Vince Staples' Return and North West's Debut: Everything We Loved in Music This Week
All of the biggest music headlines in one place and playlist. Updated live throughout the week.
All of the biggest music headlines in one place and playlist. Updated live throughout the week.
Vince Staples’ Official Album Announcement
Vince Staples
After dropping off “Blackberry Marmalade” onto DSPs, Staples responded to the “CRYBABY” internet discourse – confirming that the red baseball hat in the music video did, in fact, confirm his next studio album and its release date. In the words of Staples himself, CRY BABY is confirmed to drop everywhere on June 5.
Also, in the words of Vince himself: “As the world burns, I have decided to release this album. Thanks for listening.”
North West’s Debut EP Loading…
North West has been serious about getting into her music bag. After stacking a selection of solid co-signs and production collaborations from the entire hip-hop spectrum – ranging from Ice Spice to Che, and FKA Twigs to skaiwater –West is ready to make her first longform move. With her first solo single, “PIERCING ON MY HAND,” almost three months old now, the 12-year-old is taking it to the next level with her first-ever EP. Entitled N0rth4evr, the project is slated to drop this Friday, May 1, and spans six new tracks – “PIERCING ON MY HAND” not included. West produced all of it herself.
Vince Staples Readies Return
About two weeks back, Vince Staples sent out an email blast to fans updating them on his new private Discord server, creating the channel as a way to “improve the fan experience.” He didn’t share too much else in that initial message, aside from the ominous: “Stay tuned, because there will be both hijinks and shenanigans…. I will be back sooner than you think.”
And indeed he was. Over the weekend, the rapper took to Instagram to share his first-ever studio single since he dropped Dark Times in May of 2024. Uploaded to streaming earlier this week, “Blackberry Marmalade” harkens back to Staples’ old sound, leaning into a guitar-heavy beat, and premiered alongside a striking Bradley J. Calder-co-directed music video.
Fans clocked a “CRYBABY” red cap in the visual – resting on Staples’ car dashboard for all of thirty seconds at the start of the video – with “June 5th” etched on the side.
