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Amirah’s story unfolds like a carefully plotted script, peppered with the unexpected moments that distinguish dreams from reality. This 18-year-old emerging artist isn’t just a fresh face in music; she’s a testament to the power of vision, resilience, and a faith grounded in the support of family. From recording her first EP while still in high school to signing with 10 Summers and Interscope, Amirah’s rise reflects an artist who’s balancing authenticity with industry ambitions—and doing it on her own terms.
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Amirah’s journey has been propelled forward by her dedication and the encouragement of platforms like Honda Stage, which shares her mission of uncovering stories that embody resilience, passion, and authenticity. Honda Stage champions emerging artists and brings audiences closer to the often-hidden journeys that fuel the music industry. Much like Amirah, the platform celebrates individuals who are redefining music through unique perspectives, unwavering commitment, and unfiltered creativity.
Raised in Virginia Beach, Amirah grew up in a family that knew how to cultivate dreams. “I was always about music—I needed it,” she says, remembering the countless times she would talk to her mother about wanting to be a singer. Her grandparents championed her budding passion, capturing every recital and piano performance, and her mother taught her about the power of faith and self-belief. “My mom would always say, ‘Speak it into existence,’” Amirah shares, her voice carrying a quiet confidence that hints at a wisdom beyond her years. And speak she did—writing down her dreams, rehearsing the vision in her head, and setting her sights on making them real.
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It was during the lockdowns of 2020, and like many artists, Amirah was channeling her energy into creating and refining her sound, writing songs, and imagining what it would take to break into the industry. She’d been a devoted fan of Mustard’s work for years, studying his production style and envisioning what it would be like to work with him. But the idea of actually connecting with him seemed like a far-off fantasy, something her mom used to say to encourage her: “You never know; one day, Mustard might come knocking!”
By 2021, Amirah was writing down all her goals, detailing her dreams, and practicing a manifestation ritual. She recalls that she’d just written a note in her journal that year, setting an intention to be signed to a major label by the time she was 16. She was 15 when the unthinkable happened—her phone pinged with an Instagram DM notification from none other than Mustard himself. In a message that was straightforward but powerful, he expressed his admiration for her work and wanted to talk more after seeing one of her covers online.
“I just remember staring at it, thinking, ‘This has to be a joke, right?’” she laughs now. “But it was real. And the best part? He didn’t just see the potential—I felt like he already knew the vision I wanted for myself.” They connected almost instantly, with Mustard helping her navigate the next steps, leading to her signing with Ten Summers and Interscope.
That DM wasn’t just a message; it was the manifestation of everything she’d been working toward.
By 2021, she was signed with 10 Summers and Interscope, making her one of the latest young artists to be mentored by the celebrated producer. “It felt like a fever dream,” she admits, still in awe of the trajectory that took her from a Virginia high school to recording studios in L.A. “I remember asking, ‘So, does this mean I can release music now?’ I didn’t know the process, but my team walked me through every step.”
That team—especially her managers and Mustard—has become an extension of her family, helping her navigate the industry’s highs and lows while supporting her growth as an artist. The creative back-and-forth with Mustard, she says, has been an anchor for her, one that’s reinforced her dedication to the work. “Sometimes I feel like my songs are corny, but he’ll listen and say, ‘No, you have to hear this through.’” With Ten Summers, she’s found a team willing to help her experiment while keeping her grounded, ensuring her artistic vision isn’t compromised.
Amirah isn’t an artist who’s chasing the flash and glamour often associated with success; she’s a self-described “earth girl” who takes comfort in simplicity. “I don’t need flashy stuff,” she says. “Knowing where I came from keeps me grounded and helps me hold onto my artistic vision.” Her home in Virginia Beach, with its coastal, laid-back vibe, serves as a touchstone that keeps her focused on authenticity rather than trends.
For Amirah, staying true to herself and finding balance in an industry driven by image and expectations isn’t a battle—it’s a principle. “I don’t feel pressure; I feel like we’re all just here to make dope stuff,” she explains. “It’s important to maintain who I am.” That ethos is reflected in her music, where each song offers a piece of her story, her evolution, and her soul. “My upcoming project is vibes, vibes, vibes,” she says, eager to share the songs she’s been recording since she was 16. “I hope people just have fun and feel connected. I want it to be a vision that everyone can understand.”
Beyond her music, Amirah is setting long-term goals that extend into acting and animated series, hoping to show her versatility as an artist with a personality that jumps off the screen. Her short-term plans, however, are all about staying in the studio, writing, and crafting music that resonates with audiences everywhere. “I want to write music that’s played in clubs but also tells the story of who I am,” she says, already visualizing the next stage of her career.
There’s a boldness to Amirah’s vision, but it’s grounded in faith—a faith she says is both personal and unshakeable. Her approach to setbacks is to turn to God, her family, and sometimes, a cathartic cry. “When I doubt, I pray,” she reveals, a simple phrase that carries the weight of her journey thus far. She’s learned that the road to success isn’t always easy, but she’s not one to give up. Each step she’s taken has reinforced her belief that with hard work, resilience, and a team who sees her potential, anything is possible.
Today, Amirah’s poised to make a name for herself in an industry that’s often more focused on profits than passions. But with her first EP out, a loyal team at her side, and a vision for what she wants to accomplish, Amirah’s on track to defy those odds. In her own words: “I hope everyone loves it, and I hope they can feel my heart in every song.” Amirah’s journey is one to watch—not just because of her talent, but because of the unwavering authenticity she brings to every note, lyric, and performance.
Hello, Cleveland! On Nov. 1, 1894, Billboard Advertising published its first monthly issue out of an Ohio office. Its goal: to demonstrate for advertisers “the efficacy of the bill board” (two words, even though the magazine’s name was one) and “maintain a high and exacting standard of excellence,” despite starting as a “journalistic youngster.” The nascent magazine was renamed The Billboard in 1897, nicknamed “Billyboy” by the 1910s and officially became Billboard in 1961. By then, the trade publication had become weekly, with a music business focus, and it was more about chart position than advertising placement. Even at 130, the only wrinkles are in our stories.
No Business Like Show Business
By 1900, The Billboard covered more than best (and worst) practices for bill posters, who early issues reported would glue ads on ash cans, piles of bricks and even, according to the first issue, a dead horse. (Are we kidding? Neigh.) Within a decade, carnivals, fairs and vaudeville productions took over Billboard’s pages; a music column started in 1905, and coverage of sheet music sales joined the chorus in 1913. “The Billboard has grown,” the magazine declared when it marked its 35th anniversary in 1929, “to include the entire world.”
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Over There
The Dec. 29, 1934, issue celebrated the publication’s 40th anniversary by hailing “the legion of true, sincere and loyal show-folk” who provided “continued support and favor.” Also, “It is our earnest wish to have an active part in a 50th Anniversary Number.” History had other plans: The Dec. 18, 1943, Billboard replaced its “Anniversary and Holiday Greetings” annual with an ad-free “Bondbardment” issue that urged advertisers to take the money “they would be spending” and buy “an extra war bond.” The next year’s issue followed suit.
The Same Old Song
By the time Billboard hit 75, music had become the publication’s primary focus, thanks in part to the Aug. 4, 1958, launch of the Billboard Hot 100. “This industry of entertainment is not an easy one to record; like the sky it is never the same two days running,” an editorial in the Dec. 27, 1969, issue observed. But “as one aspect of the business faded, decayed or lost its broad public, another has smartly taken its place.”
Computer Love
“Billboard Charts the Future,” declared the Dec. 15, 1984, issue — sometimes presciently. “Computers in the home will have a major impact on the entire retail industry, not just on music retailing,” predicted one article. “It would be possible to purchase an entire music collection without leaving home.” Other ideas weren’t ready for prime time: “Why not squirt radio broadcasting out on the coaxial cable network?” another piece suggested.
100, Pure Love
For its Nov. 1, 1994, 100th-anniversary special, “Billyboy” took a victory lap. “Billboard is peerless,” an article boasted. “No other publication has the sweep and continuity of Billboard’s coverage of movies, of television, of laser disc, of videocassettes — even of multimedia formats like CD-ROM.” Most of those formats sound like relics today, but the accompanying insight remains timeless. “History is typically made by amateurs,” an editorial said. “The boldest ideas regularly come from those who are oblivious to conventional solutions.”
After earning her fourth Golden Globes nomination on Monday (Dec. 9), Cynthia Erivo is practically “Defying Gravity.”
In a series of posts to her Instagram Stories, Erivo celebrated her nomination for the 2024 Golden Globes, along with the many nominations for her smash-hit film Wicked. “Now that my feet are hovering off the ground, I cannot even come close to properly expressing what this moment means to me,” she wrote under a photo of herself as Elphaba. “Not just because of this individual nomination, but because I get to watch as this project and my @wickedmovie family are celebrated, too.”
The actress/singer was nominated on Monday for best performance by a female actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy for her role as Elphaba in Wicked. Erivo’s co-star Ariana Grande also received a nomination in the supporting role category for her work as Glinda on the film, while the film itself was nominated for best motion picture — musical or comedy.
“Being a part of this project has been a dream come true, and playing Elphaba, a woman who speaks to everyone who has ever felt like they don’t belong and lets them know they have the power to defy gravity, has been the honor of a lifetime,” Erivo continued.
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The actress shared special praise for the film’s director Jon M. Chu — who Erivo thanked for his “wonderful dedication to this work,” and his “care for each one of us on your set” — and for Grande, who she called her “little sister” in a post. “I’m so proud of you. You’re so deserving of this moment, and I’m glad I get to share the seconds and the moments and the days and the years with you,” she wrote. “This journey has been so unbelievably special, and I believe it is the company we have kept together that has made it as special as it has been and will continue to be.”
In one final post on her Stories, Erivo shared a special shoutout to the other women nominated in her category — Amy Adams, Karla Sofía Gascón, Mikey Madison, Demi Moore and Zendaya. “Being named alongside you powerhouses is one of the truest honors of them all,” she wrote. “I can’t wait to be in a room celebrating you all!!”
The new posts come just after Grande herself shared her own thoughts on being nominated, saying that she was “floored and honored to be recognized by members of the @goldenglobes” for the annual ceremony.
Normani’s years-in-the-making debut album arrived with Dopamine earlier this year, but the 28-year-old revealed she’s not planning to make fans wait that long again with her sophomore LP. In an interview with Rolling Stone at Spotify’s Wrapped party, Normani opened up about her plans to release another album in 2025. “Putting lots more music out, […]
Pusha T has some thoughts on the battle that broke out between his arch nemesis Drake and Kendrick Lamar, who the Virginia rapper has collaborated with in the past.
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On Saturday (Dec. 7), Emmy-winning journalist and MSNBC correspondent Ari Melber interviewed Pusha for Saint & Citizen’s Saint Sessions Live at Art Basel in Miami, where they talked about a number of topics, most notably the aforementioned rap beef.
When asked by Melber if he thinks Kendrick won the battle, Push answered, “1,000 percent,” before elaborating on how he thinks Lamar pulled it off. “I think that Kendrick is a lyricist and a lyricist that talks to your soul. Like, you could be clever, you can say cute things, you can do things and so on and so forth, right? But the truth really hurts and the truth cuts deep,” he said. “And I think what Kendrick was doing was really talking to his soul. I believe that.”
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He then added, “And I believe that’ll cause you to tap out, that’ll cause you to sue, that’ll cause you to do a lot of things. It’s crazy. Listen, suing is crazy … it’s nuts.”
Ari then tried to compare Push’s back and forth with Drake in 2018 with Lamar’s and why they were willing to say the things they said about the Toronto rapper while other peers decided to stay quiet publicly. “I play in a space that my music is, I guess ‘semi-popular,’ I don’t even know if it’s that popular,” he admitted. “It’s a very niche group that messes with me. So, it’s easy to dismiss my wins because it’s not as loud as everyone else’s. Kendrick on the other hand, his music is super popular so it’s a difference.”
The “Story of Adidon” rapper continued, saying artists were “backing away” from him after his beef with Drake, adding that they “didn’t wanna get on records” or “do videos” with him after it ended. “The record labels, the artists, everybody were taking me off of songs, it was crazy,” he said, referencing Pop Smoke’s posthumous album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon when he asked to be taken off “Paranoia” that also featured Young Thug and Gunna after Thugger was upset Push’s verse was about Drake.
But in his chat with Melber, Push gave Kendrick credit for bringing quality lyrics to the forefront. “It’s good to see lyricism be looked at and respected on such a high level and it’s dope because … what Kendrick did for what we do as rappers was very big.”
ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” leads the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts for a seventh week each. The song debuted as the stars’ second leader on each survey.
Plus, four holiday songs light up the Global 200’s top 10 and three decorate the Global Excl. U.S. top 10.
The Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.
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Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.
“APT.” rules the Global 200 with 149.9 million streams (down 7%) and 18,000 sold (down 13%) worldwide Nov. 29-Dec. 5. The hit now boasts seven of the top eight global streaming weeks among songs released in 2024:
224.5 million, “APT.,” ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, Nov. 2
207.5 million, “APT.,” Nov. 9
176.8 million, “Fortnight,” Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone, May 4
162.2 million, “APT.,” Nov. 16
160.6 million, “APT.,” Dec. 7
149.9 million, “APT.,” Dec. 14
146.4 million, “APT.,” Nov. 23
132.7 million, “APT.,” Nov. 30
Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” surges 9-2 on the Global 200, with 92.7 million streams (up 48%) and 7,000 sold (up 77%) worldwide. The modern Yuletide standard, originally released in 1994, has spent a record 18 weeks at No. 1 dating to the chart’s start (five each over the 2023 and 2022 holidays and four in both the 2021 and 2020 holiday seasons).
Plus, three other classic carols return to the Global 200’s top 10: Wham’s “Last Christmas” (11-4), Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (21-6) and Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” (25-8). The songs have hit respective Nos. 2, 2 and 4 highs. They drew 84.3 million streams (up 75%), 63.6 million streams (up 60%) and 56.7 million streams (up 61%) worldwide, respectively, in the tracking week.
Lady Gaga and Mars’ “Die With a Smile” slips 2-3 on the Global 200, following eight weeks at No. 1, the most for any song this year, beginning in September. It drew 115.2 million streams (essentially even week-over-week) worldwide in the latest tracking frame and has tallied over 100 million streams globally in each of the last 14 weeks, the longest such streak since the chart began.
Elsewhere in the Global 200’s top five, Kendrick Lamar’s “Luther,” with SZA, slips to No. 5 a week after it debuted at No. 4.
“APT.” concurrently tops Global Excl. U.S. with 132.6 million streams (down 6%) and 12,000 sold (down 7%) outside the U.S. Nov. 29-Dec. 5.
“Die With a Smile” holds at No. 2 on Global Excl. U.S. following eight weeks at No. 1 starting in September; Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” lifts 5-3, having spent a record-tying 13 weeks at No. 1; Wham’s “Last Christmas” leaps 14-4, after reaching No. 2 (54.1 million streams, up 88%); and Stromae and Pomme’s “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” jumps to No. 5 a week after it entered the chart at No. 8.
Plus, Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” dances merrily back to the Global Excl. U.S. top 10 (34-10), with 32.4 million streams (up 70%) outside the U.S. in the tracking week.
The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Dec. 14, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Dec. 10. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
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.
Another week, brings another shocking new legal filing. Following bombshells legal actions involving fellow hip-hop moguls Sean “Diddy” Combs and Aubrey “Drake” Graham, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter has found himself in the center of a harrowing new suit. In a Dec. 8 refiling of an earlier civil lawsuit against Combs, Carter has been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 after that years MTV Video Music Awards. The 24-time Grammy-winner, who was recently named Billboard’s 16th Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century (So Far), immediately took to social media to vehemently deny the accusations, and the following day (Dec. 9), he filed a motion calling the case “extortionate” and arguing that the accuser should not be allowed to litigate such “heinous allegations” anonymously.
This case is still in the early phases, so there isn’t much to analyze beyond the new filing, Carter’s responses and general reactions to the stunning news. Though the news broke late Sunday night, it quickly became the weekend’s defining hip-hop moment, surpassing both the buzz of Doechii‘s new NPR Tiny Desk performance and Smino‘s new Maybe In Nirvana LP.
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With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Khalid and Normani spinning the block to A$AP Rocky’s fiery new remix. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
THEY., “Straight Up”
If you have a new album dropping on Valentine’s Day next year with a title inspired by one of the most beloved Black romantic comedy-dramas of the ’90s (1997’s Love Jones), you know your singles have to be home runs. With “Straight Up,” the latest taste of the forthcoming Love.Jones, smooth R&B duo THEY. deliver a ’90s-evoking cut built around sultry vocals, pitched-up vocal loops and come-hither lyricism. “Let’s make plans, let’s link up, let’s be ’bout it/ Got you wet, got me drunk, now we drownin’/ Crashing out, pussy good, I’m surrounded/ We on round number four, but who’s countin’?” Drew Love croons in the first verse. Infused with the forward, hip-hop sensibilities of contemporary R&B but steeped in the sensual tension of the genre’s ’90s iterations, “Straight Up” is another hit for THEY. — KYLE DENIS
Hanumankind, Kalmi & A$AP Rocky, “Big Dawgs (Remix)”
This isn’t your average remix in 2024 looking to game the streaming system as Hanumankind recruited A$AP Rocky to take his thrilling ride of “Big Dawgs” to another level. The Mob leader flosses to kick off the track and takes it back to his humble beginnings running around Harlem. “Crackheads by the corner store, bakin’ soda by the stove, mattress on the floor/ Mice and the roaches, my room ain’t have a door, but I had some dope,” he reminisces over the revved-up production. The Indian rapper even slaps a reworked verse into his top 40 Hot 100 hit as he gives a shout-out to Flacko – his first American rap collaboration – and sets the stage for his official debut album in 2025. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
Khalid & Normani, “Personal”
After making history with “Love Lies” back in 2018 — the Love, Simon track was the first duet by two African-American singers to reach No. 1 on Pop Airplay in over 20 years — Khalid and Normani are back with another sultry team-up. This time, the two stars have joined forces for a deluxe cut for Patience, Khalid’s third studio album. Across a hiccuping, Afrobeats-nodding beat courtesy of Digi and Simon Says, they coo in carnal whispers: “Don’t know how I got it, but I’m next to you/ So what you gonna do?/ Put your body on my body, get personal/ So sensual.” Normani continues to show off her personal innovations on Brandy’s vocal playbook, while Khalid displays his growth as a duet partner, offering up a rich, husky complement to Mani’s airier timbre. — K.D.
AzChike, “Love Yo Weapons”
Fresh off his appearance on Kendrick Lamar’s GNX album, AzChike keeps fans’ attention with the menacing “Love Yo Weapons.” “Welcome to the show/ I don’t think we got no seats left,” he greets the newcomers over the haunting production. But it was the slick wordplay flipping Drake’s So Far Gone into a bar that had us hitting replay: “Up this Drake, now he gone/ Hit him from so far,” Az spews. The burgeoning West Coast rhymer certainly didn’t fumble the spotlight with “Love Yo Weapons.” — M.S.
Rhyan Douglas feat. Lekan, “Magic Gurl”
Rhyan Douglas and Lekan have both made incredible strive in 2024, and they’re capping off their formidable runs with an ode to a special “magic gurl.” A slow-burning duet that unfurls across a sparse soundscape comprised off ricocheting background synths, serne percussion and ethereal harmonies, “Magic Gurl” plays with quietness and loudness in a really refreshing way. Rhyan and Lekan both understand the innate dynamism of holding back and they effortlessly demonstrate that across this languid, swirling tune. — K.D.
Chocc, “Did You Mean It”
Cori Broadus, who sings under the alias Chocc, is stepping out from under her father, Snoop Dogg’s, shadow – or smoke cloud. Revealing her vulnerabilities through a reinvented sound mixing moody R&B with glitzy pop, Chocc shines on Journals to Johnny EP standout “Did You Mean It.” The 25-year-old pleads with her fiancee Wayne Duece while grappling if his “I love you’s” were for nothing. “Did you mean it when you say you love me,” Chocc sings while demanding an answer. The couple further peels back the layers of their relationship in a new E! docuseries Snoop’s Fatherhood: Cori and Wayne’s Story, which arrived alongside the project. — M.S.
Following the final show of the Eras tour, a comparison between its opening and closing, and how Swift’s biggest live show evolved over time.
Monday (Dec. 9) is the 10th anniversary of J. Cole’s classic 2014 Forest Hills Drive album and he’s playing the role of Santa Claus bearing gifts for fans. Cole shared eight previously unreleased songs on Monday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of 2014 Forest Hills Drive. The batch of tracks were part of an alternate […]
Billboard is counting down the Top Artists of 2024, as based on weekly chart activity, as we build toward the Billboard Music Awards on Thursday (Dec. 12) and the reveal of nearly 500 year-end charts on Friday (Dec. 13). Starting Monday (Dec. 9), we’re unveiling the No. 10 and No. 9 acts on the year-end […]
