This year has already been a jam-packed for Cardi B, and now she’s set to release her first single since 2025’s Am I the Drama?

After previewing the single “Ah Ha” on Monday (July 27), the overwhelmingly positive reception from the Bardi Gang pushed Cardi and Atlantic Records to slap a release date on the single, which is slated to hit streaming services on Friday (July 31). “Meet me at the club,” Cardi captioned the IG post announcing the release date.

On “Ah Ha,” Cardi delivers a catchy chorus, which finds her repeating the song’s title, and then goes on to snipe at her opps and the men after her.

“A n—a can’t trap me, I won’t keep it/ B—es really hate me, so be it/ Bathroom floors and these hoes both heated/ It goes threee, two, to the one in this b—h/ I’ll give a hoe exactly what she want in this b—h,” she raps.

The 33-year-old rapper even disses Donald Trump on the track, which she’s had no problem doing when speaking out against the president publicly in the past.

“Black trucks at the club look like Trump in this b—h, f–k him/ A hoe never played with me once in this b—h,” she continues.

The hard-hitting single’s cover art shows Cardi posing in the same Dominican Republic-themed flag bikini she wore on the beach in the initial track teaser video.

Cardi hopped on IG Live on Tuesday (July 28) to clear up any confusion surrounding the “a n—a can’t trap me bar,” which fans believed was a shot at ex-boyfriend Stefon Diggs.

“I know exactly how I felt when I said that s–t. I could have a baby with a n—a, but that’s the issue,” she said. “You could have a baby with a n—a, and sometimes n—as think that because you have a baby with them or you gonna keep a baby or you have a baby that you won’t move the f–k on or you’ll stay there taking s–t. Nah, b—h, I’ll take my baby and get the f–k on. That’s for sure. Like nah, b—h, a baby ain’t trapping me b—h.”

Cardi kicked off the Little Miss Drama Tour in February, which served as her first headlining North American trek. She’s continued to remain outside since Am I the Drama?‘s arrival in September 2025, which topped the Billboard 200.

Check out a teaser of “Ah Ha” and the single’s cover art below.

UPDATE (July 29): Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. released a statement on Wednesday (July 29) in response to BTS’ decision not to enter their music for the 2027 Grammy Awards.

“I am saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year, but as a music creator, I understand and respect their decision.

“I do want to clarify something that seems to be getting lost in the conversation. The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia. The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists. More categories mean more artists’ work is recognized. It’s never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters.

“I also want to be very clear: submitting music in a genre category such as Asian Pop, or Jazz or Country does not exclude an artist from also submitting and being considered in the General Field categories, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Those categories remain open to any eligible recording, regardless of genre. Recognition in a genre category and recognition in the General Field are not mutually exclusive. An artist can absolutely pursue both.

“The Grammy organization is here to serve music and all the people who make it. As we continue to expand the reach, our membership and our awards, regardless of geography or language, I want to emphasize that we will continue to listen to the global music community and work to honor and celebrate all the artists whose music moves the world. – Harvey Mason jr, Grammys CEO”

PREVIOUSLY (July 29): BTS has announced that they will not be submitting music from their comeback album ARIRANG for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards.

All seven members of the K-pop supergroup — RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook —simultaneously posted an identical statement on their individual Instagram accounts on Wednesday (July 29): “We have decided not to submit to the Grammys this year,” a translation of the message reads. “I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. Thank you to ARMY and everyone who is always with us.”

Their message takes an implicit swipe at the guidelines for the Recording Academy’s newly created Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, which was one of five new Grammy categories introduced in June. The group members’ choice to specify both “region” and “language” is relevant, as the category specifies that songs must include “meaningful use” of any Asian language.

Ironically, BTS’s smash English-language hit single “SWIM,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, would have been excluded from this new Asian pop category anyway.

The boycott comes during a banner comeback year for BTS. After completing the group members completed their mandatory military service, they released their fifth studio album, ARIRANG, in March 2026. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 641,000 units, marking the biggest opening week for a group album in more than a decade.

BTS has received five Grammy nominations, including three consecutive nominations in the high-profile best pop duo/group performance category, for “Dynamite” (2021), “Butter” (2022) and “My Universe,” the latter a collab with Coldplay (2023). In 2023, the group received two other nominations: album of the year as a featured artist on Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres and best music video for “Yet to Come.”

BTS’ decision not to enter its music is a blow to the Grammys’ prestige, but the biggest impact could be the Grammy telecast losing a powerhouse draw. The group has performed on the Grammy telecast twice; it contributed a remote performance from a Seoul skyscraper in 2021 and a live, spy-themed rendition of “Butter” in Las Vegas in 2022.

Other artists have declined to submit their music for Grammy consideration, often in reaction to what they saw as snubs, including Drake, The Weeknd and Morgan Wallen.

Some have criticized the new best Asian pop music performance category, which sits in the Pop & Dance/Electronic Field, fearing that it will lock Asian acts into a subcategory and deny them the opportunity to compete in the higher-profile General Field categories or in pop performance categories. The former fear is unfounded. All artists from all genres can compete in the General Field categories, which include album, record and song of the year and best new artist.

But it is true that a specific recording can compete in only one performance category. If a recording is entered for best Asian pop music performance, it cannot be entered for, say, best pop duo/group performance. The same act can, however, be nominated in multiple performance categories with different recordings.

K-pop achieved its first-ever Grammy win earlier this year when “Golden” from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters won best song written for visual media. The song was also nominated for song of the year but did not win.

The Recording Academy’s description of the new award, in full, reads:

“This category recognizes artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances. Eligible recordings include contemporary popular music originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop.

“Asian pop is a distinct and globally recognized form of popular music characterized by its integrated approach to music, performance, and presentation. Eligible recordings typically feature melody-driven composition, mainstream pop songwriting, and commercially oriented production, as recognized within their respective markets, and may incorporate elements of pop-adjacent styles such as pop-rock, pop R&B, and other related forms. Recordings in this category are often characterized by genre-blending arrangements, layered production, and dynamic structural shifts designed to support both audio and performance-based delivery.

“Recordings must feature meaningful use of one or more Asian languages. An Asian language should play a significant role within the song in bilingual or multilingual structures such that the recording is identifiable with that language. Recordings performed entirely in an Asian language are eligible. Incidental or minimal use (e.g., isolated words, adlibs, or brief phrases) does not qualify. Recordings performed entirely in English are not eligible in this category and remain eligible in other appropriate categories.

“The musical style is determinative of eligibility, not the ethnicity or nationality of the performer(s).

“Other popular music forms which originate in Asia or the Asian diaspora but do not meet the genre criteria for this category are eligible in other categories as appropriate.

“Only one version of a recording is eligible in a performance category in any year. A recording which is eligible and entered in another performance category is not also eligible in Best Asian Pop Music Performance for a different version featuring an Asian language performance.

“Nominees are Artist(s).

“Grammy statuettes awarded to Artist(s).”

There is recent precedent for tracks to win both in General Field categories (such as record and song of the year) and genre-specific categories. In 2019, Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” won best rap/sung performance as well as record and song of the year. In 2022, Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open” won in two R&B categories as well as record and song of the year.

Earlier this year, Bad Bunny made history when Debí Tirar Más Fotos became the first all-Spanish-language album to win album of the year. It also won best música urbana album. Of Bunny’s six 2026 nominations, four were in genre-neutral categories and two were in genre-specific categories. Of his three wins, one was in a genre-neutral category and two were in genre-specific categories.

Fay Wildhagen chose the right time, and the right place, to draw curtains on her 2024 project, Let’s Keep It In The Family.

The award-winning Norwegian singer, songwriter and bandleader waved her “final goodbye to that era” with a headline performance earlier this month at the 2026 Bergtatt Festival, one stacked with songs from Family, her third studio album, and rearranged fan favorites.

There’s more new music to come. “I have a bag full of demos that I’m listening to in the car, and in hotel rooms. I feel like my head is so full of music,” she tells Billboard in a chat at the edge of the mighty Sognefjord fjord.

The next album will be independently released through the Orchard, on Wildhagen’s own label, ending a 10-year partnership with Warner Music Norway.

“It just feels cool to try something new, and just go for it,” she enthuses. “And just give it a real try before I’m done.”

Wildhagen is in sparkling form. Raised in Oslo, the capital, she signed with Warner Music Norway as a 21-year-old and released her Spellemannprisen-nominated debut album, Snow, in 2015. Her sophomore album, Borders, arrived in 2018, opening doors for critical praise and concerts across Europe. Fay produced the 2023 album Møtested – en hyllest til Anne Grete Preus, and collected the Spellemannprisen (the Norwegian Grammys) for producer of the year — a moment that touched something deep inside.

“I cried when they gave it to me,” she recounts. “Nobody quite understands how much time goes into the writing, and the producing, just making and recreating sounds, turning and tossing them around, and trying things. For hours and hours and hours.” Getting recognized for the work that few people see, “yes, I cried a lot.”

Family was a seven-year itch. “It took time for me to find the right path for it. And find the home for it,” she recalls. “And also, it needed a lot of courage to write it properly, honest and true.”

On Family, she wrote, produced and arranged all 15 songs and its instruments, with the exception of the first single “Reason,” which was co-written with Øystein Greni, frontman and main songwriter of the Norwegian rock band Bigbang.

With the studio calling this year, Wildhagen took a detour to enjoy the Bergtatt experience. The journey was something else. With her partner, Wildhagen drove from Oslo, 220 miles to the south, completed hair-raising mountain passes, all of it to tick-off that bucket-list item.

The boutique fest in Luster, Western Norway, presented on the banks of the epic fjord and surrounded by striking, snow-capped mountains, just might be most picturesque setting for a live music event, anywhere.

“It’s been a dream to come here for many years,” she tells Billboard. “It has never fit the schedule, so it’s never just been right.” The festival “is one of these things that I’ve always wanted to do. It’s really amazing.”

Rock the Ryman will return to the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Sept. 1. Celebrating the intersection of rock & roll and country music, the second staging of the event will again honor the legacy and impact of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees who have graced the Ryman stage. The event will be hosted by 2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee John Oates.

Featured artists include Wynonna, YOLA, Devon Allman, ROME, Sam Bush and Spencer Sutherland, plus more to be announced. Each artist will perform songs by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees who were influential to their careers. The concert will explore how country music has shaped rock & roll and how the genre has merged with today’s Americana, country and beyond.

The event is sponsored by Gibson, the iconic American instrument brand, and Gibson Gives, its philanthropic division supporting music education and wellness initiatives worldwide.

The inaugural Rock the Ryman concert, on March 1, 2025, was hosted by Charlie Worsham. The event featured performances by The War and Treaty, Gavin DeGraw, Maddie & Tae and more.

Rock the Ryman is the latest event in a long-term collaboration between the two institutions since Ryman’s official designation as a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark in 2022. The collaboration also includes a permanent exhibit on the Ryman daytime tour that features a rotating collection of memorabilia and stories from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees who have performed on its iconic stage.

Tickets to the Rock the Ryman concert go on sale to the general public on Friday, July 31 at 10 a.m. CT at ryman.com. Proceeds from the event will help preserve and celebrate the history of rock & roll and support education initiatives at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Ryman Auditorium. More information about the Rock the Ryman concert, Rock Hall at the Ryman exhibit, daytime tours and shows can be found at the Ryman site.

New additions to the Rock Hall at the Ryman tour exhibit for summer/fall 2026 include:

While Coachella typically kicks off summer music festival season in the U.S., Lollapalooza is far from the end of the season this year.

This weekend’s Lolla in Chicago — going down July 30 through Aug. 2 and headlined by pop stars including Charli xcx, JENNIE, Tate McRae, Lorde and Olivia Dean — will be followed by two brand-new festivals in Southern California: the one-day, Olivia Rodrigo-created Daisy Chain Fields and the two-day, Santa Monica beach concert Ocean Way Festival.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about each of the festivals, breaking down the performers (Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, Stevie Nicks and more on Daisy Chain’s all-women lineup; Dean, The Killers, Jack White and more at Ocean Way) and deciding that we’ll probably need to take a Pop Shop field trip to the beach for the latter. Listen now:

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Gracie Abrams achieves her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with Daughter From Hell and how Ella Langley holds tight at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart for a 15th week with “Choosin’ Texas” — but could a certain country superstar knock her out of the top slot next week with their brand-new song?

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)