Music

20 Feb 2024

All 16 Songs on Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign’s ‘Vultures 1’ Debut on Hot 100

Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign have a monumental week on Billboard’s charts (dated Feb. 24), thanks to the pair’s new collaborative album, Vultures 1.

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The set by the pair, billed collaboratively as ¥$: Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 148,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in its opening week (Feb. 9-15, following its Feb. 10 release), according to Luminate. Ye earns his 11th No. 1 album — as he passes Eminem for the third-most among rappers, after Jay-Z (14) and Drake (13) — and Ty Dolla $ign scores his first.

Meanwhile, all 16 songs on the album — Ye’s first following his string of hate speech and antisemitic remarks, which resulted in companies including Adidas and Def Jam Recordings distancing themselves from him — debut on the Billboard Hot 100, led by “Carnival” at No. 3. Ye notches his 21st top 10 hit, and Ty Dolla $ign his third, and first in a lead role.

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Here’s a look at every song, all debuts, by Ye and Ty Dolla $ign on the latest Hot 100.

Rank, Title:
No. 3, “Carnival”
No. 23, “Fuk Sumn”
No. 26, “Back to Me”
No. 30, “Talking,” feat. North West
No. 33, “Burn”
No. 34, “Vultures,” feat. Lil Durk & Bump J
No. 39, “Stars”
No. 52, “Do It”
No. 53, “Paid”
No. 55, “Keys to My Life”
No. 64, “Paperwork”
No. 65, “Beg Forgiveness”
No. 67, “Hoodrat”
No. 79, “Problematic”
No. 93, “Good (Don’t Die)”
No. 94, “King”

With 16 debuts on the latest Hot 100, Ye ups his total to 157 career entries. He boasts the sixth-most in the chart’s 65-year history, after Drake (328), Taylor Swift (232), the Glee Cast (207), Lil Wayne (186) and Future (168). Ty Dolla $ign pushes his sum to 46 entries.

Thanks to their featured appearances, North West and Bump J both earn their first career Hot 100 hits. At just 10 years old, North West, the eldest child of Ye and Kim Kardashian (who divorced in 2022), is now one of the youngest acts ever to reach the chart. Among other precocious charted talents, Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, hit the Hot 100 at just 7 years old in 2019, thanks to her featured turn on Beyoncé, Saint Jhn and Wizkid’s “Brown Skin Girl.” She made her overall chart debut just after making her debut in the world, as her coos are heard on Jay-Z’s “Glory,” featuring B.I.C.. The song hit Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 2012, making her the youngest billed artist ever on any Billboard chart.

Stevie Wonder is the youngest credited artist to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, as he was 13 when “Fingertips (Part II)” led in 1963. Overall, Jordy is the youngest billed artist to have appeared on the chart, at just over 5 years old with “Dur Dur D’être Bébé (It’s Tough To Be a Baby)” in 1993.

Also notable is the debut of “Good (Don’t Die).” The song was removed from Spotify after less than four days on the streaming service, as it includes an uncleared interpolation of Donna Summer’s 1977 top 10 Hot 100 hit “I Feel Love.” The song has since been removed from all other streaming services and for purchase. Hours after the release of Vultures 1, Summer’s estate claimed “copyright infringement” and disapproved of the use of the alleged sample. “Kanye West … asked permission to use Donna Summer’s song I Feel Love, he was denied … he changed the words, had someone re sing it or used AI but it’s I Feel Love … copyright infringement!!!,” the estate posted in an Instagram Story on the official Donna Summer account Feb. 10.

That isn’t the only sampling issue regarding the album. Ozzy Osbourne called out Ye and labeled him an antisemite after an earlier version of “Carnival” included a live performance of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man.” Plus, R&B artist Dijon posted to Instagram Stories Feb. 9, a day before the album’s release, suggesting that he was unaware that his song “Good Luck” was being sampled on the track “Stars.”

20 Feb 2024

Tina Knowles Claps Back at Beyoncé’s Country Critics: ‘We Have Always Celebrated Cowboy Culture’

Tina Knowles always has time to collect a hater — especially when it comes to her daughters. The fashion designer, businesswoman and mother to Beyoncé and Solange took to her Instagram page to defend her eldest daughter from haters questioning her claim to country music.

“We have always celebrated cowboy culture growing up in Texas. We also always understood that it was not just about it belonging to white culture only. In Texas there is a huge Black cowboy culture. Why do you think that my kids have integrated it into their fashion and art since the beginning?” Ms. Tina Knowles wrote in the caption of a video compilation of country-themed Beyoncé photo shoots. “When people ask why is Beyoncé wearing cowboy hats? It’s really funny, I actually laugh because it’s been there since she was a kid. We went to rodeos every year and my whole family dressed in western fashion… It definitely was a part of our culture growing up.”

During the 2024 Super Bowl, Beyoncé put down the disco balls and picked up a cowboy hat to kick-start her new musical era. In an eye-popping Verizon commercial — soundtracked by Renaissance era closer “My House” — the superstar declared, “They ready, drop the new music.”

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Shortly thereafter, two country singles — “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” — appeared on streaming services, while a Paris, Texas-inspired teaser popped up on both Queen Bey’s Instagram profile and website. The two new songs are expected to appear on Act II, the second installment of the three-act project Beyoncé kicked off with her Billboard 200-topping Renaissance back in 2022. Since their surprise release, both songs debuted in the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 with a partial week of tracking (chart dated Feb. 24). “Texas Hold ‘Em” notched the week’s highest new entry at No. 2, while “16 Carriages” bowed at No. 38.

In her caption, Ms. Tina also noted that her other famous daughter, the Grammy-winning Solange, has also showcased cowboy culture in her work. “Solange did a whole brilliant album and project based on Black cowboy culture,” she wrote, alluding to When I Get Home (2019), the R&B star’s stunning album and film. That record peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, marking Solange’s third consecutive top 10 album.

While the Knowles matriarch continues to keep naysayers and doubters in check as Beyoncé embarks on her new era, the “Daddy Lessons” singer is already making history with her foray into country music. On Tuesday (Feb. 20), “Texas Hold ‘Em” became the first song by a Black woman to debut atop the Hot Country Songs chart.

Read Ms. Tina’s address to Beyoncé’s naysayers here:

20 Feb 2024

Amy Grant Says She Got an Accidental Facelift While Recovering From Bike Accident

Amy Grant is back on the road after a terrifying bike accident in July 2022 that left her with a brain injury, and the Christian pop star opened up to E! News about the recovery process and the surprising cosmetic benefit.

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“I don’t know if I’ll get back on a bike,” the singer admitted. “There are so many great sports to enjoy and — I mean, who knows?”

She continued. “I had this bike wreck and unbeknownst to me, I actually had a cyst growing in my throat. Because of the trauma of that bike wreck, it went into hypergrowth. I had this five-hour surgery and they took it out. I actually had to learn to sing again.”

Grant added that before going into her throat to remove the cyst, they asked her if she’d like a facelift while they were in there. “I said, ‘Dear God, no, I actually have to be on stage in X number of weeks,’” she recalled. “It was a five-hour surgery […] and I didn’t ask for it, but I came out of surgery and my neck was a little tighter. I felt like an old, beat-up car that went in and got a paint job and had the dents knocked out. That’s a gift!”

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Watch the full interview below.

20 Feb 2024

Corinne Bailey Rae Electrifies Blue Note Residency With ‘Black Rainbows’

Corinne Bailey Rae recently wrapped an eight-show residency at Manhattan’s beloved Blue Note Jazz Club, performing 2023’s Black Rainbows – which explores soul, garage rock, jazz, downtempo electronic and even a bit of house – in its entirely. That album was one of the year’s finest, but seeing it presented live — with Rae sharing the painful and inspiring stories of Black American history that galvanized her to make these songs – made it clear that the concepts and ideas behind the album are as rich and stunning as its musical tapestry.

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Black Rainbows began taking shape when the English singer-songwriter visited The Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago’s South Side. The hybrid space, which Theaster Gates opened in 2015, is a gallery, media library and museum that encompasses everything from African American periodicals dating back to the 1940s to the personal vinyl collection of house godfather Frankie Knuckles to a collection of historical artifacts portraying Black people in blatantly racist ways. In short, it’s a complicated space dedicated to African American history, one that gives people the opportunity to confront the beautiful and the ugly in equal measure.

Rae’s visit morphed into an ongoing perusal of the collection, and soon, new songs began to take shape in her mind. A vintage photo of a teenage girl who won the “Miss New York Transit” title 70-some years ago inspired the riot grrrl energy of her song “New York Transit Queen” (Rae even tracked down and interviewed the woman, Audrey Smaltz); the story of writer/abolitionist Harriet Jacobs, who escaped slavery but spent seven years in a cramped hiding space, watching her children play through a peephole, informed the hopeful yet elegiac “Peach Velvet Sky”; advertisements from Valmor Products, a Chicago beauty brand geared toward African American women, led to the jazzy, ambient “He Will Follow You With His Eyes”; and a sweaty dance party to Knuckles’ records at the Stony Island Arts Bank resulted in the thumping “Put It Down.”

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In the midst of performing “Put It Down” at the Blue Note on Friday (Feb. 16), a woman in the seated audience stood up and began dancing – greeting the sight with a smile, Rae stepped down from the stage to join her as the band kept the house-inflected groove going. And from the sax player to the drummer, that band was a knockout. Perhaps having Rae explain the stories that inspired the songs before playing them pushed her players to bring each one to vivid, vibrant life in that intimate space.

When it came time for the encore, Rae gamely trotted out her 2006 soul-pop gem “Put Your Records On” and the sweetly soulful “Trouble Sleeping” from the same album. It probably goes without saying that she’ll be forever associated with the former, and there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s a timeless classic, one that’s recently found a Gen Z audience via a viral cover. But Black Rainbows stands as Rae’s finest artistic statement to date, an exquisite tapestry that electrifies both intellectually and emotionally – and seeing her present this layered work live is a gift.

20 Feb 2024

Cynthia Strother, One-Half of the Singing Bell Sisters, Dies at 88

Cynthia Strother, the singer and songwriter who teamed with her younger sister Kay as The Bell Sisters, a popular teenage act that found overnight success in the 1950s with their very first song, “Bermuda,” has died. She was 88.

Strother died Friday of heart failure at a hospice facility in Las Vegas, her nephew Rex Strother told The Hollywood Reporter.

The Bell Sisters, who recorded for RCA from 1951-55, performed often on radio shows hosted by the likes of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope and on such television programs as The Johnny Carson Show, The Colgate Comedy Hour and The Mickey Mouse Club.

The pair also appeared in the 1953 big-screen musicals Cruisin’ Down the River, starring Dick Haymes, and Those Redheads From Seattle, starring Rhonda Fleming.

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The eldest of seven kids — their dad, Gene, was an electrician for an aviation company — Cynthia Sue Strother was born on Oct. 4, 1935, in Harlan County, Kentucky, and raised with her family in Seal Beach, California.

She wrote “Bermuda” in 1951 at the piano when she was 16 and still attending Huntington High School and Kay was 11.

“I like Spanish music best and was beating out Spanish tempo on the piano,” she told Newsweek in 1952. “I just got the idea and went through with it, until it was finished. Then we all got together to write the words. We got Indian ideas and a Spanish bullfighter idea. Then somebody said, ‘Bermuda,’ and we liked that.”

Adopting their mother Edith’s maiden name of Bell for their act, the girls performed in October 1951 on a local KNXT-TV show called “Peter Potter’s Search for a Song.” One of the judges of the evening’s amateur compositions was a music publisher, who immediately recognized the tune’s potential.

The girls were rushed into a Hollywood studio to demo the song for orchestra leader Henri Rene, the West Coast A&R man for RCA-Victor, and “Bermuda” was quickly released in March 1952, eventually rising to No. 7 on the Billboard singles chart. It would sell more than 1 million copies.

“I tried not to influence their natural style in any way,” Rene told Downbeat magazine. “I told them to sing just the way they sing for fun around the house. If they go over as big as we think they will, it will be due to the freshness and simplicity of their manner.”

Watch the sisters perform “Bermuda” on The Dinah Shore Show here.

The sisters also had hits with “Wheel of Fortune,” which made it to No. 10, and “Hambone,” which was recorded with actor-singer Phil Harris and charted as high as No. 19.

They would open for Nat King Cole in Los Angeles, perform all over the country and even tour Korea with other Hollywood performers and the USO — all when school wasn’t in session, of course.

In Paramount’s Those Redheads From Seattle, the girls sang “Take Back Your Gold,” and Cynthia portrayed the love interest of Guy Mitchell’s character.

“I was playing a nurse, and he was supposed to come in where I was rolling bandages and we had some dialogue and then we were supposed to kiss. Well, even though I was 17, I don’t think I’d ever kissed a boy before, and what’s more, there was talk his wife was going to be on the set,” she recalled in a post on The Bell Sisters’ website.

“I mean, it was bad enough we never had any acting lessons — Kay and I were just winging it, basically. I was so flustered because I had to kiss Guy and I had no experience, and his wife was going to be watching. Well, it must have really showed in the footage, because after all the worry and embarrassment of getting through it, they didn’t even use the scene in the movie.”

The sisters were excellent acapella singers and welcomed at military hospitals and bases, where they frequently had to perform without a band.

“Bermuda” continued to generate royalties for Cynthia over the decades, with her song heard in Allison Anders’ Grace of My Heart (1996).

After she left show business, she taught swimming to handicapped children and adults.

In addition to Kay, survivors include her other sisters, Sharon, Judy, Paula and Alice; her sons, Seth, Kristoffer and Keven; and numerous grandchildren. Her husband, Seth, whom she married in 1957, died in 2006; her brother, Rex, died in 2019; and her daughter, Anastasia, died in 2022.

This story was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

20 Feb 2024

Alesso to Perform at LA Galaxy’s 2024 MLS Regular Season Home Opener

LA Galaxy has scored a major artist for its 2024 MLS Regular Season Home Opener.

The soccer team announced on Monday (Feb. 20) that Alesso will be performing at the opening game against Inter Miami CF at Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday (Feb. 25).

“As a massive football enthusiast, I’m looking forward to being a part of the growing history of MLS’ all-time moments by performing at the LA Galaxy’s 2024 Home Opener against Inter Miami CF,” said Alesso in a press statement.

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“As we revolutionize our game-day experience, we’re excited to announce Alesso, one of the world’s top DJs, will be headlining our LA Galaxy home opener,” added LA Galaxy Chief Creative and Brand Officer Will Misselbrook. “The blend of top-tier soccer and Alesso’s musical talents will offer an immersive experience that elevates the energy for our fans and transforms the stadium ambiance. This signifies a new era in our approach to entertainment – a celebration of both sports and music that goes beyond the expected.”

The game marks one of the most anticipated matches in MLS this season – and the 2024 LA Galaxy home opener sees the return of club legend and Inter Miami CF owner David Beckham, while 2022 FIFA World Cup Champion and Argentina National Team captain Lionel Messi plays his first-ever match at Dignity Health Sports Park.

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The game, as well as portions of Alesso’s performance, will air on Feb. 25 on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

20 Feb 2024

Watch Adele Explain Why She Looked So Annoyed in Viral NBA Game Meme: ‘I Was Sulking’

It’s been exactly two years since Adele‘s viral NBA meme was born, and at her residency show in Las Vegas over the weekend, the 35-year-old vocalist finally shared the story behind it.

In a video taken Saturday night (Feb. 17) at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Adele asks her audience, “Do you remember that viral meme of me looking like I don’t give a flying f–k?”

She then recreated the famous video onstage, looking left and right as if to avoid eye contact with her audience — just like she did when faced with a camera Feb. 20, 2022 at that year’s NBA All-Star game, which she attended with her boyfriend, sports agent Rich Paul.

“I know it sounds crazy, but I really don’t like being famous,” the “Easy On Me” singer explained, telling the crowd she felt the need to provide “context” for the video. “Obviously I’m sitting courtside at a basketball game, you’re asking for it, whatever. Rich is working the room, talking to players. And I was fine. I was just there on my own looking for Michael Jordan, if I’m honest.”

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According to Adele, the camera crew at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse had approached her twice while she was sitting by herself to ask whether she was comfortable being filmed, which she politely declined both times. Even so, her image was blasted on the jumbotron at the game — and on national television.

“I was sulking,” she said, adding that she felt extra shy at the time due to the cancellation of her original Vegas residency. “I was like, ‘These motherf–kers have come back and are filming me against my will.”

“Also, my face is just very memeable,” she added. “I can’t help it.”

The Grammy winner has been performing for fans in Vegas on and off since the end of 2022 for her Weekends With Adele” residency, with dates scheduled through June this year. To her point, her shows often spawn funny viral moments — one of the most recent being when the “Rolling in the Deep” musician hilariously slammed critics of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s romance.

“I think I want the Chiefs to win,” she said at the time, the night before the Kansas City team triumphed at the 2024 Super Bowl. “And all of you that are complaining about Taylor being at the game, get a f—ing life. It’s her f—ing boyfriend!”

Watch Adele reflect on her viral NBA meme below.

20 Feb 2024

Rauw Alejandro, Peso Pluma, Fuerza Regida & Kali Uchis to Headline Baja Beach Fest 2024

Baja Beach Fest, originally dedicated exclusively to reggaetón and Latin trap, has transformed into a dynamic celebration that amplifies the convergence of música urbana and regional Mexican music live entertainment.

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Entering its sixth year, the festival makes its return to the beachside shores of Rosarito, Mexico, from Aug. 9 to 11.

Now billed as “the reggaetón and Latin music festival,” BBF welcomes back Puerto Rican superstar Rauw Alejandro to its stage as a headliner for his Friday, Aug. 9, performance; he last appeared in 2019. The excitement continues into Saturday with 2023’s breakout star Peso Pluma leading the charge as the night’s headliner. Sunday heralds the festival debut of Fuerza Regida, the trailblazers of the belikeada movement. Capping off the weekend, Colombian American artist Kali Uchis is set to deliver a special performance on Sunday.

The festival boasts a stellar roster of returning acts, including Panamanian star Sech; Becky G from Inglewood, Calif.; and Puerto Rican sensations Chencho Corleone, Jhayco, Yandel, among others. Exciting newcomers set to debut include Puerto Rico’s Omar Courtz, Xavi known for “La Diabla,” in addition to Colombian group Piso 21, Mexican American rapper Snow Tha Product, and more. The event also features established names such as Jowell & Randy, De La Ghetto, as well as Argentinian singer-rapper Tiago PZK, and DJ Fredy Fresco, DJ Dynamiq and DJ Miriam behind the decks.

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The previous BBF edition marked a pivotal moment, as the festival, initially dedicated to música urbana, embraced regional Mexican music, spotlighting Tijuana’s own Grupo Firme.

Since its inception in 2018 by founders Aaron Ampudia and Chris Den Uijl, Baja Beach Fest 2024 continues to build on its legacy as a must-attend event, especially for Southern California residents, with Rosarito being a 45-minute drive south of San Diego, Calif.

Check out the full lineup below:

Baja Beach Fest 2024 Lineup

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20 Feb 2024

Garth Brooks Sets Grand Opening for Friends in Low Places Nashville Bar & Honky Tonk

Those in Nashville’s downtown area will be able to officially “slip on down to the oasis” on March 7, when the grand opening is held for Garth Brooks’ Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk. Brooks acquired the property, located at 411 Broadway in Nashville, in December 2021. The space was previously home to venues including Paradise Park and Downtown Sporting Club.

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Brooks gave the world an early look at the bar and honky tonk back in November, when he performed at the venue for Garth Brooks’ Amazon Music Live Concert on Black Friday. Some portions of the venue, including two floors of the four-story building, have had a limited opening for several weeks.

However, the March 7 grand opening will reveal all four floors of the 54,715-square-foot space; the opening will also include a police substation, developed in partnership with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

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The first two floors will honor classic honky-tonks and will offer a custom-built, retractable live music stage, featuring the “Circle G” emblem, repurposed from the Central Park stage where Brooks performed for a record-breaking audience of more than 1 million people. The setup was installed by the same team that has toured around the world with Brooks and will feature the largest LED screens on Nashville’s Lower Broadway. The first floor will feature two bars, a dance floor and ample seating. The second floor will offer two additional bars, and a mezzanine offering views of the stage below.

The third floor will house intimate private event spaces, complete with a double-sided fireplace and an intimate patio, for gatherings of up to 250 guests. The rooftop fourth floor, dubbed The Oasis, will feature two full bars.

So far, the Friends in Low Places Bar and Honky Tonk has featured a limited menu, but the upcoming grand opening will highlight menus featuring recipes from musician/author/television star and Brooks’ wife Trisha Yearwood, drawing from Yearwood’s bestselling cookbooks and her television show Trisha’s Southern Kitchen and including fare such as meatloaf, friend chicken with white gravy, and an abundance of side dishes. The honky-tonk’s food menu will be available 11 a.m.-9 p.m., seven days a week.

“If you are one of the lucky ones who come to this town and receive its many blessings, don’t you owe something to Nashville?” Brooks said in a statement. “Garth Brooks owes a lot to Music City.”

“I can’t imagine there being a Garth honky-tonk without Trisha Food!” Yearwood added. “I’m honored to get to be a part of something so exciting and so big, and to work alongside the love of my life doing it. The whole team at Friends In Low Places is incredible!”

Friends in Low Places will be open seven days per week, from 11 a.m. through 2 a.m. on Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. through 2 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

On Tuesday evening (Feb. 20), beginning at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT, Brooks will discuss the grand opening of the bar and honky-tonk and more, with exclusive merch being sold during through TalkShopLive, including shirts, hats, tote bags, pint glasses and shot glasses.

20 Feb 2024

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Bryson Tiller, Lola Brooke & 41, Tierra Whack & More

Against all odds — and a brief disappearance from digital streaming platforms — Vultures I is finally here. The new joint LP from Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign launched atop the Billboard 200 on Sunday (Feb. 18), while its breakout single, “Carnival,” starts at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 (chart dated Feb. 24).

Although that new set, which features appearances from North West and Playboi Carti, dominated much of the conversation in the hip-hop and R&B worlds, it was far from the only thing of note to occur over the past week. On Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) — or “Worst Day” if you’re a part of the Future Hive — Maze frontman Frankie Beverly announced his farewell tour. Beverly, of course, lent his voice to the seminal “Before I Let Go,” covered by Beyoncé for her 2019 Homecoming live album. Her version peaked at No. 65 on the Hot 100.

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In other R&B performance news, Usher added yet another new slate of dates to his ever-growing Past Present Future tour (Feb. 20) and the Roots Picnic announced their 2024 headliners, which include Jill Scott, Nas, Lil Wayne & The Roots and André 3000. On the hip-hop side of things, there’s no getting around the eye-popping new music video for Drake, SZA and Sexyy Red‘s “Rich Baby Daddy.” The clip — which has already amassed over 7.5 million YouTube views — finds Drizzy and Solána partying in a hospital while the “Pound Town” rap princess (who recently gave birth to her second child in real life) goes into labor.

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Bryson Tiller‘s new heater to Rae Khalil’s tender meditation on existentialism. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.

Freshest Find: Pratt & Moody & Cold Diamond & Mink, “Creeping Around“

Finnish soul duo Pratt & Moody are dishing up heavy old school vibes on their new Cold Diamond & Mink-produced single “Creeping Around.” Their take on contemporary soul is infused with an especially haunting approach to melody. The grandiosity of the song’s production — built almost exclusively around Moody’s sultry guitar — evokes the most stirring of James Bond themes, while the duo’s expansive combine vocal ranges trade off fluttery falsettos with robust full-voice crooning. “We gotta stop creeping around” is a simple, but incredibly effective hook; the song’s lyrical sparseness allows the meticulous arrangement ample room to breathe, making it a flawless backdrop for the slight twang that contours each repetition of “creeping around.”

Bryson Tiller, “Whatever She Wants”

After initially appearing on his Slum Tiller, Volume 2 mixtape last November, Bryson Tiller has finally unleashed fan-favorite track “Whatever She Wants” on all digital streaming platforms. Crafted with the intent to appear on a stripper’s pre-show playlist, “Whatever She Wants” finds Bryson far-removed from his heart-bearing hip-hop-inflected R&B. Instead, the Grammy nominee skates across TylianMTB-produced Detroit-inspired beat with all of the effortless swagger and braggadocio of a guy who could quite literally buy the whole club. “CC, Gucci, hit Bottega, whatever she want/ She piss me off, somehow she still get whatever she want,” he spits, somehow striking a fine balance of gruffness and seduction in his delivery.

Tierra Whack, “27 Club”

Mental health has long been a lyrical touchstone in hip-hop, just as the “27 Club” — an infamous collection of celebrities who passed at age 27 — has been a figment of pop culture’s obsession for decades. Thus, the convergence of these two concepts is fairly natural, and Tierra Whack expertly tackles them both on her new track, “27 Club.” Produced by J Melodic and ProdbyBRIANNA, “27 Club” finds Tierra contemplating suicide. “When your life gets hard but it’s simple/ When everybody ’round you suspenseful/ It ain’t really hard to convince you/ Lookin’ for somethin’ to commit to?” she spits. The dark beauty of this song is that Tierra wholly rejects the notion of a happy ending or a narrative of triumph; she simply sits in the aching self-loathing, guilt and depression that comes with suicidal ideation.

Lola Brooke & 41, “Becky”

Last year, both Lola Brooke and 41 dropped off full-length projects — Dennis Daughter and 41 World: Not the Album, respectively — and now the two fast-rising New York rap breakout stars are kicking off 2024 with a new collaboration. Predicated on a definition of “Becky” that refers to fellatio, the fiery drill joint marks the union of some of the most exciting voices in the contemporary hip-hop scene. Lola’s characteristically menacing delivery is a smart complement to TaTa’s boisterous ad-libs and Kyle Ricch’s high-octane flow. Of course, the “Don’t Play With It” rapper also pairs well with 41’s Jenn Carter, whose slick wordplay makes her closing verse the strongest.

Chantae Cann & Kenyon Dixon, “B-Side”

Kenyon Dixon has been on something of a hot streak lately between his 2024 Grammy nomination and a recent string of gorgeous duets. On “B-Side,” his new joint alongside Billboard-charting jazz and soul signer Chantae Cann, he keeps that streak alive. Produced and co-written by Masego, there’s a throughline of sultry, “come-hither” energy that encapsulates the innate, tasteful allure of the slinkiest jazz-inflected R&B melodies. Cann delivers the hook in a breathy tone that pairs well with Dixon’s whimsical descending riffs. Who said grown and sexy R&B was dead?!

Rae Khalil, “Is It Worth It”

In celebration of the announcement of her signing with Billboard chart-topping rapper-singer Anderson .Paak‘s APESHIT label, Rae Khalil has unleashed a new .Paak-produced single titled “Is It Worth It.” Built around an understated drum-laden and bass-anchored soundscape, Khalil asks “Is it worth it?/ If I show up when I want/ In the sea of the same face/ Is it worth my time, time?” The lyrical battle between her own pride and her desire for connection and yearning to be wanted and desired come to a head in the lush instrumental break that simultaneously serves as the song’s bridge and outro — talk about a stunner.

ScHoolboy Q, “Yeern 101”

Q’s new LP, Blue Lips, arrives in just under two weeks, and the Grammy-winning rapper is amping up his rollout. Built around a skittering, bass-blaring beat crafted by Cardo, J.LBS, Johnny Juliano & Yung Exclusive, “Yeern 101” finds the TDE star effortlessly skating over the track with a borderline breathless flows. There are no easy hooks or choruses here, these are two heady voices chock-full of smart wordplay, high-speed flow switches and sly changes in inflection and intonation — both of which are elevated by the ever-intensifying instrumental. “I’m a n—a out here, everything come free/ I ain’t never met God, but I bet he know me/ Put the money in a set, a n—a die in them streets/ Threw the boy alley oop, now he ridin’ on fleek,” he spits.