@Derek Whitaker Jr

Today’s Hits is home to the biggest songs in pop, hip-hop, R&B, and more. At the top of this week’s playlist is Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s Luther Vandross-sampling hit “luther.” Over a sample of Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s 1982 hit “If This World Were Mine,” the Compton rapper and SZA reflect on their desires to uplift their partners despite the trials and tribulations of the world. Check back often, as our editors update this playlist regularly—and if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Alpha is a space for redefining the meaning of a woman’s power. Power doesn’t have to be about fighting, standing up, or changing history. The power of these artists lies in their existence. From there flows truth, authenticity, vulnerability, nuanced representation. This week, Lady Gaga’s synth-pop ballad “How Bad Do U Want Me” presents “a psychotic love theme”: an existential battle between the “good girl in your dreams” and the bad one right in front of you. “She’s in your brain, and I’m here to kiss you in real life,” Mother Monster sings. Who will win? That’s for you to decide. Enter Alpha now and add it to your library to keep in touch with the women making music on their terms, uplifting one another and challenging notions through the simple matter of <i>being</i>. Now that’s real power.

Social media hasn’t just changed how we communicate, but also what we listen to and how we hear it. With that, here’s our up-to-the-minute playlist of tracks making the leap from your social channels into the broader cultural stream. On top now is Janet Jackson’s “Someone to Call My Lover,” a sweet and flirty cut from the 2001 album <i>All for You</i> that’s currently introducing Ms. Jackson to the Gen Z masses. Because there’s no schedule for going viral, our editors update these selections throughout the week as needed, so if you hear something you want to hang on to, add it to your library. If it’s trending there, you’ll hear it here.

Headlining Rap Life, the playlist at the forefront of hip-hop culture today, is “1000 Times,” a Lil Durk and Lil Baby collaboration from Lil Durk’s long-anticipated <i>Deep Thoughts</i> album. Durk and Baby have long had a productive relationship, one that even gave us a full length album in 2021’s <i>The Voice of the Heroes</i>. Much has changed in the lives of both since then, but “1000 Times” proves that their chemistry is fully intact. Listen to it on Rap Life and check back often, as our editors update this playlist regularly. If you hear something you like, add it to your library.

R&B is one of the most dynamic, adventurous sounds in modern music, a place where art both personal and provocative meets the mainstream. From the alt vanguard to modern vets, straightforward to left-field, these tracks capture where R&B is now and point the way to where it’s going. This week, Leon Thomas and Halle’s “RATHER BE ALONE” is at the top of the playlist. The somber acoustic track finds the duo on opposing sides of their relationship, with Thomas willing to give up on it, while Halle wants to fight for it. We update this playlist regularly. If you like a track, add it to your library.

A-List Pop is your weekly guide to what’s on top in pop music. Leading this week’s playlist is Alex Warren with his hit song “Ordinary.” The California-born singer-songwriter has come a long way since his days of filming pranks on social media and now specializes in big, emotional ballads. “Ordinary” is his tender love song to his wife Kouvr Annon, and with lyrics like “The angels up in the clouds are jealous knowing we found/Something so out of the ordinary,” it’s no wonder he’s captured hearts around the world. Check back often, as our editors update this playlist regularly—and if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

New Music Daily is the playlist that never sleeps, updated regularly with new music you can’t miss. Today’s cover star is Swedish metal band Ghost with “Peacefield,” the first track on their forthcoming sixth studio album <i>Skeletá</i>, dropping later this week. Have a listen and add this playlist to your library to stay up on the latest must-hear new songs.

¡Dale Play! remains the place to hear the biggest Latin tracks from your favorite Spanish-language artists from around the world. Headlining the playlist this week are De La Rose and Omar Courtz with “NUBES.” The two Puerto Rican singing sensations come together for a perreo-fueled duet that evokes the unparalleled feeling of mutual, simultaneous physical and emotional connection. This playlist is updated often, so if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

ALT CTRL is home to the latest and greatest in alternative music. Here, it’s as much an attitude as a sound—music that keeps things a little left of center and rough around the edges. This week, Pulp remerges with “Spike Island,” an anthemic new single off their upcoming album <i>More</i>—the Britpop group’s first in more than two decades. Check back often, as our editors update this playlist regularly—and if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Hip-hop and R&B offer some of the most fluid, dynamic sounds today, true barometers for where the culture is at and where it’s going. This week, headlining #OnRepeat—a playlist chock-full of the hottest new songs we can’t seem to stop playing—is “Off the Meter” by Ken Carson, Playboi Carti, and Destroy Lonely. Listen to it on #OnRepeat, and if you hear something you like, add it to your library.