Microfest 2026
Courtesy of Desert Hearts
Cardi B wants you in the club this summer. The Bronx native returned with her first single of the year on Friday (July 31), as “Ah Ha” arrived on streaming services at midnight ET.
The Bardi Gang went into a frenzy when Cardi previewed the hard-hitting single on Monday (July 27), which saw her rapping while taking a stroll on the beach in a Dominican Republic flag bikini.
Looking to capitalize on the buzz and momentum, Cardi and Atlantic Records didn’t waste any time setting a release date for the catchy single, which the Grammy-winning artist officially announced on Wednesday (July 29).
“A n—a can’t trap me, I won’t keep it/ B—es really hate me, so be it/ Bathroom floors and these hoes both heated/ It goes three, two, to the one in this b—h/ I’ll give a hoe exactly what she want in this b—h,” she raps on the new song.
Cardi also dissed Donald Trump on the track. “Black trucks at the club look like Trump in this b—h, f–k him/ A hoe never played with me once in this b—h,” she spews.
Even without any new music prior to “Ah Ha,” Cardi has been booked and busy so far this year. She kicked off 2026 with the Little Miss Drama Tour, which served as her first headlining North American trek. The 33-year-old also came in at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hottest Female Rappers list for the first half of 2026.
It’s unclear if “Ah Ha” is the launch of a new era or a one-off release. Cardi’s sophomore album, Am I the Drama?, arrived in September 2025 and topped the Billboard 200.
Stream “Ah Ha” below.
Like flowers from a tomb, Ariana Grande‘s new album has found its way to us.
Led by her 10th Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” Petal — the eighth studio album from the Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated superstar — arrives a little over halfway through her ongoing, arena-headlining Eternal Sunshine Tour.
With Grande handling lyrics by her lonesome and co-executive producing alongside longtime collaborator Ilya, Petal finds the pop juggernaut shape-shifting into a darker, more guitar-driven sound that builds on the ethereal glimmer of 2024’s Eternal Sunshine and its 2025 Brighter Days Ahead deluxe tracks. After spending her last record processing the dissolution of her marriage and the subsequent emergence of a new love, Grande uses Petal to survey the two years since Eternal Sunshine — and it’s pretty much a manicured middle finger aimed directly at the public.
From her hair and weight to her romantic life and vocal preservation techniques, Grande is constantly at the center of vicious public discourse. Things came to a head during the unfairly derailed Wicked: For Good press run, with heaps of misogyny (specifically misogynoir in the case of co-star Cynthia Erivo), feigned concern from armchair medical experts and an unwarranted nitpicking of Grande’s mere existence doing their best to define the final month of a key chapter of her career.
Petal finds Grande not just directly addressing the precarious relationship between her celebrity and person — as she so deftly does on the excellent title track — but also celebrating the first signs of new life born out of particularly volatile periods like 2025. Some of that new life (petals in the pavement, if you will) looks like a rejuvenated perspective on privacy, maturation and the beautiful unknown of the path not chosen (“Freak”), and other parts of that new life are anchored by a sense of self that’s stronger than ever because it embraces and cherishes all of its past iterations (“Never Get Over Me”).
Fans of Dangerous Woman and Thank U, Next will feel right at home with Petal, as the 12-track set effortlessly balances straightforward pop bangers (“Stay”) with quippy, candid songwriting (“Oh Well”). Intro track “Kiss Me” helps establish an undertone of shoegaze that courses through nearly every track, including moodier garage-indebted moments like “Nowhere, Nobody” and the rollicking pop-rock energy of “Bad Thing (Bunny Hop),” a spiritual successor to “The Boy Is Mine.” Where earlier albums had moments that felt as though Grande was acting out a caricature of her pop persona; Petal seems to emerge from somewhere much more grounded, which allows Grande to sneak in meaningful personal revelations in between genuinely hilarious digs.
But that’s not to say Positions fans don’t get some love, too. “Big Feelings” is another instant standout thanks to its sultry R&B groove, and “Like I Do” recalls the dramatic darkness of mixtape-era The Weeknd. Petal somehow simultaneously sounds like nothing Grande’s ever made before while still clearly nodding to virtually all seven of her other studio albums — and that’s what she’s been trying to get across ever since she sang, “Cause I’m still the same, but only entirely different” on “Hampstead” last year. And for what it’s worth, if you missed the questionable-yet-charming enunciation of pre-Wicked Grande, you’ll be all set with Petal.
Even when her immaculate tone and sense of melody are the only saving grace for, at times, underdeveloped lyrics, Grande fully commits to the concept of Petal; her vocal performances brim with ever-so-slightly reserved hope that stands on a foundation of trauma-induced survival mode. But she’s also angry here — far past annoyed and almost downright irate — and rightfully taking up the space to get snarky. Where Eternal Sunshine felt warm, Petal is really, really cold. Grande’s no damsel, and that tenacity is what continues to make her such a compelling pop star and artist. This is also an album clearly crafted to be performed live — perhaps more so than any of her previous LPs — which makes the era’s future all the more exciting.
Petal marks the official follow-up to Eternal Sunshine, Grande’s seventh studio album, which spent three weeks atop the Billboard 200, spawning two Hot 100 chart-toppers in “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” and winning the 2025 MTV Video Music Award for video of the year for her Christian Breslauer-helmed Brighter Days Ahead short film.
Check out Billboard’s preliminary ranking of every track on Ariana Grande’s Petal below.
Ariana Grande‘s eighth studio album has blossomed, with the pop star finally unveiling Petal — on which she allows herself to be angrier and more authentic than ever before — on Friday (July 31).
Hitting streaming services at midnight ET, the set features a total of 12 tracks, all but one of which fans hadn’t heard before. The only song Grande released as a single ahead of time was “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” which dropped in June and debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, marking the star’s 10th career No. 1 on the chart. She’d also posted snippets of the a cappella vocals from “Oh Well” and “Freak” on Instagram, as well as debuted the album’s phenomenal title track at an Eternal Sunshine show in Montreal.
Beyond the music itself, Grande also revealed before Petal‘s arrival that it was “written from a place … [of] unfiltered rage.” Upon the delivery of the full bouquet of songs, it’s clear that the previously unheard portions of the album definitely live up to that description, with the Wicked actress holding nothing back as she takes stock of her relationship to the public and the gossip about her personal life she’s faced for years.
The new album marks Grande’s latest since Eternal Sunshine, which dropped in 2024 and spent three weeks atop the Billboard 200, spawning two Hot 100 No. 1 hits: “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).” Last year, she treated fans to a deluxe version of the LP featuring five brand new songs accompanied by a short film.
The Grammy winner is now more than halfway done with her Eternal Sunshine trek, the rest of which may or may not feature additional Petal tracks incorporated into the setlist. After closing out the tour with a 10-night stay at the O2 Arena in London, she’ll prepare for the promotional cycle of her next acting project, Focker-in-Law, which premieres in November, after which she’ll star alongside Jonathan Bailey in a West End production of Sunday in the Park With George in 2027.
Listen to Petal below.
After pressing pause on its flagship festival for 2026, Desert Hearts is making a smaller-scale return this fall.
The dance music collective has announced Microfest, a new five-day gathering set for the beginning of October at Deloro Valley in Northern California. This comeback is designed to encapsulate the intimate ambience that helped launch Desert Hearts more than a decade ago, and it’s meant to bring fans back to the community-focused dancefloors that first defined the brand.
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This announcement comes after the pause of Desert Hearts Festival 2026, the news of which was shared in an Instagram post this past November. The crew’s statement read that “After 13 years of magic, love, and dancing under the stars, we’ve made the tough call to pause Desert Hearts Festival in 2026. This isn’t goodbye – but it’s time to reset, refocus, and rebuild so the heartbeat of DH can keep going strong for years to come.”
With today’s news, Desert Hearts has kept their promise to come back better than ever, with the Microfest lineup featuring house and techno veterans alongside longtime Desert Hearts favorites. DJ Minx, Stacey Pullen, Danny Daze, Doc Martin, Justin Martin, DJ Holographic, Kevin Knapp, Shaded (Live), Toy Tonics (Barbara Boeing & Cody Currie) and Life On Planets are among the artists scheduled to perform, with Desert Hearts founders Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs and Porky also taking the stage throughout the weekend.
Additional performances will come from B Rose, Brunch Life, Caleb Jackson, Groovewell, Issac Carter, Jake Mora, Justin Campbell, Maitreya, Rob Grega, Sprout, Stacy Christine and Techno Tupac. See the complete lineup below.
The lineup reveal also arrives alongside new music from the collective’s founders. Mikey Lion, Marbs and Lee Reynolds have released “A Place For Us” under their newly unified Desert Hearts artist project, with the song reflecting the sense of connection and belonging that has long been central to the Desert Hearts community.
Microfest takes place Oct. 1-5 in Deloro Valley, Calif. Tickets are available now.
Everyone loves a good song about being cool, confident and comfortable in your own skin — but sometimes, what we really need is an anthem that captures what it’s like to feel the opposite.
Most people — albeit some more than others — have experienced moments of feeling like the odd one out, whether it’s envy for others who seem to be effortlessly popular, awkwardness in social settings or alienations when no one else seems to share your same interests. Even some of music’s biggest artists have felt that way, sparking a number of iconic songs by the likes of Taylor Swift, Echosmith and Olivia Rodrigo on the topic that perfectly encapsulate the experience of not fitting in, no matter how hard you might try.
But as many of those stars can also attest, it’s not always a negative thing to march to the beat of your own drum. Rather than yearning to be like everyone else, stars such as Pink, Jimmy Eat World and Lorde — not to mention the cast of Glee, a show that’s practically dedicated to this theme — have blessed the world with musical odes to celebrating one’s individuality and embracing labels such as “loser,” “dork” or “freak” rather than shying away from them. In their eyes, being “uncool” is, well, cool — and Billboard happens to agree.
That’s why we’ve assembled a list of songs handpicked by staff that are all about being the opposite of status quo. From Beck to Bob Dylan, Wheatus to Weezer and more, keep reading to see our 21 favorite songs about straying from the norm below.
Shaboozey’s Outlaws era is in full swing, with a new album out Friday (July 31) and a major tour getting underway in September.
Night owls just got a ride with “Cowgirl,” and a good look at Ciara Miller.
Shaboozey stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday evening to perform the lively song in a set dressed up like a faded Wild West saloon, and recreated from the official music video.
Miller, the star of Bravo’s Summer House, appeared in the promo, which was directed by Logan Meis and Shaboozey and dropped last month. For the late night spot, she reprises her “Cowgirl” role, and enjoys a dance with her leading man.
“Cowgirl” is the followup to the April release “Born To Die,” both lifted from Shaboozey’s forthcoming concept album The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales.
The collection is a Western portrait, a country tale told with Americana, hip-hop, and pop, recounting a “tragic, mythic story of vengeance, love, and transformation,” reads a statement. It’s said to unfold like a Western film, told in chapters with narration, skits, and cinematic transitions.
The main character is Cheri Lee, a woman shaped by violence and driven by loss. On her travels, she falls for an outlaw, which provides her with entry into the world that she’s trying to destroy. It’s complicated, and the story takes a bloody turn, leaving our hero with some big calls to make.
Released through EMPIRE, The Outlaw Cherie Lee is the successor to his breakout 2024 project Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going. Shaboozey is responsible for one of the biggest hits of the streaming era with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which set a new benchmark by spending more time at No. 1 on Billboard’s Radio Songs chart than any song before it and spending 19 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.
Shaboozey’s Outlaws Never Die Tour starts Sept. 8 at Arizona Financial Theatre.
Check out his late-night performance of “Cowgirl” below.
The White House has gone on the offensive after Noah Kahan criticized president Donald Trump for using his music in social media propaganda.
The brewing beef stems from the administration’s videos and photos posted to TikTok and Instagram cued to Kahan’s song “American Cars” from his fourth studio album, the Billboard 200 No. 1 LP The Great Divide, all part of an exercise to celebrate Trump’s visit to a Michigan auto plant this week where the POTUS touted cars made in America.
The 29-year-old Vermont-bred singer and songwriter wasn’t thrilled by the situation. “Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration,” the “Stick Season” artist wrote write in comments on Instagram, where the sound appears to have been disabled. Kahan’s comment on Monday’s (July 27) post has more than 53,500 likes, and upwards of 840 comments.
Kahan’s frequent cowriter and the co-author of “American Cars,” guitarist Noah Levine, vented with his own comment on the Instagram post, writing, “You fat f— this song isn’t for you.” Levine’s comment has since been wiped, an action that was spotted my numerous users.
The song, however, continues to accompany the White House TikTok from the event, where it plays as Trump is signing a white Corvette while visiting the General Motors proving grounds in Milford, Mich.
Trump’s team isn’t holding back. Kaelan Dorr, who holds several titles with the Trump administration, including principal deputy communications director, retweeted Variety’s post on Kahan’s comments, and offering some of his own. “Symptoms of TDS,” a reference to Trump Derangement Syndrome, “apparently include having a northern attitude.”
It’s worth pointing out that Kahan’s recordings are available for use as part of the public Instagram library following a 2024 pact between the Universal Music Group and Meta (parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Horizon, Threads and WhatsApp).
Kahan is a member of a large, and growing roster of acts who have spoken out against Trump using their music in campaign and administration hype videos, a list that includes Beyoncé, Adele, Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Jack White/White Stripes, Kenny Loggins, Neil Young, Olivia Rodrigo, and Rihanna.
There’s no stopping Queen on YouTube.
The British rock juggernaut enters the streaming platform’s Billion Views Club for a second time, as “Don’t Stop Me Now” crosses the threshold this week.
Housed on the 1978 album Jazz, “Don’t Stop Me Now” was a minor U.S. hit on its release as a single the following year, peaking at No. 86 on the Hot 100. On the other side of the Atlantic, the tune crashed the U.K. top 10, peaking at No. 9 on the Official Singles Chart.
In the decades that followed, “Don’t Stop” has enjoyed several new lives through film, TV and ad placements, including commercials for Toyota, Silk almond milk, Amazon, Pfizer, L’Oreal, a trailer for American Idol and the 2004 horror-comedy Shaun Of The Dead.
In 2005, viewers of the British TV show Top Gear ranked “Don’t Stop Me Now” as the “Greatest Driving Song of All Time,” and the following year, pop-rock group McFly topped the U.K. singles chart with a bright cover. Katy Perry, The Vandals and Glee have all covered the cut.
“Don’t Stop Me Now” appears on Queen’s 1981 Greatest Hits collection, the all-time best-selling album in the United Kingdom, where it has racked up 1,216 weeks (and counting) in the Official Albums Chart Top 100, and the track enjoyed another burst of energy with the blockbuster success of the Rami Malek-starring Bohemian Rhapsody from 2018, a global sensation that set the high mark for the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time.
Queen was first crowned in the Billion Views Club with the music video for their ‘70s classic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which reached the milestone back in July 2019.
Watch the official music video for Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” below.
Sam Smith is writing a new chapter for their love story.
The Grammy-winning singer disclosed in a new interview with The New York Times that they’re engaged to fashion designer Christian Cowan, sharing the heartwarming news just days after releasing the latest single, “Oh Mother” feat. The TwoCity Chorus, off of their forthcoming fifth studio album, Hazel Eyes.
Smith confirmed that Cowan is now their fiancé while looking back on the relationship that inspired much of the album, due Aug. 21 via Capitol Records. They revealed that “Everlasting Love,” another track from Hazel Eyes, was first written the night before the couple’s first date. It wasn’t until the relationship began to blossom that the song was completed. The album’s title is also a nod to Cowan, whose hazel-colored eyes inspired its name.
The upcoming project follows 2023’s Gloria, which reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and featured megahit “Unholy” with Kim Petras that peaked No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 2022. Across their career, Smith has earned 7 top 10 hits on the Hot 100, including the No. 2-peaking breakthrough ballad “Stay With Me,” while 2017’s The Thrill of It All debuted atop the Billboard 200.
Elsewhere in the interview, Smith speaks vulnerably about the process of making Hazel Eyes outside the traditional pop songwriting system, collaborating with a close-knit group of creatives (including indie singer-songwriter Feist) to make what they describe as a more personal and creatively freeing project.
Though songs on Hazel Eyes explore everything from the joy of finding lasting love to heartbreak and healing, Smith said they intentionally held onto the emotional contradictions that tend to come with happiness. “I feel all types of things all the time,” Smith told The Times. “In my happiest moments, I can get really sad.”
The singer also reflected on crafting openly queer love songs at a time when LGBTQ+ rights continue to face challenges, explaining why celebrating love is meaningful in itself.
“For me, there’s something radical about being queer in this time, in this world and singing love songs,” Smith said. “I’m not going to allow the poison that I read and that I see to affect my way of loving.”
Hazel Eyes is set for release Aug. 21.
This year has already been a jam-packed for Cardi B, and now she’s set to release her first single since 2025’s Am I the Drama?
After previewing the single “Ah Ha” on Monday (July 27), the overwhelmingly positive reception from the Bardi Gang pushed Cardi and Atlantic Records to slap a release date on the single, which is slated to hit streaming services on Friday (July 31). “Meet me at the club,” Cardi captioned the IG post announcing the release date.
On “Ah Ha,” Cardi delivers a catchy chorus, which finds her repeating the song’s title, and then goes on to snipe at her opps and the men after her.
“A n—a can’t trap me, I won’t keep it/ B—es really hate me, so be it/ Bathroom floors and these hoes both heated/ It goes threee, two, to the one in this b—h/ I’ll give a hoe exactly what she want in this b—h,” she raps.
The 33-year-old rapper even disses Donald Trump on the track, which she’s had no problem doing when speaking out against the president publicly in the past.
“Black trucks at the club look like Trump in this b—h, f–k him/ A hoe never played with me once in this b—h,” she continues.
The hard-hitting single’s cover art shows Cardi posing in the same Dominican Republic-themed flag bikini she wore on the beach in the initial track teaser video.
Cardi hopped on IG Live on Tuesday (July 28) to clear up any confusion surrounding the “a n—a can’t trap me bar,” which fans believed was a shot at ex-boyfriend Stefon Diggs.
“I know exactly how I felt when I said that s–t. I could have a baby with a n—a, but that’s the issue,” she said. “You could have a baby with a n—a, and sometimes n—as think that because you have a baby with them or you gonna keep a baby or you have a baby that you won’t move the f–k on or you’ll stay there taking s–t. Nah, b—h, I’ll take my baby and get the f–k on. That’s for sure. Like nah, b—h, a baby ain’t trapping me b—h.”
Cardi kicked off the Little Miss Drama Tour in February, which served as her first headlining North American trek. She’s continued to remain outside since Am I the Drama?‘s arrival in September 2025, which topped the Billboard 200.
Check out a teaser of “Ah Ha” and the single’s cover art below.