It may have been five years since Sam Smith rocked the charts with hits from their debut album, ‘In the Lonely Hour,’ but it appears the content from the LP is proving itself evergreen.

As they gear fans up for the release of their yet-titled, long-awaited third studio effort, the 27-year-old’s being greeted with news the tunes from their inaugural set – namely their first U.S. hit ‘Stay With Me’ – is showcasing serious staying power on streaming platforms.  Taking to social media, Smith recently celebrated news the tune – released spring 2014 – had crossed the billion plays threshold on Spotify.

Becoming the platform’s 41st song to boast such a feat, the Grammy-winner barely had time to pop open the bubbly before the weekend brought news its enduring popularity placed it in an exclusive club on YouTube as well.  Details inside:

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After scoring a top 10 placement on the Hot 100 with their collabo, ‘Money in the Grave,’ rappers Rick Ross and Drake look to dig up another hit with their follow-up joint effort, ‘Gold Roses.’

The latter, found aboard Ross’ latest project – ‘Port of Miami II’ – has already made a splash on the Hot 100 from airplay, streaming, and sales alone.  Boasting a #39 peak (to date), the duo are looking to push ‘Roses’ to the success level of its predecessor (‘Grave’) by unveiling its official music video.

Look inside to see the Colin Tilley-directed clip:

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In case there was any doubt longtime rivals Faith Evans and Lil Kim had buried the hatchet, the two put it to rest recently when they announced intent to hit the road on a co-headlining tour.

The duo, who took to New York City this weekend to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Ready to Die’ album at a mural unveiling, sent fans into a frenzy by unveiling some historic news of their own.

Hear it inside:

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Beyonce has a knack for surprises and moments ago she sprung another on the masses with the announcement that she’ll be airing a special on ABC.

Details on ‘Beyonce Presents: Making The Gift’ after the jump…

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New video alert!

Prised from his ‘Stay the Night’ EP is the visual Cimo Frankel shot for its supporting single of the same name.

The release follows in the footsteps of the singer’s earlier singles ‘Live Without You’, ‘Where Do You Hide Your Love’ and ‘Gamble’ and sees the star venture in Sting-inspired territory on creative front.

Discovered @cimofrankel today and I’m absolutely hooked

— Phoebe (@pheebsjm) July 29, 2019

Hit the play button to tune into the visual below….

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Is she or isn’t she?

Shortly after producer extraordinaire Hitmaka took to press this week to reveal Tinashe had signed to Roc Nation for management (as we reported here), the songstress was spotted outside of Craig’s in West Hollywood and quizzed by the press to confirm the rumor.

Her response was interesting to say the least.  Hear it inside:

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Last night saw Ciara set sail on the ‘Beauty Marks Tour’ and she brought a bevy of hits with her.

Super Ci kicked off the US trek at the Washington State Fair and did not disappoint.

Backed by an army of dancers, the performer blazed through fan favorites such as ‘Level Up,’ ‘Goodies,’ and ‘1, 2 Step,’ and newer numbers such as ‘Dose.’

The tour, which has been mounted in support of the singer’s ‘Beauty Marks’ album, will feature stops in the likes of Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta, before wrapping up in Chicago next month.

Peep clips below…

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Sam Smith has long been a bold lyricist and now the British belter is extending said boldness into the public sphere.

For, the 27-year-old has announced that they identify as a non-binary gender and wants to be referred to as such. Hence, instead of being “he/him” it’ll be “they/them.”

Smith’s words below…

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Megan Thee Stallion looks poised to scale to higher heights. Because, it’s just been announced that she’s signed to Jay-Z‘s Roc Nation.

Full story below…

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June’s Diary have delivered a double dose of newness with the release their ‘Take Your Time’ care-package.

The freshly unwrapped set is comprised of songs ‘I Ain’t With It’ and ‘Stuntin.’

As for the title of the mini-set, ‘Take Your Time’ references the quintet’s progress over the past three years as an independent music group and serves as a nod to the group’s resilience and strength as they forge ahead on their path to ownership as African-American creatives and uplifting women through storytelling

It comes on the heels of their 2018 EP ‘All Of Us.’

With a debut album still incoming, check out the latest from Kristal, Ashly, Brienna, Gabby,  and Shyann below…

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Much like the Brandy and Monica, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, and other reported female celebrity feuds of history, the catalyst of the beef often derives from external sources.  The aforementioned ladies are just a few who have cited ‘the industry’ (which also includes labels and fans) as the impetus of their rivalries which, ironically, later transformed what was once-rumored into reality.

Chance the Rapper believes that exact circumstance applies to the bad blood between rapstresses Cardi B & Nicki Minaj.  The 26-year-old, still hot on the promo trail in support of his debut studio album – ‘The Big Day’ – took to ‘Big Boy’ to discuss a number of happenings in his life including fatherhood, his delayed arena tour, and more.  When addressing ‘industry politics’ Chance took the chance to discuss his feelings on the beef between B and Minaj.

As he’s in a unique position to do so (having collaborated with both of them in the past), look inside to hear just what he said:

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