Category: Hip Hop

Tank and the Bangas have released a new single “Simon Says” today. The track arrives as the Grammy Award-winning New Orleans band begins the second leg of its 2026 U.S. headlining tour with a hometown performance at the Orpheum Theater.

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“Simon Says” follows the band’s latest album, The Last Balloon, which was released in May through Verve Forecast. Built around a looping piano motif and saxophone, the song pairs Tank’s vocals with an R&B arrangement that extends the musical palette of the group’s recent work.

The Last Balloon completed Tank and the Bangas’ “Balloon” trilogy, following Green Balloon in 2019 and Red Balloon in 2022. The album was executive-produced by longtime collaborator Austin Brown and recorded primarily at The Complex Studios in Los Angeles. Its guest list includes Lucky Daye, Ledisi, Dawn Richard and Brown.

Tour dates

October 2 — Orpheum Theater — New Orleans, LA
October 3 — Art This Way — Fort Wayne, IN
October 10 — Riverfront Park — Moss Point, MS
October 15-16 — Terminal West — Atlanta, GA
October 17 — Brooklyn Bowl Nashville — Nashville, TN
October 20 — The Majestic Theatre — Madison, WI
October 21 — Club Hancher — Iowa City, IA
October 23 — Fine Line — Minneapolis, MN
October 24 — Thalia Hall — Chicago, IL
October 25 — Off Broadway — St. Louis, MO
November 5 — The Truman — Kansas City, MO
November 7 — Gothic Theatre — Englewood, CO
November 8 — Commonwealth — South Salt Lake, UT
November 10 — The Crocodile — Seattle, WA
November 11 — Revolution Hall — Portland, OR
November 13 — August Hall — San Francisco, CA
November 14-15 — Blue Note Los Angeles — Los Angeles, CA
November 17 — Crescent Ballroom — Phoenix, AZ
November 19-20 — Antone’s — Austin, TX
November 21 — The Heights Theater — Houston, TX
November 29 — Blue Note London — London, UK
November 30 — Paradiso — Amsterdam, Netherlands
December 2 — Alhambra — Paris, France
December 3 — Luxor — Cologne, Germany
December 5 — Gretchen — Berlin, Germany
December 6 — Flex — Vienna, Austria
December 11-13 — Blue Note Tokyo — Tokyo, Japan
December 15 — Blue Note Hawaii — Honolulu, HI

Listen to Tank and the Bangas’s “Simon Says” now.

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702’s debut album No Doubt is coming to vinyl in celebration of its 30th anniversary. The album will be released October 16 as a limited-edition transparent Clearwater 2LP, bringing the Las Vegas R&B group’s 1996 debut back to physical format three decades after its original release. The expanded vinyl edition includes the album’s original tracks alongside three additional mixes: “Steelo Remix,” “Steelo (Cali Mix),” and “Get It Together (Lush Mix).”

Originally released on October 8, 1996, No Doubt introduced 702 with a collection that paired R&B vocal harmonies with hip-hop-influenced production. The album featured contributions from producers and songwriters including The Characters and Donell Jones. Among its best-known tracks are “Steelo,” featuring Missy Elliott, and “Get It Together,” which became one of the group’s early signature songs. No Doubt reached No. 82 on the Billboard 200 and was later certified Gold in the United States.

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The new 2LP edition spreads the original album across its first three sides. The fourth side is devoted to the three bonus mixes. The anniversary arrives as 702 continue to celebrate three decades since their emergence from Las Vegas. Following No Doubt, the group released their self-titled second album in 1999, which included “Where My Girls At?,” their biggest crossover hit. They followed it with Star in 2003. In 2026, the group has also marked the 30th anniversary of its debut with live appearances and celebrations in its hometown.

Buy 702’s No Doubt on limited edition “Transparent Clearwater” vinyl now.

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Ari Lennox has released Vacancy: Late Checkout, an expanded edition of her third studio album, Vacancy. Now available on streaming platforms, the deluxe version adds nine tracks, including the recently released “Hookah Baby” and a new remix of “Mobbin in DC” featuring Foggieraw.

“Hookah Baby” opens the expanded tracklist with production from Tommy “TBHits” Brown, pairing Lennox’s vocals with synths, drums and bass. The deluxe edition continues with “Show Me” and the Jay Versace-produced “Slide,” alongside “Garden,” “Leave Me Alone,” “Speak Your Mind,” “Unicorn” and closing track “Hot Mess.” “Leave Me Alone” samples Shabba Ranks’ “Ting-A-Ling,” while “Speak Your Mind” was co-written with Grammy-winning songwriter Amy Allen.

The original Vacancy arrived in January with 15 tracks. Its songs included “Twin Flame,” “24 Seconds” and “Soft Girl Era,” the latter of which reunited Lennox with Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox, who previously worked with her on “Pressure.” Pitchfork wrote that the album featured “the most skillful vocal performances of Lennox’s career,” while highlighting the record’s focus on lived experience.

Lennox supported Vacancy with a 31-city North American tour that concluded in June. Other appearances during 2026 have included a performance of “Twin Flame” on The Jennifer Hudson Show, throwing the ceremonial first pitch at a Seattle Mariners game in April, a performance at ACL Live at The Moody Theater and a tribute to D’Angelo at the 2026 BET Awards. She is also scheduled to return to Austin City Limits for Season 52, performing a medley drawn from across her catalog. The episode is set to air October 17 at 8 p.m. CT/9 p.m. ET on PBS stations nationwide.

Listen to Ari Lennox’s Vacancy: Late Checkout here.

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Liamani has released “Things I’ve Learned (So Far) – Tour Version” through Def Jam Recordings. The new version arrives with an accompanying video combining behind-the-scenes footage from the road with scenes of the singer and actress performing the song live.

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The track follows Liamani’s six-song debut EP, Dear Little Me, which drew on pop and R&B while focusing on personal experiences and relationships. Liamani said the new song reflects what she has taken from her experiences as she grows up and pursues her goals. “This song is really about growing up and realizing that every experience teaches you something, even the ones you don’t understand right away,” she said. “I’m still learning so much about myself, my dreams and I wanted this song to capture where I am right now. Performing it on tour has been so much fun, and I’m really excited that everyone finally gets to hear this version.”

Liamani is currently performing “Things I’ve Learned (So Far)” on the Worlds Collide Tour, which began September 25 and is scheduled to continue into early 2027. The itinerary spans 60 cities across North America and Europe.

The release also comes as Liamani continues her work in television and film. She plays Pink in Disney’s Descendants: Wicked Wonderland and Sage in Camp Rock 3, following her role as Emmy in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Music-wise, she signed with Def Jam Recordings and released the singles “Sunkissed” and “Hanging by a Thread” before issuing Dear Little Me.

Listen to Liamani’s “Things I’ve Learned (So Far) – Tour Version” here.

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Jhené Aiko recently returned with her first album in six years, Westside Whimsy. Now, she’s shared a new video for the album track “Nothing Nice To Say.”

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In the video shot by Topshelf Junior, Aiko simply performs the song in a minimal space, wearing diamond necklaces that read ‘Westside’ and ‘Whimsy’. “So I been being quiet / Cuz I’ve had nothing nice to say / Been sitting here in silence / While you keep playing in my face,” she sings. The video’s opening shot of Aiko in a traditional kasa hat references the video for “Ark to Agatha,” released alongside the album.

Aiko announced Westside Whimsy only a few days before its September 11th release. She captioned a post of the tracklist “6 years in the making,” and thanked fans for their patience. The album has a number of features, including one from previous collaborator Kendrick Lamar on “So Good.” Back in 2013, Lamar contributed a verse to “Stay Ready (What A Life)” on Aiko’s debut EP Sail Out. Also appearing on the new record are Tyga on “Like, Whatever,” OHMA on “Golden Coast,” and Larry June on “Neighbors.”

In April, Aiko shared that her upcoming album was inspired by her home state. “All the music of the ‘90s has really influenced me but especially West Coast car culture, surfing culture, beach, laidback,” she said, according to Complex. “When I think of California, it’s just such a magical place and I love a good road trip and I’ve been doing them for many years.”

Fans first heard the title “Westside Whimsy” when Aiko chose it for her Erewhon smoothie collab. As she told Rolling Stone: “‘Westside Whimsy’ is a lifestyle. It’s not a project. It’s a lifestyle. Everything I do is that — you’ll see.”

Westside Whimsy currently holds the top spot on the iTunes Top Albums chart.

Listen to Jhené Aiko’s Westside Whimsy here.

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Sofia Camara has announced a new six-track EP, Still Somewhere Here, which will be released on October 9. The announcement arrives alongside the new single “Hallucinating,” which is out now and explores the realization that someone once considered out of reach may feel the same way.

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Camara wrote “Hallucinating” from the perspective of someone who had previously felt invisible to her, shifting the point of view away from her own experience. Across Still Somewhere Here, she revisits past relationships, memories and earlier versions of herself, with songs addressing love, heartbreak, accountability and self-forgiveness. The project follows Hard to Love, which Camara described as coming from a more openly angry place. “There was a lot of anger in Hard to Love, and I think this EP is more about what comes after that,” she said. “You can be healed from what happened and still think about it. You don’t have to pack every memory away perfectly to move forward. Sometimes you can look back, feel nostalgic and still be at peace with where you are now.”

The EP follows a summer in which Camara performed at All Things Go, Rock in Rio Lisboa, Pinkpop, Montreux Jazz Festival and Lollapalooza Berlin. She also appeared as support for Bastille at a sold-out show at Cardiff Castle, adding to a run of performances across North America and Europe.

Born in Portugal and raised in Toronto, Camara has accumulated more than 235 million streams worldwide. Her earlier releases include “Who Do I Call Now? (Hellbent)” and “Girls Like You,” the latter of which reached the Top 5 at Canadian radio and spent more than 20 weeks on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. She has also shared stages with artists including Stevie Nicks, Alex Warren and Alessia Cara.

Listen to Sofia Camara’s “Hallucinating” here.

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FLO have released a new remix project with Grammy-winning DJ and producer Honey Dijon following the British trio’s first headline tour of Asia. THERAPY AT THE CLUB: Club Therapy with Honey Dijon is out now via EMI and features Dijon’s reworkings of eight songs from FLO’s second album, Therapy At The Club.

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The project includes new versions of the singles “Don’t Break Her Heart” and “Therapy At The Club,” as well as album tracks “Pose” and “Small Doses.” FLO said their collaboration with Dijon followed time spent together in Ibiza, where the group attended one of her shows. “I loved working on them and giving the whole project my club and house edge,” Dijon said of the remixes.

Therapy At The Club became FLO’s second consecutive UK Top 5 album and delivered the group’s biggest first-week sales in the UK. Their 2024 debut, Access All Areas, reached No. 3, making FLO the first British R&B girl group to place each of their first two albums in the UK Top 5. The second album also gave the trio career-best chart positions and first-week sales in the US, France and Belgium, along with their first album chart entries in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

The original 16-track Therapy At The Club includes “Leak It,” FLO’s highest-charting solo single in the UK, alongside “Cry Ugly,” “Remedied” and “Don’t Break Her Heart.” FLO worked on the album with songwriters and producers including Amy Allen, Steph Jones, Julian Bunetta and Boy Matthews, while previous collaborators Skippz, Oak Felder and Sevyn Streeter also contributed. The title track received an early live airing during the trio’s NPR Tiny Desk performance.

Listen to FLO’s Club Therapy remix project here.

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Jhené Aiko has released her new album Westside Whimsy via ALLEL/Artclub/Def Jam Recordings. Six years in the making, the 20-track project is rooted in Aiko’s Los Angeles upbringing and features a guest lineup drawn from the city and wider West Coast.

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The album’s Los Angeles theme extends to its collaborations. Ab-Soul appears on “Love Bomb,” while Tyga joins Aiko on “Like, Whatever” and Larry June guests on “Neighbors.” Kendrick Lamar appears on “So Good,” reuniting with Aiko after earlier collaborations including “Growing Apart (To Get Closer)” and “Stay Ready (What a Life).” OHMA features on the album’s final track, “Golden Coast,” giving the record a California-focused finale. The five collaborations are spread across the 20-song sequence, leaving much of Westside Whimsy centered solely on Aiko.

Aiko offered more detail about the inspiration behind the project earlier this year, pointing to both ’90s music and California culture. “All the music of the ‘90s has really influenced me but especially West Coast car culture, surfing culture, beach, laidback,” she told Complex in April. “When I think of California, it’s just such a magical place and I love a good road trip and I’ve been doing them for many years.” Those references run alongside the album’s recurring focus on relationships and introspection, reflected in titles including “He Belongs,” “You,” “Don’t Be That Guy,” “Mine” and “I Don’t Mind.”

Westside Whimsy also arrives after an unusually brief formal rollout. Aiko announced the album on September 8, just days before its September 11 release, although she had been hinting at the title and concept for months. (She first teased the Westside Whimsy name in January through a collaboration with Erewhon.) The finished record is her first full-length studio album since 2020’s Chilombo.

Listen to Westside Whimsy here.

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Jae Stephens has shared two new singles, “I Miss The City” and “Gymnastics,” ahead of her debut album AUDACITY. The new project will arrive on September 25 via Def Jam Recordings.

The two tracks, which were officially debuted on Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, showcase two unique sides of Jae’s artistry. On “I Miss The City,” the Dallas-born artist finds herself lamenting the confines of a new relationship. The cut, produced by MNEK, features Stephens singing, “I miss the city when it’s late at night/ Sitting pretty, I should be outside/ I’m sick of feeling like my hands are tied/ Baby, all I do/ Is pretend that this is for me.”

On “Gymnastics,” Stephens evades relationships with humor and clever songwriting. The Dallas Caton-produced song features the singer teasing, “Can’t trap me, baby, watch me do gymnastics/ Thought he had me, then I hit him with a backflip/ One plus one equals run, it’s mathematics/ Leave them easy, yeah, I’ve had a lot of practice.”

Regarding the new tracks Stephens explained, “[‘I Miss The City’] is the sweet spot of the album. The instrumental feels light-hearted and endearing while the lyrics paint a darker picture of a bored city girl desperate for freedom from the mundane. Duality!

“[‘Gymnastics’] is the part of the album where I finally say the quiet part out loud: maybe I’m the problem! Rather than apologizing for my avoidant tendencies, I own them unapologetically and deliver my best backhanded apology in true melodramatic fashion.”

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The new singles follow the recently-released “Sugar Trap,” which is also set to be included on AUDACITY. The LP follows a prolific run of EPs for the artist, including Sellout (2024), Sellout II (2025), and Total Sellout (2025).

In a 2025 interview with Clash, Stephens spoke about how her mentality has changed and the seriousness with which she releases music. “I’ve had three babies this year, back to back to back. It was mentally a lot just to purge all that, figure out the rollout, the release, how people respond,” she said. “It’s a whole process. I used to just be like, I like this song, I’ll put it out. I didn’t even know what streaming numbers were. Now it’s like night and day.”

Listen to “I Miss The City” and “Gymnastics” here.

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Australian-Filipino singer and songwriter VITA has revealed that her forthcoming album OPIA will be released on September 25 via Interscope Records.

To celebrate the news of the album, VITA has also unveiled a new track from the album, “SINGLE,” which was produced by Naz and Leven Kali. The triumphant alt-pop track is highlighted by VITA’s electrifying vocals and a percussive instrumental backdrop. Hard-hitting synths and drums provide a backdrop for VITA to reckon with love in the modern age.

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When the track shifts into an uptempo dance cut, built for nights in the club, VITA sings: “Faithful to this heart of mine/ I’m the only one I could cheat/ I can only see through my eyes/ And it’s all romantic to me.” During the chorus, VITA adds: “I wasn’t built for a singular love/ Don’t run away from me singular love.” The track follows the first single teased from OPIA, entitled “PLEASER.”

The artist, who hails from Sydney, worked in close collaboration with Naz, who’s been her longtime producer and serves as OPIA’s creative director. The vision they’ve cooked up together exists beyond the record, like on Instagram, where VITA has been unveiling short-form visuals that offer up a behind the scenes look at the identity of the project.

In an interview with Mido-Media, VITA explained: “I’m really genuinely psychotic about [studying the character]. I wanted the character to represent the performance… so far away from what I am in real life, that when people meet me they won’t even necessarily recognize me.”

This vision informs OPIA, which is inspired by the idea of looking into another person’s eyes and gathering all of the feelings that come from that experience.

Listen to VITA’s “SINGLE” here.

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