
The Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef that led to Not Like Us, explained
It was Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake, with the two trading off songs that eventually led to Not Like Us, which is now a Grammy-winning Song of the Year, with everyone singing very NSFW lyrics that dump on Drake.
So where did all of this come from? For that, you need to read our guide to the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, but here's a quick summary: Drake dropped First Person Shooter with J. Cole that called out Lamar, who then responded on WE DON'T TRUST YOU. Drake lobbed back, and then we got Not Like Us.
Definitely check out the Kendrick Lamar and Drake explainer for the entire history.
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6 hours ago
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And maybe you heard that two of the most famous women in the world — Taylor Swift, Beyoncé — released projects last year? '2024 was exceptional,' Errico said. 'I don't think you see that a lot — really humongous hits, with insanely long lives on the charts.' This year's popular new music has been decidedly downbeat, with ballads and ponderous country songs topping the charts, Errico said. Even Bieber's 'Daisies,' charting high in the weeks after its release, is relatively pared back for the one-time collaborator of fiery artists like Skrillex and Quavo. 'A lot of stuff was low energy,' Errico said of this year's new music. 'It's good for dim rooms, but I don't think that's associated with the 'song of the summer.'' Ideally, a song of the summer is 'bright, poppy, upbeat,' Errico said — a celebration in miniature that's easy to dance along to. It's a song that won't grate even when you hear it one million times over one summer. This year 'did not deliver that,' he said. 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There is a type of song that makes less of a dent upon arrival but winds up defining the summer, like '360,' 'Guess' and 'Apple' from Charli XCX's 'Brat.' This year, that slot appears to be filled by PinkPantheress' 'Illegal,' which has soundtracked over a million TikToks and counting. It slid off the charts fairly quickly after its May release, but it fills the earworm quotient, and it's the rare viral hit that hasn't yet worn out its welcome. Also in contention are songs from burgeoning pop star and original TikTok idol Addison Rae and Ravyn Lenae, whose 'Love Me Not' is a rare bouncy gem in the top 10. 'You're not seeing (these songs) en masse, but maybe that's better,' Errico said of the cult hits. 'Maybe not everyone should be invited to a single party. Maybe we should have different parties with different playlists that reflect a smaller but more dedicated group of people.' It's possible that when we look back at this summer a year from now, older songs will spring to mind, Errico offered. The CEO kiss-cam meltdown at a Coldplay concert in July became one of the summer's biggest stories, and fans may remember the moment set to 'The Scientist' or 'Fix You.' Ozzy Osbourne's death has already prompted fans to revisit his greatest hits, like the karaoke barn-burner 'Crazy Train.' Or maybe, Errico suggested, the song of the summer is one that best exemplifies the quickening encroachment of AI into creative fields, like AI band Velvet Sundown's AI song, 'Dust on the Wind.' Even the title sounds like a Fleetwood Mac-inspired ChatGPT prompt. This fruitless search for the song of the summer has made Errico wonder, do we even need one this year? The songs of 2024 are already tiding us over. 'Maybe music needed this minute to chill,' he said. 'Let's let everybody digest it and come back strong next summer.' Maybe we'll get back to the good stuff in summer 2026. Or maybe late entries like Carpenter; Tyler, The Creator and Chappell Roan (whose new song is a ballad) could run away with the season — or the year. After all, Errico said: 'A good song is good for longer than the summer.'