Category: Hip Hop

For Ne-Yo, “So Sick” was a life-changing hit. Before the song’s release in late 2005, the artist born Shaffer Smith had already been a successful behind-the-scenes figure in the music industry, most notably as a writer on Mario’s chart-topping “Let Me Love You.” But when “So Sick” also soared up the Hot 100, Ne-Yo secured his own place in the spotlight.

Ne-Yo performs “So Sick” in a new episode of “The One,” an Apple Music video series in which artists present a stripped-down rendition of an especially significant track in their catalog. The video is viewable now on Ne-Yo and Apple Music’s YouTube channels.

Ne-Yo wrote “So Sick” with the Norwegian production duo Stargate after a chance encounter at New York’s Sony Music Studios, where he and Stargate were both working on new music. In John Seabrook’s book The Song Machine, he describes hearing Stargate’s beat for the song for the first time: “When the track started, I teared up.” He channeled his own recent heartbreak into lyrics about a painful breakup, leading to the song that would become his breakthrough hit.

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“It’s definitely the one that started it all,” Ne-Yo later told Billboard of the song’s success. “So Sick” became Ne-Yo’s first No. 1 hit as a recording artist, establishing him as a radio fixture for years to come. The song has continued to be hugely popular in the streaming era, racking up enough plays to join Spotify’s Billions Club last year.

“So Sick” was the second single from Ne-Yo’s 2006 debut album In My Own Words, powering it to the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart with more than 300,000 in first-week sales. The album recently turned 20 years old, an anniversary the singer is celebrating with a pair of new vinyl formats, a standard edition 2LP and a limited edition “Enchanted Night” Color 2LP, as well as a new CD edition. The 20th anniversary In My Own Words reissues are due out June 19 and available for pre-order now.

Listen to Ne-Yo’s “So Sick” on Apple Music here.

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Ella Mai has shared a music video for Do You Still Love Me? cut “Might Just,” which pays homage to the 1995 film Waiting To Exhale.

Directed by Alfred Marroquin, the clip finds Mai reckoning with an unfaithful partner, featuring a climax that finds her and friends burning the house she once shared with that loved one down to the ground. The video features appearances from Taylor Rooks, Coco Jones, and Ryan Destiny.

On the track, which features a beat by Mustard, Ella sings: “Don’t fix your tongue to tell me lies about how she means nothing/ It was too wrong, it was too real, babe.” Do You Still Love Me? was released to critical and commercial acclaim on February 6.

In other Ella Mai news, the London artist is gearing up for the North American run of her Do You Still Love Me? Tour. The shows begin on July 2 at Milwaukee Summerfest. The 28-date trek includes stops in Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, and more. She’ll wrap this stretch at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on August 28.

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Mai has been honest about how Do You Still Love Me? was a difficult album title to land on. She explained to VIBE in an interview: “We really struggled to come up with this title. I’m not even going to lie. We had finished the album, had the track list together, and everything. Mustard and I just couldn’t find something that felt like it told the story well enough. Mustard was really vouching for a different title. And I said to him, ‘Okay, why do you think that should be the title?’

The duo stumbled upon the title almost accidentally: “I was like, ‘Why do you think that should be it?’ He starts explaining it, and he’s like, ‘Because if you say that, then you can ask the questions. Or somebody can ask you the question, do you still love me? Or do you still…’ And I was like, ‘Wait! That’s the title.’ It kind of just stuck, and we rolled with it. Also, because it can be a closed question. It could be very open-ended also.”

Buy Ella Mai’s Do You Still Love Me? on vinyl and CD here.

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BJRNCK has recruited G Herbo for a new single entitled “Coming Home,” out now via Interscope/Geffen Records.

The track serves as the first taste from the forthcoming deluxe version of BJRNCK’s A Girl Like Me, which was originally released in October of 2025.

On the alt-R&B cut, BJRNCK works through the emotions of heartbreak, crooning: “We’ve been on some bull**** lately/ And at this point I’m going crazy/ I’ve been doing things that I shouldn’t really be doing/ Hoping that it gives me over you but it ain’t working out.”

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The video pays homage to the two artists’ shared hometown of Chicago, and reflects the song’s themes of heartbreak and attempts at reconciliation. heartbreak from opposite sides of the same relationship.

Regarding the track, BJRNCK said, “‘Coming Home’ hits different for me because it brought two Chicago natives back to where it all started. Getting G Herbo on a classic R&B feel, and then going back to the city to shoot the video, made everything feel authentic in a way you can’t fake.”

A Girl Like Me is BJRNCK’s debut, a sterling introduction to one of Chicago’s most exciting artists. In a 2025 interview with Crucial Rhythm, the singer reflected on what allowed her to unlock her creativity on the LP: “I would say completely write my songs. Most of my songs on the project I wrote by myself, which was new to me. I’ve been doing this for a long time, my confidence shrunk for a little bit over time. I was trying for so long, and I was like, maybe I wasn’t doing something right. I felt like I needed to have a writer or a certain producer,” she explained.

She honed in on creating inimitable work, songs that would stand the test of time.“Someone gave me really good advice: make songs that no one can take away from you. It’s songs that I searched for the loop or started myself, learning how to record myself and write myself. Not really caring if people are gonna like it or not. Being genuine in my music.”

Listen to BJRNCK’s “Coming Home” here.

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The-Dream has announced a new full-length album, Love/Hate II. In anticipation of the album, the singer, songwriter, and producer has shared “Tampa,” a song featuring longtime collaborator Usher. Love/Hate II arrives July 10 via RadioKilla Records/Republic Records. Exclusive signed CD and vinyl editions are available for pre-order now, as well as official merchandise.

“Tampa” is a bedroom-ready banger boasting soulful harmonies and a cocky chorus: “This is where your man should be instead of worrying about me.” The R&B titans have worked together on fan favorites like Usher’s “Cold Blooded” in 2024 and The-Dream’s “Forget About Her” from 2016.

The-Dream offered the first preview of Love/Hate II earlier this year with “Bring That Body,” his first official solo single in more than a decade. The project dives head-first into the complicated realities of love today. “I want to make a record about where love is now,” he says. “Relationships became cheapened. People used to fight for their love.”

Love/Hate II is the sequel to his 2007 debut Love/Hate. Showcasing a powerhouse cast of collaborators, the album also features appearances from Pusha T, Swizz Beatz, T.I., Kelly ‘Dria’ Rowland, Rick Ross, and more. In an interview with Variety, The-Dream called the project the first taste of what’s shaping up to be a sonic progenitor of its predecessor,” while teasing contributions from Pharrell Williams, Mike Dean, Swizz Beatz, and more.

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The New York Times recently named The-Dream among “The 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters.” The publication noted, “Name a post-aughts R&B smash, and his imprint is probably on it…,” citing contributions to Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body,” and Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” among many others.

The-Dream continues to shape the sound of contemporary music across genres, with recent contributing to records like The Clipse’s “All Things Considered,” Rosalía’s “Sauvignon Blanc,” and “Allegedly” with Summer Walker. His work has earned numerous accolades, including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for his contributions to Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter.

Listen to THE-DREAM’s Love/Hate II here.

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Two of Japanese singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada‘s seminal English-language records, 2004’s Exodus and 2006’s This Is the One, are receiving their first-ever remaster. Both LPs will be released in a new, limited-edition format via Island Def Jam this week; they’re available on both streaming and, in Japan, as a 2CD set with bonus tracks, and on vinyl. It’s also the first time either of the records have been pressed to wax.

Although Exodus was Utada’s fifth studio album, and came out the same year as their first greatest hits compilation, it represented their formal introduction to American audiences, an audience she would continue to endear for years to come. The genre-spanning LP wove together electronic, dance, R&B, and avant-garde sonics; Timbaland contributed production to two tracks and handled remix duties on a third, while Jon Theodore, at the time the drummer for The Mars Volta, lent his talents to “Kremlin Dusk.” A remix of the single “Devil Inside” became a club smash, rising from dance floors around the country to the top spot on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs, becoming Utada’s highest U.S. chart placement at the time.

Five years later, This Is the One arrived as a full-blown A-list pop album. It brought together producers Stargate, who has worked with the likes of Rihanna and Beyoncé, and Tricky Stewart, known for his successful collaborations with Britney Spears and Mariah Carey. The LP peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard 200, placing Utada among a small number of Japanese artists ever to reach the chart’s Top 100. Its lead single “Come Back to Me” reached No. 5 on the Dance Club Songs chart, while “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI,” nodded to Utada’s Japanese-American pop crossover lineage by building on the celebrated Ryuichi Sakamoto composition of the same name.

After decades in the spotlight, Utada continues to regularly release music. In March, she collaborated with British star Charlie Puth on the song “Home,” and their most recent album, Bad Mode, arrived in 2022. In 2024, they also embarked on the Science Fiction tour, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of the release of their debut LP with multiple shows across Asia.

Order Exodus here and This Is The One here.

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In 2000, Musiq Soulchild blended R&B and neo-soul to craft his debut studio album Aijuswanaseing. In honor of the album’s recent 25th anniversary, a special edition of Aijuswanaseing is being released as a 2LP “peacock opaque” vinyl set.

Musiq Soulchild signed to Def Soul, the R&B division of Def Jam Records, in 1998. Two years later, Aijuswanaseing peaked at number 24 on the Billboard 200 and number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. In 2001, the record was certified platinum by RIAA.

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Last year, Soulchild performed the album in full at the Roots Picnic in his hometown of Philadelphia. Speaking to The Philadelphia Inquirer, he shared: “The fact that I was able to perform only songs from the first album, something I’ve never done, not even when I first released the album… was actually a milestone for me.”

The album spawned three singles: “Just Friends,” “Love,” and “Girl Next Door.” “Love” particularly resonated with fans, and spent 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. While there have been numerous interpretations of the songs’ lyrics, Soulchild has his own perspective. He explained, “I had a very traumatic upbringing, childhood trauma. So what people don’t understand is they think it’s a romantic song, or they think that it’s a gospel song. It’s actually intentionally neither. If anything, it’s closer to therapy, really.”

He also reflected on the organic process behind the first album’s creation. “I didn’t really plan on making an album,” he said. “I didn’t expect to be signed to Def Jam. I wasn’t looking to be, you know, a super international star or anything. I was just trying to get some ideas out. I was working with my writing partner, Carvin Haggins, at the time. We recorded some songs. I didn’t think much of it.”

The success of Aijuswanaseing propelled Soulchild’s follow-up record, Juslisen, to number one on the Billboard 200 upon release in 2002.

Shop the 25th anniversary edition of Musiq Soulchild’s Aijuswanaseing here.

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Kelly Rowland’s third solo album Here I Am is coming to vinyl. The 2011 record will be available in two variants, standard 1LP black and 2LP Glacier Gray color vinyl. The former is its first ever 1LP standard black pressing and the latter features four previously released bonus tracks, available on vinyl for the first time. The four bonus tracks are “Heaven & Earth,” “Each Other,” “Motivation (Rebel Rock Remix),” and “Commander (Urban Remix).”

Here I Am is a dynamic collection of R&B, pop, and dance music. It features collaborations with Lil Wayne, David Guetta, Big Sean, and Rico Love and is led by the chart-topping single “Motivation.”

Here I Am highlights Rowland’s smooth vocals, confident attitude, and versatility across a mix of club-ready anthems and intimate slow jams. She sounds self-assured while delivering an empowering soundtrack filled with passion and undeniable hooks. “It’s more so introducing myself as Kelly Rowland being Kelly Rowland and just being myself,” she told PAPER in regards to the title. “I’m the most confident I’ve been on a record ever. And it’s by myself. I love it.”

“It just connected with my heart and the music as well,” she told Billboard. “It stands for everything I’ve gone through and thought about for this record as a woman. It’s very strong.”

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The album’s dance-oriented sound was inspired by the former Destiny’s Child member’s time in Europe. An encounter with Guetta spinning at a club led to their 2009 collaboration “When Love Takes Over.” Guetta produced “Commander,” one of Here I Am’s singles, which would go on to top the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart.

The album featured other singles, “Forever and a Day,” “Rose Colored Glasses,” and “Grown Woman.” The final single, “Motivation,” which features Lil Wayne, reached No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart where it stayed seven weeks in a row, and number seventeen on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

Shop Kelly Rowland’s Here I Am here.

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Two-time Grammy winner Muni Long has released her new single “Richest,” out now via Def Jam Recordings. The song, released yesterday, marks her first solo release of the year and follows a run that has included Grammy recognition, a Coachella debut, and the continued reach of her 2024 album Revenge.

“Richest” centers on a new relationship while looking back at the emotional effects of a previous one. In a statement, Long said, “Over the last year, I learned wealth looks different than I thought,” adding that she wanted to share what she gained after she “stopped measuring” her life by what she lost. The release frames the idea of richness through stability, love, and personal recovery rather than money.

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The single follows “Delulu,” which Long released in 2025, and extends the period surrounding Revenge, her 2024 album. That project included the multiplatinum single “Made for Me,” one of the songs that helped bring Long back to the center of contemporary R&B. The Associated Press described Revenge as a record rooted in “frank, raw emotion and relatable scenarios,” while Billboard connected Long to R&B’s recent mainstream resurgence.

At the 2025 Grammy Awards, Long won Best R&B Performance for “Made for Me (Live on BET)” and received four nominations across R&B categories. In 2023, she won Best R&B Performance for “Hrs & Hrs,” the single that brought her one of the defining moments of her solo career. In April 2025, Long made her Coachella debut, with ELLE later highlighting her performance as among the festival’s best.

Listen to Muni Long’s “Richest” here.

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A new enhanced music video takes viewers behind the scenes of Ne-Yo’s breakthrough hit. “So Sick,” the chart-topping smash from the singer-songwriter’s 2006 debut album In My Own Words, is the latest classic music video to get the Vevo Footnotes treatment. In the newly released segment, Ne-Yo describes being inspired by the music as soon as he heard it, his inspiration for the lyrics, and the song’s legacy.

In the Footnotes video, Ne-Yo describes his first encounter with the production duo Stargate, “two of the most talented, six-foot-tall Norwegians you’ll ever meet.” The moment he heard the beat that would become “So Sick,” he was entranced. Before the Stargate guys could even fix their coffee, he was ready to sing them the first verse and hook, written on the spot. “They’re both very mild-mannered gentlemen, but the second I got to ‘I’m so sick of love songs,’ they both jumped up,” he remembers.

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Ne-Yo explains that the song is about the first time he felt like he was truly in love. “I was around 15 or 16,” he remembers. “I was the only one in my group with a girlfriend, so suddenly she became the enemy. Instead of playing basketball or video games with them, I was with her. It turned into, ‘Is your girlfriend gonna let you come over?’ And I let it bruise my ego. I started treating her badly, and she left. That’s when it hit me: I really loved this girl. For a long time, if the radio was on, it was some sad, slow love song that kept her memory right there. I hated it, but I wouldn’t turn it off, because it reminded me of her.”

Ne-Yo remembers being certain “So Sick” would be huge, and he was right. The song became his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and fueled the success of In My Own Words, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Ne-Yo recently released two vinyl reissues of the album to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Two decades later, he sees the song as a counterbalance to the hip-hop bravado that had taken hold in R&B at the time: “I think when that song came out, it was a reminder that we can still sing, still do melodies, still mean something. I think it’s a reminder to this day: It’s okay to be vulnerable.”

Shop the 20th anniversary edition of Ne-Yo’s In My Own Words on vinyl and CD here.

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Ne-Yo has released In My Own Words (20th Anniversary), a new expanded edition marking two decades of his full-length debut album. The release is available now in multiple formats, including 2LP black vinyl, a limited-edition “Enchanted Night” color 2LP vinyl, CD, and digital editions on most DSP platforms. The limited “Enchanted Night” color vinyl edition is available exclusively through uDiscover, the Sound of Vinyl, and Complex. A standard CD edition is also available through brick-and-mortar retailers and online shops.

All editions of In My Own Words (20th Anniversary) include 2026 mixes of the original album’s 13 tracks. The release also adds a 2026 mix of the bonus cut “Girlfriend,” another remix of “Stay,” and special acoustic versions of “So Sick” and “Sexy Love” recorded live in Atlanta in 2021. The CD and digital versions include additional acoustic studio versions of “So Sick” and “Sexy Love,” plus instrumental tracks for “When You’re Mad” and “So Sick.”

Ne-Yo first released In My Own Words on February 28, 2006. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, reached platinum status within one month, and later went double platinum. The record included “Sexy Love” and “So Sick,” with the latter reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ne-Yo is also preparing to release his country-inspired album Highway 79 on July 10. In April, he launched the Nights Like This Tour with Akon in Dublin, with dates across Europe, the United States, and Canada before an August 21 show at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

Shop the Expanded Edition of Ne-Yo’s In My Own Words.

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