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Lorne Michaels once risked having bad blood with Taylor Swift, according to a new Vulture profile published Friday (Feb. 14) ahead of Saturday Night Live‘s 50th-anniversary special this weekend.
While looking back at the series creator’s legacy with SNL, the publication uncovered one moment from 2015 when the pop superstar apparently personally called Michaels to ask that he cut a sketch poking fun at her famous girl squad. Showrunners had initially reached out to Swift to ask if she would appear in the skit, according to the magazine; in addition to declining, the 14-time Grammy winner requested that the whole thing be cut.
Michaels’ response? “Taylor, I do not negotiate with terrorists,” he apparently told her over the phone, suavely tossing a piece of popcorn into the air and catching it in his mouth.
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Billboard has reached out to Swift’s rep for comment.
That year, SNL aired two sketches about the “Karma” artist’s friend group, which became a much-talked-about pop-culture staple thanks to Swift’s star-studded “Bad Blood” music video — in which she cast several of her famous pals — and her 1989 World Tour, where she often had her squad members walk out with her onstage. In one, the show imagined a post-apocalyptic reality where Swift and her buddies had taken over the whole world. (“First it was the models, then the athletes, then it was everybody,” cast member Kenan Thompson said dramatically in the spoof. “Police, the fire department, Matt LeBlanc.”)
Another sketch found Amy Poehler and Tina Fey re-creating Swift’s “Bad Blood” music video with their own version of the “squad” — featuring their nannies, gynecologist and friend Amy Schumer instead of the Eras Tour headliner’s troupe of models and actresses.
After the skit in question aired, however, Swift made sure Michaels knew that everything was cool in the end. The Monday after that week’s show, the SNL head honcho received flowers from the singer and a note reading, “I hope there’s no bad blood,” according to Vulture.
This weekend, the famed live show will air its highly anticipated SNL50 anniversary special, featuring performances from Paul McCartney, Sabrina Carpenter, Miley Cyrus and more famous guests. In its half-century on the air, Swift has appeared on the show multiple times. In 2009, she simultaneously made her hosting and musical guest debuts, after which she returned for performances in 2017, 2019 and 2021.
There’s a new category at the Juno Awards this year and for first-time nominee Lowell, it’s been a long time coming.
Lowell (Elizabeth Lowell Boland) has been in the industry for a decade, first as a performing artist and then as a songwriter and artist development expert. In the last two years, she’s helped break Canadian rockers The Beaches internationally and contributed to Beyoncé‘s first-ever album of the year win at the Grammys, co-writing several tracks on Cowboy Carter.
Now, she receives her first-ever Juno nomination, in the inaugural year of the new songwriter of the year (non-performer) category. The introduction of the category means that behind-the-scenes songwriters who would normally get squeezed out of the songwriter of the year category by big names like Abel Tesfaye (a.k.a. The Weeknd) are getting their due.
Last year, Billboard Canada and SOCAN introduced the Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award, which Lowell won and accepted at the Billboard Canada Power Players celebration. Lowell was a fitting first winner, as she’s also been pushing the Junos to add the category for years.
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At a Junos media conference this week following the nominations announcement, Lowell spoke about how it’s been a long road to get here, but that songwriters are starting to get some recognition.
“I’m so glad that we have this category now,” Lowell said. “I think that if it didn’t exist I probably wouldn’t be nominated at the Junos — and I always said if I get Grammys before I get Junos you know there’s something wrong.”
Lowell added that in the past, Juno nominations have been bittersweet for songwriters.
“Usually we see a lot of artists that we maybe have developed or written their hits, but know that our name won’t be up there, just kind of having to live in it,” she reflected. “I’m a fighter so I kind of took the lead on it. One thing about songwriters is we’re so used to just being walked all over, we don’t often think we can do anything about it, and I refuse to think that way.”
As songwriter royalties have declined, it’s harder to make a living, Lowell pointed out, making this kind of recognition even more significant.
“All of these labels — Universal Canada, Warner Canada — we could be in L.A. but we’re here, we’re working on your artists, and we’re writing you guys hits and we’re bringing you money and allowing you to sign more artists, so the respect that we need and have earned needs to be at the Junos too,” she continued. “And here we are. It’s good — it’s a good day.”
She’s excited to be nominated in the category alongside Nate Ferraro, her songwriting partner on Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em.” Also nominated are Evan Blair, for work with Maren Morris and Benson Boone (including co-writing the No. 1 hit “Beautiful Things”); Shaun Frank, for work with Dua Lipa and Morgan Wallen; and Tobias Jesso Jr., for work with Camila Cabello, Morris and Lipa.
Producer Aaron Paris and recording engineer/producer Hill Kourkoutis also spoke about the importance of industry recognition for those working behind the scenes. Read more here. – Rosie Long Decter
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Junos and Polaris Prize Release Statements on Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Awards Following Order of Canada Cancellation
Though most focus was on the new Juno nominees this week, one prior winner was also under the spotlight: Buffy Sainte-Marie.
The acclaimed singer-songwriter’s Order of Canada appointment was canceled last week by The Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon. The decision came a year and a half after the CBC’s investigation into her claims of Indigenous ancestry and Canadian citizenship. Since then, there has been scrutiny into other awards Sainte-Marie has earned in the country.
CARAS, the body that governs the Junos, released a statement, saying they are aware of the decision to terminate her Order of Canada.
“We continue to consult with our Indigenous Music Advisory Committee and Indigenous stakeholders on how to best proceed as it relates to Sainte-Marie’s Juno Awards,” the organization said in a statement. “We recognize the importance of Indigenous music as a category and remain deeply committed to promoting, celebrating and honouring the contributions of Indigenous artists to the Canadian music industry.”
In 2023, a group named the Indigenous Women’s Collective called on CARAS to rescind Sainte-Marie’s 2018 Juno for Indigenous album of the year, which she won for the album Medicine Songs. The group pointed to the win over artist Kelly Fraser, who died a year later.
“We invite the Juno Awards Committee to revisit this 2018 category and explore ways of righting a past wrong,” they wrote. “All Indigenous Artists in this 2018 category, including Kelly Fraser, should be reconsidered for this rightful honour.”
Sainte-Marie won the Polaris Music Prize, which awards one album as the best in Canada of the year based solely on artistic merit, for her 2015 album, Power in the Blood. For her victory, Sainte-Marie earned a cash prize of $50,000.
The Polaris Music Prize Board released a statement.
“The Polaris Board is aware of the ongoing conversation around Buffy Sainte Marie’s Canadian status,” they said in a statement. “We have and continue to follow as new information is shared.”
Sainte-Marie has said that she has never lied about her identity. – Richard Trapunski
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With the NBA All-Star Game 2025 coming up in San Francisco this weekend, it’s also the 40th anniversary of “His Airness” Michael Jordan‘s first Slam Dunk Contest in 1985. During the contest, he wore the instantly recognizable Nike Air Jordan sneakers.
And to celebrate, Nike is re-releasing the Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Black Toe” sneakers in a classic white, varsity red, sail and black colorways — Chicago Bulls colors.
The signature shoes are priced at $180 and drop starting on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT at Nike.com.
The Nike Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Black Toe” sneakers are made from genuine leather for shape and durability, while they feature the modern “Air Jordan” logo on each collar instead of the classic logo from the ’80s.
The design and silhouette are iconic with a style that’s suited for the mid-1980s and mid-2020s, alike.
Nike
Nike Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG ‘Black Toe’
Release date: Feb. 15, 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT
Meanwhile, Nike is also dropping a limited-edition Jordan Premium Basketball that’s signed and comes in in the same colorway as the sneakers. It’s priced at $150 and includes in a box with the same design too. The basketball releases on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT.
Nike
Nike Jordan Premium Basketball
Release date: Feb. 15, 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT
In addition, the Nike Air Jordan 1 sneakers are the go-to shoes for a large number of celebrities and recording artists, including Travis Scott, J Balvin, Teyana Taylor, Kid Ink, Common, Justin Timberlake, Paloma Mami and many others.
The Nike Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Black Toe” sneakers are come in men’s and women’s sizes for $180, while the sports apparel company has the sneakers in big kids’ sizes for $140, little kids’ sizes for $85, toddlers’ and babies’ sizes for $70 and even baby crib booties for $70 at Nike.com.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
NFTs are back — but don’t worry about holding onto your wallet. At least in the music business, the NFT (non-fungible token) is quietly starting a second, more practical life far removed from the deafening hype that surrounded the digital assets just a few years ago.
At the beginning of the decade, some artists made millions selling NFTs while celebrities were helping legitimize them, with stars like Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, Madonna and Paris Hilton all buying NFTs from the then-hot Bored Ape Yacht Club collection. Then, predictably, the NFT bubble burst in fantastic fashion. In less than a year, Bieber’s Bored Ape, which he purchased for $1.3 million, was worth around $69,000.
NFTs were often a bad investment, but the underlying technology still has many believers. Last week, Sony quietly launched a music NFT collection on its Soneium blockchain platform. The fact that Sony — the larger company, not Sony Music Entertainment — is investing in Web3 technology may come as a surprise, but its efforts go back more than a year. Sony Network Communications, later renamed to Sony Block Solutions Lab, revealed in September 2023 that it had created a joint venture with Startale Labs to develop “a blockchain that can become the backbone of global web3 infrastructure” and create “killer web3 use cases to drive the adoption of web3.” Eleven months later, Sony announced the development of the Soneium blockchain that will form the infrastructure for those so-called “killer use cases,” with the goal of expanding Web3 technology and services to a broader audience and “build[ing] a world where web3 services permeate people’s daily lives.” The launch of Soneium was announced on Jan. 14.
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One of the applications on Soneium is a new fan marketing platform through which companies can issue NFTs. So far, two of Sony’s music divisions, Sony Music Entertainment France and Sony Music Publishing (Japan), issued NFTs as “demonstration experiment[s]” for its entertainment companies to “provide new value to creators and fans through web3 services.” In France, Sony celebrated the second anniversary of a Web3 community called Sunny B. 1991 by distributing limited-edition NFTs to the community. In Japan, Sony will distribute limited-edition NFTs to coincide with a live event for the girl group SANDAL TELEPHONE.
Sony’s blockchain push comes at a time when music companies are increasingly targeting superfans through digital platforms and merchandise offers. “NFTs are uniquely suited for this because they are programmable digital assets that can evolve over time,” says Cherie Hu of Water & Music, a music industry research and consulting practice. NFTs and their “smart contracts” — self-executing code on the blockchain — allow artists to create membership experiences that can evolve over time. And because NFTs use decentralized technology, they aren’t reliant on any one platform or company — a notable advantage when a country can outright ban a social media platform. “This is quite different from traditional fan clubs, where fan data is otherwise fragmented and hard to act upon from the artist’s perspective,” says Hu.
Sony’s slow launch of its blockchain ambitions will ultimately be helpful to other companies in the music space, says David Greenstein, CEO of two blockchain-related startups, Sound and Vault. “Any legacy company that’s trying to innovate, I have a lot of respect for because I think the industry needs more innovation,” he says. Three years ago, releasing high-priced yet useless NFTs was seen as innovative. In 2025, innovation means using blockchain technology, cryptocurrency and NFTs to create consumer-friendly products that bring artists and fans together.
A fresh approach to NFTs makes sense now that the market is tanking. NFT trading volume fell 19% in 2024, according to DappRadar, making it the worst year for NFTs since 2020 and far below their height in 2022, when they boasted $57.2 billion in trading volume. Last year’s leading NFT collection was Pudgy Penguins, which goes far beyond Web3 by selling plushy toys in brick-and-mortar retailers and sponsoring the uniforms of Spanish soccer club CD Castellón. Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs still generate a relatively large amount of sales activity, but prices in the last 30 days were down about 91% from their highs in 2022.
As enthusiasm for NFTs waned, some worthwhile experiments went belly up. Universal Music Group’s foray into NFTs was Kingship, a virtual band comprised of three Bored Ape characters and a rare Mutant Ape. The 5,000 NFTs, which would unlock music and other perks for owners, quickly sold out in July 2022. The group landed a sponsorship with M&Ms in 2022 and a Kingship game launched on Roblox in 2023. But by all appearances the project is now dead, and Kingship NFTs that sold for 0.23 ETH three years ago (approximately $300 at the time) are trading for less than 0.002 ETH ($5) today.
“There’s going to be very fruitful, better things that come out of [blockchain technology] that are non-speculative, just because the technology is awesome,” says Greenstein. His latest company, Vault, allows artists to build relationships with fans and creates a blockchain-based digital wallet for each user. But Vault has made a conscious choice to put the technology in the background, and although “everything is Web3 enabled,” he says, it’s not germane to the fans’ relationship with artists. “Nobody asked what the tech stack of Spotify is,” he points out. “They just use the product.”
Sing, a Seattle-based startup that sells both digital collectibles and physical merchandise, also puts Web3 technology in the background. “We don’t talk about NFTs,” says CEO Geoff Osler. “We don’t lead with that, because I don’t think people care.” But Sing has the same end goal as early NFT proselytizers: to facilitate a relationship between artists and their biggest fans while allowing artists to realize more value from those relationships. “We think that artists should make a great deal more money than they already do on the releases,” says Osler. “And that there’s this overall feeling — at least among superfans — that there’s a gap in the market. People want to own their music and own that connection with the artists.”
Speculation isn’t gone, but it’s migrated. Blockchains like Solana that have lower transaction costs and higher speeds than Etherium have become “hotbeds” for the trading of memecoins, says Hu. Rather than pump money into NFTs, people are buying into the TrumpCoin and the Hawk Tuah coin. “In certain segments of pop culture and politics, I’d say the appetite for high-risk digital assets remains really strong,” she says.
But players in the music space seem content to focus on practical use cases and leave the speculation to memecoin hustlers. “Once we come out of this period, and people start to accept blockchain tokens, there’s some very, very interesting stuff that the technology will enable,” says Osler. “But for now, meet them where they are. Let’s sell them records from artists they love. Show them there’s this amazing digital stuff that goes along with it, and that it’s collectible, and just leave it at that.”
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Jeff Kravitz / Getty
This past Thursday (Feb. 13) social media was busting with news that Bianca Censoi had finally had enough of Kanye West’s off the padded wall antics and had walked away from their relationship and preparing to hit him with divorce papers.
Apparently, that seems to have been much ado about nothing as according to The Hollywood Reporter, reps for the couple are denying that the two are heading for divorce court as has been widely reported in the past 24 hours. While we’re sure there were many men typing up all kinds of slick lines and paragraphs in preparation to slide into Bianca’s DM’s (if they haven’t already), it seems likes the two are sticking it out for the time being regardless of what’s been reported thus far.
Per The Hollywood Reporter:
“Ye and Bianca are in Los Angeles, about to enjoy Valentine’s Day together. Announcements about their private life will come from them directly, not unsourced rumor in the tabloid press,” Milo Yiannopoulos, the couple’s longtime rep, told THR on Thursday afternoon. “Is this the fifth or is it the sixth time the press has wrongly reported that Ye and Bianca are separating? I’ve lost track.”
Wait, Milo Yiannopoulos is repping Kanye and Bianca Censori?! You learn something new everyday. Then again it shouldn’t be surprising as Milo and Kanye share similar views when it comes to their ideology for the most part.
News of the supposed divorce of Kanye and Bianca came a week after Kanye West went on an unprovoked Twitter rant in which he again took aim at the Jewish community, declared himself a Nazi, big upped Adolf Hitler, began selling shirts with swastikas on them, and even threw shots at Dave Chappelle while posting non-stop porno clips. This was all in a span of 72 hours. It got to the point where Elon Musk not only unfollowed Kanye, but ultimately suspended his account as Ye was too out of control even for the current shadow President of The United States. That’s saying something.
So when news broke that Bianca Censori was gearing up to divorce Kanye, not many people questioned why.
Alas, it seems like that is not the case (so far) and the two will continue to hit red carpets together with one being fully clothed and the other, not so much. And for people who feel that Kanye is forcing his wife to not wear clothes out in public, Milo is clapping back at such allegations.
“There is a person controlling what Bianca Censori wears. The name of that person is Bianca Censori,” he said, clarifying that West, a creative force in the fashion world, is the “final boss,” but Censori’s sensibility is “the guiding creative intelligence and impetus behind the way she dresses.”
Yeah, ok.
What do y’all think about Kanye and Bianca not getting divorced? Are they actually happily married or just capping to keep their marital issues under wraps? Sound off in the comments section below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Michael M. Santiago / Getty
Six officials with the Department of Justice resigned, declining to drop federal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
On Thursday (February 13), six senior officials in the Department of Justice resigned rather–including acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Danielle Sassoon—tendered their resignation in protest over an order to drop the federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The resignations have rocked the DOJ and sent a clear message to the administration of President Donald Trump.
Sassoon wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, detailing that the directive by acting deputy Attorney General Emil Bove amounted to a “quid pro quo”, citing that the dropping of the charges against Adams was sought for his help in aiding Trump’s immigration agenda. “Rather than be rewarded, Adams’s advocacy should be called out for what it is: an improper offer of immigration enforcement assistance in exchange for a dismissal of his case,” she wrote. Sassoon also blasted Bove for demanding all notes from a meeting she had with Adams’ attorney, Alex Spiro. She also stated that the office was preparing a superseding indictment against Adams for obstruction and destroying evidence. Because the law does not support a dismissal, and because I am confident that Adams has committed the crimes with which he is charged, I cannot agree to seek a dismissal driven by improper considerations,” she wrote.
After Bove tried to re-assign the case to the public integrity section in Washington D.C., acting head John Keller resigned. Kevin Driscoll, head of the criminal division also resigned along with three other officials in the units. Bove said that all who resigned would be put on leave & investigated. Bove blasted Sassoon over her letter, claiming she “lost sight” of the oath of office that she took.
The resignations would make it clear for Adams to still have the charges dropped against him. The embattled mayor met with Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan on Thursday (February 13), a precursor to his agreeing to allow ICE officers into the Riker’s Island prison facility in defiance of a 2014 law prohibiting such a move. In an interview on Fox & Friends on Friday morning (February 14) with the mayor at his side, Homan said, “If he doesn’t come through, I’ll be back in New York City,” said Homan. “And we won’t be sitting on the couch, I’ll be in his office, up his butt saying, ‘Where the hell is the agreement we came to?’”
After dropping a career-spanning live album (2024’s Then And Now) and joining fellow gospel greats Fred Hammond, Yolanda Adams, and The Clark Sisters on Kirk Franklin’s arena-visiting Reunion Tour, Bishop Marvin Sapp made a move few in the gospel world saw coming – releasing an R&B EP just in time for Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14).
Aptly titled If I Was An R&B Singer, the new EP is a notable – but momentary! — genre pivot from one of the most decorated voices in contemporary gospel music. An 11-time Grammy nominee, Sapp has sent a whopping 14 titles to the top 10 of Billboard’s Gospel Albums, including 2007’s Thirsty and 2010’s Here I Am, both of which spent over 20 weeks atop the chart. He’s also earned four chart-toppers on Hot Gospel Songs, led by 2007’s seminal “Never Would Have Made It,” which achieved rare crossover success, reaching No. 14 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 82 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. His most recent Gospel Songs chart-topper, 2020’s “Thank You for It All,” was a finalist for top gospel song at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards.
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There’s always a kerfuffle when gospel artists cross over to secular music, but Sapp’s new EP arrives under special circumstances. First, people have been wondering what Sapp would sound like on an R&B song for years – it’s one of the ways he grounds the EP’s narrative in the intro. (“I wonder,” muses on-air personality Tyrene “TJ” Jackson on the track, “What it would sound like… an R&B song, or a whole R&B project by Marvin Sapp?”) Second, after a 36-year career that’s garnered him billions of streams and numerous historic achievements, Sapp is in a place where he feels comfortable taking risks – even if he doesn’t think they’re as dicey as others might.
“I sing gospel because that’s my conviction, but don’t think I can’t do what other people do,” he plainly tells Billboard on Valentine’s Day. “I can do it; I just chose a different genre.”
That relaxed freedom and artistic security shines across If I Were An R&B Singer and its quiet storm-inflected, late-‘80s R&B foundation. Featuring writing and production from a close-knit team, led by his son, Marvin Sapp Jr., If I Were an R&B Singer is an entertaining artistic exercise that never sacrifices or compromises the integrity and overall mission of Sapp’s purpose as a singer and artist.
In a lively conversation with Billboard, Marvin Sapp details the making of his new EP, his favorite line dances, the differences in vocal technique across genres, and the R&B he used to croon in the school lunchroom.
When did you finally decide to make an R&B project?
I didn’t sit down and decide to make it; it kinda just fell in my lap. For my whole 36-year career, people have always asked why I haven’t ever sung R&B music or anything of that nature. I always said the reason was that I didn’t feel like it was my assignment. I feel like whenever you do anything musically, there has to be a conviction that’s attached to it.
My son [Marvin Sapp Jr.] said I should make something like [If I Were An R&B Singer], and his good friend Kolten [Perine] produced the record. I decided to put my career in their hands, more or less, because they’re younger and Gen Z, they get it.
You touch on this during the intro, but talk to me a little bit more about your experience with R&B while growing up Baptist.
I grew up in a very traditional church here in Grand Rapids, MI. We didn’t have drums, didn’t have an organ, we had an upright piano, couldn’t rock, couldn’t clap, couldn’t do any of that. When I was a teen, everybody was listening to New Edition because they were a hot group — but I never felt like they could really sing. I was sitting up listening to people like Peabo Bryson, Teddy Pendergrass –who influenced my style in a gospel way – Con Funk Shun and the Dazz Band. These were the groups and singers who shaped me as an artist. That’s who I played around the house. Even though I chose gospel at the age of 10, you know, I was pretty much raised by those individuals.
When you had someone to sing to in the lunchroom, what songs were you singing?
I was singing stuff by the Dazz Band like “Heartbeat” and “I’m So Into You” by Peabo Bryson. My junior year in high school was everything to me because that’s when Between the Sheets by The Isley Brothers came out. I was singing the whole first side of that album. I remember my first major solo at my middle school was “Sparkle” by Cameo. I can count the number of times I’ve sung R&B in my life, maybe 20 times maximum.
This [project] is a one-and-done. I challenge everybody to get it because it’s not like we’re going to do anything else like this again. I just wanted to try it, and I think I did a pretty good job.
How did you develop the specific style of R&B you were going for on this project?
First, I wanted to make sure I didn’t veer too far away from my assignment and my calling. I still want to be the preacher, the teacher, the pastor, etc. I still want to be able to go back to doing what I feel like I do best — and that is singing the Gospel of Jesus. We wanted to make sure that lyrically, it was about love and relationships, but it was clean like a lot of the ‘80s and ‘90s R&B I grew up listening to. I wanted to revisit that particular style and texture.
I also had a conversation with my son and Kolten about making sure that I didn’t jeopardize who I was for the sake of the project. We came up with something that’s current, sensual, but not sexual. And that was the goal.
Who else was involved in making this project and when did that process begin?
It started last year. I built my own recording studio on my property during COVID, so I recorded it there like my last two CDs. The young man who mixed and mastered it, Curtis Lindsey, is actually my [musical director] and has been with me for maybe 17 years. Of course, my publicist Kymberlee [Norsworthy], my son — who co-wrote “Free Fallin” with Kolten and shot the album cover. I’m a very strong believer in using younger gifts that are around you to help you to remain current. It’s very difficult being an artist of 36 years and being blessed to remain relevant – especially when you’re trying to reinvent and introduce yourself at the same time. You have to make sure that you have people around you who really understand the pulse of what’s happening now, and Kolten and Marvin get it.
Did your approach to singing have any notable shifts between gospel and R&B?
Singing R&B is more melodic. In my gospel music, I might be hollering at you one minute, and the next, I’m singing softly and doing certain riffs. This particular record is more of me singing and people being able to sing with me to the hooks. We were trying to make sure it was catchy so we could give people the opportunity to hear me in a totally new light and recognize my versatility. I was able to use my falsetto a little bit, which I’m not able to do as much on the gospel side. I could do it, but once you recognize what people enjoy you doing, you just do that.
How did you come to an understanding of what R&B audiences want to hear in 2025?
I really studied! Of course, I’ve known Tank for years, and I listened to him. But I knew I couldn’t be a Tank. There’s a new young man [named October London] who I really, really love and listen to a whole not. He sounds like a Marvin Gaye type of artist. I literally sat and studied his music, placement and lyrical content. I listened to people like Joe, old-school Dave Hollister, and so many different people, to create some form of gumbo. I took pieces from each of them. The first song, “Listen,” is kind of a throwback to Kem. I got a clear picture of what people enjoy and what they want to listen to.
“Free Fallin” has a bit of a line dance moment. Could we be seeing you hit those moves soon? Do you have a favorite line dance?
I’m still doing the Cupid Shuffle, man. But I’m also learning the dance for [“Boots on the Ground” by 803Fresh]. I know they gonna do it tomorrow night at this event that I’m at. I’ve been on YouTube trying to figure it out. I’ll probably do a [“make your own line dance” challenge] for “Free Fallin” too.
You said this is a “one-and-done” project, but what do the promotional plans look like for the EP? Is a tour in the works?
There aren’t plans for me to tour it, because I don’t think that’s my actual assignment. We’re going to definitely see about getting airplay on R&B radio for “Free Fallin,” because I really think that song’s a vibe, to be perfectly honest. But I haven’t even thought that far. I just wanted to do something that was on my bucket list.
What were those internal conversations with your team like, considering you’re momentarily pivoting to R&B as one of the most highly regarded working artists in contemporary gospel music?
Kymberlee and I sat down and had a real conversation about it — because we were about to hit the road to do the Reunion Tour with Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Yolanda Adams, and The Clark Sisters. This was a big tour, and we had just dropped my new live album. We talked about [how to handle] putting [the R&B project] out, because we were still on the Billboard charts with gospel tracks. We didn’t want to do anything that was going to jeopardize that. After thinking it through and mapping it out, we decided that this shouldn’t be an obstruction to what we do — especially because our target was to release it on Valentine’s Day.
There was definitely concern about backlash, but I think that the body of Christ is extremely mature. There are some that will have negative things to say, but those individuals who really know my heart and my passion understand without question that this is something that I’m doing just because I can. I’m not choosing it as a career.
Do you think there’s something to be said about waiting for the right time to do this project? Would the EP have sounded like this if it came out 10 years ago?
Heck no! Not even close. 10 years ago, I was still striving to be the best artist that I could possibly be. It’s easy for me to do this – and I don’t want this to sound wrong – because I’m accomplished. I can take risks. Even though I don’t honestly feel like this is a major risk, it’s still somewhat of a risk. 10 years ago, I probably wouldn’t even consider doing this. “The Best in Me” was hot, “Never Would Have Made It” was still at the top of the charts and on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts — I had already crossed over! [Laughs.]
Now, I’m focusing on pastoring and opening up another charter school in the DFW metroplex. I’m still making quality gospel music, and I’m still on the Billboard charts. And I’m older, I’m stronger, I’m wiser and I’m better.
We got a live album and a blockbuster tour from you last year. What do you have planned for 2025?
I’ve got a Tiny Desk set later this week, and my church in the DFW metroplex is growing by leaps and bounds. I gotta start a second service. I have two grandchildren now. In this particular season of my life, I’m coasting. It feels really good to be able to pick and choose what you want to do and not have to grind like I did for 20 of the 36 years I’ve been out here.
I’m going to enjoy it because it’s really hard to enjoy the ride while you’re grinding. You miss out on so much and people don’t get it.
At the height of my career, my wife was sick and dying. I missed out on a lot of things because we were fighting for her life, which was more important than anything I was doing outside of my house. Now, some 14-15 years later, I’m in a different place. I’m still able to maintain a level of success and relevance. I’m enjoying every moment of it now because I get the opportunity to view it from a different perspective.
On Valentine’s Day, Drake teamed up with OVO signee and frequent collaborator PARTYNEXTDOOR to release the collaborative album Some Sexy Songs 4 U, a 21-track project that marks his first release since the three-track project 100 Gigs last August.
More significantly, it’s his first release since he filed a lawsuit against his record label, Universal Music Group (UMG), on Jan. 15 for defamation over the release of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” the searing, chart-topping diss track aimed at the Canadian rapper that was released by UMG’s Interscope Records. In the lawsuit, lawyers for Drake alleged that “UMG intentionally sought to turn Drake into a pariah, a target for harassment, or worse,” by pushing a “false and malicious narrative” that the star rapper was a “certified pedophile,” as Lamar rapped on the track. (UMG, in response, said in part, “Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist—let alone Drake—is illogical.”)
That raises the question: How is Drake able to release an album while he’s actively suing the record label to which he’s signed?
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First, the logistics: The new album was released jointly through OVO Sound, to which PARTYNEXTDOOR is signed, which is distributed by Santa Anna, a company under Sony Music Group’s Alamo Records umbrella; and OVO, which is Drake’s vehicle through UMG’s Republic Records. They are co-billed that way and in that order on digital service providers like Spotify and Apple Music. These types of joint releases are relatively common; think Future and Metro Boomin’s back-to-back We Don’t Trust You albums last year, released jointly via Future’s label Epic Records (also a Sony label) and Metro’s label Republic Records. (Coincidentally, We Don’t Trust You contained the song “Like That” featuring Lamar, the track that kicked off the Drake-Kendrick beef in earnest.) Another, more current, example is the Lady Gaga–Bruno Mars collaboration “Die With A Smile,” currently sitting at No. 1 on the Hot 100 for its fifth week, which is co-billed to Gaga’s Interscope and Mars’ Atlantic Records.
That means UMG would have had to legally clear Drake’s appearance on the album, an outcome that a handful of lawyers consulted by Billboard say would not necessarily be affected by any ongoing litigation. “Suing UMG shouldn’t preclude him from working with them legally,” one lawyer says. “As for their desire to be in a contractual relationship with him while he is litigating against them, that’s a different story.” Adds another, who agreed that it would not affect his ability to release an album: “Whether or not UMG decides to properly fund and support a release that Drake wants to do while Drake is suing UMG is another question.”
A UMG spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In its response to the initial lawsuit last month, the company wrote, “We have invested massively in [Drake’s] music and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success. … Throughout his career, Drake has intentionally and successfully used UMG to distribute his music and poetry to engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth ‘rap battles’ to express his feelings about other artists. He now seeks to weaponize the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression and to seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.”
An artist suing their record label is not an unheard-of occurrence; it has happened several times through the years, often over royalty payments or other contractual disputes. Suing their own record label for defamation over a diss track, however, is unprecedented; given the mutually beneficial financials involved in an artist and an album’s commercial success, it would stand to reason that UMG would not aim to materially harm one of their superstar artists. But that’s a determination for the courts to make.
Additional reporting by Elias Leight.
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It’s time to take another trip to the White Lotus.
The Emmy-winning HBO original series The White Lotus is back, bringing a whole new cast of seemingly picture-perfect travelers and enthusiastic hotel employees to an idyllic locale for its third season. Taking place at an exclusive Thai resort, this new group of guests and employees will party, fight and undoubtedly cause mischief within the span of a week. Who will come out unscathed? Tune in to the White Lotus season 3 premiere airing this Sunday (Feb. 16) at 9 p.m. ET/PT, airing on HBO and streaming on Max.
As much as we loved the season 2 cast, we can’t wait to uncover all the dark, twisted mysteries that a new batch of characters are hiding. This season of the anthology series stars Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Michelle Monaghan, Walton Goggins, Aimee Lou Wood, Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Sarah Catherine Hook, Sam Nivola and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Also, making her acting debut in the upcoming season is BLACKPINK’s LISA.
“I don’t know what to feel right now. I’m just so excited. I can’t wait for all of you guys to watch this show,” LISA told Variety in a recent interview. “It is my first acting [experience] so I don’t know what to expect on set, but everybody just being so supportive helped me a lot. So thank you, everyone.”
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To learn more about how you can watch The White Lotus season 3, check out our guide below.
Here’s How to Watch & Stream ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3
The eight-episode season makes it the longest of the series so far. The season 3 premiere will air this Sunday (Feb. 16) at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with following episodes airing weekly on HBO and streaming on Max. Not subscribed to Max? There’s plenty of bundle streaming deals to help you save big and offer an even bigger library of shows, movies and live TV.
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For Amazon Prime members, get a 7-day free trial to Max here. Max doesn’t currently offer a free trial on its site, so this Prime Video promotion is the only way to stream Max online for free right now.
The above free trials are reserved for Amazon Prime members exclusively. Not a Prime member? Get a 30-day free trial to test out the service here. Besides Prime Video, the subscription includes free shipping on millions of items, a subscription to Amazon Prime Music and other member benefits.
Want to experience your own (hopefully more peaceful) White Lotus vacation? The Mike White-created series teamed up with Away for a limited-edition luxury travel collection. The collab features a trio of getaway bags, including the popular hardside carry-on luggage, luxe beach bags, and custom accessories. Each item features raffia-inspired exterior and leather details. Shop the collection below.
Luggage
Away x ‘The White Lotus’ Carry-On Luggage
Tote Bag
Away x ‘The White Lotus’ Poolside Tote
Luggage
Away x ‘The White Lotus’ Bigger Carry-On Luggage
Duffle Bag
Away x ‘The White Lotus’ Weekender Bag
Luggage
Away x ‘The White Lotus’ Medium Luggage
Crossbody bag
Away x ‘The White Lotus’ Mini Everywhere Bag
Packing Organizers
Away x ‘The White Lotus’ Insider Packing Cubes
Watch the trailer for the upcoming season 3 of The White Lotus below.
With the beginning of Presidents’ Day weekend and Valentine’s Day coming together on the same day, a number of today’s biggest stars have dropped new music for fans to enjoy all long weekend. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news To kick things off, Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR got fans […]