Month: August 2025

Doja Cat last shared an update on her upcoming album Vie in April, sharing a working tracklist on social media. Then, in May, she temporarily shared one of the most sought-after songs, pulling it from streamers after just a day. Doja has always enjoyed trolling her fans, but today, she relented, giving them the most substantive dispatch on the album yet: Its release date.

Vie will be released on September 26th, almost exactly two years after the release of her last album, Scarlet, to the week. While Scarlet juked fans of her pop output with a hard left turn into straight-up rap for much of its play time, Doja has promised that Vie will be more in line with her earlier material. Her recent propensity for dressing up in full glam rock regalia, such as during her set at Outside Lands, might be a hint about the project’s sound, along with her new promotion.

First, there’s the announcement video for the album’s release date, which finds Doja repeating the French phrase “Je sais que tu es ma vie” as she takes photos in front of the Eiffel Tower and bites into a croissant. The backing track is a sample of the theme from the 1980s sci-fi cop drama Knight Rider, which was famously sampled by Busta Rhymes on his 1998 single “Fire It Up.”

Then, there’s the post revealing the release date for the first Vie single, “Jealous Type,” which Doja shared the day before. There’s definitely a strong ’80s theme running through everything here, from the hair to the wardrobe and even font choices. Perhaps her next “pop album” will feature strong new wave vibes? That’s what I’m hoping, at least. We’re long past due for a revival.

Vie is due on 9/26 via RCA Records. You can find more info at DojaCat.com.

Coco Jones has continued the promotion for Why Not More? for months past its release, releasing a deluxe version and sharing behind-the-scenes videos of the creation of some of the album’s fan favorites — including the “Other Side Of Love” remix with Alicia Keys, which Jones dropped today.

The black-and-white video finds the two singers meeting up in the studio and performing their vocals side-by-side and sharing laughs, as Coco breaks down her vision for Alicia. The latter sits at the piano — naturally — as Jones hashes out the harmonies that eventually make the song the gorgeous ballad it turns out to be.

Even the song itself got a red carpet rollout ahead of its release, as Coco posted a performance video of the original version on Instagram, asking fans to tag Keys in the comments. A day later, she shared a screenshot of their DM conversation leading up to the recording session, and then, right before its release, one last clip of the two dancing in the studio. The level of commitment to the bit just emphasizes how willing Jones has been to make every aspect of her post Bel-Air music career a success — and how well it’s working.

You can watch the visualizer for “Other Side Of Love” featuring Alicia Keys above.

Dominic Fike is busy. Aside from his role on Euphoria, he has the whole music thing going on. He released his latest album, Sunburn, in 2023, and followed it with the 2024 EP 14 Minutes. More recently, he and former Brockhampton member Kevin Abstract formed a new musical duo, Geezer. This doesn’t mean he’s leaving his solo act behind, as just today (August 15), he announced a new mixtape, Rocket. He also shared three new songs: “All Hands On Deck,” “Aftermath,” and “Smile.”

Rocket arrives soon, on August 22. A press release notes that the project sees Fike “deeply personal as ever, reflecting on recent life events while showing personal growth and maturity,” that he “continues to find beauty in harrowing-but-tender emotional bloodletting,” and that the mixtape builds “on the world created on his previous two albums, What Could Possibly Go Wrong and Sunburn.”

Listen to “All Hands On Deck,” “Aftermath,” and “Smile” above. Below, find the Rocket cover art and tracklist.

Dominic Fike’s Rocket Album Cover Artwork

Dominic Fike’s Rocket Tracklist

1. “All Hands On Deck”
2. “Aftermath (Edit)”
3. “Smile”
4. “Sandman”
5. “Great Pretender”
6. “$500 Fine”
7. “One Glass”
8. “Quite The Opposite”
9. “Upset & Aggressive”
10. “David Lyons”
11. “Epilogue”
12. “Still Feel It”

Rocket is out 8/22 via Columbia Records. Find more information here.

Today, ASAP Rocky‘s new film, Highest 2 Lowest, hits theaters. Along with the film’s depressingly limited theatrical debut comes two new ASAP Rocky songs, which appear on the film’s soundtrack.

One, “Both Eyes Closed,” is a moody, muddy ode to the introspection inspired by certain substances, featuring two Rocky trademarks: Psych-rock guitar strumming and a chopped-and-screwed backing vocal.

Meanwhile, “Trunks” is another Rocky signature: a frenetic street anthem with cavernous ad-libs and a hypnotic, chant-like hook. This one finds him in full-on boast mode, bragging about his indie hustle and showing off its results.

Highest 2 Lowest is a Spike Lee joint, reimagining Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime classic High And Low. It transplants the story of a kidnapping investigation from post-war Japan to contemporary New York City, casting Denzel Washington as a record mogul faced with his own version of the dilemma posed by the original: With his entire fortune on the line, does he trade it all away for the life of someone else’s son?

The two new songs will likely be welcome among Rocky fans, who have been waiting for a new album from the Harlemite since 2018’s Testing. That album, Don’t Be Dumb, has been delayed or re-recorded multiple times over the past year or so, but he says it’s finally done, so maybe the wait is nearly over.

You can listen to “Both Eyes Closed” and “Trunks” above.

The Highest 2 Lowest soundtrack is out now. You can find more info here.

When Armani White first blasted onto the scene three years ago with “Billie Eilish,” the song became a viral hit in large part because of its repurposed Neptunes-inspired production. Well, you know how they say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” The Philadelphia rapper definitely subscribes to that philosophy, because on his latest song, “Ghost” featuring Tennessee rapper Samara Cyn, he goes back to the same creative well, borrowing another Neptunes production to rap over.

In this case, it’s New York mixtape rap mainstay Fabolous’ 2001 106 & Park standard “Young’n.” “Flipping a Pharrell song and putting drums on it has definitely become a trademark of mine,” Armani explains in the press release. “It’s another ghost that’s been haunting me, so why not hit them over the head one more time?”

For any of those who don’t remember how that goes, here it is:

While the original was a free association brag fest, Armani and Cyn settle into a relatively tighter pocket, boasting about their conquests with the opposite sex. “And when I leave, she feelin’ my ghost,” Armani chuckles on the hook, “And shorty blocked, but she still in my post.” Meanwhile, Samara leaves her own lasting impression: “Think you got a church n**** ’til he see Cyn / Gave that boy the spirit, good God, that’s a smooth b*tch.”

So, while dating either of the two rappers seems like it might be a nightmare, their pairing on the track sounds like a dream.

You can watch the lyrics video for “Ghost” above.

Kaytranada has been on a run lately. In 2023, he linked with Aminé for the album Kaytraminé, which he followed in 2024 with a solo project, Timeless. Now, he’s already back with another new album, as he released Ain’t No Damn Way! today (August 15).

A highlight is the album-closing “Do It! (Again!),” which samples TLC’s CrazySexyCool song “Let’s Do It Again” prominently enough that the group was given a feature credit on the track.

In a recent Hypebeast interview, Kaytranada spoke about his craft, saying, “I’m still learning. I also feel not everyone hears what I’m doing — listeners can be lazy, skimming tracks too fast, creating quick judgments. So a part of me feels I have something to prove, but at the same time, I don’t. Music is self-expression. I do it for myself and the people who are waiting for more — not for those who don’t like it.”

Listen to “Do It! (Again!)” above and find the Ain’t No Damn Way! cover art and tracklist below, along with Kaytranada’s upcoming tour dates alongside Justice.

Kaytranada’s Ain’t No Damn Way! Album Cover Artwork

Kaytranada’s Ain’t No Damn Way! Tracklist

1. “Space Invader”
2. “Championship”
3. “Home”
4. “Target Joint”
5. “Things”
6. “Backstabs”
7. “Good Luck”
8. “Shine Your Light For We”
9. “Goodbye Bitch!”
10. “Don’t Worry Babe / I Got U Babe”
11. “Blax”
12. “Do It! (Again!)” Feat. TLC

Kaytranada And Justice’s 2025 Tour Dates

10/16 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
10/17 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
10/19 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
10/22 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
10/28 — San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
10/30 — Phoenix, AZ @ PHX Arena
11/01 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
11/05 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
11/08 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
11/12 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
11/15 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
11/16 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center

Ain’t No Damn Way! is out now via RCA Records. Find more information here.

Khalid’s back with a new music video, which previews a new sound for his next album. In the ecstatic “In Plain Sight” video, the Texas native jumps on the throwback dance music trend, throwing a little New Jack Swing at old-school house vibes as he debuts a new look and dances in a glass closet. Yes, he went there. Strobe lights, gyrating bodies, and intense sensual energy abound in the video, which seems to be as much about the singer embracing his identity as it is anything else.

“In Plain Sight” is the first single from Khalid’s newly announced album, After The Sun Goes Down, which is due October 10th via Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records. In the press release, Khalid says, “This chapter is about taking my power back, living in my truth, and being able to express myself freely. I’m excited for my fans to experience this new era with me, not just musically, but personally.”

That certainly appears to mean reclaiming the narrative surrounding his sexuality after he was outed by another singer. At the time, he wrote on Twitter (never calling it “X”), “I wasn’t hiding anything! It’s just not any of your business.” After sharing the video for “In Plain Sight” on his socials, he winked toward that moment when a fan asked, “Was that a Glass Closet????” “Bingo,” he replied. Good for him, man.

You can watch the “In Plain Sight” video above.

After The Sun Goes Down is out 10/10 via Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records. You can find more info here.

For as long as she’s been around, Cardi B has had to battle the perception that while she is a certified hit maker, she hasn’t always been the best straight-up rapper. While that narrative is usually pushed by out-of-touch old dudes who mostly seem to resent that a woman could be so successful in what’s seen as a male-dominated genre, it has unfortunately been something of a smudge on an otherwise pristine career.

Cardi B’s new single, “Imaginary Playerz,” should finally put that narrative to bed — with a horse head on the pillow.

It’s got a bunch of the aesthetic things that old heads listen for subconsciously before giving new artists a chance. It draws on hip-hop history, borrowing a beat, flows, and conceptual vibes from a 1997 Jay-Z deep cut (“Imaginary Player” from In My Lifetime, Vol. 1), while updating them with new slang, terminology, and trends. It’s got an opulent video in which Cardi jumps on private planes and massive yachts rocking couture. And, most importantly, it’s got Cardi rapping her recently rejuvenated ass off.

Cardi’s signature raunchy humor shines through, but her wordplay has elevated. “My flop and your flop is not the same / If you did my numbers, y’all would pop champagne / If I did your numbers, I would hop out a plane.” Yeesh.

“Imaginary Playerz” is the fourth single from Cardi’s upcoming sophomore album, Am I The Drama?, following “Outside,” and retroactively, “WAP” and “Up.”

It’s been about three years since Steve Lacy went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with his breakout single “Bad Habit,” and finally, Lacy is back with new music, sharing “New Shoes” today (August 15).

The song has some standout lyrics, including, “If I had a dollar for the friends I would f*ck / I could buy a pair of really nice shoes / Life is but a stain, it’s not a tattoo / Temporary pain, it’s lame to chase youth,” and, “My dick is getting hard again / At the thought of you and me holding hands.”

The song comes from Oh Yeah?, Lacy’s upcoming album that is currently in progress and doesn’t yet have a release date.

In a new Rolling Stone feature, he discussed his new approach for this album, saying:

“When I first started making sh*t or producing stuff with the Internet, I would always make the beat, make a hook, and just give it away. That was my process for a while, so words were always just kind of secondary. I’m like, ‘If my beat hard, this bass line hard, the chords hard, what else do we need?’ But now I’m like, ‘OK, I want to say sh*t how I would say sh*t.’ […] This one has taken a lot of time and thought. I keep using the word ‘design.’ It feels like fully designing a new language for myself.”

He also spoke about the project’s cover art, which is inspired by the Kool-Aid mascot, saying, “I took his face out the glass. Hopefully I don’t get sued.”

Listen to “Nice Shoes” above.

Last week, Dijon announced that he would be releasing Baby, a new album, “unless samples don’t get cleared.” Well, it appears the samples did get cleared, as Baby arrived today (August 15).

In a post on Instagram, Dijon writes of the project:

“Baby is album 2. for [Skinny Bones Joans] and our son Baby. Made in a fever storm and I couldn’t have rocked it without deep co pilot [Andrew Sarlo] I am forever indebte. Graffiti boys, truly. The powers of) [Mk.gee, BJ Burton, Henry Kwapis, Tommy King,] tobias Jesso jr Are potent and heavy and vital. […] Thanks everyone who has been spreading gospel n love over the years :).”

The post also thanks Bon Iver, Pino Palladino, Flock Of Dimes, Jim E Stack, and other collaborators.

This comes after Dijon contributed to Bon Iver’s new album SABLE, fABLE and Justin Bieber’s Swag earlier this year.

A press release notes of the album, “Examining new fatherhood and how rapidly his life has changed since Absolutely, the album is a collection of songs that represent the mania of domesticity.”

Earlier this year, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon spoke about touring with Dijon and Mk.gee, saying, “That was the first time where I was actually, like, really, really, really humbled. Like, I always enjoyed the people we went on tour with, but I was like, ‘Oh, this is fresh.’ What they were doing, it reignited something. It really had me second-guessing — not second-guessing. I love what we did. But it was like, ‘Oh. We’re just about dinosaur. We’re just about over our own hill.’”

Listen to “Baby!” above and find the album’s cover art and tracklist below.

Dijon’s Baby Album Cover Artwork

Dijon’s Baby Tracklist

1. “Baby!”
2. “Another Baby!”
3. “Higher!”
4. “(Freak It)”
5. “Yamaha”
6. “Fire!”
7. “(Referee)”
8. “Rewind”
9. “My Man”
10. “Loyal & Marie”
11. “Automatic”
12. “Kindalove”

Baby is out now via R&R/Warner Records. Find more information here.