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Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week, Irish rockers Fontaines D.C. drop a spectral, trip-hop-inspired single; Miranda Lambert toasts to a bright future on a glistening highlight from her 10th album; and Quavo teams up with Pharrell, A$AP Rocky, and Tyler, the Creator for a bombastic posse cut. Plus, new tunes from Victoria Monét, Drake, Michael Kiwanuka, Stevie Wonder, and Lil Nas X.

Fontaines D.C., “Tongue” (YouTube)

Miranda Lambert, “To Everything” (YouTube)

Quavo, Pharrell Williams, Tyler, The Creator, A$AP Rocky, “Baby Breath” (YouTube)

Victoria Monét feat. SZA, “See You in My Dreams” (YouTube)

Drake feat. Don Toliver, “Solar Eclipse” (YouTube)

Stevie Wonder, “It’s Easier” (YouTube)

Yung Miami, “F You” (YouTube)

Megan Thee Stallion, “Tina Tuesday Freestyle” (YouTube)

Michael Kiwanuka, “Summer Clothes” (YouTube)

Meshell Ndegeocello feat. Destin Conrad, Moses Sumney, “The Closer I Get to You” (YouTube)

Lil Nas X, “World’s Greatest!” (YouTube)

Holly Humberstone, “Too Cute to Be Lonely” (YouTube)

Bob Weir, “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again (Live at The Saenger Theatre, 4/19/17)” (YouTube)

Rachel Chinouriri, “Broken Chair” (YouTube)

Romy Mars, “The Rage” (YouTube)

Hannah Cohen, Robert Lester Folsom, “Music and Dreams” (YouTube)

Greg Freeman, “Totaled” (YouTube)

Emma Ogier, “Hands Tied” (YouTube)

Ryley Walker, “Carrier” (YouTube)

Common People, “Shapeshift” (YouTube)

Earfzilla, “Vintage Vuitton” (YouTube)

Kaeto, “Propane” (YouTube)

Klein, “Bridge the Gap” (YouTube)

Boyg1rl, “DJ Travella” (YouTube)

Vatican Jail, “DVSL” (YouTube)

Sasha Keable, “Options” (YouTube)

Soulidified, “Man Ain’t Me (YouTube)

Lil Nas X for new single "World's Greatest"

Lil Nas X holds one particular guiding phrase close to his heart: “Walk by faith, not by sight.” The quote comes from his late mother, Tamikia Hill, whose death he announced in August. “As I move through life it resonates more and more,” he said about the quote. It’s what he’s holding onto as he takes his first confident strides back into music with “World’s Greatest!,” his first single in nearly two years.

Lil Nas X introduced “World’s Greatest!” with a stirring social video in which he listened back to a voicemail his mother left him. “Hey Doobie, been calling you multiples times today,” she said in the clip. “I just wanna say, I love you. Keep your head up. Continue to walk by faith, not by sight. Let go and let God handle the rest. Everything is gonna work itself in its own place. Don’t give up, never give up.” Hill ended the voicemail with a promise to call her son back, “just to check up on you,” she said.

With “World’s Greatest!,” Lil Nas X does some checking up of his own. The song builds on the foundation of his mother’s words of wisdom with a mantra of his own: “I hope your dreams work out for you/I hope your green comes out the blue/I hope you learn to love again/Yeah, I hope you learn to trust the plan.” The rock-driven single is the most musically self-assured and inspired release from Lil Nas X since his 2021 debut, Montero.

“World’s Greatest!” arrives alongside a poignant music video directed by Phillip Youmans. The rapper and singer born Montero Hill returned to his hometown of Atlanta to capture the visual, which traces threads between his past and present as he navigates his coming-of-age experience. It’s a candid and sensitive presentation from the 27-year-old, who has been largely absent from the spotlight following a very public mental health crisis and subsequent bipolar diagnosis for which endured a stint in rehab.

Standing in front of his own reflection at a dance studio, Lil Nas X keeps hitting a mental block as he tries to move freely through the space. There’s something holding him back. He’s physically present, but in his mind he’s thinking back to his childhood. There’s a scene of a younger version of himself trying on high-heeled boots, dozing off at church, and snagging candy bars from the corner store when the cashier isn’t looking.

They’re small, carefree moments that build up over time and have shaped Lil Nas X in the process. Reconnecting with that inner part of himself proves to be the key to release as his younger self appears in the studio, instructing him to mirror his movements. Suddenly, his rigid movements are free flowing and his head is held up high without anyone having to tilt his chin up. “I’m a champion,” he repeats throughout the song. As nears the end, there’s a spliced sample of the lyric “This one is for the champions,” pulled from “Industry Baby.”

When the song ends and he’s standing in the studio all alone, Lil Nas X runs it back again — this time more sure than ever. The voicemail from the song announcement closes out the video, which he dedicated to his mother. “Love u forever mommy,” his tribute reads.

Rick Ross

Rick Ross was arrested Thursday morning in Miami Beach on domestic violence charges including a felony count of battery by strangulation.

The rapper, born William Roberts II, voluntarily surrendered to Miami Beach Police headquarters, and was soon after booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, the Sun Sentinel reports. Ross was charged with one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor count of battery. His bond was set at $6,000.

According to police, Ross’ arrest stems from an August 28 incident at the rapper’s Star Island home, where an unnamed woman — who said she was Ross’ live-in girlfriend of over a year — told police that an argument escalated to the point that Ross slapped her, “restricted her breathing by twisting the collar of her hoodie,” and slammed her against the wall, resulting in injuries.

“All I can say is that the allegations are false. He’s innocent. Everything is going to come out,” Ross’ lawyer Bradley Horenstein told CBS News Miami on Thursday. “We just ask that you allow the process to play out before rushing to judgment, because the truth will come in.” (A rep for Ross did not respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment.)

While the woman is unnamed in the police report, Ross’ ex-girlfriend Jazzma Kendrick accused the rapper of physical abuse in a series of social media posts last week; the injuries Kendrick claimed to sustain, including a “busted lip,” match those of the victim in the Miami Beach police report.

““The day Rick busted my lip and the day I left,” Kendrick wrote in a since-expired Instagram Story of her injury. “I don’t know a lot of things, but I do know that a man that puts his hands on me, is a man that never loved me and never will.”

Ross’ arraignment is scheduled for October 22.

Carly Rae Jepsen is set to embark on her headlining North American tour next year that will see her make stops in 26 cities.

The Day and Night tour is in support of her eighth studio album of the same name, and will launch April 15 at Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton, Alberta. Jepsen will also perform her first headlining shows at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, and Madison Square Garden in New York City before concluding her trek in Montreal at MTELUS on May 29, 2027.

The announcement follows the release of her double LP Day and Night earlier this month, Jepsen’s first album of new music since 2023’s The Loveliest Time. The record features 24 tracks, with each LP comprising 12 songs corresponding to the Day and Night theme. A Rolling Stone review of the album praised her latest LP as Jepsen’s “most experimental and exhilarating work,” adding, “she makes falling in love feel brand-new all over again.”

Jepsen previously unveiled the music video for the LP’s single “Versailles,” which was inspired by Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette. The video was filmed in Los Angeles and directed by Kanya Iwana. It sees Jepsen dancing at a party as she imagines herself at the famous French chateau. She also released the video for her ABBA-inspired new song “Don’t Leave Me on the Dance Floor” back in August.

The two-time Grammy nominee is also writing the music and lyrics for the 10 Things I Hate About You musical that will officially open its theatrical curtains on Aug. 17. Jepsen will co-write the score with producer Ethan Gruska.

Carly Rae Jepsen Day and Night Tour Dates

Apr 15 – Edmonton, AB @ Northern Alberta Jubilee AuditoriumApr 16 – Calgary, AB @ Grey Eagle Resort & CasinoApr 18 – Vancouver, BC @ OrpheumApr 19 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert HallApr 21 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic AuditoriumApr 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Kia ForumApr 23 – San Diego, CA @ Gallagher Square at Petco ParkApr 25 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks AmphitheatreApr 27 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The ComplexApr 30 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las VegasMay 1 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial TheatreMay 5 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music FactoryMay 7 – Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo ParkMay 8 – Houston, TX –@713 Music HallMay 10 – Nashville, TN – The TruthMay 11 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola RoxyMay 12 – Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union AmphitheatreMay 14 – Washington, DC – The AnthemMay 15 – New York, NY – Madison Square GardenMay 18 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia presented by HighmarkMay 19 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at FenwayMay 21 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago TheatreMay 22 – Detroit, MI – Fox TheatreMay 25 – Toronto, ON – HISTORYMay 28 – Ottawa, ON – HISTORYMay 29 – Montreal, QC – MTELUS

Sia has sold a 50 percent stake in her music catalog for a whopping $180 million, Rolling Stone has confirmed. News of the sale was first reported by TMZ. The star closed the deal with Pophouse, the Swedish music catalog investment firm co-founded by Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus, and will be collaborating with the firm to launch an immersive digital avatar production based around her music. An official announcement is expected imminently.

The singer-songwriter’s plans to crossover into the digital realm will include a show incorporating her songs as an artist and as a writer, according to a source familiar with the deal, and utilize her vocals on global hits like Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” which has reached more than 2 billion Spotify streams. The show’s debut is at least a couple years out, adds the source, and may tour to select cities, though it’s still in the early stages of planning.

Pophouse’s stake in Sia’s catalog is limited to publishing and master recording rights, and does not include name and likeness. An insider estimates Sia’s songs bring in $18 million annually in writing and performance royalties. In delivering all of her top hits using her vocals and new versions of her songs, it’s poised to be a highly lucrative move for both Pophouse and Sia, who boasts some of the most impressive streaming numbers in the music industry.

Many of Sia’s songs have hit more than a billion streams on Spotify including her collaboration “Titanium” with DJ David Guetta that sits at 2.4 billion streams. “Unstoppable,” “Chandelier,” “Dusk Till Dawn” with singer Zayn, and “Cheap Thrills” have all surpassed 2 billion, while the “Cheap Thrills” version with Sean Paul, Flo Rida-collab “Wild Ones,” “Elastic Heart,” and “Snowman” have more than 1 billion streams.

Pophouse is a founding investor of Abba Voyage, a popular virtual residency that launched in 2022 and uses “ABBAtars” of the Swedish hitmakers (as they appeared in 1979) performing in a custom-built arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.

The company has continued to land partnerships with some of the most popular acts in music. In 2024, Pophouse acquired the music catalogue, brand name, likeness, and trademarks of Kiss, and has plans to kick off the Kiss Forever immersive avatar show in Las Vegas in 2028.

In March, the firm announced that it had become an majority owner, alongside BMG, in the “music interests” of Tina Turner’s catalog — as well as the rights of Turner’s name, image, and likeness. In a press release, Pophouse CEO Jessica Koravos hinted at future projects involving the twice-inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. “We will now set in motion a series of creative projects to celebrate Tina Turner’s remarkable music and persona and secure her legacy as the Queen of Rock n’ Roll,” said Koravos.

Pophouse also acquired a stake in Iron Maiden’s publishing and master music rights, and the name, image, and likeness rights back in July. The company has plans to create a digital universe centered around the band’s mascot Eddie.

Rihanna on December 01, 2025 in New York City.

The woman accused of trying to kill Rihanna by opening fire on the singer’s gated Los Angeles property last March while the superstar singer, her partner A$AP Rocky, their three children, and her mother were home is facing upgraded charges disclosed in a new indictment unsealed Wednesday.

Ivanna Ortiz appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to all 14 counts in the new indictment, which was made public one day after she was found competent to stand trial. The indictment retains the previously filed charge of attempted murder of Rihanna and three felony counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or camper. It also upgrades 10 previously filed assault charges, this time accusing Ortiz of using an assault weapon. She had previously been charged in those counts with assault using a semiautomatic firearm.

A witness list attached to the indictment showed that Rihanna testified before the grand jury while it was still a secret proceeding, along with her mother, Monica Patricia Fenty. Other witnesses included Tracey Renee Jacobs, a Hollywood talent agent reportedly on the property that day; a neighbor who heard the gunfire; and the neighbor’s dog walker, who allegedly saw a white vehicle fleeing the scene, court documents say. The indictment was returned on June 18, meaning it remained under wraps for more than three months, while Ortiz was undergoing her competency evaluation in mental health court.

A police report previously obtained by Rolling Stone alleged that Ortiz fired shots that pierced an exterior wall of the home’s nursery as well as the windshield of an Airstream trailer parked in the driveway. According to the report, Rihanna was inside the Airstream with A$AP Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, when she heard “approximately ten loud sounds like something banging on metal.” She opened the curtains and “observed bullet holes in the windshield directly in front of where she had been standing,” the report said.

Rihanna “grabbed Rakim out of bed, told him they were being shot at, and pushed both of them to the ground,” the report said. The couple then ran into the garage and moved quickly to secure their children and staff, police said.

Asked after the hearing whether prosecutors had considered seeking attempted murder charges involving Mayers or other family members, Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott said Ortiz had one intended target.

“This is a person who wanted to kill Rihanna, and everyone else was collateral damage,” Bott said. He added that the firearms charges were upgraded after an expert examined the weapon recovered in the case.

Ortiz, 36, is due back in court Oct. 29 for a pretrial hearing. She was sent back to jail Wednesday with her bail set at $2.65 million. If convicted as charged, she faces up to life in state prison.

Witnesses to the March 8 shooting reported seeing a white Tesla Model 3 with a paper license plate fleeing the scene. A police helicopter quickly located the vehicle, leading to Ortiz’s arrest. Investigators later found six bullet holes in the vehicle gate at Rihanna’s home and a seventh in a pedestrian gate, according to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone. Inside the property, police found three bullet holes in a wooden fence obscured by tall hedges.

Before the shooting, Ortiz posted erratically on social media, addressing and tagging Rihanna directly. “Listen, Rihanna. When you die, God is taking me to my future. You want to kill me. Shut the fuck up,” she said in a YouTube video titled “Praying Woman’s Journal, Day 39,” posted on Jan. 4, 2026.

Ortiz worked as a licensed speech pathologist in California before the alleged attack. In a filing obtained by Rolling Stone, an executive officer with the state’s Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology asked the court to bar Ortiz from practicing while the criminal case is pending, including through sentencing and any appeal. A different judge granted the request.

“Every person deserves to feel safe in and around their home,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said Wednesday. “Shooting at an occupied home is a serious, violent crime that is both reckless and dangerous. It is pure luck and not a matter of restraint that no one was killed or injured.”