#Repost: Billboard x Spotify New Music Friday, February 11

Originally published here. 

Every week, Spotify updates their "New Music Friday" playlist, featuring 50 of the freshest new tracks hitting the service that week.

On the heels of Billboard's partnership with the streaming giant, we'll be tapping Spotify's editors to sift through the soon-to-be-hits and highlight the best of the bunch.

Check out the picks and listen to the entire "New Music Friday" playlist below.

Katy Perry - "Chained To The Rhythm" ft. Skip Marley

At this point, Katy Perry knows us all too well. With today's release of the superstar singer's new single, "Chained to the Rhythm," the 32-year-old not only makes her overdue return to the top of our playlists but humbly reminds us that she's long been a fan-favorite for a valid reason, singing, "Turn it up, it's your favorite song / Dance, dance, dance to the distortion." While that foreshadowing line may be a safe bet given Perry's impeccable past success, even in the song's first initial run-throughs, its potential to be the next major earworm is undeniable. While Perry is warming up for a 2017 takeover, starting with her recently confirmed performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards this weekend, she chose to debut the song in an epic fashion, literally scattering speakers masquerading as disco balls all over the world, inviting fans to participate in a scavenger hunt to seek out her latest tune. "Chained to the Rhythm" enlists a guest feature from Bob Marley's grandson, Skip, who made his debut on our #SpotifyNMF playlist just last week. Much like his new single "Lions," the collaborative track holds a strong-but-subtle political message woven into it, simultaneously inspiring us all to do better and rise above what is looking to tear us down. As Perry readies her first studio album since 2013's Prism, it's clear she's not holding anything back this year, proudly declaring, "We gonna call this era Purposeful Pop."

Migos - Spotify Singles

While Atlanta may have had the upset of the year with last weekend's unpredictably theatrical Super Bowl outcome, Migos is here to save the day. As the rap group continues to hold it down as ambassadors of the culture enjoying the recent fruits of their labor, recently releasing their second studio album, the reigning champs stopped by Spotify's New York headquarters to bless the studio with their signature lavish trap sound and have some fun in the process. Although their album, Culture, debuted at the number one slot on the Billboard charts, the group stays on their grind, even creating a brand new single that doubles as an ode to their recent collaboration with hip-hop's favorite snack food company, Rap Snacks. For their own special edition bags of potato chips, the group went with a sour cream flavor, aptly naming their catchy new track, "Dab of Ranch," after their own Rap Snacks’ branding. After the group posted a viral video of themselves freestyling about the fact they now have their own chip, the next logical step naturally was to lay it down in the studio. During the Spotify session, the group's members go back and forth creating what feels like an unlikely love story, with the lyrics playing into the theme brilliantly, with lines such as "Money like bags of chips / hunnits of bags I flip / finger-licking with the ranch / leaving crumbs on your lips," and "Get your rap snacks with a dab of ranch / If there ain't no more call the ambulance" the song is surprisingly (or not-so-surprisingly) incredibly well-written and full of personality, not straying far from Migos’ traditional bangers. In fact, this one can arguably hold its own weight in the club, proving not everyone can pull off a potato chip tribute quite like the Migos can. Rounding out their session with a unique rendition of their track, "T-Shirt," the Atlanta heavyweights continue to secure their sky's-the-limit legacy.

Adam Friedman - "What If"

Adam Friedman has been wisely preparing for the very stage his career in music has now arrived to for ages. While many artists are eager to release their music into the world the exact second an engineer sends back the master, this emerging singer-songwriter has opted to forge his own path. After graduating from the Berklee College of Music in 2014, Friedman headed straight to the studio, where he worked on Mike Posner's second studio album At Night, Alone, while also creating the original song score for an animated feature film Rock Dog, going on to become the singing voice of the main character, who was played by Luke Wilson. After staying busy with these endeavors, Friedman released his debut single into the wild, with "Pretty Things" going on to debut at #10 on Spotify's Global Viral Chart. Now that he's gotten his feet wet, it's just the beginning, with the LA-based musician today releasing his debut EP, Green. While the 5-track collection features two singles that may sound familiar, his celebrated collaboration with Mike Posner "Lemonade," a track that has since impressively racked up over 6 million streams as well as his lead single, "Sad," the other tracks on the project serve as an exciting reminder that Friedman is slowly and steadily making his way onto everyone's radar. With "What If," Friedman's opening vocals are perfect for a pensive reflection, as he wonders what would have happened if things with someone who had caught his eye went a little bit differently. The ambience of the song then erupts into warm electronic production full of pan flute-esque synths and a delectable variety of drums, swirling with inevitable sing-along moments proving that Friedman's ability to borrow elements from pop and dance music alike continues to work in his favor.

Desiigner - "Outlet"

While 2016 put Desiigner on the map in a permanent way with the release of his platinum singles "Panda" and "Timmy Turner," this year finds the rapper on a whole new level but chasing after the same goals. The 19-year-old is wasting no time getting back down to business after enjoying the breakout success he's now received his first heavy heaping of, recently announcing a six-week U.S. tour to kick off in April. Not only that but he also followed up the exciting news with a fresh new single, "Outlet," a song that shares the same name as the 25-city tour run and gives fans a taste of the new material the G.O.O.D. music emcee has been cooking up for his highly anticipated Def Jam debut, The Life of Desiigner. On the new track, the Brooklyn native navigates less-familiar territory, straying a bit from the patterns used in his previous singles, while tactfully weaving in his signature chirps, buttery rhyme-singing and braggadocios battle cries. While the song interestingly enough doesn't feature the word "outlet," the song doubles as a reminder that the reputedly high energy Desiigner is still charged up and ready to go. While discussing the new single, Desiigner naturally is already looking toward the bigger picture, using his new music as fuel to get him to where he wants to go next, even thinking as ambitiously as an astronaut. "I got millions and trillions, I’m here to entertain," he recently declared. "If I gotta get to the next planet and it’s the first ship going up there and it’s a performance, I want to do that. You feel me? So I’m trying to just be everywhere man, just be everywhere." With "Outlet" the first reveal of what Desiigner has on deck, it's without a doubt that while the rapper may have a long ways to go until he reaches his out-of-this-world aspiration, he certainly is heading in the right direction.

Fifty Shades Darker - Official Soundtrack

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, today's timely release of the second installment of the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise is making sure that regardless of how one may feel about the hallmark holiday, the film's soundtrack is here for the die-hard romantics and the reluctant population alike. As the best-selling book series went on to takeover the big screen, with Fifty Shades of Grey and now Fifty Shades Darker, it's only fitting that the accompanying soundtrack is full of major players, unlikely collaborations and as much sex appeal as the erotic romance tale itself exudes. While the film's first soundtrack birthed some of 2015's most sultry anthems, including The Weeknd's "Earned It" and Ellie Goulding's "Love Me Like You Do," this year's collection appears to hold just as much promise as its predecessor. As recently featured on #SpotifyNMF, Taylor Swift and Zayn's collaboration "I Don't Wanna Live Forever," has already racked up an impressive 175M plays on Spotify, with Halsey's offering "Not Afraid Anymore," gliding past 6M, building anticipation to see what else the star-studded collection has in store. With songs from John Legend, Tove Lo, Sia, Kygo, The-Dream, Nick Jonas, Nicki Minaj and more, Fifty Shades Darker covers a lot of ground, both in both the lyrical sense and genre-wise. With songs ranging from tropical house-tinged tracks to piano-led ballads to sinister pop, the soundtrack explores an overall theme of lust, with each track tackling a new interpretation of the complicated emotion and experience. While the film's at-times controversial plot is a bit more dark than the content of its soundtrack may be, Fifty Shades Darker is poised to dominate theaters and the airwaves alike this weekend and then some, with the conversations surrounding the cultural phenomenon destined to continue well past its debut opening.

Jeezy Speaks on Revisiting 'My President Is Black' and How to Keep It Moving During Trump's Presidency

Originally published on BET.com, February 9, 2017. 

A common ideology throughout show business, as glorified best in old glamour Hollywood films and perhaps now a bit cliché in real life, is the concept that an exclusive selection of people curiously inherited a quality referred to as "star power."

While it is an elusive and desirable characteristic that is naturally hard to explain, when someone has it, it is just known, felt and universally agreed upon. In the case of Atlanta heavyweight Jeezy, he was born with something else — a spin-off of star power that is arguably more influential, combining an undeniable cool factor with unrivaled street savvy, rounded out with a keen business sense. It's an essence that is truly unique to him and something that can be felt immediately upon his entering a room.

While sporting sunglasses — despite it being 7 p.m. on a breezy Wednesday night in New York City (Feb. 8) — Jeezy, dressed to the nines and casually sipping Tequila Avión, is exuding both his personal brand of star power and the wealth of wisdom he's collected over the course of two decades in the rap game. Over the years, Jeezy has become something of an unexpected motivational coach, an element not part of his initial job description as an artist and one that he organically gravitated toward through his music and by keeping older company. From rapping on what he's experienced to speaking on what he knows, Jeezy has elevated his own career while making history and captivating audiences simultaneously.

His anthem and ode to Barack Obama, "My President Is Black," became a movement in and of itself by praising the very movement that was as necessary as it was groundbreaking for American culture and history. When asked if he feels, in Trump's new regime, that a sequel to that track, perhaps titled "My President Is Still Black," is inevitable to manifest itself next, Jeezy's balance of confidence and cool factor isn't convinced.

"That was history," he states, in regard to the very song that ended up soundtracking such a meaningful and important moment in our country, one that grew into a legacy much bigger than the Obama family themselves. "We gotta leave that where it's at. I think it's time that somebody else step up."

"You know, I like YG's song, though," Jeezy says, laughing. "He's got a real good song about Trump. You know the one."

"It's almost like, you know Obama, to me, was a politician," Jeezy continues, diving into how he feels about our current political leader in comparison to the godsend that was Obama. "He is someone who handled himself in a presidential manner. Always. And in just my personal opinion, Trump, you know, he's a businessman. So he doesn't care about anybody's feelings as long as the business gets done. And, to me, that's the difference between the two.

"Trump acts as though his view on the country is the only view, as if he's the only one that lives in the country," he says. "A lot of the things he's doing are irate and it's our first time to ever see somebody in office that's difficult and outspoken like that. We usually go about things together as a nation, you know what I mean? At least we try to. And now we have to just see how it all plays out."

From there, it's almost reactionary to next touch on Trump's recent executive order, the controversial Muslim ban, with Jeezy reflecting on the horrific reality that the president's recent action is capable of doing some severe damage.

"I've never been racist, you know," he adds. "White, Black, Catholic, Buddhist, Muslim, whatever, you know what I mean? You gotta be right. But I just think a lot of the things he's doing, he's turning the people against the integrity that we built. You know what I'm saying? Now it looks like we're built on some bulls**t, so to speak."

While Jeezy is in a position where he has a platform to unapologetically discuss what is making headlines in Trump's sinister presidency, he's not hogging the mic either.

"I think with social media, the younger generation sees a lot of this stuff we didn't get a chance to see, or we didn't care to see," he says. "But it's all on the same platform now, so they all constantly hear about it. You know, they see what [Trump’s] saying on Twitter and a lot of it would offend anybody, maybe even a seven-year-old. So you have to expect that more and more younger artists are speaking on these topics in their music and day-to-day lives. These up-and-coming cats, they're young and rebellious and they don't care to hold their tongue. They don't care to be politically correct. They're gonna say what they feel."

Jeezy is someone who has kept it 100 throughout his entire career, owning what he needs to own and learning from his past mistakes. That’s part of why he's now at an incredible stage in his career where he's able to adapt with the times instead of participating in the age-old arguments surrounding generational rap while also encouraging intelligent conversations about politics finding their way into their music in ways that may surprise people in general to see that the youth is paying attention and is involved. Such is the case with YG's smash single, "FDT."

"By the way, they're not really into politics, this younger generation," Jeezy continues. "They're into people. So if you show somebody a side of you or show somebody a flaw, that means that flaw truly exists and people, like I said, these up-and-coming cats, they can detect it. So they don't have to bite their tongue because they've got their own outlets to put their music out now. They don't have to go through the labels or go through all this red tape. So, like, if someone says, 'Yo, I don't like him. F**k that guy,’ you have to respect it. That's their opinion and this is their generation. This is what's important to them." 

When it comes to assuming the role of being a mentor, something that he's transitioning into directly while working with the likes of YG, recruiting Lil Durk and YFN Lucci to join his upcoming Trap or Die 3 tour and working with Tequila Avión to be a guide and resource for select rising artists, he's a seasoned vet who knows he has a lot to offer those willing to listen. Supported by his extensive resumé and in his words, he's always been a boss. So for Jeezy, it's just about saying what he feels is right for the situation and being honest when giving feedback or insight.

"What I've learned about people's opinions is that you take enough of it for it to make sense to you and apply it to what you were already thinking. That's how you move forward," he says. "So you can't just take everything everybody says for face value and think that's it, that's the end all be all. That's where I come in. A wise man once told me that you learn from somebody else's mistake, not your own."

At the end of the day, despite all of the headaches, anxiety and fear of the unknown that has come as a package deal with this election, Jeezy is here to remind us that this year still holds the potential to be great, and therefore it's going to be something special, save for the Atlanta Falcons losing the Super Bowl.

"I just take my time, you know, keep my mind balanced," he says of how he stays sane during trying times such as present-day political turmoil. "Keep staying in shape, eat good, drink good. Grind, get your stack, stay out of the way. That's what I say."

"Other than the Falcons, it's going to be a great year," Jeezy says with conviction. "You know everybody's in they pocket. Everybody's got their game face on. For everything that I'm affiliated with and a part of, business-wise, music-wise, we're going push it through the glass ceilings. It's going down this year. It's going to be a great year, for sure."

Once again, Jeezy's tried-and-true ability to keep it calm, cool and collected shines through, all without losing credibility for keeping things conscious at the same time. Yup, that's what star power is by definition and he's got enough to go around, lifting up an entire generation and, against all odds, inspiring others to do better along the way.

When The Snowman says it's going to be a great year, so it will be. He's sure to make a believer out of the most reluctant of optimists, leading by example and getting his jabs in when he needs to.

Sampha's 'Process' Is a Hauntingly Beautiful Debut

Originally published on BET.com here.

There is a magic behind collaboration that Sampha has not only mastered, but has also kept close to his chest since the beginning of his career in music. Finding a new calling in the shadows of the studio, the 28-year-old Londoner has spent the past five years providing his talents to some of today's most influential artists, including Drake, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Solange and SBTRKT. But as more and more listeners fell under his spell and first learned of his name, many began to wonder how strong he could stand on his own once it was his time to step into a lone spotlight.

With the release of Sampha's highly-anticipated debut album, Process, those keeping a watchful, critical eye can take a reclining seat; this isn't an album designed to impress or please, but rather to inspire those listening to be present and still. Much like his portrait on the cover suggests, this is a project best indulged in with eyes closed, a warm tea in hand and an open mind. Inhale, exhale and be ready to be pleasantly surprised.

Finding success in navigating his vulnerabilities, Sampha cautiously and carefully reveals different layers from his once safeguarded perspective and experiences, hinting that although he's been through hell and back, he hasn't lost sight of the fact that there's a peaceful calm that arrives after the storm passes. It's in these moments of honest self-discovery that Sampha not only finds strength, but also is reborn through his artistry, doing so in a way that also holds as much of a healing power for others inevitably captivated by his story as it does for the recording artist himself.

While the UK native doesn't put all of his tragedies in front of his handshake, it's clear as we get to know Sampha through his music that the devastating loss he's encountered throughout his life — such as losing both of his parents to cancer years apart — hasn't left him unscathed. It's a complicated heartbreak that doesn't quite ever leave, but Sampha embraces that lingering sorrow in a way that allows it to exist as his elixir, transforming his misfortunes into a saving grace, consequently enabling him to rise above the ashes as if his spirit were that of a phoenix.

The music itself presents a stark contrast proving Sampha is unassumingly in full control, with beautifully haunting melodies creating a curious parallel from the sometimes-grim lyrical content. Sampha masterfully juxtaposes pleasure and pain, with comforting reminders of home found on "What Shouldn't I Be?" balancing out the loneliness and tragedy he explores on "Kora Sings." Guided by his lush falsetto, it's only fitting that Sampha's dynamic, quiet world is best explored through multiple listens, each stirring up different complex emotions amplified by his love affair with the piano and his forward-thinking approach to electronic-leaning production.

The album's 10 tracks set out to expose the innermost conflicted corners of his private, imperfect mind, neatly and carefully ripping pages out of his diary for the first time just to realize that the conversation he's been having within himself this whole time has been pushing him closer and closer to the edge. Sampha has patiently waited to tell his story, even being hesitant to dive in at times, fully aware that you can't clean up an oil spill just by admiring its vexed beauty from a distance. By getting his hands dirty, Process becomes as therapeutic as it does meditative, with the tracks blending into one another at times. The meticulous effort is one to be commended, with beating drums, dramatic piano and delicate synths helping to craft what at times feels like as much as a concept album themed around grief as it does a first introduction to his identity. By addressing his past, he makes room for the future — an optimism he didn’t necessarily warm up to overnight.

As exemplified throughout the ambitious album, there is a degree of madness found in grief that doesn't always change or go away once you address its looming presence. Sampha faces his demons in the most artistic way possible, and by doing just that, he not only exposes his pained soul but invites us to welcome the process of doing the same. He doesn't have everything figured out, reminding us Process is just that — a process— and one that Sampha holds sacred. After all, from rot, grows life.

While Sampha is still stretching and warming his muscles in advance of the next race, if Process is any indication, there’s nothing quite like being lost in the right direction.