State Champ Radio News
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Names Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia, YoonchaeAges 20, 19, 22, 19, 22, 17Label HYBE x GeffenPublisher HYBE x GeffenManagement HYBE x Geffen
Last year, when KATSEYE gave its first live performance at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena for the annual K-pop festival KCON, the group’s Megan remembers it as “chaotic but so much fun.” It was the first test of the members’ bond, with the girl group now saying strong communication is the key to navigating music industry madness. “We had to learn to be there for each other,” Sophia says. “We’re able to just come up to one another, good or bad, and say, ‘Hey, I feel this way.’ ” The HYBE x Geffen act will showcase that growth this spring with its second EP, Beautiful Chaos, which follows 2024’s SIS (Soft Is Strong) that spawned the Mainstream Top 40 hit “Touch.” As Manon teases: “This next era is really authentic to who we are.”
What are you most proud of when you look back at this past year?
Lara The MAMA Awards. That was our first time doing a big dance break as a group with dancers; there were cheerleaders and a full-on production. Every time I look back on that, I’m like, “Oh, my God. We did that.”
What has been the key to success in your first year as a group?
Sophia The biggest thing that we really learned together is communication. We care so deeply about each other, and this is something that we’re all so passionate about — this isn’t just our job. We’re so lucky to do something that we all grew up obsessed with. We’ve learned that it’s something we can connect through and that we have to be honest with each other all the time. At the end of the day, it’s the six of us against the world.
Megan We really found our flow with each other and how each of us works in different scenarios. When we do performances [now], we’re like, “OK, Megan needs to prepare in the corner, Yoonchae needs her own time, Sophia needs to warm up,” and then we all come together. So thanks to that communication, we all know each other so well and so deeply.
What can you share about what inspired your upcoming Beautiful Chaos EP?
Manon I always say this, but I feel like [fan army] the EYEKONS and [us] are the same people. We think the same; what they like, we like, and what we like, they like.
Sophia We are always on Weverse; we’re lurking through Instagram and Twitter. We literally see everything that the fans post and hear them, so hopefully, they’ll like what we’re coming out with.
What’s the best advice you would give aspiring young musicians?
Yoonchae To believe in yourself and do whatever you want.
Daniela It’s important to not let others decide your path.
Rihanna is finally back with a new song called “Friend of Mine,” her first since 2022.
It’s a fun, fast-paced dance track that shows up on the soundtrack for the upcoming *Smurfs* movie. Rihanna isn’t just singing this time, she’s also voicing Smurfette in the film, which also stars Sandra Oh, Natasha Lyonne, and James Corden. The song has a big club vibe and was produced by Jon Bellion, who’s worked with Justin Bieber before. Rihanna’s voice pops in and out of the beat, and honestly, it’s kind of hard to tell how much of it is really her.
It’s got more of a sampled feel, but fans, aka the Navy, are just happy to hear anything new from her.
“Friend of Mine” is the second song to be released from the *Smurfs* soundtrack. The first was “Higher Love” by Desi Trill with DJ Khaled, Cardi B, Natania, and Subhi. The full album comes out on July 13 and will also have a new track by Tyla. It’s been a long time since Rihanna dropped an album, not since *Anti* back in 2016.
She’s been teasing new music for years, but only gives us songs tied to movies. On top of that, she’s been busy with her Fenty brand and her growing family. At the 2025 Met Gala, she confirmed she’s pregnant with her third baby with A$AP Rocky, so yeah, music isn’t her only focus these days.
Check out some reactions below to Rihanna’s “Navy” first listen to her new song “Friend Of Mine”.
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Just one month after shutting down Brooklyn’s Barclays Center with two sold-out headlining shows — his first Stateside performances in 20 years — Vybz Kartel has announced an 11-date world tour alongside a new single titled “Pretty Girls.”
Kicking off May 17 at Miami’s Amerant Bank Arena, Kartel’s Freedom Street World Tour will visit Trinidad’s One Caribbean Music Festival, London’s Wireless Festival and Jamaica’s Reggae Sumfest — alongside arenas in Atlanta and Baltimore — before concluding with two shows in Malta on Sept. 11 and 12. The Freedom Street World Tour — which sources its name from the massive homecoming festival the King of Dancehall mounted on New Year’s Eve last year (Dec. 31, 2024) — serves as Kartel’s first trek in more than 20 years. Last summer, the dancehall legend walked out of prison a free man after serving 13 years of a now-overturned life sentence for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams.
Kartel has been incredibly active since his visa was reinstated at the top of the year. In January, he made his Billboard cover debut and released a ten-year anniversary deluxe edition of his 2015 Viking (Vybz Is King) album, featuring seven new songs. The following month (Feb. 2), he attended the 67th Annual Grammys, where he enjoyed his first career nomination for best reggae album (2024’s Party With Me EP). Two weeks later (Feb. 18), he delivered a sizzling career-spanning medley and received the Impact Award at the 27th MOBO Awards in the U.K. The same month he shut down Brooklyn with a pair of star-studded concerts — featuring guest appearances from Spice, Shenseea, Moliy, Busta Rhymes and more — Kartel picked five nominations at the third annual Caribbean Music Awards, which will take place in Kings Theatre on Aug. 28.
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In addition to his splashy tour announcement, the King of Dancehall also shared a brand new single. “Pretty Girls,” a bright, Now or Never Miami-helmed dancehall track dedicated to his eternal music, marks Kartel’s first release in partnership with Steven “Steve-O” Carless’ Defiant Records.
“I have had so many blessings this year,” Kartel said in a press release. “The summer is ours, and we are ready to take the world by storm, more passport stamps, more ‘Pretty Girls’ and endless possibilities.”
Stream “Pretty Girls” and check out Vybz Kartel’s Freedom Street World Tour dates below:
May 17 – Miami, Fla. @ Amerant Bank Arena May 24 – Georgetown, Guyana @ Guyana National Stadium May 31 – Port of Spain, Trinidad @ One Caribbean Music Festival June 6 – Atlanta, Ga. @ State Farm Arena June 14 – Atlantic City, N.J. @ Boardwalk Hall June 27 – St. Kitts @ St. Kitts Music Festival July 5 – Cologne, Germany @ Summerjam Festival July 13 – London, U.K. @ Wireless Festival July 18 – Montego Bay, Jamaica @ Reggae Sumfest July 26 – Baltimore, Md. @ CFG Bank Arena Sept 11–12 – Malta @ Freedom Street Europe Festivals
05/16/2025
Swift is the only woman on the list, which also includes seven male solo artists, two bands and one choral group.
05/16/2025
Rico Nasty is done waiting for permission. The rage-rap innovator, known for bending genre and unapologetically redefining feminine rage, has just dropped her new album LETHAL via Fueled By Ramen (May 16).
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And true to its name, LETHAL is explosive, expansive and razor-sharp, a sonic evolution that fuses her iconic “sugar trap” roots with searing rap-rock chaos and surprising softness.
“It’s like we did the experimentation, and it kind of mixed up the potions of everything that came before,” Rico tells Billboard. “And now we’ve built this bionic titanium steel brick house of a b***h. Yeah. She’s just standing there like — please, want it”.
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The project comes after a transformative year for Rico. She cleared out her emotional closet, cut ties with her previous team, and — in the middle of a solo phase — got the call to perform with Paramore, leading to her new management. The clarity that followed is embedded in every layer of LETHAL, which was executive produced by GRAMMY-nominated Imad Royal.
“I had that pit in my stomach and I was like, I should just do it — what’s the worst that could happen?” she says about leaning harder into rock. “Once you start making music for other people, it takes the fun out of it. I had to grow up and evolve and realize I don’t really care about people’s approval anymore”.
From the shoulder-shrug defiance of lead single “TEETHSUCKER (YEA3X)” to the raw emotional core of tracks like “Smile,” Rico balances rage with vulnerability.
“It’s about my kid. I could be going through so much, and he always makes me laugh… In parenting him, I lowkey learned how to parent myself,” she says of “Smile,” a track inspired by her son. “Even though I’m talking about my kid, I’m also talking about seeing my kid and realizing, wow, he’s so much like me. And I’m still a child, like within my own right. In parenting him, I lowkey feel like I’ve learned how to parent myself too”.
But don’t get it twisted — LETHAL isn’t about playing nice. “Some people just don’t have the same morals as you, and that’s OK. That don’t make them a bad person,” she explains. “But when you stick your arm out for people and they don’t reciprocate, it can create resentment. I’m not going to let that harden me, though. I’m still going to be me”.
And that’s exactly what LETHAL captures: a fully-realized Rico, unfiltered and unbothered. She’s not looking to be copied — she’s looking to connect.
“I definitely did trailblaze this, and I’m not taking any other answer… From the fashion to the hair, the makeup—I definitely own it,” Rico declares.
“I want people to listen and feel free. Like, I’m not the only one who feels like this. I’m not the only person who sees this s–t. I’m not the only person who feels like the whole world revolves around me”.
British pop phenomenon Lola Young has dropped “One Thing,” her first slice of new material since the release of her This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway LP in August.
Inspired by classic boom-bap production, lyrically, the track sees Young assert her agency in the bedroom with a new flame. “I wanna show you just what I like/ I wanna kiss you slow/ Wanna f–k you rough/ Wanna eat you up,” she sings.
“One Thing” arrives after a series of social media teaser clips from the 24-year-old, which were filmed in California after her appearance at Coachella in April. Its accompanying music video was directed by Dave Meyers (Little Simz, SZA, Sabrina Carpenter).
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“I wanted to make a song and music video that is thought-provoking and highlights sex being both a fun and light thing, not always meaningful, as well as showing how gender roles can be reversed,” said Young in a press release.
Young has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past six months. Her anthemic single “Messy” enjoyed a slow-burn rise to the top of the Official U.K. Singles Chart in January, hitting the summit eight months after it was initially released. It has been streamed more than 600 million times on Spotify to date, with listeners drawn to Young’s frank assessment of her own failings.
By spending four weeks at No. 1, Young became the longest running British female artist to be at the top spot since Adele’s “Easy on Me” in 2021. “Messy” broke a tie with Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” (2022) and Kenya Grace’s “Strangers” (2023); both had three-week stints at the top.
Elsewhere, the south Londoner has collaborated with Tyler, the Creator (“Like Him”) and Lil Yachty (“Charlie”), and has recently scooped three Ivor Novello nominations, as well as landing in the best pop act category at the BRIT Awards back in March.
“What I’m realizing about myself as an artist is that I’m not about the glitz and the glam — I don’t scream ‘Hollywood’,” Young told Billboard U.K. of her global success in an interview published last November. “For a long time, I wanted to represent this ideal of Westernized beauty — but then I realized I’m not that. I now choose to give realness and truth. I’ve got a bit of a belly out, I f–king swear a bunch and I have fun. And that’s what people are resonating with.”
Looking ahead, Young is scheduled to perform at festivals across the U.K. and Europe throughout the summer, including Reading & Leeds in August. The following month, she is set to appear at All Things Go in New York City alongside the likes of Doechii and Noah Kahan.
Listen to “One Thing” below:
Sleep Token have claimed their first-ever No. 1 album in Australia, as Even In Arcadia debuts at the summit of the ARIA Albums Chart. The masked U.K. rock act previously peaked at No. 3 in 2023 with Take Me Back to Eden. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news […]
Australian singer, songwriter and EDM icon VASSY has teamed up with Dutch producer RSCL for the release of her latest single, “Beg.”
Released Friday, May 16 via Revealed’s Gemstone Records imprint, “Beg” is the latest in a long line of singles for the Darwin-born, U.S.-based musician. Described as being rooted in emotional surrender and the desire to hide vulnerability, it sees VASSY (born Vasiliki Karagiorgos) using her trademark strength to turn pain into power.
“From the moment I wrote and recorded BEG, I knew it had that special spark—emotive, energetic, and made for the dancefloor,” VASSY explained to Rolling Stone AU/NZ.
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“When the label heard it, they instantly loved it and introduced me to RSCL,” she added. “We clicked right away, and the collaboration came together effortlessly. What we created is a soulful, piano-driven house track that feels like summer—uplifting, emotional, and full of energy that you can feel in every beat.”
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VASSY rose to fame as a musician in her native Australia throughout the ’00s, finding widespread fame in 2012 when her single “We Are Young” topped Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart – her first of seven tracks to do so. She found wider fame in 2014 after appearing as a featured artist on David Guetta and Showtek’s Platinum-certified single “Bad.”
In 2020, the success of “Bad” saw her become a member of APRA AMCOS’ The 1,000,000,000 List in celebration of the track reaching a billion streams. Since the honor, it’s since surpassed the two billion mark, and in 2023, she became the first female recipient of the Icon accolade at the EDM Awards in Miami.
RSCL (pronounced “Rascal”) also boasts an impressive career, with releases on the Spinnin’ Records and Casablanca Records labels, and credits alongside names such as Mr. Belt & Wezol and Jake Shore.
The release of “Beg” comes just a matter of days after the arrival of VASSY’s BossAcoustics EP, a collection of intimate acoustic tracks that showcases her early influences while reimagining her classic cuts with an immersive Bossa style.
Stream ‘Beg’ below:
After surprising her audience in Charlotte, N.C. with special guests Alejandro Sanz and Wyclef Jean earlier this week, Shakira brought another star to the stage on Thursday (May 15), on her first of two nights at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and […]
It’s taken years, but Rihanna finally released a new song Friday (May 16) — “Friend of Mine,” recorded for the upcoming Smurfs movie in which she voices Smurfette. Featuring the Fenty mogul singing over a happy-sounding Afrobeats-inspired dance track, complete with warm synths and rhythmic drums. A snippet of “Friend of Mine” was first premiered […]
