Music

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

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

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

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

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

Kendrick Lamar has officially entered the race for the 2026 Grammy Awards, staking his claim as hip-hop’s leading creative force with his latest album, GNX. This album is a collection of collaborations that have reignited his dominance. As the discourse around Lamar’s evolution deepens, this moment feels like a defining close to a remarkable chapter. This chapter is shaped by his influence in the post-Drake landscape. GNX, along with collaborations featuring SZA, Playboi Carti, and Clipse, anc

Taylor Swift on Friday dropped her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” a collection of bouncy pop songs about love, marriage, success — and score-settling. For the hotly anticipated album, the 35-year-old artiste reunited with Swedish hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback, and their influence is clear in the driving beats and catchy hooks. “Tonight all these lives converge here, the mosaics of laughter and cocktails of tears… I can’t tell you how proud I am to share this with you, an alb

Doja Cat released her latest album, Vie, last week. Now the pop star and rapper has announced a massive tour in support of the new LP.  The Tour Ma Vie World Tour begins this fall and winter in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia, with further stretches to come in Latin America, Europe, and North America throughout 2026. Check out Doja Cat’s full roster of dates below, including a festival stint at Primavera Sound Barcelona and further stops in major cities such as London, Buenos Aires, Chicago,

Global pop icon Mariah Carey has staged a major comeback with the release of her highly anticipated studio album, ‘Here For It All,’ marking her first full-length project in seven years. The 11-track record, released through gamma., sees the five-time Grammy winner blend pop, R&B, gospel and hip-hop while working with a fresh generation of collaborators. Featured artistes include Anderson .Paak, Shenseea, Kehlani, and gospel veterans The Clark Sisters, with production credits from The Stereotyp

Doja Cat is back to being a pop star on her new album Vie. The 15-track project dropped on Friday (Sept. 26) and includes one feature from Doja’s “Kiss Me More“ sister, SZA. The album also includes the lead single “Jealous Type,” which Doja performed at the 2025 VMAs alongside celebrated saxophonist Kenny G. Doja previously said this album would be more pop-lenient compared to her 2023 rap album Scarlet, and will focus on love, romance, and sex. She made good on that promise, as Vie‘s sound nev

NBA Youngboy just hit another milestone, but this time it has nothing to do with music charts. The Baton Rouge rapper now has an official day in Kansas City honoring his influence both inside and outside of hip-hop. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Raphouse T V (@raphousetv) On September 21, city leaders recognized the 25-year-old artist, born Kentrell Gaulden, with a proclamation naming the date “NBA YoungBoy Day.” Along with the announcement, he received a ceremonial key to

During a livestream known as Mafiathon 3, Mariah Carey startled fans with an unexpected shout-out to SZA while speaking with Kai Cenat. Her praise for the younger singer immediately set off speculation about whether the two might be preparing to work together—a prospect that, if realized, would rank among the most compelling collaborations in modern R&B. That speculation deepened when Carey posted a photograph of pale pink roses on her Instagram Story, a bouquet reportedly sent by SZA as a tha

US rapper Cardi B has returned with her first album in seven years, a blistering collection of songs that reference her recent divorce and ongoing beef with another female rapper. Am I The Drama? - a title inspired by a RuPaul's Drag Race meme - was released on Friday, and is her first full-length album since her 2018 debut Invasion of Privacy. Rolling Stone described the rapper's sophomore record as a "fittingly grand return for a queen who never left the throne". Fans welcomed the return of