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Fans of Saba have likely forged a connection with his music because of the way that he weaves spirituality and intention into his music. After earning early accolades in the mid-2000s as part of the budding indie Chicago rap scene, alongside artists like Chance The Rapper, Noname and Mick Jenkins, he independently released three albums — the aspirational Bucket List Project, the grief-stricken opus Care For Me, and the lineage studying Few Good Things — that were thematically and conceptually rich.
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And so far, it’s hard to argue against his approach: He’s earned gold and platinum plaques for both his solo work (“Photosynthesis”) and collaborations (“Sacrifices,” alongside J. Cole and Smino for Dreamville’s Revenge of the Dreamers III compilation), he’s worked with some of the greatest ever and he’s moved from the Midwest to live in Los Angeles full-time.
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But on From The Private Collection of Saba and No ID, he intentionally aimed to make a project that was less structured than his other solo albums. No ID earned much of his reputation in the ‘90s and ‘00s by making classics with fellow Chi-Town greats like Common and Ye, but over the last decade-plus, he earned a reputation for getting his collaborators to bare their souls — whether it’s Jay-Z opening up about infidelities and insecurities on 4:44, or Killer Mike coalescing bits from his childhood and southern heritage into his Grammy-winning album Michael.
Years after meeting the legendary producer for the first time, Saba planned to simply make a mixtape with him. He now refers to the final product as an album after switching his original batch of songs for new cuts, but he still made a point to keep the free spirit that he originally had in mind. The result is a self-described “tasting menu” of songs that find him ruminating on his career accomplishments, love, Black hair, and perhaps most notably, just how confident he is in his skills.
While sitting down at the Billboard offices in New York City in early January, Saba detailed the various familial and musical threads that led to him working with No ID, memorable studio sessions with the likes of Raphael Saadiq and Kelly Rowland, and how he decides to keep working on a record despite having songs in the can already.
“An album like this, I get to showcase my bag in a lot of ways, all these styles that I feel capable of,” Saba says. “You gotta be the most comfortable version of yourself, because that’s how you get the most confident version of yourself. I think that’s who I got to meet on this record.”
How did you and No ID meet?
We met in 2018, before I dropped my second album Care for Me. He flew me out for a meeting, with the intent on signing me. This is when he was at Capitol Records (as the label’s executive vice president). My dad has been doing music pretty much forever, and he knew him from the ‘90s. So my dad had been trying to connect us for a long time, but they fell out of touch. A friend of my dad had been putting the bug in the air, and eventually it made its way to No ID.
I didn’t end up signing to him, but we stayed in communication. When he was no longer with the label, it opened up the possibility of our working relationship. It didn’t have to be so by-the-book; we were able to get creative.
Before I moved out to LA, I was just going out there for meetings and trying to squeeze in a bunch of studio sessions. Our first time getting in the studio was in 2019. I had never worked with him, so I got to just see how he approaches his craft. He’s a talker, and then he backs up what he talks about. He’s like, “I’ll make 20 beats in one session.” He sat in the corner, he made 20 beats, gave them to me on the hard drive, and then left. I’m like, “Damn. I’ve never seen that done.”
And that’s the first time where we actually worked. I had been to the studio where I’ll pull up, and he’ll just chop it up with me. That’s one thing that is important: He gets to know the artists that he’s working with. I realized the value of that in his production style, because it’s for artists to tell a story. Down the line, when we actually started working on this project in 2022, those conversations were monumental. It sets the energy and the intent to do something amazing.
That reminds me of a story he told about working with Jay-Z on 4:44. He played the Hannah Williams sample for him from the title track, and as soon as Jay heard it, he’s basically like, “Oh, so we’re doing this now, huh?” It felt like they had kicked it enough to be able to communicate through a sample like that.
That’s 100, because it’s such a vulnerable process. Getting in the studio and sharing parts of your life in any any capacity is something that you gotta feel safe and protected enough to commit to. That producer/artist relationship transcends the studio. It’s another level of trust: When you get in the studio, you can access it without a second guess. You just go in there, fully you.
My understanding is that on your previous albums you had a very hands-on role in your production. Was that the same here, or did you trust No ID to do everything himself?
No ID gave me a lot of free reign to kind of treat this album how I make music, which I think was a big learning curve. I’m very hands-on when it comes to what I’m making. I like to change drum sounds, swap samples out; I like to produce, to be a part of the song. He would let me produce around some of his ideas, which was really cool.
It was something that I didn’t even think about asking, so maybe I stepped on some toes. But it was just my process, so I didn’t even think about it that way — like, “Damn, this motherf–ker gave me all of these beats, and I’m sitting here deconstructing them.” He sent over 100 ideas my way. So I’m taking parts that I thought were the best parts of these beats, and then some of them were just perfect already, where I didn’t have to touch nothing. It was a collaborative process, but it was also like a real trust-building process.
First you said that he made 20 beats when he was sitting with you that day. Then he just said that he gave you 100.
Yeah, so the 20 beats were in 2019. That was our first session, but we weren’t working on an album. Years down the line, when we reconnected once the deal had fallen through, the relationship had become something else. I ran into him when we were in Atlanta for (Dreamville Records’ 2019 compilation) Revenge of the Dreamers Vol 3. I was actually about to go do a deal, and by the end of our conversation, I didn’t want to do the deal. But he wasn’t talking me out of the deal; we were just talking about a new possibility, something that hadn’t been on the table yet. And I’m like, “Well that’s what I want to do.”
Pandemic happens, a lot of life is happening at the same time while all of this music s–t is happening. But right before I leave for the Few Good Things Tour, I’m visiting him at the studio. He’s like, “I made a hundred beats this week. How many of them do you want me to send you?” Being who I am, where I’m from, I don’t know when I’m gonna have an opportunity like that. So I’m like, “If you made a hundred beats, send me all 100.” Just to see what would happen. I didn’t expect him to, but he made a link and he put all 100 in there.
I was just treating it like homework: Here’s somebody who’s well established, well respected and a legend. And I’m from Chicago, so it’s a big deal to me that he trusted me with 100 beats. So I want to take it serious, even though I’m on tour. That was my first time we would turn every room into a studio, and we left that tour with 14 songs. The goal was to do a mixtape at first — but I’m getting back home and we hadn’t even gotten in the studio together yet. So I’m like, “I could drop [what I’ve already made], or I could really lock in.” My plan was to release it that year, but the music kept getting better. I’m like, “I guess I gotta just trust the process and see where this goes.”
You’ve reached the point in your career where you’ve been able to work with people that you respect on individual songs — Krazyie Bone, Black Thought, J. Cole. This is different though, locking in with No ID in an extended way. How much did you look up to him before you guys had worked together?
I mean he’s No ID, so you don’t fully know what he’s responsible for. When I think of what he did in the city, I think of Ye and Common, knowing the sonic texture of what they brought to hip-hop. It was always the North Star; the trajectory of what we were doing sonically was always inspired by the soul sample, the chops, the musicianship and the feeling of that music. Twista, Do Or Die, Crucial Conflict also, but that’s a big part of it.
And making the music, you don’t know what a motherf–ker like this is capable of until you see them in action. Being around him, he’s still working like he didn’t accomplish anything. He’s still calling me talking about (studio) plugins; he’s working like a 15-year-old producer or some s–t. Learning that and being around it, it’s really contagious. You want to give more, you want to do more, you want to do better.
You’ve shown a willingness before to record something and start an album over. You did that with Few Good Things, right?
Yeah, I had a similar plan for a Few Good Things. I originally wanted to follow Care for Me with a mixtape and just do 10 to 15 songs at the end of that year. I’ll go into a project with an idea of what I’m gonna make, but time has always been the greatest storyteller. So there’s always a matter of caution that I proceed with when it comes to identifying where the projects are; just because I had an intent doesn’t necessarily mean that I gotta marry myself to it.
That’s a benefit of how we’ve put out art in the past: the people who are really tapped in with us, they grow with the music. You don’t have to rush it, because they’ll spend time in the world that you create. So you might as well make sure it’s as detailed, lush, and vivid as possible. Looking at the chessboard, the s–t is completely different from when we originally started. It’s pieces falling off, it’s people dying. It’s all type of s–t that happened, where I’m like, “I gotta stand on all of the music that I’m making right now.” And it just led me to a new place.
What is it like to finish an album, and you hear it and it’s like, “Nah, let’s do something else?”
That just means it wasn’t finished to me. I never reached that moment of “The album is finished – let me do something else.” It’s more like, “It’s still in the oven. Let me swap that song out for a different one, or let me add something to that, because that’s missing an ingredient.” I think when I was looking at the mixtape version of it, it was a great mixtape. The goalpost didn’t move, I still wanted to have that energy where I get my s–t off and say whatever I gotta say. But I also wanted to have songs that I can stand on, live with, grow with. And I think the [presence of] songs is what really changed, that became a focus.
It feels like each of your albums before this has a very clear theme. Bucket List feels like “I’m right there, I’m on the cusp of popping.” Care for Me is about grief and loss. Few Good Things is about retracing your family history, and recognizing your role in that lineage. Do you think that this album has a theme?
I would say that this idea of The Private Collection is almost like snapshots; each song has its own texture. They all feel different, so I guess they’re only connected in the sense that it is a private collection. I think all of these songs are like small worlds of their own. That’s part of the mixtape nature of it; it’s an album now, but I didn’t want it to be like my other albums that are so concept-based. This one, the concept is just me and No ID having fun through the artform, showcasing how we hear hip-hop in 2025.
I don’t think I went into those other albums with the theme in mind. Over time, the projects reveal themselves to you. I don’t necessarily need a concept to start an album, but I do need a direction. I’m in the studio searching for a feeling; I’m not just looking to make good music. Good music is like, you rap good and the beat is good. But I think it’s so much good, that good is boring to me. Did it accomplish the feeling that you was looking for? Once that feeling happens, it’s like you’ve got the first pin on the map.
On “Acts 1.5” you said, “Every verse is a classic.” On “Westside Bound,” you said, “In’t a rap n—a that I idolize.” On “Woes of the World,” you were talking about wanting to go “toe to toe with the GOAT, because you’re second to none.” Was there a moment when you realized, “oh s–t, I really, I really feel this way”?
I’ve been popping s–t throughout my career, but most of my albums have been created from a moment of circumstance — these somewhat tragic events that happened in my life — and then I need to go to the studio and have my therapy session. It’s circumstance providing an inspiration, as opposed to, “Well, what if you just made what you wanted to make and said what you wanted to say?” My confidence has always been there throughout the other albums. But I think this one, it’s just having that mixtape start. The first versions of all of these songs were just go in the studio and rap well, have some fun, drop some bars. Songs like “Back In Office,” “hue_man nature,” songs from that first version of the tape, that was the intent behind them. Just the sport of it.
I’m always searching to make what only I can make, to say what only I could say. Some of that is in perspective, because I feel differently than how the next person might feel. If I can think of an interesting way to say how I feel, you can turn anything into a bar. But it’d be crazy to spend my life doing this and not be confident. It’s years of practice. I’m 30 years old, I’ve been rapping since I was nine. If I’m not confident by now…
I want to talk about a couple songs. “Every Painting Has a Price,” it seems like you’re talking about the evolving relationship between you and your listeners. How did that song come together?
“Every Painting Has a Price” is a title that was from my last album. It meant something different to me two, three years ago. I posted one of the early Few Good Things tracklists that had songs that didn’t make it, and a friend of mine was like, “‘Every Painting Has a Price’ is a crazy title.” I’m like, “D–n, I should reintroduce this concept into the next thing that I do.” That’s kind of where my idea to pocket things [comes from]; sometimes the idea’s gotta load.
Working on that record, that was the day Kelly Rowland was in the studio, so it was such a special moment. She came in to just ask No ID something, because she was in the studio next door. I had BJ the Chicago Kid there, (longtime collaborator/producer) Daoud was there, Eryn Allen Kane was there. Everybody was in that b–ch, just doing what they were there to do. The song happens, and Kelly pulls me to the side. We still don’t got the hook, we don’t got certain lyrics down yet. She’s asking me about the song, like, “What is this to you? What does it mean?” And it was crazy to have this heart-to-heart moment with somebody like her, and she’s extracting the song. For what became a few days, weeks down the line, I’m playing a song that used to be the outro, and Raphael Sadiq is like, “Make that the intro. Get that point across early.”
I feel like it is an update to my listeners, because they haven’t gotten a full body of work from me since 2022. So I think there’s a lot to update them on in terms of how my perspective has shifted where I’m at in life. I wanted to offer context before we get into all of the rest of the s–t that I’m gonna talk and what I’m gonna say. When I say “Every Painting Has a Price,” it’s very literal. The work, the craft, the amount of time, the dedication, the sacrifice that goes into all of this f–king work is often underappreciated. Because culturally, the value of music has shifted. So I don’t think people know what all goes into it sometimes. motherf–kers out here losing their mind, motherf–kers give everything that they have to it. Knowing that, I want to give people context before you hear where I’m at.
You said that “How to Impress God” was a song that you waited your whole life to make. What made that song that means so much to you?
“How to Impress God” was actually written pretty quickly. It wasn’t that deep, because my first version was just popping s–t. The first version is just, let me flex off all of my accomplishments. But then it’s like, “How do I add an extra layer to it?”
People see what we’re doing and base their lives off of that. I’ve done all of this stuff, and I just wanted to offer people perspective that sometimes, as an artist, it doesn’t really feel like much has changed. You still gotta do all of the self work, all of the mindfulness. You gotta really hold yourself down, because no external validation can offer that to you like you can. You can be the biggest artist in the world, but if you don’t handle this part of it, none of that s–t is gonna matter.
Machine Gun Kelly pays rocking tribute to one of his best friends, late Australian snowboarder Luke “The Dingo” Trembath in the new video for “Your Name Forever.” The Sam Cahill-directed clip features MGK performing the high-adrenaline rap-rock tune on a rooftop overlooking the Hollywood Hills interspersed with footage of Trembath’s many friends in the music and extreme sports world gathered in front of a massive portrait of the beloved powder rider painted by muralist Royyal Dog.
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“I never thought the last time I’d seen you would be the last time I’d seen you/ I hopped on the bike that you gave me the day I rode to nowhere, hoping that I’d reach you/ The last argument that we had, I said things I shouldn’t have/ I hurt you and I didn’t mean to/ Your coat’s on the chair in my house right now,” MGK sings urgently on the high-octane tune that features background vocals from Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows, Bring Me the Horizon’s Oli Sykes, Mod Sun and lead guitar from A7X Synyster Gates, who were all friends of Dingo’s as well.
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“i’ma miss you brother. 😞💔🕊️ i hope this song honors your epic legacy. none of this will be the same without you,” MGK wrote on Instagram on Tuesday (March 18). In an earlier reel last week featuring pictures of the old friends from over the years, Kelly wrote, “crazy…i didn’t even cry this hard when my dad died. 💔😞🕊️ i’ve lost a lot of friends, but i’ve never lost a brother. we’ll never get another Dingo on this planet. a true rockstar without ever needing to make a song, the most loyal, loud, charismatic, funny, and annoying human i’ve ever had the honor of knowing.”
He added, “i’ll miss your epic toasts, i’ll miss dapping you up and my hand hurting everytime because you had some odd amount of Australian strength goin on, i’ll miss your bellyflops, i’ll miss watching you walk through the door and lifting the energy of every pivotal event in my adult life, i’ll miss you pissing me off, but most of all i’ll miss your laugh. you were the glue between all of us,” before alluding to the difficulty of thinking about a world without his pal as the singer awaits the birth of his first child with ex-Megan Fox. “i feel like your up there with my new child, dressed up in a hilarious costume making them laugh, getting ready to send them down. i couldn’t ask for a more bittersweet birth blessing,” MGK wrote.
The video features years of footage of loud and brash party-bringer Dingo hanging backstage and goofing around with MGK, as well as a party of black-clad mourners releasing doves in his honor at the mural dedicdation; sponsor Monster Energy confirmed on Feb. 28 that Trembath died at age 38, with no cause of death revealed so far.
“Tell me, did you know it was time to say goodbye?/ Tell me, did the heavens align where angels fly?” MGK sings on the chorus. “What happens, what happens when you kiss the sky?/ Tell me, did you know it was time to say goodbye?”
The clip ends with an extended cut Dingo hanging with MGK over the years, sharing laughs and silly moments backstage, including one in which the rapper/rocker bursts into tears and wonders, “I literally feel like we had the same conversation last year. In this same spot. Are we going to grow up and be doing this when we’re 50?”
Watch the “Your Name Forever” video below.
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Source: Baldwin Park Police Department / Baldwin Park Police Department
According to HotNewHipHop West Coast rapper Lefty Gunplay hit a major roadblock when he was arrested right outside Rolling Loud California, causing him to miss his performance on the Sunday of the festival.
Lefty Gunplay’s mugshot from his arrest at Rolling Loud has surfaced online. pic.twitter.com/VBdZrQVVhO
— No Jumper (@nojumper) March 18, 2025
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Lefty, who’s been gaining serious buzz after his feature on Kendrick Lamar’s GNX album, was taken into custody by Baldwin Park Police. While details on why exactly he was arrested aren’t clear, online records show it was a felony arrest. A bond of $500,000 was set, with his court date scheduled for March 18th. This arrest isn’t Lefty’s first run-in with the law. Back in February, he missed a show in Texas after being arrested on charges related to drugs. Even with all the drama, Lefty kept it real with his fans, telling them he’d make up that show and stay connected to his supporters.
Mr. Scary, Spooky, Hilarious has been making waves in the rap game, and his feature on Kendrick Lamar’s album only boosted his profile. Even though these legal issues are putting a damper on his rise, his talent is undeniable. Fans are hoping he can shake off these setbacks and keep pushing forward. With his court date coming up, all eyes are on Lefty to see how he handles this latest bump in the road and if he’ll bounce back even stronger.
French streaming platform Deezer reported on Tuesday it had 7 million euros ($7.6 million) in free cash flow for the fiscal year 2024, having achieved break-even status for the first time in its nearly 18-year history last fall.
Founded in August 2007, Deezer has struggled to build its brand outside of its home market in France. But in recent years, it has raised prices and expanded its subscriber-base by being the streaming platform powering German broadcaster RTL, American speaker company Sonos and Latin America’s version of Amazon, Mercado Libre.
“This is an exciting milestone, and it puts Deezer in control of its own destiny,” Deezer Chief Financial Officer Carl de Place tells Billboard on becoming cash-flow positive. “We have been able to exceed our guidance and to deliver 11.8% growth thanks to a nearly 10% increase in direct revenue from France, and the revenue from our partnerships business, which grew at 24% year over year.”
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A growing number of streaming platforms have raised prices in recent years, and Deezer was at the forefront having raised subscription prices in France, its largest market, in January 2022 and other markets later in the year. After Apple, Amazon, YouTube and Spotify all followed with their own increases, Deezer raised its prices again in September 2023.
The company reported revenue increased 12% to 542 million euros ($590.8 million), above their 10% growth target. Direct revenue in France increased 9.7% from the year ago period thanks to a 4.3% increase in subscriber revenue and greater average revenue per user (ARPU). Revenue from partners white labeling its services rose 24% year over year.
While not a profitable fiscal year, the company said it saw strong improvement. Adjusted earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the full year was negative 4 million euros ($4.4 million), and a 21.2% increase in its adjusted gross profit to 134 million euros ($146 million), equal to a 24.7% margin. The company had 62 million euros ($67.6 million) cash in its reserves at year end.
The company plans to double-down on its brand partnership strategy, while maintaining focus on further growing its presence in France with new features allowing users to customize their feed on the streaming platform and opportunities to more directly interact with artists, de Place says.
“Profitable growth is what you should expect going forward. We are prepared to continue to deliver positive free cash flow, to reinvest in the company and also add to our reserves,” de Place says.
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Source: Supreme / Supreme
Now that YM Bape is off the streets and serving time for murder, Supreme enthusiasts can breathe easy once again rock their favorite street brand without fear of being harassed and humiliated by the infamous Supreme hater.
Source: Supreme / Supreme
That being said, Supreme is gearing up to release a brand new collaboration with Nike which will feature their take on the classic Air Max 1 silhouette which they’ve remixed for the first time in their long history of partnering with the Swoosh brand. Per Supreme, the new collabo is set to release this Thursday (March 20) and will feature four distinct colorways–white, black, yellow and purple—that are sure to catch eyes and snap necks out in the wild.
With the way that sneakerheads and hype beasts have been literally fighting out on the streets trying to get their hands on the latest sneaker drop we wouldn’t be surprised if these sellout instantly when they drop later this week. These Supreme x Air Max 1 feature all leather uppers, a Swoosh with debossed snakeskin detailing and Supreme branding on the tongue and heel.
That being said, the Air Max 1 hasn’t exactly been the most popular silhouette over the past few years amongst sneaker enthusiasts, but can that change simply by adding that Supreme logo to the tongue with a bright and vibrant colorway? Guess we’ll find out come March 20th.
Check out the Supreme x Air Max 1 kicks and let us know if you’ll be putting down $170 for a pair in the comments section below.
Source: Supreme / Supreme
Source: Supreme / Supreme
Lady Gaga is back with a monster week on Billboard’s charts, thanks to her new album, MAYHEM.
The set blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 219,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in its opening week (March 7-13), according to Luminate — the biggest weekly sum for an album by a woman this year.
MAYHEM earns Gaga her seventh career Billboard 200 No. 1, tying her with Janet Jackson for the fifth-most among women in the chart’s history (which dates to 1956). Taylor Swift leads with 14, followed by Barbra Streisand (11), Madonna (nine) and Beyoncé (eight).
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Meanwhile, nine songs from MAYHEM chart on the latest Billboard Hot 100, led by former five-week No. 1 “Die With a Smile,” with Bruno Mars, at No. 2. Here’s a recap (all of which are debuts except where noted):
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Rank, Title:
No. 2, “Die With a Smile,” with Bruno Mars (spent five weeks at No. 1)
No. 19, “Abracadabra” (up from No. 29; peaked at No. 13 in February)
No. 52, “Garden of Eden”
No. 61, “Vanish Into You”
No. 69, “How Bad Do U Want Me”
No. 81, “Perfect Celebrity”
No. 85, “Zombieboy”
No. 93, “Killah,” feat. Gesaffelstein
No. 95, “LoveDrug”
The seven debuts up Gaga’s career count to 46 total Hot 100 entries. She first appeared on the ranking dated Aug. 16, 2008, with “Just Dance,” featuring Colby O’Donis, her first No. 1, for three weeks beginning on Jan. 17, 2009. She boasts six No. 1s, among 18 top 10s.
MAYHEM also debuts at No. 1 on Top Dance Albums, becoming Gaga’s record-breaking eighth leader, as she surpasses Louie DeVito for the most in the chart’s 24-year history. Her 2008 debut, The Fame, has spent a record 193 weeks at No. 1.
Gaga also charts nine songs, all from the new set, on Billboard’s recently launched Hot Dance/Pop Songs chart:
No. 1, “Abracadabra” (up from No. 2; fourth total week at No. 1)
No. 3, “Garden of Eden”
No. 4, “Vanish Into You”
No. 5, “Disease”
No. 6, “Zombieboy”
No. 8, “Killah,” feat. Gesaffelstein
No. 9, “LoveDrug”
No. 12, “Shadow of a Man”
No. 13, “Don’t Call Tonight”
Hollywood can be a very lonely place. Whether you’re at the bottom trying to crawl your way up to the middle, or at the top looking down on all the places you’ve been, it’s not alway easy to find people who can relate, and embrace, who you really are.
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Snow White star Rachel Zegler knows that journey all too well, and now that she’s earning high praise for her title role in the live action remake of the classic Disney tale, the West Side Story veteran has opened up to Allure in a cover story about all the fellow A-listers who have had her back over the years.
“She reached out to me — kind of apropos of nothing — and was like, ‘If you need anything, I am here,’” Zegler, 23, said of Ariana Grande’s generosity. “She is so deeply kind. She has gone through so much in the public eye, and I have always really, really admired her courage in the face of all of that.”
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Among the other women who have stepped up to offer support according to Zegler are actor and activist Jameela Jamil, who she considers to be a “big sister” at this point. “I love that she has no regrets about being outspoken, about being strong-willed and strong-minded,” Zegler said of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law star. She also gotten props from her Shazam! Fury of the Gods costars Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu, who she called “my keepers in all of this, where I feel very held by them.”
While Hollywood is always a competitive place, Zegler said she doesn’t conform to the idea that it has to pit women against each other. “All I’m ever really looking for in this business is a sister and they’re not always easy to find. We’re often told that other women have to be your competition and I don’t subscribe to that,” she said, noting that she’s all for “championing your friends” and co-workers.
“So the second that there’s any intimidation or competition, just put on ‘Girl, so confusing’ by Charli XCX and talk it out,” she counseled. “I’ve come to know that in the last couple of years, in search of female friendship in the industry, there is room for all of us no matter what anybody else will have you think.”
The story also touches on Zegler, whose family is Colombian, stepping into the role that was described in the original Brothers Grimm story in 1812 as one inhabited by a woman “white as snow,” at a time when the Trump administration is rolling back DEI initiatives and scrubbing the government’s websites of any words tied to diversity or inclusion.
“The reality is, I was given a chance because I could sing,” she told the magazine about her bona fides to play the role that has traditionally been inhabited by white actresses in the film opening on Friday (March 21). “They saw something. Something they could invest in for the future,” she said of Snow White coproducer Marc Platt and director Marc Webb’s recognition that it was her talent, not her appearance, that mattered when casting her in the role.
“Snow White has an optimistic, youthful grace. Even in her darkest moments, she finds humanity and beauty in others,” Webb said. “I think Rachel has that in her spirit. And it doesn’t hurt that during her screen test, she made us weep with her rendition of ‘Waiting on a Wish.’”
Lizzo has some things to get off her chest. In a series of posts on X Monday (March 17), the star clapped back at critics of her new music before calling out the way Black women have historically been mistreated.
Four days after the release of her latest single “Still Bad,” Lizzo began by writing, “Saying my brand of ‘poptimism’ doesn’t work in a ‘post Covid world’ is a lazy take.”
“As if I didn’t write ‘about damn time’ to be a post lockdown anthem to inspire us to get outside and together again.. and was successful at it btw,” she continued, referring to her 2022 Billboard Hot 100-topping single that won record of the year at the 2023 Grammys. “I think seeing and hearing a black woman make real music with radical joy triggers miserable people … but I follow in the footsteps of Janet [Jackson], of Funkadelic, of Earth Wind and Fire… nobody’s doing it like me for Us.”
It’s been a long time since Lizzo used X, having made the switch to Jack Dorsey’s Bluesky in November after declaring, “I hate the internet.” But on Monday, the hitmaker said of her return to Elon Musk’s platform, “Yall really got me off Bluesky … but I got time today.”
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The next day, the “Truth Hurts” rapper returned with a few closing thoughts. “The way this world treats black women is sickening,” she wrote, citing Jackson, Whitney Houston and Tina Turner as examples of Black women musicians who faced adversity in their careers. “The least protected person in America…”
“What happened to me was supposed to destroy me but it has only set me free!” Lizzo added. “Now I know none of this is real. The only thing that’s real is the love that I share with my family, my friends, nature, my fans, in Real Life.”
“Still Bad” and Lizzo’s previous single, “Love in Real Life,” mark her first proper releases since 2022’s Special album. The songs also serve as her comeback after a few of her former dancers sued her in August 2023 on allegations of sexual harassment and hostile work environment, all of which the Yitty founder has repeatedly and emphatically denied. She was also sued by her former stylist, Asha Daniels, for similar claims — which Lizzo also thoroughly refuted — but the musician was dismissed from the case in December. Her Big Grrrl Big Touring Company Inc. remains a defendant in the latter case.
Lizzo has been open about how her mental health has suffered in the aftermath, and perseverance is already a major theme in the two new songs she’s dropped this year leading up to new album Love in Real Life. She also elaborated on the subject during Tuesday (March 18) interview with SiriusXM’s The Morning Mashup, saying of her struggles with depression, “I think we like to shame ourselves for feeling bad, especially as Black women.”
“I’m like, ‘Get it together. Why can’t I just be in a good mood? Why can’t I just be happy? Why can’t I just be strong?’” she continued on the program. “And it’s just like, you have to be easy on yourself and let yourself feel what you’re feeling.”
See some of Lizzo’s messages on X below.
Saying my brand of “poptimism” doesn’t work in a “post Covid world” is a lazy take..As if I didn’t release ‘about damn time’ post pandemic..— LIZZO (@lizzo) March 17, 2025
As if I didn’t write ‘about damn time’ to be a post lockdown anthem to inspire us to get outside and together again.. and was successful at it btw 😉— LIZZO (@lizzo) March 17, 2025
I think seeing and hearing a black woman make real music with radical joy triggers miserable people… but I follow in the footsteps of Janet, of Funkadelic, of Earth Wind and Fire… nobody’s doing it like me for Us. And I stand on that.— LIZZO (@lizzo) March 17, 2025
Yall really got me off Bluesky 😂 but I got time today 🙂↕️— LIZZO (@lizzo) March 17, 2025
The way this world treats black women is sickening… blacklisted Janet and now 20yrs later yall calling her music “cute black girl bops” & giving her flowers… Dogged Whitney for her love life & called her a drug addict for laughs but now yall wanna honor her Yall laughed at…— LIZZO (@lizzo) March 18, 2025
What happened to me was supposed to destroy me but it has only set me free!Now I know none of this is real. The only thing that’s real is the love that I share with my family, my friends, nature, my fans, in Real Life ♥️— LIZZO (@lizzo) March 18, 2025
Recorded music revenue in the United States notched record-high revenues of $17.7 billion in 2024, marking a modest 3% increase from 2023 but capping a ninth straight year of upward mobility for the U.S. business, according to the RIAA. Like a broken record, this growth was once again primarily driven by streaming and the enduring popularity of vinyl.
The music industry’s total revenue gain of 3% in 2024 is a decrease from the 7.7% increase seen in 2023.
Streaming continued to dominate the music industry, accounting for 84% of total revenues for the third consecutive year. Streaming revenue grew by 4% to $14.9 billion, with paid subscriptions the leading contributor, rising 5% to $11.7 billion, which alone made up 79% of all streaming revenues and nearly two-thirds of all recorded music revenue.
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For the first time, the number of paid subscriptions surpassed 100 million, increasing by 3% from the previous year’s tally of 97 million.
However, revenue from limited-tier subscriptions — which include services like Amazon Prime, Pandora Plus, fitness streaming services and other paid subs that don’t offer full, on-demand catalogs — declined by 2% to $1 billion. It’s an improvement over 2023, though, when that drop was 4%.
Reversing last year’s gains, ad-supported streaming experienced a slight decline. Revenue from ad-supported on-demand music services like YouTube and Spotify’s free tier dropped by 2% to $1.8 billion. (Last year it was 2% but in the black.) Digital and customized radio services, including SiriusXM, grew modestly by 3% to reach $1.4 billion. SoundExchange distributions, which handle payments for artists and copyright holders, rose by 5% to $1.1 billion, while other ad-supported streaming revenue fell by 4% to $306 million.
Most physical music formats saw a continued resurgence, with total revenues increasing by 5% to $2 billion. Vinyl was the standout performer yet again, growing by 7% to $1.4 billion, marking its 18th consecutive year of growth. Vinyl albums outsold CDs, with 44 million units sold compared to 33 million CDs. A year prior, those numbers were 43.2 million and 37 million, meaning the gap between the physical cousins is growing. Despite these trends, CD revenue still grew by 1% to $541 million compared to $537.1 million.
Digital downloads continued their downward spiral, decreasing by 18% to $336 million, compared to $434.1 million in 2023. This category now represents only 2% of the total music industry revenue, a significant drop from its 2012 peak when it accounted for 43% of the market. Both individual track and album downloads saw double-digit percentage declines.
The overall percentage breakdown between digital and physical revenue—88% to 12%—has remained consistent since 2018, with only minor fluctuations of 1% in either direction over the years. At the wholesale level, total revenue increased by 2.7%, rising to $11.3 billion from last year’s $11 billion, marking the third consecutive year this metric has surpassed the $10 billion mark.
The organization noted that this marks the first year of direct reporting from independent labels, including sync revenue estimates from indie sources.
RIAA chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier highlighted the “historic milestone” of over 100 million paid subs driving two-thirds of revenues, calling it an “extraordinary achievement by an industry that has successfully focused on its creative and commercial core by championing innovative new services, options, and experiences that add real value for fans.”
Glazier added: “Music has never been more dynamic, compelling, and relevant – reaching out beyond our earbuds with conversation-driving cultural touchstones like unforgettable halftime performances, historic television moments or must-see films and biopics. And American fans and superfans’ dedication to the artists they support promises an even brighter future as record labels work to create new opportunities that boost incomes for artists and diverse revenue streams to grow the pie for everyone with a stake in the music economy.”
RIAA’s Year-End Report By the Numbers:
The U.S. recorded music industry reached an all-time high of $17.7 billion in estimated retail value.
Streaming generated $14.9 billion — making up 84% of total industry revenue.
Paid music subscriptions surpassed 100 million for the first time, contributing $11.7 billion, nearly two-thirds of total revenue.
Vinyl sales increased for the 18th straight year, reaching $1.4 billion, the highest level since 1984.
For the third year in a row, vinyl records (44 million units) outsold CDs (33 million units).
An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile, a one-hour concert special featuring live performances, stories about the pair’s friendship and an intimate look at their new collaborative album, will air on CBS on Sunday, April 6 (8-9 p.m. ET/PT) and stream on Paramount+. Filming on Wednesday, March 26, at London’s iconic Palladium Theatre and […]