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Rihanna hasn’t released a new album since 2016’s Anti, and just as fans might have been giving up hope that we would ever get a new project, the superstar is pulling back the curtain in a new interview. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news On the latest […]
Metallica hit the stage for the first time on March 14, 1982, at Radio City in Anaheim, Calif. — with the original lineup of James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, future Megadeth founder Dave Mustaine on guitar and Ron McGovney on bass, playing covers of Diamond Head and Sweet Savage songs, as well as their own “Hit the Lights” and “Jump in the Fire.”
More than four decades later, the San Francisco Bay Area-based thrash metal troupe is still at it — arguably bigger and better than ever. “Playing shows was always the thing,” Hetfield said some years ago. “We wanted to make records, yeah — but when we first got together we just wanted to play, man, just get on stage and play.”
Mission accomplished, it’s safe to say. Metallica has toured the world many times to this point — and thanks to a 2013 performance in Antarctica, it is in fact the only band that’s played on all seven continents. It’s been a constant touring presence, too; 2001, when the group was searching for a new bass player, is the only year Metallica didn’t play any shows, and it’s mixed full-scale, multi-year world tours with lighter-but-still-significant concert runs.
Over the decades, the band has performed more than 1,600 times, moving from dive bars to stadiums and headlining at events such as Woodstock ’94, Monsters of Rock, Lollapalooza, OzzFest and more. As other members entered the lineup — guitarist Kirk Hammett (1983-present) and bassists Cliff Burton (1982-86), Jason Newsted (1986-2001) and, since 2001, Robert Trujillio — Metallica polished its performing craft to the point where it could even play shows alongside the San Francisco Symphony. Its stage productions have also become legendary; Metallica is the band that introduced the idea of the Snakepit, an in-stage fan area, and it’s made use of all manner of pyrotechnics and other visual effects, but never eclipsing what really brings fans to the shows — pulverizing, complex, epic music that makes heads bang, eardrums bleed and venue walls rattle.
“I don’t know if we could ever lose our edge because our music is a quality of our persons, our being,” Hammett explains. “It’s just very natural for us to sound the way we do. It flows like water. There’s never any shortage of really aggressive, edgy, energetic music from us, because that’s part of who we are as people. It’s not an affectation; it’s who we really are.”
Here’s our ranking of the group’s many long and sometimes strange road trips.
Summer Sanitarium Tour (2000)
Robert John, a singer-songwriter whose inimitable voice lent itself to a number of Billboard Hot 100 hits including “Sad Eyes” and an enduring version of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” died on Monday (Feb. 24). He was 79 years old.
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The star’s son, Michael Pedrick, confirmed the news of his death to Rolling Stone. While no cause of death was given, John was still recovering from a stroke he suffered a few years prior to his passing.
Born Bobby Pedrick, Jr., in Brooklyn, New York, first made waves in the pop world at just 12 years old with the single, “White Bucks and Saddle Shoes.” The song peaked at No. 74 on the Hot 100 in 1958, marking his first of many hits on the chart. In 1965, he changed his name and by 1971, he notched a major hit, a cover of The Tokens’ 1961 classic, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” John’s version, one of the most popular renditions of the track to this day, made its way to No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 6 on the Adult Contemporary songs chart.
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Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, John was a mainstay on the Billboard charts, hitting No. 49 with 1968’s “If You Don’t Want My Love,” No. 71 with 1970’s “When the Party Is Over,” and No. 99 with 1972’s “Hushabye.”
In 1979, after John worked as a staff writer for Motown for a few years, he topped the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with his seminal hit, “Sad Eyes,” which also hit the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. At the 22nd annual Grammy Awards, “Sad Eyes” was nominated for best pop vocal performance, male.
“Sad Eyes” was also featured on John’s third, self-titled album, which peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. His career continued throughout the 1980s, with the release of his last album, Back on the Street in 1980. Overall, John earned a collective 10 Hot 100 tracks and five Adult Contemporary hits.
John is survived by his four sons and several grandsons, his ex-wife Diane and his partner Susan.
Shaboozey orders up a 35th frame atop Billboard’s multi-metric Hot Country Songs chart with his crossover smash, “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”
As it holds atop the tally dated March 1, the track breaks out of a tie with Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road,” which led for 34 frames in 2017, to become the sole longest-leading title by a single act since Hot Country Songs became the genre’s singular songs ranking in 1958. Overall, only Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line’s duet “Meant to Be” has led longer: for 50 weeks, beginning in December 2017.
“A Bar Song” totaled 59.8 million in all-format airplay audience, 16.2 million official U.S. streams and 4,000 sold Feb. 14-20, according to Luminate.
The track, co-written by the Virginian (born Collins Obinna Chibueze), first hit the Hot Country Songs summit last May. It also logged a record-tying 19 weeks at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and a record-shattering 27 weeks atop the all-format Radio Songs chart.
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“A Bar Song (Tipsy),” on American Dogwood/EMPIRE, with country radio promotion by Magnolia Music, additionally ruled Country Airplay for seven weeks beginning last August, the longest reign for an artist’s initial entry on the chart. Plus, it became the first song to crossover to the top five, or even top 10, on Country Airplay, Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay.
Meanwhile, when “A Bar Song” initially reached the Hot Country Songs apex, it dethroned Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” marking the first time that two Black artists have led the list back-to-back.
Here’s a look at the 10 longest-leading No. 1s on Hot Country Songs (since 1958):
50 weeks, “Meant to Be,” Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line, starting December 201735 weeks, “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Shaboozey, May 202434 weeks, “Body Like a Back Road,” Sam Hunt, February 201727 weeks, “I Hope,” Gabby Barrett, July 202025 weeks, “Last Night,” Morgan Wallen, February 202324 weeks, “Fancy Like,” Walker Hayes, July 202124 weeks, “Cruise,” Florida Georgia Line, December 201221 weeks, “10,000 Hours,” Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber, October 201920 weeks, “I Remember Everything,” Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves, September 202319 weeks, “You Proof,” Morgan Wallen, May 202219 weeks, “The Bones,” Maren Morris, March 202019 weeks, “Walk On By,” Leroy Van Dyke, September 1961
While many musicians acknowledge separating their on and offstage persona, KINO breaks his life into three parts and tries to live their truths through his own honest expression.
There’s Kang Hyung-gu, his birth name that represents his most authentic self that friends know. Under his stage name KINO, he’s a member of chart-topping K-pop boy band PENTAGON with Cube Entertainment, and also a soloist under his independently launched NAKED label. Despite the 27-year-old saying he has difficulty sharing himself at all times, the person who asked strangers to rate his single at Coachella last year is the same friendly, determined face walking into a New York City studio before the kickoff of his first U.S. solo tour. KINO quickly shares which photos he likes best, sets up his phone to record b-roll and behind-the-scenes content, and has his outfit and an assembly of accessories selected to reflect the colors and mood of his current musical era.
Released at the top of 2025, KINO’s latest single “Skyfall” is a stirring, string and piano-led ballad with a soaring chorus reminiscent of the stand-still moment of JVKE’s breakout Billboard Hot 100 hit “Golden Hour.” Accompanied by a black-and-white shot of him singing in concert as the cover art, “Skyfall,” and November’s gritty guitar cut “Everglow,” show a noticeably less produced version of the star compared to the electro-pop, viral-ready bop “Broke My Heart” featuring TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart-topper Lay Bankz. But it’s all part of showcasing the person he is right now and the styles and sounds accompanying it. KINO says it’s all leading to a project that “will be the most honest album in my life.”
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KINO’s I Think I Think Too Much Tour is an insight into his mind, naming the trek — which hit eight cities in 12 days for its U.S. leg — off what literally keeps him up at night. Alongside the personalized name, KINO says he was confident that audiences needed to experience his new music live. “The theme of this concert is emotion,” he tells Billboard. “When I want to express my emotions to the audience, I have to be in front of them, so it’s very important to meet them in person.”
KINO’s choice to close the concert with the unreleased, racing rock-pop anthem “Back in Time,” complete with a call-and-response bridge perfect to singalong to on the radio or at music festivals, feels like his intuition at work. This final impression KINO makes during this intimate concert feels like the first steps in sending him down a path to procure a global pop hit of his very own — one he’ll be able to say was a true expression of himself.
You named this tour I Think I Think Too Much and your album If This Is Love, I Want a Refund. These aren’t typical titles. Are these all things you’ve personally thought about?
That’s right; that’s the biggest direction of this company, too. Because as a solo artist, I could not help but not to share my story. It’s very important to me that I’m showing myself and showing my mind within. So, I was looking for the thoughts I’m thinking about the most recently and found that “I think I think too much” is the one. After I launched this company and debuted as a solo artist, I’m always thinking things over and over till the night, so I Think I Think Too Much is connected from a conversation I had.
The reason why I wanted to bring this concert to another country and more cities was because I think my music is very good to listen to, but I believe my music is not complete with only listening. My music is complete when people listen and watch the performance together. The theme of this concert is emotion and when I want to express my emotions to the audience, I have to be in front of them, so it’s very important to meet them in person.
You released “Everglow” and “Skyfall” with softer and more emotional tones than If This Is Love, I Want a Refund. What are you sharing now?
“Skyfall” is a breakup song that captures the regret of love taken for granted. And it’s perfect for this season, so, if listeners can relate to this story, that would be amazing. And “Skyfall” was also inspired by the 007 [James Bond] film. “Skyfall” was a place where loving memories and regrets linger, so when the idea came up, I thought it would be the perfect word to describe the sound. So, Billboard, I hope you like it. Please invite me to another interview when I’m on the Billboard charts.
But I don’t want to show KINO the celebrity. I want to show the human Kang Hyung-gu. I think that I cannot be defined by one person: I have a lot of emotions and personality in my mind. But I’m just like a human like everyone: I fail, I regret, I fear, I cry, I smile. All those emotions and all those personality aspects make me and completes me, right? That’s why I don’t want to define myself as a one-genre artist. I have many music genres and emotions for the different music in me. I’m changing every moment, every single day! And I’m going to change in the future too.
Are these singles leading to a new album?
We’re planning a lot of things for this year, but the most important thing is, of course, the album. I’m writing the songs, and as I told you, I am still figuring out who I am. I think this will be the most honest album in my life. It’s very hard to be brave, but I’m challenging myself to be an artist who can explore and reach the next future. It will be totally different [in terms of] the genres and styles of music. I have some tracks I want to spoil, but nothing is set at this moment. I’m working with a lot of different artists at this moment — maybe some who fans might know, some from totally different scenes — but one spoiler is “electronic sound.”
KINO
Lauren Nakao Winn
Why was it important for you to launch NAKED? You could have easily stayed where you were for longer.
One of them is to differentiate from my work in the band and as a solo artist. And then I have another reason, which is to challenge myself. I love to challenge myself and I believe that will bring me to another kind of better future. If I don’t challenge myself or stay in a comfortable job, I feel like I’m dead. It’s hard to explain, but if I stay in my comfort zone, I feel like I won’t be able to change or grow. But I also didn’t start this just to take the risk itself, right? I feel like by taking these risks, something will come out of it in return. I don’t know what it might be, but that’s also the reason why I’m doing it.
I went through your music before the tour and found “POSE” from 2022. That was the first time I remember seeing you solo. I’m curious what you think of that song today?
I have two different purposes as a member of PENTAGON and as a solo artist. At that time, I was only a member of PENTAGON, so I wanted to be successful because that’s your goal as a member of a team. But after I launched this company and debuted officially as a solo, I want to talk about personal and individual things through my solo music. So, it’s totally different. At that time, I was making “POSE” just for the success.
What are your goals or successes today? What do you want to manifest to happen in 2025?
Honestly, um, I want to be on the Billboard charts. For real, it’s not like I’m not joking. While trying to be myself, that’s also my biggest goal because I’m making music with my 100 percent honest feelings. I feel like I lost myself for a long time, so I’m looking for the real me and figuring out who I am. So, after I’ve found that and made some music with the honest KINO, I want to be on the Billboard charts with that music. That’s my goal.
When had you felt like you had lost yourself?
It was after the I Think I Think Too Much show in Seoul in September. Around that moment, I was wondering, “What do I have to show for myself to the world?” And then I realized that I’ve never shown myself 100 percent. Of course, I’ve shared some stories, but I don’t think I talked about myself fully. After I realized that, I wanted to be honest. It’s very hard to be brave to show myself, including the parts I didn’t want to show.
KINO
Lauren Nakao Winn
You said it’s also important to keep your purpose with the group intact. Can you share more about including PENTAGON in your mind?
I think I exist because of them. Because I have a team and members of a team behind me, I can still exist for 20, 25 [years] as KINO. Of course, it’s very important to me to be my own artist, but as I mentioned, I have a lot of purposes. PENTAGON is very important in my life. They kept me alive and that’s how I keep going mindfully. It’s about loyalty and friendship, but actually, for me, it’s more like a “family-ship.” They’re always next to me, the biggest supporters, and I can lean on them. We always meet up, talk on the phone, and, of course, have a group chat, even if we’re just sending a meme or GIFs.
Beyond your band mates, I really like your How I Met KINO series on YouTube and seeing new sides and these unexpected friendships. Where did the idea come from?
Before we launched the show, I wondered, “What KINO have I not shown to my fans yet?” All the people around me tell me, “You’re very Kang Hyung-gu when you’re with your friends, the real you.” So, I’ve never noticed that, but after, I realized, “Oh, it’s perfect to show my moments of friendship to the audience.” And I feel like all my fans really love the moments when I’m with my friends. I’m so sick of the camera turning on and needing to sit up and be perfect. I became more comfortable in front of the camera and that was an amazing change.
Photography and Creative Direction by Lauren Nakao Winn
Assisted by Jovita Tedja
KINO
Lauren Nakao Winn
With the 97th Oscars coming up on Sunday March 2, we’re looking back at past Oscar ceremonies, and specifically, who presented the Oscar for best original song each year.
The late, great song and dance man Gene Kelly did the honors four times, more than anyone else in Oscar history. That’s fitting: Kelly starred in Singin’ in the Rain, which topped the American Film Institute’s 2006 list of AFI’s Greatest Movie Musicals. Kelly presented best original song in 1951, in 1975 (in tandem with Shirley MacLaine), in 1980 (with Olivia Newton-John, with whom he starred in the soon-to-be-released, ill-fated musical Xanadu) and in 1986 (with his Singin’ in the Rain costars Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor).
Six people are tied as runner-up, having presented best original song three times: They are Burt Bacharach, Angie Dickinson, Gregory Hines, Jennifer Lopez, Queen Latifah and John Travolta. J.Lo presented three times within four years (1999-2002), a record for most presenter assignments in the shortest time. (Not coincidentally, J.Lo landed three of her four No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in those years.)
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Bacharach and Dickinson, Hollywood’s golden couple of the era, teamed to present the award in 1971 and 1976. Bacharach teamed with Ann-Margret to present the award in 1974. Dickinson teamed with Luciano Pavarotti to present it in 1981.
Six people who won Oscars for best original song also served as presenters in the category (obviously not in the same year they won). They are Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Barbra Streisand, Bacharach, and the team of Common and John Legend. The latter team presented in 2016, the year after their win for “Glory” from Selma. Prince, who presented in 2005, never won for best original song, but he did win for his song score to Purple Rain.
The reunion of the Singin’ in the Rain cast wasn’t the only cast reunion that Oscar show producers arranged in connection with this category. In 2013, 10 years after Chicago became the first musical in more than four decades to win best picture, that film’s stars, Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah and Catharine Zeta-Jones, presented best original song.
In 1988, seven years after they teamed in the box-office hit Arthur, Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli co-presented the award (which had gone, in 1982, to “Arthur’s Theme”). In 1993, a decade after their collaboration on the Broadway cast album Lena Horne: A Lady and Her Music, Quincy Jones and Lena Horne co-presented the award. In 1996, a few years after they co-starred in the Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It, Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne co-presented the award.
In some cases, Oscar producers had people co-present to plug an upcoming movie in which they were to co-star. Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda co-presented in 2018, months before the release of Mary Poppins Returns. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande co-presented in 2024, months ahead of their teaming in Wicked.
In 2015, Idina Menzel and John Travolta teamed to present the award – one year after Travolta inexplicably mangled Menzel’s name on the Oscar stage while attempting to introduce her performance of “Let It Go” from Frozen. (He called her Adele Dazeem.) In this presentation teaming, Menzel jokingly introduced him as Glom Gazingo – and they gracefully put it to rest.
Some presenter pairings held symbolic meaning. In 1989, singer/dancer/actor Gregory Hines co-presented with Sammy Davis Jr., the top song and dance man of a previous generation. Davis began to develop symptoms of cancer five months after this appearance. He died of complications from throat cancer in May 1990.
In 1944, Dinah Shore became the first woman to present in this category. In 1984, the biracial Jennifer Beals, star of the previous year’s smash Flashdance, became the first person of color to present in this category. The youngest presenter was Miley Cyrus, who was just 17 in 2010 when she co-presented with Amanda Seyfried.
Bacharach and Dickinson weren’t the only married couple to present in the category. Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows presented in 1961, followed by Sonny & Cher in 1973. One parent and child separately presented in this category: In 1997, Goldie Hawn co-presented with her The First Wives Club co-stars Bette Midler and Diane Keaton. In 2023, Hawn’s daughter, Kate Hudson, co-presented with Janelle Monáe.
Pavarotti was the second classical star to present in the category. The first was conductor Leopold Stokowski in 1937.
Here is the presenter of the Oscar for best original song from the first year it was presented, 1935, to the present. The years shown are the year of the ceremony. Brief identifications are shown in the early years to help our younger readers. After that, you’re on your own.
1935: Irvin S. Cobb (author)
1936: Frank Capra (director)
1937: Leopold Stokowski (conductor)
1938: Irving Berlin (songwriter)
1939: Jerome Kern (songwriter)
1940: Gene Buck (president of ASCAP)
1941: B.G. DeSylva (songwriter, film producer, co-founder of Capitol Records)
1942: B.G DeSylva
1943: Irving Berlin
1944: Dinah Shore (singer)
1945: Bob Hope (comedian)
1947: Van Johnson (actor)
1948: Dinah Shore
1949: Kathryn Grayson (actress)
1950: Cole Porter (songwriter)
1951: Gene Kelly (actor)
1952: Donald O’Connor (actor)
1953: Walt Disney (film producer and entertainment mogul)
1954: Arthur Freed (lyricist and film producer)
1955: Bing Crosby (singer)
1956: Maurice Chevalier (singer)
1957: Carroll Baker (actress)
1958: Maurice Chevalier
1959: Sophia Loren & Dean Martin
1960: Doris Day
1961: Steve Allen & Jayne Meadows
1962: Debbie Reynolds
1963: Frank Sinatra
1964: Shirley Jones
1965: Fred Astaire
1966: Natalie Wood
1967: Dean Martin
1968: Barbra Streisand
1969: Frank Sinatra
1970: Candice Bergen
1971: Burt Bacharach & Angie Dickinson
1972: Joel Grey
1973: Sonny & Cher
1974: Burt Bacharach & Ann-Margret
1975: Gene Kelly & Shirley MacLaine
1976: Burt Bacharach & Angie Dickinson
1977: Neil Diamond
1978: Fred Astaire
1979: Ruby Keeler & Kris Kristofferson
1980: Gene Kelly & Olivia Newton-John
1981: Angie Dickinson & Luciano Pavarotti
1982: Bette Midler
1983: Olivia Newton-John
1984: Jennifer Beals, Matthew Broderick
1985: Gregory Hines
1986: Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor & Debbie Reynolds
1987: Bernadette Peters
1988: Liza Minnelli & Dudley Moore
1989: Sammy Davis Jr. & Gregory Hines
1990: Paula Abdul & Dudley Moore
1991: Gregory Hines & Ann-Margret
1992: Shirley MacLaine & Liza Minnelli
1993: Lena Horne & Quincy Jones
1994: Whitney Houston
1995: Sylvester Stallone
1996: Angela Bassett & Laurence Fishburne
1997: Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton & Bette Midler
1998: Madonna
1999: Jennifer Lopez
2000: Cher
2001: Jennifer Lopez
2002: Jennifer Lopez
2003: Barbra Streisand
2004: Jack Black & Will Ferrell
2005: Prince
2006: Queen Latifah
2007: John Travolta & Queen Latifah
2008: John Travolta
2009: Zac Efron & Alicia Keys
2010: Miley Cyrus & Amanda Seyfried
2011: Jennifer Hudson
2012: Will Ferrell & Zach Galifianakis
2013: Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Renée Zellweger & Catherine Zeta-Jones
2014: Jessica Beal & Jamie Foxx
2015: Idina Menzel & John Travolta
2016: Common & John Legend
2017: Scarlett Johansson
2018: Emily Blunt & Lin-Manuel Miranda
2019: Gal Gadot, Brie Larson & Sigourney Weaver
2021: Zendaya
2022: Jake Gyllenhaal & Zoë Kravitz
2023: Kate Hudson & Janelle Monáe
2024: Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
After his year-long feud with Kendrick Lamar shook the music world, everyone was waiting on what it would look and sound like when Drake made his proper return to music — not with just a feature appearance or a data dump, but with a full new project. And now we (mostly) have our answer: the rapper released $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, an LP-length teamup with OVO labelmate and longtime collaborator PartyNextDoor, on Valentine’s Day.
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The largely R&B-flavored set — though its two best-performing (and Billboard Hot 100 top 10-debuting) tracks so far, “Gimme a Hug” (No. 6) and “Nokia” (No. 10), are more hip-hop and pop, respectively — debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week, with 246,000 units moved in its first frame. That’s a career-best number for PND, though below Drake’s last couple projects, including 2022’s Her Loss with 21 Savage.
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How should Drake feel about his comeback numbers? And what does all of it mean for PartyNextDoor? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
1. PartyNextDoor & Drake debut at No. 1 this week with 246,000 first-week units for their joint $ome $exy $ongs 4 U set. Is that number higher, lower or about where you would have expected before the project’s release?
Kyle Denis: It’s a bit lower than I expected. Granted this isn’t a solo rap-forward Drake project, so I wasn’t expecting astronomically high numbers, but I definitely expected them to pretty easily clear 250,000 units. Party was one of two artists to send a 2024 R&B album to the Billboard 200’s top 10 last year – and he didn’t have the Super Bowl in his back pocket; Drake has proven time and time again that he can score an eye-popping opening week. This final tally isn’t a disaster by any means, but it does leave a bit more to be desired considering how long we’ve known this was coming and the fact that it’s Drizzy’s first post-beef project.
Carl Lamarre: It’s slightly less than what I expected. I thought they would have hoovered between 275,000 and 300,000. Either way, a win is a win, and this was a colossal one for the OVO Gang because of the milestones achieved during this stretch. Drake earned his record-tying 14th No. 1 album, placing him in a rarified position with Jay-Z and Taylor Swift, while PND clinched his first-ever chart-topper. It is a gratifying feat, one they should be proud of.
Jason Lipshutz: A little bit higher, especially considering that $$$4U is not a new Drake album but a full-length R&B collaboration, with an artist who is well-known but has never topped the Billboard 200 himself. The closest analog to this project is 2022’s Her Loss alongside 21 Savage, which debuted with 404,000 equivalent album units — but that was a hip-hop album, with a more established star, and did not follow months of diss tracks aimed at Drake’s way. All things considered, this new album bowing with nearly a quarter-million first-week units is highly impressive.
Michael Saponara: It’s probably about where I thought. I projected around 250,000 to 300,000 so it came in around what I expected without having any sort of lead single. It’s a solid number.
Andrew Unterberger: Probably a little higher. Honestly if I was Drake, I’d be prepared to celebrate any chart-topping debut week in the six digits, so for his final number to start with a “2” I think is a pretty strong performance. It’s not 2015 Drake numbers, of course, but it’s just not 2015 Drake anymore.
2. Drake obviously has more at stake with this album, as his first following his endlessly publicized Kendrick Lamar debut, than his collaborator. On a scale from 1-10, how happy do you think he should be with the set’s first-week performance?
Kyle Denis: 7. These first-week numbers prove that, despite what the most overzealous observers say, Drake’s career is far from dead. He comfortably cleared the six-figure mark, charted every song on the Hot 100 and landed two solo top 10 debuts. He also gave his protégé his first No. 1 album and tied the record for most Billboard 200 chart-toppers among soloists (14). Those are undoubtedly wins, and pretty indisputable ones at that.
Now, when these numbers are contextualized within Drake’s career and recent commercial performance, the cracks start to show a bit. $$$4U boasts the lowest opening-week of Drizzy’s career outside of a pandemic-era collection of loosies, a dance album, a pre-pandemic collection of previously leaked tracks and So Far Gone (his last independent release). What’s more? There’s a 100,000+ unit gap between $$$4U and What a Time to Be Alive, the Drake project with the next-highest opening week total. There’s also the fact that Drake – who we used to be able to count on to clog the Hot 100’s top 10 after an album release – could only muster up two top 10 debuts on that chart from this set, both of which were blocked by a whopping four different Kendrick Lamar songs.
Carl Lamarre: Echoing my thoughts from answer 1, about a 5. Sure, he notched his 14th No. 1 album, but his performance was somewhat pedestrian aside from “Gimme a Hug” and “Nokia.” It’s bemusing and, frankly, kind of crazy that we didn’t get more of PND on this album, especially since we were promised a joint effort. Six solo Drake records made this project a bit bloated, and it doesn’t help that PARTY’s lone solo record, “Deeper,” trounces most of them. Either way, Drake is one album away from toppling his GOAT, Jay-Z, for the most No. 1 albums ever for a rapper.
Jason Lipshutz: An 8. Even as a side quest rather than a traditional solo album, $$$4U had a lot riding on it for Drake, as his first commercial bid following months of Kendrick Lamar, and seemingly the entire Internet, dunking on him. Yes, Drake would still be a star, but how big of a star would he be considered if this project was DOA from a charts perspective? Luckily for him, the album still notched a No. 1 debut with a sizable equivalent album units number, and launched every track onto the Hot 100, included a pair of songs in the top 10. Even if $$$4U doesn’t reach the commercial highs of his heyday, it represents another win, and a huge sigh of relief.
Michael Saponara: I think about a 6.5. 246,000 units is nothing to sneeze at, but for Drake, that’s just another day at the office. It’s a noticeable but expected dip from the about 400,000 first-week units For All The Dogs and Her Loss did earlier in the decade. Playing the numbers game, fans’ eyes turned to the battle with Kendrick Lamar’s GNX posting a 317,000-unit first week last year, so if Drake could’ve raced past that, I think $$$4U’s sales would’ve been looked upon with more reverence.
Andrew Unterberger: A 7 feels right. It’d probably be an eight or higher if Kendrick wasn’t still in the midst of his latest victory lap, but given that he still has four of the top five songs in the country right now while Drake couldn’t get higher than No. 6 on the Hot 100 in his debut week definitely taints the triumph a little. But generally speaking, this is about as good a first week for this album as Drake reasonably could’ve hoped for in 2025.
3. The big initial breakout this from the set are “Gimme a Hug” and “Nokia,” which debut at No. 6 and No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. Does either of them seem like a likely breakout hit from the project — or do you have your eye on something else from the set?
Kyle Denis: If it’s not “Nokia,” it’s not likely to be anything else barring a random unforeseen TikTok trend. Between the namechecks, the beat switch, the “Babygworllll” ad-lib and its overall pop appeal, “Nokia” should be Drake’s ticket to a legitimate post-beef solo hit.
Carl Lamarre: From a rapping standpoint, I enjoyed “Gimme a Hug” a lot. It had hints of “Family Matters” regarding his flow and delivery. Drake’s lyrical execution was top-notch, and the production was of A-1 quality. Despite the high praise there, “Nokia” is looking like a runaway hit. The internet is salivating over this record, and it has virality potential, as it’s already causing a tizzy on social media. While the production is reminiscent of Honestly Nevermind, the energy and rap cadence have some “Nice for What” elements in there, too. Also, is it just me, or does “Nokia” — especially the record’s second half — remind anyone of Kanye’s “Stronger?”
Jason Lipshutz: “Nokia” is the one. More than its luxurious beat and that ad-jingle hook that snakes through its first half, the song features Drake sounding playful, which has become an increasingly rare occurrence in his catalog. Some of us grew up on Actually Fun Drake Songs, and having a new one — buried in the back half of $$$4U, but discovered by enough listeners to become a quickly growing hit — is a gift worth cherishing.
Michael Saponara: Both should be hits, in my opinion, and show Drake’s range as an artist. On the other hand, my two favorite songs on the album being a pop song and a rap song doesn’t exactly bode well for a 21-track R&B album that arrived on Valentine’s Day. it appears the label is going with “Gimme A Hug” as the spicy record was serviced to radio, but I think “Nokia” seems to be the track people are championing. It was nice to hear Drake having fun again.
Andrew Unterberger: “Nokia,” “Nokia,” “Nokia,” “Nokia,” “Nokia,” “Nokia.” The previous standard bearer for 2020s Drake pop songs actually as fun and exciting as his best 2010s singles had been For All the Dogs‘ “Rich Baby Daddy,” but this one trumps even that SZA- and Sexyy Red-featuring hit. I’ve had about four different hooks from it stuck in my head on loop over the past week and a half — a couple from Drake, and a couple from U.K. producer / hook provider Elkan (where the hell has this guy been?) It seems primed to be Drake’s biggest breakout pop hit in a long time, and even if it doesn’t have the juice to go the distance, it’s so important that he reminded us that this is something he still has in his toolkit, even without a big-name assist.
4. While the set the best-debuting of PartyNextDoor’s career, he’s not on either of the biggest-debuting tracks, and he often seems like an afterthought in discussion of it. What, if anything, do you think the album’s debut performance means for his own career?
Kyle Denis: Party will come out of this with a No. 1 album, and that’s something no one can take away from him. It’s also something that wasn’t necessarily a guarantee before $$$4U arrived, so I won’t discount that win. I don’t know if this means anything for his career outside of that though, especially considering $$$4U doesn’t hit nearly the same highs as his own P4. Given that $$$4U was immediately positioned as Drake’s primary vehicle to regain his cultural and commercial footing post-beef, the album never really had a chance to exist as a sincere moment of collaboration. At absolute best, this album should get more eyes and ears on Party’s music ahead of whatever else he has planned for 2025.
Carl Lamarre: It’s crazy to think PARTY’s first No. 1 came in this fashion. Throughout his career, he’s proven to be a precocious songwriter, capable of stringing together hit records in a flash. Whether it was Rihanna’s “Work” or DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts,” nobody ever questioned PND’s pen game, but for whatever reason, it never translated into equivalent solo success commercially. Still, the tide is turning, and for the better: Seeing him finally land his first top 10 on the Billboard 200 with PND4 last year to now securing his first No. 1 is very promising. With him embarking on his headlining tour and hitting the festival circuit last year, he is embracing his stardom way more than in years past. This could be the start of something more and bigger for the R&B lothario. The future looks bright.
Jason Lipshutz: Sure, the focus is on Drake when it comes to $$$4U, as it was always going to be. That doesn’t mean PartyNextDoor shouldn’t enjoy standing side-by-side with one of the biggest artists of the century on a full-length, or notching the first No. 1 album of his career. While OVO diehards have long embraced PND, the R&B star undoubtedly expanded his audience with this project, which features his typically strong crooning without any of the cultural baggage that his cohort has to deal with. It’s a low-risk, high-reward position, and Party should savor it.
Michael Saponara: Yeah, this definitely felt like a Drake album with PartyNextDoor serving as a supporting actor. I still think it’s a great achievement for PND to be part of a No. 1 album and get to enjoy the success of this moment while delivering on a joint project with one of his mentors and someone fans have been dying for him to work with more often. This should only build off the momentum PND had with P4 last year, but let’s hope he doesn’t go into hiding for a very long stretch so he can continue to parlay his wins.
Andrew Unterberger: More people know PND’s name than did a month ago, and he gets some nice chart wins and streaming numbers out of it. Aside from that stuff, I doubt this album ends up meaning much for his career at all.
5. Drake would obviously love at this point to put the entire Kendrick Lamar feud of the past year behind him and resume his status as one of the top dogs in both hip-hop and pop. Do you think when all is said and done with this album, he will be closer to that goal, further away from it, or at about the same distance?
Kyle Denis: Unless “Nokia” turns into a multi-week No. 1 smash, probably about the same distance. $$$4U likely won’t produce even a fraction of the smashes that GNX has, which it needs to do since the album hasn’t exactly been exalted by either critics or fans. And we still haven’t gotten a solo rap project from Drake yet – that will be the real test anyway.
Carl Lamarre: Hate to be the numbers guy — but musically, this album did nothing to further his career from that standpoint. The gaudy stat and win here is No. 15. Chasing immortality. That should be on Drake’s mind. I’m not saying continue to make lackluster music: “Gimme a Hug,” “Nokia,” “Spiderman Superman,” “When He’s Gone” and “Die Trying” show that the Drake we very much loved and adored the last 15 summers still exists. But if I’m him, I’m thinking bigger, because numbers aren’t fickle. Fans will change, but his place in history won’t — not after landing No. 15 sometime this year with this upcoming solo album.
Jason Lipshutz: About the same distance. While $$$4U should be regarded as a commercial success, it’s also not going to convince any hip-hop fans who sided with Kendrick Lamar that Drake responded with a strong counterpunch; similarly, it’s not a bomb, or backwards step, that diminishes Drake’s current standing within the mainstream. Maybe he goes for the gusto on his next proper album, but for now, I’d guess that $$$4U will amount to Drake holding serve.
Michael Saponara: About the same distance. I thought an R&B album with Party was a good move to distance himself from the battle while utilizing a different weapon in his repertoire. It only would’ve put him further away if the project completely flopped, which it didn’t, and moved him closer to that goal if it had one or two no-doubt smash hits that have him looking down at Kendrick on the charts instead of looking up like he has for much of the last year, and that doesn’t appear to be the case for now either. I ultimately think Drake should be judged much harsher in this discussion when it comes to the rollout of his next solo rap album.
Andrew Unterberger: A little closer, I think. The vultures would’ve been circling if this project had flopped outright, and while we can argue what level of success this was by his standards, a first week in the 200,000s for a hip-hop/R&B album is no flop in 2025. So at the very least, Drake has established he’s not dead and buried as a hitmaker as previously speculated — particularly because it seems like “Nokia” does have some amount of life outside of the project. Now, it’s just a question of what he does next.
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Source: Beats / apple
Beats By Dre recently released its long-awaiting Powerbeats Pro 2. The high-caliber campaign covers sports and music as it features RZA, LeBron James, Lionel Messi and Shohei Ohtani.
Source: Beats / apple
Saying these are the globe’s biggest superstars isn’t hyperbole since King James is still the face of the NBA, Lionel Messi is a soccer legend and Shohei Ohtani is the MLB’s Japanese wunderkind. As for the Wu-Tang Clan’s Abbot aka The RZA, he serves as the ad campaign’s narrator. THe spot focuses on “The Hearts” aka RZA’s voice and how you better have a whole lot if greatness is on the menu.
As for the Powerbeats Pro 2, the long time coming up to the Powerbeats Pro feature heart rate monitoring (more on that in our forthcoming product review), what it touts as “elite” battery life, active noise cancellation and much more. The ergonomics of the earbuds, which made them some of our favorited, have reportedly been in improved while it also come in our colors; Jet Black, Quick Sand, Hyper Purple and Electric Orange.
Watch the “Listen To You Heart” campaign spot below.
Sacramento’s newest music venue, Channel 24, has announced its inaugural lineup as it prepares to open its doors this spring. Opening the venue for its first official show on April 24 is young country music artist Tucker Wetmore — Billboard‘s Country Rookie of the Month in May 2024 — whose debut single, “Wind Up Missin’ […]
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Although it was released in theaters at the end of Dec. 2024, the Oscar-nominated film A Complete Unknown is already streamable online.
The biopic drama starring Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro is available to buy or rent on premium video on-demand platforms, even though you can still watch it in theaters.
Where to Stream ‘A Complete Unknown’ Online
At the moment, A Complete Unknown is available to rent for $24.99, or buy digitally for $29.99 on Prime Video, Apple TV and other digital marketplaces.
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In addition, if you’re looking for an alternative way to stream, you can watch A Complete Unknown through Apple TV, which doesn’t require an Apple TV+ subscription to watch the movie. After buying, the movie automatically downloads into your video library, so you can stream it at your convenience.
However, rentals for both services are accessible for 30 days after purchase, and for 48 hours once you begin watching the movie.
As for a physical media release, A Complete Unknown will be available on Blu-ray for $40.99 and 4K Ultra HD for $49.99 on Amazon. Both formats drop on Tuesday, April 1, but you can pre-order now.
Searchlight Pictures
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‘A Complete Unknown’
Release date: April 1
Meanwhile, A Complete Unknown has a soundtrack featuring hit songs from Bob Dylan, like “Like a Rolling Stone,” “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” “Blowin’ in the Wind” and more.
Directed by Lawrence Lamont, A Complete Unknown follows the meteoric rise of Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) to stardom and his rocky relationships with Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) during the early 1960s.
The drama also stars Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Boyd Holbrook, Scoot McNairy and others.
Stream A Complete Unknown in 4K Ultra HD on Prime Video and Apple TV starting at $24.99. In the meantime, watch the trailer below.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.