By the time Alana Springsteen was 9 years old, she knew she was destined to be a singer/songwriter — so much so that she wrote a song about it.

"It was called 'Believe,' as cheesy as it sounds," the rising country star recalls with a laugh. "It was about believing in myself and how my parents believed in me, and knowing, even from that young, that I was going to do this and I could do this. I remember playing it for my parents and they were in tears. They were like, 'Okay, we get it. We're gonna do this. We're gonna take you to Nashville.'"

Sure enough, that November, Springsteen and her family headed to Nashville, meeting with folks at Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and Broadcast Music Inc (BMI). Instead of brushing off the then-10-year-old, each person she met invited more people to come hear her, and eventually got her set up with some writing sessions. At 14, she moved to Nashville, and officially began her career with her first publishing deal.

Now 22, Springsteen just released her debut studio album, TWENTY SOMETHING. The album carries the same conviction and authenticity that she showed in those rooms when she was 10. Over its 18 tracks, TWENTY SOMETHING intricately details the woes of growing up in three parts: messing it up, figuring it out and getting it right.

A major theme on TWENTY SOMETHING is also one of Springsteen's mantras: "we don't chase, we attract" (a line that sneaks its way into the flirty "look i like"). While that sentiment can seem ironic for someone who has been chasing her dream for 13 years, it's a perfect portrayal of who she is as an artist — one whose confidence radiates and resonates.

Whether she's owning her own faults on "if you love me now" and "hypocrite," expressing insecurities on "chameleon" and the title track, or reclaiming her narrative post-breakup on "you don't deserve a country song" and "tennessee is mine," Springsteen's self-awareness is remarkable for someone so young. Her perceptive storytelling and pop sensibilities make for a captivating kind of country reminiscent of young Taylor Swift (who is, perhaps unsurprisingly, one of Springsteen's biggest inspirations, as she details in "taylor did").

One of her most powerful statements comes on album closer "amen," an acoustic tune in which she gives herself permission to navigate life on her terms. At her album release party in Nashville on Aug. 15, Springsteen closed her set singing "amen" on her own, stepping out into the crowd to declare its final verse a cappella: "And no I ain't got all the answers/ But I'm finding mine for damn sure/ And I mean it, so I'm sayin' it again/ Amen."

"The best thing that I ever did was double down on my truth and my story," Springsteen says. "Never giving up on that vision that I had in my gut, listening to that. My blind faith and blind confidence has been my superpower."

One of the biggest factors in Springsteen's decade-plus journey to TWENTY SOMETHING was the struggle to find the right team, which she's now found in people like her manager, Basak Kizilisik. But even before she felt things were completely right, others around her could feel her star power — including superstar songwriter Liz Rose, with whom Springsteen co-wrote two songs on the album.

"I've known her since she moved to town, and we never really wrote until the last year and a half. I was like, 'Why the f— am I not writing with Alana Springsteen?'" Rose says. "She knows who she is as an artist, and she's spent a lot of time not taking anything for granted. She just knows that she doesn't know everything, [which makes her] a fantastic songwriter."

Country star Mitchell Tenpenny — who co-wrote and features on "goodbye looks good on you" — has seen that same spark since he began working with Springsteen in 2021, and especially while they were on tour together in early 2022. "I watched her control the crowd with just an acoustic guitar. And that's when you know, man," Tenpenny says, referring to Springsteen as a "little sister." "She is just the total freaking package." 

Springsteen is the lead songwriter on all 18 tracks and co-producer on all but two, with guitar and piano credits across the album as well. Not only does that add to the intention behind her music, but it's an indication of the growth that she's felt — and presented — with TWENTY SOMETHING.

"The entire goal of this record, for me, is to really get to know myself for the first time," she says. "It was about acceptance, growth, empowerment, learning to trust myself again. And that's a journey that I hope everybody has the courage to go on when they listen to this album."

While the numbers show that she is certainly making an impact — with more than 100 million career streams to date — Springsteen's autobiographical style and knack for catchy melodies resulted in a slew of recognition even before TWENTY SOMETHING arrived. Along with being honored as part of 2023's CMT Next Women of Country Class and MusicRow's Next Big Thing, the singer was also one of eight rising country stars selected to perform at Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest in June.

And accolades aside, the fan reaction is enough evidence that she's achieving her goals. "As someone who just turned 18 and about to go to college this album to me is like a guidebook on how to navigate this part," one fan wrote in an Instagram comment. As another added, "This is what new + upcoming artists should be aiming for on debut or sophomore releases."

As she continues to grow her budding career, Springsteen will likely also continue hearing the inevitable question, "Are you related to Bruce?" The answer is no — but she's also not keeping the name for clout.

"I never wanted it to feel like I'm just taking advantage of that name and using that as, like, clickbait or anything," she asserts. "That's the opposite of what I'm trying to do." 

Though Springsteen says that she's "definitely thought about" a stage name in the past, using her birth name is the only way her music would feel as true as she's always intended it to be. And as she's proved so far, she knows she has what it takes to compete with big guns like The Boss: "I'm making my own name."

Is Nashville Really A 10-Year Town? Walker Hayes, HARDY, Lainey Wilson & More Country Hitmakers On How The Wait Pays Off

Country music has long felt like a boy's club.

From the genre's humble beginnings of Hank Williams, Roy Acuff and Jimmie Rodgers, through the outlaw movement of Johnny Cash, George Jones and Merle Haggard, to more modern day giants like Garth Brooks, George Strait and Tim McGraw, men have been dominating the genre for nearly a century.

Even now, megastars like Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs and Zach Bryan have comfortably inherited the position, virtually ruling the airwaves of country music and beyond for the majority of 2023. Those three have almost single-handedly helped the genre become arguably the biggest it's ever been — and it's finally opening the door for women to join in.

As the genre has boomed over the last year or so, it's created an opportunity for female artists to get in on a bigger slice of the pie. While the guys were out there wooing the mainstream, a handful of ladies were making their own fair share of noise with superstars Lainey Wilson, Kelsea Ballerini, Kacey Musgraves and Carly Pearce showing the genre what girl power is all about, and representing at the 2024 GRAMMYs as a result.

Of course, a handful of female artists have been able to push through the cracks through the years, from Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton to Shania Twain and Carrie Underwood. But historically, women have largely been chasing equal stature in the country music limelight. The genre's gender gap came to a head with 2015's "Tomato-gate" controversy, when radio consultant Keith Hill compared radio airplay to a salad, with the men as the lettuce and women as a tomato garnish.

Although airplay hasn't necessarily grown (a recent study found that female artists received an abysmal 11 percent of airplay in 2022), that hasn't stopped women in the genre from making an impact. In the last few years, a growing group of women have been rewriting the rules, nabbing major award nominations and wins, selling out headlining tours, notching No. 1s and breaking records — and they only seem to be gaining speed.

As a new year begins, take a look at a few of the ways women are breaking through in country music.

GRAMMY Representation

For the past few GRAMMYs ceremonies, we've been seeing more and more female names in country music listed among the nominees.

The shift was first really felt at the 63rd GRAMMY Awards in 2021, when women dominated the nominations thanks to the colossal successes of Best New Artist nominee Ingrid Andress, country stalwart Miranda Lambert and female supergroup the Highwomen (comprised of previous GRAMMY winners Maren Morris, Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires).

Female artists have continued to carve out their spot in GRAMMY history with nominations and wins. One of the most notable wins came in 2023, when Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde's history-making duet, "Never Wanted To Be That Girl," claimed Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

Pearce is once again nominated in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category at the 2024 GRAMMYs, this year for her chilling duet with decorated tunesmith Chris Stapleton, "We Don't Fight Anymore," which could find her claiming the prize for a second consecutive year.

While women don't dominate the Country Field nominees at the 2024 GRAMMYs, Pearce isn't alone. There's plenty of success stories throughout the categories, and one of the people leading that charge is Lainey Wilson.

More than a decade after moving to Nashville, Wilson's fourth studio album, Bell Bottom Country, has been propelling her to the forefront of the genre. The album helped earn Wilson a nomination for Best Country Album — one of her first two career GRAMMY nominations, the other for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "Save Me," her evocative collaboration with country-rap trailblazer (and 2024 Best New Artist nominee), Jelly Roll.

One of the genre's most enduring duets of 2023, Zach Bryan and Kacey Muscgraves' "I Remember Everything," is also in the running for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Along with debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reigning atop Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart for 16 weeks as of press time, the collab continued Musgraves' GRAMMY success. Also nominated for Best Country Song, "I Remember Everything" brings Musgraves' nomination total to 13; as of press time, she's won 6 GRAMMYs, including the coveted Album Of The Year in 2019 for Golden Hour.

Seasoned singer/songwriter Brandy Clark secured the most nominations of all the female country artists, with 6 nods across the Musical Theater, Americana and Country categories. Notably, her twice-nominated "Buried," included on her self-titled LP, nabbed nominations for both Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance.

Dolly Parton earned her 54th GRAMMY nomination this year, for Best Country Solo Performance for her solo version of one of her earliest hits, "The Last Thing On My Mind." First released in 1967 as her debut duet with Porter Wagoner, the 2023 version of the song features Parton's signature, soulful vocals and was included in the I Am a Pilgrim: Doc Watson at 100 tribute album.

Elsewhere in the 2024 GRAMMY nominations, pop-country darling Kelsea Ballerini is nominated alongside Wilson in the Best Country Album category with her Rolling Up the Welcome Mat EP. The triumphant and soul-bearing project led to one of her most commercially and critically successful years to date (more on that later).

Growing Success At Country Radio & Beyond

As her two GRAMMY nominations indicate, Lainey Wilson was arguably country music's woman of 2023. Notching four trips to the top of the Mediabase Country Airplay chart in 2023, she set two records: most No. 1s by a female country artist in a calendar year and most No. 1's on Billboard's Country Airplay chart by a female artist this decade. This was thanks to her own "Heart Like A Truck" and "Watermelon Moonshine," as well as her HARDY collaboration "wait in the truck" and the aforementioned Jelly Roll team-up "Save Me."

Beyond her profound radio success, 2023 also saw Wilson nab four ACM Awards and five CMA trophies; at the latter, she won Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year and the coveted Entertainer of the Year, whose last female winner came in 2011 with country-turned-pop superstar, Taylor Swift.

Wilson's fellow Best Country Album nominee, Kelsea Ballerini, also had a banner year. While her nominated Rolling Up the Welcome Mat EP didn't spawn a radio hit, it made quite an impression on streaming and social media. Due to its raw account of her public divorce from singer Morgan Evans, Ballerini's latest project helped her sell out her headlining tour, receive an invite to perform on Saturday Night Live, and earn an array of major award nominations.

Another proven hitmaker, Carly Pearce, nabbed her fourth No. 1 with her heartbreak anthem, "What He Didn't Do," which reached the top of the Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart last March. Newcomer Megan Moroney topped the same chart in June with her 2022 debut single, "Tennessee Orange," which helped her have a remarkable breakout year including her first award and a sold-out tour.

Rising country star Priscilla Block also secured a No. 1 on Mediabase's Country Airplay chart with her Justin Moore duet, "You, Me, and Whiskey," while more veteran act Gabby Barrett — who scored back-to-back No. 1 hits on Billboard's Country Airplay chart in 2020 and 2021 — reached the top 10 of the chart in 2023 with her single "Pick Me Up."

Female Artists On the Horizon

In the last 12 months, rising female country artists hit their stride, bringing a lot of promise to tackling the genre's gender gap. Hailey Whitters landed her first chart entry on both Billboard's Country Airplay and Hot 100 charts with her breakthrough single, "Everything She Ain't," which broke the top 20 on the former tally. Sister duo Tigirlily Gold saw their debut single, "Shoot Tequila," surge into the top 40 on country radio while they also juggled making their Opry debut, a loaded touring schedule and the release of their acclaimed Blonde EP.

Aside from the radio dial, women also had massive years on the road, earning major touring slots with some of the genre's big hitters. Big Loud prodigy Ashley Cooke put out her debut effort, Shot in the Dark, which propelled her onto Luke Bryan's Country Again Tour and Jordan Davis' Damn Good Time Tour. Meanwhile, Ella Langley, a country-rocker in the making, spent her year alongside Riley Green and Jon Pardi, as songs from her debut EP, Excuse the Mess, garnered millions of streams.

Beyond commercial success, there are a slew of burgeoning female singer/songwriters who are also poised to break through. Alana Springsteen, who released her three-part twenty something project in 2023, is establishing herself as one of the newest (and most relatable) voices in the country-pop world. Meanwhile, Lauren Watkins — who doubled down in 2023 with two EPs, Introducing: Lauren Watkins and Introducing: The Heartbreak — is reinventing the neo-traditional, retro country music of generations past.

Similarly, "The Voice" alum Emily Ann Roberts is out to make traditional country cool again as demonstrated on her debut LP, Can't Hide Country, while Catie Offerman, a powerhouse multi-instrumentalist, is bringing her Texas charm and clever turns of phrase into the country mainstream one infectious single at a time.

Next up is Brittney Spencer, who will release her debut album, My Stupid Life, on Jan. 19. As her glistening, genre-bending music continues to gain commercial traction, she's already loved by critics and artists alike; Maren Morris just recruited her for a dynamic performance of "The Tree" on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" alongside Mickey Guyton.

While it's impossible to mention all of the country women out there making moves, it's more than evident that female artists are ready to take up more of the country music landscape than ever before — and 2024 might just be the year that women finally get their due.

2023 In Review: 5 Trends That Defined Country Music

Musicians from the jazz and Latin worlds and beyond — from Marc Anthony, Sheila E and Bad Bunny to Questlove — are paying tribute to one of the pioneers of salsa, pianist, composer and bandleader Eddie Palmieri, who died this week at the age of 88. 

Salsa legend Oscar d’Leon posted on Instagram, "With a broken heart, I say goodbye to a genius and legend, my great friend and teacher, Eddie Palmieri." Director Spike Lee posted a picture from his upcoming film Highest 2 Lowest, which includes a scene featuring Eddie Palmieri’s band. Afro-Cuban jazz master Chucho Valdés wrote, "One of the greatest of all time has left us…The man who revolutionized salsa and Latin jazz." Fania icon Willie Colón wrote, "Eddie’s unique ability to mix rhythms and melodies transformed the musical panorama and he introduced innumerable listeners to the rich cultural tapestry of Latin sounds."

Willy Rodriguez, co-founder of the International Salsa Museum, tells GRAMMY.com, "Eddie Palmieri stood for social justice, the arts, and the power of staying true to one’s culture while learning from it, while also exploring other cultures and connecting to the world through music…The growls, yells, and emotion that poured from his heart into the mic were unlike anything the world had ever heard."

From his groundbreaking win at Music's Biggest Night to political lyrics and a defiance of genre constraints, read on for six ways Eddie Palmieri changed Latin music.

He Was The First Latino To Win A GRAMMY

In 1975, Palmieri made history as the first Latino to win a GRAMMY Award in the newly created category of Best Latin Recording with his album Sun of Latin Music. He was also the first recipient of a GRAMMY for Latin music, which came about because of Fania piano legend Larry Harlow’s efforts to get Latin music recognized by the Recording Academy. Palmieri won the award again the following year for Unfinished Masterpiece. 

In total, Palmieri won eight GRAMMYs and was nominated 14 times; only a handful of Latin artists can boast that many wins. In 1984 the original Category was broken up into three awards: Best Latin Pop Album, Best Tropical Latin Performance, and Best Mexican/Mexican American Performance. Palmieri won the Best Tropical Latin Performance GRAMMY in 1985, 1986, and 1988. 

As the Latin music Categories changed names and expanded over the years, Palmieri also took home golden gramophones in the Latin jazz and salsa album categories — reflecting the ways his music was in dialogue with various musical traditions. His last win, in 2006, was for Best Latin Jazz Album. 

Palmieri was nominated for four Latin GRAMMYs during his career, taking home a golden gramophone for Masterpiece, which won Best Salsa Album at the 2nd Annual Latin GRAMMYs.

Palmieri Made Innovative Decisions About Instrumentation

Palmieri’s first band, La Perfecta, formed in 1961, was reportedly the first Latin band to incorporate a trombone rather than the four trumpets that were standard in the large dance bands of the 1950s. It was initially an economic decision — he couldn’t afford to pay the top trumpet players — so he brought in trombonist Barry Rogers, initiating a historic partnership. 

In 2012, Palmieri told the Smithsonian, "​​My best musical buddy on the bandstand was Barry Rogers. He was a genius."

Palmieri soon brought in a flute player and a second trombonist alongside Rogers, as well as the Puerto Rican vocalist Ismael Quintana, for a trimmed down, eight-person band.The introduction of the trombone to the Latin ensemble would become one of the defining characteristics of salsa and the Fania sound, with Willie Colón as its most famous proponent. Colón viewed Rogers as a mentor and one of his primary musical inspirations. Palmieri’s early compositions, many of which were arranged by Rogers, are littered with the latter’s groundbreaking trombone solos.

Palmieri Refused To Be Boxed In By Genre

For over six decades, Palmieri straddled two primary musical worlds: Latin popular music, meant to serve dancers and thus requiring a strong, repetitive groove — and the more experimental, cerebral jazz of the post-bebop era. From early in his career, his salsa songs were much longer than those of his contemporaries, often seven to ten minutes long in order to give his instrumental soloists ample room to improvise.

But beyond his pioneering contributions in salsa and Latin jazz, Palmieri often experimented with other genres, including psychedelic rock and free jazz — notably apparent on the 1974 album Unfinished Masterpiece — and the 1960s Latin genre boogaloo, which fused mambo and Cuban son with R&B and soul. His 1968 hit "Ay Que Rico" is a classic example of boogaloo, featuring one of salsa’s greatest vocalists, Cheo Feliciano, and the legendary Cuban bassist Israel "Cachao" López.

Palmieri Injected Political Consciousness Into Latin Music

While part of salsa’s larger goal was to inspire pride and raise political consciousness among Latinos, Palmieri was instrumental in helping shape the genre into a platform for social critique. One of his most explicitly political songs was 1969’s "Justicia," featuring Ismael Quintana on vocals asking, "When will justice arrive?"

In 1971, along with his older brother and frequent collaborator Charlie, Palmieri embarked on a new, socially conscious project, Harlem River Drive, a soul- and free jazz-inspired collaboration with Black musicians that incorporated members of Aretha Franklin’s band. The title track of the resulting album Harlem River Drive commented on the social inequalities faced by Black and Latino communities in Harlem due to the building of the freeway of the same name that cut through their neighborhoods in order to allow wealthier New Yorkers to avoid driving through the ghetto/barrio.  

Palmieri Championed Cuban Music

At a time when relations between the U.S. and Cuba were tense and musical exchange had virtually ceased, musicians like Palmieri and Tito Puente made sure that everyone knew that what was known as "salsa" was, at its core, Cuban music. 

Alluding to the Afro-Cuban percussion and vocal genre rumba, Palmierie called himself "el rumbero del piano." As a teenager, he learned at the feet of the "mambo kings" — Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez — whose dance bands made the Palladium the hottest venue in 1950s New York.  

In a 2021 interview, he said, "Cuba was the most incredible cultural exchange between the Spanish and the Africans. Out of that cultural exchange came the mulatto, and the mulatto put the world to dance with the drum. The drum is the pulse of my life." His deep knowledge of Cuban genres is evident in masterpieces like 1981's "Ritmo Alegre," which starts as an instrumental danzón, transitions into a sung bolero, and then into a salsa version of the oft-quoted rumba song "Consuélate Como Yo," by the prolific Afro-Cuban composer Gonzalo Ascencio, known as "Tio Tom."

Palmieri Had An Avant Garde Sensibility

Palmieri wasn’t your average salsa pianist banging out tumbaos as part of the salsa rhythm section; he approached his solos with harmonic daring, illustrating how influential jazz was on his style. One of his biggest hits, 1965’s "Azúcar," is a perfect example: Palmieri’s lengthy solo includes him holding down the tumbao groove in his left hand while experimenting harmonically with his right. 

His 1981 song "El Día Que Me Quieras" is also bold, both formally and harmonically. Starting off as a cover of a Carlos Gardel tango and eventually transitioning into a brisk salsa dura sung by Cheo Feliciano, Palmieri gives us what is surely one of the most harmonically dissonant solos in the history of salsa. 

The summer heat may be showing no signs of letting up one week into August, but neither does the season's red-hot release schedule of new music.

Amaarae shines on Black Star, Bailey Zimmerman stampedes through Different Night Same Rodeo, Big Freedia paints a portrait of gospel-rooted resilience on Pressing Onward, The Black Keys unveil No Rain, No Flowers and Miley Cyrus gifts fans with five new edits from Something Beautiful.

Elsewhere, Good Charlotte checks into Motel Du Cap on their first full-length in nearly seven years, J.I.D insists God Does Like Ugly on his fourth studio set and Jeremy Jordan, Lizzy McAlpine and company shed gorgeous light the real-life story of a doomed 20th century cave explorer on the long-awaited original Broadway cast recording of Floyd Collins. 

As far as new songs go, Laufey finds inspiration in the story of "Snow White," keshi makes his desires clear on "WANTCHU," Lucy Dacus surprises with dual singles "Bus Back to Richmond" and "More Than Friends," KATSEYE remix "Gabriela" with help from Young Miko and Disclosure partner with Anderson .Paak for "NO CAP." 

Plus, Lauren Alaina puts the "Little Things" in perspective, Ole 60 insist they "Really Wanna Know," Hit-Boy joins forces with Spank Nitti James for "Eat Couch" and Wolf Alice drops "White Horses."

Below, press play on 10 new releases to soundtrack your weekend, from new songs by Ed Sheeran and Marshmello with Jelly Roll to albums from Gunna, Jonas Brothers, mgk and more.

Ed Sheeran — "A Little More"

Someone hacked Ed Sheeran's social media accounts last week, with the singer's official headquarters warning fans that the shadowy, redheaded figure in an orange hoodie dating back to circa 2011 had posted an unreleased track that just so happened to be a "total banger" to Sheeran's profile.

The rascal-y troublemaker in question turned out to be none other than Rupert Grint, who last co-starred with the then-nascent pop star in the music video for his +-era single "Lego House." Nearly 15 years after that album earned Sheeran his first trio of GRAMMY nominations, the superstar has reteamed with his celebrity doppelgänger for "A Little More," the latest single off his forthcoming eighth album, Play.

The cheeky music video for the track picks up right where the "Lego House" narrative left off, with Grint's character being released from prison after a 14-year stint for, well, sort of stalking Sheeran. This time, however, the "Sapphire" singer is utterly inescapable despite his best efforts to stay on the straight and narrow. Just wait until Grint pulls back the veil of his bride on his wedding day (and stick around for the first dance!).

Read More: How Indian Artists, Beats & Collabs Are Taking Over Mainstream Music, From Coldplay To Coachella

Gunna follows last year's One of Wun with both a sequel and a self-pronounced ending in the form of The Last Wun.

Across a whopping 25 tracks, the rapper makes yet another bid for hip-hop greatness with help from A-list pals like Offset ("at my purest"), Burna Boy ("wgft"), Wizkid ("forever be mine"). However, the vast majority of the album finds Gunna ably handling the mic all on his own, including on previously released singles like "him all along" and "won't stop," which close out the full-length with a certified one-two punch.

For their seventh album, Greetings From Your Hometown, Jonas Brothers brought their music back to its roots, transporting themselves back to the New Jersey family room where their musical ambitions as both a band and brothers began.

Whether or not the project outsells Kelly Clarkson — as they once prepubescently predicted on "Year 3000" — the siblings' new music is a testament to the old adage that home is where the heart is, whether they're tapping into their early love for the Bee Gees on disco-infused single "No Time To Talk," harmonizing their way through standout ballad "When You Know" or enlisting Switchfoot to help deliver the sentimental "Greetings" of the title track. 

Read More: Joe Jonas Reveals The Songs That Made Him Believe In Love (Including His Own)

Bryson Tiller — 'The Vices'

The Vices is just one half of Bryson Tiller's upcoming double album, Solace & The Vices, which is slated to be unveiled in full on Oct. 2.

Taking cues from the duality of now-classic projects like Nelly's 2004 concept albums Sweat and Suit, The Vices leans hard into the artist's rap persona, featuring guest appearances from the likes of Rick Ross ("Mini Kelly"), Plies and T-Pain ("200 Bands"), Bun B ("Burnout") and more. Meanwhile, Solace will reportedly complement the hip-hop-induced sounds of the newly-released installment with a return to Tiller's well-documented R&B roots.

Read More: R&B Isn't Dead: Listen To 51 Songs By Summer Walker, Josh Levi & More Artists Who Are Pushing The Genre Forward

BABYMETAL enlist virtually everyone who's anyone in the metal scene to contribute to the kawaii stylings of their aptly titled fifth full-length, METAL FORTH.

Not only is the album the first to feature member Momometal since she was promoted from Avenger status in 2023, its 10-song track list is packed to the gills with a truly diverse array of guest features — from Poppy on melodic opener "from me to u" and Slaughter to Prevail on "Song 3" to Tom Morello on the hard-charging "METALI!!," India's Bloodywood on the chant-ready "Kon! Kon!" and even Bring Me the Horizon's Jordan Fish behind the boards as an executive producer. 

Read More: Get To Know BABYMETAL, Japan's Legendary Pop-Metal Trio

Marshmello x Jelly Roll — "Holy Water"

Pour one out for "Holy Water," Marshmello's link-up with Jelly Roll. The song pays tribute to the sudden passing of an unnamed friend as the latter mourns, "One tear for the brokenhearted/ Pour out a little holy water/ Two tears for the soul departed/ Pour out a little holy water."

Despite its sad subject matter, the high-profile collab appears to have earned Jelly Roll some serious street cred at home, with the four-time GRAMMY nominee gleefully announcing, "MY SON FINALLY THINKS I'M COOL!!" alongside a video of the DJ presenting him with a "Jelly Mello" helmet — complete with recreations of his famous face tattoos to boot.

Zach Bryan and Kings of Leon are "in it for the long haul" on their new single "Bowery." The rootsy track arrives just weeks after "Madeline," the first preview of the country singer's long-gestating EP With Heaven on Top, and finds him matching tones with the rock band's frontman Caleb Followill as they sing, "You picked the wrong one if you're in it for the long run/ I got the passion but I don't give it away/ But when the time's right, I'm a hell of a good night."

For his part, the country singer seems positively bowled over to be working with the "Use Somebody" GRAMMY winners, calling the collaboration the "honor of [his] life" in a proud Instagram post announcing the duet. 

Read More: 6 Ways Zach Bryan Is Changing The Music Industry

Ethel Cain — 'Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You'

The fact that Ethel Cain's hotly anticipated sophomore full-length contains a mere 10 songs on its track list is a welcome deception, considering the singer's love letter to one Willoughby Tucker clocks in at an hour and 13 minutes by the end of the ambitious closer (which, for the record, runs at more than 15 minutes alone).

As it turns out, pre-release singles "Nettles" and "F— Me Eyes" only hinted at the grandeur and mythmaking contained in Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You. Emotional centerpiece "Dust Bowl" unfurls a creeping tale of 8th grade death pacts and drive-in movies with the "pretty boy, natural blood-stained blonde" that turned out to be Cain's first love. 

Meanwhile, instrumentals like "Willoughby's Theme" and "Radio Towers" add haunting foreshadowing to the cyclone of destruction that arrives on penultimate track "Tempest" and leaves Cain lamenting, "I never meant to hurt you/ But somehow, I knew I would/ Will it be like this forever?" on that aforementioned closer, "Waco, Texas."

Following his high-profile singles with Shaboozey and Bailey Zimmerman, BigXthaPlug completes a hat trick of countryfied collabs for the year 2025 by teaming up with Ella Langley for the scathing "Hell At Night."

With her Southern twang, Langley lays the foundation of heartbreak and revenge on the opening verse: "I hope it's hell at night/ Straight through the mornin'," she sings on the subsequent hook. But it's the rapper who really lets it rip with a laundry list of less-than-well wishes for an unlucky ex like, "I hope you finally find some love and every day he hurts your feelings" and "I hope you have a nightmare every single day of your life." Ouch. 

Read More: Meet Ella Langley, The "You Look Like You Love Me" Singer Ready To Be Country Music's Next Straight-Shooting Queen

"All the pages are blank till my life goes to s—/ I know I do that on purpose just to write again," mgk confesses early on "outlaw overture," the exhilarating, gear-shifting opener to his seventh album, lost americana.

The artist formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly is the king giving himself a clean musical slate, — as evidenced by his skillful pivots from Cleveland rapper to pop-punk revivalist to emo sad boy and back again — and if Bob Dylan narrating the album trailer was any indication, he'd be reinventing himself once again on the new full-length. 

Mgk's latest left turn blasts straight down the interstate through America's heartland, retaining some of the crunchy guitars and bright melodies he delivered on 2020's Tickets to My Downfall and 2022's GRAMMY-nominated mainstream sellout while adding dashes of synth and interpolations of Third Eye Blind to the, frankly, raucously fun proceedings.

When Eminem first released his single "Stan" — a fictional tale of a fan whose devotion takes a deadly turn — the concept of parasocial relationships with celebrities was nothing new. 

In the years before the 2000 track became a smash, celebrities like Rebecca Schaeffer, John Lennon, and Selena Quintanilla all fell victim to fans-turned-stalkers. In some cases, those fans saw an unfortunate fate; in 1996, a Madonna fan was shot after trespassing into the star's property and making violent threats.

Twenty-five years after the release of "Stan"— which Eminem performed with Elton John at the 2001 GRAMMYs, before The Marshall Mathers LP won Best Rap Album — "stan" has become shorthand for a particularly fervent fan and a worldwide phenomenon. 

Eminem examines this culture through his recently released documentary Stans, which explores the culture behind his own stans and fanbases like Beyoncé’s Beyhive, Nicki Minaj’s Barbs, and Taylor Swift’s Swifties. Each fanbase has a significant social media presence and frequently take their dedication from behind the screens to real life by camping out by venues to meet online friends and by merch. Sometimes, passionate fans will take it upon themselves to act out against their favorite artist’s rivals.

Though Em’s "Stan" has a darker backstory, stan culture has evolved to have a more palatable connotation among fans of musicians. Read on for a history of "Stan" and how Eminem impacted both the music landscape and the modern lexicon.

The Story Of "Stan"

Stan — a fictional character voiced by Eminem — writes Eminem several letters over the course of many months, as described in the song. Interspersed with a sample of Dido’s 1999 hit "Thank You," Stan’s accounts grow more and more frustrated as he believes Em is ignoring his letters, and even describes a situation in which Em snubbed him and his younger brother — "We waited in the blisterin' cold for you, for four hours, and you just said, ‘no.’" 

Em’s unreciprocated energy eventually pushes Stan to drive off of a bridge with his pregnant girlfriend in the trunk. By the time Em replies, it’s too late. 

In the video, which was directed by Philip Atwell and Dr. Dre, actor Devon Sawa portrays Stan and Dido his ill-fated girlfriend. 

"Casting was probably the first big hurdle," says Atwell. "We wanted someone with real acting chops — someone on the rise, but not a big enough name to pull viewers out of the story. Devin Sawa just clicked. He wasn’t trying to ‘act,’ he embodied the role, and we all felt that. It seemed natural for Dido to play the female lead. I remember her feeling a bit intimidated initially, but once she got settled in she worked out perfectly."

Toward the end of the video, viewers see news anchor Jane Yamamoto on the scene, as the car is discovered. Having worked as a reporter in Los Angeles in the years before and after "Stan," Yamamoto says she has witnessed the effects of parasocial relationships with celebrities. "I wouldn't say I saw it so much during that period, but later covering people like Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift," she says. 

In an example of art imitating life, Yamamoto garnered a small fanbase of her own after "Stan" and videos for "Forgot About Dre" video and 2000's Up in Smoke Tour featuring Eminem, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg. "People would even approach me doing my job and act like they knew me because they watch the news every night, which was flattering, but at times it would be really uncomfortable," Yamamoto says. "My colleagues through the years say they've experienced the same thing." 

Eminem Courts Controversy Ahead Of The GRAMMYs

Em performed "Stan" at the 2001 GRAMMYs, with Elton John singing Dido’s parts. The performance saw Eminem in the role of Stan for the first three verses, rapping from a set designed to look like a bedroom. During the first chorus, a curtain opens, revealing John to the audience. 

"When Elton John was revealed on stage, I clearly recall that his entrance was a metaphor for coming out of the closet," GLAAD panelist Scott Seomin tells GRAMMY.com.

Yet hours before Music's Biggest Night, the set was protested by GLAAD and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, which slammed the rapper for his homophobic language on The Marshall Mathers LP. A line on "Stan," in which Eminem derides Stan's suggestion about "We should be together too" was also considered homophobic.

In addition to such pejoratives, much of the album leans into horrorcore, with violent lyrics targeted toward his mother and his ex-wife.

"We're not against the man," Seomin said at the time. "We're against his words. … It's about violence, not about ridicule."

More than two decades later Seomin stands by the protest, though he applauds Eminem for ceasing to use homophobic language and for advocating for the LGBTQ+ community. He considers the impact of Eminem's performance at the GRAMMYs:

"The song still resonates as it can open conversations about mental health and suicide, parasocial relationships and the impact of celebrity culture, which is ‘heavier’ today than in 2001."

Eminem is no stranger to controversy. Throughout his career, the 15-time GRAMMY winner has chagrined many with the violent content of his music, as well as his use of homophobic and transphobic slurs. 

But Eminem supporters and fans have defended his lyrics, noting that they are simply part of his storytelling. Journalist Andrea Aguilar — who launched her AllAboutEminem blog when she was 15 — claimed that Em’s naysayers were reading too much into the lines. "The lyrics are really funny and misunderstood. People are overanalyzing them too much," she tells GRAMMY.com.

A Stan, For Better Or Worse 

In 2017, the word "stan" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary, defined as "an overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity." In the years since, stan culture has continued to grow on social media. 

Though cases like Eminem’s fictional "Stan" are few and far between, standom can sometimes approach dangerous territory. In 2015, after Beck infamously won Album Of The Year for Morning Phase over Beyoncé's 2013 self-titled album, members of the Beyhive edited Beck’s Wikipedia page over 100 times. In 2023, Swifties doxxed a writer who criticized her Eras tour. Last year, Chappell Roan took to TikTok to call out invasive fans who had "stalked" her and her family.

"I think fandom rooted in a genuine passion for the music can be incredibly fulfilling up to a point," says Aguilar. "When it becomes too personal, invasive, or cult-like, that’s when it crosses the line into true 'Stan' territory. Blind loyalty, obsessive behavior, and stalking take things to a disturbing place I can’t condone."

Perhaps one of the most fervent fanbases is the Barbs — Nicki Minaj fans. Known for their rapid retort and ability to argue relentlessly in Minaj’s defense, the Barbs often celebrate Minaj’s accomplishments and defend her from naysayers.

"When it comes to things we have done as Barbs, we have a lot to be proud of — however, there are some not-so-fun moments that do come with being a diehard stan," says Nicholas Liddle, a Barb from North Carolina. "Whether it be hunting down people’s info for stan wars, or pulling up on known ‘haters’ at shows, there truly isn’t any limits when it comes to the stan life…It is safe to say, when people mention not coming for the Barbs, take it seriously, we do not play."

But part of being a stan is maintaining a connection to one’s favorite artist by any means possible — even if said means are rather unconventional.

"The craziest thing I’ve done is probably a toss-up between dressing up as [Eminem] for Halloween when I was in high school with oversized denim shorts, a wife beater, and a hand drawn ‘Hailie’ tattoo; and spending far too much money to fly from NYC to Austin for just two days for a Formula One event to see him perform live for the first time," says Eminem superfan Annelise Baumann of New York City. 

At the same Formula One event, Baumann met a woman from Paris who was traveling with her elderly father. She has been released from rehab days prior. "She said Eminem’s music helped her get sober, and she even had several matching tattoos that he has."

Now a psychotherapist working in Los Angeles, Seomin believes that stans often hold their favorite artists to higher standards. But when said artist doesn’t live up to the expectations established by the fan, this can result in various forms of turmoil.

"In other words, a fan's entire self-worth is wrapped in being seen by Beyoncé [for example]," Seomin says. "When that fails, said fan can spiral into hopelessness and self-harm."

In "Stan," the titular character self-harms, later killing himself and his family in a devastating act of parasocial reprisal. "No artist can take personal responsibility for everyone's pain," Seomin says. "It is impossible to fulfill the emotional needs of millions. Taylor Swift mentions this briefly in her documentary Miss Americana."

"Stan" Continues To Impact

Though the story of "Stan" is rooted in fiction, many real-life stans have seen their efforts pay off. Aguilar's blog manifested in a thriving journalism career, as well as veteran status in the music industry. "I owe it all to [Eminem’s] publicist, Dennis Dennehy, who saw me featured in the LA Times. He also got me an internship at Interscope Records, where I started my career."

Liddle himself has not met Minaj, but says that she has still managed to show up for him and his family from afar. "After [an] episode of Queen Radio, she actually sent me one of her FENDI t-shirts. I also have gotten a pair of her sneakers with LOCI, and…Nicki actually sent my mama several pairs of Pink Friday Nails. My mom is a Barb as well."

Though Yamamoto only met Eminem once on the set of the "Forgot About Dre" video, she considers her role in the Eminem universe "the thing I am most recognized for." She remembers observing his rhyming abilities in real time as a remarkable moment in her career.

Conversations around cultural appropriation and social consciousness have surrounded Eminem since he made his debut in 1996. Many listeners have tried to retroactively cancel Em for his lyrical content. Yet those who have witnessed Em’s rise can’t deny his impact, which now extends beyond rap and into a globally-used language.

"He pushed boundaries — musically, culturally, emotionally," says Atwell. "He challenged people, made them uncomfortable, made them think. He didn’t just influence rap, he changed the cultural conversation around it. His reach isn’t just wide — it’s deep."