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To put it lightly, 2022 hasn’t been a great year for Brittney Griner. Back in March, the WNBA star was detained in Russia after hashish oil was found in her belongings in an airport. Now, just about the worst possible outcome of the situation has been reached: Yesterday, Griner, who has been in Russian police custody all this time, was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison, slightly less than the 10-year maximum sentence.

This doesn’t necessarily mean Griner will actually spend nine years in a Russian prison, though, as the US government is trying to work out a deal to bring Griner home.

In the meantime, Griner has earned the support of folks on this side of the world. That includes Justin Bieber, who wants to do anything in his power to help out. On his Instagram Story yesterday, the pop star shared a post about the Griner news and wrote, “THIS HURTS. If anyone knows of anyway I can help please let me know.”

Bieber wasn’t the only musician to show support for Griner. Margo Price tweeted, “say it with me: FREE BRITTNEY GRINER.” Dreezy shared a similar message, writing, “Free Brittney Griner.” Boosie Badazz also posted a video of himself passionately talking about the issue.

Beyoncé has herself a hit with Renaissance, but that didn’t stop her from making changes to the new album shortly after its release: She vowed to alter the lyric of “Heated” following backlash over an ableist slur, and after getting called out by Kelis, she removed a sample of Kelis’ “Milkshake” from “Energy.” Now that Kelis has gotten her way, she offered a reaction and she’s pretty pleased.

The comments of a recent Kelis Instagram post not related to the Beyoncé situation was full of comments about it and Kelis responded to a good amount of them over the past couple days. One user just noted the sample removal and Kelis responded, “yeah I won lol only a moron wouldn’t understand that.”

A fan congratulated Kelis and accused Beyoncé and her fans of having a “bullying energy about them.” Kelis responded, “thank you. You can’t be afraid to speak up for yourself no matter how big the bully’s. They are robots. I don’t care about any of them.”

Speaking of the Beyhive, Kelis didn’t mince words with or about them. One apparent Beyoncé fan commented, “Beyonce really tried to make you relevant again (since you haven’t been since the 90s or early 2000s) and you called her a ‘thief’?” Kelis replied, “I called out what it was . You are a mindless sheep. There I go again speaking truth. Lol I guess I just can’t help it lol.”

In other comments, she called the Beyhive “a joke” and said, “it’s got cult written all over it.”

Check out the post and some of the comments below.

Trippie Redd, despite his charisma, carries a menacing personality. Though he is a fun-loving guy, he doesn’t look like the type you want to cross either. “Big 14” is the Canton artist showing more of that serious side alongside Offset and Moneybagg Yo. Together, the trio flexes their riches but also makes it very clear that no one should try and come for them.

“Don’t come outside we sending killers at your door,” Redd groans in the chorus before taking on the first verse, followed by Offset and Moneybagg Yo in succession. Their aggressive lyrics are amplified by the scenery surrounding them, whether it be abandoned buildings or what appears to be a hospital corridor. The Honorable C.N.O.T.E. production is an ideal canvas for each spitter to then add their own twist.

For Trippie, this is his first proper release in 2022, taking a bit of a hiatus since his 2021 album Trip At Knight. Moneybagg Yo seems to never stop working, with a slew of features and multiple appearances on the latest CMG compilation album Gangsta Art. As for Offset, it is still unclear whether Migos are split up or not but he is teasing new music coming soon.

Check out the video for “Big 14” above.

Earlier this week, rumors circulated that The Weeknd would release a remix to “Best Friends,” a Dawn FM cut, featuring Summer Walker. The Starboy quickly confirmed the reports, saying the “Girls Need Love” singer “carried” and “f*cking crushed it.” Well, the track is officially here and he did not lie.

The Over It artist’s emotive vocals and sharp pen provide an even fresher take than the original version. The emotionally bound narrative here aligns well with what she often sings about, struggling to balance love and friendship as well. As two of the most vulnerable voices in music today, this was a smart choice.

This unexpected collaboration comes at an opportune time for both artists. The Weeknd is surfing the waves caused by his 80s-inspired January album Dawn FM featuring Lil Wayne, Tyler, The Creator, Quincy Jones and Jim Carrey. “Out Of Time” and “Sacrifice” emerged as standouts and maintained that place for some time.

As for Summer Walker, aside from verses on Lil Durk and Kendrick Lamar’s 2022 albums, she has been quiet. The “Come Thru” broke streaming records back in November with Still Over It powered by appearances from Lil Durk, SZA, City Girls and more.

Check out the “Best Friends” Remix above.

The next phase of DJ Khaled’s career is officially here. The producer tapped Drake and Lil Baby for “Staying Alive,” a video which finds Lil B performing surgery and Khaled giving his own form of a pep talk to women nurses. As for the music, there is an obvious Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive” interpolation in the hook, but the two rappers turned in some of their best verses to date.

“Staying Alive” is the leadoff single for the highly promoted God Did album set to release on August 26. As usual, DJ Khaled is hellbent on reminding everyone of his naysayers’ lack of faith and how divine intervention has led him to the success he now enjoys. Heading into his thirteenth studio album, he could not have picked two better feature artists.

Drake, a longtime Khaled collaborator, is still riding the momentum of his June surprise album Honestly, Nevermind which came just nine months after his sixth studio album Certified Lover Boy. Lil Baby has been ubiquitous in Hip-Hop over the last few years, being tapped for features and delivering his own tracks “U-Digg,” “Frozen,” “Right On,” and “In A Minute.” Not to mention consecutive Nicki Minaj collaborations in “Do We Have A Problem?” and “Bussin.”

The Six God may be the undisputed leader of the game right now, but Lil Baby is on top when it comes to his peers. Now it is just a matter of who else DJ Khaled has in the tuck for God Did. Who else went against the grain and believed in him like Drake and Lil Baby?

Check out “Staying Alive” above.

Benny Blanco has recruited Snoop Dogg, along with Jin, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook of BTS for the collaboration of the summer. On their new song, “Bad Decisions,” the boys admire a new flame and are willing to make bad decisions for them.

“Let’s make some bad decisions / I want you ooh baby, all of the time / So give me all your kisses / I want you Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, baby, every night” sing the BTS boys over a breezy, synth-and-drum-driven track.

Snoop has two verse on the song, — his second acting as a bridge, on which he invites a flame to kick it with him, saying, “Let’s do things you always wanted / Have some fun and live your life / Help me waste a day and find a place / That we can face to face,”

In a video, directed by Ben Sinclair, who is also the creator, director, and main actor of HBO’s hit series, High Maintenance, Blanco is seen spending the day getting ready for a BTS concert. As the day unfolds, Blanco is seen dancing to BTS music videos, crafting a fan collage, and baking a special cake in preparation for the night.

“Bad Decisions” is set to appear on Blanco’s third album, set for release later this year.

Check out “Bad Decisions” above.

John Legend is taking the dancefloor by storm on his latest single, “All She Wanna Do.” Joined by Saweetie, John Legend sings admirably of a woman he meets on a night out. The song opens with a slow piano, as do many of his signature hits, but as the chorus arrives, kickdrums set in, turning the ballad into a sexy, dancefloor banger.

“All she wanna do is dance / All I wanna do is get up on her / Got me in the palm of her hands / All I wanna touch is her nirvana / Feels like I’ve been waitin’ for / Forever and a night to get this chance / But all she wanna do is / All she wanna do is /All she wanna do is dance,” Legend sings on the fiery new dancefloor anthem.

Saweetie joins in with a verse, embracing her glamour and ready to dance with a man who can match her energy.

“First, all I wanna do is get my nails done / Yeah, all I wanna do is spend them big funds / Twerk, twerk all night on your grandson / Little Westside chick out in London,” she raps.

In addition to new music, Legend’s wife, Chrissy Teigen, recently revealed that the two are expecting a third child.

Check out “All She Wanna Do” above.

Saweetie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Canadian pop icon Carly Rae Jepsen is gearing up for the release of her upcoming album, The Loneliest Time. Ahead of her upcoming album, she has released the follow up single to “Western Wind,” called “Beach House.”

On “Beach House,” which was produced by Alex Hope, Jepsen recalls a series of disatrous dates she met through dating apps.

“Boy number one made a picnic for two / Saw he was nervous, I thought it was cute / Until I found out that his mom made the food / It was good though,” She sings. On a follow-up date, she details another cringe encounter, singing, “Boy number two had a beautiful face / I highly agreed to go back to his place / His wife really had some impeccable taste / She was sweet though.”

Over the course of the track, Jepsen demands honesty and transparency from several male suitors, who later, in the form of backing vocalists on the track, are far too honest with their intentions.

As its title suggests, Jepsen wrote her latest album during “the loneliest time” of her life. To ail that loneliness, she collaborated with a variety of songwriters and producers for the album, including Hope, Tavish Crowe, Bullion, Captain Cuts, John Hill, Kyle Shearer, and Rostam Batmanglij. According to a statement accompanied with the single’s release, The Loneliest Time is Jepsen’s “most instrospective body of work to date.”

Check out “Beach House” above.

The Loneliest Time is out 10/21 via Interscope and School Boy. Pre-save it here.

This year is shaping up to be a big year for Tampa native rapper Doechii, who has just dropped her first EP with Top Dawg Entertainment. Containing hits like the self-confidence anthem “B*tch I’m Nice,” and the SZA-assisted remix to “Persuasive,” Doechii’s new EP, She/Her/Black B*tch, contains five songs that feature her embracing her Blackness, queerness, and every intersection of herself.

“Many times I’ve been referred to as a “bitch” as a way to gaslight me out of certain spaces, something I think many people can relate to in one way or another,” said Doechii in a statement accompanying the EP’s release. “Lots of people will call you various names for doing something differently.“ So I decided to take ownership of the ‘black bitch’ and title my EP She/Her/Black B*tch and reclaim that motherf*cking power. So if you’ve ever been put down for being yourself, just remember you’re powerful and unapologetic- these songs are for you.”

On the EP, Doechii delivers next-level bars, riding each beat with ease, channeling the multiple characters she has created within her musical universe.

She / Her / Black B*tch is out now via Capitol and Top Dawg Entertainment. Stream it here.

A little over a year after the release of her rock-influenced album Lately I Feel Everything, Willow is launching a new era. Earlier today, she took to Instagram to tease her upcoming album, Copingmechanism, which is set for release this fall. Now, she has dropped a new single from the album called “Hover Like A Goddess.”

On “Hover Like A Goddess,” Willow continues with the rock sounds of Lately I Feel Everything, with a darker edge, all while admiring the feminine mystique of a new person of her affections.

“You’re like the ocean, comin’ and goin’ / I wanna surf your words through the shore / And find what lies through deep inside I’ll be the moon to your high tide / You’re addictive, so indicative of my inhibitions / So clear, you couldn’t miss them,” she sings over an electrifying guitar track.

“Every woman deserves to be worshiped,” said Willow in a statement. “This song is an ode to the divine goddess within us all.”

The song was produced by Willow and Chris Greatti and was one of the new songs Willow previewed at Lollapalooza this past weekend.

Check out “Hover Like A Goddess” above.

<COPINGMECHANISM> is out 9/23 via MSFTS. Pre-save it here.