Since debuting on Aug. 8, 2016, BLACKPINK has been busy not only making music, but repeatedly collecting accolades. Besides climbing the charts with the group’s well-received releases and catchy tunes, the quartet of LISA, JENNIE, ROSÉ and JISOO has been raking in numerous firsts as an all-female K-pop group beloved all over the world.
Billboard charts records? Check! First K-pop girl group to not only perform at Coachella, but first Asian act to headline the festival? Done! New Guinness World Records? Yep! Surpassing Justin Bieber in YouTube subscribers? You know it! Becoming the first artist to surpass 100 million subscribers on the video platform? Yep! And that’s just several of the notable accomplishments the four ladies of BLACKPINK have notched on their belts in just a few short years. Even more impressive? Many of those achievements came about even before their debut studio album — titled The Album — arrived in October 2020.
“It’s very surprising to us. All the records are the results of our fans, BLINKs, and their unconditional support,” Jennie told Grammy.com of the group’s success in September 2020. “Every day we try to acknowledge how grateful we are, but more than the pressure, we are ready to give them back as much as they gave us. It just gives us more motivation to go further than we ever dreamed of.”
And BLACKPINK is primed to knock down even more records after they regrouped in 2025 to embark on the DEADLINE World Tour, followed by the release of album DEADLINE in 2026, all after taking some time apart to pursue solo projects.
As the global K-pop superstar group marks a decade since its 2016 debut with single album Square One — which features “Whistle” and “Boombayah” — see what BLACKPINK has managed to accomplish together thus far as a quartet.
Gracie Abrams and Paul Mescal have one of the buzziest romances in the entertainment industry, with the couple’s history going back years before they first stepped out in public together in 2024.
Even before the singer-songwriter became one of the biggest names in pop music, the Irish actor was a documented fan of her music — but more on that later. In the years since they first interacted online, they’ve both worked hard on building their careers and rising to the top of their respective fields, with Abrams charting a number of hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and Mescal starring in major blockbusters such as Aftersun, All of Us Strangers and Gladiator II. As for their personal lives, the California native was briefly linked to DJ Hayes Bradely, while Mescal was in a longterm relationship with — and reportedly engaged to — singer Phoebe Bridgers.
Though they chose to keep their relationship totally out of public view for the first year or so, Abrams and Mescal eventually started to feel more comfortable attending events together and sharing adorable photos with each other on social media. The “That’s So True” artist has also been open about the fact that she and the Normal People alum share a cozy home together in London filled with musical instruments, where Mescal has spent time perfecting his portrayal of Paul McCartney for Sam Mendes’ upcoming Beatles biopic. (“He’s like an alien,” Abrams told Rolling Stone of her boyfriend’s ability to learn left-handed bass for the role. “He’s better at guitar backwards than I have been at guitar my whole life.”)
Keep reading to see an updating timeline of Abrams and Mescal’s relationship below.
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to New Music Friday’s most essential releases each week — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
Last week, we featured Ariana Grande, Cardi B, Shaboozey, Slayyyter and more.
This week: Latin superstar Karol G releases her sixth studio album amid her current stadium tour; rising pop artist Role Model drops his anticipated third album; and British R&B trio FLO shares its second album… plus much more. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Karol G, No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto
Karol G’s highly-anticipated new album is a complete mood shift from her uplifting and vibrant Tropicoqueta set released in 2025. On the 14-track project, which translates to “I don’t regret feeling so much,” the Colombian singer unlocks a new intimate and stripped-down era where she’s vulnerable, in her feels and embracing all of her emotions. For her sixth studio album, she reeled in notable collaborators including with Drake on “Ahí,” Bruno Mars on “Still,” Judeline and Rusowsky on “Bby Wow” and Greg Gonzalez of Cigarettes After Sex on album closer “Después de Ti.” The set is also home to the provocative perreo “Matadora,” which debuted at No. 3 on the Hot Latin Songs chart dated Aug. 8. — JESSICA ROIZ
Role Model, Chuck Timely & The Hourglass
Inspired by the concept of time — particularly, it passing you by as you enter your 30s — Role Model’s latest project is full of musings on marriage (“The Wedding”), the power of a positive attitude (“High Hopes,” “Joy”) and continuing to trust in the process through it all (“Harmony”). The album builds on the harmonies and introspective songwriting that that Role Model honed on his second album, 2024’s Kansas Anymore — and while that album’s deluxe included his breakout smash, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out,” he’s not aiming for a follow-up hit here (or, if he is, he’s rather subtle about it). Rather, the album feels like a fully-realized snapshot of where he’s at in life right now, and for anyone about to enter or already in the throes of their third decade here, you’ll be nodding along to more than just the beat of these 12 songs. — LYNDSEY HAVENS
FLO, Therapy at the Club
How do you follow up a Grammy-nominated debut album that solidified your trio as the buzziest R&B girl group in years on both sides of the pond? With an album like Therapy at the Club. FLO’s swanky sophomore effort finds the British three-piece of Renée, Stella and Jorja expanding their late ‘90s-early ‘00s R&B foundation with notes of ‘80s synth pop and features from Juicy J and kwn. There are a few more weeks to live out the ideal messy party night this summer, and FLO just dropped the perfect soundtrack. — KYLE DENIS
Stray Kids, “This & That”
THIS & THAT is Stray Kids tenth mini album and, as its title suggests, the famed South Korean boy band delivers a little bit of everything across its eight tracks. The title song in particular is a standout for its hard-hitting, booming beat that carries the earned yet boastful lyrics about how “Everything I do, multiply it by two.” That applies to the group’s work ethic as well, with Hyunjin and Bang Chan stating on the chorus: “I’ma rip a show and then hit the studio/ I do this and that, this and that.” Elsewhere, Stray Kids explores dance-pop on “After You,” showcases its softer-side on “Way Out” and delivers a riff-driven alt-pop gem with “Back Then.” Here, a little bit of everything sure sounds good. — L.H.
Sam Smith, “When He’s Gone”
As soaring singer-songwriter Sam Smith continues to tease his upcoming fifth album, Hazel Eyes (out Aug. 21), his latest single offers a glimpse into the direction he’s headed — and it’s perfectly haunting. “When He’s Gone” spotlights Smith’s lower register in a gorgeous and enticing manner, as he sings of the downfall of a relationship — and how it feels to be the one holding on. “When he’s walking out on me/ He takes everything I need/ My whole world’s broken when he’s gone,” he sings over a Western-inspired plucked guitar and the harmony of a cautionary choir willing him to let go. Yet, by the song’s end, it seems he isn’t ready just yet, singing: “If he stays with me tonight, I promise I’ll be better.” — L.H.
Stella Lefty, “Lean In, Kiss Me”
Fresh off a packed performance at Chicago’s Lollapalooza and as her breakout smash “Boston” continues to hold strong on the charts, rising country-pop artist Stella Lefty’s latest is an ode to first kiss butterflies — specifically, the kind that come with taking a friendship to new territory. Or, in Stella’s case here, simply suggesting to. “It’s just another Friday night/ Was bound to happen one of these times,” she sings before asking, “Tell me if I spoke too soon/ But I kinda want you in my room/ Do I make you wanna make a move?” And while the song ends before she gets her answer, for those plugged into her real life relationship with Vincent Mason, it seems like things worked out just fine. — L.H.
Alex Warren, “Rescuer”
As Alex Warren continues to tease his upcoming second album, Wildchild (out Aug. 28), his singles seem to fall into two camps: there’s the high-energy “Fever Dream” and uptempo “Passenger” and then the more contemplative, downtempo “Fine Place To Die” and latest release “Rescuer.” The lattermost sounds and feels like a close cousin to his breakout mega-hit “Ordinary,” with a familiar riff and similar subject matter. Only here, instead of remarking on how his love takes him out of the ordinary, he reckons with wanting to stay in that bliss: “Out of exile, into your hands/ Your arms are my promised land.” – L.H.
Stray Kids’ fans are said to be the happiest in the music community. With the release of mini album THIS & THAT, their STAYS should be bouncing off the walls.
The eight-track collection dropped at the stroke of midnight and opens with the anthemic digital single “RUN IT,” written and produced by the group’s in-house production unit 3RACHA (Bang Chan, Changbin, and HAN).
Arriving in June of this year, the song “tells a story of growth from humble beginnings to a journey that expands from ‘Seoul to the world,’” reads a statement from the K-pop act. “It expresses our determination to overcome challenges and limitations and ultimately move forward to victory.”
It’s fair to say, those challenges and limitations have been drop-kicked into touch. And records have been trashed along the path.
All eight of the outfit’s Billboard 200 chart entries have debuted at No. 1, beginning with the mini-album ODDINARY in 2022. In 2024, when HOP debuted atop the list, Stray Kids became the first act to debut at the summit with their first six entries in the 69-year history of the chart. They’ve extended that feat with the chart-topping bows of KARMA and DO IT.
With that streak intact, their trophy cabinet is impressively stacked. Along the way, the singers have collected Top K-Pop Album at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, group of the year at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards and K-pop album of the year at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
And after the release of 2025 mixtape SKZ IT TAPE DO IT, Stray Kids became the artist with the most RIAA Gold album certified K-pop act in history.
Another world tour is underway, one that will will see the lads become the first K-pop act to perform at and headline Rock in Rio Brazil festival next month.
Hold on, there’s more.
The South Korean boy band this year launch STRAYCITY, a series of live performances across Argentina, Colombia and Mexico that comes in addition to Rock in Rio. It’s set to kick off Sept. 9 at the Vive Claro Distrito Cultural in Bogotá and wrap in Mexico City’s renowned Estadio GNP Seguros on Sept. 25.
For Stray Kids’ fanbase, it’s all gravy. According to a study of “happiest” followers, published this week by The Action Network, Stray Kids are said to “radiate the most joy online,” leading the study by a three-point margin, based on 1.5 million-plus comments across 106 music subreddits.
Will THIS & THAT extend the chart streak? Stream it in full below.
After finally squashing things with J. Cole over a lawsuit that stemmed from a verse for an interview exchange that took forever to happen, Cam’ron is now adding unnamed members of Cardi B‘s team to his hit list.
During a recent episode of his REVOLT talk show Talk With Flee, in which he and his co-hosts were recapping the show’s first season, Cam had a segment titled “People Gotta Leave Flee Alone!” where the Harlem rapper-turned-media personality had a message for certain people on Cardi’s team. Apparently, they had reached out to Killa a couple of years ago for a verse and a hook for a remake of his 2000 hit “What Means the World to You,” similar to how the Bronx rapper flipped Jay-Z‘s “Imaginary Players” on her sophomore album Am I the Drama? Cam agreed in exchange for an interview, similar to deal he made with J. Cole that was mentioned earlier.
However, once the album’s track list dropped, he noticed that his feature wasn’t included, so he reached back out to ask for either the interview or to be compensated for his time, but was told that they decided to scrap the remake due to the lukewarm response to her Jigga flip. “I called them and I’m like, ‘Yo, what’s up? What happened? Y’all harassed me for two years about this.’ [They said,] ‘The younger people loved it, but some people didn’t like her flowing on a ‘90s beat on ‘Imaginary Playerz,’ so we tried to stay away from that.’”
Earlier in the segment, he made sure to say that he had no issues with Cardi, and he reiterated that sentiment again by saying he doesn’t blame her, just the people on her team that he was allegedly dealing with. “I’m not putting this on Cardi,” he said. “Cardi might not even know this sh–. I’m just saying, the people around her is making promises on her behalf, and she might not even notice. So you gotta stop making promises on these artists’ behalf, and they don’t know.”
Cam then continued by issuing the team members in question a warning that he would be willing to disclose personal risqué information if he doesn’t get his money or his interview.
“Take this as a warning,” he threatened. “Send that paper through for my time, or I’mma tell how you like to be on all fours, and your ass tickled with — pause — ‘cause I know a girl [who’s] with you. … I’m gonna put your text messages up. … I was disgusted when I seen it. … [But] I was like, ‘Yes God, you sent this to me to get back at these n—as.’ … The next show is your text messages.”
He also suggested that he may air out people with bad business practices each week.
You can watch the full episode of Talk With Flee below.
It’s a love sensation, indeed, with the first-ever collaborative release from pop divas Madonna and Kylie Minogue. The pair on Thursday (Aug. 6) released the “Love Sensation (Afterhours Radio Edit)” and Love Sensation (Afterhours Mix),” two new versions of “Love Sensation” from Madonna’s July album Confessions II.
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Helmed by Stuart Price, who also produced the album, the remixes present two different versions of the song, with the “Afterhours Radio Edit” maintaining many elements of the original while adding Minogue’s take on the second verse, for which she perfectly matches and compliments Madonna’s vocal tone. This edit comes in at three minutes and 35 seconds, seven seconds shorter than the original.
The “Afterhours Mix,” meanwhile, is a significant departure from the original, with Price creating a steamy, thumping build before introducing Madonna’s vocals, adding an extended, churning middle section and then layering in vocals from Minogue. The song forays into lush, celestial territory via repeated vocal samples that Price gives heft to by adding increasingly urgent percussion, until the whole thing breaks wide open into pop paradise at the five minute, 15 second mark. This one has a total run time of six minutes and 14 seconds.
Listen to both remixes below.
The project was announced earlier this week after Madonna and Minogue performed together during WorldPride Amsterdam 2026. Here, Madonna performed a 30-minute set at Amsterdam’s AFAS Live that featured a rare live collaboration with the Australian pop superstar.
The collaboration comes after “Love Sensation” reached No.1 on Dance Airplay last week, clocking another victory for the massive album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in July. The achievement made Madonna the first act with a No. 1 album in the 2020s and three other decades.
Kid Cudi wants to give a few fans the chance of a lifetime.
Cudder posted Wednesday about plans to craft a beat from scratch and let potential artists record whatever they deem to be their best work over it, and he would select a handful of the entrants to form a group.
“What if I made a beat, put it on soundcloud, let u guys rap/sing on it and then I choose the illest versions and make a group? Like a boy or girl pop group but hip hop and trippy,” he wrote. “Would yall like this? I’d sign u to my label Mad Solar and f— up the world together. If this gets 100k likes and 20k RT, Ill do it and help somebodies dreams come true. The future is yours.”
Cudi ended up amending his staggering requirement for 100,000 likes on the post to 2,000, which it blazed by and locked in the contest. The beat will be posted Friday and fans will have their chance to enter.
“Beat will be live on my soundcloud Friday by 6pm PST, boom get those night sessions set. When I post, I’ll leave a lil direction,” he added. “Ideas for what u should talk about. I dont want anybody talking about some bullshit. Real talk. Real emotion. Real feeling. I believe in you.”
The Ohio rapper detailed the standard of greatness he’s looking for when it comes to fans’ upcoming entires and Cudi admitted he’s going to be picky.
“Ok!!! Excited for Friday yall. I wanna let yall know, ima be very critical,” he continued. “Theres gonna be a lot of submissions, and im looking for someone who is polished and has a sound and feels original and also has a story and something to say. This will not be easy for u. Plus not many people can rap on my beats, theyre unique and different than what u usually hear in hip hop. So come correct yall. Ull have a week to cook. Then, Ill be checkin out what we got. Im working on a way for u to submit so dont even trip. News coming soon!”
Kid Cudi hit the road earlier this year and wrapped up his Rebel Ragers Tour in June. On the music side, his last album came with Free in 2025, which debuted at No. 192 on the Billboard 200.
Tyga isn’t denying the AI allegations.
The West Coast rapper talked to VIBE recently about his ’80s-inspired $tarface alter-ego and the self-titled album it spawned, which has been suspected of being produced with the help of artificial intelligence. The speculation is now over, as he’s admitted to utilizing AI music generator Suno for things like “’80s synths” and a “guitar solo.”
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“I’ve never spoken on this with anybody because I always felt like it’s similar to a magician explaining how he does his tricks. Like why are people over-explaining how they make sh– that’s good?” he said when asked directly if he used AI music programs like Suno and compared its current controversial usage to that of the use of Auto-Tune during the mid-2000s. “It’s supposed to give you an experience and a feeling. But we definitely used AI as a [tool],” he continued. “And I know people are going to be mad about me saying this, but it’s where technology is going. It’s no different than when Auto-Tune came out. Some people were opposed to it, but real artists took it and used it.”
He added: “But as far as the writing, all the vocals are all me. There’s nothing wrong with using technology as a tool.”
The AI allegations really started earlier this summer after Shoreline Mafia’s Fenix Flexin had everyone talking with his own ’80s-inspired single “RUBBERZ,” and then footage popped up on social media of he and Tyga in the studio recording a song titled “Lavish” that had those very same ’80s-pop-leaning synth elements.
However, according to Tyga, the two just so happened to be “experimenting” with this new sound at the same time. “Nah, we just did the ‘Lavish’ record. But when he came to the studio, I was already deep into working on my ‘80s-sounding music. I had already played him some stuff,” he replied after being asked if he and Fenix planned any of this. “So, when I saw what he was doing, I was like, ‘Oh, this is fire! We should do this record together because I see you on a similar wave. I think it was just cool to do, you know? We’re going to put the video out in a few weeks. The song just didn’t fit the aesthetic of the $tarface project. “
Melanie “Mel C” Chisholm had a surprisingly sporty attitude about two of her Spice Girls bandmates’ actions at her recent wedding to husband Chris Dingwall in England on July 18. Speaking to Sydney, Australia radio station KIIS 1065, Chisholm said, “It was amazing. It was perfect. My feet haven’t touched the ground, really, because we had a beautiful weekend with all our families and friends.”
But she also finally responded to the one question so many had about the elaborate nuptials at the Country House Cumbria in the Lake District: why wasn’t Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham there? After all, fellow Spice Girls Melanie “Mel C” Brown, Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell-Horner and Emma “Baby Spice” Bunton were all on hand.
“So Victoria was very disappointed to not be there. She was with David in New York and it was the football final, the World Cup,” Melanie C said of the Beckham’s attendance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place game that same day, where England defeated France 6-4. “She tried to get out of it. She isn’t the biggest football fan, she won’t mind me telling you, but the family were there and [husband] David [Beckham] had commitments being an ambassador for FIFA.”
It was all good, though, as fashion icon Beckham was there in spirit thanks to the “dream dress” she offered to make for the bride, an ivory slip dress with hand-stitched floral lace appliqués; Beckham also provided the “something borrowed” by lending Chisholm a dress for the couple’s earlier legal ceremony in the groom’s native Australia.
“I was actually having dinner with Melanie and asked her what she was up to,” Beckham told British Vogue last month. “She very casually told me she was leaving for Australia in two days and getting married! When I asked what she was wearing, she mentioned she had actually ordered one of my dresses but that it didn’t quite fit, and she didn’t have time to get it altered before leaving. I happened to have that exact dress in my own wardrobe and offered to lend it to her.”
Chisholm, 52, told the KIIS crew that though Beckham couldn’t be there, she checked in all day long. “Of course she made my gorgeous dress, and she was messaging me on the day. And I actually saw her when I was in Ibiza,” Chisholm said of her post-wedding DJing gig on the popular Mediterranean party island. “So we had a little catch up. So yeah, we were giving her updates and sending her pictures.”
She also responded to a question about Halliwell-Horner seemingly stealing her thunder by also wearing white at the wedding. “I did have a little chat with Geri because it is her favorite color,” Chisholm said, noting that Halliwell-Horner wears white “every day … But she had a beautiful floral dress on, and it was white. But I did have a little giggle with her about that.”
And, for the record, Chisholm did not play one Spice Girls song at the wedding. “There were several Spice Girls songs, come on now!” she laughed.
Chisholm released her ninth studio album, Sweat, in May.
Blue Note will open the doors to its first U.K. venue on Sept. 23, marking the legendary jazz club brand’s arrival in London with a headline residency from Grammy-winner Robert Glasper.
The 250-capacity venue, located in Covent Garden, will launch on what would have been jazz icon John Coltrane’s 100th birthday. Glasper will perform the club’s opening shows on Sept. 23 and 24 before returning for a seven-date stint later in the year (Nov. 13 – 27) as part of the venue’s inaugural program.
Pianist and record producer Glasper, whose last release was 2024 live album Keys To The City Volume One, has also been named creative ambassador for Blue Note London, a role that will see him help shape the artistic direction of the new club. “London has been a big supporter in my career from the very beginning, and I’ve always had so much respect for the musical culture of the U.K.,” he said in a statement.
“Starting this new club is about creating a space where jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and everything in between can meet, evolve, and surprise people.”
Other artists confirmed for the opening season include Erykah Badu, Jamie Cullum, jazz saxophonist Nubya Garcia, Yussef Dayes, Afrobeat collective KOKOROKO and east London singer and rapper Hak Baker, with additional acts to be announced.
Blue Note Entertainment Group has operated venues in cities including New York, Washington D.C., Sao Paulo, Los Angeles, Milan, Tokyo and Shanghai, but the London club represents its first U.K. outpost.
The main room will host two nightly performances at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., with the venue operating until 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Tickets for the first wave of shows go on general sale Aug. 14, following member and venue presales beginning Aug. 12. For further ticketing and line-up information, head to Blue Note London’s official website.
Tsion Bensusan, co-owner of Blue Note Entertainment Group, said: “Bringing Blue Note to London is something we’ve envisioned for many years, and opening our doors here marks one of the most significant milestones in our company’s history. Our hope is that Blue Note London becomes more than a venue – it becomes a home for musicians, a gathering place for the community and an integral part of London’s cultural landscape.”
Nick Lewis, Blue Note London’s director of music and programming, added: “Bringing Blue Note to London is a real landmark moment, not only for our team but for the city’s rich musical history. We’ll be welcoming some of the greatest jazz artists worldwide whilst shining a light on our exceptional emerging homegrown U.K. jazz scene which has been on fire in recent years!
“Audiences will experience the very best of jazz and adjacent genres, nightly in the heart of London. We look forward to making a significant and meaningful contribution to the U.K. live music scene.”