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Happy Mayhem day to all who celebrate! In between streams of Gaga’s new album, allow us to provide a few other new songs from queer artists to fill your ears with this weekend. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ+ artists.
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From Lady Gaga’s long-awaited new album to Doechii’s surprise single drop, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
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Lady Gaga, Mayhem
“Choke on the fame and hope it gets you high,” Lady Gaga growls on “Perfect Celebrity,” an early standout from her bombastic new album Mayhem. “Sit in the front row, watch the princess die.” It’s a fitting line for the rest of Mayhem, an album where Gaga deals face-to-face with the reality of her own stardom nearly 20 years after her debut. The project shifts constantly between genres, whether she’s crafting disco-inspired club bangers (“Zombieboy”), earnest ballads (“Blade of Grass”) or ’80s glam-pop-rock (“Vanish Into You”). Some will call it a “return to form”
Doechii, “Anxiety”
Doechii is ready to have her big solo moment — after appearing on Sleepy Hallow’s 2023 rendition of the Gotye-sampling single, the swamp princess offered her own take on the songs fiery rap verses. Employing her top-tier flow and some acrobatic lyrics, Doechii continues to prove why she’s one of the hottest emcees currently in the game, even when she’s spitting bars about her own crippling apprehension.
SASAMI, Blood on the Silver Screen
In a recent statement, pop singer-songwriter SASAMI said that her new album is all about “learning and respecting the craft of pop songwriting.” By that simple standard, Blood on the Silver Screen is a masterpiece. Throughout this sweeping, dynamic new album, SASAMI toys with convention, genre and persona through some of her most detail-oriented songwriting to date. Combine that with the project’s high-octane, maximalist production, and you have one of the most thrilling albums of the year on your hands.
Elton John & Brandi Carlile, “Swing for the Fences”
Isn’t it nice to see two icons just having a blast together? That’s exactly the vibe on Elton John and Brandi Carlile’s “Swing for the Fences,” a raucous, joyful new anthem that sees the pair encouraging those listening to take their shot instead of fading into the background. Carlile and John’s voices blend naturally into an uplifting soft-rock anthem, and one that’ll make you want to try your hand and whatever you’ve been holding yourself back from ASAP.
yeule, “Skullcrusher”
After the glitchy, dark masterpiece that was 2023’s Softscars, fans of ambient synth-pop darling yeule have wondered what their next project might sound like. With her second single “Skullcrusher,” the artist is letting their fans know exactly what’s to come. On this brooding, spooky new single, yeule ratchets up the tension with each passing moment, only to unleash her pent up angst on the fiery chorus: “All I want to do is love you,” they pine. “But all you want to be is in a dream.”
Bob the Drag Queen, “Queen of the Underground”
In his forthcoming novel and on his stunning new single, Bob the Drag Queen asks what may seem like an odd question: if Harriett Tubman came back to life, what would she have to say about her legacy’s impact on the world today? On “Queen of the Underground,” Bob seeks to answer that very question, filtering the abolitionist’s voice through the lens of pounding hip-hop as she lambasts the state of affairs in America today. With bar after bar redifining Tubman as an American icon of our current moment, Bob delivers one final message to drive the point home: “No one is more hopelessly enslaved than the one that falsely believes he free.”
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
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YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s “More Leaks” album brings that raw emotion we expect from him, diving into betrayal, pain, and personal struggles.
Every track shows a different side of YB’s life, from his Louisiana roots to dealing with losses and love gone wrong. Let’s break down the hits and misses on the album:
“Trapped Out” hits hard with YoungBoy reflecting on betrayal. He talks about having people’s backs in the past, only to find out they weren’t loyal. It’s deep and relatable, a solid track that’ll hit home for anyone who’s felt the sting of fake love.
“Rich Junkie” brings the classic YB sound with a heavy Louisiana beat. If you’re a fan of him talking his talk, flexing and popping his ish, this one’s for you. It’s got that fire energy, making it one of the album’s standouts. “Jingle Bells” takes a wild turn, flipping the classic Christmas tune into something more gangster. YB sounds like he’s praying and venting about how he feels like his prayers ain’t being answered. It’s different and gives a vulnerable side to his usual bravado. “5 Night” is another solid track with beautiful violin production. YB comes through with a killer flow, making this one of the more memorable songs on the album.
Then we get “Cut Throat,” which feels kinda weak. It’s the same old YB slide talk, and the random line about his ex Deja doesn’t really fit. “On Me” has YB deep in his feelings, reminiscing about the friends he’s lost to the streets. While it’s emotional, it doesn’t quite hit the same as some of his other tracks.
Overall, “More Leaks” gives us a mixed bag of tracks. Some hits show YB’s vulnerability and emotional depth, while others are a bit repetitive. He’s definitely experimenting with his sound, but there’s still room for growth.
Look below for the full ratings and overall score of the album.
1. Trapped Out – 7/10
2. Rich Junkie – 8/10
3. Jingle Bells – 6.5/10
4. 5 Night – 7.5/10
5. Cut Throat – 5/10
6. On Me – 5/5/10
7. 86 Prayers – 4/10
8. Trap 101 – 5.5/10
9. GD Galaxy – 5/10
10. I Need A Doctor – 5/10
11. Paparazzi – 4.5/10
12. Of Late – 4/10
13. Dump Truck – 4.5/10
14. Letter To The North – 4/10
15. Demon Seed – 6/10
16. Hey Hey – 6.5/10
17. What You Want Do – 4/10
18. Out My Mind – 7/10
19. Take Me Slow – 3.5/10
20. She A Demon – 4.5/10
Gracie Abrams achieves her first No. 1 on a Billboard radio ranking as “That’s So True” ascends two places to the top of the Pop Airplay chart (dated March 15). The song, on Interscope/ICLG, gained by 5% in plays Feb. 28-March 6. (The Pop Airplay chart ranks songs by weekly plays on over 150 mainstream […]
In a first, the Polaris Music Prize is rescinding Buffy Sainte-Marie‘s wins. The Juno Awards have also revoked the singer-songwriter’s awards and her induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), the organization that administers the Junos, released a statement, writing that the singer-songwriter does not meet eligibility requirements following her confirmation that she is not Canadian — similar criteria that the Polaris Prize cited. It was a “not a reflection of Ms. Sainte-Marie’s artistic contributions,” CARAS writes.
CARAS says it made the decision following a thorough review and consultations with the CARAS Indigenous Music Advisory Committee.
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Sainte-Marie has faced criticism and scrutiny following a 2023 CBC investigation that cast serious doubt on her claims of Indigenous identity.
In January of this year, Sainte-Marie’s Order of Canada was terminated. On March 4, The Canadian Press reported Sainte-Marie issued a statement about the termination, saying that she returned the Order “with a good heart” and affirming that she is a U.S. citizen. “My Cree family adopted me forever and this will never change,” she added.
Sainte-Marie won the Polaris Prize — which is awarded annually by a jury of music critics to one Canadian album based on merit — in 2015 for Power In The Blood. She was also awarded a Polaris Heritage Prize, which honours albums released before the Prize’s founding in 2006, in 2020 for her debut solo album It’s My Way!
Now, those two awards will no longer be hers.
“Based on Sainte-Marie’s statement, Buffy does not meet Polaris Music Prize’s rules and regulations,” wrote the Polaris Prize. “Given Buffy’s statement regarding her citizenship, Polaris Music Prize will be rescinding all awards including her 2015 Polaris Music Prize and 2020 Heritage Prize,” the Prize states.
The PMP statement also acknowledges that not all Indigenous artists have access to government-issued paperwork, with the Prize asserting that this should not impact eligibility for the award.
The Prize’s eligibility criteria requires that nominees “be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, with proof of status provided through government-issued documentation, including passports, birth certificates, permanent resident cards, and/or Secure Certificates of Indian Status.”
Read the Polaris Prize and Juno Awards’ full statements on Billboard Canada .
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Canadian Vinyl Pressing Plant Promises to Absorb Tariff Costs for American Customers
An Ontario-based vinyl company has announced it will absorb tariff costs for American customers, receiving a mixed response.
As America imposes 25% tariffs on some Canadian imports (with others delayed until April 2), Precision Record Precision is committing to keeping prices stable for U.S. clients.
“We understand that recent tariff announcements may raise concerns, and we want to assure our US-based customers that any tariffs imposed by the US government on Canadian exports will be paid by and fully absorbed by PRP,” says a statement from CEO Shawn Johnson.
With manufacturing based in Burlington, Ontario, the company bills itself as one of the largest pressing plants in North America. The company was established in 2016 as a partnership between the massive Czech-owned vinyl manufacturer GZ Media and Canadian music distributor Isotope Music.
Some customers welcomed the decision, but the top comment on Instagram disagrees with the company.
“But the American clients SHOULD be paying the tariffs. Not the Canadian company. I understand the desire to not lose business but this is disappointing from a Canadian company and makes me question if I want to use Precision Pressing again thin [sic] the future,” the comment reads.
The trade battle between the U.S. and Canada, as well as persistent threats by the American President to annex Canada, have prompted uncertainty in the Canadian cultural industries as well as a wave of nationalism.
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Canadian Artists Hold the Top Two Spots on Billboard Albums Charts
Tate McRae is so close to superstardom.
The Calgary pop singer has notched her first No. 1 album with So Close To What, topping the Billboard Canadian Albums chart on the chart dated March 8. She bumps Drake and PartyNextDoor’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U to no. 2, on that Canadian chart and on the Billboard 200 — a rare occasion where Canadians have the top 2 albums in both Canada and the U.S.
It marks a major ascension for the Canadian star, who has been building her profile since her breakthrough with 2020’s “You Broke Me First.” In the five years since, McRae has evolved into one of Gen Z’s biggest singers and performers.
McRae expressed her excitement at the No. 1 debut on Instagram. “????????? Are you kidding meeeeeeee Thank you Thank you Thank you 😭’” she wrote.
McRae also has 15 songs in total on the Canadian Hot 100 this week. Her highest placement is the sultry “Sports Car,” which she performed on Saturday Night Live this past weekend. That track sits at No. 11 on the Canadian Hot 100 and No. 16 in the U.S.
Drake and PartyNextDoor, meanwhile, have 16 tracks on the Canadian Hot 100 this week, though they are not as high as in the first week. The top placed song, “Nokia” drops 5-10, and “Gimme a Hug” moves down 10-39.
Overall, it’s a big week for Canadian artists on the charts.
Last Week In Canada: Billboard Live Stage Coming to NXNE
Eladio Carrión shares what he loves about his fans, what to expect from his new album, how he’s preparing for the tour, why he loves performing and more!
Ingrid Fajardo:Hello, my friends at Billboard! Today from Viña del Mar we are with the great Eladio Carrión.
Eladio Carrión:Hello, hello, hello!
How are you? It’s a pleasure to have you here. We’re enjoying the view. I was telling you that we brought a bit of San Juan.
Clearly, I feel like I’m in San Juan here next to the hill.
Exactly, next to the hill. How are you, Eladio? How do you feel? Nervous?
I’m really good, I never get nervous. I was an athlete for many years. Those are pure nerves when you’re going to compete against other people. Do you get me? This is moreso eagerness to get on the stage, to see how the experience is, to see how people enjoy the show. You get me? It’s more eagerness than nervousness.
What–
I’m doing good though, how are you?
I’m doing good, too. What have you listened to or what expectations do you have for the “monsters,” as fans call it here,
The “monsters?” They call themselves “monsters”?
The fans do because it’s not easy.
Oh no, what are they here? They’re the best, right? Here they’re part of the top five fandoms in the world. I love to come here for that reason. They live the music, the feelings at the shows. You get me? They enjoy it because there’s nothing more beautiful to be an artist, a singer and see the people enjoying the music. Do you really get me? There’s nothing more beautiful than that.
Keep watching for more!
Nobody could’ve predicted that GELO would have notched the first rap hit of 2025 with his viral “Tweaker” anthem. Now, the middle Ball brother has returned two months later on Friday (March 7) with his follow-up single, looking to keep the momentum going with “Can You Please.” GELO headed to Memphis to bring some firepower […]
Eternal Reverie, the seventh studio album by Tokimonsta, is out today (Mar. 7). Releasing it now wasn’t the original plan.
Last September, the Los Angeles based and globally known electronic producer announced that she was delaying the album’s release and cancelling its related tour due to “an extremely urgent personal matter.” Weeks later, she posted an update saying that she’d lost her best friend to an aggressive form of cancer.
“I’ve suffered from levels of burnout in the past, but I’ve never suffered from deep depression,” the producer born Jennifer Lee tells Billboard over Zoom. “I’ve never just cried non-stop all the time. Even during the hard times, I always maintained a positive outlook, but this year was really hard on me, and all I had was music.”
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She says making her own music and listening to the music of others has, in her grieving, been a salve. Later this month, she’ll offer her work to others when the rescheduled Eternal Reverie tour begins at Ultra Music Festival in Miami and then extends across the United States for a run of club shows and festival plays including Coachella and EDC Las Vegas. Her always inventive and experimental sets will surely be populated by music from the new album, a 14-track collection that holds the same nuance and sophisticated that’s always characterized her output, with sounds ranging to overtly danceable to headier, more meditative fare like “Reverie.”
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On the project, Toki welcomes back regular collaborators Anderson .Paak and Los Angeles singer/songwriter Gavin Turek, along with new counterparts like Cakes da Killa and Grouptherapy. Containing not just musical depth but a surrealistic and deeply considered visual aesthetic, Eternal Reverie is out via her own Young Art label.
Here, Tokimonsta reflects on the path that brought her to making music, how the artists and fans in electronic music are maturing, the loss she’s suffered and why she believes playing live will be good for her.
1. What is the first album or piece of music you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?
I bought a single for “Waterfalls” by TLC and “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio. I bought them as singles. I think it might have been on cassette tape — which is weird because there were CDs, but I think in my mind a cassette seemed cooler. Also, in hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have just gotten singles — because, like, what are you going to do, just listen to one song over and over again? But that is what I ended up doing.
2. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid, and what do they think of what you do now?
My mom had a small chain of Japanese fast food places. They’re teriyaki chicken spots. We’re Korean, but that was her [delving] into entrepreneurship as an immigrant. Her view on my career has evolved over time. In the beginning, she was like, “There is no way.” She didn’t really understand the difference between being, like, Beyoncé, or being someone performing in the corner at a bar. She didn’t know that there was anything in between. So, clearly she thought I was gonna fail. But here I am, many, many years later, and now she’s bragging about me to all her old Korean lady friends.
3. What was the first non-gear thing you bought for yourself when you started making money as an artist?
Probably clothes, but let me think of something that was more meaningful. A Vitamix. I know that sounds dumb and random, but it is a privilege to own a fancy blender.
4. If you had to recommend one album for someone looking to get into dance music, what would you recommend?
I don’t know if I could recommend dance music specifically. My instinct is to actually [recommend] DJ Shadow, which is [an introduction] into non-dance electronic music, Endtroducing….., or Preemptive Strike. But it’s not dance music, it’s more heady electronic music. At this point I think people are aware of what dance music is very generally, so if I had an opportunity like this, I’d want to show people the different sides of what dance music could mean.
5. It seems that lot of people use “dance” and “electronic” interchangeably, but it sounds like you have a clear sense of the differences. Do you want to unpack that?
Let’s say this: Electronic music is music made with electronic instruments — synthesizer-heavy, computer-heavy, not as many acoustic instruments. Dance music is club music. Dance music makes you want to dance. So in my mind, and I’ve had this discussion with my peers, the broader umbrella is electronic music, and underneath electronic music you have ambient music, dance music and different versions of dance music, because then you have drum & bass, house, techno, beats, etc. All dance musicians are electronic musicians, but not all electronic musicians are dance musicians.
6. Eternal Reverie is your seventh studio album. In a genre that doesn’t necessarily require albums, why is it a format you keep returning to?
I think because my origins are not dance music. My origins are in hip-hop, instrumental music, bossa nova, things like that. In that capacity, it’s not dance-y, it’s electronic music… As a musician I’m also, to some degree, a storyteller, and with albums you create this anthology and each song is a short story that lends itself to a bigger narrative… If people want to dissect it and just put certain songs on their playlist that’s fine, but if you’re in the right mood and have the time you want to listen to something that is cohesive and was meant to be listened all together, you can listen to the album in full.
7. The visual aesthetic of this cycle, from the album cover, to your press photos and the fashion to the tour poster, has all be really cohesive and striking. What are you saying with the visual identity of this one?
I’ve always been into aspects of psychedelia or surrealism — but I think with this album, visually, I’m getting a little deeper into classic surrealism, like Salvador Dalí. I didn’t go into it with that intention, but it’s how it came out. But Instead of being whacky, like mushroom journey, I wanted it to be subtle things that are kind of weird. Subtle things that are artistic, but not normal. On my album cover I’m holding this giant rose. I could be holding a small rose, but it’s lending itself to this idea that when we dream, there’s subtleties in it. Sometimes dreams seems really realistic, but all these strange things happen when you’re in this other space. With this album that’s what I was going for in terms of the ethos of the music itself. It only made sense for the aesthetic and the visual storytelling to be on the same level.
Tokimonsta
Demarquis McDaniels
8. There’s evolution in there too, with a progression of like, whacky psychedelia as a lot of people might recognize it and getting deeper into the surreal and levels of consciousness and having it all match who you are in 2025. Does that feel right?
I still obviously have this playfulness in me, and I really wanted to tap into that. But there’s been so much growth and maturity, and you can have both. You can be mature without being bogged down with stress. Sometimes with maturity, there can be a cynicism, or a disdain, or the subtle moroseness that sometimes comes with age. A lot of that comes from knowing and experience, but that doesn’t mean there’s reason to let go of the whimsy.
9. I appreciate that, because the people who love electronic music and dance music, we don’t necessarily want to exit, but we are maturing, so we don’t want to do it all in the same way we did five years or 10 years ago. I think you’re setting an example of how it can sound and look, and it’s still playful and interesting, but it’s not stagnant. Right?
I hope people understand that artists want to evolve as well, and they don’t want to stay stagnant. Are you listening to the same crazy EDM songs you were listening to in 2010? I just went to Vegas recently for a birthday, and when I walked into the Wynn, so deeply ingrained into me is this experience of them playing just raging, hard, gnarly EDM with big drops and CO2 cannons — and now they’re just playing Keinemusik. They’re playing Bob Moses. The vibe has changed.
10. Why do you think that is?
People have discovered that there’s subtleties to dance music where it can be a different vibe. There’s also a place for really gritty electronic music as well, but you can see dance enthusiasts also evolving. Maybe they discovered electronic music with Avicii or something really mainstream-y, and now they’re curating their own experience. We’re seeing that evolution coincide with the artists themselves.
11. Last September you announced you were postponing the release of Eternal Reverie and cancelling the 2024 behind it. You later announced on social media that you’d done it because your best friend was in her last days and you need to be there for her. Is that something you want to talk about?
I mean, in a way, it’s an important part of the story of this album. It’s difficult to talk about in very obvious ways, because I’m still actively grieving. My friend just passed away, and in a very traumatic way for me and the loved ones that were around this particular friend. Her name is Regina, and she was my best friend. She also was a web designer. She made my website. She was also my tour manager on occasion, just for fun, because her work was flexible. She’s a really big part of my artistic journey, because she also has excellent taste in music and has put me on to new artists.
12. I’m so sorry. How are you doing?
I don’t really journal; my albums are a journal. This album has this emotional journey of extreme loss attached to it. It didn’t start off that way. I made the album because it was starting to make an album. But the evolution of it is, in order to get this album out, I had to go through a lot of really hard things that had nothing to do with music, but had a big effect on my music career.
I think it’s known that my friend passed away. My cat of 11 years died suddenly three months before, and then I did two IVF cycles that also failed. So there was an immense amount of loss, a lot of hormones being put in my body. It was a pretty horrible time. I’m still processing and grieving. It’s very hard, but I think it’s important to talk about it, because difficult things happen to everyone. Loss happens to everyone.
13. What was it like for you, postponing the album and telling everyone the tour was cancelled?
I’m grateful that I had the ability to postpone this album and this tour, which affects many people. There’s full economies of people living off of the world that I created, and everyone was so kind, and so loving and so understanding. They went out and canceled this 30-date tour. I had to also break it to my audience. Everyone showed so much compassion, and it just showed me I made the right decision.
I’ll never get my friend back, but my career is something that could come back to, so I just prioritized taking care of her and being with her as she was guided onto the next part of this journey. Putting out this album is difficult, but it’s forcing me to sit in a level of discomfort and also show me that everything moves on. She would want me to put this out.
14. In what way, if any, did this take you back to when you yourself were seriously ill and had to undergo brain surgery in 2016?
Obviously, I also could have died. This is so different, and so much harder. Because when I was the one about to die, I was in control. I was like, “I’m going to make all the right decisions. I have the power of resilience I’m tapping into while I’m recovering.” But I couldn’t do that for my friend, and no matter how much I tried to help make these decisions on her behalf, I couldn’t change the outcome. So that, for me, has been really hard to process, much more so than being on the cusp of death myself.
It’s been interesting, but I know that through the musical journey of this album, I’m energizing and manifesting, or whatever woo-woo term you want to use, that at the end of this I’ll have perspective on it all. That’s all I can hope for, perspective and gratitude and growth to be in a place that honors her spirit through this album. Life has been really tough for everyone, I know.
But yeah, it’s sucked. And then election and the L.A. fires. It has not been Tokimonsta’s year in terms of life. I’m so grateful I can make music, because that’s the thing that pulls me out of this deep, dark hole I could end up in.
15. I guess that was where my mind was going, if or how your music or the music of others has helped you in all this?
Music was my lifesaver. I’ve suffered from levels of burnout in the past, but I’ve never suffered from deep depression. I’ve never just cried non-stop all the time. Even during the hard times, I always maintained a positive outlook, but this year was really hard on me, and all I had was music. Even when my friend passed, I thought I wouldn’t want to make music, but I felt called to. When she had passed, it I felt like therapy with no words.
16. Tell me more about that?
As an artist, I make this music because it’s therapy and healing for me, and in turn, the music that I share with others can also be healing for them. Or not! You also might just want to listen to it in the club and start dancing, but it makes people feel and is transportive. It will take you from your stress, life, depression, whatever, and pull you into the present while you’re just being like, “Wow, this is a really amazing song. It makes me want to move my body, or it makes me want to cry, but for that instant, you’re just in line with this experience.”
That is the beauty of music. Other musicians music was very healing for me. Making music was healing for me. Going out to these underground clubs and parties in L.A. was very therapeutic for me.
17. When the tour starts, do you think it will be a different type of musical therapy for you, just to give the music away, in a way?
Exactly. Performing is a lot of giving and receiving, and musicians can get burned out, because it’s a lot of giving. But right now with all this pent up energy that I have, I want to be able to go out there and share with people. I want to be with others and feel the warmth of an audience’s energy. I want to feel chaos. I just want to feel alive again. That’s the thing about being sad or depressed, it’s more than just a deep hole. It’s this lingering sense of, “I just don’t want to do anything. I don’t want to be.” So I’m really looking forward to it.
18. What’s the best business decision you’ve made so far in your career?
To create my own label. Initially, when I made Young Art, it was for me to put out music. I’m an independent artist, because I own the label I’m on. But that decision was a big one, you don’t have the support of a bigger label. But I was like, “If we just get a really good distributor, I think we can put this music out without a bigger label support.” We got really lucky, and my music did well. My music doing well makes the label more robust, and the label more robust means it’s able to serve the artists better. So I bolster of the power of the label, and that power gets distributed to all the musicians that are that are signed.
19. Who’s been your greatest mentor and what’s the best advice they’ve given you?
I never really had any mentors. That’s the thing I believe is quite sad about the way I started off in the industry. I had friend and peers, but I didn’t have anyone be like, “Hey, Toki, I’m going to look after you.” No. And I scraped my knees, picked myself off the ground, dealt with a lot of things all on my own. I have influences, but no direct mentors. Because of how it was for me, I look after other artists, not even just the ones on my label, so that they don’t have to go through what I went through. It’s important for me to mentor other artists, even if it’s not like an official mentorship, to smooth things out for other artists.
20. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
When I was younger, my music was so weird to people. Now, my music that was weird then is completely conventional. I stuck to that. I believed in my music and continued making the version of electronic dance music that I do, but it was hard for me, and I really struggled. It was like, “Man, it would be a lot easier to make dubstep or trap or whatever.” It’s not that hard to make that stuff, but in the end, I prevailed by sticking to what felt right to me and following instinct. So if I were to give that same advice to everyone else, it’s to truly believe in your vision as an artist, even if you’re getting pulled in all these other directions. Your unique voice in music is what’s going to set you apart. It’s good to be the weird one sometimes.
Three years into a 30-year sentence for sex trafficking and racketeering, R. Kelly broke his silence this week during a seven-minute phone call into the Inmate Tea With A&P podcast, in which the disgraced former R&B star claimed that he’s written more than two dozen albums since his imprisonment in 2022.
Kelly called in on a monitored prison phone line and told the show’s hosts that he was told he was supposed to sing someone “Happy Birthday,” as the two women giggled and referred to the 58-year-old singer born Robert Sylvester Kelly as the “King of R&B,” as well as by his once honorific title: “the Pied Piper of R&B.”
Saying he was feeling “great,” Kelly broke into the opening lines of his 1998 song “When a Woman’s Fed Up,” singing a cappella as one of the hosts danced in her seat, laughed and enthusiastically sang back-up vocals. Asked if he’s continued to used his talents while incarcerated, the vocalist — whose daughter, Buku Abi, now 26, claimed in a documentary last year that her father had sexually abused her as a child, claims his lawyer denied — referred to singing as “a beautiful disease that’s uncurable. That’s not gonna happen, not singing.”
In fact, Kelly, claimed that he’s written “like 25 albums” since he was sentenced to three decades in prison in 2021 following a conviction on racketeering and sex trafficking charges; in 2022, Kelly was also convicted of three counts of sexual exploitation enticement of a minor child via production of child pornography as well as three counts of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Before his sentence, Kelly was known for his prolific nature, releasing 18 studio albums from 1992 through 2016 as well as 33 chapters in his bizarre “Trapped in the Closet” musical soap opera series between 2005 and 2012.
In addition to writing songs from his cell at a federal prison in North Carolina, Kelly said he’s working on trying to get out of prison so he can get back to “what it is God gave me, my talent.” Last month, Manhattan’s 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals rejected Kelly’s bid to appeal his New York conviction, which, given the singer’s age, could keep him locked up into his 80s if he serves the full term.
Kelly was long dogged by allegations of sexual and physical abuse of women, as well as an illegal marriage in 1994 to a then-15-year-old Aaliyah when he was 27. He was accused in 2017 of holding half a dozen women hostage, some allegedly underage, as part of what was described as a “cult,” in which he allegedly controlled every aspect of their lives, from when they ate and bathed to how they dressed and when they had sex with him.
Multiple women later came forward to claim that Kelly sexually and physically abused them, including a number who spoke for the first time in public about his alleged abuse in the bombshell Surviving R. Kelly series; Kelly and his legal team have denied the allegations.
JENNIE might be one of the most famous K-pop idols on the planet, but even she loses her nerve around Rihanna.
While guesting on an episode of Chicken Shop Date posted Friday (March 7), the BLACKPINK star opened up about fangirling over the Fenty mogul when they met — or at least she tried to, but even the memory of it made her trip over her words. “For me, it was Rihanna,” JENNIE replied when host Amelia Dimoldenberg asked which celebrity has made her the most starstruck so far.
“Yeah, I … yeah,” the South Korean singer continued, stuttering. “See me mumbling? I can’t even talk about her.”
JENNIE’s Chicken Shop Date visit arrives on the same day she dropped her debut solo album, Ruby. Featuring singles “Mantra,” “Love Hangover” featuring Dominic Fike and “ExtraL” with Doechii, the 14-track project makes the Idol star the final BLACKPINK bandmate to release a solo set of songs amid the group’s break, which is set to end in July when the foursome embarks on a world tour.
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Speaking of BLACKPINK, JENNIE isn’t the only one of the band members who’s obsessed with Ri. LISA recently told Wall Street Journal Magazine that the “Umbrella” singer is one of her biggest inspirations due to her “swag, her style, her music, her stage performance.” The Thai rapper even sang “Take a Bow” for her BLACKPINK audition — although she says she was so nervous at the time, she messed up the words.
While on Chicken Shop Date, JENNIE also talked all things love and romance, revealing she considers herself to “be very romantic,” even if it’s rare for her to catch feelings for someone, she says.
“I don’t like cute guys,” the performer added. “Sexy guys don’t know that they’re sexy, but cute guys know that they’re cute.”
When she has fallen in love, however, JENNIE revealed to Dimoldenberg that it’s always been at first sight. “That’s been my life,” she said. “I know instantly whether it’s gonna work or not.”
Watch JENNIE on Chicken Shop Date above.
Sabrina Carpenter is making the U.K. and Ireland a home away from home. Following her recent BRITs performance and the commencement of the European leg of her tour in Dublin, Carpenter’s album Short n’ Sweet returned to No. 1 on the Official Albums Chart on Friday (March 7). It makes for Short n’ Sweet’s fourth […]