Music

15 Apr 2024

Tems Announces Debut Album ‘Born in the Wild’

Tems announced her debut album Born in the Wild on Monday (April 15), one day after her Coachella performance, during which she brought out Wizkid and Justin Bieber to perform the Billboard Hot 100 No. 9 “Essence” remix.

The Nigerian singer-songwriter posted a one-minute visual teasing her album, which will be released in May. The clip presumably shows scenes from back home, with children running around the beach that evoke memories from Tems’ childhood.

“It’s all over the news, all over the news, I notice/ Under the sun, struggling to find my focus/ When I was young, younger than my mind as always/ Runnin’ away,” she sings before launching into the chorus with the album title. “BORN IN THE WILD. The Album. May 2024,” she captioned the clip on Instagram and X.

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Tems released two solo singles at the end of last year, “Me & U” and “Not an Angel.” She performed “Not an Angel” for the first time at Billboard Women in Music in March, where she also received the Breakthrough Award.

“I really want to use this opportunity to say to all the women in the room, in the world, that no matter what you’re going through, you should know you’re not alone. So even when you’re sad, even when you’re angry, there’s someone that’s angry, too. So uplift everybody around you because they need that like you and somebody’s there for you,” she said in her acceptance speech. “It’s the women that got the women, trust me.”

See her Born in the Wild album teaser below.

15 Apr 2024

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: PARTYNEXTDOOR, Maiya the Don, Kalan.FrFr & More

That’s right, the year of beef is still raging on. Just as they did a few weeks ago with their Billboard 200-topping We Don’t Trust You album, Future and Metro Boomin set the tone for the weekend in hip-hop and R&B with a sprawling collection of new collaborations that include a few more shots at a fellow named Drake — or “BBL Drizzy,” if you’re Rick Ross.

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Alongside We Still Don’t Trust You — 2024’s second joint album from Future and Metro — a pair of diss tracks from Drizzy and Rozay titled “Push Ups” and “Champagne Moments,” respectively. Both songs were worthy additions to the ongoing back-and-forth between Drake and Future & Metro, which came to a head with the Billboard Hot 100-topping, Kendrick Lamar-assisted “Like That.” In other beef-related news, J. Cole made good on his promise to remove “7 Minute Drill,” his response to Lamar’s “Like That” verse, from streaming services, and Uma Thurman offered up her Kill Bill jumpsuit for Drake to truly get battle-ready.

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As we await Kung Fu Kenny’s response, let’s parse through this week’s new drops. With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from the latest preview of PARTYNEXTDOOR’s upcoming album to Maiya the Don‘s funky come-hither pop-rap banger. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.

Freshest Find: Jean Deaux feat. Destin Conrad, “Thinkin”

Taken from her Nowhere, Fast EP, Jean Deaux’s new Destin Conrad duet, “Thinkin’,” is a gorgeous slice of slinky, sultry R&B. “Thinkin’, thinkin’, thinkin’, thinkin’/ But if it wine, how your touch gon’ feel with mine?/ I been/ Drinkin,’ thinkin’/ I’m reminded, we’ll never know if we don’t try,” she croons over ethereal guitars and synths. As he does with essentially every duet he partakes in, Destin Conrad brings a lovely, idiosyncratic dimension to the track, providing a warm vocal complement to Deaux. The atmospheric energy of the record helps bring to life the intimacy-sourced escapism the pair croon about across Lido’s production.

Kalan.FrFr, “Everybody”

LA rapper Kalan.FrFr delivers a sneak attack of an anthem built on a Bankroll Got It production that’s infused with trademark West Coast bounce. “Everybody got a homie that’s a Blood/ Got a homie that’s a Crip/ Got a homie that’s a b–ch/ Got a homie that’s a pimp/ Got a homie that’s a trick/ Got a homie that whip p—y/ Got a homie p—y whipped,” he spits with a flow that’s as laid-back as it is tongue-in-cheek. Outside of how catchy the track is, “Everybody” is an unlikely ode to how much we all have in common — even if those commonalities are the nefarious activities our homies may or may not be getting up to.

BBG Steppaa, “Bisexual Glock”

“Glock is bisexual, aim at women too / Niggas told, what you mean what your friend do? / It’s up with the whole town, beefin’ with kin too,” snarls Newark drill rapper BBG Steppaa on “Bisexual Glock,” his provacative new single. While the message is hardly one that should be endorsed, the new track — which features production contributions from AyyoLucas, Spaceman and EMRLD — finds Steppaa proclaiming his ruthlessness when it comes to protecting himself and those most loyal to him. The contrast of the high-drama string-laden embellishments juxtaposed against the drill snares make for a perfectly high-octane listening experience.

PARTYNEXTDOOR, “Lose My Mind”

Now that dust has settled around PND’s NSFW new album cover, it’s time to get back to the music. For the latest taste of his fothcoming project, Party builds on a sample fo DMX’s classic “Party Up (Up In Here).” In fact, the entire hook is repurposed from that of DMX’s original, with Party providing the lead-in line — “Y’all gon’ make me lose my mind” — as he sings about the borderline tragic allure of beautiful women. The murky trap&B balladry that grounds the track is also quite reminiscent of classic PND.

Maiya the Don, “Mean It”

“Show me that you need it, that you need it/ Say it like you mean it, like you mean it,” Maiya challenegs a potential lover on “Mean It.” The Bankroll Got It-helmed track banks heavily on the rising New York rapper’s seductive edge, with her gruff tone evolving into something particulalry inviting against the funky left-of-pop/rock production. Showing no signs of slowing down after blowing up with “Telfy” and “Dusties” over the past two years, “Mean It” could turn into a nice spring hit for Maiya the Don.

Future & Metro Boomin feat. The Weeknd, “All to Myself”

Metro turns the clock back a few decades with some vintage babymaking R&B production to set the candle-lit scene. Motown Future continues his Future Vandross evolution entering his lover era. The Weeknd and his falsetto make another appearance. However, his dulcet assist is soured by speculation he was adding to the flavor of the month, dissing Drake. “They could never diss my brothers, baby/ When they got leaks in they operation/ I thank God that I never signed my life away/ And we never do the big talk/ They shoot us, makin’ TikToks,” he sings.

Tinashe, “Nasty”

Tinashe leans into her Nasty Nashe alter-ego for her sultry new single. The R&B singer-songwriter’s robotic hook casts a hypnotic spell on listeners and will have them repeating after her within seconds. Nashe has been known to dabble in painting in the studio while recording and she paints an evocative picture with her sensual second verse depicting a perfect date night. “Shotgun, my thighs on his seat/ I ain’t got nothing underneath/ Looks like you’re ’bout to spend the night/ Freak side, I’m ’bout to change your life,” she promises. 2024 is slated to be a busy campaign for Tinashe with “Nasty” serving as the lead single heading into her BB/ANG3L PT. 2 – QUANTUM BABY project.

Key Glock & Young Dolph, “Let’s Go (Remix)”

Key Glock is one of rap’s reclusive stars, so when he reveals a collaboration is on the horizon, fans’ ears perk up. With the “Let’s Go” remix, Glizzock surprised the Paper Route Empire family with a posthumous appearance from his mentor Young Dolph. Dolph’s verse fit like a glove over the trunk-rattling production so well that fans thought it was AI-generated, a theory that Glock quickly put to rest. His braggadocios assist embodied everything that people loved about the Memphis rapper – brimming with boisterous boss talk and a peek into his raunchy romantic ways. A fitting tribute to one of rap’s voices gone way too soon. RIP Young Dolph.

15 Apr 2024

The Kid Laroi Calls Tate McRae His ‘Girlfriend’ On Stage at Dublin Concert: Watch

The Kid Laroi just made things official. After months of rumors that he and Tate McRae are dating, the “Stay” singer confirmed to fans at his Sunday (April 14) show in Ireland that the Canadian pop star — who was watching from the wings — is his girlfriend.

The moment came between songs while Laroi was on stage, telling the crowd at 3Arena in Dublin, “I need everybody in here to sing this as loud as they can because my girlfriend’s here tonight, and I don’t want to look lame.”

Fan cameras then panned to stage left, capturing McRae giggling while watching the show from backstage. “If you guys don’t sing this really loud …,” the Australian artist added. “It’s going to embarrass me.”

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Billboard has reached out to reps for both Laroi and McRae for comment.

Laroi is currently overseas on the European leg of his The First Time Tour, supporting his 2023 debut album of the same name. The set debuted at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and features collaborations with BTS’ Jung Kook, Central Cee, Future and more.

Fans have speculated for months now that he and the “Greedy” singer are an item, with the two 20-year-old musicians first sparking dating rumors earlier this year. The couple has stepped out for a few dinner dates in recent months and, while speaking to Billboard on the red carpet at the iHeartRadio Music Awards April 1, McRae laughed and covered her face when asked about whether she’d ever release a song with her beau.

“Maybe,” she said through giggles at the time. “He’s amazing.”

Watch the moment The Kid Laroi called Tate McRae his girlfriend below.

15 Apr 2024

Even If Drake Loses the Kendrick Lamar Battle, Here’s Why He Already Won the War

Earlier this month, WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes defeated the company’s undisputed champion, Roman Reigns, at WrestleMania XL, snapping his streak of 1316 days with the belt. The son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes usurped Reigns and his infamous faction, The Bloodline, with much-needed help from John Cena, The Undertaker, and Seth “Freakin” Rollins. A few weeks later, we find ourselves potentially on the brink of a similar situation in the rap world, with Kendrick and friends looking to topple hip-hop’s big, bad wolf in Drake.

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Drake, considered in some eyes the Roman Reigns of the rap game because of his sheer commercial dominance and unrelenting success over an extended period, is backed into a corner. Despite having his version of The Bloodline with Team OVO fighting alongside him, Drake now must combat the likes of Lamar, Rick Ross, Future, Metro Boomin, A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd, and more to walk out of this battle unscathed. Though the numbers appear staggering, don’t sleep on Drake –  as he may have very well entered a win-win situation. 

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Drake’s first attempt at fire came on Saturday (Apr. 13), when “Push Ups” arrived via DJ Akademiks, after being initially leaked on the internet. The song starts with a DJ Whoo Kid drop, a call-back to the 2000s mixtape scene, and finds Drake seething. With no remorse, Drake aims at Kendrick’s physical limitations, calling him a “pipsqueak” and claiming he wears a “size 7” shoe. Drake later named Lamar’s wife Whitney in a clever double-entendre while referencing Whitney Houston’s role in the 1992 film The Bodyguard. He even taunts Lamar’s superstar status by saying that SZA, 21 Savage and Travis Scott hold more weight than he currently does in the music business. While “Push Ups” is an excellent first-round crack at Lamar, it won’t be the final blow to what will likely be a long, grueling slugfest.

Because of his hitmaking prowess and indomitable run on the charts, it’s easy to vilify Drake. He has 13 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, second to Jay-Z on the rap side. He has the most Hot 100 hits of all time, with 329. His Midas Touch periodically birthed careers, with features he lent to Migos, ILoveMakonnen, BlocBoy JB, and most recently, 4batz, all of which helped score those artists their first crossover hits. On a mainstream level, he is unf–kwitable, and has been since his 2010 debut album Thank Me Later. 

That’s not to say Drake is unreachable. In May 2018, Pusha T managed to get his claws deep inside the 6 God and walk away champion in their battle of the words. But, in retrospect, Drake’s star continued to gleam, as he’s scored five No. 1 since – including one right after the feud in that June’s Scorpion, which also included three Hot 100-toppers with “God’s Plan,” “Nice For What” and “In My Feelings.” His tiff with Pusha proved that whatever losses he suffered from the battle had no immediate effect on his commercial prowess.  The phones still still rang, and people clamored for features. The aftershock of the skirmish did very little to kill Drake’s overall momentum. 

Even “Duppy Freestyle,” Drake’s initial burst at Pusha, was a praiseworthy record: Not only did Drake send missiles at Push regarding his skill set (“You’re not even top five as far as your label talent goes”), but he questioned his credibility as an alleged one-time drug lord (“You act like you sold drugs for Escobar in the ‘80s.”) Despite his pop titan status, he proved that he could spar and get down in the trenches when needed. Many forget that Drake is also battle-tested over the course of his career in rap beef: He went head-to-head with Pusha, Meek Mill and Common, while Lamar is entering unfamiliar territory. Battling is playing into Drake’s hands and is his arena, and he thrives when competition arrives at his doorstep. 

What makes this situation even more interesting is the number of people colliding with Drake simultaneously. Kendrick’s lyrical assault on Metro Boomin and Future’s “Like That” ignited this chaotic blaze between Drake and seemingly all of his former collaborators, with Rick Ross, A$AP Rocky and The Weeknd all jumping in after Lamar’s torrid diss to throw shade at the OVO captain. Even J. Cole, an apparent ally who caught a stray during Lamar’s callous retort against “The Big 3,” retreated from the battlefield after apologizing to Lamar at Dreamville Fest earlier this month. To make matters worse, following his apology, J. Cole yanked his comeback song  “7 Minute Drill” off streaming services – and even made a cameo on Metro Boomin and Future’s We Still Don’t Like You this past Friday (Apr. 11). 

On “Push Ups,” Drake notes the challenges he’s facing, aware that he’s outnumbered, rapping: “What the fuck is this, a 20-v-1, n—a?” First, Ross pledged his allegiance to Team Metro & Kendrick when he filmed himself playing “Like That” on social media upon its release. Drake caught wind and fired back on “Push Ups,” rapping: “Can’t believe he jumpin’ in, this n—a turnin’ fifty/ Every song that made it on the chart, he got from Drizzy.” Since then, Ross has issued his shots on “Champagne Moments,” and used social media fodder to call out Drake, whether about his alleged nose job or abs. 

Same with The Weeknd, who got his punches in on Metro and Future’s We Still Don’t Trust You, singing on “All To Myself”: “They could never diss my brothers, baby/ When they got leaks in they operation/ I thank God that I never signed my life away/ And we never do the big talk/ They shooters makin’ TikToks.” As for Rocky, he dished out his subliminals on “Show of Hands,” where he boasted about allegedly taking Rihanna away from Drake: “N—as in they feelings over women, what, you hurt or somethin”/ I smash before you birthed, son, Flacko hit it first, son.”

This many people attacking one person speaks volumes about Drake’s power and authority in the rap game. The last person who had the industry come after him in such a wide-ranging assault was arguably 50 Cent, who was also hip-hop’s top dog in 2005 when he chose violence on “Piggy Bank,” going after New York rivals Ja Rule, Jadakiss, Fat Joe and Nas. Though the cards are stacked against him, from a storyline perspective, a win against Lamar and his calvary can propel Drake even further in the rap stratosphere: Because Lamar is being deemed as the rap boogeyman that nobody is willing to grapple with, taming him will be  considered an upset by itself. 

Now, knowing that Lamar and friends are rallying together to attack Drake, this earns him a rare amount of public sympathy and makes him look like the underdog for the first time in well over a decade – even though he’s still the biggest star in the entire battle. And if he loses, people will go back to the fact that it took everyone to take down Drake, a la Avengers: Endgame, when an army of superheroes was needed to defeat Thanos. 

In reality, the biggest trump card Drake holds is that he’s already gifted each of his foes a key earl win in some form. He brought Kendrick and Rocky on tour with him for his Club Paradise Tour in 2012. Ross’ highest-charting records on the Hot 100 came courtesy of a Drake feature. Even Future received the Drake stimulus package at the start of his career when Drizzy hopped on the “Tony Montana (Remix),” while Metro’s first two top 20 Hot 100 records had Drake featured on the songs (“Tuesday” and “Jumpman”). As for The Weeknd, Drake featured him on Take Care, where he brought him into a bigger audience with songs like “Crew Love,” “Over My Dead Body,” and “The Ride.” Hence, Drake can argue that any win for Team Kendrick is also a win for him, since none of these guys would likely be at the levels they currently are if not for his early assists. 

The wrestling world has a new champ, but hip-hop’s own title belt is unlikely to change hands anytime soon. While Roman’s empire ended at WrestleMania XL, it’s safe to say Drake’s story will continue on well after his hip-hop civil war.

15 Apr 2024

Drake Receives Offer From Uma Thurman for Her ‘Kill Bill’ Suit Amid His Rap Beefs: ‘Need This?’

Drake is feeling like he’s being swarmed by opps in the rap game right now. As he asks on his leaked “Push Ups” diss track: “What the f–k is this a 20-v-1, n—a?”

The 6 God drew a line from his feuds to Hollywood when comparing his rap beefs to a photo of Uma Thurman (The Bride) in Kill Bill surrounded by enemies as she braces for a sword fight.

He posted the picture to his Instagram Story on Sunday (April 14), and Thurman got wind of the Drizzy shout-out.

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The 53-year-old actress responded through an Instagram Story of her own featuring a photo of the iconic suit from the movie, seeing if Drake had any use for it. “Need this? @champagnepapi,” she wrote.

Drake replied in a repost hours later: “Yes pls. The pen is the Hattori Hanzo.” That’s a reference from the film’s samurai sword producer.

As for the OVO mogul’s weapon of choice, he elects to use his pen, which helped him snipe at plenty of his adversaries in rap with “Push Ups.” The hard-hitting diss track leaked on Saturday (April 13) finds Drake appearing to target Kendrick Lamar, Future, Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and Rick Ross.

As Thurman’s post made the rounds on social media, Rick Ross continued to fan the flames of his feud with Drake, and chimed in on Instagram about the yellow suit, asking, “Think it fit me?”

Ricky Rozay didn’t waste any time with his response to Drake as he premiered his “Champagne Moments” diss track aimed at Drizzy with Akademiks on Saturday evening, just mere hours after Drake’s “Push Ups” hit the internet.

15 Apr 2024

Donald Glover Announces 2 Childish Gambino Albums Are on the Way

It’s been more than four years since the last Childish Gambino album, but Donald Glover appears to be set on ending the drought soon.

Glover hosted a Gilga Radio stream on Instagram Live with fans late Sunday (April 14), during which he announced a pair of Gambino projects on the way.

In March, the multi-hyphenate revealed plans for Atavista, which will serve as an updated version of his most recent Gambino album, 3.15.20.

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“We’re releasing Atavista, but after that, there’s the final Childish Gambino album, a soundtrack for the fans,” he said.

Per Stereogum, the Atlanta creator played three songs: an unreleased track, the leaked “Human Sacrifice” and “Little Big Foot,” which is a collaboration with Young Nudy and formerly known as “35.31” off the 3.15.20 album.

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The second album is an accompanying soundtrack to his forthcoming movie, Bando Stone & The New World. A radio ad was reportedly played during the stream teasing the project’s arrival this summer via RCA.

“My fans are great and have been so patient and are starving — this album is for you guys,” he said during the stream.

It was a busy weekend for Donald Glover as he popped out at Coachella on Saturday night (April 13) as a surprise guest during Tyler, the Creator’s headlining set. They performed IGOR‘s “Running Out of Time” together.

During the set, Tyler joked about how he used to hate the “This Is America” rapper until he made a song he loved. “I used to hate that n—a. Seriously. I don’t know why, I gotta go to therapy to figure it out,” he said to the crowd. “But this n—a put this song called ‘Urn’ out … I was at conflict with myself, like … How could a n—a I hate so much make something so good?”

Glover’s 3.15.20 album arrived at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The project peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and featured guest appearances from 21 Savage, Ariana Grande and more.

Watch some highlights from the stream below.

15 Apr 2024

Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Like That’ Leads Hot 100 for Third Week

Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That” lands a third total and consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, two weeks after it soared in at the summit.

Plus, J. Cole’s “7 Minute Drill” debuts at No. 6 on the Hot 100. On the track, from J. Cole’s new album Might Delete Later, he appears to respond to Lamar’s apparent disses directed at himself and Drake in “Like That.” The song bows as J. Cole’s 13th top 10.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated April 20, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, April 16. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

“Like That,” on Boominati/Freebandz/Republic/Epic Records, drew 40 million streams (down 13%) and 14 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 39%) and sold 3,000 (down 56%) April 5-11.

The single adds a third week at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart; drops 8-14 on Digital Song Sales; and debuts at No. 41 on Radio Songs.

Notably, “Like That” is the first song to clear 40 million in streams in its first three weeks, after it registered 46.1 million the week before and 59.6 million in its debut week, since Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” began with 52.6 million, 59.7 million and 48 million consecutively in January-February 2023. Among hip-hop hits (defined as those that have appeared on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart), “Like That” is the first to achieve the feat since Cardi B’s “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion, did so in its first six weeks in August-September 2020.

Plus, “Like That” is the first song to spend its first three weeks on the Hot 100 at No. 1 since “Flowers” logged its first six weeks in charge in January-March 2023. Among hip-hop entries, “Like That” is the first title to claim No. 1 in its first three chart weeks since Drake’s “Nice for What” dominated in its first four frames in April-May 2018.

Further, “Like That” is the first song to log any three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in over nine months, since Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” linked 10 frames in a row on top (of 16 total) in May-July 2023. The streak of 38 weeks between songs’ commands of at least three uninterrupted weeks, between “Last Night” and “Like That,” marks the longest in the Hot 100’s 65-year history. (In that 38-week stretch, five songs each led for at least three weeks, just not consecutively, led by six weeks on top for Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me”; plus, 10 songs debuted at No. 1 in that span.)

“Like That” concurrently tops the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, which use the same multimetric methodology as the Hot 100, for a third week each.

Two weeks earlier, “Like That” blasted in at No. 1 on the Hot 100 as Future and Lamar’s third leader each and Metro Boomin’s first as a billed recording artist (following two as a writer and producer), as parent LP We Don’t Trust You by Future and Metro Boomin bounded in atop the Billboard 200. (The set’s sequel, We Still Don’t Trust You, was released April 12 and will impact next week’s charts, dated April 27.)

Hozier’s “Too Sweet” ascends 4-2 on the Hot 100, winning top Streaming Gainer honors (36.7 million, up 15%). The singer-songwriter ties his prior best rank on the chart, as his breakthrough hit “Take Me to Church” peaked at No. 2 for three weeks in December 2014-January 2015. “Too Sweet” concurrently leads the multimetric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts for a third week each.

Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” holds at No. 3 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2, as it earns the chart’s top Airplay Gainer award for a third consecutive week (57.4 million, up 14%).

Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” rises 5-4 on the Hot 100, three weeks after becoming his first No. 1. The single likewise becomes his first leader on Radio Songs (69.7 million, up 6%).

Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” slides 2-5 on the Hot 100, after it reigned for two weeks in early March. It rules the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart for a ninth week, as her album Cowboy Carter tops the Billboard 200 for a second week.

J. Cole’s “7 Minute Drill” debuts at No. 6 on the Hot 100, led by 23.4 million streams. The song is his 13th top 10 and first since Drake’s “First Person Shooter,” on which he’s featured, debuted at No. 1 in October 2023, becoming his first leader.

On “7 Minute Drill,” J. Cole is widely interpreted as responding to Kendrick Lamar’s apparent disses directed at himself and Drake in Future, Metro Boomin and Lamar’s “Like That.” Days after  releasing “7 Minute Drill,” J. Cole publicly apologized for the track’s arrival, explaining that it doesn’t “sit right with my spirit.” The song was removed from the streaming edition of his album Might Delete Later on April 12, one day after the end of the latest charts’ tracking week. (As of April 15, the song is still available on the set’s digital download edition.)

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” rebounds 8-7, following, as noted above, six nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1, beginning last December; Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” climbs 9-8, after it debuted at No. 1 in March; Future, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott and Playboi Carti’s “Type Shit” lifts 10-9, after it arrived at its No. 2 best; and Noah Kahan’s first top 10, “Stick Season,” returns to the region and its highest rank (15-10).

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on Billboard’s social accounts, and all charts (dated April 20), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (April 16).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

Additional reporting by Keith Caulfield.

15 Apr 2024

Boney James Becomes First Artist to Notch 20 No. 1s on Smooth Jazz Airplay Chart

Boney James becomes the first act to amass 20 No. 1s on Billboard’s Smooth Jazz Airplay chart. The venerable saxophonist reaches the milestone as featured on “Cigar Lounge” by Big Mike Hart, who leads with his first chart entry.

James — born in Lowell, Mass., and raised in New Rochelle, N.Y. — first topped the tally with “The Total Experience,” featuring George Duke, for four weeks beginning in November 2006. His latest leader is his fifth this decade and first since “Bring It Back,” featuring Dontae Winslow, ruled for a week in October 2022.

The Smooth Jazz Airplay chart, which began in October 2005, ranks songs by weekly plays on 15 smooth jazz radio stations monitored by Mediabase, with data provided to Billboard by Luminate.

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Most Smooth Jazz Airplay No. 1s:

  • 20, Boney James
  • 14, Gerald Albright
  • 13, Richard Elliot
  • 12, Brian Culbertson
  • 11, Rick Braun
  • 11, Paul Brown
  • 11, Paul Hardcastle
  • 10, Cindy Bradley
  • 10, Nick Colionne
  • 10, Euge Groove
  • 10, Dave Koz

James made his Billboard chart debut when his introductory LP, Trust, entered the Contemporary Jazz Albums list dated July 4, 1992. The set reached No. 8 that August, marking his first of 18 top 10s, encompassing all his entries on the ranking. He boasts nine No. 1s and most recently reached No. 2 with Detour in October 2022. On the genre-wide Jazz Albums chart, he has also earned 18 top 10s, including six No. 1s.

“Cigar Lounge” became Sacramento, Calif., native Hart’s first Billboard chart entry when it debuted on the Smooth Jazz Airplay survey dated Feb. 24.

All Billboard charts dated April 20 will update Tuesday, April 16, on Billboard.com.

15 Apr 2024

Victoria Monét Says ‘Stop the Hate, Stop the Genocides’ During Coachella Set

For the most part, day three of the opening weekend of the 2024 Coachella Festival was focused on a string of jaw-dropping surprise appearances by everyone from Justin Bieber to Kesha, Lauryn Hill and many more during a picture perfect Sunday of music and skin-baring cowboy chic.

But during her set, 2024 best new artist Grammy winner Victoria Monét injected some politics into the mix when she made a bold statement during her appearance at the Indio, CA fest. “Stop the wars, stop the hate, stop the genocides, stop motherf–ing hating,” Monét said from the stage according to fan video of the moment. “Live with love. Stop thinking so small. You need to be thinking big, b–ch. Think big, b–ch.”

Though Monét did not reference Israel, Gaza or the now seven-month-old war between the Jewish state and militant group Hamas, the singer has been a longtime vocal proponent of a ceasefire in Gaza. Following Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 attack on Israel — in which more than 1,200 men, women and children were killed and sexually assaulted and more than 250 taken hostage — Israel unleashed a retaliatory wave of strikes on Gaza and the West Bank that Palestinian authorities have said has killed more than 33,000, many of them non-combatant women and children.

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Monét was one of the founders of the Artists 4 Ceasefire collective, which penned an open letter to Pres. Jo Biden in March urging him to call for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict; the letter was co-signed by dozens of fellow artists, including R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, Dua Lipa, Killer Mike, Drake, Jennifer Lopez, Quinta Brunson, Rooney Mara, Jeremy Allen White, Jon Batiste, Frank Ocean, Zayn and many more.

While Monét did not directly attribute her use of the term “genocide” to Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas, the government of hard-right Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced accusations that his country is participating in such an action in the wake of Israel’s devastating bombing campaign in the Palestinian territories. To date the war has resulted in the displacement of more nearly two million Palestinians, the destruction of more than 157,000 buildings in Gaza and an emerging food crisis that experts warn could result in widespread famine.

Last week, U.S. defense secretary Lloyd Austin told the Senate Armed Services Committee that “we don’t have any evidence of genocide being [committed]” by Israel in Gaza. In January, the top United Nations court ordered Israel to do everything it could to avoid acts of genocide in the war; Israel has repeatedly denied that it is acting with genocidal intent.

The issue has become a part of the American presidential campaign, with a chant of “Genocide Joe” favored by pro-Palestinian protesters getting adopted on Saturday by supporters of former president Donald Trump at his rally in Schnecksville, PA. After Trump once again offered his unconditional support for Israel just hours after Iran launched retaliatory drone and missile strikes against the country this weekend, the twice impeached one-term president responded to the “Genocide Joe” shouts from the crowd with the line, “They’re not wrong, they’re not wrong. He’s done everything wrong.”

Watch Monét’s call for peace below.

15 Apr 2024

A Timeline of Drake & Rick Ross’ Relationship: Collabs, Feuds & A Lost Joint Album

The pair of friends-turned-foes are now at odds after exchanging jabs on diss tracks.

drake rick ross

 Drake and Rick Ross attend Sean Diddy Combs Ciroc The New Years Eve Party at his home on Dec. 31, 2013 in Miami Beach, Fla. 

Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Drake sniped at myriad rap peer targets with his leaked “Push Ups” diss track, presumed to be recorded in response to Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That.” Drizzy’s frequent collaborator Rick Ross was also caught in the line of fire, as the former friends have turned foes this year.

On “Push Ups,” the 6 God snipes at Rozay about his corrections officer past, and how he’s hooked the MMG honcho up with some of the biggest hits of his career.

“I might take your latest girl and cuff her like I’m Ricky/ Can’t believe he jumpin’ in, this n—- turnin’ 50/ Every song that made it on the chart, he got from Drizzy/ Spend that lil’ check you got and stay up out my business,” Drake raps.

Rick Ross didn’t waste any time in response, hitting the studio to issue his “Champagne Moments,” which was premiered by DJ Akademiks on Saturday afternoon (April 13). The Biggest Boss claims Drake stole his flow from Lil Wayne, refers to him as “white boy” and alleges he had cosmetic surgery to change features like his nose. Ross hasn’t let up off Drake either, as he continues to clown the Toronto mogul on social media while nicknaming him “BBL Drizzy.”

The pair of rap titans have a rich collaborative history, as they’ve teamed up for countless anthems over the years and proven to be a Shaq & Kobe-like duo in the studio. They were even supposed to team up for a joint album titled Y.O.L.O. in the early 2010s, which never materialized.

It’s not totally clear exactly why Drake and Rozay are feuding, but there’s speculation it dates back to Drizzy inviting one of Ross’ baby mothers to his concert in Miami last month.

While the 6 God and Ross currently have static, let’s delve into their relationship, which dates all the way back to 2010.