Between the ten-year anniversary of Tyler, The Creator‘s Camp Flog Gnaw festival and Netflix’s announcement that Beyoncé would headline the Christmas Day NFL halftime show in Houston, this was a prime week for those who love the medium of live performance.
Featuring performances from the likes of SZA and Doechii, a shade-throwing DJ set from Mustard and fiery renditions of nearly every song from his Billboard 200-topping Chromakopia LP, Tyler enjoyed a much-deserved victory lap at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday (Nov. 16). Over in Las Vegas, another Billboard chart-topping rap superstar was headlining a festival. Travis Scott played ComplexCon on Sunday night (Nov. 19), which birthed Netflix’s announcement that he would provide new music as the theme song for RAW’s new era on the streamer. Of course, Netflix then one-upped itself with the announcement of Beyoncé’s forthcoming halftime performance, which is expected to feature the live debut of tracks from her historic 11-time Grammy-nominated Cowboy Carter album.
Although live performances dominated the news cycle, new albums from FLO (Access All Areas), Cordae (The Crossroads), Maxo Kream (Personification), Young Nudy (Sli’merre 2), Kash Doll (The Last Doll) and Mary J. Blige (Gratitude) kept the worlds of hip-hop and R&B well-fed.
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 soul-baring “Nosebleed” to Cordae and Ye’s latest team-up. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Destin Conrad, “Nosebleed”
Destin Conrad kicked off 2024 with his Submissive2 project, and now he’s closing out the year with a new single titled “Nosebleed.” Co-produced by Louie Lastic & Astyn Turr, “Nosebleed” finds Destin crooning of the innately conflicting feeling of being perceived amid love completely overtaking your every thought. “It happens all the timе, your world and mine collide/ And the memory of you stays on my skin/ It doesn’t fade, it gets stronger than it seems/ Creeps into my bloodstream, please, don’t look at me,” he coos over little more than dry, acoustic guitar, his voice taking on the slightly hoarse feel of a person recovering from a fit of tears. Concealing emotions is a deceptively difficult thing to do, and Destin beautifully captures the moments of bargaining when the mask begins to slip. — KYLE DENIS
070 Shake & Courtney Love, “Song to the Siren”
Who expected Courtney Love to pop up on 070 Shake’s Petrichor album? If anyone answered yes then it’s time to play the lottery. Shake and Love pay homage to Tim Buckley with a dark cover of his oft-revisited 1970 classic “Song to the Siren.” The intoxicating collab with the Hole lead vocalist came as a pleasant surprise on the LP, as listeners are left floating to space while simultaneously feeling paralyzed and sinking to the depths of the ocean. “Here I am, here I am/ Waiting to hold you,” Love sings to close out the woozy cover. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
FLO, “Soft”
AAA, British girl group FLO’s debut studio album, has been many years in the making, and tracks like “Soft” prove that sometimes taking your time really does yield stronger results. Under the soulful rule of R&B architects Camper and MNEK, “Soft” finds the trio capturing the ’90s R&B-informed sultriness they spend most of their debut chasing. Airtight, melismatic harmonies smartly contrast with raunchy lyrics like, “‘Bout to make a movie, Spike Lee/ Try me, it’s godly/ That’s why you wanna be inside me.” Titillating start-stop production, rousing string arrangements and sexy snaps and guitar all combine for one of the best R&B deep cuts of the year. — K.D.
Cordae & Ye, “No Bad News”
The Crossroads is all about Cordae pushing his pen like it’s a fan’s first time hearing him rap. When the DMV native revealed Kanye West was on a song called “No Bad News,” some thought it would just be a sample of 808s & Heartbreak deep cut “Bad News,” but that wasn’t the case as Ye helmed hook duties on the joyful track. Cordae takes the baton referencing conversations with an incarcerated childhood friend who’s remaining upbeat even with an extensive sentence. He gives a rare glimpse into his family life while gloating about his daughter being “fly” but keeping the humbleness of her tennis superstar mother Naomi Osaka. Cordae has long looked up to West and “No Bad News” checks off another bucket list item for him. — M.S.
Odeal, “Blame U”
“Gorgeous, gorgeous girl, but you ain’t happy/ Channel all them words of affirmation at night/ ‘Cause someone somewhere’s hoping you ain’t happy/ And that’s me,” proclaims Odeal at the very beginning of “Blame U,” the closer from his latest project, Lustropolis. Co-produced with Ezra Skys, “Blame U” combines understated bass, haunting layers of falsetto, subtle synths and Afrobeats-nodding percussion to soundtrack Odeal coming to terms with the helplessness and hopelessness feels in the aftermath of his relationship’s demise. More of a SAD (seasonal affective disorder) anthem than a cuffing season heater, “Blame U” relishes its coldness, making it all the more alluring. — K.D.
Mudbaby Ru, “Button”
Come for Mudbaby Ru and stay for the Brandon Buckingham cameo. The Arkansas rapper is getting sharper with every song he drops as he continues to hone his skill set that feels like a savvy veteran who’s been at this for much longer than he’s been in the game. A warning message pre-empts the ominous clip featuring Ru with his crew brandishing weapons on the block. “I don’t give a f–k if we cousins/ Everybody in that b—h getting hit,” Mudbaby promises in menacing fashion. “Button,” he shouts like an exclamation point, to make certain bars hit harder and the formula works for Ru again within the addicting tune. The Geffen Records rapper is a definite artist to watch in ‘25. — M.S.
