R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month
Tyla fogged up television screens across America last week when she performed the bacardi-inspired, wet-and-wild TikTok dance (surprisingly without her water bottle in tow) to her latest sultry single, “Water,” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for her U.S. television debut.
“It’s crazy just being a normal girl in South Africa, and then living this dream that I’ve always wanted to live,” she tells Billboard. “I used to be so jealous watching all of the American celebrities on TV, like the Kardashians, Adele, Rihanna, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj. I was like, ‘One day, I’m gonna be there.’ I actually used to want to be born in America only because I thought only Americans could be famous. I did not know it could happen for us because it didn’t really happen very often for people in Africa and especially South Africa.”
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Tyla (real name Tyla Laura Seethal) grew up in Johannesburg, listening to local house and kwaito artists, such as Black Coffee and Mi Casa, as well as American rap and R&B stars, like Tupac, Boyz II Men, Aaliyah and Rihanna. At age 11, she uploaded videos of herself singer covers (like of Justin Bieber‘s “Fall” and “Die in Your Arms”) to YouTube and even stole her father’s cellphone to create an Instagram account so she could post her covers and original songs on there, while also messaging them to celebrities and music industry figures. “I would do everything and anything — because I just felt like, one day, something was gonna catch on,” says Tyla, now 21.
After discovering Tyla from one of her Instagram videos, director and photographer Garth von Glehn (who eventually became her first manager) sent her an email. “I literally felt like I was going to get scammed, so I didn’t respond,” she recalls. “But then a few weeks went away, and something was telling me, ‘Just respond.’ I ended up responding, and then I met up with him with my parents. And I ended up recording for the first time.”
Tyla and her best friend/stylist, Thato Nzimande, proceeded to spend every weekend in 2019 at von Glehn’s apartment/studio, writing and recording music and conducting photo shoots. She eventually linked up with South African DJ/producer Kooldrink on her debut single “Getting Late,” which introduced her refreshing take on amapiano, the increasingly popular South African house subgenre that blends Afro and deep house, jazz and kwaito music, and is characterized by sizzling synths, rattling basslines and soulful piano melodies. “I mixed it with pop because I wanted to make a three-minute song,” she says. “Amapiano songs were like eight minutes, 10 minutes at that time. And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a bit too long! Let me make an amapiano song that has the normal format of a pop song or an R&B song.”
Her unique “popiano” formula scored her a label deal with Epic Records in 2021, when she started gradually dropping singles — like the boisterous “Overdue,” featuring gqom pioneer DJ Lag and Kooldrink; the tantalizing “To Last,” which was later remixed by amapiano giant DJ Maphorisa and fellow South African singer Young Stunna; the super sleek “Been Thinking;” and the passionate “Girl Next Door” collaboration with Ayra Starr. But it wasn’t until she released “Water” — where her sensual pop/R&B melodies float over bubbling amapiano log drums — and its accompanying dance that Tyla really started experiencing the fame she had desperately desired since childhood.
“Water” debuted at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the week ending Oct. 14, and it has since risen to No. 21 (for the week ending Nov. 4). It has spent three weeks at No. 1 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs, marking her first No. 1 on any Billboard chart and ending the record 58-week streak of Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down,” and it’s cracked into the top 10 of the Global 200. “Water” has also been making waves at radio, landing in the top 20 of Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay and debuting at No. 39 on Pop Airplay this week.
“This hasn’t happened in so long for a South African artist, born and raised in South Africa, with an African song, with an African dance style. Everything is so authentic, and the fact that all of that managed to translate overseas is crazy. It’s opening more doors for other South African artists and creatives to just have a place,” she says. “And for me personally, it’s unbelievable. I always wanted to be the biggest pop star in general. I didn’t want to be the biggest African pop star. I just want to be the biggest pop star that was born and raised in Africa. And the fact that I’m already getting a good response from the world [means] I’m one step closer to that dream.”
Billboard spoke with October’s R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month about Tyla’s signature “popiano” sound, opening for Chris Brown‘s European tour, making an unexpected cameo on The Kardashians and the inspiration behind her viral “Water” dance.
How did you first get introduced to amapiano?
The first time I heard a proper amapiano song was while I was in high school. I remember being in one of my classes and a friend was playing the song called “Gong Gong.” And it’s just a beat — there are no lyrics, no vocals on it. I remember that song till this day because it was my first time hearing something like that.
What makes the genre and the culture so special, in your opinion?
It’s ours. It’s a South African sound that has been able to travel. We haven’t had a genre that traveled this far. It’s brought a lot of pride to South Africans and a lot of jobs and opportunities for us. Amapiano has resulted in so many South Africans being able to travel the world now and make music and make a living off of it. It’s not really just a genre for us — it’s a culture and a movement. That’s why we’re always screaming, “Amapiano to the world! South Africa to the world!” It’s changed our lives.
And it’s very much an open place for us to work in. Everyone is welcoming. Our sessions in South Africa are not like the sessions overseas. All our sessions are open basically, so a session could be happening at this person’s house and then anybody is able to walk up and add a verse, anybody is able to come in and touch the beat. That’s why our songs have 20 people featured on it and the songs are so long.
What influenced you to come up with your signature “popiano” sound?
In 2019, the year I actually got in front of a mic for the first time, I was experimenting and trying everything to see what sat with me. It got to the point where I was like, “Let me try an amapiano song.” At that time, it was still booming and people weren’t really singing on it. So I tried it and I ended up making my first song “Getting Late.” It just felt right.
And since that day, I just gravitated to that sound more, and as the years went by, and the more songs I made, the more my sound developed. People started calling it “popiano” because it is my own sound. There’s no one that’s really doing it. I just knew that I wanted it to feel like me, and this genre feels like me because I’m able to mix the genres that I was influenced by — R&B and pop, with sounds from home, amapiano and Afrobeats.
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The story behind the “Getting Late” music video is inspiring: You wrote on Instagram that you had “set out wanting to make the best video South Africa has ever seen” and filmed a little before production was halted altogether when COVID-19 hit. After lockdown lifted, you resumed working on the video, which was your shot by your manager, and you were styled by your best friend for it.
It was literally like a family business. We shot one scene, COVID hit and then everything closed up. I felt like it was the end because my parents gave me that year to prove myself, because they wanted me to study. But I begged them and I was like, “No! I need to do the singing thing. Just give me one year. I’ll show you guys.” And they eventually gave me that year, and then COVID hit. And I was like, “Ugh! This is the worst time for them to give me the year to prove myself.”
But we made it work. When South Africa would open up a little bit, we would try and shoot a scene. Or we’d try to perform for free at this one place just so we can use the venue. It’s just crazy to think of how we made that video because everyone thinks that we had a huge budget, but it wasn’t that at all. My manager found a way to do it. We all found a way to make it work. And it literally changed my whole life.
At the time of its release, you wrote, “Even if it only gets 270 views on youtube and my career fails, I’ll just watch this video on repeat for the rest of my life and I’m pretty sure I’ll be happy.” Your video has nearly seven million views (so far) and was also nominated for music video of the year at last year’s South African Music Awards.
It’s literally crazy. We went through so much to make that video — like, I couldn’t stop watching that video, ’cause I was so proud of myself and proud of my team for pushing through it. I just love the video so much that I was like, “OK, guys. We did our best. We’re just putting it out there, [and] whatever happens, happens.”
How did you eventually sign with Epic?
“Getting Late” started doing its thing, and I was just excited that people were retweeting the video. Because I didn’t really know how record labels worked, a record label didn’t even cross my mind at the time. But then my manager told me that labels are reaching out and they want to sign me. I was so confused. I was like, “Cool, what do you mean?” Then they’re telling me, “Oh, this label and this label and Epic Records.” And I was like, “What?! American people? How do they even find me?” America always seemed like it wasn’t a real place for me, so hearing all of that was crazy.
My manager started setting up the calls, and the labels would speak to me over Zoom calls (because it was still COVID) and basically pitch themselves. Epic was actually the first one — and after going through everyone, Epic just felt right, so I ended up signing with them.
I was recently watching an episode of The Kardashians, and I saw you were sitting next to Kim Kardashian in the front row of Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall/Winter 2023 runway show during Milan Fashion Week. What was going through your head that night?
The crazy thing is: I didn’t even know I was going to be on the Kardashians show, especially during “Water” time. It honestly feels like everything is just falling into place at the right time. I was on the Chris Brown tour, and the offer came where I would need to fly to Milan to do the Dolce & Gabbana show. And I didn’t have a visa for it, so we were hassling one of the European countries trying to get a visa, and they were not having it. They were like, “We are not going to give you a visa. You need to go back to South Africa and then you can get a visa.”
We flew back to South Africa for 24 hours to try and get a visa, and we ended up getting it, and we had to fly out [to Milan] the next day. That same day, I had to shower, get ready and go straight to the show, where I’m sitting next to Kim Kardashian and I’m literally wearing a Dolce & Gabbana dress. It was like I was in Princess Diaries. It was so crazy even sitting next to [Kardashian], because I was like, “This person is real.” Especially when you only see these people on TV, it’s crazy when you see them in real life. She was nice, and it was just a cool environment to be in. It was also the first-ever fashion week I attended, so it was such a good first experience.
Being a supporting act on the European leg of Chris Brown’s Under the Influence Tour was also a big look for you. First of all, how did that opportunity come about? And what were the biggest lessons you learned from either Chris or the experience overall?
I was at Tricky Stewart‘s Grammy party and the head of the label, Sylvia Rhone, came to me and asked me, “Do [you] want to open for Chris Brown on his Europe tour?” I didn’t even know what to do. I was like, “What?” I wasn’t even sure I was hearing her correctly. But I just couldn’t stop thinking about that question the whole day. Obviously, I was like, “Yes.” It was such a huge opportunity. And then we literally had to start straightaway preparing. We flew to Europe. We had like two days of rehearsals, I’m not even joking, two days of rehearsals. Then the next day, we had to open at the O2 Arena. It was so crazy!
It taught me so much in terms of performing — especially from Chris, because he’s an amazing performer. He spoke to me a lot. He gave me a lot of tips, and I still use them to this day. I feel like it was literally the perfect bootcamp for me. It gave me a lot of confidence, and it helped me play around with my performance. It helped me get a wider audience, because I was traveling all of Europe, and videos started circling around of me, which was amazing. Opportunities just started falling into my lap. It was the best experience ever. I’ll never forget that tour.
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Take me back through the making of “Water.”
I’ve been recording music for over two years now, since I got signed to the label, making music for my album. And we got to a point where we were like, “OK, let’s start finalizing songs.” But I just felt like I needed that summer dance song, I felt like I was missing that. I said, “OK, I need it to sound like this. I need it to have African influence. It needs to sound like ‘popiano,’ Afrobeats, amapiano, R&B all in one. It needs to live in the clubs. It needs to be a banger.” And I’m not even joking, as soon as I heard “Water,” I was literally like, “It’s over. It’s over for everybody!” I just fell in love with it. I played it for everybody I could, and everyone fell in love with it. So I just knew in my soul that this was the one.
How did you come up with the viral “Water” dance?
The dance style is actually called bacardi, it’s a dance style in South Africa that originated in Pretoria. And the dance style is usually done with bacardi-type music. Usually when we have songs, I get on a call with my choreographer from South Africa [Lee-ché Janecke] [and] my best friend Thato for hours and we’re thinking, “OK, for this song, what are we going to do?” Then I was just like, “I really feel like this song needs a dance. I really want to do something on TikTok with this song.” Not all the songs I want to make are all TikTok songs where you dance and everything, but this one felt like it needed that.
And then I was like, “Why don’t we make it bacardi?” Obviously, everyone was like, “Um, this isn’t the genre for bacardi.” [Laughs] It felt like that type of style would just go with this song. We actually had a bacardi-type dance for a different song. And we changed it and made that dance for “Water.” We tried a little bit of it in Portugal, but we didn’t pour the water. We ended up reworking it and I was like, “Guys, this is what we’re going to do. You pass me the water, and I’m just going to pour it on my back when I do the bacardi move.” It was exciting for us.
We ended up doing it on the stage for the Giants of Africa Festival, and I was so worried after that performance ’cause I was like, “I don’t know if I did it right.” And then I got videos. I actually DM’ed someone that was in the audience because they posted on their story like, “Please, can you send me the video?” She sent me the video and I edited it and I posted it on my way to a different country. We were on a plane, and I posted it just before we took off and my phone got disconnected. When I landed, it was already at like five million views. I was in so much shock because that flight wasn’t even that long. I was like, “This is crazy!”
How many water bottles would you estimate you’ve spilled down your back while doing the dance?
[Laughs] I don’t know. Probably a whole water company. [Laughs]
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I loved that you teamed up with Ayra Starr on “Girl Next Door” and you performed at Uncle Waffles’ NYC show. What’s it like to shine alongside other female artists coming out of the continent?
I love it. I’m a girl’s girl for real. Waffles is a girl’s girl, Ayra is a girl’s girl. In general, we all have the same goal: Africa to the world. I feel like we’ve always had the great music and the culture and the vibe, but we haven’t had the audience. Social media helps so much because it’s been able to give us that access to more people. I love seeing Afrobeats artists win, amapiano artists win, everyone in Africa. It’s only up for us really.
Who would you love to collaborate with next?
I’d honestly love to have a song with Tems. I love her voice, I love her vibe. Her new song [“Me & U”] is on repeat.
I heard you’re finishing up your debut EP. What can fans expect from it?
Definitely more bangers. It’s going to be a short and sweet one, but it’s going to be a glimpse into my sound because I do feel like it has developed over time and it’s more where I want it to be. It’s my first project ever. I’ve been releasing music and making music for years now, so it’s exciting for me to start making worlds for people to listen to and tap into. But it’s definitely a new, fresh sound for the world. And it’s a fusion between my African world and my ideal popstar/R&B world. And I’m super excited for people to listen.
Considering amapiano has become increasingly popular in the U.S. over the last couple of years, what is your hope for the sound in the future?
I honestly feel like it’s going to be the next biggest thing in dance music. It’s going to be playing in all of the raves, all of the festivals, Ibiza, all of the [places] where they listen to [sings] oontz oontz oontz oontz oontz. I feel like ‘piano is really going to take over that whole world.
What advice do you have for up-and-coming African artists who are hoping to have their music travel across the globe?
It’s very hard because I’m still figuring out a lot because I’ve been coming [up] and trying to find my way. But based off my experience, just make music that feels like you, that’s very authentic to you. Don’t try copying other people. Just find your sound and what you want the world to see you as and push that forward and believe in it. If you keep working towards it and go day by day as if you’ve already achieved your goal, you will get there.
A lot of people say “manifestation” and whatnot. I don’t want to put a label on it, but personally, ever since I could remember, before “manifestation” was even a word I knew, I always believed that I already achieved that goal. I already believed that it was mine. It was just a matter of time that it was going to be given to me. That really helped me because it really happened. Everything happened the way it was supposed to happen. And if you as an artist feel like that, just keep believing that it’s yours already and I’m sure it will be one day.
Philly newcomer Fridayy has already accomplished what most new R&B/hip-hop artists dream of — times four: he’s on a song alongside Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and John Legend.
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Last year, DJ Khaled corralled the heavyweights for “God Did,” on which Fridayy flexes his rich, baritone chords for the song’s hook. After seeing Khaled chanting the mantra on social media ahead of his album of the same name, Fridayy resonated with the saying and felt inspired to record a hook. “I just made it off faith. No beat was there, it was just me and the piano,” the 26-year-old tells Billboard.
Through mutual connections, the hook fell into the hands of Khaled who ended up using it for the track, which reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Fridayy’s first entry on the chart. (Meanwhile, the album God Did hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200).
Born Francis Leblanc to Haitian parents, Fridayy grew up in the Olney section of Philadelphia. He was heavily involved in church at a young age, leading youth choirs and learning instruments like the piano and guitar by ear. It wasn’t until middle school when he received his first laptop that he started taking music more seriously, but his parents didn’t see the art form as a viable way to make a living.
“They would always be like, ‘You’re talented, you’re a genius, you play every instrument, [but] make sure you go to college. Make sure you get a stable job so you can take care of us and yourself’,” he says.
Fridayy respected his parents wishes and attended college for two years from 2015-2017 before dropping out to pursue his passion. Fast forward to now and he has a growing list of collaborators that also includes Lil Baby and Chris Brown, a record deal with Def Jam and a self-titled debut album that arrived last month.
“I’m not even thinking outside of music right now. I know music is my gift from God that I have to use to get everything else,” he says.
Billboard chatted with the September R&B/hip-hop rookie of the month about his musical upbringing, “God Did” and his new album Fridayy.
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For people who don’t know you, how would you describe yourself?
I’m a good guy. I love music, I love family, I love God.
Where did you get your stage name from?
I got my name “Fridayy” before I was about to go to college. The Weeknd and PartyNextDoor, they was my favorite artists at the time. I came up with something to try to get Drake’s attention [and] try to be part of OVO. I went to college introducing myself [as Fridayy] and it stuck because nobody knew me by my real name.
Why did you decide to drop out?
I didn’t really have no reason going there, it was a forced thing. I got Haitian parents so it’s like you gotta go to school, this is a must. So I went there to make them happy. I ain’t have no major or nothing. It wasn’t for me, though.
When did you realize you could sing?
Since I was a kid, I used to sing in church — probably at like, 9 or 10. I used to play instruments too, so everybody knew early on I was talented. But I started taking music seriously when I was 14, when my cousin Marco introduced me to producing. He gave me my first laptop so being the [type of] musician I was in church, it was very easy for me to produce and record myself.
Which instruments do you play?
I play the piano, guitar, bass [and] drums. I play all of them at a high level.
Were you trained?
I learned at church by ear. I would hear things and try to play it on the piano, and I did that for years. So it’s basically teaching myself but it’s also years of trying to copy stuff.
Do you know how to read music?
Nah.
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Being a baritone R&B singer gives you an edge, but did that present any challenges to you growing up as you started realizing your vocal tone?
[My voice] was always deep, even when I was singing when I was 10 and 11 [but] it was always good. It wasn’t no challenges, it was always like “Oh s–t!” It was always a surprise when I started singing, and I’ve liked that reaction since I was a kid. As soon as I started singing, I loved that, “Oh, he different!” reaction.
There aren’t many other baritone R&B singers in the space right now besides Givēon. Are you a fan?
Yeah, I f–k with bro. I be seeing the comparison but it’s just the deep voice. Me and him make completely opposite type of music. If you listen to my albums and you listen to his, we’re two different artists coming from two different places. I listen to bro, I’m a fan.
Philly has a rich R&B history. How did growing up there inform your sound?
It did a lot to my sound. One of the first Philly artists I listened to was Boyz II Men. Outside of church, I would listen to [them] a lot and that influenced a lot of my music — their harmonies, feelings, soulfulness. It led to Brian McKnight and all the R&B legends. Meek Mill had a big influence. Philly really inspired my sound a lot just between those artists, Meek Mill and Boyz II Men.
How did Meek Mill influence you?
Just the way he was talking in the records. It was relatable, his lyrics.
How has your parents’ attitude on pursuing music full-time changed now that you’re seeing success?
They happy as h–l for me because I’m doing it in a good way. I’m still being myself, I ain’t lose myself. At first, they didn’t believe it…it wasn’t that they didn’t believe in my talent [but] they from Haiti so [they] never even seen somebody doing what [I] was doing.
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“God Did” was a breakout moment for you. How did you get involved?
I was signed to a publishing label called Big Noise and the A&R that signed me left, and [my team and I] were looking for a buyout. My manager Edgar Cutino was looking around to see who could buy me out and he met Mary J. Blige’s A&R [Eddie Fourcell], who works at Prescription [Songs]. He just kept telling Eddie, “Buy Fridayy out. He’s the one.” Months went by and Eddie ended up buying me out my deal and during that time, [DJ] Khaled was promoting God Did — he kept saying it on Instagram before we knew the album was coming. Everytime he would do it, it touched me, so I made the hook. We heard that he was working on the album and my manager told me to make a bigger hook — not even knowing how we could get it to him. We played it for Eddie and he sent it to Khaled and [he said] “I need this for my album.”
What happened next?
I signed with Def Jam right after “God Did.”
Why was that the right fit?
My manager was already connected to Tunji [Balogun, Def Jam chairman and CEO] and he been telling [him] about me for months. And based off the acts that Tunji had and worked with in the past, I seen myself in that group of people.
Tell me about your new album Fridayy and its themes.
It’s a life album. I wrote it for me but for everybody else too. It’s something in there for everybody, that’s why I think it’s being streamed so well right now. Whether you want to listen to R&B, Afrobeat, something inspirational, some pain — it’s something in there for every type of person. The inspiration came from seeing what my music did in the past, seeing how it saved a lot of people, how it helped a lot of people get through what they went through.
My two favorites are “Stand By Me” and “When It Comes To You.”
Those are my two favorites too! That s–t’s crazy.
What are some things you want to pursue aside from music?
I just got in the game, I’m not even thinking about any other stuff. I’m thinking about giving great music and establishing myself to the point where I can play with other things.
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“Kali…” From the second she introduces herself on the Tate Kobang and YG! Beats-produced “Area Codes,” Kali’s sultry laidback delivery solidifies her as an undeniable force.
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The runaway success of “Area Codes” has been a long time coming for Kali the Atlanta-bred rapper, who’s been grinding since she was just 12 years old, but didn’t release her first body of work until 2021. “This Why They Mad Now is my baby,” she gushes. “That’s when I was like, ‘Okay, we’re gonna give this a try and we gon’ see how far we can take this.”
Since the release of her first mixtape, Kali has been steadily laying the foundation for this moment. She got her first minor hit in 2021 with a This Why They Mad Now track titled “Do A B—h,” and the ATL Jacob-produced “MMM MMM” became her first TikTok hit later that year. A remix of “MMM MMM” featuring Billboard 200 chart-topper Moneybagg Yo and fellow Atlanta MC Latto appears on Toxic Chocolate, Kali’s major label debut. For Toxic Chocolate, which also featured collaborations with fellow early 2020s breakout stars Yung Bleu, Muni Long and BIA, “I was in my toxic bag,” Kali notes.
Blending her around-the-way affability with slick wordplay and delivery that can be as flirtatious as it is biting, Kali’s style is already singular — and she’s just getting started. Since its March release, “Area Codes” has amassed over four billion views on TikTok, and the song is pulling over 11 million streams per week in the U.S. alone. Buoyed by a bevy of remixes featuring everyone from Kenzo B to Luh Tyler, “Area Codes” is also Kali’s fastest-growing music video, as well as her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, where it currently sits at its No. 33 peak.
As Kali readies her next steps to continue the momentum of “Area Codes,” we linked up with our June R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month to speak about her forthcoming new mixtape, her song on the Barbie soundtrack, Ludacris’ “Area Codes,” and whether she really likes “pasta and lobster.”
You’re Panamanian and from Atlanta. How do those two cultures impact your artistry?
I haven’t really tapped into the Panamanian. I wanna wait to solidify myself in the rap game and then tap into that. That way people know like, “Oh, Kali, she’s a really cool rapper, but she also taps into her Spanish side.” So, it’s something that I wanna work on in the future.
I feel like Atlanta is so big. Everybody comes from Atlanta. I just wanna make my own stamp. I just wanna be legendary in Atlanta, like, “Oh, Kali brought her own swag to Atlanta and she just been killing it for the females.” I’m younger and I love rap music like [Young] Thug, Future, Gucci Mane, them is like… that’s Atlanta to me. When somebody thinks of Atlanta — like who represents Atlanta and what Atlanta sounds like — I want it to be me.
You’ve been rapping since you were 12 years old. When you first started putting out music, it kept getting taken down. Now that you’re at this point in your career, what would you say to 12-year-old Kali and the Kali of This Why They Mad Now?
Everything happens for a reason. You can’t control what God has planned for you. I look back like, “Maybe those songs weren’t ready to come out and I wasn’t ready to be this huge artist.” Everything literally happens for a reason.
“Area Codes” is taking over the world right now. When you finished recording the song, did you have a special feeling about this one?
Yes! When I finished recording “Area Codes,” that same night, I called my team, and I was like, “We got one. This is the one, I’m telling y’all, it’s a hit!” And I was right!
Where were you the first time you heard “Area Codes” in public?
A lot of times, I would go to clubs and give my music to the DJs to play in the club. I don’t quite remember where I was, but I love hookah, so I was probably at a hookah lounge somewhere. I was like, “Play my song!”
TikTok has been pretty instrumental in helping “Area Codes” blow. Was there a specific TikTok, or a specific moment, that confirmed the song’s virality for you?
I always say it was when the sports teams started using it on TikTok. I feel like once guys get a hold of a female song, you’re winning. Because even if they aren’t relating to it, they’re having fun with it, so I love seeing the sports teams do it. I’ve seen a hockey team do it. I don’t know the names of the teams, but a lot of baseball teams were doing it. I even seen a rugby team doing it!
How did you come up with the idea to do different remixes for different area codes? What was the process of selecting and securing those artists for each of the remixes?
I just wanted to expand “Area Codes” and get everybody tapped into the song. It’s called “Area Codes,” so I gotta go to different area codes and see which artists are popping off and can really bring something new to the track! I did Luh Tyler, Sexyy Red, Mello Buckzz, Lil Kayla and Kenzo B, and they’re all super-popping right now. They killed their verses. They definitely added to “Area Codes” and brought their audiences in too just like I brought my audience to theirs.
We’re just piggybacking off of each other, you know? Just creating a vibe, so when I go to those cities, we lit, and I can go hang with them and see what their area code is like. I can see what their vibe is like when it comes to music and who they are as artists.
At Summer Jam earlier this month, Ice Spice brought out you and Kenzo B to perform “Area Codes (718 Remix).” Talk to me about working with Kenzo and conquering such an iconic stage.
Kenzo was super cool. She’s just taking over. She showed me around New York because I never had a chopped cheese before. She’s really cool. I just wanted to tap into New York. I feel like New York is a hard place to get people to latch onto your music, so Kenzo was perfect, because everybody is super-supportive of her, and I love to see that. They’re like, “Oh, Kenzo’s winning!” She’s like my little sister. I love her. And Ice Spice is my girl. We always be interacting on the internet, and she loves “Area Codes.” She told me, “I’ve been paying attention to your music before you even blew up.”
The energy when I came out for Summer Jam was so different. That’s all I can say. I was really nervous at first. I’m like, “Do they know ‘Area Codes?’” And then I was like, “Girl, you on Billboard! What are you talking about?” When Ice Spice said my name and the crowd went crazy, I was like, “Oh my God, this is such a great feeling!” It was my biggest crowd yet. I’m sure it’ll get bigger, but it was great. It was such a great feeling, it put me on a high, like, “I gotta do this again! I could do this. I need a longer set. I need to get there.” New York always turns up for me, top two and not two!
“Area Codes” is obviously lifting your career to new heights. You’re top 40 on the Hot 100, at over four billion views on TikTok, you’re pulling 11 million streams a week with this song — do you feel any pressure to keep up this momentum?
I definitely feel the pressure, but it’s a good feeling to have. I gotta go bigger, you know? It’s always good to compete with yourself and make yourself work harder. I definitely feel the pressure, because I’m trying to get that top 10 spot, I wanna go number one! That’s a dream of mine, and that’s the goal that I’ve been having for myself, so I’m definitely putting a healthy amount of pressure on myself.
How do you balance healthy pressure and unhealthy pressure? Where is that line for you?
I have a really good team that just helps me be like, “You got this, just breathe. We gonna get there.” Everything happens for a reason and at its own timing, just pray and manifest. That’s how I keep healthy. I celebrate myself too. Once you celebrate yourself and the accomplishments that you do have, it’s easier to be like, “Okay, how can I go bigger? ‘Cause I did this.”
What was the big celebration when “Area Codes” hit the Top 40?
I’m a dinner type of girl. And a lounge and hookah. That’s how we celebrate. Let’s go get a strawberry lemon drop and toast. I like a lowkey vibe. My team is like my friends too, so we just like lowkey stuff.
So, do you like pasta and lobster for real?
I do like pasta and lobster for real, okay! [Laughs.] I be making some good pasta and lobster! I don’t know what the noodles is called, but they like the long crinkly noodles. They went viral on TikTok one time. I make a white cream sauce that’s so good, put some white wine in it and some sweet tomatoes and Italian parsley. Chop that lobster up, you put it in there and you got you some good good food.
How are you handling the massive boost in your profile with the success of “Area Codes?”
I’m still the same me! It’s crazy cause I say this all the time, but it hasn’t hit me. I’m still the girl that walks around with my team and no security. I’m just chilling. I literally just be chilling. It hasn’t hit me like, “Girl, you gotta stop doing these things. You can’t keep doing this.” I go to the grocery store and people notice me, but I got this fat bonnet on thinking nobody gonna know who I am, just looking crazy, you know? So, I’m still just chilling. Until it gets really like super crazy.
You’ve recently caught some flak about supposedly not knowing Ludacris’ “Area Codes.” Let’s set the record straight: Did you really not hear his song before making yours? Have you listened to it since, and could a mashup or a remix with Luda be on the way?
I really didn’t know Ludacris’ “Area Codes!” A lot of people got it misconstrued and thought that I said that I didn’t know who Ludacris was. I never said that. I just never heard that particular Ludacris song.
I heard it once — I was getting ready to shoot my video when we were doing treatments at. My team was like, “Hey, do you want to try to do like a little concept like this?” And I was like, “Wait, what?” That’s when I listened to the song, and I watched the video at the same time, and I was like, “Oh, my God! Great minds think alike!” I just hope nobody thinks I’m copying, but it’s a great song and I didn’t mean any disrespect to Ludacris or anything. We haven’t had a conversation, but maybe in the future, we could have a conversation about mashup or a remix or something like that.
Toxic Chocolate, your major label debut, featured a bunch of collaborations with artists who are on a career trajectory similar to yours. What do you get out of the collaboration process, and how does it impact the way you approach your solo records?
I love collaborating, because different artists bring different vibes, and you never know what’s gonna go up. The fact that “Area Codes” went up with me solo is super great. It makes me feel like I’m doing something good. It does feel good that Muni Long was going up crazy, [Yung] Bleu too. I like to work with people I know, so it’s organic.
Let’s talk about your next mixtape. Two of your biggest songs, “MMM MMM” and “Area Codes,” use pretty minimalist beats — will we hear more production like that on the next project? Who have you worked with so far, and when can we expect it?
I feel like the next tape is everything. We have the simple beats, but I worked with some pretty big producers, and they be putting their foot in them beats! We gonna get a little bit of everything. I worked with London on da Track, YG Beats, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., $K, and B Ham. The tape should be out around the end of July/top of August.
Conceptually, musically, and lyrically, what kind of headspace were you in while making this tape?
Toxic Girls Need Love Too is a play on Toxic Chocolate. Toxic Chocolate… I was in my toxic bag. I just wanted to talk my s–t. I was in my feelings. But Toxic Girls Need Love Too is like, I was in the toxic state, kinda fell in love, and then got to the, “I wanna focus on me,” healing side of it. So, it’s a little bit of everything. Fun summer stuff, getting in my feelings, and being more vulnerable. This is me finding who I am as an artist, and as Kali.
Sometimes it’s hard, because I’m not a vulnerable person. I have to really know people to want to be like that. So, I worked really hard on being vulnerable on this tape. Super hard. I’m just trying to relate and show people that I can relate to them and that it’s not all green over here. It gets hard sometimes, and I get in my feelings too. I’ve been that girl in a position where I’m crying and I’m hurt about certain things and it’s hard finding yourself again.
You have a song on the upcoming Barbie soundtrack. Were you a big Barbie kid growing up?
Yes! I feel like everybody had to love Barbie! All the baddies had to love Barbies.
So, Barbies over Bratz?
Listen, I’m both! I’m team both, because I love me a good Bratz, and I love me a cute lil Barbie. They’re both baddies!
What can you share about the song? Did you get to see any footage from the film before writing and recording your parts?
It’s definitely different from things that I’ve done in the past, especially working with Fifty Fifty. I’m excited to get into the whole pop lane, and switch it up for the girls. I feel like the collab was unexpected. I know everybody was like, “It’s definitely Kali and Ice Spice!” Soon! Whenever Ice Spice is ready. But me and Fifty Fifty both going up, so we had to come together.
I only heard that it’s a live rendition of Barbie. I heard my girl Issa Rae was in there, and I was like, “Oh, this is perfect!” I love her, she’s so funny. That’s really all I heard about it. They gave me the vibes and I just got on it.
What would be the story of the Kali Barbie doll? What would her occupation be?
She’s definitely a rock star. She’s giving… cutesy, rock star, baddie.
It’s a travel day for TiaCorine, who is riding on a tour bus from Salt Lake City to Seattle for her next stop as a supporting act on Key Glock’s Glockoma Tour when she talks to Billboard over Zoom. She turns her camera to show that the bus is going through the mountains — making for an occasionally choppy conversation, but demonstrating the kind of new terrain that Tia’s promising career is now regularly visiting.
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Hailing from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Tia (born Tia Shultz) takes pride in her hometown and still lives there with her seven-year-old daughter. But the rising rapper has been out and about a lot more recently — for tour of course, but thanks to her growing popularity she’s also found herself at New York Fashion Week, in Los Angeles for Grammy events and most recently, performing alongside Latto at Coachella.
TiaCorine has been a product of virality ever since her 2018 song “Lotto” found its way to TikTok in 2020. Fittingly, she sounds like an anime character rapping on the song, as her love for the animation style heavily informs her vibrant wardrobe and visuals. Last fall, she released her third project I Can’t Wait, on which she weaves totether hip-hop, rage rap and alternative rock. Tia took inspiration from The Wizard of Oz, Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts for the album’s artwork (video games are another big influence) and earned another viral moment via standout track “FreakyT.”
Produced by Honorable C.N.O.T.E., the song sees Tia rhyming over a beat that reminded her of Memphis rap staples Project Pat and Three 6 Mafia, whom she’s a big fan of. (“Look at me, where she wanna be, call me Freaky T/ Off the leash, I feel like a dog, I get hella flee,” she opens in a staccato flow.) “FreakyT” has been used in over 23,000 TikTok videos, and reached a No. 22 high on Billboard’s Rap Airplay chart. She even released an official sped-up version as well as the first remix of the song featuring Latto last Friday (April 21).
“It got a little doubt from the beginning, but I knew it was a good song,” she says. “I knew people would like it, but I didn’t know it was going to go this far.”
TiaCorine is just getting started. Billboard spoke with April’s R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month about balancing motherhood and newfound fame, her dream collab and the freakiest thing she’s ever said.
It’s good to be talking again since we met a few months ago in the office. How’ve you been since then?
Good! Just on tour. Working, working!
What’s been the most lit city so far?
I think it was Kansas City, [Missouri]. Kansas City was real, real lit.
How do you balance motherhood with your newfound stardom and touring?
Being on tour, [my daughter and I] have certain times that we FaceTime throughout the day – we play Roblox together, we talk, we text. She just calls me whenever she feels like talking. Sometimes it makes her sad the more that she talks to me, because she doesn’t really understand the time — like, April 28th [the last day of tour], she doesn’t know how long [from now] that is. She doesn’t understand how long I’m gonna be gone. But it’s been good, though. My mom’s staying at my house so [my daughter’s] at home.
Do you find it hard to say “no” to opportunities?
No. I usually just say “no” when I don’t want to do something, because at the end of the day, I’m the boss and it’s all about me. This is my face, my brand — so if I don’t wanna do something, I just say “no.” I could care less how you feel. I say “no” all the time.
Tell me about your childhood and your beginnings in music.
I’m from Winston-Salem, North Carolina and my parents just really love music. My mom played music all the time. I just naturally liked music, I guess. And then I picked up my first instrument in sixth grade, which was the flute, and I fell in love with the sounds — reading a body of music and the behind-the-scenes of music. I started hearing things in songs that I normally didn’t hear at first. My mom would take me to symphonies and orchestras, because if you were a part of the band, you would get tickets to go there if you wanted to after school.
I started talent shows in third grade where I started off singing. [As I got older], it kinda morphed into rapping, because I used to hang out with guys and they would be rapping. I just tried it one day, and the first time I did it, I was like “Oh s–t. D–n, I sound pretty good.” I had fun doing it and I just kept practicing and “Lotto” was the second song I made and it went viral.
Do you write your raps or freestyle?
It’s a mixture of both. I don’t have a certain way that I do it — every time I record it’s kinda different. I might get on the mic and find a tune, or I might have something to start me off in my phone because I have little bars that I write throughout the day. It’s kinda [like] how I dress, I just do it depending on how I’m feeling that day.
Who is someone that you really want to work with?
I really wanna work with Tyler, the Creator, I look up to him a lot. I think he’s a genius. I love a lot of the things that he does, and I kinda see myself being like him.
Did you expect “FreakyT” to take off the way it did? I saw Rick Owens used it in a TikTok.
Yeah, that was crazy! My brother sent me that TikTok and I was like, “What the f–k, it’s Rick Owens! He needs to send me some Rick’s.” [Laughs.] But nah, I didn’t — because I definitely was told that it wasn’t one of my best songs and they weren’t trying to put it on the project, so I had to fight to get that on and keep it on there.
I know you have a few remixes of the song coming out.
I have a boy version and a girl version, and we are dropping one soon.
What’s the freakiest thing you’ve ever done or said?
It had to be something I said on Twitter. I don’t know if it’s the freakiest, but I posted a photo of Lois Griffin. She was in the bed with big muscles and I was like, “This is me when I make myself [nut].” And everybody was like, “What the f–k.” [Laughs.] I didn’t think it was that freaky at the time, but I guess so — everybody said I was out of pocket.
I saw in another interview you said when you make it big you want to move to Japan. Why is that?
I just think Japan is so cool-looking. It’s so futuristic and I love cherry blossom trees. The scenery out there is so crazy and magical. When people send me pictures, I just see myself being there.
What anime shows do you recommend for people who want to get into it?
I’ll always recommend Hunter x Hunter, I just like the way that it started off. Anybody that’s never watched anime or doesn’t like it, when I put them on to that, they’re like “D–n, this is actually really good.” Parasyte is good, even Death Note is really good to start off with. Or you can start off with something smaller like Inuyasha, but that’s more of a romantic type [and] it’s kind of funny.
It seems like your bubbly personality is reflected in your style and videos. How do you maintain such bright energy?
Because I love it. I’m really passionate about [making music] and having fun. Like, if I’m not having fun, then what am I doing this for? It’s a mixture of naturally having the love to do it and I talk to my supporters a lot online, and they always give me good words of advice and say really encouraging things. That just makes me more excited and inspires me to make more music.
And just having people around me — like Kyra, she does my hair, but that’s a childhood friend of mine. So a lot of people that I keep around me are actual, real true friends that were here from the beginning. I think having that natural, raw energy around [me] keeps me grounded. Also, I still live in North Carolina where everything started for me. [That’s] what keeps me going and aligns me.
From across the pond, Renée Downer of FLO, the buzzy, new U.K. R&B trio, says, “We’re still little fish in the big fish industry,” causing her groupmate Jorja Douglas to giggle at the metaphor. But for three “little fish,” Downer, Douglas and Stella Quaresma have made quite a massive splash over the last year they’ve started releasing music together as a group — which was years in the making.
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Quaresma was born in Kingston upon Thames in southwest London and moved to Mozambique as an infant before returning to London at age five. She and Downer, who was born and raised in North London, both attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, a performing arts school that boasts all-star alumni including Amy Winehouse, Dua Lipa and Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Anne Pinnock of Little Mix, the British girl group that rose from X Factor favorites to one of the best-selling girl groups of all time – before Nelson announced her departure in 2020, and the remaining members announced Little Mix’s hiatus two years later.
Fans mourned the loss of yet another beloved U.K. girl group that came and left their mark — while behind the scenes, three girls in their late teens were just starting to find their flow… literally. Rob Harrison, the Island Records A&R and founder of independent record label Listen Generously who currently manages FLO, was on a mission to discover the next big girl group. When Downer arrived at UMG’s office to meet with Harrison, she ran into Douglas, whom she had discovered on social media after the then-14-year-old Douglas won the British singing competition series, Got What It Takes?, with a cover of Adele’s “When We Were Young.”
“The next step was to try different combinations of girls. So Jorja and Stella were together with two other girls for a day, and I was with two girls for a day,” Downer recalled. “We were just getting to know each other, singing together, seeing how we connected and it was not a vibe at all. But Jorja and Stella gravitated towards each other, and then the next combination was us three …. And the rest is history.”
Over the next three years, Douglas, Quaresma and Downer worked with British super-producer MNEK on harnessing the nostalgia of the noughties and the decade prior while still sounding fresh. On March 24, 2022, FLO released its debut single, “Cardboard Box,” a delectable kiss-off anthem that dusts off the “to the left, to the left” sentiments of Beyoncé’s 2006 smash “Irreplaceable” and repackages ’00’s R&B for today’s consumption. While FLO’s songs have since generated 162.1 million on-demand official streams globally, according to Luminate, “Cardboard Box” accounts for 61.5 million of those streams (through March 2).
“Cardboard Box” arrived ahead of their debut EP The Lead, which further cemented their position as the new classic R&B girls, because of how closely they’ve studied the game. FLO’s second single, “Immature,” implements a wailing baby sample that sounds straight out of Timbaland’s playbook (not to mention, the “Say you want my body, body” chorus line hints at yet another Bey track, her 2006 B’Day cut “Kitty Kat”). Meanwhile, the slinky, yet soulful promotional single “Not My Job” shuts down dudes with little-to-no game à la TLC’s “No Scrubs.”
But when it comes to FLO’s job, says Downer, “We wouldn’t [want] to have any other career.”
Billboard spoke with March’s R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month about how FLO knew they were the right fit, what it means to carry the legacy of girl groups they grew up, and whether they’ll be opening for Queen Bey’s Renaissance Tour.
Who did you grow up listening to?
Douglas: I grew up listening to a lot of late-‘90s R&B, early-2000s R&B — just loads of old-school R&B like Usher, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Whitney [Houston] … all of the greats. Those are my biggest influences.
Quaresma: Similar vibes.
Downer: Similar vibes – people like Ciara, Rihanna, those type of ladies.
Stella and Renée, you attended Sylvia Young Theatre School together. What is it about that school that allowed you two, but also your famous predecessors, to succeed in the music industry?
Quaresma: I feel like it was the worth ethic you had to have. They just kind of drilled that into you – being professional, being places on time.
Downer: Yeah, they definitely did. They taught you about the industry, so that was nailed into us for years on how to conduct yourself and how to work with different people.
Jorja, you won the British singing competition show, Got What It Takes?, when you were just 14. Looking back at that moment, where did you believe your career was going to go?
Douglas: I don’t know. It was just a bit of fun for me. And then I won, which was just extra fun. That kind of helped me put myself out there a bit more. Following that, I knew being in a girl group was, like, the best thing to do. There was no girl group. So I saw an opportunity, and I took it. [Laughs.]
What is everyone’s special ingredient that they bring to the table? Outside of the music, what’s your favorite personality trait about one another?
Douglas, Downer and Quaresma [in unison]: Hmmmm.
Douglas: In terms of music, we just bounce off of each other. And because we all have those same influences, we all enjoy the same R&B melody, so we’re just pretty in sync with each other. And then personality-wise, we’re like the same, but in different fonts.
Downer and Quaresma: Yeah. Yeah.
How did you work with MNEK on crafting your signature sound?
Downer: The great thing about MNEK is he grew up around our influences, and when that type of music was a thing. He learned about it so early on, and he really crafted that and worked on it. We’re young girls who can learn so much from him. He honestly knows like everything. He’s one of those crazy-talented people. He took time to get to know us and know our influences, and we just connected on that vibe.
I saw you met Kelly Rowland while you were recording in an LA studio with MNEK. How memorable was that for all of you?
Douglas: With Kelly Rowland, I mean…
Quaresma: … I mean, it’s just like …
Douglas: … Surreal.
Downer: Too stunned to speak.
Quaresma: It’s just crazy that they’re actually real people. And also, it’s nice because she’s lived a similar situation that we’re going through, and she’s still alive! She’s still here! [Laughs.]
Is there anyone else you’re dying to meet or collaborate with?
Downer: Victoria Monét. I’m really excited for when we get in the studio with her. We can learn a lot [about] songwriting as well.
What surprised you most about the success of “Cardboard Box?”
Quaresma: I feel like we knew it would do quite well. We pushed for that song to come out first. We knew to put our best foot forward. But it was a really amazing shock how well it did. It just worked!
I’ve read in some of your interviews that you convinced your label to make “Cardboard Box” your debut single, and you made a presentation about how involved you wanted to be in the rollout for your debut EP The Lead. What advice do you have for other artists, especially young Black female artists, who also want to advocate for themselves to their teams?
Quaresma: No one knows your music and your craft better than you. Just remember that. Nobody can try and shape it to be something that’s not genuine. It’s just not going to be as good, so just trust that what you’re about is good enough.
You made history by becoming the first group to win the BRIT Awards’ Rising Star award, and you also won Radio 1’s BBC Sound of 2023. Both honors are decided by separate panels made up of music industry leaders. How does it feel that the U.K. music business is rooting for you so early in your career?
Douglas: We’re very, very grateful, because we just feel like we’re being put in a really good position. It makes us feel really empowered — like, the stage we’re in, we feel really in control of what we want to do and the direction we want to go in. And we feel like, because we’re being given these awards, they’re making us more … what’s the word, like when [what] we’re saying has actual weight to it now?
Quaresma: Credibility.
Douglas: Yeah, exactly!
How has the legacy of British girl groups impacted you three as the U.K.’s newest edition, and what does it mean for you three to be carrying the torch?
Downer: It means a lot to be carrying the torch, because girl groups are so powerful — and to have the people that we grew up watching recognize us and be like, ”You guys have got this. You can go where we’ve gone and further,” is the biggest accomplishment ever. It’s just so deep to us.
Stormzy tapped you for one of the “Hide & Seek” remixes from his latest album, This Is What I Mean. What did recording with a U.K. superstar like him mean for you three?
Downer: He just asked us if we wanted to do it. And we were like, “Yeah, let’s do it.” But we didn’t get in the studio with him. It was a bit different, because we’ve never been featured on somebody else’s track — so we really had to get into a different vibe and think how we can add to that song. It was a nice vibe to experiment with.
Describe the process of prepping for your first North American tour, which starts this April. How did you know was the right time for you to embark on your first tour in the States?
Quaresma: Well, we got told this is what we’re doing. [Laughs.]
Douglas: Most of all, it made sense, because most of our fans are in America. And obviously, R&B is just so much more appreciated in America as well. So it’s like: Go where you’re wanted, don’t try and force it. Obviously, there’s still a love for R&B here, but it’s just something completely different in America. Majority of our fans on Twitter, they’re American. We would have been abused if we didn’t go. They would’ve cussed us out!
Speaking of tour, there have been some reports going around that you could be opening for Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour. Can you confirm or deny at this time?
Quaresma: Honestly, I wish we knew.
Douglas: I think it might be Doechii.
Downer: Oh! Imagine if it’s Doechii! That would be amazing.
Douglas: [Beyoncé] knows who we are. But that was just a rumor.
What can you tell me your upcoming debut album, and when can fans expect it to come out?
Downer: I don’t think we can say yet…
Douglas: …because we don’t have the answer.
Downer: We’re still figuring it out.
Quaresma: Just more elevated, different. We’re just growing up, basically, so our music’s just growing with us.
Bronx-made rapper Ice Spice makes music for bad bitches.
“Anybody can be a bad bitch, it’s more like a mentality,” she explains. “Somebody who’s very confident with themselves and knows what they want.”
The soft-spoken artist learned her bad bitch-isms by way of her Dominican mother, who turned heads from the time Ice Spice was a child. “My mom’s a bad bitch and she raised me to be just like her,” she explains. “You already know Latina girls have that sass. I remember she would always have her nails done so that trickled down to me. She was just always looking so good. I was that kid in the class who had the good-looking mom.”
While we have yet to receive a mom reveal, Mama Spice’s confident air is evident in her daughter’s cool rhymes, with Ice Spice declaring matter-of-factly on her breakout hit “Munch (Feelin’ U),” “He want my body, he telling me “please”/ I’m walking past him, he sniffin’ my breeze.”
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And her confidence is proving to be with reason. In just two months, the rising rapper, born Isis Gaston, catapulted into mainstream fame thanks to her viral drill anthem, and she has no plans of leaving the spotlight. “I realized virality is really based on the person,” she says. “When you’re a viral type of person, you’re gonna always go viral.”
From TikTok videos of girls screaming the lyrics in the car transforming into viral sounds of their own, to cultural adaptations of Ice Spice’s already iconic, “You thought I was feeling you?” line, the song quickly became inescapable on social media, amassing 2.4 billion views and over 500,000 creations. Although she believed in the song from the time of its genesis, Ice Spice says the success of “Munch” exceeded all expectations. “I figured it was gonna be a pretty big song, but I didn’t realize how big it was gonna be,” she says. “It’s funny — because people I showed the song to wasn’t too excited about it. But I’m confident in it. So I was just like, ‘My fans gon’ f–k with it, I don’t care.’”
To no surprise, the TikTok success translated to streams and to the charts, with “Munch” accumulating 34 million global streams, and landing spots on the Billboard Rhythmic Airplay, Bubbling Under Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
The burgeoning rapper is wasting no time, already teasing her next single, “Bikini Bottom,” which she recorded a week before her Billboard interview. “It kind of gives a SpongeBob vibe, I was having fun with that one,” she says. “I was addressing a couple of things that’s been going on, you’ll hear it more in the second verse.”
Fans and critics have had their fair share of jokes about Ice Spice, from her “Annie” curls to lyrics that can only come straight from the Bronx. But she’s laughing along with them, because whether or not she “raps in ‘duh,’” as a popular TikToker joked, fans are eating up everything Ice Spice is dishing out.
Billboard spoke with October’s R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month Ice Spice about performing for the first time, her Dominican roots, meeting Cardi B, the artists who inspire her and more.
Did you anticipate “Munch” becoming this huge breakout hit?
Honestly I didn’t know that it was going to be such a big hit, but I’m so grateful. I made the song in January. When I put out the Triller tease back in June, it started picking up momentum. I figured it was gonna be a pretty big song, but I didn’t realize how big it was gonna be.
Upon making “Munch,” were you super eager to put it out?
I wasn’t eager at all. Sometimes you get over a song, and that’s what happened with “Munch.” When I first made it, I loved it. But then months went by and I kind of just forgot about it. It was something I was gonna keep in the tuck for a little while. I knew I wanted to put it out, but it felt more like a summertime vibe.
Is “Munch” like a thing people say?
I thought I came up with it, but I recently found out through an older lady “carpet muncher” used to be a popular [derogatory] saying. She told me and I was like, “Wow, I didn’t even know that.”
What was the vibe like during the making of the song?
I was in my room with my producer, I wasn’t with a bunch of people. I like to record alone. A lot of people like to have parties in their studio sessions, but I like to focus in to get the song done. It was just us two and we was trying to challenge ourselves to see how quickly we could get the song done. So I wasn’t thinking too much. That’s one thing about “Munch.” I was getting line by line out and just having fun.
How long did it take to finish it?
Probably two hours.
A lot of female rappers have put their own spin on “Munch” and uploaded videos to social media. How does it feel knowing so many artists are feeling the song?
Everybody’s been putting out their remixes and I’m just like, “Wow.” Kali [Uchis] put out her remix, basically every [female] artist in New York put out a remix to it. Then when [Cardi B] put hers out, I feel like that was the cherry on top.
Have you talked to Cardi since?
I haven’t had a one-on-one long sit down conversation where she gives me advice, but I have really briefly said “hey.” Today’s her birthday, I’m probably going to see her at her party later. I’d love to work with her. That’s my big Bronx sis.
Are there any NY artists you go to for advice?
I go to [Lil] Tjay for like, not advice, but just to relate with certain things. We like to chat a lot. [He] actually goes through similar situations. It helps a lot to be able to talk to somebody and just vent and for them to be like, “This is what I did when that happened to me.” And learning from their mistakes, too.
What was your path to music like?
What’s funny is my mom sent me a video the other day – and I don’t even remember this of course, because I was like four. But I’m singing in the video. And I’ve never seen this video my whole life, I was shocked by that. So I was singing since [age] four, but I didn’t actually take music seriously until I was older. I was writing poems and little freestyle raps in my notes throughout all of elementary and high school. Once I got to college, I went viral on Twitter for the “Buss It” challenge. So then I was like, “Nah, I gotta take it seriously,” and I started putting out music.
Did you always go by Ice Spice?
Yeah, my name is Isis, so my nickname always been Ice my whole life. And the spice came from Instagram, I was just trying to come up with a username when I was like, 14.
You recently did two festivals, what was that like for you?
It was very fun. [Rolling Loud NY] was a little messier, but it still worked out. They showed mad love. I can’t wait for the next Rolling Loud. I never had a soundcheck for none of my performances, they just throw you out there. Everybody thinks that like you go in all prepared and s–t with your own mic, but you don’t get that until you’re like G.O.A.T. level.
My first performance ever was back in May at a college in New Jersey. That was lit, the crowd was actually pretty big. It’s hard to perform. Practice makes perfect for real. I’m sure in a year from now, my performance is going to look drastically different. I can’t wait to pop out and prove everybody wrong that’s been talking a lot of s–t.
You’ve been teasing a new song “Bikini Bottom” on socials. Tell us about that.
It’s called “Bikini Bottom” because it kind of gives a SpongeBob vibe. I was just having fun with that one. I was addressing a couple of things that’s been going on, you’ll hear it more in the second verse. But I feel like it’s a good follow up after “Munch.” I made it last week.
Why do you think there aren’t more women getting mainstream looks in the drill space?
I don’t know, honestly. I feel like there are a lot of girls coming up in the drill space and rap in general. Right now feels like the time for the ladies. Drill is such a new sub-genre that I feel like it just needs time for more girls to enter.
Are there any women artists whose careers you look up to?
I’m inspired by Nicki, Lil Kim, Cardi B. All of the greats. I’m definitely inspired by Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. But I definitely want to like have my own lane. Where like, it’s just it’s mine. And not like really copying somebody. With Nicki, Cardi and Kim, it’s them being from New York of course. That New York swag and aggression and bad bitchness. [Laughs.] When it comes to Lauryn and Erykah, they give a graceful angelic vibe of timeless beauty. All of them are icons.
You mentioned you’re half Dominican. Are we getting that dembow collaboration anytime soon?
Oh my gosh. Yes. You know what? I’ve actually been talking to a lot of Latin artists and I’m figuring it out. And I got this Spanish type of beat that I’ve been plotting on. I’m probably gonna lay that down soon.
What piece of advice would you give aspiring artists?
I feel like being independent is super lit, especially when you get the hit independently, like I did with “Munch.” I wrote that by myself, just me and my producer. That would be like my advice to any up-and-coming artists, definitely stay independent as long as you can.
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