SZA is speaking out about the growing influence of artificial intelligence in music, calling it a serious threat to creativity and Black artists. The Grammy winner recently told i-D magazine she feels “at war with AI,” expanding on themes she first explored on her 2022 chart-topping album SOS. On the project’s track “Ghost in the Machine,” she warned about technology replacing human emotion in music. According to the singer, the rise of AI-generated songs and virtual artists—such as Xania Monet, Unbound Music, and Breaking Rust—is already reshaping the charts. SZA argues that the trend disproportionately affects Black music, noting the surge of AI-generated covers of emerging artists like Olivia Dean. She also criticized the type of content AI creates, describing much of it as stereotypical portrayals of Black struggle. Beyond artistic concerns, SZA has also raised environmental alarms about the technology. In a past social media post, she criticized the energy demands of AI data centers and their impact on communities of color. Despite the rapid growth of the technology, SZA insists her real competition isn’t other artists, but the growing reliance on machines over human creativity and lived experience.

Less than three weeks after surprising fans with the Valentine’s Day release of her single “More Than a Lover,” R&B icon Mary J. Blige has unveiled the song’s official music video. Directed by Nico Scandiffio and filmed at the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, the visual captures Blige passionately singing about the man who has remained by her side through it all. Produced by Camper, the soulful track finds the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul basking in a deep, transcendent romance built on loyalty and unwavering devotion.

Ty Dolla $ign has released his new EP Girl Music Vol. 1 via Atlantic Records, delivering a collection of R&B tracks inspired by music women love. The project features standout songs like “3 Billion” and “Bad B*tch Alert,” plus collaborations with Ronald Isley, Brandy, and Leon Thomas. Ty says the idea began during a dinner in New York and represents a natural return to his classic R&B sound.

Rising R&B artist TheARTI$t kicks off 2026 with her new single “Shut It Down,” an upbeat yet sensual track that highlights her smooth delivery and magnetic sound. Known for crafting intimate, warm music, she leans into soft melodies and polished production to capture confidence, chemistry, and living in the moment. The feel-good record reflects her evolving artistry while reinforcing her signature style of creating soulful songs that linger long after the music fades.

Nigerian singer/songwriter Ayra Starr has unveiled her new single “Where Do We Go,” produced by ILYA. The Afro-electronic track showcases her deeper, expressive vocals while exploring the thrill of a late-night encounter mixed with introspective questions about what comes next. Starr says the song was long a personal favorite she and her friends played while getting ready. It marks her first solo release since “Who’s That Girl” with Rema and follows a breakthrough year.

West-coast rapper/producer Baby Keem has unveiled the music video for “Good Flirts,” a standout single from his sophomore album Ca$ino. The mellow, slow-burning track features rising singer Momo Boyd, whose smooth vocals anchor the song before a much-anticipated verse from Kendrick Lamar. The visual follows Keem traveling through different locations by bus and was created in collaboration with photographer Renell Medrano and creative collective pgLang.

For this Throwback Thursday, we’re revisiting the smooth R&B classic “Shake You Down” by Gregory Abbott. Released in August 1986 as the lead single from his debut album Shake You Down, the song quickly became Abbott’s signature hit. The sensual slow jam resonated with listeners and went on to earn platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Years later, the track even found new life when it appeared in the 2007 comedy film Are We Done Yet?. “Shake You Down” dominated the charts during its run. The single reached No. 1 on the R&B chart in October 1986 before climbing to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 on January 17, 1987. Its popularity helped it finish as the No. 3 song of the year on the 1987 year-end chart. The hit also crossed the Atlantic, peaking at No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart and spending 13 weeks there starting in November 1986. Interestingly, the song was not originally meant to lead the album—Abbott’s track “I Got the Feeling” had been scheduled as the first single but was delayed and later peaked at No. 56. The track’s sultry vibe matched its theme, which Billboard noted centers on intimacy. Its music video also stood out visually, featuring a unique scrolling effect conceived by director Dominic Sena of Propaganda Films and shot as a continuous photographic image. Abbott even filmed a second version of the video in Rio de Janeiro for the Brazilian TV show Fantástico, helping the smooth classic reach audiences around the world.

Music executive Sean Combs is now expected to be released from federal prison earlier than previously scheduled. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, Combs’ projected release date has been moved up by more than five weeks to April 25, 2028. The 56-year-old is currently serving a 50-month sentence at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security federal correctional facility in New Jersey, after being convicted on two prostitution-related charges. Combs’ release timeline has shifted several times since he arrived at Fort Dix in October. His original release date was listed as May 8, 2028, before being pushed back in November 2025 to June 4, 2028. Around that time, reports from CBS and TMZ alleged that Combs had violated multiple prison rules, claims that his representatives denied. A spokesperson for the Bad Boy Records founder declined to comment on the latest update. The music mogul has been behind bars since his September 2024 arrest, when he was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Prosecutors tied the allegations to so-called “freak-offs” involving girlfriends, including singer Cassie Ventura, and male escorts. After a seven-week trial last summer, Combs was acquitted of the most serious charges but convicted on lesser counts. He is currently appealing his sentence and challenging the law used in the case, with a hearing scheduled for April. In the meantime, Combs has been working in the prison chapel library and participating in the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), which can reduce inmates’ sentences by up to a year upon completion.

A television interview with music executive Mathew Knowles took an awkward turn when he abruptly ended the conversation after being asked about the role of his ex-wife, Tina Knowles, in launching the iconic girl group Destiny's Child. Knowles, the father of superstars Beyoncé and Solange, had been speaking with Kendis Gibson of PIX11 about his daughters’ careers when the exchange became tense. During the Jan. 30 interview, Gibson praised both Mathew and Tina for their contributions to their daughters’ early success, saying the pair had “earned your flowers” for helping shape Destiny’s Child. Before the anchor could finish his point, Mathew interrupted to ask what work Tina had done. When Gibson mentioned elements such as the group’s hair, clothing, and styling, Knowles acknowledged the point, replying, “You’re absolutely right. The styling, the imaging. You’re right.” Gibson also noted Tina’s past comments about naming the group after discovering the word “destiny” in her Bible, with Mathew later adding “child” to complete the name. Gibson suggested that getting Destiny’s Child off the ground was a joint effort, but the comment appeared to end the conversation. Laughing, Mathew stood up and said, “We’ll stop now,” before walking off the set. Gibson initially seemed unsure whether Knowles was joking, asking if he had said something wrong, but Knowles assured him he had not before leaving the interview. The moment, which was cut from the version of the interview uploaded to YouTube, recently surfaced online.