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While 2024 saw one particular electric green-hued album dominate the cultural zeitgeist since its mid-summer release, 2025 was more of a collective effort. This year’s most influential albums showcased expansive, world-building artistry, sparked provoking cultural dialogue, and continued to blur genre lines in more exciting ways.Debuts came from a lineup of promising new artists and once-quiet forces who swayed the sonic subcultures from behind the scenes like Monte Booker, Ovrkast., and Kal Banx.  If the future of music is in these musicians’ hands, we’re more than alright.Heavy-hitters hit harder than ever, with Bad Bunny’s success of DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS shattering records, making Benito the first-ever artist to top Spotify’s streaming charts four times in a row, taking home the title o...

Drake’s 2025 rollout for ICEMAN has been less of a traditional marketing campaign and more of a multi-chapter cinematic opera. Following the Valentine's Day release of his joint R&B project with PARTYNEXTDOOR, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, and their subsequent "$ome $pecial $hows 4 U" European tour, Drake has pivoted toward a cold, calculated solo return. By blending high-concept livestreams with global performances and major brand partnerships, the OVO leader has turned his ninth solo studio album into a year-long cultural event.Phase I: The Summer ThawThe era officially began over the Fourth of July weekend with the premiere of "ICEMAN Episode 1." This debut livestream featured Drake driving a branded ice truck through Toronto before settling into a warehouse to premiere the lead single, "Wha...

This week's headlines were on the lighter end, as annual "Best of" and "Editor's Picks" lists go live (wait on it). But the news that did cross the desk this week definitely didn't disappoint.21 Savage enlisted Slawn for an artful album rollout and release, with Kim Kardashian giving her formal stamp of approval – in the form of an Instagram story, that is – to Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely.Exclusive interviews with Ferg on his Art Basel debut, redveil on sankofa, and Liim on hisFind all of this week's notable new releases in our December playlist, and read the full recap of this week's highlights below.21 Savage’s Artful WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS? Rollout, Starring Slawn  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hypetrak (@hypetrak) Talk about an artful rollout. 21 S...

When it comes to crafting an unforgettable K-pop concert experience that balances pure joy, polished performances, and heartfelt connection, TWICE has long been in a league of their own. For their highly anticipated Hong Kong concert, presented by Live Nation, the group didn’t just meet fan expectations — they smashed them. TWICE transformed the venue into a sea of candy-colored light and deafening cheers, creating shared moments that felt like a warm hug between the idols and their ONCEs. The TWICE THIS IS FOR World Tour kicked off at Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong on December 6 and 7.An atmosphere filled the venue early on, defined by a sea of TWICE’s signature and official lightsticks, Candy Bongs, and the unified sounds of the fandom calling out to the girl group. As the opening video roll...

redveil sits across from me in a conference room in Chinatown, New York City, but his soul is elsewhere.It's in a bunch of other places, actually; this is the guiding sentiment of the Prince George County-bred rapper's new studio LP sankofa, which translates to the Ghanian Akan tribe's concept of "go out and get it.""Home is a lot of different things," he shares, of Caribbean descent, Jamaican on his mother's side, and with roots in St Kitts on his father's. Born and raised in Maryland, he now resides in Los Angeles, where he recorded the entirety of sankofa. "Home is a place that's physically and spiritually tranquil. I feel a heritage connection to it, but home is also the DMV. It's also the places I grew up going, the music I was into as a kid, the skate parks in Maryland, and being on ...

“Renaissance Man” has become such a washed term nowadays, but I have to use it when describing Ferg. The music-dominant, multi-hyphenate’s big Miami Art Week is the epitome of why I chose to use the clichéd term to describe Harlem’s very own.When I first met up with Ferg in Miami, it was on Wednesday evening at SCOPE, one of the centerfold events of the week, for the unveiling of his debut exhibition. Just about an hour prior, he spoke on a wellness panel. About 48 hours later, he led a “FERG STRONG” 5K run – at 8:30 in the morning, nonetheless – and that night, hosted the first screening of his FLIP PHONE SHORTY short film, followed by an A-list afterparty.Showing at SCOPE is a full-circle moment for Ferg to close out the year, having showcased (and spoken with our Hypeart team) at his fi...