Music

01 Mar 2024

What’s Your Favorite New Music Release of the Week? Vote!

March is here, and today’s top music stars are gearing up for spring with a slew of new releases.

Miley Cyrus’ long awaited collaboration with Pharrell, “Doctor (Work It Out),” went live on streaming services Friday (March 1), marking the singer’s first release since her 2023 single “Used to Be Young.” The team-up has reportedly been in the works for over a decade, with “Doctor (Work It Out)” originally intended to appear on but apparently scrapped from Cyrus’ 2013 album Bangerz. In January, Pharrell teased the single at the Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall-Winter 2024 Collection presentation in Paris.

Meanwhile, Charli XCX officially launched her newest era with the delightfully rambunctious “Von Dutch” and its accompanying music video. “Von Dutch” serves as the lead single from Charli’s forthcoming sixth studio album, Brat. The new record is the follow-up to 2022’s Crash, which topped the albums chart in the U.K. and reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200.

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Over in the rap world, Cardi B dropped her “Like What” freestyle. “I ain’t even got dressed / Any L that I took come after YS / Oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man,” she declares on the track. 

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Let us know by voting below.

01 Mar 2024

Sum 41 Ends Record Break Between No. 1s on Alternative Airplay Chart With ‘Landmines’

After more than two decades away, Sum 41 is back at No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, as “Landmines” crowns the tally dated March 9.

It’s Sum 41’s second Alternative Airplay ruler, after “Fat Lip” reigned for a week in August 2001.

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That break of 22 years, five months and three weeks between No. 1s is by far the longest in the chart’s 35-year history, surpassing the 13 years and six months that The Killers waited between “When You Were Young” in October 2006 and “Caution” in April 2020.

In between “Fat Lip” and “Landmines,” the Deryck Whibley-fronted Sum 41 charted nine Alternative Airplay titles, paced by the No. 7-peaking “Still Waiting” in 2003, with a pair of additional top 10s in “In Too Deep” (No. 10, 2001) and “We’re All to Blame” (No. 10, 2004). Upon its debut in October, “Landmines” marked Sum 41’s first appearance since “Screaming Bloody Murder,” which reached No. 37 in 2011.

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“Landmines” takes over No. 1 on Alternative Airplay from Blink-182‘s “One More Time,” which sported a 20-week run atop the chart, tying it with Portugal. The Man‘s “Feel It Still” for the most weeks at No. 1 in the chart’s history.

Concurrently, “Landmines” lifts 40-37 in its second week on Mainstream Rock Airplay. On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, it rises 6-5 with 4.8 million audience impressions, up 11%, Feb. 23-29, according to Luminate. It’s Sum 41’s top-performing song on the ranking, which began in 2009, having surpassed the No. 46 showing for “Out for Blood” in 2019.

“Landmines” is the lead single from Heaven :x: Hell, Sum 41’s eighth studio album and first since 2019’s Order in Decline, due March 29. It’s billed as the band’s final release, as the group, which formed in Ontario in 1996, plans to disband following a final tour supporting the LP.

All Billboard charts dated March 9 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, March 5.

01 Mar 2024

Billboard Explains: Victoria Monét’s Rising Star

When a star rises as slowly and as steadily as Victoria Monét‘s, you know they’ll be around for the long haul. After making a name for herself as one of the most in-demand songwriters in contemporary pop music, Monét has built an impressive career for herself as a recording artist. From sexy tracks such as “Freak” and “Ass Like That” to culture-shifting anthems such as “On My Mama,” Monét’s lush takes on the vast expanse of R&B subgenres have earned her not just three Grammys, but also the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Rising Star honor

Joining an illustrious list of Rising Star honorees that includes Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Chloe x Halle, here’s a brief overview of the major waves Monét has made as she continues to level up throughout her career.

Monét first made her Billboard Hot 100 debut back in 2019 with “Monopoly” (No. 69), a bubbly duet with Ariana Grande, who was named Billboard Women in Music‘s Rising Star in 2014. Four years after her first appearance on the Hot 100, Monét landed her first unaccompanied hit on the chart, the Grammy-nominated “On My Mama,” which peaked at No. 33 and spawned an acclaimed music video featuring original choreography by Sean Bankhead. Before “On My Mama,” however, Monét placed 22 tracks on the Hot 100 as a songwriter, including two No. 1 hits performed by Grande, “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings.”

At the top of 2024, Monét earned her first career Grammy wins: best new artist, best R&B album and best engineered album, non-classical. She picked up the latter two awards for Jaguar II, which peaked at No. 60 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 22 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Already beginning 2024 with honors from music’s biggest awards shows, Victoria Monét is sure to continue her evolution from rising star to superstar.

After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about Peso Pluma and the Mexican music boom, the role record labels play, origins of hip-hop, how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and more.

01 Mar 2024

Watch Cardi B Channel Missy Elliott in Sexy ‘Like What (Freestyle)’ Video Directed by Offset

Cardi B couldn’t let the rest of the female rappers have all the fun, as she decided to put an end to her hiatus and dive in head-first. The Bronx bombshell delivered her first single of 2024 with the hard-hitting “Like What (Freestyle)” on Friday (March 1), which arrived with an accompanying sexy music video featuring Cardi cycling through an array of eccentric outfits and directed by Offset.

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Possibly inspired by Lil Kim’s fierce look (a light gray fur coat and matching bikini) in 2003’s “Came Back for You” video, Bardi struts around her futuristic mansion all to herself in a gray and black fur coat and racy black bikini. She later makes an outfit switch to nearly blind viewers with glitzy pants and a matching shiny bra top to go along with her blonde wig and icy bracelet.

Cardi B also pays homage to Missy Elliott in the lavish clip with her diamond-filled eyebrows. But that’s not the only salute to Missy, either, as “Like What” samples the Virginia legend’s “She’s a Bitch” from 1999’s Da Real World.

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“Baby, here we go again/ P–sy real fat, probably got a double chin/ First, that b—h hate me, then this b—h hate me/ And somehow, they link up and they become friends, like, how,” she raps while calling out the side-switching drama in hip-hop.

After confirming their split last year, things might be OK between Cardi B and husband Offset as well, since the Grammy-winning rapper tapped the father of her two children to use his vision and direct the music video for “Like What (Freestyle).”

The Migos rapper urged Cardi to drop her anticipated sophomore album in a social media post earlier this month.

The “Like What (Freestyle)” marks Cardi’s first solo record since 2021’s “Up,” which earned the MC her fifth Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit. “Up” also nabbed a 2022 Grammy nomination for best rap performance.

This may only be the start of what could be another banner year for Cardi B as the end credits of the music video teased more to come: “This is just the beginning… Stay Tuned.”

Watch the video below.

01 Mar 2024

New Music Latin: Listen to Releases From Maria Becerra & Ivy Queen, Plus More

New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

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Maria Becerra & Ivy Queen, “Primer Aviso” (Warner Music Latina)

“La Queen con La Mari” is the team up we didn’t know we needed. Marking the first release from Maria Becerra’s upcoming album, “Primer Aviso” is a poignant track that finds Becerra venting in rapid-fire verses about the challenges she’s faced in the industry. Set to a fiery old-school reggaetón beat, the Argentine artist is joined by Ivy Queen, who also had something to say. “I sent the song to Ivy so she could echo my bars and do ad libs like everyone else, [but] she sent me a verse directly because she identified with [the song],” Becerra says in a statement. “I loved the idea because I realized I wasn’t the only one these things happened to.” The song also features ad libs by J Balvin, Nicky Jam, Yandel, Zion, Guaynaa and Lola Indigo. — GRISELDA FLORES

Grupo Marca Registrada & Julieta Venegas, “Andar Conmigo” (RB Music)

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Since their inception, Grupo Marca Registrada has showcased its versatility by venturing into Latin rock (2010’s Con Sello de Rock) and more recently, delving into the seldom-explored terrain of techno bélicos (“Alucin”). Today (March 1), in collaboration with Tijuana pop royalty Julieta Venegas, the group has given her 2003 hit “Andar Conmigo” a distinctive Sinaloense makeover. This norteño-pop fusion is seamlessly done, thanks to accordion riffs that echo Venegas’ original composition, further highlighting the band’s adaptability and innovation. Having covered Venegas’ song “Limón y Sal,” frontman Fidel Oswaldo Castro dreamed of working directly with her. “We sent her the demo and she liked it,”  Castro told Billboard Español. “Julieta told me she wanted something in the style of Marca Registrada and very regional Mexican and decided to go with ‘Andar Conmigo.’” — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Alfonso Terán, “Amor De Mi Vida” (Alfonso Terán)

Independent musician Alfonso Terán — featured in October’s On the Radar Latin — surprises with the uber-romantic country ballad “Amor de Mi Vida,” a departure from his signature pop sound. Powered by guitar riffs, and the unique addition of the Venezuelan cuatro (courtesy of Héctor Molina, of the Latin Grammy-winning group C4 Trío) that gives the song a special touch. “It has a spectacular sound with that acoustic influence from Tennessee,” Terán, who recorded the song between Miami and Nashville, proudly tells Billboard Español. “Your way of kissing, your eyes when you laugh, with just one look I discover again that I’m out of breath if you’re not here, my life,” he sings in part of the lyrics, performed with beautiful backup-vocals and harmonies. The song’s music video is set to drop next week, according to the artist. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

J Balvin, De La Ghetto and Jowell & Randy, “Triple S” (Sueños Globales, LLC)

J Balvin reeled in De La Ghetto and Jowell & Randy for his new single “Triple S” — and possibly the new female anthem of 2024. An abbreviation of “suelta, soltera, sin nadie que la joda,” the Tainy and Subelo Neo-produced track narrates the story of a strong-minded and single woman who’s not to be messed with, and one who has a guarded heart and has no expectations. “Triple S” meshes futuristic reggaetón tones with hard-hitting perreo to further back its empowering lyrics. The music video directed by Patricia Alfonso and Chris Cabrera, and produced by Eat My Shorts, finds all four artists serving as the trusted henchman of a female mafia leader who poisons all of her male lovers in her lavish mansion. — JESSICA ROIZ

Manuel Medrano, “Este Cuento” (Warner Music México)

A dreamy fusion of guitar chords, drum beats and Manuel Medrano’s deep vocals give life to his new single “Este Cuento,” which can be translated to “this story.” The second single from his upcoming third album, the song takes inspiration from magical realism as it tells an evocative love story in the form of a metaphor, and displays the emotions involved in long-distance relationships. “I asked the stars to bring me back to you./ I promised love that if one day I found you./ I wouldn’t let you run away again.” Penned by Medrano and co-produced with Christian Velandia, the single thrives on a mix of folk, country and Latin pop resulting in a melody full of whimsical sounds.— INGRID FAJARDO

Listen to more editors’ Latin recommendations in the playlist below:

01 Mar 2024

Here’s Why Fans Think Beyoncé Is Headed for a Rock Era After ‘Act II’

Beyoncé‘s country era is only just beginning, but some fans are already convinced they know which musical direction the superstar will take next: rock.

Less than two weeks after Bey became the first Black woman to top the Hot Country Songs chart with her new single “Texas Hold ‘Em,” a fan theory that the singer will dive into rock music as a natural progression from her ongoing country era has caught like wildfire on social media. It seemingly started to take shape when the Grammy winner posted photos from a shoot for CR Fashion Book promoting her haircare line Cécred, in which she poses with a shaggy, choppy mullet while wearing a ripped T-shirt and skin-tight black corset.

In short, Bey looked very rock n’ roll in the pictures. And with that vision in mind, the Hive predicts that she’ll embrace a more hardcore genre soon, potentially after she releases after Act II, a follow-up to 2022’s Renaissance dropping March 29.

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“I’m telling you Beyoncé’s next album is going to be a rock album,” one fan tweeted, reposting a video of rock pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe playing guitar. “To complete the trifecta.”

“Beyoncé is REALLY doing her big one with this three act project,” wrote another person, noting that Renaissance may have kicked off the potential threefold genre experiment with its focus on house music. “Reclaiming the genres that started with Black culture… Happy Black History Month.”

Only time will tell how accurate the theory proves to be. After all, nearly two years will have passed since Renaissance dropped once Act II arrives. For now, Bey’s country music foray is paying off splendidly; “Texas Hold ‘Em,” released on Super Bowl Sunday alongside “16 Carriages,” is already one of the trendiest TikTok songs of 2024 and recently topped the Billboard Hot 100, marking the performer’s ninth No. 1.

See fans’ predictions that Beyoncé will soon transition to rock below.

01 Mar 2024

Lynn Fainchtein, Music Supervisor of ‘Amores Perros’ and ‘Roma,’ Dead at 59

Mexican music director and producer Lynn Fainchtein, known for her work as music supervisor on films such as Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros and Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, died on Friday (March 1) at the age of 59 in Madrid, Spain, where she lived, informed the record label Casete, which she co-founded.

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A cause of death has not been disclosed; a spokesperson for Casete told Billboard Español that he had no information at this time. An outpouring of messages of condolences from musicians, cultural institutions, filmmakers, journalists, actors and personalities of the music and film industry in Mexico flooded social networks during the early hours of Friday, when news of her passing broke.

“Rest in peace Lynn Fainchtein, a beacon of light and music. May the best soundtrack always accompany you,” said Alejandra Frausto, Mexico’s Secretary of Culture, on her X account.

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“‘Que Viva Mexico’ forever with your musical supervision, dear Lynn Fainchtein. In ‘Roma,’ ‘Babel,’ with ‘Abel,’ or with ‘Precious,’ ‘Los adioses’ (or goodbyes) are always sad,” wrote the Filmoteca de la UNAM, using titles of films in which the artist worked.

Fainchtein studied psychology at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), but for more than three decades, she served as an innovative broadcaster, film, radio and television producer.

In her early days, she worked as an announcer for the local Mexico City station Rock 101, where she met Mexican filmmaker Iñárritu, who was then working in advertising and voice-overs. Eventually, she became one of his closest collaborators in his award-winning film career.

With Iñárritu, she worked as music supervisor on all of his films, including the Oscar-nominated (and/or Oscar-winning) Bardo, The Revenant, Birdman, Biutiful, Babel, 21 Grams and Amores Perros.

“Alejandro always starts working on the music when he is almost finished with the script. For him, music is as important as production, art, wardrobe, makeup. He is a director who works on music a long time before and takes it as a very important part of his projects,” said Fainchtein in an interview with Billboard Español in December 2022.

In 2018, she served as music supervisor for Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, winner of the Golden Lion at the 75th Venice International Film Festival and Academy Awards for best director, best foreign language film and best cinematography.

In 2022, Cuarón invited Lynn to oversee and create the music for his first television series for Apple TV+, Augustus, which would premiere this year, starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline and Sacha Baron Cohen, according to her official website.

She was head of programming and news producer for MTV LATAM until 2000. In 2012 she co-founded the independent record label Casete with musician and producer Camilo Lara, Héctor Reyes Guevara and Paco Arraigada.

As music supervisor and producer, she participated in numerous films and shows for Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Apple, Fox and Star+, among many other studios. She also collaborated regularly with La Corriente del Golfo, the production company founded by Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, where she supervised the music for Abel, Déficit, J.C. Chávez and Mr. Pig.

Among her other major projects are David France’s Oscar-nominated documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, Patricia Riggen’s The 33, Luis Estrada’s ¡Qué Viva México, La Dictadura Perfecta and El infierno, as well as Jonás Cuarón’s most recent film, Chupa, released on Netflix in 2023.

Last year, Fainchtein supervised the music for Perdidos en la Noche, by fellow award-winning Mexican filmmaker Amat Escalante, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

01 Mar 2024

Tomonari Sora’s ‘Demons Banquet’ at No. 1 for Second Week on Billboard Japan Heatseekers Songs Chart

Tomonari Sora’s “Demons Banquet” holds at No. 1 for the second week in a row on Billboard Japan’s Heatseekers Songs chart, dated Feb. 28, tallying the week ending Feb. 25.

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This chart extracts artists rapidly on the rise based on radio airplay, downloads, streaming and video views among the metrics that make up the Billboard Japan Hot 100 weekly song chart.

The demo version of the track by the singer-songwriter born in 2002 went viral after being posted on TikTok in November, and was officially released in digital form on Jan. 10.

“Demons Banquet” comes in at No. 10 for video views, No. 59 for downloads, and No. 66 for streaming, gaining 40% in total points from the previous week.

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At No. 2 on Heatseekers Songs is swetty’s “junkie.” This track was released Dec. 4 by the artist who is active mainly on SoundCloud, and grabbed the spotlight after ONE OK ROCK frontman Taka shouted it out on Instagram Live in late January.

Meanwhile, TOMOO’s “Present” debuts on the chart at No. 7. The 28-year-old artist sings about love over a pop and upbeat, euphoric track in her latest release, which gained points mainly in radio this week.

Other first-time entries on this chart this week include Humbreaders’ (hum-bread-ers) “DANCING IN THE ROOM,” Risky Melody’s “Itai Itai Ai,” E.scene’s “Watashi to Watashi,” and WHITE SCORPION’s “Hijoshudan.” asobi’s “All In My Head,” also climbs the chart to enter the top 20 at No. 18.

Some rules regarding the Billboard Japan Heatseekers Songs chart include: songs that have entered the top 300 in at least one metric of the Japan Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks including the tallying week are eligible; the list excludes artists who have charted in the top 20 of the Japan Hot 100 or in the top 10 of the Japan Hot Albums charts after appearing on the Heatseekers list; artists / acts that have charted in the top 20 for at least 4 months (17 weeks) out of the last 6 months (26 weeks) are excluded; and if any excluded artists are clearly listed in the credited artist’s name as “Feat.” etc., their songs are also excluded.

◎Billboard JAPAN Heatseekers Songs Top 20

(Data Collected: Feb. 19-25, 2024)

1. “Demons Banquet” / Tomonari Sora

2. “junkie” / swetty

3. “Zenhoukou Bishoujo” / noa

4. “request”  / krage

5. “Obsessed” / Ayumu Imazu

6. “Planet” / ako

7. “Present” / TOMOO

8. “AtoZ” / Tokimekkii

9. “SARIGIWA NO ROMANTICS” / See-Saw

10. “Konton Boogie” / Jon-YAKITORY

11. “DANCING IN THE ROOM” / Humbreaders

12. ““Itai Itai Ai” / Risky Melody

13. “LoveJetaime” / Mahiru Coda

14. “My dream girls” / NACHERRY

15. “Watashi to Watashi” / E.scene

16. “Futsunanteiranaiyo” / TENSONG

17. “ANPANMAN TAISOU” / Dreaming

18. “All In My Head” / asobi

19. “Hijoshudan” / WHITE SCORPION

20. “Ba-Bang to Suisan! Bang Bravern” / Bravern (Kenichi Suzumura)

01 Mar 2024

Airline Gifts Friendship Bracelets to Taylor Swift Fans Headed to the Eras Tour in Singapore

For some Swifties flying to Singapore for Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour shows this weekend, the concert experience is starting before they even touch down.

Philippine Airlines has been giving custom friendship bracelets to fans en route to Singapore National Stadium, where Swift will soon set up shop for six shows starting Saturday (March 2). The company shared a photo of strings of beads reading “1989,” “Lover,” “Fly Pal” and more on Instagram, as well as videos on its Story of flight attendants passing them out from a box to fliers.

“Look what you made us do! #flyPAL 03.01.2024 ✈️?,” the airline captioned one of its posts.

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The accessories have been a staple of the “Anti-Hero” singer’s Eras Tour since the very beginning, with fans trading them at shows in honor of the “You’re on Your Own, Kid” lyric “Make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.” Even A-list concertgoers such as Halsey, Mariska Hargitay, Simu Liu, Brie Larson, Sarah Paulson, Lupita Nyong’o and more have participated in the trend.

And at Swift’s Feb. 23 show in Sydney, Australia, Travis Kelce got in on the fun. Photos from the night show him enjoying his superstar girlfriend’s performance with both of his wrists stacked with various friendship bracelets from fans, some of whom he gifted guitar picks.

The bracelets also happen to be a key part of the 14-time Grammy winner and Kelce’s love story. Before they started dating last summer, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end revealed on his New Heights podcast that he’d tried unsuccessfully to give Swift a beaded band with his phone number on it at her performance at Arrowhead Stadium — and the rest was history.

The “Karma” musician will be in Singapore through March 9, as will opener Sabrina Carpenter. After that, the Eras Tour will take a two-month pause — during which Swift will release her new album The Tortured Poets Department April 19 — before resuming in May with a stint in France.

See Philippine Airlines’ friendship bracelet post below.

01 Mar 2024

Música Urbana Star Young Miko Says Her Voice ‘Has to Have a Purpose’

Young Miko vividly remembers the first time she realized her music could make an impact. It was in 2021, after the Puerto Rican singer-rapper released her second single, “Vendetta,” in collaboration with trans artist Villano Antillano — a hard-hitting trap song in which the two spit bars about empowerment, individuality, resilience and self-confidence, all while spotlighting the LGBTQ+ community.

“That’s when I felt a before and after in my life,” Miko tells Billboard. “It’s a moment that I always return to, and I realize that it wasn’t just a song. I feel in my heart that it started a very beautiful movement or gave it more strength. I love feeling that from the beginning I’ve been doing something good with the voice that life has given me and with the space I have, which has to have a purpose.”

That same voice — one that effortlessly transitions from unapologetic rap rhymes to smooth, sugary vocals — and a devoted work ethic have propelled Miko to become one of música urbana’s brightest new stars, breaking through in the male-dominated genre while primarily singing about her queer identity.

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The 25-year-old artist born María Victoria Ramírez de Arellano Cardona has landed major collaborations with Bad Bunny, Arcángel, Feid, Bizarrap and Karol G — most recently playing the latter’s romantic interest in Karol’s cinematic “Contigo” music video. She has also had a strong presence on the Billboard charts, including four hits on Hot Latin Songs and three on Latin Airplay, two entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and five on the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S.

But even amid those successes, Billboard‘s 2024 Women in Music Impact honoree says she’s still learning. “It’s important to have that mentality and to not think I’m at my peak,” she says. “I want to feel like I’m never going to stop being a student, and for me, that’s the coolest part.”

How has embracing your queer identity in your lyrics affected your art?

It has been everything. My lyrics demonstrate a Young Miko that’s 100% true to herself. Thank God, I’ve felt comfortable enough from the beginning to be able to do it and give myself that space to be myself and do what I want with my music. I think it’s very nice that it had a good impact on the music industry in general and on the people around me. Obviously, sometimes, it can get loud — your surroundings, the opinions of others — but I feel like Young Miko would never have been the same if I wasn’t 100% honest in my music.

How have you used your social media presence to create change around you?

Beyond a social media platform, I like to start with my circle and the people who are with me every day. In whatever way I can help, I will always try to add or contribute my grain of sand. Obviously, being aware that anything I publish or associate with will have an impact, period. I know that now people are listening and paying attention to what I say, which gives me more reason to want to promote a good message. There are so many people with so many followers, and they don’t use it for sh-t. For me, it’s a blessing that life has decided to put me in a spot where my voice matters.

You joined Karol G for her Mañana Será Bonito tour and headlined your own Trap Kitty tour last year. What effect did the touring life have on you?

I f–king love touring! It’s so much fun. I feed off a lot from the crowd and the energy. Sometimes you have to see it to believe it — the emotion of all the people and how they know your songs. I learned that it’s not always going to be pretty. There are days that are going to be super tiring, and if you cancel or postpone a show, it’s horrible [for the fans] but you must get through it. Beyond learning as an artist, I learn as a person. When I’m on tour, I miss my home, my parents, my island, the warmth of my people. It’s a roller coaster and not for the weak. It’s so surreal, but I f–king love it.

This story will appear in the March 2, 2024, issue of Billboard.