Music News

Taylor Swift Teases Potential ‘From the Vault’ Lyrics Ahead of ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ Release

Taylor Swift is just days away from releasing 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and she teased what appears to be lyrics from one of her “From the Vault” tracks on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday (Oct. 24).

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The IG Stories snap featured handwritten lines in a notebook that read, “Let’s fast forward to 300 takeout coffees later / I see your profile and your smile on unsuspecting waiters.” While Swift did not indicate what the words are from, Swifties on Twitter believe that they are lyrics from one of the Vault tracks.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) is out on Oct. 27 and will feature all 16 original and bonus tracks from the 2014 album, plus the previously revealed “Vault” tracks including “Is It Over Now?,” “Now That We Don’t Talk,” “Say Don’t Go,” “Slut!” and “Suburban Legends.”

Surprisingly, there are no features on the current track list, shutting down rumors of a potential collaboration with Nicki Minaj or even Harry Styles.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) will be Swift’s fourth “Version,” since announcing her re-recording project in 2019. The previous three all logged time at No. 1 on the Billboard 200: Fearless (Taylor’s Version) with two weeks in 2021, Red (Taylor’s Version) with one week in 2021, and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with two weeks in 2023.

Jennifer Lopez Has a Blast Dancing to Adele & Usher in Las Vegas

Jennifer Lopez took over the Las Vegas strip over the weekend, and the “Waiting for Tonight” singer shared highlights from the concerts she attended on Instagram.

The superstar attended Usher’s My Way residency first, and in the clip posted to social media on Monday (Oct. 23), she’s seen dancing to his 2004 hit, “Burn.” The next day, Lopez attended Weekends with Adele, belting her heart out to songs like “Someone Like You” and “When We were Young.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Adele even gave her a shoutout onstage. “Love you, JLo,” the “Easy on Me” singer announced into the mic. “Until Next Time Vegas…” Lopez captioned her post, which you can see here.

JLo is no stranger to a Vegas residency, as she had her own at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino from 2016 to 2018. The residency notched over $1 million in ticket sales, according to the venue.

Speaking of Las Vegas, back in July, the singer/actress dropped a 20-second preview of her ode to Ben Affleck and their Sin City wedding, “Midnight in Vegas.” “Then you whispered in my ear/ Said, ‘let’s get out of here’/ We can disappear tonight/ What about a midnight trip to Vegas?/ Just me and you, baby/ Throw the kids in the back of the pink Cadillac/ And us in the bathroom changing,” she sang in a selfie lip synch video posted to her On the JLo page.

10 Biggest Music-Related Revelations in Britney Spears’ Memoir ‘The Woman in Me’

Despite the hectic times surrounding the release of Spears’ fifth studio album, Blackout, she still considers it her favorite. She writes, “Blackout, the thing I most proud of my whole career, came out right around Halloween in 2007.” 

The career-defining album featured hits “Gimme More,” “Break the Ice” and “Piece of Me.” 

She performed “Gimme More” at the 2007 MTV VMAs, but ahead of the set, wasn’t feeling great after having two babies, suffering from postpartum depression and a series of other issues behind the scenes.

“Backstage at the VMAs that night, nothing was going right,” she writes. “There was a problem with my costume and with my hair extensions. I hadn’t slept the night before. I was dizzy. It was less than a year since I had my second baby in two years, but everyone was acting like my not having six-pack abs was offensive. I couldn’t believe I was going to have to go out on stage feeling the way I felt.” 

To make matters worse, she also ran into her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake backstage, and everything resulted in her having a panic attack before going live.  

“I went out there and I did the best I could at that moment in time, which — yes, granted — was far from my best at other times,” she writes. “I could see myself on video throughout the auditorium while I performed; it was like looking at myself in a fun house mirror.” 

To add salt to the wound, following her unflattering performance, comedian Sarah Silverman made fun of her to the global audience. “She said that at the age of 25 I done everything worthwhile in my life I’d ever do,” Spears recalls. “She called my two babies ‘the most adorable mistake you’ll ever see.’ I didn’t hear that until later, though. At the time I was backstage sobbing hysterically.” 

Britney Spears Reflects on 55-Hour Marriage to Jason Alexander: ‘I Was Just Honestly Very Drunk’

Britney Spears’ long-awaited memoir The Woman in Me has finally hit shelves, with the pop princess shedding light into her life in her own words for the first time.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

In January 2004, a then-22-year-old Spears made headlines when she married Jason Alexander in a shotgun Las Vegas wedding — only the annul the marriage 55 hours later. In her book, the “Piece of Me” singer reflected on the story behind her short-lived marriage to her childhood friend. “As a twentysomething will do after a few drinks, I wound up in bed with one of my friends — a childhood friend who I’ve known forever,” she explained. “The third night we were together, he and I got s—faced. I don’t even remember that night at all, but from what I’ve pieced together, he and I lounged around the hotel room and stayed up late watching movies — Mona Lisa Smile and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – then had the brilliant idea of going to A Little White Chapel at three thirty in the morning. When we got there, another couple was getting married, so we had to wait. Yes – we waited in line to get married.”

She continued, “People have asked me if I loved him. To be clear: he and I were not in love. I was just honestly very drunk — and probably in a more general sense at the time in my life, very bored.”

The singer added that for her family, the surprise wedding was “like I’d started World War III,” even though, for her, the whole thing was nothing more than “innocent fun.” After her wedding to Alexander, Spears went on to marry Kevin Federline in October that year. The couple welcomed sons Sean and Jayden before splitting in 2007.

In 2022, Spears married Sam Asghari — with Alexander crashing her wedding by breaking into her home hours before the ceremony. In August 2023, Alexander took a plea deal to avoid felony charges, pleading no contest to misdemeanor counts of aggravated trespassing and battery, according to Ventura County prosecutors. Due to the incident, Spears won a restraining order against Alexander June, and the plea agreement came with a criminal protective order prohibiting Alexander from coming within 100 yards of her or the security guard he battered.

Spears and Asghari split earlier this year.

Troye Sivan’s ‘Something To Give Each Other’ Debuts at No. 1 on Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart

Troye Sivan is red-hot on Billboard’s various dance/electronic charts upon the arrival of his third studio LP, Something To Give Each Other. The set debuts at No. 1 on Top Dance/Electronic Albums (dated Oct. 28) amid a flurry of activity for its individual songs.

Something To Give Each Other enters with 31,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. Oct. 13-19, according to Luminate. Of that total, 16,000 are from album sales, with 15,000 from streaming-equivalent album units, equating to 20.3 million official U.S. streams for its songs in the tracking week. It lands as his fifth top 20 album, at No. 20, on the all-genre Billboard 200.

Something To Give Each Other marks Sivan’s first chart-topper on Top Dance/Electronic Albums. He previously hit No. 8 in 2016 with Blue Neighborhood: The Remixes. It’s Sivan’s first time reigning over Top Dance/Electronic Albums, while Bloom led Top Internet Albums for a week in 2018.

On Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Sivan spreads the wealth among recent singles. “Rush” is the chart’s top Sales Gainer, with its 178% surge in weekly sales powering a 6-4 bump. Meanwhile, “Got Me Started” is the top Streaming Gainer, up 58% as it bounds 13-5. He follows David Guetta, Elton John and Rihanna to become the fourth artist to double up in the top five this year.

Elsewhere, Sivan scores three debuts, as “What’s the Time Where You Are?,” “Silly” and “Honey” bow at Nos. 18, 28 and 29, respectively.

Something To Give Each Other achieves international success, as the album’s “One of Your Girls” debuts on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. tallies, at Nos. 60 and 64, respectively. Having entered in July, “Rush” surges on both lists, notably flying 193-126 on Global Excl. U.S. Plus, the former track is a new entry on Norway Songs at No. 15 and Ireland Songs at No. 23.

Westside Gunn Tops Emerging Artists Chart, Thanks to New LP ‘And Then You Pray for Me’

Westside Gunn re-enters Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart (dated Oct. 28) at No. 1, becoming the top up-and-coming act in the U.S. for the first time, thanks to his new album, And Then You Pray for Me.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The set, released Oct. 13 on Griselda/EMPIRE, debuts at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 with 20,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week, according to Luminate. It also starts at No. 7 on Top Rap Albums and No. 8 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It becomes his first top 40 entry on the Billboard 200, and fourth overall. He previously charted highest with Pray for Paris (No. 67 peak, 2020).



Earlier this year, Westside Gunn earned his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, thanks to his featured appearance on Travis Scott’s “Lost Forever.” The song debuted and peaked at No. 46 in August.

Rounding out the top five of the latest Emerging Artists chart, Victoria Monet jumps 10-2 for a new high, as her single “On My Mama” stands at No. 97 on the Hot 100; Paul Russell drops to No. 3 after two weeks at the summit; Ren bounds 23-4, hitting a new best as his new album, Sick Boi, debuts at No. 137 on the Billboard 200 (9,000 units); and Teddy Swims dips 3-5.

The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Hot 100 and Billboard 200. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.

Hailey Bieber Addresses ‘Disheartening’ Pregnancy Rumors

No, Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber aren’t expecting a baby. And in a Tuesday (Oct. 24) interview with GQ, the Rhode founder got candid about those recent rumors she’s pregnant and admitted she finds it hurtful when fans make assumptions about her body.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“Recently, everybody was like, ‘Oh, my God, she’s pregnant,’ and that’s happened to me multiple times before,” the model began. “There is something that’s disheartening about, ‘Damn, I can’t be bloated one time and not be pregnant?’”

“It would be a lie if I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, I don’t give a s—,’” she added.

Hailey and Justin celebrated their five year wedding anniversary this summer, and for now, she tells the publication that she’s content with being a mom only to the dogs she shares with the pop star. But when the day comes that she and the “Peaches” singer actually are planning to welcome their first child, Hailey emphasized that the internet “will be the last to know.”

“[Motherhood] is something that I look forward to,” she continued. “It’s also such a private, intimate thing. It’s something that’s going to come when it comes. And it’s just, honestly, at the end of the day, so hilarious how much people f–king care. Let me do what I want to do with my body and you guys can do what you want to do with your body—and let’s just let it be that.”

The “What’s In My Kitchen?” host also finally addressed that viral moment from her August Rhode event with Krispy Kreme, which left fans baffled by her husband’s choice in attire. While Hailey looked glamorous in a red cocktail dress and heels, Justin looked drastically underdressed in a grey sweatshirt, yellow Crocs and pink baseball hat.

“It’s so funny because I see so many people talk about this,” Hailey said. “He may want to wear baggy sweats to dinner, and I might want to wear a tiny little dress just because that’s how I’m feeling. We can’t sit there and be like, ‘So I’m going to wear this and you’re going to wear this.’”

See photos from Hailey Bieber’s GQ photoshoot below:

SXM Festival 2024 Announces Phase 1 Lineup: Kevin Saunderson, Loco Dice & More

SXM Festival is returning to its Caribbean home of St. Martin this spring, with a just-announced crew of artists.

The dance festival’s phase one lineup, released on Tuesday (Oct. 24), includes techno creator Kevin Saunderson, house mainstay Loco Dice, Israeli producer Adam Ten, British duo Eli & Fur, German legend Anja Scheider and many more. The event will also feature a sunrise event curated by the ever-vibey Anjunadeep.

SXM has happened on St. Martin since 2016 and will once again take place in locations around the island, with beach parties, pool parties, villa parties, boat parties and jungle parties all on the lineup. The majority of the festival happens on private beach adjacent to the jungle. The event will also offer day trips including hikes and cultural excursions.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Tickets go on sale Nov. 2, with both three-day and seven-day passes available.

“With great excitement and anticipation, we present phase one of the 2024 lineup, marking the beginning of our seventh edition,” says SXM founder, Julian Prince. “This launch sets the stage for an incredible journey of music, art, and unity. The carefully crafted lineup is a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing an unforgettable experience for our festival-goers. It is a celebration of the limitless creativity and passion within the electronic music community.”

“Together,” Prince continues, “we will weave a tapestry of emotions, where joy, exhilaration, and pure euphoria converge beneath the Caribbean sun. Join us as we ignite the spirit of SXM Festival and unleash the magic that has made it an extraordinary event.”

See the phase one lineup below.

SXM Music Festival

Courtesy Photo

Hot 100 First-Timers: De La Ghetto, Bryant Myers, Luar La L & YOVNGCHIMI Debut With Bad Bunny Collaborations

De La Ghetto, Bryant Myers, Luar La L and YOVNGCHIMI all score their first entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Oct. 28), thanks to their collaborations on Bad Bunny’s new LP, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The set, released Oct. 13 on Rimas, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 184,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week, according to Luminate. It’s the fourth mostly- or all-Spanish-language album to top the chart, after Bad Bunny’s own El Último Tour Del Mundo (2020) and Un Verano Sin Ti (2022) and Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito (February). All 21 songs from the collection also chart on the latest Hot 100. (The only other track billed on the set is “Europa :(,” which runs 11 seconds long.)



Luar La L makes his Hot 100 arrival with “Teléfono Nuevo,” with Bad Bunny. The song debuts at No. 32 with 12.3 million U.S. streams earned in its first week. It concurrently debuts at No. 8 on Hot Latin Songs, where it’s his second top 10. Before this week, the Puerto Rican Latin trap singer-songwriter charted three songs on Billboard’s rankings. His previous Bad Bunny collab, “100 Millones,” hit No. 9 on Hot Latin Songs, as well as No. 143 on the Billboard Global 200 in June 2021; his solo track “Caile” reached No. 43 on Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and No. 67 on the Global 200 in September 2022; and “Wait Deh Man,” with Darell, Nicky Jam and Wisin, reached No. 47 on Latin Airplay earlier this month.

Luar La L has released two solo LPs: L3TRA, in 2020, and sequel L3TRA 2, in 2022. He has also collaborated with Eladio Carrión, Farruko and Jay Wheeler, among others.



Bryant Myers has already tallied multiple Billboard chart hits, but he nets his first Hot 100 entry with “Seda,” with Bad Bunny. The song debuts at No. 38 with 11.4 million U.S. streams. It also starts at No. 10 on Hot Latin Songs, marking his first top 10.

Myers, from Carolina, Puerto Rico, first appeared on a Billboard chart in May 2016, when “Ella Y Yo” (by Pepe Quintana featuring Farruko, Anuel AA, Tempo, Bryant Myers and Almighty) debuted at No. 41, before reaching No. 36. Since then, he’s charted eight additional entries on Hot Latin Songs. Here’s a chronological recap, by peak date.

Bryant Myers’ Hot Latin Songs History:
Pepe Quintana feat. Farruko, Anuel AA, Tempo, Bryant Myers and Almighty, “Ella Y Yo” (No. 34 peak, 2016)
Maluma feat. Bryant Myers, Noriel & Juhn. “Cuatro Babys” (No. 15, 2016)
Bryant Myers & Bad Bunny, “Triste” (No. 35, 2018)
Bryant Myers, “Tanta Falta” (No. 47, 2018)
Bryant Myers & Anuel AA, “Gan-Ga” (No. 11, 2019)
Bryant Myers, Nicky Jam & Arcangel feat. Darell & El Alfa, “Wow!” (No. 36, 2020)
Bryant Myers, “Airdrop” (No. 43, 2021)
Jay Wheeler, Anuel AA, Hades666, Dei V & Bryant Myers, “Pacto” (No. 29, 2023)
Bad Bunny & Bryant Myers, “Seda” (No. 10, 2023)

Myers has also charted three LPs on Top Latin Albums: La Oscuridad (No. 4 peak in 2018), Cambio De Clima, with Miky Woodz (No. 20, 2019), and Bendecido (No. 16, 2020).



YOVNGCHIMI is a relative newcomer to Billboard’s charts, but lands his first Hot 100 entry this with “Mercedes Carota,” with Bad Bunny. The song debuts at No. 57 with 9.7 million U.S. streams. It also starts at No. 16 on Hot Latin Songs. The Puerto Rican drill and trap artist charted three tracks previously on Hot Latin Songs, all in 2022: “Diamantes En Mis Dientes” with Anuel AA (No. 41 peak), “Modelito,” with Mora (No. 42), and “La Ruta” with Arcangel (No. 45).

YOVNGCHIMI released his first studio album, Gangsta Grillz: Mvrda Gvng, with DJ Drama, in May.



De La Ghetto has forged a successful career on Billboard’s charts since the mid-2000s, but he’s now officially a Hot 100-charting artist for the first time, thanks to “Acho PR,” with Bad Bunny, Arcangel and Nengo Flow. The song debuts at No. 83 on the Hot 100 with 8 million U.S. streams earned in its first week of release. It also starts at No. 24 on Hot Latin Songs.

De La Ghetto first appeared on a Billboard chart in May 2006, when “Intro” with Naldo, Tommy Viera, Arcangel and Nengo Flow, debuted and peaked at No. 33 on Latin Rhythm Airplay. (Arcangel and De La Ghetto were billed as a duo at the time).

De La Ghetto has charted 15 tracks on Hot Latin Songs. Here’s a recap.

De La Ghetto’s Hot Latin Songs Chart History:
Yaga Y Mackie feat. Arcangel y De La Ghetto, “Aparentemente” (No. 42 peak, 2007)
De La Ghetto, “El Dificil” (No. 42, 2008)
De La Ghetto, “Tu Te Imaginas” (No. 33, 2009)
DJ Luian & Mambo Kingz Presentan: De La Ghetto – Arcangel x Ozuna x Anuel, “La Ocasion” (No. 21, 2016)
De La Ghetto, “Acercate” (No. 33, 2016)
Mueka feat. Cosculluela, J Balvin, Arcangel & De La Ghetto, “DM” (No. 33, 2017)
Arcangel x De La Ghetto, “Mas Que Ayer” (No. 41, 2017)
De La Ghetto, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna & Chris Jeday, “La Formula” (No. 23, 2017)
Sofia Reyes feat. Jason Derulo & De La Ghetto, “1, 2, 3” (No. 24, 2018)
Revol, J Balvin & Bad Bunny feat. Arcangel & De La Ghetto, “Dime” (No. 21, 2018)
De La Ghetto, Wisin & Maluma, “Todo El Amor” (No. 40, 2018)
Dalex, Arcangel, Manuel Turizo, De La Ghetto & Beele, “+Linda” (No. 43, 2020)
De La Ghetto & Rauw Alejandro, “Loco Por Perrearte” (No. 44, 2022)
Anuel AA, Jowel & Randy & De La Ghetto feat. Yailin La Mas Viral, “La Maquina” (No. 23, 2022)
Bad Bunny, Arcangel, De La Ghetto & Nengo Flow, “Acho PR” (No. 24, 2023)

The Bronx-born artist has also logged three titles on the Top Latin Albums chart: Masacre Musical (No. 46, 2008), Mi Movimiento (No. 5, 2018) and Los Chulitos (No. 17, 2020).

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Wu-Tang Clan, Lola Brooke, Terrace Martin, Alex Isley & More

With new albums from City Girls and Sampha and a pair of big announcements from Megan Thee Stallion and Ty Dolla $ign & Kanye West, it’s been a characteristically busy week for hip-hop and R&B. New Music Friday (Oct. 20) unleashed a fresh batch of new R&B and hip-hop tracks to sort through as we count down to the announcement of the 2024 Grammy nominations on Nov. 10.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Yuna’s bilingual rumination on a relationship’s demise to Rick Ross & Meek Mill’s latest taste of their forthcoming collaborative project. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.

Freshest Find: Wu-Tang Clan feat. Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Nicole Bus & Mathematics, “Claudine”



The 30th anniversary of Wu-Tang Clan’s landmark debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), is less than a month away, and the hip-hop legends are ringing in the celebration with a gorgeous new track. Featuring a pair of emotive, nuanced verses from Meth and Ghostface, “Claudine” recalls the chugging, introspective relationship-minded songs that peppered the tracklists of Wu-Tang’s classic records. A weighty hook from Billboard chart-topping R&B singer Nicole Bus brings things full circle; her soulful, raspy vocal evokes the Southern R&B records RZA used to sample to create some of the most intricate Wu-Tang beats.

Yuna, “Bad Intentions”



With this smooth combination of dembow, soul, and bossa nova influences, Malaysian R&B crooner Yuna delivers a bilingual ode to the all-consuming vengeance, hurt, confusion, and attachment that linger at the end of a relationship. The sparse production effortlessly embodies the emptiness that permeates the lyrics — from the devastatingly lush post-chorus to the hook, where she sings, “I know you love her/ Your new lover/ Will be the end of me/ It’s a cruel world.”

Q, “Hello”



Earlier this year, Q dropped off one of R&B’s best 2023 offerings with his stunning Soul, Present project. For his first single release since that set, Q has released “Hello” — a delightfully funky track about choosing to be your best and most authentic itself no matter what seemingly insurmountable challenges are thrown at you. “Feels like a million years since I got out of bed/ My brain’s fried from the lies I’ve been tellin’ myself,” he sings over an instrumental arrangement that further explores his penchant for Prince’s amalgamation of soul, rock, and funk.

Arin Ray, “Moonlight”



It’s been a banner year for raucous, sexually explicit music, but Arin Ray opts for a softer, more sensual angle for this cut from his new Phases III EP. With light vocal layering and an alluring tone, he’s able to bypass the innate raunch in lyrics like, “Put that a– on me, it’s ’bout to go/ I wanna see a f–kin’ show/ Baby been a freak/ See she came here in with no panties on.” It’s nice to hear Arin holding it down for R&B’s bachelors in a sea of toxic lovers and sad boys.

Rick Ross & Meek Mill, “Lyrical Eazy”



With a new joint project on the way, it’s only right that these two rap titans put their best foot forward. Enter: “Lyrical Eazy.” The follow-up to last month’s “Shaq & Kobe,” “Lyrical Eazy” finds Ross and Meek trading verses that flaunt their wealth and success while also reiterating why they believe they are at the very top of the hip-hop ecosystem. “N—a diss, I ain’t respondin’, I’m like, “Y’all ain’t even poppin’/ ‘Cause we’ve been mobbin’, flyin’ private, different hours/ And I ain’t lyin’, I got this money shit to a science/ Got your baby momma in the Bahamas actin’ different and she wildin’,” Meek raps over a beat that reimagines the same sample (Stanley Clarke’s “Got to Find My Own Place”) from Jay-Z’s “Breathe Easy (Lyrical Exercise).”

Lola Brooke & French Montana, “Pit Stop”



As she readies the release of her forthcoming Dennis Daughter project, Brooklyn rapper Lola Brooke has unveiled her new French Montana collab “Pit Stop.” Featuring her trademark playful intonation — which pulls from both Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown on this track, with a healthy dose of Lola’s own humor — “Pit Stop” is flirty back-and-forth between the two New Yorkers, one that plays on the city’s unique courting dynamics. “Ask me where my man at, n—a, I don’t know/ Say you wanna risk it all, I hope/ Could never play with ‘nani, mm, no-no-no/ Said he like me more than his b–ch, ooh, oh, no,” Lola spits.

Terrace Martin & Alex Isley, “2 Step in the Living Room”



Every week R&B’s brightest stars continue to prove that the genre is unquestionably alive and well. In this mid-set cut from the pair’s new joint I Left My Heart in Ladera project, this duo perfectly captures the lightweight, love-drunk mood of grooving in the living room to the soulful soundtrack of your life alongside the people you love the most. With a dash of vocoder towards the outro, the song pulls from Parliament’s most subtle funk-indebted tracks to create something a bit more subdued and hazy, all anchored by Alex Isley’s warm tone.