R&B/Hip-Hop
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Beyoncé‘s mom, Tina Knowles, has had a busy week flying her matriarch flag. First, on Friday, she took to social media to defend Bey’s eye-popping Christmas Day NFL halftime show during the game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans. When some commenters took issue with the 12-minute set highlighting songs from Bey’s hit Cowboy Carter country-influenced album, Knowles wrote, “It is mind-boggling to me that you would take your precious Christmas day and watch a performance of someone you hate and you don’t think has talent so that you can talk ish about it later.”
Then, on the Run-Through With Vogue podcast Knowles, 70, talked about a recent social media hiccup in which it appeared she liked a post about allegations that her son-in-law Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs sexually assaulted an unnamed 13-year-old girl in 2000; Jay-Z has denied the allegations.
“I’m a protector of my kids and I just feel like that’s my job,” Knowles said on the New Year’s Eve episode of the pod (social media talk begins around 21:30 mark). “And, you know, my kids are always like, ‘Mama, just ignore that.’ But it gets to the point where I’m just like, ‘I’m sorry. This is enough. It’s enough.’ You know? Because imagine being a mother and somebody’s lying on your kid. It’s hard to watch.”
That said, Knowles explained that just because she appeared to like a negative post about Jay doesn’t mean she did it on purpose. “It’s so funny because you know how many times I’ve liked something that was negative about my own children?” Knowles said. “Because if I’m busy and I’m going through the thing, I’m like, ‘Oh, there’s Beyoncé with so and so.’ I like that. And then the fans come back and say, ‘Miss Tina, please erase that because you’re liking some negative post.’ I mean, that’s what happens to 70-year-olds on social media. It’s true.”
Earlier this month, many fans were surprised when it seemed as if Knowles liked a post about the rape allegations against Jay-Z (born Shawn Carter) that are part of a civil suit against the two rappers; Combs is currently in jail awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering and is the subject in more than 10 civil suits related to allegations of sexual assault, rape, sexual harassment and other charges. Combs has also vehemently denied the allegations and Jay-Z has called the suit a “blackmail attempt.”
After Knowles initially liked the post, just days later, the like was gone and she informed followers that she had been “hacked,” adding, “As you all know I do not play about my family. So if you see something uncharacteristic of me. Just know that it is not me !”
Knowles did not take on the allegations against Jay, but she did share some sage advice the rapper has given her about social media etiquette. “I know that it doesn’t understand what I’m saying, and it’s got crazy stuff,” she said of her Insta comments, many of which feature captions that are created using voice-to-text and some of which are misinterpreted due to her Southern accent. “And my son-in-law, Jay will say, ‘Listen, if you’re gonna read somebody, at least spell your words right. Don’t misspell your words, Ma. You can’t do that. Take your time and go over and spellcheck your stuff!’”
While she appreciates the tip, Knowles admitted, “I don’t have time for that.”
The chat also found Knowles talking about fashion and shopping, describing how as a Texas native she’s always appreciated cowboy fashion. “I’ve always worn boots and cowboy hats,” she said, noting that some people used to make comments in not “such a great way” when she showed up in L.A. in her Cowboy Carter finest. She also reminded any lingering haters that costumes she designed for Destiny’s Child back in the day hinted at the family’s Texas roots, with “a lot of fringe and cowboy hats and cowboy boots.”
Twelve tracks from the deluxe edition of SZA’s SOS album explode onto Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart, led by a No. 1 entrance for “30 for 30,” a collaboration with Kendrick Lamar. The influx, on the chart dated Jan. 4, 2025, comes after the long-awaited release of the SOS deluxe (dubbed SOS Deluxe: Lana on digital and streaming platforms) on Dec. 20.
For its coronation, “30 for 30” registered 17.5 million official U.S. streams, airplay audience of 385,000 and 2,000 digital song downloads in the tracking week of Dec. 20-26, according to Luminate.
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With “30 for 30,” SZA adds her seventh No. 1 on the Hot R&B Songs chart and breaks a tie with Rihanna for the most leaders by a woman on the chart since it launched in October 2012.
Here’s a review of SZA’s chart-topping collection:
Song Title, Artist (if other than SZA), Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1
“The Weekend,” one, Jan. 3, 2018
“I Hate U,” one, Dec. 18, 2021
“Kill Bill,” 30, Dec. 24, 2022
“Snooze,” 32, July 29, 2023
“Slime You Out,” Drake featuring SZA, two, Sept. 30, 2023
“Saturn,” five, March 9, 2024
“30 for 30,” with Kendrick Lamar, one, Jan. 4, 2025
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The new champ, notably, gives frequent collaborators, future joint-tour headliners and former Top Dawg labelmates SZA and Lamar their first Hot R&B Songs No. 1 together. The pair’s previous best on a shared track was a No. 2 finish for the Black Panther soundtrack single “All the Stars” in 2018.
Lamar, meanwhile, lands his second No. 1 on Hot R&B Songs, following “Die Hard,” with Blxst and Amanda Reifer. The track, from the superstar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers album, ruled for one week in 2022.
Elsewhere, “30 for 30” premieres at No. 4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart – where another SZA/Lamar collaboration, “Luther,” is No. 1 for a third week – and at No. 45 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. The disparity between the positions traces to holiday streaming’s apex triggering an avalanche on the Hot 100, with 35 of the 44 titles above “30 for 30” some type of seasonal fare.
As aforementioned, “30 for 30” leads a parade of a dozen new SZA titles onto Hot R&B Songs, upping the singer-songwriter to 57 career hits on the chart. Here’s the full account of this week’s debuts:
No. 1, “30 for 30,” with Kendrick Lamar
No. 3, “Drive”
No. 4, “Diamond Boy (DTM)”
No. 5, “What Do I Do”
No. 7, “No More Hiding”
No. 8, “Crybaby”
No. 9, “Kitchen”
No. 10, “Another Life”
No. 11, “Love Me 4 Me”
No. 12, “Chill Baby”
No. 13, “My Turn”
No. 15, “Get Behind Me (Interlude)”
Joe Budden has been charged with lewdness in New Jersey, according to the Edgewater Police Department. The EPD released a statement on Monday (Dec. 30) confirming law enforcement was dispatched to an apartment complex in Edgewater on Dec. 4 for a report claiming a man was standing naked outside a residence around 7:21 a.m. ET […]
The end is nigh. At least according to a series of ominous billboards that have popped up across the globe featuring the message “The End Is Near” that fans are speculating are part of the elaborate roll-out of The Weeknd‘s next permutation.
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According to fans sightings, the messages — which are written out in six different fonts representing Abel Tesfaye’s various eras — have gone up in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Paris, London and Melbourne, according to fan snaps.
In two posts on Monday (Dec. 30) teasing the tease, Tesfaye wrote “8 beautiful chapters in this story,” accompanied by a composite image featuring iconic looks from those eras — with the same TheEndIsNear branding — followed by a list of his albums. It begins with 2012’s compilation/major label debut Trilogy (which scooped up his three previous mixtapes: House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence), followed by 2013’s Kiss Land, 2015’s Beauty Behind the Madness, 2016’s Starboy, the 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy, 2020’s smash After Hours, 2022’s Dawn FM and his upcoming sixth studio album.
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In a second post, he shared a 24-second video of “The End Is Near” billboards compiled on a digital display atop a building on a busy street. At press time a spokesperson for the singer had not returned Billboard‘s request for additional information on the billboards.
Tesfaye has been teasing his next LP for months, with Hurry Up Tomorrow slated for release on Jan. 24. The set will be the third and final installment of the latest trilogy in the Weeknd’s career, following on the heels of 2020’s After Hours and 2022’s Dawn FM. To date he has released three singles from the collection, including “Dancing in the Flames,” “Timeless” with Playboi Carti and “São Paulo” featuring Anitta.
He debuted those songs and other tracks from Hurry Up Tomorrow during his one-night-only show at the Estádio MorumBIS in São Paulo, Brazil. Weeknd has planned a one-night-only gig at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles on January 25. Earlier this month he again hinted at the major reboot, posting “New Album, New Tour, New Movie, New Everything.”
In addition to the album, Weeknd is slated to make his feature film debut in the parallel Hurry Up Tomorrow big screen psychological thriller, directed by Trey Edward Shults (It Comes At Night) and co-starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan; the film is due out on May 16.
Back in May 2023, in a W Magazine interview, Tesfaye intimated that his next studio release would be his final one as the Weeknd. “It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter. I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn,” he said at the time. “The album I’m working on now is probably my last hurrah as The Weeknd. This is something that I have to do. As The Weeknd, I’ve said everything I can say.”
Check out Weeknd’s teases below.
Jack Harlow has heard the critics, but he’s not going anywhere. The Louisville rapper capped off his 2024 with a final message to the fans as well as the opposition with the introspective “Tranquility,” which arrived on Sunday (Dec. 29). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Harlow […]
Ten days after the release of SOS Deluxe: Lana, SZA has announced that she’s giving the project another makeover.
Despite the LP being out in the world for over a week — and already topping the Billboard 200 this week — the 35-year-old hitmaker revealed on X Monday morning (Dec. 30) that she’s officially tweaking some of the songs on Lana‘s tracklist in addition to adding new music to the fold. “Just got word all updated Mixes and new songs will be added Jan 6th,” SZA tweeted, noting that her fixes had been delayed until “the label comes back from holiday.”
“Sorry they can’t do it any sooner,” the musician added. “Just wanted to keep y’all in the loop … Thank yall for your patience ”
The announcement comes after SZA finally unleashed the highly anticipated expanded version of her hit 2022 album SOS via RCA Records following a lengthy rollout with several false starts on Dec. 20. On the same day, the Grammy winner shared that she had three more songs that she wanted to retroactively include on the tracklist — “Take You Down,” “PSA” and “Open Arms” — as revealed in a screenshot of a text thread with now-former manager Terrence “Punch” Henderson that she posted on X.
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Around the same time, SZA confirmed that she and the Top Dawg Entertainment president had parted ways, telling fans on Instagram that he had “stepped away abruptly” from their working relationship and that “sometimes ppl grow apart and that’s okay.”
On Dec. 23, SZA gave another update. “After listening w a clear mind I’m Switching some mixes out when I add stuff on Christmas lol,” she tweeted. “This means nothing to you but had to say it for me lol . Who knows u might notice 🤷🏾♀️”
Christmas came and went with no new additions, but fans can now expect the finished Lana to arrive Jan. 6, per SZA’s latest alert.
But while SZA may not yet be happy with Lana as it is now, listeners have certainly embraced the second chapter of her SOS era. Selling 178,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in its first week, Lana propelled the singer-songwriter’s second studio effort back to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 dated Jan. 4 a full 22 months after she first dropped SOS — the longest gap between weeks at No. 1 ever recorded since the chart began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in March 1956.
Prior to Lana, SOS spent nine weeks atop the Billboard 200 in late 2022 and early 2023. It also earned SZA an album-of-the-year nod at the 2024 Grammys — which Taylor Swift ended up winning with Midnights — and took home best progressive R&B album at the same ceremony.
See SZA’s tweet below.
Just got word all updated Mixes and new songs will be added Jan 6th when the label comes back from holiday. Sorry they can’t do it any sooner 🥹. Just wanted to keep yall in the loop ❤️Thank yall for your patience ❤️— SZA (@sza) December 30, 2024
Drake has shared his love for Australia ahead of his long-awaited return to the country for the Anita Max Win Tour, which will mark his first visit Down Under in eight years.
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During a recent Drizzmas Giveaway stream with Kick streamer Adin Ross, the rapper expressed his excitement for the tour while reflecting on his affection for the country. He then surprised fans with extravagant gifts, including two all-expenses-paid trips to see him live Down Under.
“It’s Australia—it’s a beautiful place. I hope everybody gets a chance to see it. It is stunning, the people are incredible. I remember one of my first experiences having a white wine at Bondi Beach, and I was just like, wow. It reminded me how big the world is,” Drake said.
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“Australia is one of the most incredible places on planet Earth. I’m so excited to be forward after eight years. I have a very, very special show for you.”
Later in the stream, the rapper also gave fans a sneak peek of his Australian accent, saying, “I can’t wait to see all my Australias. I’m keen, mate, easy as. I can’t wait to touch down, mate.”
The Anita Max Win Tour begins at Perth’s RAC Arena on Feb. 4, 2025, and runs through major cities including Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane before wrapping up in Auckland on March 1. Originally announced with just seven dates, the tour expanded to 13 shows due to overwhelming demand.
The tour title stems from a viral December 2023 livestream in which Drake debuted the alter ego Anita Max Win, a playful nod to gambling slang. Since his last Australian visit in 2017, Drake has released major projects, including Scorpion (2018), Certified Lover Boy (2021), Her Loss (2022), and For All The Dogs (2023).
During his Drizzmas Giveaway, Drake also surprised fans with gifts ranging from a G Wagon and three family cars to $250,000 for a struggling fan in debt and a year’s rent for two others.
Drake has once again shown his support for Tory Lanez, who remains behind bars. The 6 God called for the Canadian singer’s freedom during Thursday night’s (Dec. 26) Drizzmas Giveaway stream with Adin Ross. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news At one point in the stream, Drake expressed […]
Tyler, the Creator gave fans exactly what they wanted for Christmas: a deeply unserious freestyle over Kendrick Lamar‘s “Hey Now.”
Posted on Christmas Day, a new music video on the “St. Chroma” hitmaker’s YouTube channel finds him spitting new bars over the Compton rapper’s gritty bass-heavy beat — which was produced by Mustard, Sounwave and Jack Antonoff — in various locations across Tyler’s hometown of Hawthorne, Calif.
“Oh my god, I’m really that guy/ Yeah b—h, I’m outside,” he raps in front of a brick wall before switching locales to the hood of a white Ferarri parked in front of the beach. “Laferrari popping on the 405/ 1 ticket 2 ticket 3 ticket 4 million/ Put that lil Maybach truck in the garage/ Lil bunny hop out, you seen me at the pop out/ Pandemonium screaming like they brought Pac out.”
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Tyler also shared the video on X, writing, “merry christmas. had fun with it,” in response to a fan who’d tweeted in November, “I want @tylerthecreator to freestyle on Hey Now so bad.”
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Featuring Dody6, “Hey Now” appears on Lamar’s new album GNX, which he surprise-dropped in November — less than three months before he’s set to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2025. The track opened at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the full set debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
The “See You Again” rapper also dropped a new album this year, with Chromakopia arriving in October and spending three weeks atop the Billboard 200. In his December Billboard cover story, Tyler opened up about the LP being his most personal offering yet, revealing, “putting some of this stuff on wax was a lot for me.”
“I’m a super extrovert, but I’m a very private person with my life,” he said, adding of the album’s gothic cover: “It’s so honest that I think I had to wear a mask on my own face to get that s–t out.”
Watch Tyler, the Creator’s “Hey Now” freestyle above.
Drake hosted his Drizzmas Giveaway alongside Adin Ross to help those in need this holiday season. At one point in the livestream on Thursday (Dec. 26), Drizzy spoke about his relationship with Sexyy Red and shrewdly quoted Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria” lyrics. The 6 God raved about his “Rich Baby Daddy” collaborator. “I really talk to […]