The year 2020, as difficult (and deadly) as its been for so many, has become a moment of reckoning. The nation is facing the shutdown and health crisis of coronavirus, pervasive acts of racist violence against unarmed Black people, and countless injustices for people of color, LGBTQI individuals and women and those within the intersectionality of these identifies. Today, in this climate of social unrest, powerful protest music of the past resonates once again.

As we stand in this pivotal moment, let's look back on some of the songs and moments that defined the civil rights movement and beyond, as Black artists and allies reflected the dire need for justice and inclusive representation, and protestors took their music to new heights.

Mahalia Jackson

Known as the Queen of Gospel, Mahalia Jackson is credited as one of the first artists to take gospel music out of the church. She used her powerful voice to record a massive catalog of religious music during her career, choosing to never dip her toes in secular music. Jackson befriended Martin Luther King Jr. at the 1956 National Baptist Convention and later performed before many of his speeches, in Selma, Montgomery and, most famously, immediately before his famous "I Have A Dream" speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, which she directly inspired.

She was the final musical guest during at the March, singing "How I Got Over," a powerful gospel song, popularized by the Famous Ward Sisters, about overcoming racial injustice. Not only did the song have deep resonance with the Black audience members, it was Jackson herself who moved King to improvise the most famous "dream" passage of his speech. According to King's adviser Clarence Jones, Jackson shouted out; "Tell them about the dream, Martin! Tell them about the dream!" King pushed his notes to the side and Jones told the person next to him, "These people out there, they don't know it, but they're about ready to go to church."

Given its power, Jackson sang the song many times during her career, earning a GRAMMY for Best Soul Gospel Performance at the 1977 GRAMMYs for it.

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Aretha Franklin

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18-time GRAMMY winner Aretha Franklin was one of the many successful soul and gospel singers inspired by Jackson and the path she paved, even performing at her funeral in 1972. The Queen of Soul got her start in music singing in her minister father's church. It was there where Franklin was introduced to civil rights activism. While many of her most beloved hits were covers, she had a unique power to reimagine a song all her own and resonate with so many. "Respect," originally recorded by Otis Redding in 1965, is one of these, which became her first No. 1 hit when she released it in 1967. A powerful anthem asking the listener for "a little respect," it became a protest song for both the feminist and civil rights movements of the time. As Pacific Standard states, "it captured a cultural moment Franklin had herself been fighting to achieve."

The outlet also notes that "Chain Of Fools," an original song, followed in 1967 as another feminist anthem, but found new meaning among Black U.S. soldiers fighting "a white man's war" in Vietnam. In 1972, Franklin recorded a rousing rendition of Nina Simone's 1969 civil rights anthem "Young, Gifted and Black," giving her album the same name, a powerful symbol of Black pride. That same year, Franklin later released live gospel album, Amazing Grace, including renditions of "How I Got Over" and "Amazing Grace." "Respect," "Chain Of Fools, "Young, Gifted and Black" and "Amazing Grace" all earned Franklin GRAMMY wins, evident of how deeply they resonated with America.

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Harry Belafonte

At 93, Jamaican-American actor, singer and activist Harry Belafonte has been a powerful force and barrier-breaker in U.S. culture since the '50s. Inspired by the emerging social justice-minded folk music of the turn of the century, he made it his life mission to "sing the song of anti-racism," as he said in 2017, to use his voice to highlight the music of the oppressed. Seeing Woody Guthrie perform lit this fire within the Harlem-born artist, inspiring him to visit the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. to listen to Alan Lomax's field recordings.

His third album, 1956's Calypso, was led by one of his most beloved songs, "Banana Boat (Day-O)," a call-and-response Jamaican folk song sung by dock workers (he spent part of his childhood living with his grandmother there). His version took the U.S. by storm, hitting No. 5 and inspiring five other artists to cover it, who all earned Top 40 hits in 1957. The album, as its title suggests, was filled with upbeat calypso music, a genre with roots stemming from those enslaved by the 17th century Caribbean slave trade. At a time when Elvis Presley and other White rock artists ruled, Belafonte's Calypso outsold both of his records that year, spending thirty-one weeks on top of the Billboard 200.

Belafonte also became a pivotal member of the civil rights movement, as a close friend of King, performing at many of his events and offering financial support to fund voter-registration drives, Freedom Rides and even the March on Washington. "I was angry when I met [King]. Anger had helped protect me. Martin understood my anger and saw its value. But our cause showed me how to redirect it and to make it productive," Belafonte writes in his 2011 memoir.

Pete Seeger

"For Mr. Seeger, folk music and a sense of community were inseparable, and where he saw a community, he saw the possibility of political action," the New York Times wrote in Pete Seeger's obituary in 2014. "His agenda paralleled the concerns of the American left: He sang for the labor movement in the '40s and '50s, for civil rights marches and anti-Vietnam War rallies in the '60s, and for environmental and antiwar causes in the '70s and beyond."

In the '50s, the folk artist adapted "We Shall Overcome" with several other activist, including Zilphia Horton, who taught an updated version of the gospel spiritual "I'll Overcome" to union organizers. Seeger's version became an important rallying cry of the civil rights movement. Many other activist/artists of the time recorded and sang the powerful song at various events, including Jackson and folk acts Peter, Paul and Mary and Joan Baez, the latter who sang it during the March on Washington.

Seeger always used his music to speak up on the big issues of the time; in 1941 he wrote "Talking Union" with members of The Almanac Singers (both acts recorded it), "an almost literal guide to union-building," as Time put it. During Vietnam and the Cold War, respectively, he released anti-war anthems "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" (1967) and "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" (1955). The latter has been covered many times over the years by Earth, Wind & Fire, Dolly Parton and more, with folk/pop act Kingston Trio's 1962 version first hitting the mainstream and reaching the Top 40.

Bob Dylan

"How many roads must a man walk down / Before you call him a man?" a 21-year-old Bob Dylan begins on his beloved 1963 song, "Blowin' In The Wind," another anthem of the civil rights movement. It is the opening track of his second album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, which also features "The Death of Emmitt Till," "Oxford Town," "Masters of War" and other explicitly political songs examining injustices of the time.

Like Belafonte, he was inspired by Guthrie's political brand of folk, but it was his then-girlfriend, Suze Rotolo (pictured on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan album cover), who moved him towards activism and playing political rallies. He wrote "The Death of Emmitt Till" in 1962, about the Black teen that was brutally murdered by White men for alleged whistling at a White woman, shortly before singing it at a fundraiser for the Congress of Racial Equality, which Rotolo was involved with.

During the March on Washington the next year, Dylan performed several songs, including "Only a Pawn in Their Game," which he had recently written about the civil rights activist Medgar Evers killed just months earlier. He also performed the heart-breaking song at a voter registration rally for Black farmers in Mississippi later that year. In January 1964 he would release the track on his next album, another socially conscious project, this one earning a GRAMMY nomination, The Times They Are A-Changin'.

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James Brown

In August 1968, a year before Simone released "Young, Gifted & Black" and just four months after King was assassinated, the Godfather of Soul James Brown delivered the funky Black pride anthem "Say It Loud – I'm Black And I'm Proud." As UDiscoverMusic notes, "The tone of the civil-rights movement had so far been one of a request for equality. Brown, however, came out defiant and proud: he isn't asking politely for acceptance; he's totally comfortable in his own skin. The song went to No. 10 on the Billboard [Hot 100] chart and set the blueprint for funk. Like later Stevie Wonder classics of the '70s, it was a political song that also burned up the dancefloor; an unapologetic stormer that would influence generations."

In 2018, on 50 years after the song's release, Randall Kennedy, a Black law professor at Harvard, explained the power of the song in that moment, and today: "It was precisely because of widespread colorism that James Brown's anthem 'Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud' posed a challenge, felt so exhilarating, and resonated so powerfully. It still does. Much has changed over the past half century. But, alas, the need to defend blackness against derision continues."

The iconic song recently saw a massive boost in streaming numbers as part of Spotify's Black Lives Matter playlist.

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N.W.A, Ice Cube & Dr. Dre

When N.W.A released "F*** Tha Police" in 1988, their hometown of Compton, in South Los Angeles, was rife with police brutality and racial profiling. One of the hardcore rap group's most controversial songs, it struck a chord with in their community, as well as with other Black people living in over-policed inner-cities around the country and frustrated youth of all colors. Directly denouncing the police's abuse of power, the song was largely condemned by the mainstream, causing the group to receive a cease-and-desist letter from FBI and to be arrested for playing it at a Detroit show in 1989, as shown in the Straight Outta Compton biopic.

"We had lyrics. That's what we used to combat all the forces that were pushing us from all angles: Whether it was money, gang-banging, crack, LAPD. Everything in the world came after this group," Ice Cube said in an interview. "We changed pop culture on all levels. Not just music. We changed it on TV. In movies. On radio. Everything. Everybody could be themselves. Before N.W.A … you had to pretend to be a good guy."

In 1992, Rodney King was brutally beaten by LAPD officers who were later acquitted, sparking the 1992 Los Angeles uprising. This not only highlighted the truth and urgency of N.W.A's lyrics, it further solidified it as a rallying cry against the daily violence and racism Black people across the country faced. That year, Ice Cube released his third solo album Predator, along with its biggest hit, the laidback "It Was A Good Day." As HuffPost notes, "he raps about how to cherish moments like chilling with your homies to enjoying your mom's food to NOT get harassed by the police." Dr. Dre followed with his 1debut solo album The Chronic in 1994, and on "Lil' Ghetto Boy" he and Snoop Dogg rap about the dark challenges faced by a formerly incarcerated Black man on parole, powerfully sampling Donny Hathaway's 1972 classic "Little Ghetto Boy."

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Public Enemy

New York political hip-hop outfit Public Enemy originally recorded "Fight The Power" at the request of then-emerging filmmaker Spike Lee, for his 1989 film Do The Right Thing. It plays a prominent role in the poignant film that explores racial tensions in Brooklyn's Bedford-Sty neighborhood, as the only song character Radio Raheem plays from the boombox he proudly carries at all times. As HipHopDX writes, the song is "indisputably a call to action, [as] Chuck [D] commanded people to stand up against systematic oppression." "Elvis was a hero to most / But he never meant sh*t to me you see / Straight up racist that sucker was / Simple and plain. / Mother f*** him and John Wayne / 'Cause I'm Black and I'm proud," Chuck D raps with authority, both calling out White heroes and nodding to a Black hero, the Godfather Of Soul.

The powerful track finds inspiration from both Brown and the Isley Brothers, who released a song called "Fight The Power" in 1975, it also takes direct influence from them. According to Genius, it features around 20 samples, including Brown's "Say It Loud" and "Funky President (People It's Bad)," and interpolates The Isley Brothers' song. "I wanted to have sorta the same theme as the original 'Fight the Power' by the Isley Brothers and fill it in with some kind of modernist views of what our surroundings were at that particular time," Chuck D explained. The music video (watch above) begins with news footage from the March on Washington, followed by Public Enemy organizing their own march and rally in Brooklyn.

The song was released on the film soundtrack and on their 1990 album, Fear Of A Black Planet, on which they also called out racism in Hollywood and in the police on "Burn Hollywood Burn" (featuring Cube and Big Daddy Kane) and "911 Is A Joke," respectively. This summer, Public Enemy returned with the fiery "State Of The Union (STFU)," calling out the rampant racism of the current White House administration.

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The final month of 2024 is upon us. Filled with a festive — yet a little chaotic — mood, it's a great month to discover new albums to soundtrack your trips, block out the noise outside, or find the perfect gift for the music aficionados in your life.

In the upcoming weeks, Dua Lipa will release the live recording of her concert at London's Royal Albert Hall, Lucinda Williams will pay homage to the Beatles with a new LP recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, and Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre will try to replicate the magic of 1996's Doggystyle with upcoming Missionary.

K-pop lovers will rejoice with a new EP by TWICE, BLACKPINK's Rosé long-awaited debut album, and a brand new Stray Kids mixtape. For those who also enjoy J-pop, Travis Japan will come back with VIIsual. And for those who like completely different stuff, Hepcat will release a dub version of their classic Scientific, a new posthumous LP from late rapper DMX will drop, and Pure Prairie League will bring forth their first album in almost two decades.

Travis Japan — 'VIIsual' (Dec. 4)

J-pop sensation Travis Japan are gearing up for a comeback on Dec. 4 with their sophomore studio album, VIIsual. The 13-track collection showcases the septet's synergy and creativity in its best form. Each member produced one song in the album, reflecting their individual styles while still forming a propulsive whole.

Spearheading the project, Travis Japan released the buoyant pop-rock singles "Crazy Crazy" and "Fly Higher," as well as "Sweetest Tune," the theme for TV Asahi's "Tokyo Tower" (starring group member Genta Matsuda), and the '80's chill of "T.G.I. Friday Night."

VIIsual follows 2023's Road to A, and the band's recently wrapped first world tour, including sold-out stops in Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York.

Dua Lipa — 'Dua Lipa Live From the Royal Albert Hall' (Dec. 6)

Dua Lipa fans can soon relive her extraordinary Royal Albert Hall concert with the release of her live album, Dua Lipa Live From the Royal Albert Hall, available Dec. 6. The performance, held on Oct. 17 at the prestigious London venue, was a dazzling showcase of her songs from Radical Optimism.

"For the longest time, I've had this idea to reimagine my music with an orchestra," Lipa said in a recent statement.  "When I was making Radical Optimism, I was constantly thinking about the live element and how these songs would transform on stage."

Accompanied by a seven-piece band, a full choir, and the 53 members of the Heritage Orchestra, Lipa described the opportunity as "perfect" for reconstructing and celebrating her music "in such a beautiful and intimate way."

"The experience was entirely thrilling and equally rewarding. It was a dream come true, and something I'll always take with me," she added. Now, fans can take the experience with them too, as they await the North American leg of her Radical Optimism tour, set to begin in September 2025.

TWICE — 'STRATEGY' (Dec. 6)

Following a remix of Megan Thee Stallion's viral hit "Mamushi," K-pop girl group TWICE will join forces with the Houston rapper once again. Their upcoming fourteenth EP, Strategy, features Stallion on the title track of the album, set to drop Dec. 6.

In a 15-second snippet of the song, TWICE sing lines such as "Hey boy, once I get ya/ You'll be oh so glad that I met ya," while Stallion announces her name, foreshadowing a fun and sassy collaboration. Strategy follows TWICE's February EP, With You-th, and new solo music from vocalist Nayeon and youngest member Tzuyu, as well as Japanese subunit MISAMO.

In October, during their ninth-anniversary fan meeting, TWICE delighted fans with a surprise performance of their upcoming b-side "Sweetest Obsession." Although the group concluded their Ready to Be World tour in July, their prolific track record suggests it won't take long before new live dates for 2025 are announced.

Scientist Meets Hepcat — 'Scientific Dub Special' (Dec. 6)

After the passing of founding member Greg Lee in the beginning of the year, California ska legends Hepcat will keep his memory alive with a dub reissue of their 1996 masterpiece, Scientific. The album was produced by one of dub music's forefathers, Scientist, and is set to drop on Dec. 6 via Trust Records.

"Greg Lee believed it would be cool if Scientist would dub Scientific. He liked the play on names and the historic implications," the band shared in a statement. Said and done, Hepcat eventually met Scientist, who agreed to produce the LP. Back in January, Lee was still alive to approve the final mixes, making it even more special. "Greg Lee is Hepcat personified," they added. "One of the strongest and greatest songwriters of Hepcat's history. A mastermind. A positive source of inspiration. A leader. An eternal flame."

The album will be accompanied by a deluxe reissue of Scientific, and by limited vinyl copies included in the deluxe set. Along with the announcement, Hepcat shared Scientist's "Bobby & Joe (Rambo Dub)."

Lauren Mayberry — 'Vicious Creature' (Dec. 6)

After embarking on her first solo tour last year, CHVRCHES lead singer Lauren Mayberry will finally drop her debut studio album, Vicious Creature, on Dec. 6. The project has been teased through singles  "Are You Awake?," "Shame," "Change Shapes," "Something in the Air," and "Crocodile Tears" — all of which expand on her keen lyricism and nostalgic electronic beats.

"So much of this process has been an exercise in empowering myself to listen to my own intuition — something I really trained myself out of," said Mayberry in a statement. "That's ultimately why you start making things — because you felt a feeling, and you wanted to articulate that somehow. I think it was important for me to relearn that kind of independence, and recognize what I bring to any table I choose to sit at."

The Scottish singer worked on Vicious Creatures with producers Greg Kurstin, Matthew Korma, Tobias Jesso Jr., Ethan Gruska, and Dan McDougall. Starting January 2025, Mayberry will embark on a 24-stop North American tour and will head to the U.K. for six shows in March.

Lucinda Williams — 'Lucinda Williams Sings The Beatles From Abbey Road' (Dec. 6)

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, acclaimed singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams started Lu's Jukebox. Initially a six-part series of full-band, HD video performances in-studio, Lu's Jukebox featured sets of cover songs curated by Williams and streamed for a fee, with proceeds going to venues suffering from the lack of live performances at the time. 

Four years later, Williams turned to the Jukebox again — this time to record The Beatles' songs at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. Serving as Vol. 7 of the series, Lucinda Williams Sings The Beatles From Abbey Road will be released on Dec. 6.

Featuring 12 tracks that range from big hits like "Can't Buy Me Love," "With A Little Help From My Friends" and "Something," to hidden gems such as "I'm So Tired," "I've Got A Feeling," and "Yer Blues," Williams and her band inhabit the Beatles' timeless songs and give them a singular soul.

Pure Prairie League — 'Back On Track' (Dec. 6)

Country-rock mavens Pure Prairie League are Back On Track with their new album. After nearly two decades without studio releases, the '70s and '80's formative ensemble prove that they are still on top of trends while never losing their essence.

Back On Track is set to release on Dec. 6 and, according to a statement, "flows like a freshwater river making its way through moss-covered rocks to its home in a cool clear lake." Spanning 12 cuts that display a "rejuvenated band," the album blends country, rock, pop, and R&B into an accessible, unique sound.

Produced by bandleader and veteran PPL bassist Michael Reilly, Back On Track was recorded at Riverfront Recorders in Madison, Tennessee with additional recording at Twilight Zona Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee. "We're hoping that our fans will be as pleased with the new record as we are proud of what we've done," Reilly said.

Angel Olsen — 'Cosmic Waves Volume 1' (Dec. 6)

"As someone that emerged into the music scene through a small tape label, I've wanted to continue the spirit of discovery and of my debut release, Strange Cacti, while supporting and collaborating with artists and friends whose music I have been moved by," said indie star Angel Olsen in a press release about her upcoming album, Cosmic Waves Volume 1.

Outlined as "a compilation reimagined as a dialogue," Cosmic Waves is composed of sides A and B. The first features artists selected by Olsen, with each of them choosing a song of their own for the collection. The latter comprises songs from the same artists, but chosen and recorded by Olsen.

"I feel there is something unique and special about covering another artist's song. We all make it our own, or we try to, but I personally always learn something new about the process when I'm engaging someone else's words and melodies in such a close way," she added.

Among the artists contributing to Cosmic Waves Volume 1 are Poppy Jean Crawford, Coffin Prick, Sarah Grace White, Maxim Ludwig, and Camp Saint Helene. To celebrate, Olsen and all the artists will be having a release party at Los Angeles venue In The Meantime.

Rosé — 'rosie' (Dec. 6)

If you had never heard of Rosé before, October's viral "APT." with Bruno Mars certainly changed that. The addictive track brought even more people to see what fans of the BLACKPINK vocalist have seen for almost a decade — Rosé is destined to shine.

Her upcoming debut studio album is scheduled to drop on Dec. 6 through Atlantic Records. Rosie is "the name I allow my friends and family to call me," she shared on Instagram. "With this album, I hope you all feel that much closer to me."

Rosé described the year-long process of making the record as "walking in and out of the studio, writing songs with songwriters and producers I'd met for the first time, trying to figure out the next chapter in my career," and that she poured her "blood and tears" into it. The result is a relatable, emotional "little journal" (as she called it) of a promising global star.

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Roddy Ricch — 'The Navy Album' (Dec. 6)

Roddy Ricch has been largely out of the spotlight since 2022's mixtape Feed Tha Streets III, but this December will mark his awaited return. The Compton rapper is set to release his third studio effort, The Navy Album, on Dec. 6.

Although the official date might change (Ricch has since deleted the announcement post on X/Twitter), there's a great chance The Navy Album will still come out this month — it follows 2019's Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial and 2021's Live Life Fast, which were both released in December of their respective years.

Throughout this year, Ricch featured on Gunna's "Let It Breathe" and Kendrick Lamar's "dodger blue." Off the new album, he shared the rumoured lead single "Survivor's Remorse" and "911."

Laura Nyro — 'Hear My Song: The Collection, 1966–1995' (Dec. 6)

One of the most brilliant folk singers of the U.S., Laura Nyro, is getting a deserved rediscovery this month. Hear My Song: The Collection, 1966–1995 is coming Dec. 6, and includes a massive 19 albums, plus a 90-page coffee-table book with unseen photos and a foreword by Elton John.

Hear My Song compiles Nyro's 10 studio albums, from her 1967 debut More Than a New Discovery to 2021's posthumous Angel in the Dark, six live albums — two of which are previously unreleased — her 1966 Go Find The Moon demo tape, and a rarities CD.

Nyro's work was a major influence on the work of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Alicia Keys, St. Vincent, Tori Amos, and more. "She wrote songs that had no kind of fixed compass point," said Elton John in a statement about the collection. "They remain as unique and absolutely spellbinding to this day as when I first heard them in the '60s."

Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre — 'Missionary' (Dec. 13)

In 2022, Snoop Dogg teased the idea of a 30th-anniversary album to honor his 1993 masterpiece, Doggystyle. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rap records of all time, Doggystyle showcased the unparalleled synergy between Snoop and producer Dr. Dre.

Now, after much anticipation, the celebratory album — titled Missionary — finally has a release date: Dec. 13. Also produced by Dr. Dre, the project features 15 tracks, including the singles "Gorgeous" with Jhené Aiko and "Outta Da Blue" with Dre and Alus. On the remaining tracklist, there are stellar participations by Tom Petty, Sting, Jelly Roll, 50 Cent, Eminem, and more.

In an interview for ET, Dre said that working with Snoop was "much more fun" this time around. "We were kids at that time, you know what I mean?" he added. "This one is gonna show a different level of maturity with his lyrics and with my music. I feel like this is some of the best music I've done in my career."

DMX — 'Let Us Pray: Chapter X' (Dec. 13)

While mostly known for his violent lyrics, late rapper DMX was a born-again Christian, and a deeply spiritual man. Therefore, his upcoming posthumous album, Let Us Pray: Chapter X, aims to explore a less-popular side of the iconic star. 

Coming out Dec. 13, Let Us Pray will reflect on DMX's complexity and emotionality by pairing his prayers with original music from GRAMMY-winning songwriter and producer Warryn Campbell. The album also packs a stellar line of contributors, including Snoop Dogg, Mary Mary, Killer Mike, MC Lyte, Lecrae, and more.

"Working on Let Us Pray: Chapter X has been one of the most fulfilling experiences for me as a creative," Campbell said in a statement. "When you hear the voice of DMX, it inspires instant creativity and what better way to showcase who X really was than through prayer."

Stray Kids — '合 (HOP)' (Dec. 13)

As prolific as their labelmates TWICE, K-pop boy group Stray Kids are also closing 2024 on a big note. Their upcoming mixtape, 合 (HOP), is the first installment of a new project titled SKZHOP HIPTAPE — a name that combines Stray Kids' abbreviation "SKZ" with "hip-hop."

In a press release by their label JYP Entertainment, 合 (HOP) is said to carry a double meaning, combining "hop" from hip-hop and its Korean homophone, the hanja 合, which means "unity."

The record is also described as containing "songs in Stray Kids' own 'new genre' that can't be officially defined."

Stray Kids have been sharing sneak peeks of the songs through their "Unveil: Track" videos on social media. The tracklist also includes each member's new solo songs — first performed during their ongoing Dominate World Tour. Track "U" features a first-class feature by Epik High's frontman, Tablo.

Read more: What's Next For K-Pop? A Roundtable Unpacks The Genre's Past, Present And Future

Mario — 'Glad You Came' (Dec. 13)

It's been six years since R&B notable Mario released a studio album, 2018's Dancing Shadows. The much-anticipated Glad You Came will break that spell on Dec. 13.

"My successes and failures in the department of love and my imagination are what helped me to create this body of work," Mario told Billboard in a recent interview about the new LP. "I had the pleasure of creating alongside James Fauntleroy, who executive-produced this project and wrote multiple songs with me. We have the same mission in our hearts of helping to preserve the art form."

The Baltimore native added that Glad You Came "embodies the very essence of the quality of classic R&B and retro-futuristic sound that can be played in any space" and that it is permeated by "vulnerability and confidence."

Mario shared the smooth singles "Space" and "Glad You Came" to preview the album. In January 2025, he will join Ne-Yo and Mary J. Blige on her The For My Fans Tour.

Editor's note: This article was updated to include the latest information about Kendrick Lamar's 2024 album release 'GNX,' and up-to-date GRAMMY wins and nominations with additional reporting by Nina Frazier.

When the world crowns you the king of a genre as competitive as rap, your presence — and lack thereof — is palpable. After a five-year hiatus, Kendrick Lamar declaratively stomped back on stage with his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, to explain why the crown no longer fits him.

Two years later, Lamar circles back to celebrate the west on 2024's GNX, a 12-track release that revels in the root of his love for hip-hop and California culture, from the lowriders to the rappers that laid claim to the golden state.

“My baby boo, you either heal n—s or you kill n—s/ Both is true, it take some tough skin just to deal with you” Lamar raps on "gloria" featuring SZA, a track that opines on his relationship with the genre.

The Compton-born rapper (who was born Kendrick Lamar Duckworth) wasn't always championed as King Kendrick. In hip-hop, artists have to earn that moniker, and Lamar's enthroning occurred in 2013 when he delivered a now-infamous verse on Big Sean's "Control."

"I'm Makaveli's offspring, I'm the King of New York, King of the Coast; one hand I juggle 'em both," Lamar raps before name-dropping some of the top rappers of the time, from Drake to J.Cole.

Whether you've been a fan of Lamar since before his crown-snatching verse or you find yourself in need of a crash course on the 37-year-old rapper's illustrious career, GRAMMY.com answers nine questions that will paint the picture of Lamar's more than decade-long reign.

Who Discovered Kendrick Lamar?

Due to the breakthrough success of his Aftermath Entertainment debut (good kid, m.A.A.d city), most people attribute Kendrick Lamar's discovery to fellow Compton legend Dr. Dre. But seven years before Dre's label came calling, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith saw potential in a 16-year-old rapper by the name of K.Dot.

Lamar's first mixtape in 2004 was enough for Tiffith's Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) to offer the aspiring rapper a deal with the label in 2005. However, Lamar would later learn that Tiffith's impact on his life dates back to multiple encounters between his father and the TDE founder, which Lamar raps about in his 2017 track "DUCKWORTH."

How Many Albums Has Kendrick Lamar Released?

Kendrick Lamar has released six studio albums: Section.80 (2011), Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City (2012), To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) DAMN. (2017),Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022), and GNX (2024). Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN. received both Rap Album Of The Year and Album Of The Year GRAMMY nominations. 

What Is Kendrick Lamar's Most Popular Song?

Across the board, it's "HUMBLE." The 2017 track is Lamar's only solo No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (he also reached No. 1 status with Taylor Swift on their remix of her 1989 hit "Bad Blood"), and as of press time, "HUMBLE." is also his most-streamed song on Spotify and YouTube.

How Many GRAMMYs Has Kendrick Lamar Won?

As of November 2024, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 57 GRAMMY nominations overall, solidifying his place as one of the most nominated artists in GRAMMY history and the second-most nominated rapper of all time, behind Jay-Z. Five of Lamar's 17 GRAMMY wins are tied to DAMN., which also earned Lamar the status of becoming the first rapper ever to win a Pulitzer Prize.

His most recent wins include three awards at the 2023 GRAMMYs, which included two for his album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, and Best Rap Performance for "The Hillbillies" with Baby Keem. 

Does Kendrick Lamar Have Any Famous Relatives?

He has two: Rapper Baby Keem and former Los Angeles Lakers star Nick Young are both cousins of his.

Lamar appeared on three tracks — "family ties," "range brothers" and "vent" — from Keem's debut album, The Melodic Blue. Keem then returned the favor for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, featuring on "Savior (Interlude)" and "Savior" as well as receiving production and writing credits on "N95" and "Die Hard."

Read More: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Baby Keem On Inspiring Rap's Next Generation, Why "Producer Artists" Are The Best & The Likelihood Of A Kendrick Lamar Collab Album

Why Did Kendrick Lamar Wear A Crown Of Thorns?

Lamar can be seen sporting a crown of thorns on the Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers album cover. He has sported the look for multiple performances since the project's release.

Dave Free described the striking headgear as, "a godly representation of hood philosophies told from a digestible youthful lens."

Holy symbolism and the blurred line between kings and gods are themes Lamar revisits often on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. He uses lines like "Kendrick made you think about it, but he is not your savior" and songs like "Mirror" to reject the unforeseen, God-like expectations that came with his King of Hip-Hop status.

According to Vogue, the Tiffany & Co. designed crown features 8,000 cobblestone micro pave diamonds and took over 1,300 hours of work by four craftsmen to construct.

Why Did Kendrick Lamar Leave TDE?

After five albums, four mixtapes, one compilation project, an EP, and a GRAMMY-nominated Black Panther: The Album, Kendrick Lamar and Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) confirmed that Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers was the Compton rapper's last project under the iconic West Coast label. 

According to Lamar, his departure was about growth as opposed to any internal troubles. "May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life's calling," Lamar wrote on his website in August 2021. "There's beauty in completion."

TDE president Punch expressed a similar sentiment in an interview with Mic. "We watched him grow from a teenager up into an established grown man, a businessman, and one of the greatest artists of all time," he said. "So it's time to move on and try new things and venture out."

Before Lamar's official exit from TDE, he launched a new venture called pgLang — a multi-disciplinary service company for creators, co-founded with longtime collaborator Dave Free — in 2020. The young company has already collaborated with Cash App, Converse and Louis Vuitton.

Has Kendrick Lamar Ever Performed at The Super Bowl?

Yes, Kendrick Lamar performed in the halftime show for Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles in 2022, alongside fellow rap legends Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem, as well as R&B icon Mary J. Blige. Anderson .Paak and 50 Cent also made special appearances during the star-studded performance. As if performing at the Super Bowl in your home city wasn't enough, the Compton rapper also got to watch his home team, the Los Angeles Rams, hoist the Lombardi trophy at the end of the night.

Three years after his first Super Bowl halftime performance, Lamar will return to headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show on Feb. 9, 2025 — just one week after the 2025 GRAMMYs — at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. 

Is Kendrick Lamar On Tour?

Yes. Kendrick Lamar is currently scheduled to hit the road with SZA on the Grand National Tour beginning in May 2025. Lamar concluded The Big Steppers Tour in 2022, where he was joined by pgLang artists Baby Keem and Tanna Leone. The tour included a four-show homecoming at L.A.'s Crypto.com Arena in September 2022, followed by performances in Europe,Australia, and New Zealand through late 2022. 

Currently, there are no upcoming tour dates scheduled, but fans should check back for updates following the release of GNX.

It may almost be time for holiday music to go on repeat, but there's a tidal wave of new tracks and projects to dig into as Thanksgiving draws near.

Perhaps the most unexpected release on Nov. 22 came from Kendrick Lamar, who surprise-dropped his sixth album, GNX. And arguably the most anticipated album coincides with its equally anticipated movie, as the film adaptation of Wicked and its soundtrack finally unveil Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's takes on "Defying Gravity," "Popular" and more. 

Meanwhile, far from Oz, Marilyn Manson returns with his 12th studio album, One Assassination Under God — Chapter 1 and Ice Cube drops Man Down, his first body of work in almost six years. Plus, Greyboy All-Stars reach back into their history for Grab Bag: 2007-2023 and nonprofit Red Hot unveils their compilation album TRANSA featuring songs by Sade, Sam Smith, André 3000, Perfume Genius and more.

On the new song front, The Ting Tings announce their latest album HOME with dual singles "Danced On The Wire" and "Down," Lil Nas X unveils the urging “need dat boy,” Maluma teases his +Pretty +Dirty era with "Cosas Pendientes," Tyla strips things down for “Tears,” Miguel delivers another sultry jam with "Always Time,"and James Arthur shows off vocal fireworks with "ADHD." There's even a handful of collaborations to enjoy: Nicki Minaj and Juice WRLD's “Arctic Tundra,” OneRepublic's new version of “Hurt” with Jelly Roll, Kane Brown's “Body Talk” with his wife Katelyn, and tourmates Vincent Mason and Gavin Adcock's "Almost Gone." 

Below, dive into 10 other new releases including exciting offerings from Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, ROSÉ, Manuel Turizo and more.

Kendrick Lamar caused quite a stir Friday afternoon by surprise-releasing his sixth album, GNX. The 12-track LP is a bold, clear-eyed distillation of Lamar's meteoric talents and status as one of rap's greatest living poets.

"I never lost who I am for a rap image/ Here's motivation, if you wonder how I did it," the Pulitzer Prize winner states on bombastic opener "wacced out murals" over sinister production by Jack Antonoff, frequent collaborator Sounwave and others.

Elsewhere, the unapologetic refrain of "I deserve it all" anchors Lamar's thoughts on "man at the garden," while SZA makes two uncredited guest appearances on standouts "luther" and sumptuous closer "gloria."

Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre are officially "back in business." At least that's what the former proclaims at the top of "Outta Da Blue," the second single off his upcoming LP Missionary — though there's no question the duo have been virtually running the hip-hop game together ever since Snoop hopped on Dre's debut solo single, "Deep Cover," all the way back in 1992.

Remarkably, though, the new album will somehow mark only the second body of work the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show co-headliners have ever completed together (after Snoop's smash 1993 debut Doggystyle) when it drops on Dec. 13. 

With Dre behind the boards, Snoop trades witty verses with his longtime partner in crime on the track, all over a clever cacophony of jangling samples including Schoolly D's 1986 single "Saturday Night" and Alus recreating the hook of M.I.A.'s 2007 hit "Paper Planes" on the chorus. The result is nothing short of a certified banger that leaves Dre accurately declaring, "Said Snoop couldn't get much higher, but I beg to differ."

For the second taste of her wildly anticipated debut solo album, ROSÉ expertly pivots from "APT.," the bright, pop-punk-infused earworm featuring Bruno Mars, to the achingly vulnerable "number one girl."

The BLACKPINK idol lays bare not only her insecurities, but also her ambitions, dreams and need for validation on the spare piano ballad as she pleads for a lover — or perhaps her passionate fandom, also called Number Ones — to "Tell me I'm that new thing/ Tell me that I'm relevant/ Tell me that I've got a big heart/ And back it up with evidence/ I need it and I don't know why" on her quest to the top.

Read More: Breaking Down Every Solo Act From BLACKPINK: From Jennie's "Solo" To Jisoo's 'Me'

Nicki Nicole takes the title of her fourth album, NAIKI, from her own nickname — using the studio set to delve deeper into her roots and identity as a Latin trap sensation.

Preceded by lead single "FORTY" and bouncing follow-up "SHEITE," the 24-year-old's latest full-length also contains collaborations with fellow Argentinians Duki ("MASCARA") and KHEA ("WE LOVE THAT S—") as well as cuts like "MONEY MACHINE," "BITCHES" and closer "ALH."

Just days away from dropping their new EP, Frequency, on Nov. 25, WayV kicked off the week by teasing the release with high-energy single "HIGH FIVE."

Sans Winwin, who's absent from the project due to scheduling conflicts, the NCT subgroup portray a team of archaeologists with serious rhythm on the tracks's high-concept music video as they sing, "High five, five/ One and only, drive you crazy/ High five, five/ Heart is bouncing, this powerful shaking/ Soar above me, take me to the top/ I don't ever wanna stop, never get enough." 

Read More: Breaking Down The NCT System, From The Rotational NCT U To The Upcoming NCT Tokyo

On his fourth album, 201, Manuel Turizo draws from disparate genres ranging from rock and country to the Colombian folk of vallenato for a sound entirely his own.

Highlight "Sigueme Besando Así" sets the tone with its romantic vibes and heartfelt Spanish lyrics, while guest turns by the likes of Grupo Frontera ("DE LUNES A LUNES"), Kapo ("Qué Pecao"), Yandel ("Mamasota"), Elder Dayán Díaz ("La Ex de mi Amigo") add distinctive flair from across the thriving Latin and regional Mexican music landscape.

Back in the spring, Lila Iké tapped Joey Bada$$ to star as the two-timing love interest in the music video for her single "He Loves Us Both" with H.E.R. Turns out playing two sides of a love triangle led to musical harmony for the rising Jamaican star and Brooklyn rapper, and they're collaborating again on follow-up single "Fry Plantain."

This time around, Iké ratchets up the intimacy as she sings about cooking up the beloved Jamaican staple on a lazy Sunday morning with her lover. And Bada$$ adds his own unique flavor to the recipe for domestic bliss with a lusty Johnny Appleseed metaphor that's hard to forget before insisting, "You like soul food to me, these other girls is Applebees."

Not only is Omar Apollo making his silver screen debut in Luca Guadagnino's Queer, he's also contributing original song "Te Maldigo" to the historical drama's soundtrack. The 2023 Best New Artist nominee collaborated with producers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross on the Spanish-language track, which translates to "I Curse You" in English.

The ballad threads the needle as both romantic and utterly devastating as Apollo croons mournful recriminations as his character in the film — a bar singer in 1950s Mexico City who catches the eye of Daniel Craig's wandering expat, William Lee. In the song's Guadagnino-themed music video, the God Said No singer takes center stage with mic in hand, giving viewers a peek into the upcoming movie's lush, atmospheric romance before it premieres in a limited release across the country on Nov. 27.

Nasty C and Lekaa Beats re-up on last month's Confuse The Enemy EP by adding four new tracks to the new deluxe edition, starting with the Tiwa Savage-assisted "One Time."

On the rhythmic collab, Nasty C spins a tale of lust at first sight with a "motherland girl" over a Latin-inflected groove. In fact, the South African rapper is so head over heels, he catches himself declaring, "I'm the gas to her tank/ I'm the flame to her candle/ She's a hit record, I'm the underlying sample." For her part, Savage is much more no-nonsense as she handily takes charge of the song's melodic hook and gives her would-be paramour a "one-time assurance" that's got a single shot to impress her. 

Other additions to Confuse The Enemy (Reloaded) include tropical dance-along "Pies" (as in "Where's my cutie pies?"), syncopated Blxckie collab "Assignment" and closer "Use & Seduce" featuring guest vocals by Johannesburg singer/songwriter Nanette.

Twenty One Pilots' new song "The Line" was written specifically for the long-awaited second season of the animated series Arcane League of Legends, which will unveil its final episodes on Saturday (Nov. 23) via Netflix.

Penned by vocalist Tyler Joseph, the piano-tinged track depicts the story of Arcane League of Legends, but also has some parallels to the Dema universe that Twenty One Pilots have delved into in their past four albums.

The emotive anthem joins tracks by Stray Kids, Young Miko and Tom Morello ("Come Play"), Ashnikko ("Paint The Town Blue"), Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda and Emily Armstrong ("Heavy Is The Crown") and more on the official soundtrack for the popular fantasy series as it rockets toward the sure-to-be-epic conclusion of sisters Vi and Jinx's story.

Woodstock '94 is no middle child music festival. While not as groundbreaking as Woodstock '69 or as infamous as Woodstock '99, Woodstock '94 boasts a unique legacy that deserves recognition.

Held Aug. 12-14 in the Hudson Valley town of Saugerties, New York, Woodstock '94 was set to commemorate the silver anniversary of the original Woodstock festival in 1969. Nodding to its origins in '69, Woodstock '94 was billed as "2 More Days of Peace and Music" (a third day of the festival was eventually added). 

Woodstock '94 featured a wide range of acts that both reflected the nostalgia of Woodstock '69 and highlighted a myriad of new groups. Original Woodstock performers such as Crosby, Stills & Nash (minus Neil Young) and Santana topped the bill, and now-household names including Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers performed some of their earliest festival sets.

Even Bob Dylan, who initially declined an appearance at Woodstock '69 despite living near the festival at the time, had a change of heart and agreed to play at Woodstock '94.

It seemed that everyone wanted to capture a sliver of the magic from the original Woodstock. Although roughly 164,000 tickets were sold, the actual number of attendees exceeded 350,000 (surpassing even Coachella 2024's attendance rates). 

Spirits were high as the festival opened on Friday with dry, sunny skies highlighting performances from Sheryl Crow, Collective Soul, and others. By the weekend, the weather took a turn and transformed the festival grounds at Winston Farm in Saugerties into a giant muddy puddle. Although Woodstock '69 was also rainy and mud-filled, the madness that ensued at Woodstock '94 led it to be dubbed "Mudstock."

As Primus performed "My Name Is Mud" on Saturday, festival-goers seized the opportunity to fling the wet dirt at the band on stage. 

"Once I started singing the words to "My Name Is Mud," all of a sudden huge chunks of sod started flying my way and it was pretty frightening," Primus' lead singer told Billboard 20 years later. "I still have those [speaker] cabinets to this day, and those cabinets still have mud in them."

With high energy from Friday's acts and some mud-induced chaos, attendees were buzzing with anticipation and excitement for the rest of the weekend. The party atmosphere continued throughout day two — and not solely because Blind Melon lead vocalist Shannon Hoon strolled on stage tripping on acid, wearing his girlfriend's dress.

Aerosmith may have been day two headliners, but Nine Inch Nails' 15-song set remains a highlight of Woodstock '94. The band drew the biggest crowd of the festival, and were catapulted into wider mainstream visibility. Taking advantage of the unpredictable weather, then-bassist Danny Lohner pushed lead vocalist Trent Reznor into the mud, prompting Reznor to retaliate. The other members of the band soon joined in on the fun, strutting onto the stage covered in mud. 

Opening with Pretty Hate Machine's "Terrible Lie," NIN turned the massive audience into a giant mosh pit and maintained that high energy until the end of the set. While the band faced technological difficulties onstage, it only seemed to enhance their raw, gritty image.

The set was so celebrated that it is forever memorialized in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with art installations featuring a life-sized mannequin replica of Reznor singing into the microphone and his keyboard, both covered in mud.

By day three, Woodstock '94 was clearly becoming an iconic music festival that would be discussed for years to come. If Saturday's mud-slinging electric performances weren't enough, the final day of the festival featured performances from Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Dylan, Santana, and others. 

When Green Day — fresh off the success of their third studio album Dookie — took the stage, all hell broke loose. While the band was and continues to be known for their rowdy live sets, their performance at Woodstock '94 remains unmatched. 

By the time Green Day started performing, the fairgrounds had turned into a full-blown mud fight. The band tried to push through the performance and embrace the chaos, but the set came to an abrupt stop when lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong told the crowd, "Everybody say shut the f— up and we’ll stop playing." When the crowd shouted the phrase back, Armstrong said goodbye on behalf of the band, and the rest of the group fled the stage.

By the end of the performance, lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong had lost his pants and the band had to be escorted out of the festival grounds by a helicopter. On their way off the stage, security confused mud-covered bassist Mike Dirnt for a crazed fan and tackled him, leaving him with five fewer teeth than he started the set with. 

"He actually sheared my teeth, and I blew like five teeth. Only one of them died. I fixed the rest of them, but he all sheared up the back of my teeth," Dirnt confessed to The Aquarian in 2013. "It was horrible. But the great thing about it is that I was able to get out of there, and I'd do it again tomorrow if I had to." 

Peter Gabriel closed out the weekend by remaining true to the original mission of the festival, offering fans peace filled with good vibes. Gabriel's music, though deeply contrasting with the hard rock and punk acts that dominated the festival, provided a flawless end to the chaos that had unfolded over the past three days.

While the 1994 installment of Woodstock hasn't basked in the same spotlight as its 1969 and 1999 siblings — the latter of which has been the subject of two documentaries in as many years — it remains far from forgotten.

Woodstock '94 stands as one of the legendary music festivals of all time. Although the rain may have soaked the grounds, turning it into a muddy catastrophe, it also nourished the roots of some of the most iconic musical acts and sent them into the mainstream media. The festival was more than just a series of performances, but rather a unique cultural event.