Olivia Rodrigo won Best New Artist at the 2022 GRAMMYs. This win is the singer/songwriter’s second of the 2022 GRAMMYs — she won Best Pop Solo Performance for “drivers license” earlier in the evening — and she is nominated in seven categories.

Saweetie, Arlo Parks, The Kid LAROI, Japanese Breakfast, Glass Animals, FINNEAS, Baby Keem, Jimmie Allen, and Arooj Aftab were the other nominees in the prestigious category.

Check out the complete list of winners and nominees at the 2022 GRAMMYs.

With Thanksgiving in the rear view and December in full swing, the countdown to Christmas is officially on. And thanks to a slew of artists of all genres, there are tons of new tunes to soundtrack the 2024 holiday season.

While some stars covered holiday classics, most tried their hand at crafting festive originals, from Ava Max's upbeat "1 Wish" to Conan Gray's melancholy "Holidays." Some even offered full projects, including a double album from Dan + Shay and a third holiday installment from beloved Philadelphia Eagles trio The Philly Specials.

Even a handful of "American Idol" alums got in the spirit this year. Jennifer Hudson and Gabby Barrett released their first holiday albums, The Gift of Love and Carols & Candlelight; Clay Aiken offered his first in 20 years with Christmas Bells Are Ringing; Ruben Studdard and Jordin Sparks delivered festive EPs My Favorite Holiday and Joy; and Kelly Clarkson added a couple of new tracks to her 2021 holiday set with When Christmas Comes Around… Again.

As you deck the halls and finish up your holiday shopping, listen to 50 new songs from Michael Bublé and Carly Pearce, David Bisbal, Little Big Town, Natlie Jane, Brett Eldredge, and many more.

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.

Amid the excitement of first-round voting for the 2025 GRAMMYs, we've reached the end of another week that's been filled with new music. 

Case in point: eschewing the traditional Friday release schedule, Maggie Rogers and J. Cole both dropped singles midweek to help fans get over the proverbial hump with new tunes.

In other news, James Blunt marks the 20th anniversary of his 2004 breakout debut Back to Bedlam — which spawned global smash "You're Beautiful" and remains the best-selling album of the 2000s in his native UK — with a special re-release. Plus, Rod Wave hits a new stride with his latest LP Last Lap, rising country stars Erin Kinsey and Carter Faith each deliver new EPs, respectively titled Gettin Away With It and The Aftermath, and EARTHGANG team up with T-Pain for "Love You More," the lead single off their upcoming album, Perfect Fantasy.

Below, dive into 10 of the best new releases of the week from JENNIE, The Kid LAROI, GloRilla, and more.

Remember late September? Maggie Rogers sure does. On her wistful new single "In The Living Room," which arrived by surprise on Tuesday (Oct. 8), the former Best New Artist GRAMMY nominee reflects on a lost relationship as she belts out, "All of the things, we pulled apart/ I let it go, it doesn't matter/ The seasons change, it broke my heart/ But I will always remember you/ When we were dancing in the living room."

Directed by Grant Singer, the accompanying music video brings Rogers' lyrics to life as she performs in a wood-paneled apartment complete with green carpet, a bare mattress and a brooding love interest played by Luka Isaac. 

"It's a song about the beauty and pain of memory, and the way that interweaves with reality when you're processing the exit of a person in your life," the "Alaska" singer/songwriter said in a statement upon the song's release.

Attention, BLINKs and RUBIES! JENNIE's first solo single since launching her Odd Atelier label is more than a "Mantra," it's a bonafide playbook for all the pretty girls to live by. "Pretty girls don't do trauma, no more drama/ We already got a full day/ Pretty girls that you gon' remember, know that you could never/ nothing ever trigger me/ This that pretty girl mantra, she's that stunna/ Everyone knows she is me," the K-pop idol sings over horn blasts and thumping bass on the chorus.

The high-fashion visual accompanying the track's release, meanwhile, is filled with fiery choreography and a cavalcade of colorful vehicles, from a creamy white Mercedes covered in a lace sheath to a cherry-red big rig. The latter might just rival the size of the glittering disco ball of a tank Jennie's famous for riding atop in the videos for BLACKPINK smashes "DDU-DU DDU-DU" and "Shut Down."

On his new single "Aperol Spritz," The Kid LAROI is double-fisting the fizzy orange cocktails on a trip to the club with his latest flame. While the singer doesn't explicitly name-drop girlfriend Tate McCrae on the swaggering track, he's certainly not shy about showing off his new love — as fans have recently seen everywhere from the MTV Video Music Awards to a romantic getaway in Bora Bora.

"There's a whole lot of girls up in here/ But can't nobody f— with my b—," he brags on the chorus, while the song's music video fittingly sees the Australian chased around a studio by a mass of shrieking female fans. Only when he trips and falls does the chase give way to an editorial-ready dogpile, with The Kid LAROI surrounded by the dozens of models as they all gaze coolly up at the camera.

After building substantial buzz for the past two-and-a-half years as one of the most explosive rappers to come out of Memphis, GloRilla finally delivers her debut album, GLORIOUS, via Interscope Records.

The long-awaited LP lives up to its title with a star-studded roster of guest features to support the viral sensation born Gloria Hallelujah Woods. For starters, girl power is out in full force, with the rapper's close pal and recent tourmate Megan Thee Stallion joining the fun for highlight "HOW I LOOK," while Latto and Muni Long each show up on respective cuts "PROCEDURE" and "DON'T DESERVE." Plus, GloRilla assembles Kirk Franklin, Chandler Moore, Kierra Sheard and Maverick City Music for gospel-infused outlier "RAIN DOWN ON ME" and declares herself "QUEEN OF MEMPHIS" with an assist from Fridayy on the album's triumphant closer.

Kane Brown slows things down to what's most important on his heartwarming new single, "Backseat Driver." The country star paints a sweet picture as the ballad opens early in the morning in a McDonald's drive-thru, "two muffins, one coffee and a little, bitty orange juice."

The backseat driver in question is Brown's 4-year-old daughter Kingsley Rose, who adorably peppers her famous dad with crucial questions like whether or not squirrels have houses in the trees and why God put stingers on honey bees. "It's crazy all the things she sees on the side of the road/ Out of that window beside her," he sings before concluding, "I wish I could be more like her/ My little danglin' feet, pretty in pink backseat driver."

The heartfelt track is the lead single from Brown's upcoming fourth studio album, The High Road, which will arrive Jan. 24, 2025. Along with revealing the album news on Oct. 9, the singer also announced a North American tour that will kick off March 13.

On Wednesday (Oct. 9), J. Cole dropped his latest single, "Port Antonio." Built over dual samples of Lonnie Liston Smith's spacey keyboard track "A Garden of Peace" from 1983's Dreams of Tomorrow and a pitched-up version of Cleo Sol's 2021 deep cut "Know That You Are Loved," the rapper revisits his autobiography by referencing "young Jermaine," who worked minimum wage jobs while watching everyone around him spend thousands on designer duds.

However, the root of the downtempo song — which precedes Cole's highly anticipated forthcoming project The Fall Off — sees him removing himself from the headline-making, diss track-filled feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar that erupted earlier this year. (Back in April, Cole removed his own diss track "7 Minute Drill" after publicly apologizing to Lamar.)

Later in the song, Cole even name-drops Drake and gives credit where credit's due ("I ain't ashamed to say you did a lot for me"), before pointing out to his hip-hop peers and everyone listening, "F— all the narratives/ Tappin' back into your magic pen is what's imperative/ Remindin' these folks why we do it, it's not for beefin'/ It's for speakin' our thoughts, pushin' ourselves, reachin' the charts/ Reaching your minds, deep in your heart screamin' to find/ Emotion to touch, somethin' inside to open you up."

It's been almost exactly one year since BoyWithUke revealed his face to the world in October 2023, and the TikTok star who once wore an LED mask to conceal his identity is already preparing to burn it all down. "Gaslight" serves as the TikTok star-turned-independent artist's latest single off his upcoming fifth album Burnout, which he's promised will be his final body of work under the stage name that made him famous.

Following fellow singles "Can You Feel It?" and "Ghost," "Gaslight" is a volatile, churning breakup track dedicated to a sociopathic love interest that BoyWithUke is determined to cut ties with…but not before getting a little revenge of his own. The accompanying music video plays out like a haunted horror show, but the musician gets the last laugh with a lyrical twist of the knife that you simply have to hear to believe.

Samara Joy — 'Portrait'

Eighteen months after winning Best New Artist at the 2023 GRAMMYs, Samara Joy returns with her latest full-length album, Portrait. Co-produced by Brian Lynch and recorded at the hallowed Van Gelder Studio, the LP contains eight new tracks including pre-release singles "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" and "Autumn Nocturne."

Portrait paints a lively picture of the Bronx-born jazz starlet's prodigious talents, as well as her electric chemistry with her eight-piece touring band. In fact, the entire body of work was conceived and fine-tuned during the GRAMMY winner's near-constant touring schedule in the two years since she released her 2022 breakout album, Linger Awhile. "I'm often the fifth voice, the fifth horn," Joy said in a statement coinciding with Portrait's release, adding, "I hope listeners will see that I'm a musician too."

It's been 15 years since Major Lazer dropped their debut album, 2009's Guns Don't Kill People… Lazers Do, and they're marking the milestone with a 15th anniversary re-release featuring unreleased tracks from the era.

The first track the trio — now consisting of Diplo, Walshy Fire and Ape Drums — are dusting off from the vault is "Nobody Move," another collaboration with Vybz Kartel, who previously appeared on the original album's second single "Pon De Floor" alongside Afrojack. On the bonus cut, the group crafts a swaying tropical groove over Kartel's laid-back but threatening refrain of "Nobody move, nobody get hurt."

Love has Dylan Gossett's head in the clouds — or at least the foliage — on his toe-tapping new single "Tree Birds." In fact, the rising Americana sensation employs the perfect amount of harmonica to properly communicate just how head over heels in love he is on the giddy track, which follows his recent Songs in the Gravel EP.

"You remind me that there's something up above/ Do I deserve all your love?/ I swear I don't/ When you need me, just know that I'll show up/ Oh I'll go anywhere, state, city or town/ I promise you're the best damn thing from the South," Gossett vows before letting out an ecstatic "hey yeah!" on the final chorus. The jubilant love song is sure to be a highlight of the Austin, Texas native's ongoing Back 40 Tour, which runs across North America through the end of November.

With 10 GRAMMYs, two Oscars and countless hits with superstars, FINNEAS has become one of the most remarkable producers of his time. But he credits most of that to good fortune.

"I've had such a lucky career trajectory — I have more success than I ever thought I would," he tells GRAMMY.com over a phone call. 

But one doesn't get this far without true skill. The singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer has gained momentous success and has a unique ability to shape emotions into sound, whether he's scoring a new film or working with high-profile artists — mainly his sister, pop superstar Billie Eilish. Honing in on these experiences has helped FINNEAS expand as an artist in his own right, as he turns to collaboration of his own on his sophomore solo album, For Cryin' Out Loud!. 

Coming three years after his 2021 debut album, Optimist, For Cryin' Out Loud! is a creative departure from his previous project. While the former was produced and written by FINNEAS himself, he worked with close friends to elevate his second record — and as a result, he sounds more confident than ever before.

The album features an adventurous sonic landscape, with funky guitar riffs, boisterous horns and infectious melodies across its 10 tracks. The bolder sound matches his assured vocal delivery, making For Cryin' Out Loud! feel like the product of everything he has learned — and been working towards — since he was a teen.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, the 27-year-old grew up around creativity. Raised by actor-musician parents, FINNEAS was immersed in the industry from a young age. Though his interest in songwriting was prompted by a class he took with his mom at age 12, he suggests that his production skills came naturally. From the beginning, his mantra has been simple: "There's no right or wrong way to produce a song," he asserts. "If there's any reason for people to pay attention, it's for being yourself and sharing your unique viewpoint."

As he honed his perspective, FINNEAS served as the lead singer and songwriter for his high school alt-rock band, the Slightlys. And while he jokes that they "begged people to come listen to us," the group offered FINNEAS his first taste of success: Along with winning several local Battle of the Bands competitions, they even earned a performance slot at Warped Tour in 2015. 

The most fortuitous thing about the Slightlys, though, ended up being a song they never released — but FINNEAS' then-unknown sister Billie did. After he penned a minimalist pop song called "Ocean Eyes" for the band, he decided it would be a better fit for Billie's voice. Little did either of them know, it would be the beginning of a fruitful — and wildly successful — partnership.

The song instantly gained traction on SoundCloud, prompting FINNEAS to start using his songwriting and production power to fuel Eilish's career. Along with being the sole producer for Eilish's debut EP, 2017's dont smile at me, he served as her sole co-writer on all eight tracks, a formula that has continued to prove successful for Eilish's entire career thus far. But as things were booming for Billie, FINNEAS was simultaneously crafting his own breadth of work.

In 2016, FINNEAS began his solo venture by releasing a string of romantic indie-pop songs. His debut single, the lustful "New Girl," features bluesy instrumentals and seductive vocals; 2017's "I'm In Love Without You" offered a more electro-pop-infused sound. As he continued to find his own musical identity, it quickly became clear that his early music would lean into the more bare-bones side of his creativity: breathy vocals, lush strings and rich piano chords.

The next year proved to be pivotal for FINNEAS, both as Eilish's collaborator and as an artist in his own right. As Eilish's career continued to rapidly rise thanks to "you should see me in a crown" and "when the party's over" — the latter of which was penned by FINNEAS himself — he also released eight tracks of his own, two of his biggest songs to date, "Break My Heart Again" and "Let's Fall in Love for the Night."

But it was 2019 that solidified FINNEAS as a force to be reckoned with. Along with co-producing and co-writing all of Eilish's debut album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, he also released his debut EP, Blood Harmony, and scored hits as a songwriter/producer for the likes of Selena Gomez ("Lose You To Love Me"), JP Saxe and Julia Michaels ("If The World Was Ending"), and Ashe ("Moral of the Story"). From the hyper-modern beats of Eilish's album, to the tender balladry of his co-written smashes, to the experimental sounds on his own project, FINNEAS demonstrated that there's no style that he can't master — and in 2020, his talents were rewarded in major fashion. 

FINNEAS took home six GRAMMYs at the 2020 ceremony, mostly thanks to his work on WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? Perhaps the most significant win, though, was his award for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical, which made him the youngest recipient of the honor at just 22 years old.

As he continued creating with Eilish and expanding his superstar collaborator list — including Justin Bieber, Halsey and Demi Lovato — he also carried on crafting his own music. Just months he celebrated another release with Eilish, 2021's Happier Than Ever, FINNEAS unveiled his debut album, Optimist.

The project doubled down on the modern-sounding aesthetic of Blood Harmony, presenting an effortless adult contemporary spin on the sound he crafted with Eilish — but keeping the lyrical moody extremities. In contrast to its name, Optimist was brooding and edgy, accompanied by thoughts of grief, existentialism and the warped lens of fame; it was likely a product of his isolated creation process, as he wrote and produced all 13 tracks solo.

While FINNEAS was proud of his debut, he says that the album's creation was "a fairly lonely process." And, even despite all of his achievements with Eilish and other stars, "I didn't necessarily have the self-confidence to bring people in."

With that in mind, he pushed his creativity and collaborative efforts further in 2022 and 2023. He wrote and composed music for films — most notably, Pixar's Turning Red in 2022 and a GRAMMY-winning track for Greta Gerwig's Barbie in 2023, both alongside Eilish — and worked with Tate McRae ("I Still Say Goodnight") and Nicki Minaj ("Are You Gone Already"). After wrapping production on Eilish's third album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT,at the end of 2023, he went back to his solo work — but this time, not so solo. "The main goal in this [next project] was, how can I make this a more exciting, fun experience for myself?," he says.

To create For Cryin' Out Loud!, FINNEAS invited a close group of peers to record live studio sessions, including Aron Forbes, Ricky Gourmet, Lucy Healey, and Miles Morris of the rock band Bad Suns. Almost completely opposite of Optimist, of the 10 tracks on For Cryin' Out Loud!, only one is solely composed and written by FINNEAS (opener "Starf—er").

In turn, For Cryin' Out Loud! features a much bigger soundscape than his previous work. Songs like "Cleats" and "Lotus Eater" feature hazy synths and strong drums that make room for hypnotic humming and chantable choruses. Yet, he didn't entirely move away from his more downtempo beginnings; "Little Window" and "Same Old Story," offer intimate sounds across the album's largely anthemic feel.

One of the album's most poignant tracks is "Family Feud," which calls back to the themes of Optimist — but this time, it's a tribute to his sister. Over soft strings, he croons about the pair's close bond and Eilish's struggles with fame: "And you're only 22/ And the world is watching you/ Judging everything you do." 

Even in the album's more somber moments, FINNEAS exudes a new level of self-confidence on For Cryin' Out Loud!. And he's eager to show that to fans around the world: FINNEAS will perform three intimate U.S. shows in October, and already has international dates set for the top of 2025. As for where he'll go from here with his solo work, time will tell — but it certainly seems like he's no longer limiting himself to solo sessions: "I've written a better album by breaking my own set of rules."