smiles and says, “I told you not to do it.”

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The just-for-the-cameras stunt was clearly meant to help hype the fight — as Paul was only wearing one glove — and Pump appeared to seriously, and immediately, regret agreeing to take the mighty blow. “Jake Paul is officially 10-1 [face sweating emoji],” Pump captioned the video. “Not gonna lie, that liver shot made me feel like I was dying [crying laughing emoji].”

While Tyson has been hitting the gym hard, over the past few weeks Paul appeared to be easing his way into his latest bout, posting a video on March 26 of him partying and chugging champagne with the classic trash-talking caption, “Day 1 of sending Mike Tyson back to his podcast for good.” By the next day, though, he posted an update from his 6,000-foot elevation training camp in Colorado Springs, where he said he was training hard with Olympians, followed by another in which he openly taunted Tyson, saying, “Mikey, Mikey, your hands can’t hit what your eyes can’t see.”

Last month, Tool’s Maynard James Keenan posted pics with Tyson, who has been training at the rocker’s Cottonwood, AZ Verde Valley BJJ martial arts school. The legendarily hard-hitting boxer with a career 50-6 record (including 44 knockouts), has been posting sweat-drenched videos of his intense workouts in the lead-up to his first fight since his controversial draw against fellow former champ Roy Jones Jr. in Nov. 202 in an exhibition match. Tyson is 21 years from his last win and both men are expected to take home major paydays for the headline-grabbing showdown.

Since his improbably pivot from Bizaardvark and YouTube prank video fame, Paul has fought a series of MMA fighters, former professional boxers and basketball players, boosting his record to date to 9-1 (6 by KO), with his one loss coming at the hands of the only active boxer he’s faced to date, Tommy Fury, in Feb. 2023.

Watch the one-punch knockout video below.

05 Apr 2024

WWE Superstar Big E on Why Hip-Hop Stars Are Loving Wrestling Again

WrestleMania XL is upon us. As WWE fans of all ages prepare for the Super Bowl of pro wrestling this weekend in Philadelphia, WWE Superstar Big E is one of the company’s brightest ambassadors and building blocks for what will be an iconic 48 hours.  

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Following a devastating injury in 2022, when he suffered a broken neck during a match on Smackdown, the former WWE champion has become a vital figure outside of the ring. He undertook a significant endeavor, crafting a poignant short film about the life of Ruby Bridges, the first Black student integrated into an all-white school. Collaborating with Grammy-nominated MC Rapsody, who recorded original music for the NAACP-nominated project, Big E infused his love for hip-hop and history. He transformed a heavy moment in Black history into a light and stirring conversation starter for kids living in the modern era. 

“I think there are so many stories of Black heroes, and we’re so often taught as young people: MLK, Rosa Parks, slavery, and that’s about it,” he says. “But our history is so much deeper. The Black men and women who have contributed to this country and our legacy have been incredible. We want to continue to tell these stories because there are so many out there, and we want to do it in a fun way.” 

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Big E’s love for hip-hop and history is palpable. It blossomed during his tenure at Iowa University, where he became an avid lover of the Blog Era. While playing college football as a defensive lineman, Big E became a fan of Wale and his seminal 2008 project, The Mixtape About Nothing. After E ventured into the WWE and learned of Wale’s fandom in 2012, their mutual appreciation ultimately turned into a close-knit friendship. 

“We ended up DMing years ago, and we connected more than just him being a wrestling fan and me being a fan of him,” he recalls. “We connected on life. So many times, we were texting about life on the road a lot more than just being industry friends. I’m such a massive fan of him, not just as an artist but as a human being.”

Though Big E remains in great shape, possessing the same burly physique that made him an elite champion, he is enjoying the sidelines, watching his peers, most notably the Black WWE superstars, carry the torch during his hiatus. 

“It’s really just been an incredible time for Black talent, and I just think it’s gonna keep growing and growing,” he says. “We’ve made a lot of progress, and I still think we have more progress to go.”

Billboard spoke to Big E ahead of WrestleMania XL about hip-hop and wrestling becoming synonymous, his friendship with Wale, working with Rapsody on his short film Bridges, his “Big 3” in the WWE, and more. 

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Wale’s debut album Attention Deficit. You guys are obviously friends and shared a WrestleMania moment when he performed your entrance song “Feel the Power” in 2021. When did you first become a fan of his? 

I’m a big Seinfeld fan. The Blog Era for me was when I was in college. That was when I really first learned about Wale. Then, when he came out with The Mixtape About Nothing, that changed things for me. So I started really paying more attention and then I started following him on Twitter and saw that he was a wrestling fan. So between his Seinfeld stuff, him being an incredible MC and also being a wrestling fan, I was just like, “I gotta reach out to this man.”

It’s been a pleasure to have him perform for me at WrestleMania for me in my hometown. That was special. I’m so grateful to have Wale on my team. He’s also done so much to make wrestling cool.

I feel like wrestling is at this great stage right now where you have The Rock around, all these celebrities who wanna be involved, but let’s give some credit to the homie Wale for making wrestling cool and for doing WaleMania every single year. I’ve reached out to so many people who are excited for WrestleMania, but honestly, the biggest thing for them is WaleMania. Like, “What’s my WaleMania fit? I can’t wait. What’s the lineup?” Shout-out to Wale for what he’s done for the culture, and what he’s done for hip-hop and wrestling.

There were so many closeted wrestling fans, especially in the hip-hop community. Why do you think so many people are coming out and embracing the sport now more than ever before?

I think it’s just cool now, man. I don’t know exactly what to point to, but you have The Rock involved now. You have [WWE president] Nick Khan involved. You have so many connections with sports and entertainment. I feel like a lot of people were closeted wrestling fans because it wasn’t cool, because it was the nerdy thing to do — but now that it’s becoming more accessible for people, I think a lot of people are coming out of the wooodwork.

I think back to his celebrity flag football game I did a couple of years ago right before the Super Bowl, and I was amazed that Diplo knew who I was. He wanted to talk about storylines and whatnot. That stuff always blows me away. But you’d be surprised how many people watched back in the day when they were kids, and watch right now and love what we do. You know, when Wale started WaleMania a couple of years ago, it wasn’t really the cool thing to do. People felt like they had to keep it in, but now, it’s a lot more mainstream. You see the WWE titles all the time. You see how proudly people wear those WWE custom belts after they win a Super Bowl or World Series. It’s just really cool to see our product become mainstream again. 

I spoke to Jey Uso a while back and we touched on the famous freestyle battle between The Usos and The New Day. What were you so surprised about from a lyrical standpoint in that battle?

Well look, I was hesitant to do it because I’m a hip-hop fan, but I can’t rap [Laughs.] The three of us can’t rap. Me, Kofi [Kingston] and [Xavier] Woods can’t rap. We all knew this — but man, that segment was so much fun. Having Wale be a part of it and be the host of that thing [was great]. The Usos, I told them a while ago that they need to drop an EP or something. They can actually spit. They got some bars. They did their thing. That segment was a lot of fun.

One of the things I remember was Daniel Bryan — who is such a wrestling head that I thought would be critical [of the segment] — he said, “Man, you guys could have done that for an hour and I would have been locked in and entertained.” I think a lot of people went into that with trepidation because segments like that in wrestling aren’t very good and are very corny. But I think with Wale being there, The Usos really bringing it, really just added so much to our programming and our rivalry. I also think we did it the right way. That’s a segment that I’m really proud of.

Over the years, we’ve seen wrestlers like John Cena to even recently Montez Ford release music. Has there been anybody in the locker room that impressed you from a rapping standpoint?

I haven’t heard anything original from him, but Omos will surprise you. Omos can spit a whole Jay-Z verse. He’s a big hip-hop head. Omos is one of those dudes who haven’t been able to show his full charisma and full personality on TV, but he’s definitely a big hip-hop head, and a dude I love talking hip-hop with.

Because you grew up in the Blog Era, you know the big three is Drake, Kendrick and J. Cole. Who would you say from a wrestling standpoint is the holy trinity of the WWE and why?

That’s a really good question. You know what? I’ll go Randy [Orton]. He’s just one of the GOATs who I feel like sometimes as much credit as he gets, he still doesn’t get enough credit. So I’ll go Randy, Cena and I gotta put one more in there. This is hard. I’ll go Roman [Reigns]. He’s been doing his thing. 

Speak about Roman’s current run as champion — especially heading into Mania — considering we haven’t seen a run like this since Hulk Hogan. A lot of people want to see his reign end this weekend.

It’s just one of those things that I think a lot of fans have been so locked into. You say everyone wants it to end — but not everyone though. There’s still a lot of people riding with Roman that wanna see him push through.

When I see his run, I think of someone who reinvented himself — because you can think of someone who was really being pushed as “The Guy,” and a lot of fans didn’t accept him as much. He’s really found his footing since the pandemic. Since he came back, this has been a generational run. That’s what I think he’s a real testament to.

I think a lot of people are impatient with talent and they want them to have it all figured out right now, but sometimes, you need time to grow. You need time to really get in your feet and know, “This is who I am.” So Roman was a guy who obviously had a ton of talent first getting on the main roster, but he wasn’t quite himself yet. He wasn’t as comfortable as he could have been, but now I think you’re seeing him at his very best. You’re seeing him at his most natural. This is the guy he’s always been.

Don’t get me wrong, he was a good dude in the locker room and whatnot, but he always had that alpha mentality. He played football at Georgia Tech. He was all-ACC. I was a defensive tackle at the same time and watching him, hearing his name. So he’s always had that attitude of an alpha. I think so many times that he was positioned as a babyface and as a guy who had to pretend he wasn’t that guy, but I think he’s a lot more comfortable and you see it now. You see how natural his promos are. You see how comfortable he is in this position. So when I think of his run, I just think it’s a testament to riding a wave. 

With Bianca Belair gracing WWE 2K24, the emergence of Jade Cargill and the rise of Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams in NXT, how would you describe this current renaissance we’re seeing right now with Black wrestlers?

It’s been beautiful to see, man. It’s a long time coming, and it’s one of those things where I just look around and I’m really proud of Black talent because I don’t think you can look at any of the Black talent in WWE who are in the spots they are in and say, “Oh, they’re just given [these opportunities] because it’s a quota system or because of the color of their skin.

What I love is how different everyone is and how they standout on their own. They all deserve those spots. They all bring something to the table. The Black men are killing it, but to see Black women doing their thing [is amazing]. You see what they’re doing on the main roster, but we got a crop coming behind them in NXT, as well. We as Black people, we dominate in the NBA and the NFL, it also makes sense to do the same thing here in WWE and pro wrestling. It’s been an exciting time and I’m really proud to see the amount of Black talent doing incredible things and standing out on their own.

Seeing the way Jade has came in and how the fans have taken to her has been incredible. Someone like Naomi, who doesn’t get enough credit for how she’s inspired young Black women to enter this business as well, [has been great too.] It’s really just been an incredible time for Black talent and I just think it’s gonna keep growing and growing. We’ve made a lot of progress, and I still think we have more progress to go. I think of someone like a Montez Ford and he hasn’t even approached his ceiling. Not even close. And [Angelo] Dawkins as well. A lot of people sleep on what Dawkins has been doing. Another super talented dude. There’s a bevy of Black talent in our industry. I love seeing it and I wanna see more of it.

What was your experience working with Rapsody on your short-film “Bridges,” which honored Ruby Bridges, the first Black student to be integrated into an all-white school in the 1960s?

It was a real labor of love for us. It’s called Bridges. We got an NAACP nomination for it. It’s on YouTube right now, if you Google, Our Heroes Rock, but it’s something that we’re really proud of. We wanna tell more of these stories. Rapsody did an incredible job. She recorded an original song for us and we made a music video as well. It tells the story of Ruby Bridges in a way that I think is more engaging. I think for a lot of people, history can be heavy and can be dry, but we wanted to make it more engaging. So I voice this nine-foot tall robot who takes you through this futuristic museum and shows you all the myriad of Black leaders, politicians, and writers from all different backgrounds who have helped shape our history.

We just felt the first story we wanted to lead with was Ruby’s story because it’s a six-year-old Black girl simply trying to go to school in 1960 and being integrated in an all-white school for the first time. Seeing the type of vitriol, the anger and nastiness that this little girl who was simply trying to go school was met with — if you can’t emphasize, do you really have a heart at all? 

One of the great things that I love about her story too is that there was one teacher who decided to stay. Parents were pulling their kids out of school, teachers were refusing to teach Ruby, but one teacher who was named Barbara Henry — still alive and with us — was able to say that something was wrong and did the right thing. I think there’s so many stories of Black heroes and we’re so often taught as young people MLK, Rosa Parks, slavery and that’s about it, but our history is so much deeper. The Black men and women who have contributed to this country, to our legacy as Black Men and women have been incredible. We just wanna continue to tell these stories because there’s so many out there and we wanna do it in a fun way. 

05 Apr 2024

Ryan Trey Talks ‘Streets Say You Still Me,’ Touring with Mariah the Scientist & New Music: ‘I Really Don’t Like Deluxes’

Ryan Trey – who burst onto the scene with 2018’s LeBron James-cosigned “Mutual Butterflies” — is a new man. Sort of. The ascendant R&B crooner is in a transitional period as he begins to wrap up his current era and start working on a new LP.

Last winter (Nov. 3, 2023), Trey dropped his latest project, Streets Say You Miss Me, an evocative collection of decidedly post-Bryson Tiller rap-inflected R&B through which he processes the demise of a relationship. “I was upset with a lot of things, a lot of toxic energy that I’m not really a fan of,” he says. “Even though I love the songs, some of them are hard for me to listen to. I’m gonna move on from that place.”

Featuring guest appearances from next-generation R&B and rap artists such as NoCap and Vory, Streets Say You Miss Me cultivates a world of contemporary R&B where raw emotional vulnerability and moody drum-heavy beats are the name of the game. In support of the record, Trey joined Billboard-charting R&B singer Mariah the Scientist – who provides guest vocals on the single “Ain’t Even Friends” — on her To Be Eaten Alive tour as her support act. With performances at Lollapalooza and Broccoli City Festival on the horizon, Trey is honing his live show and, in turn, using that new knowledge to inform the direction of his new music.

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“Those are the dope things I’m learning about music,” he notes. “This may have sounded great in the studio and it’s still a great song, but it’s really tough to perform. So, what my next project is really catered [to] is what works live.”

Last week (March 27), Trey dropped the deluxe version of his album, titled Streets Say You Still Miss Me. Although he’s “not a fan” of deluxe editions, he views these three new songs as fan service than genuinely retreading the darkness of the standard album. “I’m just removed from it all, I feel like I’ve grown,” he muses. “But I still [think] about what my fans like.”

In an illuminating conversation with Billboard, Ryan Trey sounds off on the utility of deluxe editions, the rise of fans leaking artists’ unfinished music, exploring his faith and how Justin Bieber’s Journals album is influencing his new music. In addition, at the end of our discussion, the “2 Live” singer-songwriter shares the stories behind the new bonus tracks on Streets Say You Still Miss Me.

You mentioned that you weren’t a fan of deluxe albums. How do you look at the purpose and the function of a deluxe album now? Has your opinion on them changed since putting out your own? 

I just feel like you finished the album for a reason. [I] said everything I have to say right now. I’m not opposed to it, because I trust my team — I got great management, and it’s all about keeping momentum, especially as a new artist. But it’s tough because [Streets Say You Miss Me] was about a specific person. I was going through a specific feeling, [and] this album is really dark for me. So, when it comes to the deluxe, I was like, “Damn, I gotta go back in and put myself back in this mind space that I’m not in anymore.” That’s when I started going through my old songs, like, “What can I clean up and what do my fans like?” I never go in and try to make new songs to fit the rest of the album. 

I really don’t like deluxes. I like my deluxe, I just don’t like the concept of it. Once you’re doing something, you’re done. That’s like Pablo Picasso painting something and you ask him to go back and add to it because “Man, people love this a lot!” It’s a catch-22 — it’s beneficial too, I’m happy the songs are out. 

When it came to trying to record new songs for the deluxe, was the issue an emotional one or a musical one? Or some combination of the two? 

That was a heartbreak album. I wasn’t in the best place maturity-wise [given] the way I went about a certain relationship. The whole Streets Say You Miss Me

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was like, “I hurt you, but you also did this.” I always say this album was like a bunch of excuses. There’s a lot of toxicity in that album. I’m in a place now where I’m not a fan of the toxic stuff, I’m just angry at myself and her. To heal from that and learn from it, you gotta go back into this place of excuses. It’s tough because I don’t feel like that anymore. I feel like I’m more God-fearing now, I’m getting my faith right. The whole toxic thing is a dark place to be. 

What sparked this reconnection with your faith?

Just reaping what you sow. I feel like I’d be a great girl dad. I always say I want a daughter and I want to be married and I want certain things. I just know it only gets worse from here. The way our generation is… all this toxicity going on and everybody just f—king everybody. I feel [that] especially in rap, the industry will do that to you. I turned 25 a week ago, I started making music when I was 19. I feel like a lot of my innocence got taken away being in this industry, being in these clubs, being around all these different environments.

So, when I met somebody I actually liked, I didn’t know how to take care of her. Now I’m in a place of killing off that version of myself. God doesn’t bless you if you in mess and moving around talking to all these different girls and that nonsense. It’s kind of like, what are you chasing? That stuff gets old, I don’t want to be like that. I feel like a lot of my peers — like, no disrespect to them — they’re just not happy. It’s a lot of my favorite artists have everything and they’re not happy. I don’t want to be like that.

You’ve been on tour for most of this year. How’s that been?

That’s been great. Shoutout Mariah [the Scientist], man. She’s a really dope artist because she took a chance on another artist. It be a lot of egos in this s—t. Atlanta being Atlanta, we met through people I knew who went to school with her sister. The “Ain’t Even Friends” record I did, I didn’t hear anybody else but her on it. She sent [her verse] back and then we stayed in touch, started seeing each other in certain places, and then they asked me to do the tour. It’s dope because she’s putting new artists on. She didn’t have to. She could have went and got anybody.

How do you think your live show has developed over the past few years?

More interaction and working the stage. I’ve had stage training and all that stuff since then.  Talking in between songs, too. That’s the most scary thing that’s associated with stage fright. Like, what do you say in between songs?  With the Mariah tour, I’m in a place where 80% of people don’t know me, so I make sure the 20% that do feel loved.

You noted that one of the deluxe tracks was “a long-awaited leak.” From Ariana Grande to SZA, there have been a lot of artists speaking out against leak culture and fans who participate in it. What’s your take?

I think it’s selfish. But I don’t ever expect a fan to think like that. I always say, artists gotta do what they gotta do. You’ll never hear Beyoncé‘s—t leak. Drake s—t leak all the time. Artists gotta do what they gotta do, from NDAs all the way down to who has the hard drive. You got to know where your records are. You can’t leave stuff in the studio. You can’t leave it on iCloud – I just don’t like things like that. I know producers and artists that don’t use iCloud if you know fans are going to do that. It’s not new, but we have to deal with it.

You’re slated for a few festivals this summer; how do you think this most recent tour has prepared you for that? Do you approach tours and festivals differently?

Take Rolling Loud, for example. They’re just now introducing R&B on an actual platform, so shout out Rolling Loud because that’s dope. Before, for the past 6-7 years, that is a rap festival. The first time I did Rolling Loud, it was tough because nobody [was] there to hear my type of sound. This time, there were way more people than last time, but they also did a better job of pushing R&B.

With festivals, you’re always gaining new fans. That’s the difference between me doing my own show and doing festivals. Maybe it feels different for headliners, but for where I’m at,  getting the performance part is important. I can’t just hold the mic out when I’m doing shows that aren’t mine. I saw people complaining about Drake’s tour, debating that he’s not actually singing the songs. But then you got artists like SZA, for example — a lot of her fans love the new live versions she does. I feel like when you’re headlining, you can play around with stuff how you want. When you are new, people got to know what the record sounds like so they can go find it.

You collaborated with artists like Jordan Ward and Chase Shakur on the standard edition. You three are a kind of representative of a rising wave of male R&B stars. What’s your take on the state of male R&B right now?

I feel like it’s the most collaborative era. R&B n—as trying to beef… that’s something I’ve never understood. Everybody’s cool, everybody’s trying to help each other get a bag, especially with St. Louis right now, where me and Jordan are from. Everybody has their own style, so it’s cool. I feel like with ‘90s R&B, it was a lot of different versions of the same sound. They were all really good. It’s kind of the same now, but it’s more collaborative. I know I’ll do another record Chase and Jordan. I think because of that hybrid rap R&B, now it’s easier to get other fans from other genres.

When you straddle the lines of R&B and rap, as you do, do you feel a responsibility to beef up your how “R&B” your music sounds to appease industry classifications?

Wherever y’all wanna slot me is where y’all slot me. But I’m not gonna change for your definition of it.  That’s a universal feeling that doesn’t change with Black artists no matter how big you are. We’re watching right now with Beyoncé, they don’t want to put her in country. It’s the same with new artists. On the business side, it’s important because of playlisting. [Songs] need to be placed based on what it sounds like, not who you are. I think it’s based too much off of the person’s character and not the sound. It don’t bother me, a good record is a good record and nothing can stop the good record from moving how it’s supposed to move.

Where’s your head at it in terms of new music?

I got my main album I’m working on. I think I’ll probably put out an EP in the summertime and get some songs off that I have that I really like. I haven’t been listening to any new music because I’m not a fan of anything right now. I really like Brent Faiyaz, obviously SZA, a couple of other artists. I listen to a lot of old stuff, pulling samples that I want to flip. I’ve been listening to a lot of Tame Impala, just seeing what I can pull from. Everybody’s on this whole toxic wave, I got to find artists that aren’t trying to talk about all that.  

Or you could try and push them out of that comfort zone.

Yeah, I’m in my Justin Bieber bag, right now. I was never a Belieber, but I’ve been listening to his whole catalog. Journals is so consistent. It was R&B, everything worked on radio, everything was still technically a pop record, he went and got rappers, you know what I’m saying? It’s just such a complete body of work and he was 100% apologetic on there. I don’t know if it’s towards Selena [Gomez] or whatever, but it was like he was just full-fledged sorry. Girls really, really love that; you’re not trying to keep your ego and also apologize. I’ve just been studying. [My next record is about] obsession. Whether it’s an unhealthy obsession or whether it was a good obsession.

“RIDIN 4 U”

I did that song in 2021, I just recut it. It was one of those songs that was at the end of a studio session where I went in trying to make a whole bunch of other songs and I didn’t like any of them. I was just playing around, and that one came out the best. I think that’s why I was comfortable enough [to go on] IG live and play it. Then my fans would always be like, “When you putting this out?” So, when I went on tour with Mariah [the Scientist], I just started teasing them. I knew I had to do the deluxe, but I didn’t think I was going to put [“Ridin’”] on there. But I got really good reception from fans — especially in Paris — and from there we made the switch. 

In terms of the flow, I’ve been listening to a lot of Frank Ocean for the past year. I always have the intention of trying to make the biggest record that I possibly can. But, it’s just like anything creative — if you force it, it comes out whack or corny. I think that day was more of a management-scheduled session. I usually don’t do well in those, [but] when I was ready to go, I heard something that I liked and that felt most like myself. I think what the standard edition needed was one or two more of those really hardbody R&B records, the most singing records. I’m proud of the records on that album, but I’m still my biggest critic — and I like all my records from 2019-2020, when I was still trying to figure out my sound and this one reminds me of that. 

“RESET” 

I think that’s my favorite one out of the three. I think it’s the most personal. It was like the last song I made in the last relationship I was in. That was a real tough one. TT Audi did the beat, he’s a dope producer. Every artist got a couple go-to producers, and for me, it’s Boi-1da, Vinylz and Audi. They’re just always sending me stuff. They do a good job at getting more R&B-catered artists on hard beats. I think that was the last day I was with the girl I was with, that was the last song I wrote toward her. I think [“Reset”] is more for me than my fans, but it ended up being one they really like. 

I think I started out trying to find a balance between making music for myself and pleasing my fans. But the more you know yourself and figure out your sound, you can cater more towards the fans. I feel like that’s tough to do when you’re a newer artist trying to figure out what you even sound like. It’s a business at the end of the day, and that’s something I’m trying to get better at [with] this next album I’m working on. I feel like every artist says that after they tour, their sound changes because they know what records work. There’s a lot of records from Streets Say You Miss Me that I love, that I can sit and listen to in a room like this, but I can’t perform.

“POURIN OUT MY HEART” 

I recorded this in a hotel room. Somebody sold me some fake Lakers tickets. I was in the W across from the Staples Center, I went over there and they were like, “These tickets are invalid.”  

Most of this album was recorded in Atlanta. My A&R, Sicakmore, sent me down there to really trap out the R&B sound I was working on. That was the first time I started working with different writers and producers. Atlanta is like a melting pot. Every song I did in Atlanta, I was in the studio 20 deep. You’ll have like 5-10 producers in there working, they’ll swap out and new producers come in, then some of your homeboys that rap, they’ll come lay a verse and leave, then the strippers get off their shift, they come in and they sit. 

The girls were a big, important part of this album — like the HBCU girls that would come through. Every night was a vibe. I came down for Sonny Digital, Mike Will – those are the guys I started with – but when I got more comfortable I met my brother PopLord, he’s a really good writer and artist. It’s tough because some n—as just have girls in there to have them in there. The way the studio was set up, I could see the sitting area from the booth. Every song I was making, if the girls in there were moving, I would keep working on the record. If it was a song where nobody was really vibing, then I just scratch it and go on to the next. 

05 Apr 2024

Taylor Swift Shares 5 ‘Stages of Heartbreak’ Playlists Ahead of ‘Tortured Poets Department’ Album Release

Fans may have been on to something when they theorized that Taylor Swift‘s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, was inspired by the five stages of grief. Ahead of the LP’s April 19 release, the pop star shared a quintet of playlists she personally curated for Apple Music on Friday (April 5), each of them featuring songs from her first 10 albums representing a distinct phase of heartbreak.

Four of the playlists are named after the taglines of previously announced deluxe editions, with the fifth one dubbed “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” after one of the song titles on Tortured Poets. Firstly, the “I Love You, It’s Ruining My Life” roundup features tracks such as “Style” and “Treacherous,” designed by the 14-time Grammy winner to embody the “denail” stage.

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“This is a list of songs about getting so caught up in the idea of something that you have a hard time seeing the red flags, possibly resulting in moments of denial and maybe a little bit of delusion,” she said in a statement. “Results may vary.”

Secondly, anger is soundtracked by a playlist called “You Don’t Get to Tell Me About Sad,” including “Vigilante Shit,” “Bad Blood,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and more. “These songs all have one thing in common: I wrote them while feeling anger,” Swift continued. “Over the years, I’ve learned that anger can manifest itself in a lot of different ways, but the healthiest way that it manifests itself in my life is when I can write a song about it, and then oftentimes, that helps me get past it.”

Next up in the “Five Stages of Heartbreak” — modeled after Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ famous five stages of grief theory — is bargaining. For this phase, Swift gathered tracks like “Soon You’ll Get Better,” “Say Don’t Go” and “This Is Me Trying” in a playlist titled “Am I Allowed to Cry?”

“This playlist takes you through the songs that I’ve written when I was in the bargaining stage, times when you’re trying to make deals with yourself or someone that you care about,” the “Anti-Hero” singer explained. “You’re trying to make things better, you’re oftentimes feeling really desperate, because oftentimes we have a gut intuition that tells us things are not going to go the way that we hope, which makes us more desperate, which makes us bargain more.”

The fourth stage is depression, encapsulated by Swift on songs such as “Champagne Problems,” “We Were Happy” and “Forever Winter” on her “Old Habits Die Screaming” playlist. “We’re going to be exploring the feelings of depression that often lace their way through my songs,” she added. “While these things are really, really hard to go through, I often feel like when I’m either listening to songs or writing songs that deal with this intensity of loss and hopelessness, usually that’s in the phase where I’m close to getting past that feeling.”

Finally, Swift’s “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” playlist — which matches the name of track 13 on Tortured Poets — marks the last stage of grief/heartbreak, aka acceptance. “Here we finally find acceptance and can start moving forward from loss or heartbreak,” Tay said of the mix, which ropes in songs including “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” “Closure,” “Now That We Don’t Talk” and “Long Story Short.”

“These songs represent making room for more good in your life, making that choice because a lot of time when we lose things, we gain things too,” Swift added.

Swift is currently taking a two-month break from her global Eras Tour trek to prepare for the release of her 11th studio album, which she first announced while accepting best pop vocal at the 2024 Grammys for her previous LP, Midnights. Since then, she’s shared the new project’s main cover plus details on the four deluxe editions, as well as confirming that Post Malone and Florence + The Machine are both featured on the album.

Listen to all five of Swift’s Apple Music playlists ahead of The Tortured Poets Department here.

05 Apr 2024

Vampire Weekend’s ‘Only God Was Above Us’: All 10 Tracks Ranked

Read our preliminary ranking of Vampire Weekend’s first album in five years.

Ezra Koenig Vampire Weekend

Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend performs at Enmore Theatre on Jan. 9, 2020 in Sydney, Australia.

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Five years removed from their earthy, Album of the Year-nominated fourth full-length Father of the Bride, Vampire Weekend has returned with another modern rock moonshot. For all of Father’s tie-dyed inclinations – and despite drummer Chris Tomson’s dalliances with the world of noodling, by way of his psychedelic side project Taper’s Choice – Vampire Weekend’s fifth full-length, Only God Was Above Us, returns the band to more familiar, erudite territory.  

Already one of his rock generation’s best lyricists, Ezra Koenig further refines his craft here, rendering philosophical musings with succinct style and flair. And while Only God’s average track length is a minute longer than on any other Vampire Weekend album, the songs are no worse for it – rather, Vampire Weekend earns these run times by stuffing them with a wealth of ideas. Credit longtime producer Ariel Rechtshaid, who, since Rostam Batmanglij left the band nearly a decade ago, has become the de facto fourth Vampire – and helps to give Only God’s frequent chaos remarkable clarity. (Rechtshaid’s is just one of the liner notes’ impressive names; session musicians who have collaborated with artists from Travis Scott to Kamasi Washington worked on Only God, and studio whiz Dave Fridmann worked with Vampire Weekend for the first time as mixer.) 

The new album internalizes the decade that’s elapsed since the band’s stately 2013 masterpiece, Modern Vampires of the City: Only God often feels like a funhouse of Vampire Weekends past, synthesizing the concise grooves of their self-titled 2008 debut and its 2010 follow-up Contra with Modern Vampires’ ornateness and Father’s feral side. With knowing musical and lyrical allusions to the group’s catalog, Only God is Vampire Weekend at its meta best. 

Check out a preliminary ranking of the 10 tracks on Only God Was Above Us. 

05 Apr 2024

Willie Jones and Shaboozey on What It’s Like to Collab With Beyoncé on ‘Cowboy Carter’

The buzz surrounding the March 29 release of Beyoncé’s country-inspired Act II: Cowboy Carter project, the second in a trilogy of albums following 2022’s Renaissance, has led to streaming lifts and a wave of recognition for several of the rising Black country artists featured on the project, including Shaboozey, Willie Jones, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts and Tiera Kennedy. According to Luminate, Roberts’s catalog streams jumped 59%, followed by Adell (58%), Kennedy (56%), Spencer (41%), Jones (31%) and Shaboozey (16%).

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The wide-ranging Cowboy Carter folds in music including country, Americana, an Italian aria, songs made popular by Chuck Berry, The Beatles and The Beach Boys, as well as moments of Brazilian funk, and welcomes a spectrum of artists including pop hitmakers Miley Cyrus and Post Malone, spoken cameos from Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson and an interpolation of Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces.” Meanwhile, the album also pays tribute to pioneers such as Black female country trailblazer Linda Martell, while shining a light on country music’s Black roots and the legacy of Black country artists who have paved (and are paving) their own paths.

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While Adell, Kennedy, Roberts and Spencer offer up vocals mostly collectively on “Blackbiird,” and provide harmonies on other tracks, Shaboozey and Jones are each featured on separate tracks. Shaboozey, the Virginia-born artist known for his own genre-melding songs (including “Vegas,” “Beverly Hills” and his viral hit from 2023, “Let It Burn”), appears on two songs on Cowboy Carter: “Sweet Honey Buckiin’” and “Spaghettii.”

Shaboozey noted that like some other creators on the album, he spent time at a studio in Los Angeles. “It’s all collaborative,” he says of contributing his portion of songs to the project earlier this year. “Everyone’s working at the same time and different rooms and I came in a couple of days and recorded some parts. [Beyoncé] heard them later and liked them. It’s cool how you don’t know until the last moment if your part made it or not. We were waiting up until 9 p.m. PT [on album release day] to know if we made the cut.”

Martell, who was the first Black female country artist to perform on the Grand Ole Opry, does a spoken-word intro to “Spaghettii.” According to Luminate, she has since seen her catalog streams rise from a little under 5,000 streams during the weekend of March 22-24 to 61,000 streams from March 29-31, making a 1,100% surge. Shaboozey says when he began contributing to “Spaghettii,” he did not know about Martell’s segment.

“That’s how Beyoncé, she likes to put things together, taking different parts of different things and different bridges, always experimenting with the sound, so very free-form over there,” he says, adding “I’m also a huge Linda Martell supporter and I admire her story. It’s cool how everything came together and I’m really honored to be on a song with these two incredible individuals.”

Shaboozey is also gearing up for the release of his own country album next month, with Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, out May 31 via Empire. The project follows his previous projects, 2022’s Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die and his 2018 debut Lady Wrangler.

He describes his upcoming album as “a little bit of this genre that even Cowboy Carter created, just a bit of everything. A lot of country, but some hip-hop moments on there, too. But a lot of my personal story and journey into those records as well.”

Louisiana native Jones offers up vocals on “Just for Fun,” which was written by Beyonce, Dave Hamelin, Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman and Ryan Beatty. Jones competed on The X Factor’s second season, where he auditioned with a version of Josh Turner’s “Your Man.” He issued his first album Down for It in 2021 and was part of the 2022 documentary For Love and Country, which focused on the careers, journeys and struggles of Black artists in country music. This week, he released his rendition of Usher’s “OMG” as part of a new Apple Music Sessions EP.

He notes that his favorite line in “Just For Fun” is “Time heals everything/ I don’t need anything, Hallelujah.” “I got in the studio and I heard the song and I related to it more than d–n near any song I’ve ever heard in my life. To be on the same track as Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is definitely a check off my bucket list.”

“She’s bringing people back to themselves and doing a lot of introspective work,” Jones says. “She’s talking about growth, family and legacy and when life gives you lemons make Lemonade. Then after that, she gave us Homecoming and it’s like she’s saying, ‘Go back to your roots and get educated.’ Then she gives us Renaissance, like, ‘Let’s dance, let’s be free.’ So it comes to this album, too, with songs like ‘American Requiem,’ ‘Blackbiird,’ ‘Spaghettii.’ It’s cool to see everybody’s streams go up, just because Beyoncé believed in her legacy and her roots and her ancestors. She trusted the universe enough to walk by faith and not by sight and be humble and open. She’s transforming country music for the lost and found so we can find our way back.”

Jones also notes the impact he says Beyoncé has had so many genres of music. “I say Beyoncé is my favorite rapper. She jumped on [Megan Thee Stallion’s] ‘Savage,’ and you saw the rap girls get a moment. Then with ‘Black Is King,’ and dropped the album with Disney and you saw Afrobeats go. So she did the same thing with country. I hope she does that with R&B, I hope she brings that back, because I need a ‘Dream Girls Part 2.’”

Shaboozey sums, “It feels awesome. It feels great for someone like her to enter the space that me and a few others have just been building on and creating from for a long time. It’s just amazing. We’re so happy to have such a powerhouse of an artist that chose to take this journey to country, so it’s amazing to be a part of that.”