Zeros

Bob Weir: A Final Bow for a Grateful Dead Legend On January 10, 2026, the music world lost one of its most enduring and quietly transformative figures: Bob Weir , co-founder, rhythm guitarist, and voice of the Grateful Dead , died at the age of 78. The announcement, shared by his family on Weir’s official social platforms, revealed that he passed peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after bravely confronting cancer and ultimately succumbing to underlying lung issues.  For more than six decades, Bobby Weir stood at the crossroads of American music and American culture. Born Robert Hall Weir in San Francisco in 1947, he picked up the guitar as a teenager and, as fate would have it, met Jerry Garcia on New Year’s Eve in 1963— an encounter that would change the course of rock history . Together with Garcia, Phil Lesh , Bill Kreutzmann , and Ron Pigpen McKernan , Weir helped forge the Grateful Dead , a band that came to define a generation and a way of life.  From th...

If you’re like me and you didn’t click Leviticus in your YouTube feed… surprise!  It debuted at No. 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 Yes, that $uicideboy$ . The underground rap duo whose name alone looks like a corrupted system file. The same artists whose aesthetic has always leaned more toward end-times  sermons than Top 40 radio . And yet, there they are —wedged neatly between polished pop hits and algorithm-approved earworms, staring back at the mainstream like a prophecy no one bothered to read. If you were looking for signs of the endtimes, this might qualify. For years, $uicideboy$ existed in a parallel universe. Their music circulated through YouTube rabbit holes, Reddit threads, and late-night playlists labeled things like do not play this if you’re okay emotionally . You didn’t discover them so much as stumble into them— usually after declining a dozen shiny recommendations from the platform . Leviticus wasn’t something you clicked casually. It felt like c...

When Internet Fame Meets Real-World Threats : The D4VD Moment The D4VD situation has reignited conversations about a uniquely modern phenomenon: what happens when TikTok -famous artists step out of the algorithm and into real-world scrutiny . Regardless of the outcomes in ongoing matters, the discourse itself reveals something about how we've created a new kind of celebrity— one that exists almost entirely within the digital ecosystem until, suddenly and jarringly, it doesn't . D4VD rose to prominence through the same channels that have launched countless bedroom pop artists: viral TikTok sounds, algorithmic discovery, and a carefully curated online aesthetic . His music tapped into a particular vein of melancholic, introspective youth culture that thrives on platforms where mood and moment matter more than traditional industry gatekeeping. The rise was meteoric and entirely digital . What makes this moment culturally significant isn't about any individual case...

Sugar On My Tongue: Tyler's Inescapable New Earworm Tyler, the Creator has done it again. Sugar On My Tongue is already creeping into playlists, TikTok feeds, and that mental space reserved for songs you can't shake loose. By spring, we'll all know every word whether we meant to learn them or not. The production is where this track really lives. Tyler's built something genuinely infectious here —a beat that feels simultaneously retro and forward-thinking, with enough groove to get people moving without trying too hard. There's a looseness to it that makes the song feel effortless, like it just tumbled out fully formed . The hook burrows into your brain on first listen and sets up camp. It's the kind of chorus that you'll find yourself humming in the grocery store, possibly to your own annoyance. What makes Sugar On My Tongue work so well is its energy . It's playful, confident, and built for maximum replay value . Tyler has always underst...

Olivia Dean’s The Man I Need : Retro Soul for the Modern Pop Listener Olivia Dean’s The Man I Need arrives with the kind of quiet confidence that’s becoming increasingly rare in modern pop. It doesn’t beg for attention or chase trends ; instead, it settles into a groove and lets its craft do the work. Dean has always occupied an interesting space between classic soul and contemporary pop, and this song feels like a defining moment where those influences finally click into focus . Vocally, comparisons to Aaliyah make sense—not because Dean imitates her, but because of the restraint . Her voice glides rather than belts, carrying warmth, clarity, and emotional precision. There’s an intimacy in her delivery that feels conversational, almost confessional, as if the listener has been invited into a private moment rather than a performance staged for algorithms. It’s smooth, grounded, and deeply intentional. Lyrically, The Man I Need feels very current. Dean’s songwriting refle...

Stray Kids Make History: DO IT Debuts at #1, Dethroning Taylor Swift STAY , this is not a drill! Stray Kids have done it again, and by " it ," we mean making chart history that no other artist has ever achieved. The K-pop powerhouse's latest release, DO IT , has debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, marking their eighth consecutive chart-topping album since 2022. And yes, before anyone asks —we're talking about Stray Kids, the sensational K-pop boy band, not the Stray Cats . Different group, different era, same unstoppable energy. Breaking Records Left and Right The numbers speak for themselves : DO IT earned an impressive 295,000 equivalent album units in its first week, with 286,000 coming from traditional album sales. But the real jaw-dropper? Stray Kids is now the first act in Billboard history to debut at #1 with their first eight chart entries since the Billboard 200's inception in 1956. Let that sink in . Since ODDINARY dropped in 2022, ever...

Who Is D4VD? D4VD (pronounced David ) is an American singer-songwriter who became one of the most unexpected success stories in recent music. Born David Anthony Burke on March 28, 2005, the Houston native went from recording songs in his sister's closet to opening for SZA on a massive arena tour— all before turning 20 . The Bedroom Pop Breakout D4VD's origin story is refreshingly modern. He initially started making music not out of artistic ambition, but practicality : his mother suggested he create original tracks to avoid copyright strikes on his Fortnite   play-throughs . What began as a workaround became a genuine creative outlet. Recording entirely on an iPhone, D4VD uploaded Romantic Homicide to streaming platforms in 2022. The track—  a moody, emotionally raw bedroom pop ballad  —exploded on TikTok and eventually reached No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. His follow-up single Here with Me similarly went viral, establishing him as a voic...

The Harmonica Under the Tree: A Cautionary Tale Every year, around this time, well-meaning aunts, uncles, and grandparents across the nation have the same thought: This is the year I become the cool relative . And every year, that thought leads directly to the music store, where a shiny harmonica sits in a little velvet-lined box, looking like the gateway to a lifetime of blues riffs and campfire singalongs. I know this because I've been that mom. I've stood in the checkout line, harmonica in hand, already imagining my son's face lighting up. I pictured him at eighteen, thanking me in his graduation speech for sparking his musical journey. What I did not picture was the harmonica living in a junk drawer by February, nestled between dead batteries and a broken game controller. Here's what happens when you gift a child an instrument they didn't ask for: nothing . Or worse, something . In my case, the harmonica begat a xylophone the following Christmas. Th...

THRILLER Rises Again : A New Generation Discovers Michael Jackson’s Dark Magic It’s back from the dead — again. Michael Jackson’s Thriller , the album that defined an era and reshaped pop forever, has clawed its way back onto the Billboard charts. Forty-plus years later, the King of Pop’s most iconic creation is dancing with the living once more — and maybe, just maybe, the undead too. Every Halloween , Thriller sneaks out of its tomb and infects the world all over again. The song’s slow-burning synths and Vincent Price’s wicked laugh seem engineered to wake up buried memories — not just of the 1980s, but of a time when music videos could be mini-movies and MTV was the campfire every teenager gathered around. There was nothing family-friendly about it. Thriller was both pop perfection and horror homage — a bold mix of talent, terror, and taboo that no one would dare attempt today. But the surprise this year is who’s listening. Gen Z , raised on algorith...

Cyndi Lauper's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction: A Celebration of True Colors There are some moments in life that feel like unwrapping the perfect gift— unexpected, delightful, and absolutely deserved . Cyndi Lauper's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is exactly that kind of moment. For those of us who grew up with her candy-colored hair, layered tutus, and that unmistakable voice, this honor feels like the musical equivalent of a warm hug on a winter's day. The Girl Who Just Wanted to Have Fun When Cyndi burst onto the scene in the 1980s, she didn't just arrive— she exploded in a riot of color, personality, and pure joy . Her 1983 debut album She's So Unusual was revolutionary, featuring the iconic Girls Just Want to Have Fun , which became an anthem for a generation. The video, with its playful energy and Cyndi's punky Betty Boop aesthetic, was everywhere. Those wrestling boots paired with vintage dresses and fingerless gloves? ...

When Charts Change the Story: Hip-Hop's Billboard Absence For the first time since 1990, there isn't a single hip-hop song in the Billboard Hot 100's top 40 . The headline sounds dramatic, almost unprecedented— and it is, by the numbers . But before we start writing think pieces about hip-hop's cultural decline, we should probably ask what actually happened here. The culprit isn't a sudden shift in taste. It's a rule change. Kendrick Lamar and SZA's   Luther had spent 46 weeks on the chart, including 13 weeks at number one . In its final appearance, it sat at number 38—still firmly in the top 40. Then it simply vanished. Not because people stopped listening, but because Billboard's new recurrent rule removed it. Songs that have been charting for extended periods and fall below a certain position are now automatically dropped from the top 40. This raises an obvious question that the reporting hasn't addressed : if these rules had always...

Taylor Swift Makes History on Pop Airplay Chart With The Fate of Ophelia Taylor Swift continues her reign as one of the most dominant forces in pop music, and her latest achievement proves she's nowhere near slowing down. With the release of her highly-anticipated album The Life of a Showgirl , Swift has shattered yet another record—this time on Billboard's Pop Airplay chart. The Fate of Ophelia , the lead single from The Life of a Showgirl , has made history as the first song ever to debut inside the Pop Airplay chart's top 10. That's right —no other artist has managed this feat before. While we celebrate women lifting each other up in the industry, it's worth noting that this achievement surpasses a previous record held by none other than Nicki Minaj , another powerhouse who has consistently pushed boundaries in a male-dominated industry. This milestone adds four new entries to Swift's Pop Airplay tally, bringing her career total from 45 to 49 s...

MTV Finally Goes Dark: A Long-Overdue Obituary So MTV is finally, officially, completely done. And if your reaction is, " Wait, MTV is still on? " congratulations—you're exactly who this eulogy is for. For most of us, MTV died somewhere around 2010, the moment we canceled cable and discovered that YouTube would show us music videos for free, without commercial breaks, and without making us sit through three hours of Teen Mom first. But apparently, the network has been stumbling around like a zombie for another decade and a half, and now it's finally lying down for good. Let's be honest: MTV was already irrelevant by 2000. The channel that defined a generation in the '80s and stayed cool through the '90s had become a parody of itself by the turn of the millennium. Remember when MTV actually stood for Music Television? When the M meant something besides, " Maybe We'll Show Music at 3 AM "? The '80s were MTV's glory days....

Ravyn Lenae: The New Soft Storm We’ve Been Waiting For Wow . Just—wow. You know that feeling when you stumble across an artist and suddenly feel like you’ve been living under a rock your whole life? That’s me right now with Ravyn Lenae . I was scrolling through Billboard , half-expecting another recycled headline about Taylor Swift’s Showgirl era, when I saw her name. One click later, and I’m knee-deep in neon soul, floating vocals, and emotional precision that’s part Sade , part The Weeknd , and all her own. Let’s start there— Sade . You can’t say Ravyn Lenae without at least whispering that comparison. Both have this uncanny ability to seduce without shouting, to let silence hum between beats. Ravyn’s voice is pure silk, never hurried, never desperate to prove itself. Like Sade, she lets mood carry melody. Her songs feel like dim light on glass—soft, reflective, and endlessly replayable. And yet, there’s something futuristic happening too. While Sade gave us quiet luxur...

Rihanna’s Surprise Re-Entry: “Breakin’ Dishes” Hits #86 on the Billboard Hot 100 Stop the presses : Rihanna has officially broken her silence! This week, a track from nearly two decades ago — Breakin’ Dishes — resurfaces in the public spotlight, landing at #86 on the Billboard Hot 100. For longtime fans and casual listeners alike, it’s a reminder that she still has the kind of magnetic pull that turns hidden gems into chart surprises. If you’re like me, a 50 year old woman, this track might sound a little wild — but I can’t deny it’s stuck in my head on repeat. What’s more exciting is what it signals : Rihanna, who’s largely been focused on her private life, fashion, Fenty businesses, and family, is letting music back into the conversation — and in a way that’s rooted in themes of domestic frustration and emotional release. A Track from the Past, Reborn Originally released in 2007 on the Good Girl Gone Bad album, Breakin’ Dishes was never pushed as a sin...

Rocky Horror at 50: When Fishnet Stockings Meet the Culture Wars Time, it seems, is a flat circle wrapped in a feather boa. Fifty years after The Rocky Horror Picture Show first scandalized audiences with its sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania, the midnight movie phenomenon continues to confound parents whose twenty-something children drag them to theaters for audience participation rituals that feel less like cinema and more like ceremonial possession . My son insists I couldn't possibly have "gotten it" when I saw Rocky Horror in the '90s. He's probably right, though not for the reasons he thinks. Back then, amid the smoke and fury of the LA riots, Rocky Horror felt like pure visual intoxication—a fever dream of Victorian gothic meets glam rock excess. The gender politics? They seemed as quaint as the castle's laboratory equipment, artifacts from a more innocent time when rebellion could be performed in sequins and stilettos. But ...

Bad Bunny : Puerto Rico’s Global Superstar and His Next Move If you’ve opened your social feeds recently, chances are you’ve scrolled past at least one clip, headline, or think piece about Bad Bunny . The Puerto Rican artist—born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio —has turned reggaetón , trap , and experimental Latin music into a worldwide obsession. But along with the accolades comes the constant curiosity : what’s really happening with Bad Bunny, Puerto Rico, and his long-term career strategy? Puerto Rican Popularity Bad Bunny is more than just an entertainer. In Puerto Rico, he’s become a cultural symbol , someone who speaks openly about politics, inequality, and the challenges faced by everyday citizens. Back in 2019, he helped lead protests that pushed Governor Ricardo Rosselló to resign after leaked chat messages revealed corruption and offensive remarks. For many Puerto Ricans, Bad Bunny’s willingness to step out of the studio and into the streets confirmed...