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Ken Carson is keeping the chaos alive. The Atlanta rapper has announced his next project, More Chaos, arriving April 11 via Opium/Interscope.
The news comes as pre-orders for the album go live this Friday (April 5), marking the beginning of a new era following the success of his breakout project A Great Chaos, which debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200.
His last single, “Overseas,” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 and continues to chart, and also debuted at No. 34 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, marking his third appearance on the ranking, after “Fighting My Demons” (No. 40) and “Jennifer’s Body” (No. 43).
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A Great Chaos (Deluxe) added fan-favorite cuts like “ss” to his growing catalog, with the project earning over 828,000 album-equivalent units in the U.S. alone, with 1.3 million globally, and was recently certified gold.
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At just 24, Ken Carson is already carving out a legacy as one of the most daring voices in the next generation of hip-hop. Known for blending high-octane production with a genre-less aesthetic, his music has resonated with a global fanbase while attracting praise from major names across music, fashion, and pop culture.
Among his high-profile fans and co-signers: Jay-Z, Drake, J. Cole, LeBron James, Anthony Kiedis, and Sydney Sweeney. Carson’s Chaos World Tour sold out its first leg, including three nights in New York City, two nights in Los Angeles, and a stop at London’s 12.5k-capacity OVO Arena Wembley. To date, the tour has hit over 70 cities across 80+ dates and shows no sign of slowing down.
In 2024, Carson’s reach expanded even further. He toured with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, modeled for HVN x Y/Project by Marc Jacobs, and played major festival slots including Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash and Coachella.
You can now pre-save Ken Carson’s More Chaos ahead of its April 11 release.
Albums with upward of 20 to 30 songs may be de rigueur for many artists in today’s music landscape — but when it came to crafting their new Stoney Creek Records/BMG album Fell in Love With a Cowgirl, out Friday (April 4), country group Parmalee had other ideas.
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“We wanted to give everybody a break,” Parmalee lead singer Matt Thomas tells Billboard of the album’s succinct seven tracks. “We wanted different stuff — not putting three versions of the same song on an album just to fill up the album.”
“And we just wanted to pick the best of what we had and do songs we love, and love to play live,” adds Parmalee drummer (and Matt’s brother) Scott Thomas.
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The North Carolina-born brothers, alongside their Parmalee bandmates, their cousin Barry Knox (on bass) and Josh McSwain (on guitar/keys), are also tasked with extending their hot streak of recent chart hits. In the past four years, the group has earned three No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hits — “Just the Way,” “Take My Name” and most recently, 2024’s “Gonna Love You” — as well as the No. 3 hit “Girl in Mine.”
This year, they balance out the serious-minded ballad “Gonna Love You” by veering into up-tempo territory with the new album’s first release, “Cowgirl,” the summer-ready, danceable song that certainly picks up on the “cowgirl” vibe that has swept culture over the past year.
They launched their headlining Fell in Love With a Cowgirl Tour in February, and “Cowgirl” is already making its impact known. “Man, to see [the audience] already know the song is pretty exciting,” says Matt.
A range of sounds from rock-oriented songs such as “Miss Me When You’re Drinkin’” to pop-tilted love songs like “Day One,” “God Knew Better” and “Feels Like Home” scaffold the album around the group’s sinewy harmonies. Matt Thomas is a co-writer on every song, with other Parmalee bandmates contributing writing to various songs.
“We know our lane and what our fans expect from us,” Matt says. “The easiest thing to write about is love, and I think that’s kind of a thing that works for us. So, it always ends up coming back to that. We like to make people feel good.”
Listening to Parmalee’s carefully sculpted harmonies surrounding Matt’s high-flung lead vocals easily conveys the influence of vocal-forward groups from the rock, R&B and Americana worlds.
“Growing up in North Carolina, you go in any gas station, and you hear Motown and beach music and soul. Classic rock, and the Temptations,” McSwain says. “We still play Boyz II Men on the bus sometimes, all the ‘90s R&B stuff. And you had the bluegrass with the high harmonies.”
“I grew up thinking the harmony was the lead,” Knox recalls. “My mom would never sing along [to the melody] with the radio — she would harmonize to everything, so I grew up just thinking that’s how you sang.”
“When I’m singing at my best, it’s at a high register so these guys can come in at the middle register,” Matt says. “We’ve always done the three-part harmony thing where it needs to be. That’s the learning curve, too, of going from the studio to the stage. You can make anything sound good in the studio. You get up there and start playing it live, you only nail that thing one time and you got to do it every night. That’s something I think about, too, when I’m writing a song.”
Parmalee has seen its share of successes and lulls since releasing its Stoney Creek debut, Feels Like Carolina, in 2013. Debut single “Musta Had a Good Time” cracked the top 40 on the Country Airplay chart, but the group followed it with their first bona fide Country Airplay chart-topper, “Carolina.” However, subsequent songs failed to match the success of “Carolina,” and by 2019, the group found itself at a creative — and career — crossroads.
The following year, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Parmlee teamed with labelmate Blanco Brown to release “Just the Way.” The song became the group’s second Country Airplay No. 1 and a pivotal launchpad for its current string of musical success.
“It’s the miracle of timing, of working and not giving up,” says Scott. “Then ‘Just the Way’ gave us direction. After that song [became a hit], we were like, ‘The sound’s got to be right,’ and had ‘Take My Name’ and ‘Girl in Mine.’ That song was just as big for us as when ‘Carolina’ first came out. It’s had a huge impact.’”
There’s more music on the way, as Fell in Love With a Cowgirl is the first of a two-part project. The second half could possibly see the release of the song “Boots on Broadway,” a collaboration with Jelly Roll that the group first teased two years ago.
“It almost made this album, with the seven we have. It was a contender,” Knox says.
“We have to get with Jelly — he’s been so busy,” Matt says. “It’s a conversation of, ‘Is this what you want this collab to be, or do you think we might do something different?’”
They connected with the “I Am Not Okay” hitmaker more than a decade ago, long before Jelly Roll signed with BBR Music Group and broke through in the country space with songs like “Son of a Sinner.”
“When we moved to town, we had the same attorney and he was like, ‘There’s this guy and I think you guys will hit it off,’” Matt says. “We’re both hard workers and just coming from independent backgrounds and stuff. He came to our house, and we wrote together and everyone was just chill.”
With their string of radio hits and headlining shows, it is staggering to consider that the group has yet to garner even a nomination in the group of the year/vocal group of the year category at either of country music’s two most-coveted awards ceremonies, the CMAs and ACMs (their lone nomination came a decade ago, for the ACM’s new vocal duo or group of the year).
“I mean, I don’t know what the criteria is,” Matt says. “Radio has always had a big play in it — if you had a hit, you were probably going to be nominated, right?”
But they take the group’s continual absence from the final nominees in the group-honoring categories with the same dogged determination that’s seen them through previous peaks and valleys this far.
“We’re right there, it’s almost our time,” McSwain says. “We just have to keep having hits, get our crowd coming in and build it, and then it’ll hopefully happen.”

The Bear star Jeremy Allen White had some pretty big shoes to fill when he signed on to star as Bruce Springsteen in the upcoming biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, the Emmy-winning actor proved that he was more than up to the task this week when theater owners got […]
It will be nearly nine months before fans can hold space on their calendars to see the anticipated Wicked sequel, Wicked: For Good. But in Las Vegas this week, director Jon M. Chu wowed the crowds of movie exhibitors in town for the annual CinemaCon convention when he gave them a sneak peek at the second part of the big screen adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical.
Stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were, of course, on hand to help out, taking the stage alongside Chu and movie producer Marc Platt at the Colosseum Theater at Caesars Palace on Wednesday (April 2), according to The Hollywood Reporter. “We took a shot, and we divided Wicked into two parts,” Platt told the thousands of theater owners about splitting the film in two, with the second part due in theaters on Nov. 21. “Now we have the privilege of doing it all again with Wicked: For Good in November.”
Platt added that in For Good the stars “go deeper to find more depth and more complexity and more profundity in those characters. What’s in store is going to astonish people.” Director Chu also noted that one of the most anticipated moments in the upcoming sequel will definitely include “where the girl from Kansas drops in.”
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THR reported that the first trailer for the follow-up to the nearly $750 million-grossing first part did not disappoint, describing a “rousing response” from the gathered theater bosses to footage including the first look at Dorothy — though her face was not shown — as well as “golden bricks, a wedding and flying monkeys galore.”
“This is between the Wizard and I,” Erivo’s green witch says in the trailer in a nod to the abiding friendship between Grande’s pink witch Glinda and Erivo’s green-skinned Elphaba, with Grande’s Glinda later warning, “Elphaba, they’re coming for you.” The trailer also features Glinda stepping out from her emerald castle and putting on her oversized tiara, a well as Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) racing through the forest with his men on the hunt for Elphaba, as well as a shot of the latter writing “OUR WIZARD LIES” in the sky.
According to Deadline, exhibitors also saw Glinda walking down a wedding aisle toward the Prince and Jeff Goldblum’s wizard at the control boards, ordering Dorothy, the Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow to “bring me the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West!” The final image reportedly featured Elphaba reaching out for her hat as it flies into her hand, with her broom in the other as she exclaims, “I’m off to see the wizard!”
In a nod to the pair’s endless, tear-streaked, hand (and space) holding press tour for the first film, the Associated Press reported that Oscar nominee Grande told the crowd, “we already have our tissues packed,” with Erivo promising “less waterworks this time.”
Save this storySaveSave this storySaveWith so much good music being released all the time, it can be hard to determine what to listen to first. Every week, Pitchfork offers a run-down of significant new releases available on streaming services. This week’s batch includes new albums from Skrillex, Black Country, New Road, DJ Koze, Jane Remover, Florist, duendita, the Waterboys, Barker, Craig Finn, and Chy Cartier. Subscribe to Pitchfork’s New Music Friday newsletter to get our recommendations in your inbox every week. (All releases featured here are independently selected by our editors. When you buy something through our affiliate links, however, Pitchfork earns an affiliate commission.)Skrillex: F*ck U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol But Ur Not!!
Rock, pop, country? You name it, Kelly Clarkson can nail it. On her daytime talker on Thursday (April 3) Clarkson did it again with a soaring cover of the Foo Fighters’ 1999 anthem “Learn to Fly” during the daily Kellyoke segment. With her My Band Y’all band providing muscular backing, Clarkson gave the rock classic a melancholy makeover, injecting an extra layer of longing into Dave Grohl’s lyrics, as well as, of course, busting out one of signature paint-peeling high notes.
“I just had, like, a lot of caffeine and I’m running hot is what’s happening right now!,” a revved up Clarkson told her studio audience after the performance. The singer noted that she had the Foos on her show a few years ago and she talked to singer/guitarist Grohl about “Learn to Fly,” and how she thought the lyrics had so much deep meaning. “He was like, ‘no, I really just wanted to become a pilot,’” she said Grohl told her.
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“I’m still callin’ b.s.,” Clarkson said with a finger wave. “You’re trying to be funny man, but it’s such a deep song! It’s such a cool song! He’s poetic, just lean into it Dave! You could be a pilot and a poet.”
In addition to rocking, out, Clarkson also made some dreams come true for her old friend Tanner Smith from the Netflix dating show Love on the Spectrum, which chronicles the dating lives of autistic adults. She played a clip from the last time Smith was on the show and invited him back to catch up on what he’s been up to and talk about his dating life. She also recalled that last time Smith was on he got a special video greeting from his favorite actor, A Minecraft Movie star Jack Black, after which he set a goal of meeting the energetic star in real life before turning 31.
Clarkson asked Black to make another video for Smith, in which he lamented that he once again could not be there in person because he’s out promoting the big screen video game adaptation. But then, summoning his “insane ninja kung fu powers,” Black burst through the studio doors and ran out on stage into a surprised Smith’s arms.
Smith jumped up, yelling “Jack is here! I’m so happy to meet you! I’m your biggest fan!” bear hugging the actor and introducing him to his younger sister and family in the audience. The sweet moment got even sweeter when the two men bonded over their love of working out, with Smith suggesting he could get Black’s number so they can set up a time to work out together. Black burst out in laughter at the suggesting and high-fived Smith, promising, “this is happening!”
“I love you on the show and I can’t wait for the next season and I’m so happy for you having all this success and time in your life and to meet yo in person is really amazing for me too,” Black said as the two sat arm-in-arm during the lovefest. “Thank you Miss Kelly, thank you so much! This is the best day of my life,” Smith said as Clarkson melted down in happy tears.
Black will host Saturday Night Live this weekend with musical guests Elton John and Brandi Carlile.
Watch Clarkson’s Foos cover and Black’s sweet surprise below.
Ariana Grande is back on top of the ARIA Albums Chart — and in spectacular fashion.
The pop star’s Eternal Sunshine rebounds from No. 79 to No. 1 following the release of a new deluxe version titled Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead. The 78-spot leap marks the biggest jump to No. 1 from within the top 100 since September 2020, when Music From The Home Front soared from No. 83 to the top.
Grande’s original version of Eternal Sunshine spent three weeks at No. 1 in March and April 2024, and this latest return secures her fifth career chart-topper in Australia. She previously hit No. 1 with My Everything (2014), Dangerous Woman (2016), Sweetener (2018), and Thank U, Next (2019).
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Sydney-based singer-songwriter Grentperez celebrates a major career milestone this week, as his debut album Backflips in a Restaurant enters the chart at No. 3. While Grentperez has released four EPs since 2021 and notched three top 40 hits in New Zealand, this marks his first Top 10 debut in his home country.
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Mumford & Sons return with Rushmere, their first new album in nearly seven years and their first without founding member Winston Marshall. The British folk-rock outfit enters at No. 7, adding to a solid run on the ARIA Albums Chart that includes previous peaks with Sigh No More (No. 1 in 2009), Babel (No. 2 in 2012), Wilder Mind (No. 1 in 2015), and Delta (No. 5 in 2018).
Elsewhere, The Darkness land at No. 45 with their eighth studio album, Dreams on Toast. The glam rockers previously charted three albums in the ARIA Top 20, including Permission to Land (No. 17 in 2003), Hot Cakes (No. 15 in 2012), and Pinewood Smile (No. 17 in 2017).
On the ARIA Singles Chart, Alex Warren holds steady at No. 1 for a second week with “Ordinary,” while Chappell Roan climbs to a new high at No. 4 with “Pink Pony Club” — matching the peak of her breakthrough hit “Good Luck, Babe!” from last year.
Grande’s rebound ties into a historical trend: while the 52-week gap between stints at No. 1 is notable, it falls short of the record held by Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell, which returned to No. 1 in January 2022 — more than 2,200 weeks after first topping the chart in 1978.
Flavor Flav is opening up about a recent relapse on his sobriety journey — offering a heartfelt message to fans about struggle, accountability, and healing.
The Public Enemy co-founder and longtime reality TV personality shared the news on Instagram Stories on Friday (April 4), revealing that he briefly relapsed after maintaining over four years of sobriety.
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“I remain authentic to who I am and a large part of the past 4.5 years for me has been my sobriety journey. I think I’ve been an inspiration to many that if I could get sober, anyone can do it,” Flav wrote.
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He continued, “But just when you think it’s easy, it ain’t. I briefly relapsed. I say this to admit my mistake and publicly hold myself accountable. I am a human being who makes mistakes and it doesn’t make me a bad person. I hope those who are around me support my choice to be sober.
He added, “I went back to Day 1, again. Time didn’t stop, my journey continues.”
Flav, born William Jonathan Drayton Jr., has received widespread praise for his honesty around addiction and recovery. His openness has resonated with fans and peers alike, especially in a genre and industry where such transparency can still feel rare.
As the iconic hype man of Public Enemy, Flavor Flav played a pivotal role in shaping the sound and attitude of politically charged hip-hop during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, cementing their place in music history.
In 2020, Public Enemy were honored with the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing their decades-long impact on music, activism, and culture. The group’s work, including groundbreaking albums like It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Fear of a Black Planet, continues to influence generations of artists.
Beyond music, Flav became a pop culture icon in the 2000s through reality TV hits like The Surreal Life, Strange Love, and Flavor of Love, where his chaotic charisma drew in a new wave of fans.
Longtime friends Elton John and Brandi Carlile have teamed up for a new collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels?, which the duo recorded over 20 days starting in October 2023. The set arrived via Interscope Records on Friday (April 4). The pair wrote and created the album with John’s long-time co-writer Bernie Taupin and producer Andrew Watt. Who Believes in Angels? features previously released […]
Miley Cyrus is in the swing of her upcoming Something Beautiful album era, and the superstar unveiled her next single from the project, “End of the World,” on Friday (April 4). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Per Cyrus’ Instagram, the 80s-style track reinforces “the project’s immersive, […]