music blog
Rap Song of the Week: Sampa the Great Strikes Out for Herself on “Let Me Be Great”
Rap Song of the Week runs down all the hip-hop tracks you need to hear every Friday. Check out the full playlist here. This week, Sampa the Great shines on “Let Me Be Great,” a standout track from her sophomore album, AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. Like many people, Zambian-born poet and rapper Sampa the Great sought refuge at home during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Returning to her place of birth unexpectedly helped free Sampa of some of the heavy expectations she was carrying after the success of her debut album, The Return. “A beautiful thing happened where I got to relocate back home,” she told GRAMMY.com. “As uncertain and scary as it was, I got to work with artists I saw growing up. Then, I got to journey back to the young Sampa, who dreamed of being an artist, and revert to the re...
Nicki Minaj Delivers “Super Freaky Girl (Queen Mix)” With JT, BIA and More
After tapping her alter-ego Roman for a remix of the popular cut last month, Nicki Minaj‘s “Super Freaky Girl” has received an all-new “Queen Mix” with an empowered female entourage: JT, BIA, Katie Got Bandz, Akbar V and Maliibu Miitch. After the refreshed track officially arrived on Minaj’s Queen Radio, the aforementioned artists imminently took to social media to express their excitement about the massive collaboration. “Haven’t felt like this since ‘in my feelings’ in 2018 before prison, I got out & never got my WOW moment, it became depressing,” JT tweeted. “I thought I would never feel excited & motivated again! This feels so good I’m so happy & I Deserve this.” “Somebody pull up that tweet when I said I wanted to work with @NICKIMINAJ and they laughed at me,” Akbar V...
Nicki Minaj Delivers “Super Freaky Girl (Queen Mix)” With JT, BIA and More
After tapping her alter-ego Roman for a remix of the popular cut last month, Nicki Minaj‘s “Super Freaky Girl” has received an all-new “Queen Mix” with an empowered female entourage: JT, BIA, Katie Got Bandz, Akbar V and Maliibu Miitch. After the refreshed track officially arrived on Minaj’s Queen Radio, the aforementioned artists imminently took to social media to express their excitement about the massive collaboration. “Haven’t felt like this since ‘in my feelings’ in 2018 before prison, I got out & never got my WOW moment, it became depressing,” JT tweeted. “I thought I would never feel excited & motivated again! This feels so good I’m so happy & I Deserve this.” “Somebody pull up that tweet when I said I wanted to work with @NICKIMINAJ and they laughed at me,” Akbar V...
Tyler Childers and the Food Stamps Announce New Triple Album, Share New Song “Angel Band”: Listen
Tyler Childers and the Food Stamps have announced a new triple album. Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? is out September 30 via Hickman Holler Records and RCA. The self-produced project features eight new and traditional songs performed in three different ways—the Hallelujah version was recorded live; the Jubilee builds on those recordings with additional instruments; and Joyful Noise version will be revealed on release day. The Hallelujah and Jubilee versions of “Angel Band” are out now—Watch a video for “Angel Band (Jubilee Version),” directed by Bryan Schlam, below. The Food Stamps are James Barker, Craig Burletic, Rodney Elkins, Chase Lewis, CJ Cain, and Jesse Wells. Childers’ last album, 2020’s Long Violent History, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album. His previous records in...
Alex G Shares New Song “Miracles”: Listen
Alex G has shared a new song off his upcoming album God Save the Animals. “Miracles” follows the previously released tracks “Runner,” “Blessing,” and “Cross the Sea.” God Save the Animals is out September 23 via Domino. Listen to “Miracles,” which features Molly Germer on strings, below. God Save the Animals was co-produced and mixed by Jacob Portrait. His most recent LP, House of Sugar, arrived in 2019. Earlier this year, Alex G released his score for Jane Schoenbrun’s coming-of-age horror film We’re All Going to the World’s Fair. In October, Alex G is heading out on a North American tour. Those dates begin in Saxapahaw, North Carolina and wrap up in November at Philadelphia’s Union Transfer. Content This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Sex Pistols’ John Lydon Makes Statement on the Death of Queen Elizabeth II
Yesterday (September 8) Queen Elizabeth II died at her Scotland estate Balmoral Castle at the age of 96. After the news broke, countless musicians and artists paid their respects on social media, including Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne, and others. Now, Sex Pistols’ John Lydon has made a statement on the late monarch. “Rest in Peace Queen Elizabeth II,” he wrote in a statement on his website. “Send her victorious.” See Lydon’s message below. In 2017, Lydon spoke about Queen Elizabeth II and the plans for her eventual passing in an interview with the Quietus. Lydon was asked if he felt dread about how the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen” would be used, to which he replied that he hopes the song isn’t misused. “That’s about a political situatio...
PJ Harvey Announces B-Sides, Demos, and Rarities Box Set
PJ Harvey has announced a new box set collecting music from her back catalog. B-Sides, Demos, and Rarities is due out November 4 via Island Records/Universal Music Group. The release will be available in 6xLP, 3xCD, and digital formats, and includes 59 songs spanning Harvey’s three-decade career. The box set features previously-unreleased songs, alternate versions of preexisting songs, and other material that has been previously unavailable in physical formats or on streaming services. Ahead of the release, PJ Harvey has shared demos of three songs from the box set. “Dry” and “Missed” both first appeared on Harvey’s 1993 album Rid of Me, while “Somebody’s Down, Somebody’s Name” was originally included on the limited edition version of Harvey’s 1995 album To Bring You My Love as a B-s...
Lil’ Kim Denies 50 Cent’s Claim She Slammed Nicki Minaj’s Son on ‘Plan B’ Remix: ‘Kids Are Off Limits!!!’
The Queen Bee is clapping back. On Thursday (Sept. 8), Lil’ Kim addressed allegations started by 50 Cent that she had taken aim at Nicki Minaj‘s young son on her new “Plan B” remix with Megan Thee Stallion. “I never said a word about anyone’s child…” the rapper wrote on her Instagram Stories. “Please feel free to listen to the song where we were clearly talking about an EX. To try and twist my words to have an excuse to take digs at my child is disgusting. I’m one of the most disrespected legends in the game but what you will not do is come for MY CHILD.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news A couple slides later, Lil’ Kim went on the offensive against the Super Bowl LVI halftime show performer, whom she blamed for fueling the gossip to begin with. ...
YDE Shares the Inspiration Behind ‘People Can Change,’ ‘Send Help’ EP & More
YDE‘s debut EP, Send Help, finally arrived on Friday (Sept. 9), three years after it was written. Ahead of its release, the former Nickelodeon star spoke Billboard News‘ Tetris Kelly about the EP’s touching single “People Can Change,” how the collection came to be, and working with pop powerhouse Justin Tranter. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “This one was really meaningful for me because when I wrote it, it was the moment where I realized that I’m human ad you’re human, and we’re all human and that is the thing that’s going to bring us to light,” the 19-year-old said of “People Can Change,” noting that it was inspired by 2019 Amazon rainforest fires. “I remember coming into the studio and there was this feeling of hopelessness, but at...
Fairchild Photo Exhibit Features Vintage Shots of Musical Luminaries, From Grace Jones to Debbie Harry
On Friday (Sept. 9), the morning of the first official day of New York Fashion Week, which runs through Sept. 14, the Fairchild Fashion Museum launched its first New York City exhibition, curated by Women’s Wear Daily, Footwear News and Beauty Inc. (Billboard shares a parent company, Penske Media Corporation, with those brands.) Entitled “A Matter of Style,” the exhibition is a two-day pop-up event taking place Sept. 9-10 at AG Studios on 52 Walker Street. Among the dozens of photographs from the Fairchild archives on display are pictures spotlighting several musical luminaries who helped shape and define New York fashion over the decades. There’s a fantastic candid shot of Liza Minnelli speaking with Bianca Jagger during an event at the legendary Studio 54 hosted by fashion trend-setter H...
First Out: New Music From Saucy Santana, Cavetown, Fletcher & More
In need of some new tunes from your favorite queer artists? Look no further — Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of First Out, our weekly roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists. From Saucy Santana’s banging new single to Cavetown’s reflective new track, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below: Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Saucy Santana, “I’m Too Much” [embedded content] He may be declaring that he’s “too much” on his new single, but don’t get it twisted — Saucy Santana is everything. The bouncing new track from the rising hip-hop phenom is the exact kind of swagger-filled anthem we need for the end of the week. Complete with a jazzy breakdown, a killer b...
The xx’s Oliver Sim Leads With Vulnerability on Subversive Solo Endeavor ‘Hideous Bastard’
Oliver Sim, one-third of the English indie rock group The xx, spent two years writing and recording his debut solo album. Today, Sim has released the long-awaited LP, entitled Hideous Bastard, a raw exploration of shame, trauma, fear, masculinity and sexuality. On the record’s lead single “Hideous,” Sim considers his HIV-positive status and how it’s shaped his perception of himself. “Radical honesty might set me free, if it makes me hideous,” he croons. “Been living with HIV since seventeen / Am I hideous?” The track features the album’s sole guest artist, Scottish pop singer and gay rights activist Jimmy Sommerville. In an open letter on Instagram, Sim cited that he was inspired by Sommerville to make the song, referring to him as “such a powerful voice in HIV and AIDS for decades.” Sim a...
