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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Feb. 19, adding another week to its record atop the chart.
The single was digitally released on April 12, 2024 and hit No. 1 for the first time on the chart dated July 17. This week, it rises a notch to rule the tally for the sixth time after hovering for three weeks in the top 3.
Streaming and downloads for the Oblivion Battery opener remain largely unchanged compared to the week before, while karaoke increased by 15%. The track hits No. 1 for streaming, video views, and karaoke, while coming in at No. 4 for downloads.
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The three-man band dominates the top two slots on the Japan Hot 100 this week, with “Darling” rising 3-2. Video for the track gained 10% and downloads 28% from last week.
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Rosé & Bruno Mars’ “APT.” climbs 5-3. The global hit is slowing down in most metrics except karaoke, which increased by 14%. The track comes in at No. 9 for downloads, No. 3 for streaming, No. 26 for radio airplay, No. 9 for video, and No. 24 for karaoke. The catchy pop-punk single has been charting for 16 consecutive weeks on the Billboard Global 200 and is at No. 3 on the chart dated Feb. 22.
BE:FIRST’s “Spacecraft” is at No. 4 after debuting atop the chart last week. The single sold 5,664 copies on the second week after its release and hit No. 9 for sales, No. 2 for video (down by 27%), and No. 18 for streaming (down by 24%).
Kenshi Yonezu’s “Plazma” slips to No. 5. The Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- theme song topped downloads for the first time in three weeks with figures down by 22% compared to the previous week, a smaller decrease than the 37% drop the week before.
Takanori Iwata’s “Phone Number,” the EXILE member’s first release after transferring to Universal Music, bowed at No. 11 on the Japan Hot 100 after launching with 51,209 CDs to top sales, while coming in at No. 46 for downloads.
In other news, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” makes its debut on the Japan Hot 100, coming in at No. 86. This is due to a surge in radio airplay after the single won five Grammys — including Song of the Year and Record of the Year — and was featured in the Compton rapper’s electrifying Super Bowl halftime show performance. The track is also back atop the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in 29 weeks, logging its third week at No. 1.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Feb. 10 to 16, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
Kendrick Lamar is absolutely everywhere on the Billboard charts this week, following his explosive performance at halftime of Super Bowl LIX — the most-watched halftime show in history, according to the NFL and presenter Apple Music, with 133.5 million viewers.
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On the Billboard Hot 100 (dated Feb. 22), Lamar owns five of the top 10 songs, including four of the top five and the entire top three. Leading the pack is his already-minted classic “Not Like Us,” which returns to No. 1 for the first time since July 2024 and third week total. Meanwhile, on the Billboard 200, Lamar notches three of the top 10 albums — the first rapper to ever have three simultaneous entries in the region — also including the No. 1 spot, held by his late-2024 blockbuster GNX, in its second week on top.
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What do we make of the extent of Lamar’s chart dominance? And how much longer can he keep up this commercial run? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
1. The week after his Super Bowl halftime performance, Kendrick Lamar commands five of the top 10 spots on the Hot 100 — including four of the top five and the entire top three — while also notching three albums in the Billboard 200’s top 10, and returning to the top of both the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200 with “Not Like Us” and GNX, respectively. On a scale from 1-10, how insane do you find Kendrick’s level of post-Super Bowl dominance to be?
Eric Renner Brown: 7. I’m not shocked that Kendrick’s Super Bowl halftime show has boosted his streaming numbers. But I am surprised by the degree to which it has boosted them, following what’s been a very strong 12-month period for the rapper. It’s wild to me that, despite forgoing the typical “greatest hits” format for a Super Bowl halftime show and focusing on GNX material, Kendrick’s performance still lifted two of his old albums into the Billboard 200’s top 10.
Kyle Denis: 10. Mostly because I simply did not see any of this coming by the time we wrapped the Mr. Morale era in late 2023. I always knew Kendrick was capable of outright dominating a year; it just felt like he was content already having done so with Damn. and the Black Panther soundtrack during 2017-18. While the GNX boosts are dope to see, I’m less impressed by them considering most of the album has lived in the uppermost reaches of the Hot 100 since its surprise release last November. I’m far more impressed by good kid, m.A.A.d city – which saw none of its songs performed during halftime – re-entering the top 10 of the Billboard 200 (No. 10). Or better yet, his Jay Rock-assisted “Money Trees” — a good kid deep cut that was also passed over for the halftime setlist – finally debuting at No. 11 on Rap Streaming Songs over 12 years after its release.
Angel Diaz: I’m not a big numbers guy, but this seems like a big deal, so I’ll give it a 10. It’s refreshing to see those type of rap singles being at the top of the charts in place of some of the generic party records that we’re used to seeing dominate.
Jason Lipshutz: An 8. Two points off because most of the Kendrick songs currently in the top 10 were already relatively huge prior to the halftime boost… but still, this is pretty much best-case scenario for how a Super Bowl performance can result in chart dominance. The fact that two of his pre-GNX albums return to the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart this week demonstrates the depth to which viewers are returning to his back catalog as well, making the Super Bowl showcase both a boon to the new songs he performed as well as motivation to discover older songs he did not.
Andrew Unterberger: Tempted to say 10, just because the specifics continue to be mind-boggling for me, but Kendrick was already on such a heater pre-Super Bowl that it probably can’t be higher than a 9. Still, c’mon — how wild is this s–t??
2. We’ve never seen an artist experience a post-Super Bowl chart bump on this level before — if you had to choose one, do you think this unprecedented boost is more about Kendrick’s performance, his overall timeliness as an artist, or interest over his ongoing feud with Drake?
Eric Renner Brown: Granted, Drake is posting some gaudy numbers of his own with the Valentine’s Day debut of his PartyNextDoor collab $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, which one could attribute to interest in Drake’s first post-“Not Like Us” project – or just evidence of his ongoing pop hegemony. But I’m inclined to attribute this to Kendrick’s overall timeliness as an artist. Kendrick fans in my life enjoyed, but weren’t necessarily stunned, by his Super Bowl performance — and based on some of the media reactions, I’m not sure it roped in that many new fans for him; if anything, it felt tailored to Kendrick heads, what with its GNX deep cuts and high-concept structure. Of course, Kendrick’s delivery of the “Say Drake…” line became the halftime show’s most-memed moment – but, to me, if interest in the Drake feud was the primary driver of a bump for Kendrick, we wouldn’t be seeing such strong numbers for GNX and the rest of Kendrick’s catalog.
Kyle Denis: These options are definitely largely inextricable from one another, but I think Kendrick’s overall timeliness is most unprecedented, because things rarely line up this perfectly. We have literally never seen a rapper – especially one chiefly concerned with hip-hop’ s ethos than pop crossover ploys – have the kind of reach, catalog and ability to dominate the Super Bowl and the Grammys, win a generation-defining rap beef, he Grammys and earn peerless honors like the Pulitzer Prize for Music. And he’s got a major synch in the new Captain America movie, alongside a rapidly approaching join tour with SZA – the first hip-hop trek to exclusively play stadiums.
I think the fact that his back catalog got such a notable boost despite being largely ignored during his performance means that his halftime set won him the curiosity of hundreds of thousands of new listeners. I also think the fact the “Luther” is the highest-charting GNX track post-Super Bowl might mean that the Drake feud is no longer a primary reason people are tuning into K.Dot’s music right now. “Luther” is very clearly not about the beef, just like the vast majority of GNX, people are just really connecting with his music even outside of the Drake of it all, which speaks to intensity of Kendrick’s overall timeliness at the moment.
Angel Diaz: Sorry, but the only is answer is all of the above. George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg would call a situation like this the perfect storm. Kendrick by himself is capable of a No. 1 album and No. 1 single, but the Drake blowout, getting the Super Bowl, and taking advantage of the situation by dropping a surprise album that harkens back to his Section.80 and good kid, m.A.A.d city days helped his profile explode this past year. There are only a handful of rappers that have had a crazier run. Future and 50 Cent are the two that come to mind off the top of my head.
Jason Lipshutz: His overall timeliness. Yes, “Not Like Us” is still enormous as Drake-piñata fodder, and the best songs on GNX received the halftime showcase they deserved — yet Kendrick Lamar is currently bigger than any 12-minute moment, as a zeitgeist-capturing phenom whose greatness defined popular music in 2024. Some of the songs and albums that he didn’t even touch during the halftime show still made their way into the top 10 of the Hot 100 and Billboard 200, respectively, which shows that the general hunger for Lamar’s music transcends the Super Bowl or any feud.
Andrew Unterberger: I’ll say the Drake feud, because I still believe the level of interest in this specific performance — both going into it and coming out of it — was first and foremost tied to the question of whether or not he was going to play “Not Like Us.” But there’s no question that Kendrick’s 2024-25 boost in popularity and overall impact will outlive this beef, and I think he picked up far more new fans than we most of us probably realize with this performance, fans who might not have cared and may never care about this particular drama.
3. Outside of what’s going on with the charts — is there a more anecdotal example you’ve seen or experienced that demonstrates how much Kendrick Lamar has lorded over culture and conversation in the last week or so? (Either a real-life/online interaction you’ve had or something you’ve seen in the larger culture that’s not charts-related.)
Eric Renner Brown: My dad – an eclectic, voracious listener who has listened periodically to Kendrick dating back to good kid – reached out to me two days after the Super Bowl with a link to “Not Like Us” and the note “I like this!” He asked me to explain the Drake feud to him. The next day, he sent links to “squabble up” (“And this!”) and “reincarnated” (“This is quite good!”). Kendrick hasn’t felt underground for more than a decade, but with this Super Bowl halftime show, it really feels like he’s entered the mainstream and achieved a new level of stardom.
Kyle Denis: I mention this on an upcoming Greatest Pop Stars podcast episode, but Valentine’s Day Weekend surprised me! After dinner on Friday night (Feb. 14), my Valentine and I went to an R&B night at a club in Times Square. Of course, I expected to hear something from $ome $exy $ongs 4 U since it literally came out that day – or at least some older tracks from either Drizzy or Party. Instead, the DJ didn’t play a single song from either artist yet found a way to squeeze in a GNX medley of “TV Off” and “Peekaboo,” with “Luther” appearing later in the night. Needless to say, the venue went crazy everything the Compton Kid blared through the speakers.
Angel Diaz: His interview Timmy Tim, a.k.a. Timothée Chalamet, for the Super Bowl. They seem to be the chosen ones in their respective fields right now, and they’ve been able to tap into that pop culture zeitgeist to where your parents know who they are. There were white grandmothers bouncing around to Kendrick’s halftime performance on social media, while Chalamet has managed to enter the sports realm by exposing his Knicks fandom, and was the fifth non-singer to host and perform on SNL in the show’s 50-year history.
Jason Lipshutz: It’s been 10 days since the Super Bowl halftime show, and we are still talking about it — online, in real life, with friends and colleagues and family relatives picking my brain on how Kendrick did and What It All Meant. That’s an anomaly for Super Bowl halftime discourse, which typically has a shelf life of a day or two, no matter how huge the headliner might be. Not everybody loved Lamar’s halftime show, but there’s no denying its standing as a cultural lightning rod with a long tail of listenership — exactly what the NFL, and Kendrick himself, must have wanted.
Andrew Unterberger: I look at the SNL 50th Anniversary Homecoming Concert from Friday, where Kendrick was not present, but still got multiple center-stage moments — including yet another “A-minorrrrrr” singalong moment for a huge crowd of famous people with millions more watching from home. When you loom large over every major event even when you’re not there, that’s when you’ve really got the juice like no one else.
4. While “Not Like Us” resumes the top spot this week, “Luther” (with SZA) also hits a new peak of No. 2, and should threaten for pole position next week. Why do you think that song has emerged as the enduring popular favorite from GNX, and did the Super Bowl performance help cement that status?
Eric Renner Brown: I’m not so quick to label “Luther” the enduring popular favorite off GNX! One of the popular favorites? Sure. But “Peekaboo” has achieved TikTok virality with its “Bing-bop-boom-boom-boom-bop-bam/ The type of shit I’m on, you wouldn’t understand” line, while “Squabble Up” is a No. 1 hit with a memorable music video, and the “MUSTAAAAARD!” line in “TV Off” is already iconic enough to work without context in a Heinz ad. “luther” is also great, buoyed as it may be by SZA’s presence – and their collaboration at the halftime show certainly fortified its numbers. But ultimately, GNX is stacked with some of the most accessible, enjoyable music of Kendrick’s career. These songs and more will all pop off when he and SZA hit the stadium circuit in a couple months.
Kyle Denis: In December, I predicted “Luther” to be the most enduring GNX track and I’m standing by that. It’s the song on GNX with the widest appeal, it’s the best new SZA song we’ve gotten since she started expanding SOS, and its cozy loved-up balladry is perfect for the winter. I don’t think “Luther” was even in the top three most memorable music moments from the halftime show, but I think its slot there combined with forthcoming sure-to-be viral tour performances will help further cement the song’s legacy.
Angel Diaz: The song is just so damn catchy and fun for the whole family. I’ve seen videos of toddlers singing along to it. There’s also the Luther Vandross sample, and who doesn’t love Luther?
Jason Lipshutz: “Squabble Up” and “TV Off” are flashier rap singles, but “Luther” locates the midway point between two superstars: the chemistry between Kendrick Lamar and SZA crackles phenomenally on the track, their tones circling the Luther Vandross (and Cheryl Lynn) sample and bouncing off the subtly deployed strings in a way that pop, R&B and hip-hop fans can appreciate in equal measure. A Super Bowl performance is always going help matters commercially, but “Luther” was likely going to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 at some point regardless; next week might finally be that point.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s just the most generally agreeable song on the album for casual listeners, and probably the most playlistable as well. I don’t think the Super Bowl performance added a ton to the song, except for giving it the same boost it’s given the rest of his catalog.
5. It’s been almost a year since this Kendrick run first kicked off with “Like That” last March. What do you think is more likely — that his dominance will start to slow down soon, or that it’ll still feel this pervasive when we’re getting into year-end season?
Eric Renner Brown: Kendrick will only continue to feel dominant as he hits the road with SZA for his first stadium tour – he has a mass appeal right now that he simply hasn’t had in the past. But the wild card is how much he wants that. Prior to 2024, Kendrick – who I believed throughout the ’10s could’ve been a Drake-level hitmaker, if he’d wanted to pursue that direction instead of the knottier, more complex music that earned him a Pulitzer – has evaded the spotlight, taking breaks when he gained momentum and eschewing more commercial plays. With GNX, the Super Bowl halftime show, and now his stadium tour, he doesn’t seem to be currently in that headspace. We’ll see how long it lasts.
Kyle Denis: It will be very hard for Kendrick’s dominance to feel pervasive because he is not a very present, forward-facing star. “Not Like Us” has officially been No. 1 for more weeks than the number of times Kendrick has given televised live performances of the song. He’s not someone that’s constantly on social media posting to his finsta and linking with Twitch streamers. He drops music, performs, gives one or two (probably contractually obligated) interviews and goes home.
Kendrick also isn’t one to flood the market with music; it’s not likely he keeps pumping out new content, so as consumers, we’re not likely to feel inundated or overwhelmed by how present he is in the marketplace. Now, if the Grand National tour ends up becoming a cultural phenomenon like the Renaissance World Tour or Eras Tour, we might have to revisit this conversation.
Angel Diaz: I think that totally depends on Drake. If he continues with his antics: the lawsuits, the memes, the trolling. Then maybe Dot will take his foot off his neck, but until then, I fear the boogeyman isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. His stadium tour is kicking off at the end of April, and you gotta think he has something else up his sleeve — like maybe a verse on the new Clipse album (allegedly/rumored innuendo.) I would put money on the onslaught continuing. I think that would be a pretty safe bet.
Jason Lipshutz: The latter. GNX has more singles to spin off, and Lamar has been re-energized as a recording artist during this run, to the point where the five-year gap between DAMN. and Mr. Morale now feels out of the question. We’ve got a summer stadium tour alongside SZA coming up, GNX will be eligible at the 2026 Grammys, and whatever Kendrick decides to release in between — his ubiquity is not lagging anytime soon.
Andrew Unterberger: Yeah, it might not be an every week thing — though it also might be an every week thing — but the level that Kendrick is at right now I think means that he’s going to continue to make waves (and headlines) almost by default for pretty much the rest of the year, regardless of whether or not he releases any more music. And honestly, if I had to bet, I would say he probably does release some more music; he seems to realize what a special run it is that he’s on right now, and I would bet he’s got at least a little more to say while he’s still in this bright a spotlight.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, Billboard and EMPIRE came together at EMPIRE’s San Francisco studios to celebrate Billboard’s second annual Sports and Music issue, honoring some of the most powerful people operating at the intersection of the industries of sports and music. The issue, which features EMPIRE founder/CEO Ghazi on the cover, as well as a […]
Tate McRae is stepping into a new era with her third studio album, So Close to What, set for release Friday. To celebrate, McRae partnered with Spotify for an intimate listening party on Tuesday night at The Living Room in Los Angeles, where 40 fans got an exclusive first listen.
From the moment the first song played, the energy in the room was electric. Fans were dancing, jumping and fully immersed, reacting in real time as McRae unveiled her most personal and dynamic project yet.
The night wasn’t just about the music. It also featured a Q&A session with McRae’s best friend, social media personality Jake Shane. Their dynamic was effortless, filled with playful banter, inside jokes and genuine excitement for the album. Shane, one of McRae’s biggest supporters, couldn’t hide his enthusiasm, especially for his favorite track of the night. Before “Signs” played, he hyped it up to the room, blurting out, “It’s so good!” McRae laughed, adding, “It’s a really fun, sarcastic pop song. … I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.” The second it started, the entire room was moving. The track is pure spring and summer energy — made for blasting in the car, top down, cruising with friends.
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McRae’s So Close to What delivers a mix of vulnerability and high-energy anthems, showing her evolution as an artist. One of the biggest crowd favorites of the night was “Revolving Door.” The second it started, fans latched onto it, jumping and dancing without hesitation. It’s a song that demands movement, a full-blown party record with pulsing energy. The room was completely alive, and it was impossible not to picture this track blowing up on playlists and club remixes.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, “Purple Lace Bra” slowed things down, bringing an introspective, emotional energy. McRae described it as her response to the media, a raw and deeply personal track. Speaking on the theme of the album, she explained, “The album title encapsulates how I felt turning 21 … feeling like you’re finally a woman while also wrestling with how the media portrays you.”
Then there was “Green Light,” a track about the exhilarating-yet-terrifying feeling of falling in love again. It captures the tension of hesitation and excitement, like waiting at a green light, unsure whether to move forward. The mix of vulnerability and an infectious beat makes it an instant fan favorite — one of those songs that lingers long after it ends.
But the highlight of the night: “Bloodonmyhands,” featuring Flo Milli. The second the beat dropped, the entire room erupted. People stood up, danced and completely lost themselves in the music. It was giving summer 2016 — chaotic, fun, completely unfiltered energy. And Flo Milli, she ate. Her delivery, her confidence, her flow — she brought exactly what the song needed, and the crowd’s reaction said it all.
During the chat, McRae opened up about much of the album leaking ahead of her release date, which she called a “f—ing bummer.” “I was just so devastated because I’m like, ‘There’s nothing I can do about this.’” McRae combated the leak by getting back in the studio and writing some new songs to add to the project, including what would become the Flo Milli collab, plus “Like I Do.”
McRae also gave fans insight into her creative process, revealing that her alter ego played a big role in shaping some of the songs. “Tatiana, my alter ego, wrote a lot of the songs on the album — including ‘Sports Car,’” she shared of her latest single.
One of the most anticipated collaborations is “I Know Love,” her song with boyfriend The Kid Laroi, which came together in a way neither of them expected. “It was a really funny process, because me and Laroi have never really, like, taken each other seriously,” she laughed. “You know when you’re in a relationship and you sing around each other, but you don’t really, like, sing? So it was a little stressful being in the studio singing and writing in front of him, but it was a cool experience to watch him in his process.”
McRae closes the album with “Nostalgia,” a deeply personal track that lingers long after the final note. It’s the perfect ending to an album that takes listeners through every high and low.
The listening party proved that So Close to What will be a defining moment in McRae’s career. Fans connected instantly with the songs, and the energy in the room was undeniable. With her Miss Possessive Tour kicking off in March, this is just the beginning. If the reactions at the listening event were any indication, McRae’s biggest era yet has officially arrived.
Tate McRae and Jake Shane speak during an exclusive listening of ‘So Close to What’ with Tate McRae at The Living Room on February 18, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Spotify
Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ attorneys have filed a motion seeking the dismissal of a sex trafficking charge in the hip-hop mogul’s indictment, citing the alleged racist origins of the count. Combs’ legal team, which made the filing official on Tuesday (Feb. 18) in New York federal court, argues that “no white person has ever been the […]
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Source: Xbox / Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass continues to add the hottest titles to its library to keep you picking up your Xbox controller.
Xbox Game Pass subscribers, listen up: some big day one releases and fan favorites are heading to the service to help it continue being the best value in gaming.
Available Right Now!
Journey to the Living Lands right now in one of the most anticipated games of the year, Avowed, from Obsidian Entertainment.
Per Xbox:
Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
Coming Soon
Here are some titles you can look forward to playing on Xbox Game Pass, per Xbox.
EA Sports F1 24 (Cloud, Console, and PC) EA Play – February 20 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Join the grid and chase podium glory with unlimited access to EA Sports F1 24, coming soon to The Play List. Members can master every turn and feel at one with the car with Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), PC Game Pass, or Game Pass Ultimate via EA Play. Plus, score in-game rewards including 5,000 XP monthly.
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Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is an isometric RPG by Owlcat Games, set in the grim darkness of the 41st millennium. As a powerful Rogue Trader, you command a starship, assemble a crew, and explore the Imperium, making fateful decisions in tactical, turn-based combat.
Watch Dogs: Legion (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 25 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Explore a massive urban open world featuring London’s many iconic landmarks and fun side activities where you can recruit (and play as) anyone. Everyone you see has a unique backstory, personality, and skill set for unique situations. Team up with your friends to complete new four-player co-op missions and PvP matches online.
A Classic Returns
Ryse: Son of Rome Available with Cloud Gaming Game Pass Ultimate
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Games Leaving Xbox Game Pass February 28
With the arrival of new titles, some games are leaving, but don’t fret; you can use your Xbox Game Pass 20% discount to purchase these games and ensure they stay in your library.
F1 22 (Console and PC) EA Play
Gris (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Maneater (Cloud, Console, and PC)
PAW Patrol World (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Space Engineers (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Wo Long Fallen Dynasty (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Yakuza 3 Remastered (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Yakuza 4 Remastered (Cloud, Console, and PC
DLC & Game Updates
Sea of Thieves: Season 15 – Starting February 20
Sea of Thieves is more exciting than ever as new life abounds across the waves. Set forth on new Voyages for The Hunter’s Call, grapple with wild boars and deadly sea monsters, master using hunting spears and more, with new features to enjoy each month.
Ark Survival Ascended: Astraeos DLC – Available Now
Game Pass members save 10%! Embark on your next epic odyssey within the world of Ark with Astraeos! Explore and immerse yourself in an elysian land of colossal proportions, steeped in Greek mythology. At over 260km², this massive new map is overflowing with stunning scenery, ancient ruins, and sacred temples. Face off against powerful new bosses, alpha dino variants with enhanced loot, and a fearsome miniboss lurking in mysterious caves.
Forza Motorsport: Update 17 – Available Now
Update 17 celebrates cars that are fun, compact, and performant. Race four new-to-Motorsport cars: 2023 Toyota Camry TRD, 2022 Hyundai i20N, 2022 Toyota GR86, and 2021 Hyundai #98 Elantra TCR. Get the 2021 Toyota Yaris GR and 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5N in the Challenge Hub.
Age of Mythology: Retold – Immortal Pillars Expansion – March 4
Game Pass members can save 10% on their pre-order of Immortal Pillars, the highly anticipated first expansion for Age of Mythology: Retold. Harness the power of ancient Chinese mythology and discover a world where gods, monsters, and legends collide in an epic new chapter of mythical strategy.
Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Madden NFL 25: EA Play Supercharge Pack – Available Now
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Minecraft: 1 Month Marketplace Pass – Available Now
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Monster Hunter Now: MH Now Bundle – Available Now
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MultiVersus: MVP Pack 5 – Available Now
The MultiVersus MVP Pack offers in-game content to further customize and boost your play for Game Pass Ultimate members. MVP Pack 5 includes a Rare Banner – Bun Power and a Legendary Taunt – Treat Break.
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Source: Rémy Martin / Remy Martin
Rémy Martin announced a new limited-edition collection honoring Hip-Hop culture, along with a new initiative mentoring creatives with financial support and expert knowledge.
Source: Rémy Martin / Remy Martin
On Wednesday (February 19), the iconic Rémy Martin brand announced the release of a limited-edition collection of their V.S.O.P. cognac to honor the flourishing culture of Hip-Hop across the United States. The “This Is My City Limited Editions” come in four bottles representing the four major cities – “Atlanta – the city pushing boundaries, Chicago – the home of lyrical legends, Detroit – the home of Motown and resilient beats, and New York City – the city that birthed hip hop”, according to the press release. Each bottle and its box are carefully designed with vibrant colors to reflect the spirit of each city’s heritage through popular landmarks, sports teams, and other elements. It follows another limited edition collection the venerable brand released in 2023, honoring the DJ and their impact on culture.
In addition, Rémy Martin has announced the This is My City Microgrant Initiative, a new program crafted to honor emerging creatives in each of the four cities. Each micro-grant consists of $20,000 which will be given to a creative from each city along with one-on-one mentoring from industry experts. One example is the New York grant, which will have legendary radio host, author, and producer Angie Martinez as the mentor for that city. Fashion designer Jon Stan will also continue his collaboration with the cognac brand to create an exclusive collection of custom merchandise for each microgrant recipient. Each bottle in the collection also has its own curated playlist, available through the website.
The collection’s release will be marked by upcoming events in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and Detroit where Rémy Martin will welcome the microgrant honorees, their mentors, and other notable figures from various industries to celebrate “culture, community, and cognac.” Each of the limited editions is available only in the four cities as well as through online retailers. Those interested in applying to the microgrant initiative, as well as customers looking to purchase their bottles from the collection, can do so on Rémy Martin’s website.
Source: Rémy Martin / Remy Martin
When Kane Brown embarks on his headlining The High Road Tour March 13 in San Diego, California, the tour will not only highlight 12-time Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper Brown’s consistent hitmaker status and enduring headliner draw but also marks a significant opportunity for his opening acts to solidify their own connections with Brown’s fanbase.
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As a precursor to the tour, Brown has released to DSPs “Says I Can (The High Road Tour Version),” a collaborative rendition of his country-leaning song featuring his tour openers, “Your Place” singer Ashley Cooke, “Austin” hitmaker Dasha, “Truth About You” singer Mitchell Tenpenny and five-time Country Airplay hitmaker Scotty McCreery trading off verses and joining together on a chorus ready-made for arena-sized singalongs.
“[The goal] is to really amplify everything we are trying to do, and also highlight the great talent that we are taking out on the road with Kane,” Brown’s longtime manager, Neon Coast’s Martha Earls, tells Billboard. “They are all super talented, so why not highlight them?”
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The concept of a headlining act welcoming openers back to the stage for a group singalong is a consistent element in country music concerts, whether they team up on one of the headliner’s own hits or pluck a tune from country music’s deep trove of fan favorites. Brown has regularly welcomed his openers to join him on songs during his shows, such as welcoming Restless Road to sing “One Mississippi” on his 2022-2023 Drunk or Dreaming Tour, or inviting Jordan Davis and Restless Road to sing on “Famous Friends” during Brown’s 2021 Blessed & Free Tour, which visited all 29 NBA basketball venues.
Brown’s dedication to spotlighting his opening acts stems from his own early days, when Brown was opening shows for Florida Georgia Line. “FGL asked him to come out and be one of four [openers] on their tour, and they were so nice to him,” Earls says. “And then it all came full circle in 2024, when we had [former FGL member] Tyler Hubbard as our direct support. They really set the precedent of how to incorporate openers and make them feel like they are part of the tour. That’s something that is important to Kane and why he’s always brought openers out on a song.”
Brown’s move is not without precedent: Five years ago, Miranda Lambert put out a cover of Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” prior to the launch of her 2019 Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars Tour, with openers including Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde and Caylee Hammack; they also performed the song together during Lambert’s concerts.
Earls notes the lilting, warm “Says I Can,” a track from Brown’s The High Road album, naturally lent itself to a sing-a-long.
The idea came from Brown’s A&R executive at Sony Music Nashville, Margaret Tomlin. “She said, ‘What if we made a recording of “Says I Can” and put the openers on it?’ We loved the idea, because at the end of the day, let’s make it all cohesive and make what people are seeing onstage, then [be what] they can hop in their car and listen to and remember that moment,” Earls says.
“All of the openers were eager and excited to be part of it, which felt nice and expressed like, ‘Okay, this is more than just going out and playing shows. This is about creating a moment for everybody every night,” Earls adds.
Brown first recorded the solo version of “Says I Can” last summer while making his The High Road album, while Cooke, Dasha, McCreery and Tenpenny put their vocals on The High Road Tour version of “Says I Can” during the days leading up to The High Road release on Jan. 31. Each artist contributed their individual part from various locales — Tenpenny was in Australia, Cooke was in Nashville, Dasha was in Los Angeles, and McCreery was gearing up for a songwriters’ retreat on the East coast.
“They are all complementary, but different,” Earls says of the artists’ vocals. “The vocals each came in and we threw it all at [Brown’s producer] Dann Huff and he mixed them together. [We wanted] to be able to put this out in advance of the tour and give the fans a glimpse of some of what they will experience.”
Brown tied in a social media aspect to the song and the tour, filming off-the-cuff video of himself FaceTiming with Cooke, Dasha, McCreery, and Tenpenny and holding up a green cup for a “Cheers Challenge” to promote the new song.
“I’m texting Dasha, like, ‘Can you answer a FaceTime right now?’” Earls recalls of pulling the video together. “There’s a funny video of her answering while she’s driving, and she’s like, ‘I can’t find an exit to pull off, let me call you guys back.’ So, it was all very sweet.”
The time span from inviting the opening acts to take part in the song to finished recording and making social media clip took less than two weeks. “I feel like we’re creating a little bond from the start, from before we even step out into the first show in San Diego,” Earls says.
“All of the teams stepped up and jumped on making the videos and making the social media moments happen. That was part of the fun, too,” Earls adds. “We see everything on social media — tour clips, music video clips. Why not interweave it all? An even more extreme example might be when Kane and Jelly Roll are performing at Buckeye Superfest [in Columbus, Ohio on June 25]. They have a song together [“Haunted”] and I can’t wait until that night when they play that song together. I think it is going to be so powerful and such a moment. That’s the fun part of collaborating in the music industry, and I think the sum can be greater than the parts sometimes.”
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Although it was released in theaters a few weeks ago, One of Them Days is now streamable online.
The buddy comedy starring Emmy Award-winner Keke Palmer and Grammy Award-winner SZA is available to buy or rent on premium video on-demand platforms, even though you can still watch it in theaters. Save the trip to the movies and watch it at home.
Where to Stream ‘One of Them Days’ Online
At the moment, One of Them Days is available to rent for $19.99, or buy digitally for $24.99 on Prime Video, Apple TV and other digital marketplaces.
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In addition, if you’re looking for an alternative way to stream, you can watch One of Them Days through Apple TV, which doesn’t require an Apple TV+ subscription to watch the movie. After buying, the movie automatically downloads into your video library, so you can stream it at your convenience.
However, rentals for both services are accessible for 30 days after purchase, and for 48 hours once you begin watching the movie.
As for a physical media release, One of Them Days will be available on DVD for $34.99 and Blu-ray on sale for $31.99 (reg. $40.99) on Amazon. Both formats drop on Tuesday, April 1, but you can pre-order now.
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Meanwhile, One of Them Days also has a soundtrack featuring recording artists, like Thee Sacred Souls, GloRilla, Doechii, Migos and others.
Written by Syreeta Singleton and directed by Lawrence Lamont, One of Them Days follows two best friends Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) trying to find rent money after Alyssa’s boyfriend blew their money on t-shirts. The pair have to race against the clock to pay on time and avoid getting evicted.
The comedy also stars Vanessa Bell Calloway, Lil Rel Howery, Katt Williams, Maude Apatow, Patrick Cage, Gabrielle Dennis, Janelle James, Amin Joseph, Keyla Monterroso Mejia and others.
Stream One of Them Days in 4K Ultra HD on Prime Video and Apple TV starting at $19.99. In the meantime, watch the trailer below.
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