Music News

22 Feb 2025

Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck Officially Single Following Divorce Settlement

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are officially divorced and legally single.

As of Friday (Feb. 21), the Los Angeles County Superior Court finalized the dissolution of their marriage, confirming their legal single status, according to Associated Press. The couple reached a divorce settlement on Jan. 6.

Court documents revealed that Lopez, 55, and Affleck, 52, settled through mediation in September, successfully avoiding the lengthy court battles that have plagued other high-profile celebrity divorces.

Lopez and Affleck first began dating in 2002 after meeting on the set of Gigli. They got engaged but called off their wedding in 2004. Nearly two decades later, they rekindled their romance in 2021 and tied the knot in a Georgia ceremony the following year.

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“I never thought that he and I would get back together,” Lopez told Billboard in February 2024, ahead of the release of her film This Is Me… Now: A Love Story, which chronicled their rekindled relationship. “I just couldn’t give up on the idea that there was something amazing out there for me, even when it got really bad — and it did at times. I always believed deep, deep down to not give up completely.” 

The singer and actress filed for divorce from Affleck about two years after their Georgia wedding, listing their separation date as April 26, 2024. In her initial filing, she cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split.

According to settlement documents obtained by Billboard, the pair agreed on terms to divide their properties and assets. Both waived spousal support and agreed to equally split the legal fees of their negotiation, which was mediated by Laura Wasser. Lopez will also change her legal name back from Jennifer Affleck to Jennifer Lopez.

Lopez was previously married to Ojani Noa, Cris Judd, and Marc Anthony, with whom she shares two children. Affleck was previously married to Jennifer Garner, with whom he shares three children.

In October 2024, Lopez reflected on her feelings about being single again following her split from Affleck.

“I think to myself, ‘F—, that is exactly what I needed,’” she told Interview. “Thank you, God. I’m sorry it took me so long. I’m sorry that you had to do this to me so many times. I should have learned it two or three times ago. I get it … I’m not looking for anybody, because everything that I’ve done over the past 25, 30 years, being in these different challenging situations, what can I f—ing do when it’s just me flying on my own … What if I’m just free?”

22 Feb 2025

Rihanna Covers ‘Harper’s Bazaar,’ Discusses ‘R9’ Album, Raising Kids With A$AP Rocky & More

Rihanna is opening up about her family life and the next chapter of her music career.

In the cover story for Harper’s BAZAAR‘s March 2025 issue, published on Saturday (Feb. 22), the 37-year-old singer and entrepreneur shared her thoughts on a variety of personal topics, including the highly anticipated R9 album, raising her children with partner A$AP Rocky, her growing business empire, and more.

During the in-depth conversation, the Fenty mogul discussed the creative direction of her long-awaited new music and debunked rumors that it would be a reggae album.

“Way off! There’s no genre now. That’s why I waited,” Rihanna explains. “Every time, I was just like, ‘No, it’s not me. It’s not right. It’s not matching my growth. It’s not matching my evolution. I can’t do this. I can’t stand by this. I can’t perform this for a year on tour.’ After a while, I looked at it, and I was like, this much time away from music needs to count for the next thing everyone hears. It has to count. It has to matter. I have to show them the worth in the wait. I cannot put up anything mediocre. After waiting eight years, you might as well just wait some more.”

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She added, “When I’m in the studio, I know that my time away from my kids is to blossom something that hasn’t been watered in eight years. I’ve been in the studio the whole eight years. But it didn’t hit me. I was searching for it. I went through phases of what I wanted to do. ‘This kind of album, not that album.’ I know it’s not going to be anything that anybody expects. And it’s not going to be commercial or radio, digestible. It’s going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now. I feel like I’ve finally cracked it, girl!’”

Rihanna has not released an album since 2016’s Anti, which spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Since then, she’s released a handful of remixes and contributed to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack with “Born Again” and “Lift Me Up.” The latter earned her a Grammy nomination for best song written for visual media, as well as an Oscar nomination for best original song.

“I listen to Anti from top to bottom with no shame,” Rihanna told the publication. “I used to always have shame. I actually don’t like listening to my music, but Anti — I can listen to the album. It’s not me singing it, if I’m just listening to it. That’s the one album that I can have an out-of-body experience where it’s not like … You know when you hear your voice in a voicemail, and it’s like, ‘Ugh.’”

The “Work” hitmaker also reflected on her role as a mother, raising her two young sons — RZA and Riot — with A$AP Rocky. The Harlem rapper, 36, was recently found not guilty on two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm in Los Angeles.

“Every decision I make revolves around them, but everything that I do that I love robs me from them,” Ri says. “So I have a weird resentment with the things that I love. You almost feel like something is always suffering for you to show up somewhere. And even when you show up there, it’s not 100% because there’s something else on the wheel. It’s actually given me a lot more self-guilt.”

She also spoke lovingly about A$AP’s role as a father. “His pureness. His charm. I’m annoyed because my sons sometimes just live for him more than they live for me,” RiRi said. “And I’m like, ‘Did you know who cooked you? Do you know who pushed you out?’ And they love him, but when I see it, oh, it’s the best.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Rihanna emphasized the significance of her business empire, which includes Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty. “I care because my name is on it,” she said. “I don’t want my name to represent anything I don’t fully stand behind.”

21 Feb 2025

The Rock Mashes Up Lil Wayne’s ‘The Block Is Hot’ for New ‘Final Boss’ WWE Entrance Song

On WWE’s Friday Night Smackdown, The Rock announced groundbreaking news that WrestleMania 42 will occur in New Orleans in 2026. Before dishing out that exclusive, the self-proclaimed Final Boss walked out to his new entrance theme featuring Louisiana’s favorite son, Lil Wayne.

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The Rock’s new theme is a mash-up of Wayne’s popular 1999 song “The Block Is Hot,” featuring his Hot Boys cohorts B.G. and Juvenile. For The Rock, this isn’t the first time he’s aligned himself with hip-hop royalty. In 2000, Wyclef Jean teamed with The Rock for “It Doesn’t Matter,” playing off The Great One’s cogent catchphrase. Then, in 2021, The Rock delivered a tongue-twister of a verse for Tech N9ne’s “Face Off.”

As for Wayne, he continues to be a staple in WWE. Last year, at WrestleMania 40, he escorted popular WWE Superstar Jey Uso inside Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field. There, Wayne did a mash-up of his Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “A Milli” alongside Uso’s popular entrance theme song “Main Event Ish.”

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“We all grew up on Wayne in the late ’90s and early 2000s,” Uso told Billboard earlier this month for the Sports & Music issue. “I’m talking about when he was with Hot Boys and all that. It’s crazy how life comes full-circle.” Before they walked out, Uso even cajoled Wayne into wearing some Uso merchandise: “He was real dope and cool with everything. He asked if I needed anything from him, and I said, ‘Sh–, brother. Can you wear these “YEET” glasses for me? Here, put these on.’ “

Watch The Rock walk out to his new entrance theme song featuring Lil Wayne below.

21 Feb 2025

Lady Gaga Hilariously Lip Syncs to Billie Eilish Talking About Her

Lady Gaga loves Billie Eilish as much as the “Bad Guy” singer loves her!

Gaga took to TikTok this week to post a hilarious video in which she lip syncs to a sound taken from Eilish’s annual Vanity Fair interview, in which she answers the same questions a year apart. In the clip, Eilish reveals that she’s been enjoying listening to throwback Lady Gaga songs, including “G.U.Y.,” “Alejandro,” “Poker Face” and “Born This Way.” “It’s so good,” Eilish says.

“She had me at G.U.Y.,” Gaga captioned the TikTok, which you can watch here.

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It’s gearing up to be a landmark year for Gaga, who is just weeks away from dropping Mayhem, her newest studio album, on March 7, marking her first original full-length pop album since 2020’s Grammy-winning Chromatica. Just one day after the highly anticipated project arrives, Gaga will serve as both host and serve as musical guest on Saturday Night Live on March 8 — the second time she has done so.

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Gaga recently released “Abracadabra,” the third of three Mayhem songs the superstar has revealed so far. Last summer, she debuted the Mars-assisted “Die With a Smile,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 this year and earned Grammy nominations for song of the year and best pop duo/group performance. Two months later, Mother Monster dropped “Disease,” a dark electro-pop banger that reached No. 27 on the Hot 100.

21 Feb 2025

Reason Says He Praised Drake to Get Out of His TDE Deal: ‘It Worked’

We finally know what led to Reason and TDE going their separate ways.

While sitting down with Bootleg Kev, the Carson, California, rapper talked about the fan reaction to his unceremonious split from Top Dog Entertainment and explained the strategy he used to get out of his deal.

“Honestly, the fans have been consistent all the way throughout,” he began about the vitriol he was experiencing. “The fans that didn’t like me before are consistent and still don’t like me. Because when you sign with TDE, there’s gonna be TDE fans that don’t f— with you, it’s just how it works. The only fans I really lost were fans that I shot myself in the foot [with], but I had to do that to get out of the label deal.”

He added that Kendrick Lamar — the flagship artist signed to TDE from 2005 to 2022 — played a role in his exit strategy. “When the Dot [Lamar] and Drake beef started, I felt like Top and them were kinda dragging their feet a little bit,” he said of label co-founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith. “I don’t think purposely, I think they just had a lot of sh– going on. And I knew that if I sparked a fire a little bit, that they’d be like, ‘We gotta separate from this.’ So I started tweeting sh– on the side of Drake purposely. … So there’s fans that hate me for that and rightfully so.”

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The X post in question was a positive review of the first diss record Drake dropped as the battle was kicking off.

“It was right after ‘Push Ups‘ dropped,” he said. “And I tweeted: ‘Y’all hatin’, this beat switch up is fire’ and then I let it sit for 10 minutes and deleted it. It went crazy, and I still had the ‘Reason TDE’ [in my handle], so it looked insane.”

He then talked about how deciding to drop his On the Radar freestyle over Drake‘s “8am in Charlotte” beat added fuel to the fire.

“So [On the Radar] hit me, they were like, ‘Yo, we was about to drop it but we don’t wanna damage your situation. Should we hold it?’” he recalled. “‘Run it, run it, let’s do it.’ … I just knew it was sensitive times and I knew business-wise, it would make the most sense for them to separate from me at that point. That sh– worked. A month later, I was gone.”

Reason is gearing up to drop a new project in I Love You Again on Feb. 28.

You can watch the full conversation below.

21 Feb 2025

Tyga Pays Tribute to Mom, Who Died at Age 53: ‘Can’t Imagine Life Without You’

Tyga is paying tribute to his mother, Pasionaye Nguye, who died on Jan. 18 at the age of 53. The rapper revealed the tragic loss with a heartfelt Instagram post on Friday (Feb. 21).

The “Rack City” rapper was close with his mother, whom he championed as the “best and most supportive” person in his life.

“I been trying to understand and process why God takes the most meaningful and most beautifulest people away from us,” he wrote. “But I know I’ll never get an answer that will fill the emptiness in my heart. Can’t imagine life without you by my side. You were the best and most supportive person in my life, you always made things better when I felt at my lowest and worst.”

Tyga continued by writing, “I would trade anything just to be able to be with you again I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. and I can’t wait for the day until we’re together again I’ll see you soon and save me a spot right next to you in paradise.”

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He concluded: “I Love you forever mom and I’ll do my best to celebrate you with every moment that I have left. Pasionaye Nicole Nguyen 9/11/71- 1/18/25 You took one of your best angels back GOD. I hope you know that.”

The sincere post to social media included a slideshow of photos featuring Tyga with his mother throughout his life, and one that appears to show her hand in a hospital bed.

Condolences and uplifting messages poured into his comment section from the music community, including notes from 2 Chainz, Pusha T, Sabrina Claudio, Big Sean, Jhené Aiko, Fat Joe, DDG, Casey Veggies and many more.

Amid the heartbreaking loss, Tyga released his first studio album since 2019 earlier in February with NSFW. The 17-track project featured assists from Lil Wayne, Shenseea, Big Sean, Flo Milli, Lil Tjay, Ty Dolla $ign and more.

Find Tyga’s post about his late mother below.

21 Feb 2025

Selena Gomez’s Disney-Image-Shedding Film ‘Spring Breakers’ Coming to IMAX

Spring break is just around the corner — and for the first time in years, so is Spring Breakers.

On Friday (Feb. 21), A24 announced that its subversive film starring Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Vanessa Hudgens and Rachel Korine is coming to IMAX theaters for one night only.

Widely known as the project that helped the Wizards of Waverly Place alum transition from Disney Channel teen idol to mature actress, the Harmony Korine-directed movie will screen at IMAX theaters for the first time on March 19. Tickets are on sale now on the company’s website.

Also getting the one-night-only treatment is Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight on Feb. 27. Both film throwbacks come as part of A24’s monthly screening series with IMAX.

Up until Spring Breakers premiered in 2013, Gomez was most known for her Disney ties. The Rare Beauty founder has been open about how she took on the R-rated project as a way of “taking baby steps” toward more adult roles — as she described it to The New York Times that year — and still looks back fondly on the experience.

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“I think that was one of the moments in my life that I felt like, ‘Oh, this is what art can feel like,’” she told IndieWire of Spring Breakers at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. “Not just the typical way I had been doing it my whole career. That’s when I got the bug. So to be honest, I’m just happy to be a part of such an audacious, special, and important movie.”

Gomez has come a long way since 2013, with the “Lose You to Love Me” singer spending the past decade appearing in numerous onscreen projects in addition to managing a chart-topping pop music career and starting Rare Beauty, a billion-dollar cosmetics company. She currently stars in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building and recently earned widespread praise for her performance in Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez, both of which have earned her Golden Globe nominations in acting categories.

21 Feb 2025

Drake Won the Battle Against Kendrick Lamar, According to Adin Ross

Almost a year later, there are still plenty of debates about the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle that shook up the rap landscape in 2024.

Adin Ross joined the Full Send Podcast earlier this week, and when the Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud was brought up, the popular streamer sided with the 6 God, as he believes the OVO boss won the battle.

Ross, who had Drake on his stream earlier this year, slammed Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show and gave Drizzy the win in their feud.

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“In my opinion, I think Drake won the rap battle because, obviously Kendrick made the hit song ‘Not Like Us,’ but it’s all lies. He said [Drake] had a daughter, which was debunked,” Ross said. “It wasn’t even real, but people don’t bring that up.”

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Ross continued to argue that “Drake put Kendrick” on in his career. “In 2011, I was 11 years old. It was called Would You Like a Tour? I believe,” he said. “It was when [Drake] first dropped Take Care, he took Kendrick, J. Cole, A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd — he took all these guys on tour. Gave them all a feature. French Montana, Meek Mill, all of them. He helped put them on and you’re doing him like this.”

The streamer thinks with Drake on top of the rap game for so long, other artists were eager to knock him off the throne.

“It’s all built up,” he added. “He’s been No. 1 for so long they just tried to knock him out. You can’t knock him out, though. He’s in Australia selling out crazy shows. … This guy just dropped an album, it’s amazing. No disrespect to Kendrick, he has classics, he has hits, [and] he is a legend, technically. But his last album before GNX, Mr. Morale, horrible. Drake revived Kendrick’s career.”

Many considered Lamar’s “Not Like Us” the kill shot in the battle against Drake, which debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 in May. Kendrick picked up another five Grammys and performed at the Super Bowl halftime show earlier this month. He’ll head out on the Grand National Tour with SZA starting in April.

As for Drake, he’s currently in Australia on the Anita Max Win Tour. He unleashed his $ome $exy $ongs 4 U joint project with PartyNextDoor on Valentine’s Day.

Watch the full interview below. Talk about Drake and Kendrick begins around the 10-minute mark.

21 Feb 2025

Jessica Simpson Announces First Album in 15 Years, Drops New Single ‘Use My Heart Against Me’

Jessica Simpson is stepping back into the music world. The superstar announced on Friday (Feb. 21) that she’s making her highly anticipated musical return with a brand new EP, Nashville Canyon, which is set for release on March 21.

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Simpson celebrated her new era by dropping the project’s lead single, “Use My Heart Against Me,” representing her departure from pop to channel her Texan roots with a mix of Americana and soul. The star worked with Fancy Hagood, Natalie Hemby, Lucie Silvas and Trent Dabbs in Nashville to bring her music to life, as she embraces overcoming a series of heartbreaks, including a separation from her longtime husband Eric Johnson.

“I’ve lived through the hardest parts of life, and music is what has brought me back,” Simpson said of the project in a press statement. “Nashville Canyon is for anyone who’s ever been told who they are or how they should live their life. It’s about finding your true voice and the courage to be exactly who you are.”

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She continued, “Music makes you un-become to become, and through this process my soul has been pulled to the very place it belongs. This music is mine to share, and it’s not just about me—it’s about everyone who’s ever felt lost or overlooked. I want to remind them that they’re not alone.”

Simpson’s last music release was her 2009 holiday album, Happy Christmas. Over the course of her music career, she dropped seven studio albums, starting with her 1999 debut project, Sweet Kisses.

The second part of Nashville Canyon will be released in early summer 2025. Listen to “Use My Heart Against Me” below.

21 Feb 2025

Phil Collins Says He Isn’t ‘Hungry’ to Make Music Anymore as He’s Been ‘Very Sick’

Phil Collins has shared an update on his health — which has for years made playing drums difficult — and unfortunately, the 73-year-old Genesis icon still isn’t in fighting shape.

In a snippet from a recent interview with Mojo, Collins disclosed that he’s thought about getting back behind the drum set, but hasn’t been able to, due in large part to his condition. “I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens,” he told the publication.

“But I’m not hungry for it anymore,” he continued. “The thing is, I’ve been sick. I mean, very sick.”

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The rock star’s health issues stem from a 2007 spinal injury that left him with severe nerve damage and limited mobility, complicating his ability to play the instrument. He went into further detail about his condition in a December documentary titled Phil Collins: Drummer First, in which he revisited his drums for the first time in years.

“It’s still kind of sinking in,” Collins says in the project, which premiered on Drumeo’s YouTube channel. “I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.”

The composer’s son, Nic Collins, explained in the doc how years of playing such a physically demanding instrument also took its toll on his father’s body. In 2022, Nic played drums instead of the “Against All Odds” musician during Genesis’ farewell tour, while Phil sang sitting down.

“If I can’t do what I did as well as I did it, I’d rather relax and not do anything,” the star added in Drummer First. “If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I’ll have a crack at it. But I just feel like I’ve used up my air miles.”