Music News

25 Apr 2025

Here’s What Young Thug Had to Say About His Relationship With Gunna

Young Thug has spoken about his relationship with Gunna in a new interview with GQ.

The Atlanta rap star finally breaks down everything from his rumored falling out with Rich Homie Quan to his lengthy and chaotic RICO Trial that kept him behind bars for over two years in GQ’s video cover story published Friday (April 25). Young Thug also elaborated a bit on his current relationship with Gunna, who fans chastised for being a snitch after he accepted an Alford plea deal in 2022.

“Yeah, I know everybody wonderin’ that,” Thug said of his relationship with Gunna around the 17-minute mark. When asked what it’s like, Thug merely said: “I don’t know.”

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The statement comes as Gunna has continuously pushed back against allegations that he snitched on Thugga. However, last week fans noticed that any trace of Gunna appeared to have been scrubbed from YSL Record’s Instagram, leading to speculation that the “Pushin P” rapper was dropped from Thug’s label.

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After much public scrutiny, Gunna released a statement adamant that he didn’t cooperate with authorities. “While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way,” he said at the time.

Watch Young Thug’s interview with GQ below:

25 Apr 2025

Birdman Talks Cash Money Getting Turned Down by Labels Allegedly Because of Master P & Artwork

Birdman revealed some interesting tidbits about Cash Money’s rise from New Orleans street label to mainstream powerhouse.

He sat down with Nick Cannon for the Counsel Culture Show in the episode that dropped Wednesday (April 23) to talk about how he and his older brother Ronald “Slim” Williams became success stories, and some of the early label meetings they had before signing their historic deal with Universal Records. Baby said he first took a meeting with Warner Bros. and executive Sylvia Rhone, but they weren’t really into the independent label’s music. “Sylvia Rhone said our music don’t work for them, so we just left,” he said. “I just walked out.”

Cash Money then took a meeting with legendary rap label Def Jam, but was turned down because of their artwork, which still confuses the rapper and music executive. “I went to Def Jam and met with Russell [Simmons], Lyor [Cohen] and Kevin Liles,” Baby told Nick Cannon. “This n—a Russell said he don’t like our artwork. I said, ‘This some weird s—t. I walked clean out. N—a don’t like my artwork, what about my music? You don’t care for the music? So, I left.”

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Baby then said that he and his brother almost had a deal with Priority Records, who just so happened to be in business with fellow New Orleans label No Limit headed up by Master P. However, according to him, things fell apart after the label flew them out to their offices in L.A. “I went to Priority — some weird s—t here — I go to Priority, they fly us to California,” he said. “Me and Slim, a couple of the homies, we go out there. N—a come in there and said, ‘I’m sorry, we can’t do the deal. They said because Master P said, ‘If we sign y’all, he’s leaving.’ I just jumped on a jet and went back to New Orleans was like, ‘F—k it, we just gonna grind with it.”

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Finally, Universal came calling and the two sides were able to carve out one of the more historic deals in music history. “And then Mel Lewinter and them called and I said this my last trip. I ain’t taking no more motherf—king flights to New York or California,” he recalled. “F—k it, we’ll thug it out. I’m still making millions, they gonna come down here and f—k with me, I ain’t going back. And that was my last flight.”

Master P and Birdman have seemed to have moved past those early issues, as the New Limit founder gave Lil Wayne key to New Orleans alongside Mayor LaToya Cantrell last year. He also said there weren’t any issues between the two camps when he went on No Chill with Gilbert Arenas in 2021, saying, “A lot of people thought, ‘Oh, they got beef,’ but, man, we lived right up the street from each other.”

Watch the full conversation below.

25 Apr 2025

Inside Gigi Perez’s Debut Album: ‘Sailor Song,’ The Track That Was Hardest to Finish & More

“I’m still trying to take it all in,” Gigi Perez tells Billboard of her extended moment in the spotlight. Last July, the singer-songwriter’s “Sailor Song” became a viral hit and Perez’s first Hot 100 hit — and months later, the folksy exaltation of queer flirtation remains in the chart’s top 40, rising up one spot this week to No. 35.

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In the interim, Perez played a slew of shows to growing audiences, released follow-up singles like “Fable” and “Chemistry,” and most importantly finished recording her debut album. At The Beach, In Every Life, out today (Apr. 25), finds Perez navigating love, grief and self-possession, as the success of “Sailor Song” has amplified her Island Records debut but not altered its core tenets.

“This project is as close of a reflection of my experiences over the past five years as I could get,” says Perez of the album, which expounds upon the reflection of her sister’s passing that became the focus of her single “Fable.” “My grief has shaped the way that I love, in friendships and with family and romantically. On the project, those things exist next to each other.”

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Below, Perez discusses four songs on At The Beach, In Every Life, and what they represent within her debut album:

The Song That Was Finished Last

“Two days before I was turning the album in, I recorded ‘Sugar Water’ on my own,” says Perez of the five-minute emotional heavyweight, which looks back on her transition into adulthood with childhood details and a simple guitar-and-vocals arrangement. “I wasn’t expecting to put ‘Sugar Water’ on the project,” Perez continues. “And my A&R asked me about the song. I was like, ‘Oh, I love this song.’ … I was like, “Okay, I’m gonna just record and see what happens.’ And it ended up being one of my favorite songs on the project.”

The New Song That’s Most Fun to Play Live

“The most excitement that I’ve had playing a new song has been definitely ‘At The Beach’ or ‘Sugar Water,’” says Perez, who’s been playing a handful of headline shows in the lead-up to the album release. The title track of At The Beach, In Every Life closes the album with an encapsulation of Perez’s worldview, full of passion, disappointment and unruly thoughts that run into each other over the course of the song.

Perez says that testing out her new material on live audiences over the past few weeks has been a thrilling experience. “I just have fun for an hour straight, so it’s hard” to pick one highlight, she explains. “Every single song I get the guitar, and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I’m so excited to do this song!’”

The Song That Was Most Difficult to Finish

“’Crown’ was hard,” Perez says of the searing centerpiece of the album’s second half, which mixes religious imagery with memories of her late sister. “I think it was letting myself go into that space of my grief and the uglier side of it. It’s all ugly, pretty much, but a different shade was probably the hardest to do in a specific time constraint.”

Yet that struggle, Perez believes, speaks to the truth of her first full-length. “Ultimately, I feel like that’s part of the album,” she says. “It’s not easy.”

The Smash Single That Set the Tone

“Sailor Song” kicks off At The Beach, In Every Life, and Perez says that she’ll always be thankful for the doors that her breakthrough hit has opened. “Especially now that there are new songs in the mix and other focuses that I have, to know that she’s just holding down the fort is amazing,” she says of “Sailor Song. “It’s a gift — to know that I was part of the creation of something that has impacted people globally just feels divine.

“And it’s exciting to see where the rest of the music is gonna go,” she continues, “because in my head, ‘Sailor Song’ and the impact that it’s had are amazing, but I’ve set my sights on personal fulfillment, and what that means is different. As long as there’s a community there, whether it’s one person or it’s 1 million, every single person that’s impacted by it matters.”

25 Apr 2025

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Bring the Heat on ‘Aww S–t’ Single, First Song to Feature All Five Members in 15 Years

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony famously could not re-assemble earlier this month to appear on comedian John Mulaney’s live Netflix late night talk show Everybody’s Live due to what the host said was a scammer posing at the Cleveland rap crew’s phony manager.

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But the clouds have parted and for the first time in 15 years Bizzy Bone, Flesh-N-Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone have teamed up for a new song, “Aww S–t.” Over a spare beat and spooky keys, the crew known for their double-time, intricately woven lyricism don’t disappoint, spitting rapid-fire lyrics anchored by one of their signature melodic choruses.

The song represents the first time the “1st of Tha Month” crew has all been together since 2019’s Uni5: The World’s Enemy; Krayzie and Wish Bone were not around for the 2013 album The Art of War: World War III and 2017’s New Waves was credited to “Bone Thugs,” which in that case referred to just Krayzie and Bizzy.

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The group is currently on the road, with a show slated for Friday night (April 25) at the Ace of Spades in Sacramento, CA, followed by shows in Detroit (May 1 at Sound Board at MotorCity Casino Hotel), Atlanta (May 16 Buckhead Theatre), Ludington, MI (May 23 at Stix Ludington), Paw Paw, MI (May 24 at Warner Vineyards) and Honolulu, HI (May 31 at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena), followed by a run of June dates, including a spot at the Roots Picnic L.A. on June 8.

They will also join Master P & the No Limit Soldiers and the Lox at Newark’s NJPAC on June 6.

Listen to “Aww S–t” below.

25 Apr 2025

HARDY Is Totally Unfazed As a Wild Snake He Grabbed Bare-Handed Bites Him & Refuses to Let Go

Don’t try this at home. While exploring the great outdoors, HARDY decided to sneak up on a wild snake and grab it by the throat — after which the reptile reacted about exactly as you might expect: by biting down on the country star’s hand.

In an Instagram clip posted Wednesday (April 23) set to the musician’s new track “Favorite Country Song,” he stands near a swampy pool of water surrounded by trees and tells the camera, “Nature with HARDY!”

He then abruptly jumps off of a slight ledge and seizes a wriggling snake, holding it up for viewers to see as it sinks its teeth into the back of his palm. But even as the small serpent refuses to let go and wraps its body around HARDY’s hand, the songwriter remains totally calm.

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“Some kind of water snake,” he observes before casually chastising, “Let go!”

To pry it off, HARDY eventually grabs a stick from the ground and pushes the snake off his hand — something comedian Bert Kreischer said in the comments was “the most redneck thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Rednecker than me,” agreed Koe Wetzel.

HARDY’s walk on the wild side comes just two weeks after the April 11 arrival of singles “Favorite Country Song” and “Buck on the Wall,” his first proper solo releases since July 2024’s Quit!! album. In August, he teamed up with Post Malone on “Hide My Gun,” which reached No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The musician also recently welcomed his first child with his wife, influencer Caleigh Ryan. In March, the pair announced the baby girl’s arrival with a joint Instagram post reading, “Rosie Ryan Hardy. Born March 7, 2025. 9 pounds 2 ounces.”

Watch HARDY get bitten by a snake below.

25 Apr 2025

TWS’ ‘Countdown!’ Music Video Shoot: Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Photos

TWS has released their third mini-album, TRY WITH US.

The members of TWS — Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon and Kyungmin — embody the brave and adventurous spirit of youth stepping boldly into their twenties. The album title, TRY WITH US, symbolizes courageously embracing new and unexplored experiences. It showcases lively and refreshing sounds blended with the uniquely vibrant vocals of TWS.

The title of the track “Countdown!” captures the fearless and exhilarating moments when twenty-year-olds leap boldly forward. Additional tracks such as “Lucky to Be Loved,” “Freestyle,” “Now Playing” and “GO BACK” weave a cohesive narrative around TWS’ vision of youthful vitality. Even aware of life’s numerous challenges ahead, these young individuals bravely forge ahead, transforming each experience into learning opportunities and treasured memories, crafting unique stories.

TWS consistently delivers fresh and uplifting K-pop sounds. Their latest album, TRY WITH US, bursts with the energetic and lively vibes characteristic of TWS, each track infused with captivating melodies and dynamic rhythms that embody the spirited energy of youth. This solidifies their unique genre, aptly named “Boyhood Pop.”

Meanwhile, TWS, a six-member group under PLEDIS Entertainment, conveys the meaning “always with our fans, 24 hours a day.” Their debut track, “plot twist,” notably charted on the Billboard Global 200 for eight consecutive weeks, drawing significant attention due to their rapid growth. TWS were Billboard’s K-Pop Rookie of the Month for January.

Below is an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at TWS’ “Countdown!” music video shoot, along with special comments from the members, provided to Billboard.

25 Apr 2025

BigXthaPlug Post Moving Video About Autistic Son in PSA for Autism Acceptance Month: ‘This Is Personal For Me’

Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug is speaking out about his journey to understand autism in a new PSA for the Autism Society of America’s Autism Is campaign during Autism Acceptance Month. “To me, autism is a journey,” he says in a new video in which he talks about his 6-year-old autistic son.

“The reason I say that it is a journey is because I have a six-year-old son who has autism,” he continues about his son, Amar. “There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s a perfectly good child. My journey as far as me having to be gone, be able to make funds for my child and him having autism, so the journey is not an easy journey. You can’t make it a hard journey, because if you make the process hard, it’ll all be hard.”

April is Autism Acceptance Month and BigX’s advocacy for his son comes just a week after Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., drew widespread criticism for his latest comments about autism, in which he said it “destroys families,” as well as making broad, unscientific claims about autistic people.

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At an April 16 press conference, Kennedy said that many autistic children were “fully functional” and then “regressed… into autism when they were 2 years old. And these are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.”

According to a PBS report, medical experts and people on the autism spectrum told PolitiFact that Kennedy’s comments were off-base, citing a 2023 study written by CDC officials and university researchers that found that one-quarter of people on the autism spectrum have severe limitations, a figure that is at the high end of studies. It noted that the vast majority of people on the spectrum do not have the kinds of severe challenges Kennedy suggested, nor do many of the people in the one-quarter of the autism population cited in the studies.

A HHS spokesperson later clarified that Kennedy was referring to “those that are severely affected by this chronic condition” and that “this was in no way a general characterization.” Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic who for many years has made false claims that vaccines cause autism, recently announced that his department is launching a “a massive testing and research” effort to determine the long-sought cause of autism by September of this year.

According to the BBC, experts called the effort “misguided and unrealistic,” given that autism spectrum disorder is a complex syndrome that has been studied for decades and that promising a definitive answer in six month is unlikely. At press time Kennedy had not revealed any details on the scope and range of the research project or how much funding will be devoted to it at a time when Pres. Trump’s administration is making drastic, wide-ranging cuts to research grants at HHS.

“As a dad to an autistic son, I’ve seen the importance of being understood for who you truly are,” the “Texas” rapper added in a statement. “This is personal for me — it’s about sharing our journey, showing up for my son, and breaking down the walls around autism. It’s about being real, spreading awareness, and making sure no one feels alone in this.”

The Autism Society — the largest and oldest grassroots autism organization in the U.S. — praised BigX (born Xavier Landum) for speaking out to “authentically” combat the “stigma and stereotypes by sharing his own family’s journey. Through his platform, BigXthaPlug is using his voice to reach fans and families who may be navigating similar paths — especially in communities where awareness and access to support can be limited. His participation in the Autism Is campaign encourages conversation, connection, and compassion.”

Speaking to People, BigX also offered some advice for other parents trying to navigate the sometimes confusing journey of helping their children. “You ain’t alone. I know in our communities, sometimes it feels like you gotta keep stuff to yourself, or like nobody’s gonna understand,” he said. “But there is support out there — you just gotta start askin’ questions, lean into the love you got around you, and don’t be afraid to speak up for your kid… Every kid on the spectrum is different, so take time to learn your child. Be patient, be open, and don’t wait for a ‘perfect’ answer — just show up, every day. That’s what matters most.”

BigX just scored his first top-five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 when his Bailey Zimmerman collab “All the Way” ran up to No. 4 on the chart dated April 19.

Watch BigXthaPlug’s video below.

25 Apr 2025

Listen to Ariana Grande Sing a Jazzy Dean Martin Classic for Jeff Goldblum’s ‘Still Blooming’ Album

It’s extremely rare that fans get to hear Ariana Grande tap into her jazzier side when she isn’t singing pop music or Wicked show tunes, but thanks to Jeff Goldblum, the star’s latest performance is a rich cover of Dean Martin’s staple “I Don’t Know Why (I Just Do).” The wonderful wizard indeed.

For his new Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra album Still Blooming, released Friday (April 25), the Jurassic Park actor enlisted his Wicked costar to provide vocals on the opening number. Grande’s crystal-clear soprano floats over the classic jazz-pop big band arrangement as she sings, “I don’t know why I love you like I do/ I don’t why, but I do/ I don’t know why you thrill me like you do/ I don’t know why, but you do.”

Written by Fred E. Ahlert and Roy Turk, “I Don’t Know Why” has been covered by a number of famous vocalists over the years — Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, to name a couple — but is perhaps most famously associated with Martin. Grande’s version is one of nine tracks featured on Still Blooming, which also finds Goldblum teaming up with Scarlett Johansson on a cover of Sinatra classic “The Best Is Yet to Come,” while tapping Wicked‘s other leading lady, Cynthia Erivo, for “We’ll Meet Again.”

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In a March interview with Billboard, Goldblum revealed that Grande had a particular love for “I Don’t Know Why” before she stepped in the studio for Still Blooming, as her late grandfather used to sing it for her when she was younger.

The R.E.M. Beauty founder’s appearance on her friend’s project comes just after she closed out the final chapter of her own Eternal Sunshine era. In March, she released the deluxe edition of the LP alongside a short film titled Brighter Days Ahead, which propelled the 2024 album back to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Listen to Grande sing “I Don’t Know Why (I Just Do)” below.

25 Apr 2025

Justin Bieber Puts Paparazzi on Blast With Video of of Him Being Followed: ‘This Has to Stop’

Justin Bieber is calling out the “darkness” in Los Angeles, particularly what he experiences from paparazzi.

On Instagram Friday (April 25), the pop star shared a video showing his point of view while stepping outside to blinding camera flashes, with several photographers following him every step of the way to his car and frequently blocking his path. “Look at these guys, man,” Bieber’s voice says disapprovingly from behind his camera, while his security guard repeatedly tells the paps to back up.

“This has to stop,” the musician captioned the clip.

In other posts, Bieber shared his thoughts on the culture as a whole in his home city. “Everyone telling me to move from La,” he wrote in a block of text on his feed. “U think I’m gonna get bullied to leave where my influence is most needed? How can we make a change if we run away from the darkness?”

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Admitting that he too has “been caught up in the transactional nature of Hollywood” in the past, Bieber went on to say that he now wants “nothing to do with that as a grown adult with a wife and son.” The “Peaches” artist, who married model Hailey Bieber in 2018, welcomed first child Jack Blues in August.

“I just want to be submerged in the culture learning from any and everyone,” he added. “And be a proponent and advocate for LOVE AND EQUALITY.”

Also sharing a photo of a stately lion, Bieber wrote, “IM CURRENTLY ASKING [GOD] TO HELP ME WITH PATIENCE BECAUSE It CAN BE REALLY HARD TO NOT RIP THESE F–KIN GUYS HEADS OFF.”

“Today I’m forgiving myself for my own selfishness, AND forgiving THOSE WHO SEEK TO USE AND ABUSE ME SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WANT TO CAPITaLIze off of me, Or Their jealousy makes them want to make me feel small like how they feel,” he continued. “People have had to die cuz of this s–t princess Diana is the first that comes to mind smh. We gotta do better please can we make a change?”

Bieber has long clashed with the paparazzi. Enduring consistent hounding since he first debuted in 2009 at just 15 years old, the “Baby” artist has spoken out against the invasive practice on multiple occasions, with Friday’s post echoing something he said after his Ferrari was rear-ended by a persistent photographer in 2014. “There should be laws against what I just experienced,” he posted on X at the time. “We should have learned from the death of Princess Diana…”

His latest posts follow a string of candid musings Bieber has been sharing on Instagram lately, with the star writing the day prior that he’s working to forgive people who “gossip and spread lies” on the internet. “Honestly if I was u it would be hard not to be jealous if I saw me and Hailey going so brazzzzyy,” he also added Thursday (April 24).

See Bieber’s new posts below.

25 Apr 2025

Shaboozey Drops ‘Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Doing: Complete Edition’ With New ‘Amen’ Visualizer Featuring Jelly Roll

Shaboozey is celebrating his success with Friday’s release of Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going: The Complete Edition, an expanded version of his breakthrough March 2024 third LP Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where Going.

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Among the bonuses accompanying the revamped album with six new tracks is a fresh visualizer for Shaboozey’s team-up with Jelly Roll on the holy rolling jam “Amen,” which features the two men striking a series of contemplative poses in the sunshine of an outdoor garden.

The revamp also includes the recently-released Myles Smith collaboration “Blink Twice,” as well as the Sierra Ferrell collab “Hail Mary” and the added tracks “Fire and Gasoline” and “Chrome,” as well as previously released single “Good News.”

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“Putting out the completed version of Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going meant a lot to me — it felt like finishing a conversation I wasn’t quite done having,” said Shaboozey in a statement about the 18-track version of the Platinum-selling album. “These songs gave me the space to reflect, to heal, and to dream bigger than before. I poured every part of my journey into this record, and I’m really proud of how far it’s come. Now that it’s complete, I’m excited for the world to sit with it, feel it, and maybe see a little bit of themselves in it too.”

After wowing crowds at Coachella over the past two weekends — where he also joined Ed Sheeran for a Old Phone Pub pop-up experience to perform Shaboozey’s 19-week Billboard Hot 100-topping “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — he’s headed back to Indo, CA this weekend for a rare two-fer when he takes the stage at the Stagecoach Festival.

Watch the new “Amen” visualizer and listen to the expanded Where I’ve Been below.