If last weekend was marked by the Black dandy-themed MET Gala and the kickoff of Diddy’s sex trafficking trial, then this past weekend was defined by major touring milestones.
On Friday (May 9), Kendrick Lamar and SZA brought their blockbuster Grand National Tour for the second of two nights at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. With surprise guests including Baby Keem (who joined Dot for “Family Ties”) and Kaytranada (who delivered his viral remix of Teedra Moses’ “Be Your Girl” alongside SZA on vocals), the slightly damp night was a beautiful ode to all things hip-hop.
That same night, Beyoncé wrapped up a stunning five-show mini-residency at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium as a part of her recently launched Cowboy Carter Tour. A family affair that included her daughters, Blue Ivy and Rumi, as featured performers, Beyoncé’s rodeo will begin its next run of shows at Chicago’s Soldier Field on May 17. Also on Friday night, The Weeknd, assisted by Playboi Carti and Mike Dean, launched the latest leg of his After Hours Til Dawn Tour at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium.
The Weeknd and Carti celebrated their tour kickoff with a new Doechii-assisted remix of “Timeless,” the sole Hot 100 top 10 hit (No. 3) from his Billboard 200-topping Hurry Up Tomorrow LP.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Moses Sumney and Hayley Williams’ long-teased duet to Fetty Wap’s first release of the year. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
