The LOX, Jaheim, Trent Shelton – “Never Change”
I cannot even begin to express to you how much this release means to me. The LOX hail from Yonkers, NY (aka my hometown!) and I had the pleasure of interviewing Styles P on a panel for TIDAL’s Hip-Hop 50 anniversary event, so you know I had to kick off this weekend’s releases with my GOATs.
Often I wonder why more rappers don’t recruit R&B singers to do what they do best, so leave it to the OGs to show us how it’s done. Trent Shelton took us to church on the hook of “Never Change,” with his soulful delivery that screams trained in church. The melody is so sticky, even the string outro followed it. From the intro, it’s evident that uplifting yet hardhitting lyrics await, and what you’ll experience is a song you needed to hear more than you realized. We can’t all afford a psychologist, but we can all listen to music, and records like this serve as therapy more than entertainment.
(Unrelated to everything, I have a song I co-wrote with the same title that discusses a similar sentiment and I’d love to play it for the LOX one day. A girl can dream, right?)
Miley Cyrus – “Younger You”
Where do I even begin. The fact that 2026 marks 20 years of Hannah Montana is further proof that time isn’t real because how??? As a die-hard Disney channel kid, I religiously watched the show and listened to her music.
Miley always resonated so strongly with me, not just because of her lyrics that championed young listeners, but because of the premise of the show that, in many ways, bled into her real life: it’s difficult to find the balance of being who you truly are and being who you feel you need to be. I’d like to think that by now we’ve both figured that out. But if not, at least we have the memories and this new music video to bring us back to “Younger You.”
Yeat feat. Joji– “Back Home”
When Spotify announced its class of new hip-hop leaders, many wondered why Yeat wasn’t in the running. The 26-year-old star stated he has no interest in being one, but depending on who you ask, he is the undisputed king of the new school of underground rappers.
He had a slew of features, some expected like longtime collaborators BNYX and Don Toliver as well as his and Drake’s new favorite artist, Julia Wolf. But there were also some pleasant surprises like Grimes and Elton John. The slow tracks hit surprisingly harder than the more uptempo ones.
ZAYN – “Sideways”
I’m thrilled to report that the “Sideways” music video by ZAYN matches the music video. His buttery vocals will make you fall in love if you haven’t already.
Mike WiLL Made-It, J Money, KARRAHBOOO, Anycia – “MY WAY”
Shout out to Sonny Digital, not only for his contributions to this record, but for putting the video on my radar.
Jim Legxacy – “idk idk”
I sadly missed Mr. Legxacy when he popped out for a few shows here in NYC, but I’ll be sure to catch him next time.
Maiya the Don – “Let’s Be Clear”
Momo Boyd – “She’s a Sweetheart”
Birthday releases can be risky, but for Momo, it was a risk worth taking. If you’re a recovering self-sacrificer (or if you need to be), this is the song for you. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: just as she did on “American Love Song” and “Strong,” Momo has a singlar way of painting the most vivid picture of uncomfortable truths to the sweetest melodies. It’s both amazing and disturbing due to the precision in the lyrics coupled with the campy production juxtaposed to the seemingly optimistic visual. Happiest birthday, Momo. You’ve done it again. Here’s to 26 and more music in 2026.
Victory – “Every Woman”
It’s a family affair. Similarly to her sister, Victory sounds like an artist who transported from another era to modern day and it helps to distinguish her amongst her Gen Z peers. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that ye worked as an executive producer on her new album Confessions of a Lonely Girl in 2019. “Every Woman” is a song that encourages all women and girls to band together. I appreciate the triumphant nature of the record and I’d love to see it as a part of a coming of age film one day.
What about Nicki and ye?
Not quite sure. ye had several listening parties across the country from LA (where he was present, word to Mike Hector) to NY.
Rumor has it, the artist formerly known as Kanye West didn’t drop his highly anticipated 12th studio album BULLY, due to dissatisfaction with the final master. The legendary rapper and producer is known for frequently delaying release timelines indefinitely, so this wasn’t a surprise to loyal supporters. Stay tuned for what’s to come; in the meantime, his eldest child North West has been cooking up and releasing relatively often. Her EP is expected to drop this year.
As for Nicki, she had announced her album release date relatively early, in September 2025. Granted, the rap queen did state about a month later that the release was canceled. Just last month, Ms. Minaj provided another update on the status of her album, saying it would not hit shelves until her contract was renegotiated.
Nonetheless, the Barbz held hope that she’d surprise them. Maybe later this year we’ll have a Pink Friday.
Who are you looking forward to hearing from this year? These are my picks: