Listen to new must-hear songs from emerging R&B/hip-hop artists like Lily Massie and SAHXL.
Lexa Gates
@sophiegurwitz
After he was sentenced to four years in prison for his prostitution convictions just a few weeks ago (Oct. 3), Diddy once again dominated the headlines this weekend.
Sean Combs: The Reckoning, a 50 Cent-produced four-part docuseries chronicling Diddy‘s rise and fall amid the origins of the East Coast vs. West Coast beef, hit Netflix last week (Dec. 2), and quickly sparked endless webs of discourse online. Not only did a former sex worker allege that Diddy would host annual “freak-offs” on the anniversary of Biggie‘s death, but two jurors from the Bad Boy mogul’s federal trial explained how the jury decided to acquit him of his sex trafficking and racketeering federal charges while finding him guilty of his two Mann Act-violating prostitution charges.
R&B singer Ray J had another New York hip-hop icon in the news last week: Jay-Z. The “One Wish” singer called out Mr. Carter and Beyoncé for apparently not taking photos with Brandy while backstage at multiple The Boy Is Mine Tour stops. Last week (Dec. 4), Monica, who’s co-headlining the trek alongside Brandy, jokingly snatched Ray J’s phone, in reference to the drama his comments stirred up. “Ray J, give me the phone… give me the phone, Ray,” she teased in Atlanta. “We love you, Ray J! Y’all make some noise for Ray J. He’s not just Brandy’s brother, but he’s my brother, too.”
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from a new Lexa Gates banger to a smooth duet between Lily Massie and Arin Ray. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
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Freshest Find: Lily Massie & Arin Ray, “Believe”
Just a few weeks after sharing her debut album, What Loves Feels Like (Side A), rising New Jersey artist Lily Massie has joined forces with Cincinnati-born R&B crooner Arin Way for a winning winter duet. “Cause there is a part of you that don’t want to leave/ Like there is a part of me that don’t want to cheat,” they harmonize at the top of the chorus, laying bare the fact the despite the evidence in front of them — and their own best interests — these two lovers can’t help but to believe in the stability of their romance and relationship. Set across Whtnoize’s atmospheric, ’80s-informed slow jam soundscape, “Believe” fits nicely alongside 2025 R&B gems like Mariah the Scientist’s “Burning Blue.” — KYLE DENIS
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Lexa Gates, “Estranged”
Lexa Gates told Billboard earlier in 2025 she wanted to broaden her horizons and raise the stakes for his sophomore album, I Am, which the Queens native announced is slated to arrive on Jan. 16. LG puts the LP’s rollout into overdrive with the release of “Estranged,” a hypnotic track testing Gates’ lyrical dexterity and vocal versatility. The 24-year-old puts being spellbound by a former flame in the rearview and has her sights set on the future. “We only human though, nobody wants to be alone,” Gates vulnerably admits. She’s continued to check boxes on her ascension, and I Am could provide the springboard for another visibility leap for Lexa. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
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SAILORR, “Duvet”
On “Duvet,” SAILORR, alongside writers Adam Krevlin, Jack Dine and Zach Ezzy, crafts a self-aware exploration of power, temptation, and the ego boost that comes with being desired from a distance. The Jacksonville singer is becoming aware of her success and reveling in the idea that her music both moves people emotionally and springs them into action. Underneath the flex is a constant need for validation, revealed in the repeated delight of hearing her songs sung back to her, a reminder that admiration may be the drug, but attention is the high. As she sings, “Too many people try to pump fake/ All I wanna see is your face down in my bed while you sing me my songs,” the track floats in that late-night haze where fantasy feels factual and consequences don’t quite exist yet. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON
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Elmiene, “Cry Against the Wind”
“I can’t cry against the wind/ The way it dries, it haunts me/ They’re the stains of my regrets/ ‘Cos I am, I’m so so sorry,” British-Sudanese soul singer-songwriter Elmiene pleads in the chorus of his heart-shattering new single, “Cry Against the Wind.” The soaring ballad, co-produced by Andrew Aged and Buddy Ross, finds Elmiene offering up an apology that he knows is far too late — and his guilt anchors every note. As the song transitions from its moody, spacious front-half mix to the soaring Mk.gee-esque alt-rock bent of the back-half, Elmiene’s mellifluous voice seamlessly navigates the beat switch — all in service to the emotional heft of his lyrics. — K.D.
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1504 MuteBaby, “Zombie Flow”
Slaughter Gang signee 1504 MuteBaby is carving a lane out for the next generation of East Atlanta residents. MuteBaby’s All Said and Done arrived last week, and the ATLien experiments with his whispering flow over lucid production on project highlight “Zombie Flow.” 1504 examines the fragility of life and the need to strike while the iron’s hot with his bubbling career. “I took the Paper Route for real, can’t go out like Dolph for real,” he raps with urgency. — M.S.
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SAHXL, “Again”
On “Again,” SAHXL delivers a plea for emotional access as he attempts to love someone still bruised by their past. The self-written and produced track finds the rising Australian artist occupying the delicate space between reassurance and exhaustion, where affection is offered freely but received cautiously. “Again” captures the quiet courage of loving someone guarded — not by demanding change, but by becoming steady enough for her to believe in love again. — C.C.
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