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31 Jul 2023

Watch BTS’ V Join Jung Kook for ‘Seven’ Performance

ARMY was in for a treat when Jung Kook appeared on South Korea’s Inkigayo on Sunday (July 30). The BTS member, who is currently promoting his Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Seven (feat. Latto),” appeared on the music program to perform the track, and gave one of his fellow BTS members “Permission to Dance” with him on stage.

After winning first place on the show for the single, Jung Kook took to the stage and delivered an encore performance of the track. During the performance, Jung Kook gives V — dressed in a striped long-sleeve shirt and light blue jeans — the OK to join him on stage to perform the chorus’ intricate choreography for a few moments before running offstage. While the quick moment didn’t make it to the Inkigayo‘s final videos, fans posted the moment to social media.

“Seven” marks the second solo single from a BTS member to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, with Jimin first achieving the feat following the release of “Like Crazy.” Jung Kook also recently appeared on Suga’s Suchwita show and revealed plans to drop another single, with an EP to follow later this year. “After this single comes out, I’m going to release one more single, and then I’ll release a small mini album later. I think it’ll all be out by November,” he told the BTS rapper.

The tracks on the untitled mini album have yet to be decided. “The thing is, I need a song like this one [‘Seven’] for my second single too, but I don’t have one,” Jung Kook added.

Watch fan videos of V performing with Jung Kook on Inkigayo below.

31 Jul 2023

Kelly Clarkson Warns Fans Not to Throw Things At Her Onstage … Unless It’s Diamonds, Of Course

Kelly Clarkson would like to avoid being added to the steadily increasing pool of musicians who are victims of fans throwing objects at them onstage … but she’ll make an exception for one item. (Hint: They’re a girl’s best friend.)

“If you’re gonna throw s–t, throw diamonds,” she told her concert crowd over the July 28-29 weekend, during one of the first of many shows in her newly minted Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino’s Bakkt Theater.

The 41-year-old pop star was seemingly referencing a growing — and dangerous — recent trend in which audience members have been throwing phones, bracelets and other personal belongings at artists as they perform. In July, for instance, Bebe Rexha had to go to the hospital and suffered injuries to her eye after getting hit in the face by a chucked cell phone during a show at New York’s The Rooftop at Pier 17. Why? Because the perpetrator thought “it would be funny.”

And again, over the weekend, Cardi B — while performing at Las Vegas’ Drai’s Beachclub, just down the road from Clarkson — fought fire with fire by throwing her microphone at a fan who’d splashed her with water. Drake, Steve Lacy, Harry Styles and Kelsea Ballerini have also all suffered blows to their faces and bodies in the past few months, due to people pelting things at them mid-concert. And then there’s Pink, who looked horrified upon being gifted with the ashes of a fan’s dead mother while she was trying to perform at the BST Hyde Park festival.

The diamond-throwing quip wasn’t Clarkson’s only noteworthy joke during her kickoff shows in Vegas over the weekend. In response to a female fan’s declaration that her girlfriend had given her her blessing to hook up with the “Stronger” singer — a couple’s agreement also known as a “hall pass” — Clarkson replied that “unfortunately, I like d–ks.”

See clips of Kelly Clarkson sharing her preferences below:

31 Jul 2023

Kanye West’s Twitter Account Reinstated Eight Months After Getting Booted For Swastika Post

Kanye West has kept a low profile for much of this year after spending the latter part of 2022 on a bizarre media tour in which he repeatedly made antisemitic remarks that led to the near-total meltdown of his once formidable fashion and music empire, and, according to the Anti-Defamation League, a rise in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. The spree resulted in West (who now goes by Ye) losing a raft of major endorsements and product deals, as well as being booted from Twitter in December for sharing the since-deleted image of a swastika inside a Star of David.

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That sanction came just two months after Space X/Tesla billionaire Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion; last week Musk announced that he was renaming the service “X.” Then, on Saturday, with no warning, West’s account had been restored after the suspension for what the service called at the time an “incitement to violence.”

At press time it did not appear that West had tweeted about the reinstatement or posted any new content, with the most recent tweets — espousing Ye’s disdain for pornography and support for fashion house Balenciaga — dating to Dec. 1, 2022. Though Billboard has not been able to confirm any details behind the reversal of Ye’s suspension, the news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which also noted that the rapper’s feed will not show any ads and that Ye will not be able to monetize his posts through Musk’s recently announced ad revenue sharing program for creators.

That program promises a cut of ad revenue for those who have a blue or verified mark, at least 15 million impressions within last three months or have at least 500 followers; Kanye’s Twitter feed has 31.6 million followers.

A spokesperson for X had not returned Billboard‘s request for additional comment at press time and Billboard‘s attempts to reach a spokesperson for West were unsuccessful at press time. West’s is not the first controversial account Musk has brought back. The unpredictable entrepreneur and “free speech abolitionist” also reinstated Donald Trump’s Twitter account last year after the former one-term president was suspended on Jan. 6, 2021 over fears that he might stoke further violence from his followers after their attack on the Capitol in Washington, D.C. that left five dead and hundreds injured.

31 Jul 2023

8 Must-Hear New Country Songs: Jelly Roll, Tyler Childers, Carter Faith & More

In this week’s new crop of musical contenders, Jelly Roll teams with Apple Music to give an older demo track new life. Meanwhile, Tyler Childers and Silas House team to release a stirring music video (and new song from Childers) that highlights unyielding love.

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Jelly Roll, “Dragging These Roots”

Over his past rap and country projects, Jelly Roll has only grown more adept at crafting and vocally unfurling songs with dynamic melodies and dramatic rock fluency, as on his latest, “Need a Favor.”

Here, he takes a song written by Jesse Frasure, Josh Thompson and Ben Hayslip, about never being fully capable nor inclined to shuffle off one’s native outset, and fuels it with his growling, agile vocals. Jelly Roll teamed with Apple Music to record this previously unreleased track as part of Apple Music’s Lost & Found project.

Tyler Childers, “In Your Love”

This stirring song, written by Childers with Gino Seale, is accompanied by a gripping, tender and essential music video (with the video treatment written by journalist/novelist Silas House). The clip highlights the love story of two men, Jasper and Matthew, who escape work in the coal mines in 1950s Appalachia — and the violence and discrimination of their co-workers — to build their life together on a farm deep in the country.

The beautifully-shot video depicts the love, passion, joy and sorrows the couple experiences– from having dinner with friends to enjoying a concert– but also the discrimination and fear that threads through their time together. “In Your Love” offers a rich look at the complete arc of the couple’s relationship, and a romance that lingers long after Matthew passes away from black lung, due to his work in the coal mines.

The song is the first glimpse into Childers’ upcoming album Rustin’ in the Rain.

The Oak Ridge Boys and Alabama, “Jesus and John Wayne”

For the first time, these two Country Music Hall of Fame-inducted groups (the Oaks in 2015; Alabama in 2005) team up for a vocal collaboration that pays tribute to gospel songwriting duo, Bill and Gloria Gaither. The song, previously recorded by the Gaither Vocal Band, was written by Bill and Gloria as well as Benjamin Gaither and Kim Williams, and pays tribute to the influence of both a hard-driving, uncompromising father and a soft-hearted mother. Sonically, this fiddle-drenched track is reminiscent of Alabama’s 1980s country sounds, though the lyrics fail to rise above country/gospel tropes. However, the song reaches its zenith when the music momentarily quiets, leaving the two iconic vocal groups to blend their signature harmonies.

Parker Ryan, “First on My List”

This Texas native issued his debut project, Talbert Street, Pt. 1, in 2020, followed by Pt. 2, and a eponymous project. His recently released three-song project includes “First on My List,” an amalgam of airy folk, country and bluesy-rock tones. Here, over a swirl of hypnotic acoustic guitar, he sings of spending his days piling up miles, money and vacation time in pursuit of dreams. “Maybe part of me wishes you would fix up all my feelings/ Help me with my healing,” he contemplates, before doubling down on where his commitment lies. A chorus of voices joins as the song ascends to its close, as he reconfirms that the relationship remains his priority.

Carter Faith, ‘Cowboy Forever”

Singer-songwriter Faith previously issued her debut EP Let Love Be Love. On her latest, Spanish guitar flourishes, a cinematic Western vibe and Faith’s unique, sultry twang meld to convey this tale of a young woman who falls for a headstrong, restless cowboy. “I was dreaming of his cattle ranch/ His grandmother’s diamond on my left hand,” she muses, later calling herself a “lovesick fool.” Masterful use of Faith’s airy falsetto lends to the song’s freewheeling-yet-wounded mystique. Faith wrote this song with Lauren Hungate and Tofer Brown.

Mitchell Tenpenny, “Bigger Mistakes”

“At the End of a Bar” hitmaker Tenpenny adds to post-breakup misery in this pop-punk-tinged track, telling his ex-lover, “I’ve made bigger mistakes than you.” On the surface, it’s a searing insult, but embedded in the lyrics is his realization that a breakup isn’t the end of the world. He reserves those weightier, more haunting self-recriminations for failing to have a drink with his good friend (and fellow country singer), the late Joe Diffie, before Diffie’s passing in 2020, or failing to put a ring on the finger of a different ex, whom he calls “the one who got away,” years ago. Tenpenny’s gravelly voice is all remorse and swagger here, to great effect.

Cooper Alan, “Never Not Remember You”

Alan has become a TikTok sensation thanks to songs including “New Normal” and “Colt 45 (Country Remix).” His latest, a ballad about remembering the sweeter moments after a loved one’s passing, is somewhat of a throwback — no hip-hop leanings, no angst-fueled rock shadings — just a straightforward song that swells with piano and strings, and one that highlights Alan as an elegant-voiced crooner with a hint of twang. Alan also further proves his growth as a songwriter as a co-writer on the track, alongside hitmaking writers Victoria Shaw (“The River”) and Seth Mosley (“Fix My Eyes,” “Joy”).

Drake Milligan and the Reklaws, “Honky Tonkin’ About”

Texas native Milligan teams with duo The Reklaws for this hard-charging, rousing track. The song centers on a guy questioning a potential lover’s country bona fides (“Was there dust on your driveway … did your daddy drive a tractor?”), before deciding that no matter her origin story, he’s ready to see where the evening takes them. Milligan’s hearty voice is as commanding as ever, even on this more lighthearted outing. The song comes courtesy of writers Blake Redferrin, Thomas Salter, Callum Maudsley and The Reklaws’ Stuart Walker.

31 Jul 2023

Shadoe Stevens, Gerry House & Bob Rivers Among Radio Hall of Fame Inductees (Complete List)

Shadoe Stevens, best known as host of American Top 40 from 1988 to 1995; Bob Rivers, an air personality and prolific producer and songwriter of parody songs; and Nina Totenberg, legal affairs correspondent for NPR, are among the eight 2023 inductees into the Radio Hall of Fame.

Other honorees include Gerry House, who was heard on WSIX-FM in Nashville for many years and also wrote hits for such top country stars as George Strait, Reba McEntire and LeAnn Rimes; John DeBella, who played a major role in developing the Morning Zoo format; and Pat St. John, who began his radio career in Windsor, Ontario in 1969, but is best known for the 42 years he spent in the New York City radio market.

Six inductees were determined by a voting participant panel comprised of more than 950 industry professionals. The two remaining inductees were voted on by the Radio Hall of Fame nominating committee. 

“My congratulations to our newest inductees,” Kraig T. Kitchin, co-chair of the Radio Hall of Fame, said in a statement on Monday (July 31) when the Museum of Broadcast Communications announced the selections. “I’m thrilled to see each individual receive this recognition from the industry they’ve devoted their professional lives to.”

Dennis Green, co-chair of the Radio Hall of Fame, added: “On behalf of the Radio Hall of Fame nominating committee, we are proud to induct eight individuals into the Radio Hall of Fame who have made an indelible impact upon the industry. It is a pleasure to honor the careers of these individuals who quite simply define excellence in the industry and have earned the right to be called a Hall of Famer.”

The inductees will be honored at the in-person 2023 Radio Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 2, at the InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel in New York City. Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo, a 2022 Radio Hall of Fame inductee, will serve as master of ceremonies for the event. Tickets are on sale now at www.radiohalloffame.com. A portion of each ticket purchase is a tax-deductible charitable donation to the Museum of Broadcast Communications.

The Radio Hall of Fame was founded by the Emerson Radio Corporation in 1988. The Museum of Broadcast Communications took over operations in 1991. 

Here’s a complete list of 2023 Radio Hall of Fame inductees:

John DeBella

Gerry House

Deborah Parenti

Bob Rivers

Pat St. John

Shadoe Stevens

Nina Totenberg

Charles Warfield

31 Jul 2023

Harry Styles’ Love On Tour Raises More Than $6.5 Million for Charity

Harry Styles spread the love to more than just fans who attended his Love On Tour shows. Following the conclusion of the pop star’s impressive two-year run on the road, his team announced that the international trek raised more than $6.5 million for dozens of charities across the globe, benefiting reproductive health, environmentalism, gun safety and many more causes.

The donated proceeds were raised over the course of 173 shows in Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and Latin America starting in September 2021, several of which were grouped as mini-residencies in iconic venues such as New York City’s Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles’ The Forum — both of which have permanent banners hanging from the rafters commemorating 15 consecutive Love On Tour concerts. As of a couple weeks ago, the tour had earned more than $590 million total, becoming the fourth highest-grossing tour of all time, according to the Billboard Boxscore.

Among the charities benefited by Love On Tour: Planned Parenthood, Choose Love, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Rebuild Foundation, REVERB, Black Voters Matter Fund – Capacity Building Institute, The Afiya Center, International Rescue Committee, Intermission Youth, Save the Children, CARE, Every Town for Gun Safety, and several more.

Styles officially closed out the run of shows with a jam-packed finale performance in Reggio Emilia, Italy, on July 22, during which he thanked fans in an emotional speech. “You guys being here tonight, I know you wanted to make it special for me. You make it special for me every single night,” he said during his last moments on a Love On Tour stage. “The atmosphere that you have created, the family that you have created, this safe space that you have created … I want to thank you for everything.”

After his final performance, the three-time Grammy winner shared a sweet video capturing some of the best fan moments from his shows, promising on his Instagram Story that he’ll “see you again when the time is right.”

“Treat People With Kindness,” he added. “I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

31 Jul 2023

How BRIC Plans on Protecting Hip-Hop’s Legacy for Years to Come (Guest Column)

Hip-Hop is turning 50 this year, and so am I.

I grew up fully immersed in the world of Hip-Hop and, like many other people, I don’t know anything else. Fifty years on, our culture rightly reminisces about and celebrates the iconic songs, performers, and cultural moments from over the years – but for me, and so many others, Hip-Hop is about more than just the music.

For me, it is the lens through which I view the world. I am a student of KRS-One. “Rap is something you do. Hip-Hop is something you live,” KRS famously said. That expansive view of the word, the sound, the dance, the visual art, the fashion, the business politics, philosophy, technology is what defines me.

Hip-Hop to me is, of course, the foundational “Four Elements” that we all recognize: MCing, B-Boy/B-B-Girling aka Breakdancing, Graffiti and DJing. But beyond these core tenants of the genre, it’s about so much more. Hip-Hop is about the energy and will of the people that cannot be stopped or controlled by any external system – and how we define and create the Culture on our own terms.

It is also how A.I. (Allen Iverson) played basketball. How he arrived at the games, with his hair braided by his mother. How the league changed the dress code to control his expression only to birth an even more powerful expression of fashion and expression we see today.

Hip-Hop was how Barack Obama moved on stage with Michelle and the family. The syncopation of his voice and the pregnant pauses caused the world to hang on his every word with the way he delivered a speech – it felt like rhyming. If he wanted to, Barack would have been an ill MC. Just as I imagine if Hov wanted to run for office he could be Mayor. It is this energy – that multifaceted, multidisciplinary power of Hip-Hop that BRIC looks to celebrate this year and for years to come.

2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, a huge moment for the Culture. But what happens after the big weekend of celebrations planned for the summer? At BRIC, we’ve been having thoughtful conversations about our own contributions to this moment, particularly with my background as the founder of the Brooklyn Hip-Hop festival and BRIC’s rich history as a place for artistic exploration, incubation, and presentation. As a leading Brooklyn arts and media institution whose work spans contemporary visual and performing arts, media, and civic action, BRIC is uniquely positioned to plug into this moment across the spectrum of arts and culture. For over 40 years, our institution has shaped Brooklyn’s cultural and media landscape by presenting and incubating artists, creators, students, and media makers. As a creative catalyst for our community, we ignite learning in people of all ages and centralize diverse voices that take risks and drive culture forward.

I’m excited to share that, this fall, BRIC is launching a new curatorial lens called BRIC Hip-Hop. Across the organization, we’ve united around an ethos and a mission of creating an evergreen home for the education, expression, and evolution of Hip-Hop. Our programmatic focus will join others in the space by giving Hip-Hop a home for incubation, debate, and development not just during anniversary years, but for many years to come.

In many ways, Hip-Hop culture is built into the DNA of BRIC. For decades, it’s been central to how we operate, how we coordinate, how we curate. On the surface, we may not be here B-Boying or bombing trains, but we operate under the same tenets and philosophies that have fueled Hip-Hop culture for half a century. The fundamental idea is that we use arts, culture and education to communicate and build with our community. It is how we show up for the people—of all races and spaces, of all ages and means—every year, not just this year. Hip-Hop is how we grow, why we adapt, and what we hope to embody in the future. We institutionalize the spirit, diversity and beating heart of Hip-Hop into BRIC’s programming and through BRIC’s team.

We do this because it matters. Hip-Hop is innate to us, but it is also a choice. It is a choice to be multidisciplinary, to embrace art and creation in its many forms. It is a choice to be anti-racist, to embrace people from all walks of life who have found comfort and possibility in the enduring strength of community. It is a choice to be feminist, not to be ageist or transphobic or limit access because of a disability, but to view and operate with a goal of equality and equity of power, purpose and possibility.

By institutionalizing Hip-Hop, by ingraining it into everything we do, we’re seeking to build on its legacy and protect it for generations to come. We are celebrating the past by making entry points for creation in the present to better our collective futures. Maybe you’re a teenager. Maybe you’re a toddler. Maybe you’re grandparents. Maybe you’re from Flatbush or Park Slope or Bed-Stuy. It doesn’t matter. All are welcome.

New York is the birthplace of the Culture and we want to make sure people don’t forget about Brooklyn’s contributions to the story of Hip-Hop, both past and present. Many people walked up and down Fulton Street, from Masta Ace and Big Daddy Kane to Yasiin Bey to HOV himself for clothes, fame, and inspiration. And like those that came before us, we want to come together, cut through the madness of the world and do something real.

We’re beyond excited to share this new vision for BRIC’s contributions to the Hip-Hop space with our communities this fall and in the years to come. BRIC Hip-Hop will be a waystation for scholars, tourists, and artists this year and well into the future. Come join us at the Lena Horne Bandshell or at BRIC House, come down to the stoop, and find your place, whether it be something familiar or new. We can’t wait to have you be a part of the BRIC Hip-Hop conversation.

Wes Jackson has over 25 years of experience as a leader and innovator in entertainment and academia, previously working at Emerson College, The City University of New York, and consulting for Jazz At Lincoln Center. He is a Trustee of the Brooklyn Public Library and Board Chair of the Brooklyn Crescents, and has been leading BRIC — a multi-disciplinary arts and media institution anchored in Downtown Brooklyn — as its President since July 2022. On August 11 & 12, BRIC will commemorate Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary with free music performances, screenings, and more in Brooklyn at Prospect Park. Visit here for details.

31 Jul 2023

Cardi B Clocks Fan With Microphone After Drink Tossed At Her

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Cardi B might have another career as a baseball pitcher if she ever decides to leave the rap game. The Bronx beauty was seen hurling her microphone at a fan who tossed a drink at her during a recent performance.

Cardi B was in Las Vegas, Nev. over the weekend for an appearance at Drai’s Beachclub and was just seconds into her performance when someone a bit too lit tossed some type of liquid onto the rapper. With immediacy, Cardi B tossed the microphone with pinpoint accuracy and appears to clock the fan. In the video, Cardi is seen giving the person a verbal lashing as only she can then security guards working near the front of the stage took the individual out of the venue.

As some noted after seeing the video that Cardi wasn’t actually rapping and instead was lip-synching over a pre-recorded track, which isn’t unheard of these days. That said, shortly after the rowdy fan was taken away, Cardi resumed her set and all appeared to be well.

It’s a shame the fan tossed the drink because the orange number and hair Cardi B was sporting looked glamorous in the Vegas sun.

And for those keeping scores, that wasn’t the only time Cardi ended up throwing her microphone, doing so once again over the weekend during another performance but we couldn’t determine the reasoning.

Check out the reactions to Cardi’s mic tosses from X (formerly known as Twitter) below.

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Photo: Jemal Countess/GA / Getty

31 Jul 2023

Lady Gaga Bringing ‘Jazz & Piano’ Show Back to Las Vegas For Summer/Fall 2023 Residency Run

Lady Gaga is rebooting her Jazz & Piano residency show at the Dolby Live at Park MGM. The singer announced on Monday morning (July 31) that the show will be back for 12 dates between August 31 and Oct. 5.

Gaga launched Jazz & Piano in Jan. 2019, playing shows interchangeably with her more elaborate pop-oriented Enigma show. The stripped-down show — whose set list veered between such Great American songbook selections such as “Luck Be a Lady,” “Mambo Italiano,” “La Vie En Rose” and “Fly Me to the Moon” with jazzy versions of “Bad Romance,” “Paparazzi” and “Born This Way” — continued into May 2022.

Little Monsters can sign up now for a pre-sale here for the upcoming gigs that kicks off on Tuesday (August 1). The general on-sale will begin on Friday (August 4) at 1 p.m. ET.

The step back into the jazz spotlight will come less than a month after the passing of Gaga’s friend and musical mentor, Tony Bennett. Over the weekend, Gaga paid loving tribute to Bennett, who died on July 21 at age 96 of undisclosed causes.

“I will miss my friend forever. I will miss singing with him, recording with him, talking with him, being on stage together,” Gaga wrote alongside an Instagram photo of Bennett giving her a warm hug. “With Tony, I got to live my life in a time warp. Tony & I had this magical power. We transported ourselves to another era, modernized the music together, & gave it all new life as a singing duo. But it wasnt an act. Our relationship was very real.”

Gaga performed with Bennett at New York’s Radio City Music Hall in August 2021 during two “One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga” shows that marked the legendary crooner’s last live performances. The singer first teamed up with her musical hero on “The Lady Is a Tramp” from Bennett’s Duets II album. Gaga and Bennett also recorded two full-length jazz standards albums together, 2014’s Cheek to Cheek and 2021’s Love for Sale.

Watch the Jazz & Piano teaser video below.

31 Jul 2023

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Amindi, tobi lou, Frsh Waters & More

The Sunday of summer is right around the corner and as the season begins to wind down, we’ve got a mellow roundup of Fresh Picks this week to help usher you into August. There’s an even mix of rap and R&B this week with Amindi, tobi lou and Frsh Waters representing the former while Tyla, Hamzaa and Josiah Bassey slow things down a bit. Regardless, you’re bound to have at least one of these songs on repeat to help power you through the week.

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Don’t forget to check out our July picks in the Spotify playlist, linked below.

Freshest Find: Frsh Waters feat. Ohana Bam & Benjamin Earl Turner, “Grace look good”

Frsh Waters has been giving himself grace. Sampling Omar Apollo’s “Evergreen,” the Chicago rapper recruits Ohana Bam and Benjamin Earl Turner for a boom-bap rap song about “a combination of overdue compassion and damage control,” Frsh tells Billboard. “It’s checkin’ to let folks know we all need grace. Benjamin set the perfect scene [and] me and Ohana took up the challenge to fill in the details.”

Amindi, “diddy crop”

Amindi’s new single “diddy crop” is inspired by her fondness of the mogul’s habit of cropping people out of photos. “P. Diddy is notorious for skillfully editing people out of his photos, and I think it’s hilarious and valid,” she shares in a press release. The Inglewood rapper-singer describes her sound as “pastel rap” due to how she pairs songwriting with her soft sound. “Diddy crop” is a perfect example of this and will appear on her upcoming mixtape Take What You Need.

tobi lou, “Some Things”

“I am a problem, and I feel like this song reflects that,” says tobi lou. Combining an uptempo beat with witty bars, the Chicago artist releases “Some Things” a week after his Rolling Loud Miami performance, where he previewed the song. 

Tyla, “Water”

South African musician Tyla blended R&B and amapiano for her new track “Water.” “Make me sweat, make me hotter/ Make me lose my breath, make me water,” she sings. The new song is the perfect backdrop to a rooftop day party or tropical vacation.

Hamzaa, “Rush”

Hamzaa is on her healing journey. “I don’t wanna rush/I don’t wanna get into a fuss… Can’t scream anymore, can’t feel anymore,” she sings. Produced by 1SRAEL, the song appears on her new 5-song EP of the same name. “This project was born out of a discovery phase,” she writes on X (fka Twitter). “I needed to learn about who I was all over again. I needed to understand what it is I really care about… But the one thing I knew is that as urgent as getting my life together is, I cannot rush the healing process.” 

Josiah Bassey, “Here”

According to his Instagram bio, Josiah Bassey is a sincere romanticist — and his new song “Here” is proof. The single is stripped back with soothing guitar undertones that compliment his soulful singing voice. “Who cares if the stars don’t align?/ And even if the sun stops shining/ When it gets harder to try, we’ll be just fine/ ’Cause, I’ll be right here,” he sings.