The 2025-26 awards season finally comes to a close at the Oscars next week (March 15), which means eleventh-hour controversies have been ricocheting across social media all weekend.
Doja Cat, who’s gearing up to bring her Tour Ma Vie world tour to Africa for two dates in Rwanda and South Africa, sounded off against Timothée Chalamet in a since-deleted TikTok. The Oscar-nominated Marty Supreme actor is facing intense backlash for his callous comments about the current state of ballet and opera in the public consciousness.
“It doesn’t matter if the industry is having a tough time at any time, which a lot of industries have a tough time,” she said. “Your industry has a tough time, my industry has a tough time. Doesn’t mean people don’t care about it. People care. The dancers care, the singers care, the audience cares.”
As Chalamet begins to dig himself out of that hole, Ye is readying the next major step in his Stateside comeback. The artist formerly known as Kanye West will perform at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on April 3, marking his first U.S. stadium show since 2021’s Free Larry Hoover benefit concert. The show, for which tickets went on sale Tuesday, will precede the release of Ye’s new Bully LP, which is slated to arrive on March 27 via Gamma.
In more disappointing news, the NBA has officially cancelled a buzzy, highly anticipated in-arena promotional night set to celebrate Magic City, Atlanta’s premier strip club, on March 16. The event was initially announced on Feb. 26, with the date coinciding with a match-up between the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic.
The promotional night was set to include a live pregame podcast taping featuring T.I., club founder Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney and principal owner Jami Gertz; a Tip halftime performance; limited-edition merchandise sold onsite and two special versions of the club’s signature lemon pepper wings. Now, the podcast taping has been canned, but T.I. will still bring “Let ‘Em Know” to halftime, and the Hawks will indeed serve wings. Unfortunately, the Magic City-Hawks hoodie will no longer be sold onsite.
Last summer, Billboard launched its inaugural strip club chart, tracking the top songs played monthly at four prominent Atlanta strip clubs. In the most recent update, Belly Gang Kushington & YKNIECE’s “Friend Do” remix retained its No. 1 position for a third consecutive month.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from an uplifting Nia Smith-Destin Conrad duet to another fiery linkup between Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
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Freshest Find: Nia Smith & Destin Conrad, “Tough”
In the past year, British soul singer Nia Smith has earned nominations at the Ivor Novello (rising star) and MOBO (best newcomer) Awards, and her new single, “Tough,” hopes to continue that momentum. Teaming up with Grammy-nominated R&B star Destin Conrad, Smith delivers a tender, piano-anchored rebuke of the notion that men (and, really, people in general) have to suppress their emotions in an effort to appear “Tough.” “You think you wanna be so tough, you know you got love to give/ Oh, but thinking you is tough is making it hard for us to live,” she sings plainly in the chorus, letting every word hang in the air over lush production from Jake Fridkis and Sir Nolan. With Conrad’s slinky voice delivering smooth riffs to boot, “Tough” just might be your newest obsession. — K.D.
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Ama & Brent Faiyaz, “Need It Bad”
Since departing Interscope Records and joining Brent Faiyaz’s ISO Supremacy in partnership with PULSE Records, Ama is set up for a grand reintroduction in 2026. The British singer tangos with Brent Faiyaz for the seductive “Need It Bad.” Faiyaz and Ama trade sultry verses as the Maryland native lets his carnal desires be known. The 27-year-old’s vocals might be sweet, but she’s direct in what she’s looking for if this fling is going to work out. Ama’s I Came Home Late follow-up can’t get here soon enough. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
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Bruiser Wolf feat. Payroll Giovanni, “Hater Not an Opp”
Produced by Sheefy Mcfly, Bruiser and Payroll’s styles complement each other in ways I didn’t think possible, and I think we need a whole tape of these two Detroit playas talking that fly s—t. Be sure to tap in with the Wolf’s upcoming project, Push & Paint, due out later this week. — ANGEL DIAZ
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Sleepy Hallow & Sheff G, “Baby I”
On “Baby I,” Sleepy Hallow and Sheff G balance vulnerability with street survival, reflecting on the emotional pressure that comes with transformative success. Produced by Great John, the new single finds Sleepy admitting that even though people rely on him, he often feels mentally drained. “Feel like I owe you for all the s–t you go through/ Sometimes, I wanna die, but I’m the one they go to,” he spits. His lyrics reveal a contradiction — staying strong for others while privately battling his own thoughts — with music serving as his escape. Sheff G reinforces these themes with lyrics emphasizing vigilance and financial stability, making for a winning display of maturity from both drill stars. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON
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Ty Dolla $ign & Brandy, “Intention”
From “LA” to “No Tomorrow,” Ty Dolla $ign and Brandy always make magic when they’re in the studio together — and “Intention” is no different. Taken from Ty’s new Girl Music, Vol. 1 project, the new duet finds the two R&B crooners attempting to parse through the lust and uncover the true reason their embattled lover has returned. “Came all this way just to pay you a visit/ I know I was wrong, oh, yes, I admit it/ Probably won’t forget, but it might forgive it,” Ty sings in his first verse, establishing cool, laid-back vocal delivery that pairs well with Andrew Barnes and Rafael Fai Bautista’s sparse, fingersnap-laden production. While both singers sneak in their signature dizzying runs and intricate vocal stacks, they employ a level of restraint that allows those flourishes to feel decorative and not overwhelming. — K.D.
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Marlon Craft, “Unapologetic”
Marlon Craft reps New York City to the fullest. After seeing the soul sucked out of the Big Apple due to a myriad of factors in recent years, the NYC native is looking to restore the feeling of the city that raised him. With Craft’s The Internet Killed the Neighborhood album set to arrive in April, the 33-year-old builds on his busy 2026 with the release of “Unapologetic.” Rapping with precision over live instrumentation, MC questions what’s being championed around hip-hop while his authenticity can’t be denied. “I’m really who I claim to be, so f—k what they saying about me,” he spits. The accompanying visual is as New York as it gets, as he heads to various “if you know you know” City landmarks like Dyckman’s basketball courts and Mr. Throwback’s vintage store. — M.S.
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Skrilla, “Bazin”
Skrilla mentioning babalao giving him a reading over this spooky production during the song’s opening immediately drew me in, and it made me think about how his ear for beats is underrated — and how he’s much more than “6-7” (that cup in the video is cool, though.) I think it’s about that time for a new album of paralysis demon raps. — A.D.
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