Short‑form video has quietly become the most powerful gatekeeper in music, turning background sounds into career‑making singles. TikTok, Reels, and Shorts are now where many listeners first “discover” songs, often before they ever see a playlist or hear radio spins. Over the past year, TikTok‑driven moments have taken bedroom producers, deep‑cut catalog songs, and experimental mashups from niche corners of the app to global streaming charts. A track that works in a 10‑second loop—whether for a

A$AP Rocky, teaming with Bilt, is leveraging his celebrity and personal history to address housing costs in Harlem, the neighborhood where he was raised.  The rapper has partnered with Bilt to pay the January 2026 rent for tenants living in his childhood apartment building. According to details shared as part of a new promotional campaign tied to his upcoming album, Don’t Be Dumb. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BILT (@bilt)  The initiative places Harlem at the center of th

50 Cent is letting the numbers talk again, as it was revealed that the mogul crowned the most-streamed New York City (NYC) rapper of 2025 for the third straight year. The distinction came via music stats account Diverse Mentality, which dropped the news on December 30 after reviewing YouTube’s global streaming charts. Rather than popping champagne, 50 brushed it off like routine work. “I thought we got over this guys, it is the way it is. LOL @bransoncognac,” he wrote on Instagram.  The capti

Cardi B continues to promote her latest album and potentially the latest single, “Check Please,” as 2025 comes to a close with a trending new clip that features a rare Hermès handbag.  Late Friday (Dec. 26), the Bronx rapper shared a glamorous clip that quickly dominated social feeds. The video shows Cardi lip-syncing “Check Please” while posing beside a sharply dressed man. Her platinum blonde hair framed the moment with cinematic polish. pic.twitter.com/W6nOjTbAdS — Cardi B (@iamcardib) Dec

As is the case every year, just before Christmas, the Hot 100 is inundated by holiday songs. Americans love the sounds of the season, and they show that devotion as they buy and stream their favorite yuletide cuts, and many radio stations throughout the United States switch to an all-holiday format at the same time. The combination of a huge increase in consumption of Christmas tunes, paired with massive improvements in airplay, helps some of the most famous tracks attached to the jolliest day