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Beloved dance duo Sofi Tukker stopped by the Billboard News studio to talk about their longstanding professional relationship, their new album and much more.
“The truth is we never stopped going to the studio, so we’re just always making things,” the group’s Sophie Hawley-Weld says of the period between the last Sofi Tukker album, 2022’s Wet Tennis, and their new project, Bread, out this Friday (Aug. 24) through Ultra Music.
The other half of Sofi Tukker, Tucker Halpern, adds that they know a new project is forming “once we feel like the songs are telling a story and once we feel like, ‘OK there’s something cohesive here that feels like they need to belong together,’ then we make the album.”
Halpern calls Bread, a 10-track collection that includes features from Channel Tres, Kah-Lo and MC Bola, “a return to who we are when we started. When we started, I had just finished playing basketball, we were in college, Sophie was a jazz musician playing mostly Brazilian music. I was into house music, playing house parties, she brought everything from her world, and I brought everything from my world, and we kind of mashed them together, and I think [with this album], we did that harder and deeper than we’ve ever done before.”
There are indeed layers of meaning in the project, with the title referencing much more than baguettes and sourdough. The title track and the, Hawley-Weld says, “abundant, fun, ridiculous, over the top, sexy, playful world” they created around it with its sumptuous visuals, was partially inspired by the 2009 book The Purity Myth: How America’s Obsession With Virginity Is Hurting Young Women.
“Basically it’s about how this idea of virginity and purity is so harmful to women, and the less we have experienced pleasure, the more value we have. It’s just not OK,” says Hawley-Weld. “So we wrote the song ‘Bread’ about owning your appetite — sexually, for food and it’s also a symbol for abundance and owning that as a woman as well.”
“We also don’t want to be preachy when we’re saying things we want to say,” adds Halpern. “We also want it to feel fun and light, because that’s also what people often go to our music for, but there is a lot of meaning there.”
In keeping with this theme, Heidi Klum stars alongside the duo in the recently released video for album track “Spiral.” The trio linked after first meeting the supermodel at Paris Fashion Week, later enlisting her to be in the video, an invitation Klum agreed to under the condition that Hawley-Weld and Halpern appear in it as well.
“There’s just not that many examples of woman who are totally owning their sexuality,” Hawley-Weld says of working with Klum, “and being around that was really heartwarming and awesome, because I don’t want to feel like my sexuality will decline as I’m getting older, and she proves that doesn’t have to happen.”
Watch Sofi Tukker’s interview above.
Ice Spice has shut down rumors claiming she’s taking Ozempic for weight loss. The Bronx native dispelled the allegations in an X Spaces on Monday (Aug. 19) while sniping at those speaking about her figure.
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“I actually came on here to talk about that real quick. I wish y’all never learned the word Ozempic,” she said. “That’s one thing I wish. Oh my God! Like, what even is Ozempic? What the f–k is that? Genuinely, what is that?”
Ice continued to spew. “You lazy-a– b—–s never heard of a gym? It’s called the gym, it’s called eating healthy, it’s called being on tour,” she added. “Like, what the hell? Maybe if I was sitting at home all f–king day, it’d be easier to stay big.”
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Sexyy Red chimed in on Instagram, coming to Ice Spice’s defense regarding people constantly commenting on her weight. “Y’all act like people can’t b stressed or not eat as much and she still look good so next,” she wrote.
Ozempic is an FDA-approved prescription medicine for those diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, but also has been used off-label for weight loss.
The 24-year-old has brushed off the speculation and continues to rock the stage as part of her first headlining trek on the Y2K! World Tour. She took over L.A.’s Hollywood Palladium on Monday night (Aug. 19) and brought out her “Bitch I’m Packin’” collaborator Gunna for a special surprise for the fans.
The rest of the tour will make stops in Oakland, Tempe, Dallas, Houston and Atlanta before wrapping up in Miami on Aug. 31.
Ice Spice’s anticipated Y2K! debut album arrived in July with features from Gunna, Travis Scott and Central Cee. The LP reached No. 18 on the Billboard 200. However, the rapper never saw the project as a make or break for her and is enjoying connecting with her fans on the road.
“I think people try to put that pressure on me just because I have been so successful,” she previously told Billboard. “I don’t really put too much weight into it. Of course, I appreciate it and I prefer it, but it’s not a make-or-break for me. I’m just happy with the album I made.”
Hear what Ice Spice had to say about Ozempic below.
#IceSpice reacts to discourse about her weight loss, via spaces: “Its called gym? It’s called being on a tour[…]maybe if I was staying home all day it’d be easier to stay big.”pic.twitter.com/ndhELax8me— All Tea All Shade (@TeaTimeTips2) August 20, 2024
Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix sang live on the set of Joker: Folie à Deux — not just because they’re staunch professionals, but also because they wanted their performances to feel as raw and unpredictable as their characters are.
In a new interview with Variety published Tuesday (Aug. 20), the pair — who play Harley Quinn and Arthur Fleck, respectively — opened up about the challenges of using live vocals during filming. A pianist was on site to provide accompaniment off camera, after which their takes were spliced together and occasionally rerecorded in studio as needed.
“We didn’t want vibrato and perfect notes,” Phoenix explained, adding that he and the pop star wanted to “let the emotion guide” their performances to stay “true to the moment.”
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“We asked ourselves, ‘What would need to be true for two people to just break into song in the middle of a conversation?’” Gaga added. “’Where does the music come from when no one can hear it but the characters?’ Neither Arthur nor [Harley] are professional singers and they shouldn’t sound like they are … We wanted to help tell the story of their shared madness in a way that felt real.”
“I think we all have an intimate and personal relationship with music in that there’s a score for our inner emotional lives,” she continued to Variety. “A score that no one can usually hear but us. That’s what we tried to capture for Arthur and Lee — the music inside them.”
The interview comes about a month and a half ahead of the Joker sequel’s theatrical release on Oct. 4. The film’s first full-length trailer dropped in July, promising a darkly chaotic storyline that finds Fleck and Quinn meeting in a psychiatric hospital and embarking on a joint musical journey as the former awaits trial for his crimes as Joker.
In another recent Q&A about the project, Phoenix revealed that Gaga — despite being a 13-time Grammy winner and vocal powerhouse in her own right — was quite supportive of his singing capabilities while working on the film. “I do seem to remember her spitting up coffee the first time I sang, so that felt good, that was exciting, and made me feel confident,” he told Empire in July. “Gaga was always very encouraging of just, ‘Go with what you feel, it’s fine.’ For somebody who’s not a performer in that way, it can be … uncomfortable to do that, but also very exciting.”
In addition to Folie à Deux, the “Applause” musician is also gearing up to release her seventh studio album, which she’s been teasing for weeks. While in Paris to perform at the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony in July, she even played a couple snippets of the record for fans gathered outside her hotel.
In the meantime, listeners can enjoy the A Star Is Born actress’ new standalone single with Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile,” which dropped Aug. 16. The pair also teamed up for a Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner-esque music video to accompany the cinematic ballad, which dropped on the same day as the song.
Bottle in her hand, the whisky up high, two hands to heaven, wild horses run wild. Beyoncé is now the latest celebrity to launch her own line of alcohol, partnering with Moët Hennessy to craft her very own flavor of what has long been her drink of choice in honor of her great-grandfather.
As unveiled Monday (Aug. 19), the superstar’s new SirDavis whisky is described as a “harmony of spice with sublime hints of fruit” and retails online for $89. It’s currently only available for pre-order, but will hit stores in the U.S., London, Paris and Tokyo — as well as in select airports — starting in September.
“I’ve always been drawn to the power and confidence I feel when drinking quality whisky and wanted to invite more people to experience that feeling,” Bey said of the venture in a statement.
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According to the product’s website, the 32-time Grammy winner personally sought out Hennessy and distiller Dr. Bill Lumsden to develop her own whisky flavor profile, during which she discovered that her paternal great-grandfather, Davis Hogue, was a successful Prohibition-era moonshiner in the American South and used to hide bottles on his farm for friends and family to find.
After years of working on SirDavis, the trio finally came up with a liquor that properly honors Hogue’s legacy. “I think together we’ve risen to something that I’m hugely excited about,” added Lumsden in a statement. “And I think whisky drinkers are going to be blown away because it’s really quite different from anything I’ve tasted before.”
One day after the brand’s launch, Bey marked the occasion on Instagram by sharing a photo of her posing with a glass of SirDavis. She also posted a snap of the whisky’s chic bottle, which features a horse-silhouette decal that looks similar to the steeds that appear on her Renaissance and Cowboy Carter album covers.
Her new venture follows in the footsteps of numerous other musicians who’ve entered the alcohol industry, from Cardi B’s Whipshots company to Ciara’s Ten to One Rum. Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Nick Jonas, Katy Perry and more have also all come out with various lines of rums, tequilas, vodkas and virgin cocktails.
Releasing a debut album is understandably daunting, but releasing your first album on a major label is a much different ball game. Not many people can say that their major label debut LP follows a head-turning stint on a Netflix hip-hop reality competition show (Rhythm + Flow) and a Grammy win alongside Billboard Hot 100-topping cross-genre savant Anderson .Paak. Then again, there’s only one Rae Khalil.
Speaking with Billboard via Zoom just days before the release of Crybaby – a luscious 13-track R&B fantasia that finds her moving from low-key neo-soul to jaunty new jack swing – Rae Khalil is on the precipice of a life-changing career shift to complement the turbulent tides of her personal life. Across the four-year journey to Crybaby, grief has relentlessly reared its head; Khalil lost her grandmother this year and her great-aunt passed “a couple [of] weeks ago,” which significantly altered her approach to completing her new LP and sharing it with the world.
“I would say I’m now dedicating this project and this part of my life to her and my family,” Khalil muses. “I think the No. 1 [thing] is being intentional and accepting all the emotions as they come. Some days are stronger than others.”
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As she awaits Crybaby’s arrival on DSPs, some of those days were spent watching House of the Dragon – which she namechecks as the last time she shed a few tears herself. Officially released on Aug. 9, Crybaby cements Khalil’s major-label metamorphosis by way of slick production contributions from a bevy of craftsmen, including .Paak and Nascent, as well as winning collaborations with the likes of Freddie Gibbs, Benny Sings, Khal!l, Tiana Major9, Zacari, AA Rashid and .Paak himself.
Sure, the cast of characters has gotten exponentially larger, but Crybaby is perhaps Khalil’s most honest and arresting work yet. The anxiety that comes from weighing the sacrifice of aligning yourself with the label system against maintaining complete independence grounds the LP, giving the record a worthy thematic center to match its generally gritty grooves. “My compass does just fine on its own/ So much pride, it built a second home/ I can’t hide behind me no more,” she croons on the stunning lead single “Is It Worth It?”
With a deluxe edition in the works and her eyes on an upcoming tour, Rae Khalil is ready to fully step into and own her own spotlight with Crybaby. In an intimate conversation with Billboard, she opens up about her four-year recording process, what she’s learned from Anderson .Paak, and the unfortunate mishap that gave way to a collaboration with her favorite rapper.
A lot of people got to know you through Rhythm + Flow back in 2019. What lessons did you bring from that experience to the creation of Crybaby?
I would definitely say trusting my guts. It’s five years ago now, [it was] such a great time period in my life. I remember taking advice from a lot of people at that time and listening to what other people thought I should be doing. I learned that this is my career, I’m the one [who’s] going to be standing on the brand of Rae Khalil. If there’s anything that I’m making or doing, I really want to stand behind that 100%.
Why did “Crybaby” feel like the appropriate title track for this album?
I thought it’d be a cool idea to change the narrative for what that means. “Crybaby” originally has a negative connotation, of someone who’s a whiner. I wanted to switch it to be someone who doesn’t have a problem with being vulnerable and sharing the parts of themselves that are maybe a little bit more on the sensitive side… not being worried about what others think. Kind of repurposing the word, making it more positive.
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When was the last time you cried?
S–t, I’m telling you that episode [of House of the Dragon] was so good last night, I did shed a couple of tears! But in all seriousness, this has been a pretty tough year for my family. We lost a matriarch in our family in my grandmother, and a couple weeks ago, we lost her sister as well, so it’s kind of a generational shift happening, but it’s allowing me to be more present. I think it’s making me focus on the lessons and values that my grandma taught me my whole life and implementing that in my career and my personal life.
How has it been for you suffering these kinds of losses, but also rolling out this project which obviously marks a major moment in your career?
Life will always happen, and it’s up to us to figure out how we are going to endure and persevere. I do think that there’s some type of poetic thing happening with losing people [who] were in my life and shaped my ideology. That chapter of my life is now closed, and [there are] so many new opportunities, especially in my career. I have opportunities to travel and meet new people and get to know myself more. I look at it as a beautiful tapestry of good and bad. It’s what’s required to happen for more growth.
What were you listening to in the house growing up and what were you listening to during the sessions for Crybaby?
When I work on albums, I’m just so in the music process that I’m not really listening to music. I love driving back from the studio with just silence, and then I’ll dabble with some of the new songs coming out, but it really takes me a second to get back into the groove of being an avid music listener of what’s new.
But what shapes any talented artist is the diversity in what you listen to, right? [Growing up], I had Motown and soul and R&B, but I also really enjoyed *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. That was my era of pop music — Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Destiny’s Child. Then I would hear Anita Baker and The Jackson 5 on the weekends while we’re cleaning. And my brother would be listening to Evanescence and my aunt would be listening to David Bowie and then my grandma’s listening to f—king Jean Carne and Sarah Vaughan.
Talk to me about how “Come Home” came together. There are really strong New Jack Swing vibes on that one, which gives the tracklist a nice jolt of energy.
I made that song two weeks before I had to turn in the project. It was really just a magical moment. I had another song [in its place], but certain things about it wouldn’t get cleared in time. So, I was in panic mode and I was like, “Well we need something with high energy because [the album is] just going to be a very R&B thing if we don’t have some type of upbeat moment.”
I just recently met Khal!l through Instagram, and he sent me a collection of songs, and “Come Home” was one of them. I went to the studio the next day and I made that song in three hours. I love that song so much.
How did you get AA Rashid on the intro?
“Hot Track” is my favorite song, and Shid is a mentor of mine, a very good friend and spiritual adviser. He just loves me. Obviously, I listen to Griselda, I’m a big fan — but a friend of mine would talk to me about his lectures. Some of them are on YouTube, and I watched a couple and really gravitated towards some of the things that he talks about.
Randomly, I was just in downtown LA with my partner at a liquor store and he was in there, and I was just like, “Wait, Oh my God!” We started talking and he had a book on him that he wrote, and he told me to buy it and I did – that was years ago. Then we just became friends; I just met him on the street and that night we ended up going to his house and hanging out. He’s just the best and has always been in my corner and always been a fan of my music.
It really was just me asking, “Hey, I know you do this for Westside Gunn, is there any way you could just come and sit and talk?” So, we just recorded him talking for about 10 minutes, and it was really me and my engineer that pieced it all together. I like how it sounds like a sequence, but it really is not. We had to move things around, that’s what’s so fun.
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“Hot Track” is such a powerful song. My longtime collaborator and producer Jared Rubens found that sample; that song was probably one of the first songs we made in our New York sessions for this album, which had to be December 2022. I’m sitting there and I’m listening and asking about the sample and he’s like, “I don’t know, some song [“When Morning Comes”] by O.C. Smith.” I got chills because I’ve been hearing that name my whole life; he was a longtime friend of my grandmother’s. They traveled to Africa together. He had a church that my grandma went to, and he married my mom and my dad.
Jared didn’t even know any of this! Out of all the songs he could have sampled, it’s this song by this guy who was very close to my family. It was so reaffirming and reassuring that this is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. That song means so much to me, especially now that my grandmother has passed. She had the opportunity to hear the song, and she really loved it.
Who is Cisco and why did he get a song named after him?
Cisco Swank! He’s a super-talented multi-instrumentalist, a Berkeley grad, who makes his own music. I forget how we met, but I think it was in New York. He’s just a whiz kid and a good friend of mine in the jazz community. We had a session and that song came together and he played everything. That’s why I named it that. It was really cool to see him hopping on the drums and then the organ and then the guitar. He spent like an hour and a half on the whole thing. These sessions were very intentional. We didn’t waste any time.
I believe we might have started something else before, but once we did this song, it just felt right. I’ve been working on Crybaby for about four years and I’d say there are probably four songs out of the 13 that have made it through that whole four years. There’s been a lot of rearranging. In that specific spot where “Cisco’s Song” is, I had a couple of different ideas, but I wanted to honor him.
Obviously, you and Anderson .Paak have a rich history together. What kind of official and unofficial rules governed the Crybaby sessions?
I think the unofficial rule was: do your best and go as hard as you can. Even when you think you’ve done your best, go harder. In the span of four years, I’ve workshopped over 50 songs and I enjoyed them all. I was just trying to elevate how I [could] push until I felt like I said everything I needed to say. I wanted to make sure I didn’t feel like there’s anything missing or anything [that was] still required in the song.
A spoken rule was: We get an opportunity to do what we love, so let’s be grateful and show up with a positive attitude every time we’re in the studio. Every time that I’m with Anderson, whether it’s with my music or working with his or other artists’, I think there’s just a level of gratitude that’s in the room that derives from him. He’s really one of the hardest-working people I know. When I asked him about it, [he was] like, “Well, why wouldn’t I be? These are my dreams, right? Everything I wished for.” I try to take that in every session, even if I’m tired or we’ve been there for hours. These are literally my dreams, so we’re gonna be here till we get that snare sound right.
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You also appeared on the new NxWorries album. Were there any songs that you guys had to decide if they would end up on that record versus yours?
No, that’s a big boy album! [Laughs.] Those guys have been doing it for a long time. I was just blessed [to be included]. But I will say that I had to f—king fight for me to be on “OutTheWay” — because, at the end of the day, that’s my big bro and I think he wants me to do my best. When I first did the song, he was like, “It’s cool.” But I think he was nervous. He said to me, “You’re already on another song. I don’t know… two songs?”
He kept telling me, “Every time I play it for other people, they’re like, ‘This one’s my favorite.’” I had to really prove my worth in a very humorous, sibling-like way. We have a lot of demos together; there’s a version of “Lockdown” somewhere that I have a verse on. I’m just happy that I got to be on such an iconic album.
This album skews primarily R&B, but we got to know you as an MC. Was that an intentional choice?
I’ve been singing since I was five, so I just wanted to be considered as good a rapper as I’m a singer. I had a chip on my shoulder for so long, but it wasn’t really until Anderson helped me realize that we can do everything. Why wouldn’t you put your best foot forward and showcase your strong suit? I believe that my rap ability is up to par with my singing, but I feel like I catch more ears with my singing voice. So why wouldn’t I sing very beautifully, in hopes that it’ll make people interested in what else I can do?
I thought an R&B album would be a perfect introduction to the huge tapestry of all the different things I want to do in music, you know. I kind of get nervous, that’s why it’s important for me to put “She’s A Bore” on there or “Hot Track” or “Overcast/Overture” because I still like to be myself and sing and rap, but I’m also giving you what you want from me.
Were there any particular pressures that you felt in crafting this album versus your other projects?
I was born in 1996, so I grew up with album rollouts. Loving music my whole life, it’s like, “Wow, I’m on a major label.” That means I have to make major label moves. I think it was December 2022, I had a full 13-track album called Crybaby with a bunch of songs that are not on there anymore, and I played it for Anderson. He was like, “This is good, but it’s not great.” I remember being crushed; I had been dedicating everything to these songs and he told me to dig deeper.
That’s where the “Is It Worth It” idea came from — just me asking myself those questions of, “Do I even want to do this to the extent of being in these rooms I don’t want to be in?”
I knew the gravity of being on a label like Def Jam, and I wanted the music to mirror that, and I think I did it. Songs like “Come Home,” “Is It Worth It,” “It Is What It Is,” and “Bittersweet” are all really strong and took a long time. This didn’t happen in a couple of months, so I just want people to feel the care and the time in the songs.
How do you think this album fits in conversation with your other projects from a thematic standpoint?
I think it’s an evolution and an elevation artistically. I think it’s more introspective. The last album’s called For the World, so I was making music for the world. I think these songs are more like diary entries, it’s not necessarily for the world. If anyone wants to listen, that’s awesome. But this is very personal, and I’m building on my own personal story as a person and an artist.
You are credited as executive producer on this record. How do you understand that term and what did that look like for you during the album-making process?
I think executive producing this album for me meant that I was a part of every single process. I can’t wait for the day when I can make an album and it’s like “Okay, I recorded it bye!” But I was there every day like, “Move this there. Turn me up here. Move me to the right a little bit. We need something like this, I’m going to call my friend. He’s going to come put violin. Who can I add [to] this? Now I need to call my homegirls, get some backing vocals.”
I was there in the mastering process, the mixing process. I saw some songs get mastered by tape. We didn’t choose those, but it was really cool to be in the room watching it. I wanted to make sure I was an integral part of every single aspect of the album. Even [with] the art direction, I’ve had that album cover for four years. Ever since the artist drew it, I knew I was going to work with it and have the picture inspire some of the songs. I was the catalyst and the crux to bridge the gap from the old Rae Khalil to coming into a major label and what that looks like.
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Not everyone can say they have their favorite rapper on their major label debut album! What was it like working with Freddie Gibbs?
I originally had a different rapper on “Carpinteria,” and he was just lazy. The recording that he sent me… the audio was just shit. I asked him to redo it and he left me on seen. It was just a bunch of bullshit. I enjoy your music, but I’m not gonna put up with you not being communicative. I remember sharing that with Anderson and being so bummed out and crying, and he was like, “We’ll just get Freddie to do it.”
I just didn’t think it was real. I remember teasing him like, “Yeah, I remember you said that. We’ll see!” And then all of a sudden, it happened. I was like, “Oh my God, oh man, you made my dreams come true.” I’ve been able to hang out with him more frequently, and he’s just so fun. I’m such a fan girl, so I’m always [asking him questions]. He blessed me with a beautiful verse. It was supposed to be a short verse, but he did such a long one. Apparently, he really loved the song!
Do you have any plans to tour the album?
Oh, that’s the dream! I would hope so. My manager’s telling me Billie Eilish is going on tour — and that’s really far-fetched, but if I could open up for her, I think that would open up a lot of doors. That’s who I have my eye on, you know. Hopefully, she reads this article.
Are you happy with the major label version of Rae Khalil?
I am so happy. This is coming from the girl who started rapping when Acid Rap was popular. I was like, “I’m never gonna sign!” [Laughs.] I had no idea what I was talking about. There’s a reason why Beyoncé is still at Columbia. I’m that type of artist [who wants] to build a working symbiotic relationship [with a label]. It’s a business at the end of the day, so I want to do well in the business aspect so much so that I have more creative freedom in the music aspect. I love Tunji. I love Def Jam. I’m just really happy to be where I am.
I’m a little nervous. I started putting music on SoundCloud in high school, so to be at this point is really cool. I’m approaching everything with open arms.
Country singer-songwriter Drew Baldridge is officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting artist as his breakthrough single, “She’s Somebody’s Daughter (Reimagined),” debuts on the latest chart (dated Aug. 24) at No. 93.
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The song enters led by 26.5 million all-format radio audience impressions (up 2%), as well as 565,000 official U.S. streams in the Aug. 9-15 tracking week, according to Luminate.
“She’s Somebody’s Daughter (Reimagined)” has had a long journey leading up to its Hot 100 arrival. Baldridge originally self-released the song in 2019, followed by a second mix in 2021 (the “Wedding Version”) and a third in 2023 (“Reimagined”).
The track recently made history on Country Airplay by becoming the first self-released song in the chart’s 34-year history to reach the top five. The only other such song to reach the top 10 is Aaron Watson’s No. 10-peaking “Outta Style” in 2017. “Daughter” holds at its No. 5 high on the latest list.
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The Patoka, Ill., native first appeared on Billboard’s charts in January 2016 with his single “Dance With Ya” (No. 48 peak on Country Airplay). Since then, he’s charted four additional songs at the format: “Rebound” (No. 50, 2017), “Guns & Roses” (No. 51, 2018), “Senior Year” (No. 50, 2020) and “She’s Somebody’s Daughter (Reimagined).” Plus, his debut studio album, Dirt on Us, released on his former label, Cold River, reached No. 11 on Top Country Albums and No. 111 on the Billboard 200 in July 2016.
In a recent interview with Billboard, Baldridge explained that after recording the original “She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” Cold River didn’t release it as a single because fellow country artist Tenille Townes was already working a similarly titled song, “Somebody’s Daughter,” and the label wanted to avoid confusion. Two years later, after Cold River closed, he recorded a new version for his wedding titled “She’s Somebody’s Daughter (Wedding Version)” that quickly went viral on TikTok. That version’s official audio has soundtracked more than 900,000 clips on the platform to date.
Baldridge later recorded a third version, “She’s Somebody’s Daughter (Reimagined),” at the end of 2022 with the intention of garnering radio play, and formed a promo team for his own Lyric Ridge Records to make it happen. He had some insider radio knowledge from his three years as a weekend jock on KKGO, Los Angeles’ country station. Though he doesn’t program his shifts, “I got to intro my own song and intro out my own song, which is the coolest thing on the planet,” he said. “And with these DJs and [programmers], I have a way to connect with them that I didn’t have four years ago.”
On the heels of releasing his The Hood Poet album on Aug. 9, Polo G is set to hit the road in support of his latest LP. Polo announced a 26-city North American trek on Tuesday (Aug. 20) with The Hood Poet Tour slated to kick off in Denver on Oct. 24.
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“I’ve always put my heart into my music, and now I’m bringing that energy to the stage,” Polo G said in a statement. “This tour is for the fans who’ve been with me since day one and for everyone who’s been part of this journey. I can’t wait to share this experience with y’all.”
The Hood Poet Tour will see support from Vonoff1700, Skylar Blatt, Diany Dior, Scorey and Twotiime. Tickets will be available with a local presale on Wednesday (Aug. 21), with the general public getting a chance on Friday (Aug. 23) at 10 a.m. local time. VIP packages are also available on Polo’s website.
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Following the Denver kickoff, The Hood Poet Tour will be making stops in Kansas City, his hometown of Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, NYC, Boston, Philly, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, San Diego and San Francisco before wrapping up in Los Angeles on Nov. 29.
Polo G’s The Hood Poet served as his fourth studio album, and featured appearances from Future, GloRilla, 42 Dugg, Offset, The Kid LAROI, Lil Durk, G Herbo, Hunxho and Fridayy. The LP was Polo’s first to debut outside the top six on the Billboard 200 as the project came in at No. 28 in its first week on the chart while hitting No. 5 on the Top Rap Albums chart.
Find all of the dates below:
Oct. 24 – Denver, Co. @ Fillmore Auditorium
Oct. 27 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ Uptown Theater Minneapolis
Oct. 29 – Kansas City, Mo. @ The Midland Theatre
Oct. 30 – St. Louis, Mo. @ The Pageant
Nov. 1 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ The Eagles Ballroom
Nov. 2 – Chicago, Ill. @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Nov. 3 – Grand Rapids, Mich. @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Nov. 4 – Detroit @ The Fillmore Detroit
Nov. 5 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada @ REBEL
Nov. 7 – New York City @ Palladium Times Square
Nov. 8 – Hartford, Conn. @ The Webster
Nov. 9 – Providence, R.I. @ The Strand Ballroom
Nov. 10 – Montclair, N.J. @ The Wellmont Theater
Nov. 11 – Boston @ Citizens House of Blues Boston
Nov. 13 – Philadelphia, @ The Fillmore Philadelphia !
Nov. 14 – Washington, D.C. @ Echostage
Nov. 15 – Raleigh, N.C. @ The Ritz
Nov 16 – Atlanta @ The Eastern
Nov. 18 – Charlotte, N.C. @ The Fillmore Charlotte
Nov. 20 – New Orleans, La. @ The Fillmore New Orleans
Nov. 21 – Houston, Texas @ Bayou Music Center
Nov. 22 – Austin, Texas @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
Nov. 23 – Dallas @ South Side Ballroom
Nov. 26 – San Diego @ House of Blues San Diego
Nov. 27 – San Francisco @ The Midway
Nov. 29 – Los Angeles @ The Wiltern
Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners earn their first career entry on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Aug. 24 thanks to the group’s seven-year-old viral hit, the aptly named “Evergreen.”
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Released in May 2017 on the group’s debut studio album RMCM, the track launches at No. 83 on the Hot 100 almost entirely from its streaming sum: 5.7 million official U.S. streams (up 22%) Aug. 9-15, according to Luminate. The song was boosted by a new remix, featuring Caamp, released Aug. 9. (Caamp is not credited on the Hot 100 as the remix did not account for the bulk of the song’s consumption in the tracking week.)
The single also re-enters the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart at No. 14 after reaching No. 11 in March.
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Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners and Caamp performed the new remix together for the first time at the FairWell Festival in central Oregon on July 20. “This is 7 years in the making and we’re fortunate enough to have a band that we’ve looked up to from the beginning on it,” the group shared on Instagram. “Excited for you all to finally hear it and excited that this song will finally be out in the world.”
“Evergreen” has been growing in popularity since its original release thanks in large part to TikTok, where its official audio has soundtracked over 300,000 clips to date. The song is typically used in inspiring and wholesome videos using the #hopecore hashtag.
“Evergreen” also became the band’s first overall chart entry in January, when it arrived on Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts.
At just 1 minute and 26 seconds long and encompassing only two verses, “Evergreen” is also one of the shortest Hot 100-charting songs in history. In fact, it’s shorter than the shortest No. 1 song (in terms of run time): Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs’ 1960 leader “Stay” (1:38). The shortest song ever on the Hot 100 ever is Kid Cudi’s 37-second-long “Beautiful Trip” in 2020, followed by Piko-Taro’s 45-second “PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)” in 2016. (The new remix of “Evergreen” with Caamp clocks in at 2:57.)
Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners — from Colorado Springs, Colo. — is comprised of lead singer Mitch Cutts, Jakob Ervin, Nicolas Haughn and Ryan Lavallee. The band released RMCM the same day that its members graduated high school. Since then, the act has released two additional albums: Solstice in 2018 and Subliming in 2019.
The band’s upcoming October Moon Tour kicks off in October and runs through November.
Selena Gomez is celebrating her wins. Ahead of the theatrical release of Emilia Pérez in France, the 32-year-old singer-actress shared an emotional video on Instagram showing the moment she found out she’d been cast in the Jacques Audiard-directed film, after which she could barely hold back tears. “I can’t believe I got the movie, I’m […]
Today (Aug. 20) signals the impending launch of the Gunna x BMAC 30349 Guaranteed Income Program. The Gunna-supported $500,000 initiative — a new alliance between Gunna’s Great Giveaway and the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) — will provide a $1000 monthly stipend to 30 families living in the 30349 zip code of South Fulton, Georgia.
Applications for the Gunna x BMAC 30349 Guaranteed Income Program, which officially launches Sept. 18, are now available HERE. In a release announcing the initiative, the program’s stated goal is to “give families a guaranteed monthly income via cash placed directly in their hands for a year and, most importantly, provide support services ranging from financial empowerment to mental health.” Gunna and BMAC will work in tandem with South Fulton Mayor Khalid Kamau and community organizations that service South Fulton to identify the recipients.
“As mayor of South Fulton, I am deeply committed to fostering economic opportunities and uplifting our community,” said Kamau in the announcement. “The partnership between Gunna, BMAC, and the City of South Fulton represents a transformative step in addressing the economic disparities that some of our residents face. The Gunna x BMAC 30349 Guaranteed Income Program is not just an investment in our city’s future, but a powerful example of how we can create meaningful change through collaboration and innovation. I am proud to support this initiative and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the families in our community.”
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Four-time Grammy Award nominee and multiplatinum rap icon Gunna, who was raised in South Fulton, added, “When I launched Gunna’s Great Giveaway, my goal was to uplift my hometown by providing resources that could make a tangible difference in at least one household. Partnering with BMAC to introduce the Guaranteed Income program in South Fulton is a significant step toward enhancing these communities and transforming the economic landscape of the city.”
The new program is the latest addition to Gunna’s other ongoing community initiatives. Those include Gunna’s Drip Closet, a free in-school clothing store, and the Goodr Grocery Store at McNair Middle School, through which students are given access to free necessities. Once the Guaranteed Income program begins, BMAC will also help mentor the grant recipients through its network encompassing music, film, fashion and technology.
“BMAC’s mission to achieve systemic equity must begin with economic justice,” said BMAC co-founder/president & CEO Willie “Prophet” Stiggers. “Black Americans are too often locked out of critical opportunities and pathways to climb the socioeconomic ladder despite being central to every cultural and financial movement in this country’s history. Partnering with Gunna to bring needed financial relief and, more importantly, mentorship and other services leading to sustainable change is very powerful. Our organization will continue to partner with artists and others looking to put equity in action so our community can tap into its fullest potential.”
Gunna and Stiggers will spotlight the Gunna x BMAC 30349 Guaranteed Income Program during the BMAC Gala in Los Angeles on Sept. 19, with celebrations continuing Sept. 29 to commemorate Gunna Day (whose official date is Sept. 16). Announced earlier this month, the fourth annual BMAC Gala will pay tribute to LL COOL J and Usher, among other honorees.
