Author: Rap Hooks

DJs and longtime friends Seth Troxler and Bill Patrick have launched a new podcast focused on freewheeling conversations with each other and a weekly guest.

Out now on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts, Flirting With Friendship is an hourlong, video-forward podcast in which the pals, artists and known arbiters of cool tell stories, riff on current affairs and generally express themselves. The show is filmed late night in the living room of Troxler’s parents’ house in Ibiza. Watch the trailer below.

Guests for the series will include a discipline-spanning collection of DJs, visual artists, designers and other creative luminaries including Roisin Murphy, Damian Lazarus, Felipe Pantone, John Acquaviva, Chris Korda, Miranda Makaroff & Pascal Moscheni, George Stavro, Marcello Burlon and DJ Tennis.

Out now, the first episode serves as a tone-setter with a conversation from Troxler and Patrick on their own. A statement about Flirting With Friendship declares it to be a reflection of the hosts’ “vision of positive masculinity and a shift toward curating culture in new formats that champion curiosity, community and connection in ways that extend past the dance floor.”

The show has a constellation’s worth of star creators on its crew. Flirting With Friendship is produced by Nikita Stanley, the writer and co-founder of the book and mom blog The Rebel Mama, Jesse Rogg, who is also the show’s creative director, president of indie record label StrataSonic and owner of Los Angeles’ Mack Sennett Studios and Craig Pettigrew, who’s also behind events company Future Primitive and is a founder of BPM Festival. Set design is by Veronica Gessa, the multimedia installation artist also known as mokibaby who’s behind Miami’s Club Space and III Points. Award-winning cinematographer Lukas Strebel, whose credits include Black Mirror, is the show’s director of photography.

“Friendships are funny, our life is based on connections. In many ways those connections determine who we are,” says Troxler. “At some point meeting new friends or opening up to existing friends becomes more rare the older you get. Flirting with Friendship is about breaking down that barrier. Bill and I have been friends for nearly 20 years. We love each other but also drive each other crazy. Real friends are people that no matter their flaws you’re still interested and invested. I hope our relationship is something other people enjoy as much as we do. We’re flawed and we love each other, but chance is you are too.. and maybe just maybe you’ll come to love us as well.”

“I didn’t really have a choice when it came to doing this show,” adds Patrick. “I was told, ‘We’re doing a podcast,’ and I blindly went along with it. That’s the kind of trust (or poor judgment) that comes with being friends with someone for a long time. This show isn’t about teaching you how to be a better person. It’s about proving you’re not the only one with questionable life choices and friends who never let you forget them. If nothing else, you’ll get to hear Seth and me roast, annoy, and occasionally appreciate each other in real time. And if you end up liking us? Well, that’s your problem.”

Just 11 months after she last occupied it, Sabrina Carpenter returns to the top spot of the Billboard 200 this week with her new album, the Aug. 29-released Man’s Best Friend.

The new set, her follow-up to 2024’s four-week Billboard 200 No. 1 Short n’ Sweet, claims pole position with an impressive 366,000 units moved, according to Luminate — a slightly higher number than its predecessor bowed with (362,000). In addition, it notches all 12 of its tracks in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, with two — the No. 3-entering “Tears,” and the No. 4-rebounding “Manchild” (which previously debuted at No. 1) — making the top five.

How should Carpenter feel about her first-week performance? And what would he advise her to do for the rest of the year? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.

1. Sabrina Carpenter debuts atop the Billboard 200 this week with Man’s Best Friend, posting 366,000 first-week units — up a tiny bit from the first-week performance of last year’s Billboard 200-besting Short n’ Sweet (362,000 units). On a scale from 1-10, how excited should Carpenter and her team be with that performance?

Eric Renner Brown: 7. Man’s Best Friend‘s first-week figures didn’t blow Short n’ Sweet‘s out of the water – probably a small disappointment for Carpenter and her team, given how inescapable she has been for the past year – but they did maintain her 2024 effort’s success, and without being buoyed by two massive pre-release hits like Short n’ Sweet was. The stat I’d be most excited about were I in Carpenter’s camp: Man’s Best Friend clocked the ninth-best vinyl sales week in the modern era (dating back to 1991); only one of the albums ahead of her on that tally is by an artist not named Taylor Swift. That accomplishment demonstrates her fan base’s passion – and her team’s release strategy savvy.

Lyndsey Havens: 10. Sabrina’s trajectory right now is what I imagine every pop star dreams of — whenever it happens. To quote the Hot 100’s current champion, Sabrina keeps going up “up, up, up” and it’s a joy to watch as a longtime fan. Especially because it seems that she’s having the most fun of us all. And I think it’s in part because she has mastered striking while the iron is hot; she figured out what works and feels best for her and her audience and has consistently delivered exactly that ever since. And makes it look easy.

Jason Lipshutz: An 8. Sure, it would have been nice to rival the biggest debuts of the year so far by The Weeknd and Morgan Wallen, but Man’s Best Friend squeaking by the bow of Short n’ Sweet, when its predecessor had a more plentiful collection of hits upon its release, is beyond impressive. Sabrina Carpenter has reached a level in which every new album is a pop event, but returning so quickly after a blockbuster album and scoring an even bigger debut demonstrates just how firmly she’s planted herself on the A-list.

Joe Lynch: Nine. Both the overall total and trad album sales numbers for MBF are up from SNS, which is, on face value, A Good Thing. I especially think it’s a win considering SNS benefitted from the juggernaut that was “Espresso,” one of the most ubiquitous, undying hits of the 2020s. For MBF to do even marginally better without a comparable era-defining song boosting the streams is a big win.

Andrew Unterberger: An 8.5. Given the short layover and relative lack of advance hits compared to its predecessor, I think anything within range of Short n’ Sweet would’ve been just fine for Sabrina Carpenter, but to actually squeak by the original’s first-week tally is a big win. And to do it mostly in album sales (but with a still-robust number of streams) — I mean, it’s all what you want if you’re looking to do this thing for a long time.

2. “Tears” is the top-performing song from the new set, debuting at No. 3 on the Hot 100 — and it just received a spotlight performance at Sunday night’s VMAs. Does the song feel like a long-term hit, akin to “Taste” on the last album, or do you think it will have a shorter shelf-life? 

Eric Renner Brown: Sure! It’s at least as catchy, if not moreso, than “Manchild,” “Taste” and “Please Please Please” (“Espresso” is, of course, the GOAT). Another factor that could add to the disco-pop song’s longevity: It sounds tailored to pop off on dancefloors.

Lyndsey Havens: I actually think “Tears” could have longer-term success than “Taste,” especially following her VMAs performance — which has already become a cultural reference point. While I love “Taste,” I’m personally more all-in on “Tears” because I feel like it shows a glimmer of why Man’s Best Friend is in fact an evolution for the pop star. Despite the title and raunchy opening line — which we’ve come to expect from Sab Carp following Short n’ Sweet — the song is about a man being respectful and responsible, whereas “Taste” played up the opposite. “Tears” is just getting started, and with such a strong showing so far, I could see it hanging around the top of the chart for a long while. 

Jason Lipshutz: Yep, this is the “Taste” of this album cycle: new single released concurrently with the album, with a music video featuring a major film star, and the type of uptempo, innuendo-laden pop track that would have been nice to have this summer, but we will embrace for the fall. “Tears” sounds like another big hit for Sabrina, and is functioning like one on streaming services; maybe it dips a bit from its No. 3 debut, but I’d expect it to stick around the top 10 through Pumpkin Spice season.

Joe Lynch: Both. Like “Taste,” the song is a grower, and that VMAs turn should help boost it back up on streaming and radio. I see it sticking around, though not to the extent of “Taste” (38 weeks on the Hot 100!). “Taste” is slyly flirty, “Tears” is unabashedly sexual, and lyrics like “I get wet at the thought of you” are bound to limit its exposure, particularly given the overall conservative swing of American culture lately.

Andrew Unterberger: It’s maybe a little more challenging — key shifts, unusual sonic touchstones, particularly Kidz Bop-unfriendly lyrics — than “Taste,” so I wouldn’t be surprised if it had a little bit quicker a chart run. But it’s also a really great and fun single, and Carpenter seems motivated to continue pushing it, so if it outpaces my expectations I wouldn’t be shocked either.

3. “Manchild” returns to the top five this week, moving 7-4. Do you feel any differently about the song now that the whole album is out than you did when it was first released three months ago? 

Eric Renner Brown: “Manchild” has grown on me since it was released, but my opinion on it hasn’t changed dramatically – it’s a Sabrina Carpenter single, for better or for worse. Carpenter is such a singles-driven artist that, honestly, hearing her songs within the context of their respective albums doesn’t add much more depth to my understanding of them. That “Manchild” kicks off Man’s Best Friend only bolsters the ability to think of it independently from the full album.

Lyndsey Havens: When “Manchild” first dropped it came and went for me — for no particular reason. But within the context of the album, I’ve definitely played it more and appreciate the role it played in setting the tone for Man’s Best Friend. That said, I’m still a “Tears” girl — and even songs like “House Tour” have me coming back more.

Jason Lipshutz: It’s grown in stature for me, thanks to all of the tiny sonic tics and lyrical details that are revealed upon multiple listens. The nifty guitar work in the pre-chorus, the gang vocals in the second half of the bridge, the triple-entendre of “Did you just say you’re finished? Didn’t know we started” in the opening verse — they all contribute to a singular pop showcase, built around an echoing hook that had immediate appeal. I promise you that, in five years, we will look back on “Manchild” as one of Carpenter’s strongest hits.

Joe Lynch: Not especially. I loved “Manchild” when it dropped and I still think it’s fantastic. Does it surpass or even match the best singles of SNS? No, but it’s a bit unfair to measure anything up to “Espresso” and “Taste,” two of the decade’s best so far in pop. And it is an excellent, durable pop song.

Andrew Unterberger: I was at least a little underwhelmed by “Manchild” when it first bowed, but now I’m struggling to even really remember why. Some of the verse lyrics do land a little too broadly for my tastes, but it’s a small complaint when stacked up against all the things this song does really, really well. It’s on the level of the three big Short n’ Sweet hits for me at this point, certainly.

4. Does the album feel to you like it moves her beyond Short n’ Sweet, or do you think it mostly doubles down on what that album did successfully?

Eric Renner Brown: It’s a Sabrina Carpenter album! She ran it back for an album that, to my ears, pretty much picks up right where Short n’ Sweet left off. And that wasn’t a bad idea: Carpenter does a very distinctive thing and does it very well – this is what audiences expect from her. But now I’m wondering… are there people out there hailing this as a major stylistic departure for her?

Lyndsey Havens: At first, I thought it doubled down. And I still think it largely does — which is great! It works for all parties involved. But the more I listen, the more I can see how this is a stepping stone towards whatever comes next, whether it’s a move away from her sex-driven wordplay or a move into the softer production and soaring vocals of a song like “We Almost Broke Up Again,” I can’t wait to see what comes next for Sabrina. And while I’d eagerly press play on a third album in a potential trio of releases, I do hope that there’s a break built in before then — and perhaps ending the album with “Goodbye” is a hint at exactly that. 

Jason Lipshutz: I think even Sabrina would admit that Man’s Best Friend doubles down on a formula that was established on Short n’ Sweet, augmenting the details of a winning blueprint drawn up with close collaborators who understand her voice, sound and humor. Because Short n’ Sweet was such a success, Carpenter has designed Man’s Best Friend as a more personal, and lovably weird, glimpse into her life and relationships, drawing upon similar themes with more confidence and clarity. I doubt Carpenter will linger in this particular mode for too much longer, but for now, she’s having a blast within it.

Joe Lynch: It pushes the envelope a bit further in terms of sexual entendre and transgression (I mean, that album cover) — but musically, she’s doubling down on what worked on SNS. Which is fine – coming almost a year to the date after that breakthrough album, MBF delivers, to my ear, more of the same sonically. But there’s not a lot of people doing what she’s doing right now (or at least doing it well), so I welcome it. Now, in 2026 or 2027, would I hope there’s a bit of growth? Sure. But as a quick follow-up to a blockbuster, this lands.

Andrew Unterberger: It certainly feels of a piece with her last album both sonically and thematically, but the more you listen to this album the more you realize how far this actually is from Shorter n’ Sweeter. It’s a less-explosive album than its predecessor but arguably a richer one, less concerned with offering a cornucopia of singles and more with a providing full-album experience, a relationship song cycle that feels almost like it’s all telling parts of the same story of post-relationship heartbreak, lust, frustration and (some degree of) acceptance. And the musical influences, pushing her further into unusual pockets of pre-MTV crossover country, synthy soft rock and other little-revived genres, really give this album its own sonic identity as well.

5. It’s been an incredible near-two-year run for Sabrina Carpenter in pop music — how would you recommend she spend the next three months to finish out the year as strongly as possible?

Eric Renner Brown: At this point, she feels too big too fail, which I mean in the most complimentary way. These hits, sales, concerts are simply so massive that it’s hard for me to think of any way she could derail this run at this point. But I will be curious to see how she incorporates this fresh material into her Short n’ Sweet tour when it resumes later this month – and if she can leverage any of these new songs to create viral moments.

Lyndsey Havens: Enjoy it, whatever that looks like for her. It sure could mean continuing to write and record. It could mean continuing to ideate and build worlds with her performances (she has a handful of festival gigs in early 2026). And it could mean taking a long vacation. But, somewhere in all of that, I also hope it means preparing for a busy award season at the start of the new year; at this point, an show-opening career-spanning medley from the superstar to open a particular awards ceremony doesn’t even seem that far-fetched. 

Jason Lipshutz: Considering she just released her new album, has a new smash with “Tears,” just delivered one of the best performance at the MTV VMAs and is playing some fall arena dates… what else is there to ask for? The answer, of course, is a music video for “House Tour,” starring some HGTV personalities. Fingers crossed on that one.

Joe Lynch: Another collab with Van Leeuwen, please – I tragically missed the first one and my tastebuds have been furious with me since. Other than ice cream, I hope Carpenter keeps giving us more of what she brought to the VMAs – it’s hard to pull off a political pop performance without being heavy-handed, but she spoke up for trans right while platforming trans people without losing that ineffable, defiant joy of queer culture.

Andrew Unterberger: Could her upcoming appearance on the closer to Taylor Swift’s Life of a Showgirl album possibly kickstart a run of feature appearances from Sabrina Carpenter? I’d love to see it at some point in her career — nearly all the century’s great pop stars have had at least one such memorable run, and she would be incredible just popping up on a big hook for any number of rappers, rockers or dance DJs out there.

Tyler, The Creator and Lil Yachty are not working on Hebrew jazz funk album.

Lil Yachty went on his Instagram over the weekend and posted a series of pics of him and Tyler in matching yellow outfits to thank him for taking him along on the Chromakopia tour, and joked that the West Coast rapper was secretly working on a high-concept project. “Tour is done, love you brother,” Yachty wrote in the caption. “Blessed to be apart. Let y’all in on a secret… dat boi Tyler workin’ on a Hebrew jazz funk album, sh– gone be tough.. 2026.”

Tyler then immediately commented, denying the claim and trolled fans that still expect a “Sticky” video. “LMFAOOOO NO I’M NOT,” he wrote. “DON’T GET THESE GULLIBLE ASS FANS HOPES UP, THESE N—AS STILL THINK A STICKY VIDEO IS COMING.”

And to be fair to the Tyler fans that are still clamoring for a “Sticky” video, he did post a one-minute teaser on his YouTube page about seven months ago and captioned it with, “video will come.” There’s also the fact that he released a video for “Darling, I” two weeks ago sandwiched between videos for “Sugar on My Tongue” and “Sucka Free” from his Don’t Tap the Glass project, so fans may very well get a visual for “Sticky,” but remember to not get your hopes up in case it really doesn’t happen.

As for as the secret Hebrew jazz funk album is concerned, Yachty must’ve been inspired by a fan on X who once joked around and told The Alchemist that he should consider making an introspective jazz album with Young Thug.

A new report from elite law firm Latham & Watkins says FireAid has made good use of the $100 million raised during a pair of all-star benefit concerts following the devastating Los Angeles wildfires in January.

FireAid tapped Latham to conduct an independent internal review of its grantmaking process in July, when online skeptics, led by Republican congressman Kevin Kiley, were publicly questioning whether the money actually went to victims of the Palisades and Eaton Fires.

The answer, according to Latham’s report released on Monday (Sept. 8), is an unequivocal “yes.” After interviewing FireAid board members and reviewing meeting minutes, wire transfers and emails, the law firm concluded that there has been no misconduct in the distribution of $100 million raised during the two concurrent shows at L.A.’s Intuit Dome and Kia Forum.

“Based on the investigation conducted to date, we have not identified evidence of any misrepresentations in the solicitation of charitable funds, improper selection of grantees, improper distribution of funds, improper use or misappropriation of funds, fraudulent intent, or deviation from FireAid’s stated mission,” wrote Latham in the report.

Many of FireAid’s online critics have claimed the organization gave the false impression that these funds would be issued as direct payments to fire victims. But Latham says in the report that FireAid “made clear from its inception” that money would be distributed not directly to individuals, but to partner organizations that were providing fire relief.

Critics on the internet have also suggested that some of the FireAid recipient organizations are not actually involved in wildfire recovery. Latham’s report said this too is false; the firm reviewed progress reports from FireAid grantees and said the $75 million distributed so far has been spent on food, housing, medical care and other key expenses for fire victims.

“Latham has not identified any evidence that funds were given to organizations that were not providing relevant aid nor that funds were being used improperly,” the report reads.

In a press release announcing the Latham report on Monday, FireAid said the firm’s investigation “affirms that FireAid’s grantmaking was transparent, mission-aligned and impactful for fire-affected communities across Los Angeles.”

“It is important the survivors and our LA community have real insight into how FireAid funds are supporting recovery,” the release added. “We remain committed to helping communities affected by the Eaton and Palisade Fires rebuild and recover, and providing transparent documentation of progress and impact.”

The FireAid concerts were held on Jan. 30 with a star-studded line-up that included Green Day, Billie Eilish, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Stevie Wonder, Lil Baby, Tate McRae, Sting, Alanis Morissette, John Mayer, a Nirvana reunion, Joni Mitchell, a reunited No Doubt, P!nk and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The shows were livestreamed, drawing in more than 50 million viewers, and raised $100 million from ticket and merchandise sales, sponsorships, donations from the public and private gifts.

FireAid distributed the first $50 million of these funds in February and followed up with a second round of grants totaling $25 million in June. The last $25 million tranche is set to be distributed by the end of 2025.

According to the report, FireAid has been using a “comprehensive, multi-level grantmaking and evaluation process” to decide where funds go. The first step in this process is run by staffers from the Annenberg Foundation, who conduct due diligence and recommend a slate of fund recipients to FireAid’s grant advisory committee.

The grant advisory committee, comprised of philanthropy professionals, further evaluates each charity and its governance before moving a slate of recommendations forward to the FireAid board. The board — whose members include L.A. real estate developer Rick Caruso and music industry titan Shelli Azoff — does a final review and approves grant recipients.

FireAid’s actual fund distribution is handled by the Goldman Sachs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund, which also confirms the 501(c)(3) status of each recipient organization before sending the money.

Role Model tops a songs-based Billboard chart for the first time, ruling the Sept. 13-dated Adult Alternative Airplay tally with “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.”

The tune from Role Model, real name Tucker Pillsbury, from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, zooms three spots to the top. It’s his second triumph on a Billboard survey, following a week at No. 1 on Emerging Artists in August.

Role Model’s Adult Alternative Airplay reign comes with his first entry on the chart, making him the first act to lead with a maiden entry since TALK with “Run Away to Mars” in early 2023.

Concurrently, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” rises 5-3 for a new high on Alternative Airplay. On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, it lifts 11-7, also for a new best, with 2.6 million audience impressions in the week ending Sept. 4, according to Luminate.

The song additionally peaked at No. 25 on Pop Airplay in July and No. 31 on Adult Pop Airplay in August.

“Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” pushes 19-17 on the multimetric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. In addition to its radio airplay, it earned 3.1 million official U.S. streams and sold 2,000. The latter count scores it a No. 1 re-entry on Alternative Digital Song Sales via a 298% gain after Role Model performed the song on NBC’s Today on Aug. 29.

The track is Role Model’s first charted song on any Billboard list. Parent album Kansas Anymore debuted at No. 18 on the Top Alternative Albums chart in March and reached No. 10 in August. First released in 2024, the set has earned 282,000 equivalent album units to date.

All Billboard charts dated Sept. 13 will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

It’s free Billboard charts month! Through Sept. 30, subscribers to Billboard’s Chart Beat newsletter, emailed each Friday, can unlock access to Billboard’s weekly and historical charts, artist chart histories and all Chart Beat stories simply by visiting the newly redesigned Billboard.com through any story link in the newsletter. Not a Chart Beat subscriber? Sign up for free here.

Doechii has added a pair of shows to her upcoming Live From the Swamp Tour. The Florida native will take over New York City on Oct. 20 and head back to Tampa Bay for a homecoming performance on Oct. 25.

Pre-sale is set to start on Thursday (Sept. 11) for Verizon customers, and Doechii’s artist pre-sale will take place on Friday (Sept. 12), while the general public will get their shot next Monday (Sept. 15).

As far as venues go, the TDE rapper is slated to perform at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in NYC and she’ll invade the Yuengling Center in Tampa to extend the North American leg of the trek to 14 shows.

The Live From the Swamp Tour is slated to kick off in Chicago on Oct. 14 before shows in Toronto, Boston, Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Doechii is also hitting the stage at a handful of U.S. festivals this fall, including All Things Go, Austin City Limits, One Music Festival and Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw.

2025 has been a banner year for the Swamp Princess, which began in February with a Grammy victory for best rap album and saw Doechii collect a pair of Moon Person awards at the MTV VMAs on Sunday, for best hip-hop and best choreography thanks to “Anxiety.”

Australia fans are in luck as Doechii has six performances scheduled for December down under, where she’ll provide support on a pair of Grand National Tour dates for Kendrick Lamar and hit the stage at Spilt Milk Festival.