This week rapper Playboi Carti's MUSIC tops this week's Billboard 200. Scott Dudelson/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar artist page: interviews, features and/or performances archived at NPR Music
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga's Mayhem, which enters the chart at the top spot after a long windup that's included three top 40 singles. John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images hide caption
Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly Courtesy of the artist hide caption
This week, only one album debuts in the top 50: Alter Ego by LISA of the K-pop group BLACKPINK. Chanakarn Laosarakham/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
The pop star Tate McRae, who first caught the public's attention as a finalist on the 13th season of So You Think You Can Dance in 2016, has been bubbling up ever since. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for iHeartRadio hide caption
In a slow week for new albums, pop singer Tate McRae reigns supreme
This week, a familiar face knocks Kendrick Lamar out of the top spot with an album debuting at No. 1 — Drake's $ome $exy $ongs 4 U. Prince Williams/WireImage hide caption
Drake's album 'Some Sexy Songs 4 U' knocks Kendrick Lamar out of the top spot
$ome $exy $ongs 4 U, Drake's collaborative album with his OVO Sound signee PARTYNEXTDOOR, returns to the murky R&B sound that defined his breakout years. NORMAN WONG/Norman Wong hide caption
Kendrick Lamar is now the first hip-hop artist ever to land three top 10 albums in the same week. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images hide caption
Three of Kendrick Lamar's albums are getting a Super Bowl bump
Kendrick Lamar performs during the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show on Sunday in New Orleans. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images hide caption
Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at Caesars Superdome. Cindy Ord/Getty Images hide caption
Ledisi (from left), Trombone Shorty, Lauren Daigle and Jon Batiste pose onstage during the Super Bowl LVIX Pregame & Apple Music Super Bowl LVIX Halftime Show Press Conference at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Thursday, Feb. 6, in New Orleans. Mike Coppola/Getty Images hide caption
With Cowboy Carter, which also won best country album, Beyoncé finally took home the Grammy she'd most coveted. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images hide caption
Kendrick Lamar took home gramophones for song of the year, record of the year, best rap song, best rap performance and best music video for "Not Like Us." Kevin Mazur/Getty Images hide caption
At the 2025 Grammys, Beyoncé takes home album of the year and Kendrick Lamar wins big
Beyoncé accepts the award for best country album during the 67th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. She won two other awards, including album of the year, for COWBOY CARTER. Kevin Winter/Getty Images hide caption
Chappell Roan, performing during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 11, 2024, is up for six Grammy Awards, which will be handed out Feb. 2 in Los Angeles. Roan, along with Sabrina Carpenter, is nominated for album, song and record of the year, as well as best new artist. Noam Galai/Getty Images hide caption
Lil Baby and his team pulled out all the stops to make sure the artist's WHAM rap would make it to the edge of heaven on this week's Billboard charts. Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage hide caption
On the albums chart, the K-pop group Stray Kids debuts at No. 1 with HOP; the group has debuted atop the Billboard 200 with its first six charting albums, which is a new record to kick off a career. Penske Media/via Getty Images hide caption
The Madi Diaz song "God Person" is just one of the tracks that hit us hard in 2024. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Shabaka's album Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace begins with the song "End Of Innocence," one among many pieces of music that managed to be both haunting and comforting in 2024. atibaphoto/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Kendrick Lamar, performing in Los Angeles in June, was among the most important and inescapable voices in any genre of music in 2024. Timothy Norris/Getty Images hide caption
A single Black Friday title — Taylor Swift's Target-exclusive physical editions of The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology — has sent TTPD soaring back to the top of the Billboard 200. Kevin Winter/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management hide caption