Music


Drake Shatters RIAA Milestone on 39th Birthday

Drake Shatters RIAA Milestone on 39th Birthday

As Drake approaches his 39th birthday, the Canadian rapper continues to dominate the music industry with a string of record-breaking achievements. His upcoming album, ICEMAN, slated for release before 2025, adds to a discography that has consistently set benchmarks for both sales and cultural influence. On October 24, coinciding with his birthday, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced that Drake now holds the record for the most diamond-certified songs by any artist. T


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Alicia Keys to Headline ‘8Wonder Winter 2025: Symphony of Stars’ in Hanoi

Alicia Keys to Headline ‘8Wonder Winter 2025: Symphony of Stars’ in Hanoi

Global music artist Alicia Keys, 17-time Grammy winner, has been confirmed as the headline act for “8Wonder Winter 2025: Symphony of Stars,” scheduled for 6 December at the Vietnam Exposition Center in Đông Anh, Hanoi. The announcement was made by organisers of the annual 8Wonder festival, which has in recent years hosted prominent international acts across Vietnam. Alicia Keys, known for her work as a singer, songwriter, producer, author, and activist, will perform alongside Vietnamese artist


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French Montana Beats Multi-Year Sampling Lawsuit on Technical Grounds

French Montana Beats Multi-Year Sampling Lawsuit on Technical Grounds

French Montana has secured a decisive win in a protracted copyright lawsuit concerning his 2013 track, Ain’t Worried About Nothin’. The case was brought by producer Eddie Lee Richardson, known professionally as Hotwire The Producer. Richardson alleged that Montana had illicitly sampled Richardson’s instrumental, Hood Pushin’ Weight. The dispute had drawn attention for its broader implications on music ownership and the boundaries of artistic influence. On October 17, 2023, the U.S. Court of A


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Stormzy Awarded Honorary Fellowship by Jesus College, Cambridge

Stormzy Awarded Honorary Fellowship by Jesus College, Cambridge

Stormzy has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship for his enormous cultural impact and philanthropic work. The rapper and singer-songwriter, 32, was awarded the honour by Jesus College at the University of Cambridge.  Stormzy, whose real name is Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Junior, was elected in recognition of his cultural influence, commitment to social change and work championing educational access and equity. It is a symbolic title awarded to someone who has made a significant contrib


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Rihanna Surpasses 100 Million Monthly Spotify Listeners for the First Time

Rihanna Surpasses 100 Million Monthly Spotify Listeners for the First Time

Rihanna has officially joined Spotify’s most elite club — surpassing 100 million monthly listeners for the first time ever. Rihanna is now the 11th artist in Spotify history to pass 100 million monthly listeners, joining a lineup of legends like Bruno Mars, The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Ed Sheeran. It’s been nearly a decade since her last studio album ANTI dropped in 2016, yet her presence on the charts hasn’t faded one bit. What’s wild is that Rihanna has only released four fea


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Nicki Minaj Says She’s Quitting Music After Jay-Z and Roc Nation Rant

Nicki Minaj Says She’s Quitting Music After Jay-Z and Roc Nation Rant

Nicki Minaj has shocked fans by announcing she’s walking away from music altogether. The rapper took to X on Wednesday to reveal she’s canceling her next album after calling out Jay-Z and Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez in a fiery online outburst. They came BEGGING the QUEEN for a tour & album & I said NOPE!!!!! LMFAO. Wanted to patch it up. They needed help from the QUEEN & the BARBZ. I called the Barbz on the secret BARB phone & it was a resounding NOOOOOOOO. just like the casinooooooooooooooooo


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A$AP Rocky Won’t Reveal Any More Release Dates for ‘Don’t Be Dumb’

A$AP Rocky Won’t Reveal Any More Release Dates for ‘Don’t Be Dumb’

A$AP Rocky is preparing for a highly anticipated comeback with his forthcoming album, Don’t Be Dumb—his first full-length project since Testing in 2018. In a recent conversation with Numéro Magazine, published Monday, the Harlem rapper opened up about his decision to take a more deliberate approach to releasing new music. For Rocky, the focus now is less about timing and more about quality. “Honestly, I’m done discussing release schedules,” Rocky said. “I believe in letting the work speak for i


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Killer Mike and JID to Induct Outkast Into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Killer Mike and JID to Induct Outkast Into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

On November 8, Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater will host one of the year’s most anticipated music events. Sleepy Brown, Killer Mike, and JID are set to perform a tribute to Outkast as the Atlanta duo is officially inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Fans and artists have long called the honor overdue, recognizing Outkast’s groundbreaking influence on Southern hip-hop. Their enduring mark on global music culture makes this tribute significant. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame confirmed the lin


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Soul Legend D'Angelo dead at the age of 51

Soul Legend D'Angelo dead at the age of 51

Remembering D’Angelo: The Neo-Soul Luminary Has Left Us Way Too Soon In a heartbreaking development that’s rocked the music world, acclaimed singer, songwriter, and producer D’Angelo (born Michael Eugene Archer) has reportedly passed away at the age of 51. According to sources, he lost a private, years-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Word of his death began circulating on October 14, 2025. The news has sent shockwaves through the music community, sparking heartbreak, tributes, and retrospe


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Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl Shatters Multiple U.K. Chart Records — Biggest Opening Since 2017

Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl Shatters Multiple U.K. Chart Records — Biggest Opening Since 2017

Taylor Swift’s record-breaking week continues as she bags No. 1 spots on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart and Official Singles Chart following a gargantuan debut for The Life of a Showgirl (Oct. 10). Her 12th studio album nets Swift her 14th No. 1 in the U.K. overall, while lead single “The Fate of Ophelia” earns the superstar her fifth U.K. No. 1 single. The Life of a Showgirl gives Swift her biggest opening week ever in the U.K. with 423,00 units across physicals, streaming and downloads, su


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YoungBoy Never Broke Again Explodes at Fan for Throwing Objects During South Carolina Show

YoungBoy Never Broke Again Explodes at Fan for Throwing Objects During South Carolina Show

YoungBoy Never Broke Again threatened to beat a fan after he kept getting pelted with objects during a tour stop in Columbus, South Carolina. During YoungBoy’s latest performance on Thursday, the rapper paused his rowdy setlist to address a rambunctious fan in the crowd who kept throwing items onstage. “I had to calm myself down,” YoungBoy said in part. “Throw one more thing up here, I’mma whoop your a–, boy. Throw one more.” He went on to reiterate he would beat him down if he threw one more


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Drake’s Defamation Lawsuit Against UMG Dismissed by Federal Judge

Drake’s Defamation Lawsuit Against UMG Dismissed by Federal Judge

A federal judge has reportedly dismissed Drake’s defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), bringing an end to the rapper’s legal fight over Kendrick Lamar’s hit diss track, “Not Like Us.” According to reports, Judge Jeannette A. Vargas issued the ruling on October 9, 2025, concluding that the controversial lyrics at the center of the dispute—where Lamar accused Drake of being a “certified pedophile” and implied misconduct—were protected speech under the First Amendment. The Case:


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Warner Music & Netflix in Talks for Artist-Focused Films and Documentaries

Warner Music & Netflix in Talks for Artist-Focused Films and Documentaries

Warner Music Group is nearing a major content deal with Netflix to produce films and documentaries inspired by its legendary artists and songs, according to a new Bloomberg report. The discussions signal a renewed focus for the record label, which aims to turn its vast catalog into cinematic stories that resonate across generations. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Billboard On the Record (@billboardontherecord) The potential partnership would represent a strategic evolution


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‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ ‘Wicked,’ ‘A Complete Unknown’ & MORE Lead 2026 Grammys Contenders for Best Compilation Soundtrack

‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ ‘Wicked,’ ‘A Complete Unknown’ & MORE Lead 2026 Grammys Contenders for Best Compilation Soundtrack

KPop Demon Hunters, which has topped the Billboard 200 for two nonconsecutive weeks, and Wicked, which debuted and peaked at No. 2 on that chart last December, are among the 48 soundtracks vying for Grammy nominations for best compilation soundtrack for visual media. Wicked received 10 Oscar nominations earlier this year, including nods for both of its main stars, Cynthia Erivoand Ariana Grande. Soundtracks from two other films that were major players at the Oscars on March 2 are also vying fo


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T-Pain’s Viral Track “Club Husband” Set to Drop October 17

T-Pain’s Viral Track “Club Husband” Set to Drop October 17

T-Pain’s unreleased track, “Club Husband,” has gained a life of its own on social media, with fans clamoring for an official release. On October 7, the award-winning recording artist took to Instagram to announce that the song behind the viral trend will be released on October 17. “Clearly you need a Club Husband [ring emoji] 10/17,” T-Pain captioned the post.  T-Pain would share a self-made Nappy Boy News newspaper to promote the upcoming song on social media. Promoting the presave option, th


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Central Cee Earns His First No. 1 on Rap & Rhythmic Airplay Charts With “Which One” — As Drake Extends His All-Time Record

Central Cee Earns His First No. 1 on Rap & Rhythmic Airplay Charts With “Which One” — As Drake Extends His All-Time Record

Drake strings together his fourth No. 1 in a row on Rhythmic Airplay, all coming in 2025. Drake’s 43rd No. 1 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart is courtesy of his Central Cee collaboration “Which One,” which lifts 2-1 on the tally dated Oct. 11. With “Which One,” Drake strings together his fourth No. 1 in a row on the list — all coming in 2025. “Nokia” reigned for two weeks in May, followed by the PARTYNEXTDOOR and Cash Cobain collaboration “Somebody Loves Me” in July for a week and the thr


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