The big story this weekend was A$AP Rocky’s comeback. After eight tumultuous years, several legal scuffles and three children with Rihanna, Lord Flacko finally unveiled his fourth studio album, Don’t Be Dumb, on Friday (Jan. 16). Featuring immersive, genre-blending production from Ging (fka Frank Dukes) and Kelvin Krash, Rocky’s latest LP also includes collaborations with Doechii, Westside Gunn, Sauce Walka and Tyler, the Creator across its 17-song tracklist.
In addition to a lavish album release party in midtown Manhattan — guests included RiRi, album collaborator Jon Batiste and The Kid LAROI — Rocky celebrated the LP’s arrival with performances on Saturday Night Live and Amazon Music’s new Songline series.
While Rocky reveled in his new music, Bad Bunny shared the latest teaser for his forthcoming Super Bowl LX halftime show performance. Filmed in his home country of Puerto Rico, Benito’s new trailer finds him walking onto a set adorned with a Flamboyant tree, pressing play on his Hot 100 top 10 smash “Baile Inolvidable.” “The world will dance,” promised the trailer’s closing message.
Instead of sharing new music or teasing live performance, some artists opted for a secret third thing this weekend. Nicki Minaj, for example, chose to lambast journalist Don Lemon with derogatory language on Sunday (Jan. 18). According to TMZ, Minaj started blasting Lemon after his livestream from Cities Church in St. Paul, Minn., where demonstrators interrupted a service to protest the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. “Don ‘c—k suckin’ Lemon is disgusting,” she wrote in an all-caps X post alongside an image of Chucky from Child’s Play. “I want that thug in jail! He would never do that to any other religion. Lock him up!”
In response, Lemon quipped, “I’m not surprised Nicki Minaj does not understand journalism and is weighing in on matters that are above her capacity. However, the more appropriate image for her post is a ‘Pick Me’ Doll.” Later in his interview with TMZ, he added that Minaj is a “homophobic, bigoted ignorant woman” who should “sit the f—k down” and “grow some brains.”
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Destin Conrad’s latest exploration of his wHIMSY world to Naïka’s konpa-inflected kiss-off. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
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Freshest Find: Destin Conrad feat. Terrace Martin, “Nothing Is Real”
Fresh off his first career Grammy nomination — best progressive R&B album for Love on Digital, which Billboard named the best R&B album of 2025 — Destin Conrad is doubling down on his penchant for jazz. With “Nothing Is Real,” the Tampa Native returns to the world of wHIMSY, the jazz project he dropped late last year, alongside Terrace Martin. Between Martin’s sax and Conrad’s ethereal vocals, the pair deliver a gorgeous rumination on the ephemeral nature of true love and passion. “Your perception and what you think is real/ Well, I don’t ever know how to feel/ When nothing is real, real,” they gently coo in the chorus. — KYLE DENIS
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Lexa Gates, “You’re Better Off”
Sometimes it’s better to go your separate ways. Lexa Gates returned with her autobiographical I Am album on Friday (Jan. 16), and the best of her versatile repertoire was on display with “You’re Better Off.” The Queens native spells out the turbulent love she had for a romantic interest, which drove her so crazy at times, Gates realizes it’s best she cut the relationship off cold turkey and move forward. The 24-year-old combines her piercing lo-fi raps with singing on the chorus, which feels like the standout track is Lexa Gates featuring Lexa Gates. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
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Girlfriend, “Sideways”
“Sideways” captures the vulnerable early stage of love, where closeness feels intoxicating but trust is still being negotiated. Written by Girlfriend alongside Kenneth Paige, Greg Edwards and Nathan Butts, the song reflects that moment when feelings are deep, but certainty hasn’t fully settled. Girlfriend sings about craving real commitment, time, attention and emotional presence, while also recognizing how easy it is to speak impulsively when emotions are high. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON
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GENA, “Lead It Up”
I’m not sure if there’s an album I’m anticipating more than this collab joint from Liv.e and Karriem Riggins. Feb. 27 can’t come soon enough because they’re three for three on the singles. “Lead It Up” is just so soulful, and I especially like how Liv.e is mimicking guitar riffs with her voice like that one scene in Nice Dreams where impersonator extraordinaire Michael Winslow does Jimi’s “Purple Haze.” — A.D.
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DC THE DON, “Lie2Me”
It’s a new era for DC THE DON as the Milwaukee artist has officially signed to Republic Records. To celebrate this new chapter, he’s shared “Lie2Me,” his first offering under a major-label partnership. Built around a sample of electronic duo ear’s 2025 single “Real Life,” DC’s new joint honors the allure of a mystery woman whose story you can’t quite pin down. “I, I, I, I like the way you lie to me/ I, I, I, I’ll let you keep your privacy,” he sings in the chorus of the LouieOTK-produced track, which blends elements of pop-rock, dance and hip-hop. — K.D.
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Naïka, “One Track Mind”
Naïka dropped off a final offering ahead of her ECLESIA album arriving next month with the unapologetic “One Track Mind” last week. The 27-year-old singer taps into her kompa roots and brings the island vibes while reversing a heartbreak, and leaving an egotistical lover in the dust, as Naïka realizes she deserves better. She pays homage to her mother’s Haitian heritage by speaking Creole on the outro, while “One Track Mind” ups the ante for Naïka heading into her long-awaited debut album. — M.S.
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Rozzzqween, “MLK”
Just in time for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Rozzzqween delivered a powerful affirmation anthem rooted in self-belief, Black pride, and the courage to dream boldly. Self-penned and produced by Samuel Bean, the Birmingham singer uses Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy as both inspiration and framework, drawing from the spirit of his “I Have a Dream” speech to tell a deeply personal, modern story. “I’ve got dreams like Martin Luther” isn’t just a reference; it’s a declaration that ambition, hope and vision are acts of resistance in a world that often underestimates Black people, especially Black women. — C.C.
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Wiz Khalifa feat. RMR & Max B, “Back Against the Wall”
Wiz and Max B seem like a match made in heaven, so it’s cool to see the Wave get on a track with a younger artist that he’s influenced. This song in particular is a bit different from the rest of the tape, which leans more towards trap production, with “Back Against the Wall” sounding more like it could be featured on Kush & Orange Juice. “I Put That S—t On” is another standout track that I could certainly see being used on social media when folks put that s—t on. — ANGEL DIAZ
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Saint Harison, “Bad”
For his second single from his forthcoming project, U.K. signer-songwriter Saint Harison is tackling all things “Bad.” Written alongside Grammy-winning songwriting-producer duo NovaWav, “Bad” delivers more disarmingly honest lyricism, coupled with Saint’s tender, melismatic vocal performance. With a reliance on repetition that recalls the histrionic heartbreak of Keyshia Cole’s classic “I Should Have Cheated,” Saint spends “Bad” listing all the ways he should’ve acted up in his dysfunctional relationship instead of taking the chaos on the chin. “Shoulda been all of the things that you said/ Shoulda played your ass when I still had the chance/ Shoulda made you regret that we ever met,” he proclaims in the chorus of the lush, Rissi-produced midtempo. — K.D.
