Rick Ross stopped by The Joe Budden Podcast recently for a Patreron exclusive episode released today, and was asked by Budden why he and Drake don’t tell the public that their supposed friendship and working relationship was a “facade” this entire time. “Why y’all don’t ever say, ‘Yo, all that brotherhood S—t that we was showing y’all in the videos, and how we was carrying it, and it was collabs every summer, it was all a facade,” Budden questioned.
Ross pushed back and denied that his relationship with Drake wasn’t real and suggested that sometimes friendships fizzle out for one reason or another. “No, no, don’t get it f—ked up. Nothing about that was fake,” the Miami rapper replied. “If a n—a f—k with you, a n—a f—k with you,” he continued. “If it’s something that go left, that’s when it go left. It can go left right now on this podcast. It wasn’t fake. Before that, n—as showing love.” Budden countered by suggesting that their falling out doesn’t make sense, telling Ross, “But when we hear what happened, it don’t connect.”
Rozay further explained that sometimes things just happen that way. “Some things are not to be looking for the connection,” he replied before bringing up Budden’s own notorious falling out with former co-hosts Rory Farrell and Jamil “Mal” Clay. “That’s like me looking for the connection between the last weird n—as you used to do the podcast with. You loved them n—as, didn’t you? That’s business. You moved on. That’s what you got to do as a boss. You wish all them n—as the best if it ain’t no real pressure. Continue to do you, keep winning. But once it go left, it go left.”
Rick Ross dropped his 12th solo album Set in Stone today (July 17) and is in the middle of his Port of Miami 20th Anniversary Tour. Billboard went down to South Florida to check out the tour’s opening night. You can check that out below.
The Cure’s Robert Smith is not looking forward to the Chris Martin-curated half-time show at Sunday’s (July 19) FIFA World Cup final. For the first time in its history, the final will feature a half-time show, which runs to 11 minutes of the allotted 15-minute break. Broadcasters, however, expect the total half-time break to potentially run to 30 minutes, a violation of FIFA’s own rules.
The move has been roundly criticized as has the introduction of “hydration breaks” during the first and second halves, with fans often booing the breaks in the stadium.
Ahead of the match-up between Argentina and Spain for the trophy at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, Smith has blasted the show – set to feature BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira and Madonna – and FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino in a pair of posts on The Cure’s official Instagram profile.
Sharing a description of the event alongside his own commentary, Smith’s caption reads: “The half-time show, which has been curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, will feature Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and the K‑pop boyband BTS. Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantosser, has described the half-time show as ‘groundbreaking spectacle’ that will ‘celebrate football, music and our shared values, ensuring a legacy that transcends the final whistle.’ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH… #Breadandcircuses #MUGWANK #pleasejustf–koff.”
A few hours later, Smith clarified that while he was not criticizing the artists themselves, he was disdainful of the show as a concept and the fact that President Trump will be on hand alongside Infantino to award the winner the coveted trophy.
He added, “sigh… FOR THOSE OF US NOT QUITE GETTING IT: THE POINT IS NOT R E A L L Y ABOUT W H O IS CURATING OR PERFORMING, IT IS ABOUT THE #MUGWANK I D E A OF A FOOTBALL WORLD CUP FINAL HALF TIME SHOW… IF YOU NOW UNDERSTAND MY ‘AAAAAAAGH!’ A BIT BETTER, BUT STILL DON’T AGREE, PLEASE ADJUST YOUR RED CAP, YOUR ‘I 🖤 JANNY + DONNY + $$$’ TSHIRT AND… KNOCK YOURSELF OUT? ONWARDS… RSX PS. “Infantosser has said he and US president Trumpton will small hand over trophy on Sunday”. SADLY, THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH A’S LEFT FOR THE ‘ARGH’ THAT SHOULD FOLLOW… #breadandcircuses #pleasejustf–koff #f–kfifa #justlookup.”
Smith is a longtime fan of west London team Queens Park Rangers. On Wednesday (July 17), England crashed out of the tournament following a 2-1 defeat to Argentina, with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger caught on camera expressing his disappointment.
The Cure is currently touring through Europe on a festival run with their next show set to take place on Friday (July 17) in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
It’s Gracie Abrams’ week, and we’re just living in it. The U.S. pop artist today dropped Daughter From Hell, her third studio effort and the followup to 2024’s The Secret of Us, which went all the way to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.
One of its 16 tracks is “Minibar,” which Abrams and her full band performed late Thursday on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, a delicious entrée to her full album.
For the debut TV performance, Abrams slung an acoustic guitar and got to work with her full band, all of them bathed in a warm red light. Watch below.
Abrams also stuck around for a chat with Fallon. Right off the bat, Abrams confirmed she’s about to make her acting debut. “It’s happening. Yes, I leave very, very shortly,” she said, moving swiftly along before offering more details on what’s reported to be an A24 movie from Babygirl director Halina Reijn.
On her new album project, it’s “so cool for me,” he adds. “I feel stoked. It’s been nice to be back with the crew and band. And to kind of just, yeah, reunite. And the people that I made this with, I respect and admire so much.”
Abrams recounted how she freaked out during her 2025 Glastonbury Festival performance when she spotted Paul McCartney on the sidelines (there’s proof, caught on video), a neat segue to her forthcoming The Look at My Life tour. As the buzz built, her last tour scaled up to big rooms. This time, however, “we get the luxury of starting square one, like, wildest dreams kind of stage and design. Yeah, I’m really excited.”
Abrams will head out on her North America jaunt from Dec. 2 in Denver.
And for the record, the “Daughter From Hell” in that album really is Abrams. “That song was the last one that I wrote for the album, and it is like a, you know, decades overdue apology to my mom, basically,” she tells Fallon.” No, she wasn’t a monster child. Just a “defiant person,” which can be “turbulent” for mom and dad. “This is a thank-you note to her.”
Olivia Rodrigo returns to the crest of the ARIA Albums Chart, as You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love (Geffen/Universal) enters a fourth non-consecutive week at No. 1.
Rodrigo rumbles with, and wins, her chart battle with the Rolling Stones, as the legendary British rock band drops in at No. 2 with Foreign Tongues (Polydor/Universal), their 25th studio album. It’s the Stones’ sixth top five album since the ARIA Charts launched in 1983, and the followup to 2023’s Hackney Diamonds, which peaked at No. 3.
Prior to the ARIA Charts era, Mick Jagger and Co. topped the leaderboard with Out Of Our Heads (from 1965), Sticky Fingers (1971), Exile On Main Street (1972), Goats Head Soup (1973), It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll (1974), Black and Blue (1976), Some Girls (1978), Emotional Rescue (1980) and Tattoo You (1981).
Closing out the podium on the latest frame, published Friday, July 17, is the soundtrack to Canadian drama Heated Rivalry (Milan Records/Sony), new at No. 3. The collection features Canadian musician Peter Peter and tracks from Wolf Parade, Wet Leg, t.A.T.u. and others, and was released in January of this year, but is boosted by its release on physical formats.
Also new to the chart is Bring Me The Horizon’s Count Your Blessings Repented (RCA/Sony), a re-recording of their debut album, issued to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Count Your Blessings Repented arrives at No. 5. The original didn’t impact the national Australian chart, but the Sheffield, England alternative rockers did go on to land four No. 1s.
The Temper Trap complete their comeback with a top 10 debut for Sungazer (Mushroom Music), the Melbourne indie-rockers’ fourth studio album and first in a decade. It’s new at No. 9. Winners of four-ARIA Awards, TTT now has four consecutive top 10 appearances, including a No. 1 with their self-titled effort from 2012.
Jack White cracks the top 20 with Frozen Charlotte (Third Man Record), his seventh solo studio. It’s new at No. 17, for his best chart position since 2018’s Boarding House Reach went to No. 11. The former White Stripes frontman has a solo best chart position of No. 2, with 2012’s Blunderbuss.
Further down the list is Future’s The Real Me (Epic/Sony) at No. 23; The Plot In You’s self-titled Concord/Universal release at No. 27; Australian rock band The Velvet Club’s Are You Falling In Love? (CMI), new at No. 29; Australian Idol’s 2024 champion Dylan Wright, whose fourth EP Crossroads (Sony) starts at No. 33; Adam Lambert’s Adam (Orchard) at No. 36; and Bella Kay’s My Reckless Abandon (Atlantic/Warner) at No. 38.
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” (Sony Music) holds at No. 1 for the sixth non-consecutive week. Langley extends an impressive winning streak for female artists. Indeed, the last male artist to top the tally was Justin Bieber, whose “Daisies” went to No. 1 on the chart published July 25, 2025 – one week shy of a full year ago. No new titles impact the latest frame.
In a sliding doors moment, Oliver Cronin might be jostling for a place in Australia’s national cricket team instead of releasing his own creations through Warner Music.
The breakout Australian artist was born and raised in Mullumbimby, a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, not far from Byron Bay. That dot on the map has produced Amy Taylor, the iconic singer with Amyl And The Sniffers, and Amethyst Kelly, better known by her former rap name Iggy Azalea. Add Cronin’s name to that list of Mullum’s music luminaries.
It might’ve been an entirely different journey. As a young teen, it was cricket, not music or even surfing, that dominated Cronin’s dreams. A talented bowler of the ball, throwing it down with pace, Cronin was selected for state teams. Before he would get the call from national team selectors, Cronin fell hard for music. “I had to choose between music and cricket because I understood what it took to be elite at something. And it takes a lot,” he tells Billboard.
He went all-in with music, and never looked back.
Cronin was a bright student, and a career in engineering awaited. He followed his music dreams, with the support of his mom, who studied and taught music, played in bands, and introduced the youngster to rhythm and melody before he could walk; and his father, a former professional photographer, now author.
If he was to tread that tricky path, he would need to study at a school of rock. Cronin, with his parents’ assistance, pursued a daily “regime” where, for the first three hours of the day, he’d study the music business, then write songs for several hours, and finish up with music videos and tutorials of artistry and the business behind it.
Now aged 24, Oliver has a record deal with Warner Music Australia, and the new EP Lost On The Way To Paradise, out today, July 17. Playing in the space between pop and R&B, the seven-song collection gathers the previously released cuts “Closure,” “7500 Miles,” and “Eyes Wide Shut.”
It’s the followup to 2024’s Halfway To Paradise, released in a year when he performed showcases and promo tours in North America, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, and caught the attention of WMG executives around the globe, culminating in a global partnership with Warner Records.
Halfway To Paradise expanded at the start of 2025 with Edge Of Paradise, a deluxe edition including the track “Maria,” a collaboration with Filipino band Lola Amour.
Cronin first signed with Warner Music in 2019, and released his debut Beautiful Nightmare in 2022, an EP that featured “Boys Don’t Cry,” a cut that caught fire on TikTok, a platform on which he boasts 1.1 million followers. Several releases have gone viral in India, the Philippines, and Germany.
Earlier this year, Cronin stepped out of his comfort zone and onto the catwalk. He debuted his 6’4” frame at Australian Fashion Week 2026 where he walked in Christian Kimber’s show — a moment he describes as “very scary” and “a bit of fun.”
With the release today of another slice of Paradise, Cronin has similar feelings.
“It’s always weird when I’m about to release music,” he told Billboard earlier this week. “Especially because this body of work is so personal to me and so, like, vulnerable and I sometimes have trouble letting go of these songs. I think once they’re out into the world, it’s no longer really mine. It’s kind of up,” he continues. “It’s for people to interpret and to listen to and to make their memories from my songs. So right now I’m holding on to the last little bit I have of these songs to be mine until they’re all out into the world. I’m excited because it’s been a long time since I’ve dropped a project.”
Billboard’sFriday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to New Music Friday’s most essential releases each week — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
Last week, we featured Madonna, Sienna Spiro, Riley Green and more.
This week: Gracie Abrams shares her anticipated this album, Daughter From Hell (read Billboard‘s tracks ranked here); Steve Lacy is back with his self-produced third album, Oh yeah?; and Carly Rae Jepsen continues her Day and Night rollout with the release of the upcoming double album’s second single… plus much more. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Gracie Abrams, Daughter From Hell
Gracie Abrams’ third album is finally here, just two years after The Secret of Us helped the pop singer emerge as a fast-rising star as the project debuted at No. 2 Billboard 200, bolstered by hit single “That’s So True.” This time, Abrams returned to producer Aaron Dessner’s Long Pond studio to craft the sonically intimate and lyrically expansive Daughter From Hell, led by surging singles “Hit the Wall” and “Look at My Life.” Release day focus track “Good Reason” is softer in its contemplation, as Abrams sings of putting herself first. “If only I chose you and not me/ If only I had a good reason,” she sings, with the quiet confidence of knowing she never needed one at all.
Steve Lacy, Oh yeah?
It’s been almost four years since Steve Lacy dropped his Grammy-winning Gemini Rights sophomore album and ascended to Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper status with “Bad Habit.” Now, the Internet alum has unveiled his third studio album, Oh Yeah?, which finds him sharing some of his most personal lyrics to date over whimsical fusions of synths and guitars. Featuring appearances by SZA, Erykah Badu and Cecile Believe, Oh Yeah? remains committed to The Funk™ — even in its most somber and self-effacing moments. — KYLE DENIS
Carly Rae Jepsen, “After All”
In late June, Carly Rae Jepsen announced a mega 24-track double album coming this September. Titled Day and Night, the album is fittingly divided into two sonic halves: a psychedelic pop side (Day) and a dance-pop side (Night). While lead single “On Wires,” which arrived with the album, feels distinctly day for its rock riffs and alternative feel, “After All” sounds more akin to nighttime. Boasting sleeker, tighter production, Jepsen dips into her falsetto on the song’s chorus accompanied by subtle hand claps that lead right into a groovy instrumental break — perfect for hitting the dancefloor. — L.H.
Bella Kay, “i deserve better”
Bella Kay opted out of a standard Friday release for her debut album, My Reckless Abandon, which she dropped over the weekend on July 12. Featuring her breakout hit “iloveitiloveitiloveit,” the album’s 13 tracks showcase the promising singer-songwriter’s range, which snaps into focus on closing song “i deserve better,” which staunchly contrasts the chaos-loving nature of a song like “iloveit.” Instead, Kay admits that “I love to blame myself/ It’s all on me when it goes to hell/ But this time, I don’t think that’s true…I’m not perfect, not ever/ But I still deserve better.” — L.H.
Dexter and The Moonrocks, “If You Could Talk”
Emerging Texas rockers Dexter and The Moonrocks broke out this March with “Freakin’ Out,” which earned the band its first Hot 100 entry. Now, the self-defined “Western space grunge” act is back with follow-up single “If You Could Talk,” a punchy track that plays with shifting tempo, building slowly into a proper rock song before winding back down — as if peeling back layers of a band as it continues to reveal itself in real time, and in front of a fast-growing fanbase. — L.H.
Rick Ross, Set in Stone
Ricky Rozay is back with Set in Stone, his first solo studio album in five years. Though he’s spent most of 2026 celebrating the 20th anniversary of his beloved debut album, Port of Miami, the new 19-track set finds Ross living in the present. Assisted by a mind-boggling amalgamation of collaborators — including Leon Thomas, Don Toliver, Yung Miami, Max B, Jeezy and BigXthaPlug — Set in Stone delivers more of Ross’ signature luxury rap, this time from the perspective of an MC with two decades in the game. — K.D.
Buju Banton, Too Too Bad
Serving as a pseudo-sequel to 2006’s Too Bad, Buju Banton’s highly anticipated Too Too Bad has officially landed, complete with 13 rollicking reggae and dancehall tracks. In addition to his viral take on DJ MAC & CrashDummy’s “WYFL” riddim (“X Rated”), Too Too Bad also boasts collaborations with Gramps Morgan, Ari Lennox and DJ Khaled. Notably, Too Too Bad also marks the Grammy winner’s sixth release under VP Records, the label to which he recently returned after 23 years thanks to a newly minted deal. — K.D.
