Chance the Rapper returns with his first album in six years with Star Line, which dropped on Friday (Aug. 15).

He dropped one single, “Tree” featuring Lil Wayne and Smino, ahead of the project’s arrival. BJ the Chicago Kid, Vic Mensa, Joey Bada$$ and more are also featured on Star Line.

According to a press release, Star Line follows “Chance’s global journey, artistically, spiritually and physically, over the past six years. Created with longtime producer DexLvL and shaped by travels to Ghana, Jamaica and art fairs around the world, Star Line blends hip-hop, soul and experimental sounds with lyrical meditations on identity, resilience and legacy. While Chance has circled the globe in search of new perspectives, the project remains grounded in the worldview that has always defined his art: a deep, unshakable connection to Chicago and to Black culture across the diaspora.”

Star Line arrives six years after his debut album, The Big Day. The 22-track project included many high-profile collaborators, including John Legend, Death Cab for Cutie, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, Shawn Mendes and SWV. The Big Day reached No. 2 on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

In September, the rapper will embark on the And We Back Tour. The 15-date trek kicks off on Sept. 26 at Bayou Music Center in Houston, Texas, and stops in major cities including Atlanta, New York and his Chicago hometown before it wraps on Oct. 20 at Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

Listen to Star Line below.

It isn’t summer if Kaytranada doesn’t give fans something to dance to. He dropped his fourth studio album, Ain’t No Damn Way!, on Friday (Aug. 15) via RCA Records.

“Oh lord, not a new album called AIN’T NO DAMN WAY! – coming out this Friday???” he wrote on Instagram on Monday (Aug. 11) while sharing an image of a squiggly, winking-faced character embracing him. The Haitian Canadian DJ/producer dropped one single, “Space Invader,” the day after the announcement. “Letting y’all know that this album is strictly for workouts, dancing and studying and for my people that love beats,” he added on his since-expired Instagram Story.

Ain’t No Damn Way! arrives one year after his last album, Timeless, which reached No. 28 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on Top Dance Albums. Since then, he’s remixed Mariah Carey’s “Don’t Forget About Us” from The Emancipation of Mimi (20th Anniversary Edition) and JT’s “Ran Out” while producing Justine Skye’s “Oh Lala” and FLO’s “The Mood.”

This won’t be the only new release from Kay this month. He’s featured on “Open Invite” from Teyana Taylor’s upcoming fourth studio album. Escape Room, due next Friday, Aug. 22.

Kaytranada is headed on a co-headlining North American tour with Justice this fall. The 15-show trek kicks off on Oct. 16 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C., and goes through major U.S. arenas before wrapping on Nov. 16 at Miami’s Kaseya Center. He recently replaced Playboi Carti as the opener for The Weeknd’s Canada shows on the Ethiopian Canadian superstar’s ongoing After Hours til Dawn Tour after Kaytranada previously supported the 2022-2023 legs.

Listen to Ain’t No Damn Way! below.

Music films don’t get much respect — most of the older ones are basically brand extensions, and many of the new ones are extended ads. These days, most biopics and “rockumentaries” are made at least partly to introduce older artists to a new generation and boost their stream counts in the process. Considering these constraints, as well as those imposed by songwriters and artists in exchange for the use of their work, it’s amazing that the best music films — think D.A. Pennebaker’s 1967 Bob Dylan documentary, Don’t Look Back, and Martin Scorsese’s 1978 swan song for The Band, The Last Waltz, as well as the best concert films — are as good as they are. 

We now live in a golden age of music documentaries — as well as a glut. It’s never been more practical to make a cool documentary like What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears? But we may also have reached Peak Documentary. Not every artist has a great story, and not every filmmaker can tell that story well. This became obvious to me when I watched HBO’s new two-part Billy Joel: And So It Goes, as well as the newish Becoming Led Zeppelin and Pavements, which are streaming on Netflix and MUBI, respectively. 

Personally, I really love Pavement, I love Led Zeppelin and I like Billy Joel. (Pavement is the most consistent of the three; Zeppelin soared the highest; and I think Joel’s Turnstiles and The Stranger are masterpieces, but his later albums suffer by comparison.) So I was surprised to find that I liked So It Goes the most by far — especially since Joel was never as mysterious as Zeppelin or as effortlessly cool as Pavement. After seeing all three movies, I spent a few days listening to Joel’s albums, but I wasn’t tempted to put on Pavement, even though I listen to the band’s music far more often.  

I wasn’t alone in this. In the three weeks since the first part of the documentary premiered on HBO, Joel’s on-demand streaming in the U.S. is up more than 24% compared to the three weeks before its debut, according to Luminate. That’s up from about 16% in the week the first part of the movie came out, indicating that interest in Joel’s music only accelerated in the weeks following its premiere. In the three weeks after the release of Becoming Led Zeppelin, the band’s on-demand streaming in the U.S. rose 17% compared to three weeks in January, and the boost is even higher compared to late 2024. (Anticipation for the movie seemed to boost streams before its release, which didn’t happen for Joel.) Even Pavement, whose music and film are less popular, saw a 14% increase in the three weeks after the release of Pavements compared to the first three weeks in April.

This tracks how much I liked the movies. I found So It Goes incredibly compelling. It’s not especially innovative — it switches between shots of Joel sitting at his piano, telling his story and archival photos and videos — but he’s an engaging storyteller. He looks back at his past with honesty and a certain self-deprecating humor: “I did a lot of my own research for ‘Big Shot,’” he says, after calling it “a hangover song.”  

Parts of Joel’s story are much less funny. He struggled to find a style that worked for him, and he seems to carry some wounds from childhood: His father, the son of Jewish refugees from Germany, left his family and returned to Europe. Joel eventually found him, but they struggled to reconnect emotionally, and he vows to be a better dad. The movie implicitly makes a case for Joel as the heir to a certain songwriting tradition — a pop auteur who brings rock instrumentation and attitude to classic pop songwriting. It made me curious enough to listen again to some of his older albums. If I didn’t know his music, I think it would have the same effect.  

On the surface, at least, Led Zeppelin seems like a much more promising subject for a documentary. The band has few equals as a live act, and the performance footage in Becoming Led Zeppelin, which tells the story of the group through the release of its second album, is just stunning. The film smartly puts Zeppelin in context — watch enough music documentaries and you start to think people in the United Kingdom actually lived in black and white before Beatlemania — and it’s remarkable just how much the group turned up the volume on pop. The commentary from the bandmembers is far quieter, though — both literally and figuratively — because they are only seen on camera separately.  

Becoming Led Zeppelin also doesn’t deliver on the band’s legendary excess. Some of that took place later, and neither the band’s exploits with groupies nor its tendency to borrow liberally from blues artists plays well today. The group’s story is interesting, but there isn’t that much there that I didn’t know. The concert footage is so vital that it makes the rest seem slow by comparison, and the band members don’t look back with the humor that Joel does. To quote another Zeppelin film, “Does anyone remember laughter?”  

And then I got to Pavements, the movie I liked least, about the act I love most. It’s meant to be a rock-doc about rock-docs, in a way that some of Pavement’s songs were about songs — most famously “Cut Your Hair.” It’s about time someone did this. But Pavements underwhelms because it overdelivers. It’s a documentary about the band interwoven with a “documentary” about the show Slanted! Enchanted! A Pavement Musical, which played for two nights in 2022; a “documentary” about a museum exhibit about the band, which also existed; and a “documentary” about a nonexistent biopic. It’s a lot.  

Pavement deserves a documentary that punctures pop music pretensions, but this one has too much going on at once. Worse, for a band that oozed slacker charm, Pavements is just too conceptual — more polished jewel box than dusty trunk. One of the funnier lines comes from Butt-Head of Beavis & Butt-Head fame: “They need to try harder!” Maybe. But the movie tries way too hard — and when it works, the humor is so specific that it’s hard to imagine anyone who’s not familiar with the band will understand why they were so important to so many people. 

I’d love to end this with a grand theory on how to make music documentaries work, but I don’t have one. The closest I can get is that many listeners still want to know more about the person behind the music. So It Goes works because it delivers that. Becoming Led Zeppelin doesn’t, but it has enough fantastic live footage to interest anyone. Pavements doesn’t even try, because that was never the point of Pavement in the first place, and maybe that’s fine. Some things are just easier to sell than others.  

Though she is “happily married” today, Camila Fernández has also experienced disappointment.

“I had my time of heartbreak,” the 27-year-old Mexican singer confesses. “Plus, I grew up with divorced parents, and my mom only listened to heartbreak songs.” So it’s no surprise that her new album La Fernández, released on Thursday night (Aug. 14), is full of them.

In the follow-up to her 2023 album Camila Fernández, the heiress to one of Mexico’s greatest musical dynasties presents 10 ranchera songs with modern lyrics, from previously released singles “Se Cancela La Llorada,” “Pudimos Ser” and “No Puedo Dormir Sin Ti” to the focus track “La Loca Era Yo” and “De Llorar Se Me Secaron Los Ojos.”

Produced by Orlando Aispuro — whom she recruited after noticing the twist he gave to Carín León’s music with “La Primera Cita” — La Fernández showcases a more mature side of the artist, with stronger themes blended with her personal style.

“We did a songwriting camp where I was fully involved, and although I’m in a stable relationship [with husband Francisco Barba,] it was truly enriching to talk about heartbreak because these songs are performed with more intensity, and you connect with the audience a lot,” Camila tells Billboard Español.

The daughter of Alejandro Fernández and granddaughter of Vicente Fernández is currently accompanying her father as the opening act on his De Rey a Rey tour, but she’s been pursuing her music career independently of her family ties for a while.

“When I started in this profession, I asked my dad for advice, and he was very clear. He told me there were two paths: He could put everything on a silver platter for me, or I could fight for it on my own and enjoy it much more. That’s what I’m doing because I want him to feel proud of me,” Camila says. “He even thought my pregnancy would hold me back, and now he realizes it didn’t. Today, I have an excellent relationship with him, and I’ve earned his respect.”

Determined, the mother of one adds: “I’m going to defend Mexican music fiercely because I want my daughter and future generations to keep singing my grandfather’s, my father’s, and my own songs. I want them to know about charrería and what it means to wear a charro suit with pride.”

Below, Camila Fernández breaks down five essential songs from her new album, La Fernández. Listen to the full set here.

“No Puedo Dormir Sin Ti”

The intro with violins is very special, almost dramatic, setting the stage for the soft mariachi sound with guitars and trumpets. It’s one of my favorites. It was written for my daughter. Songwriters El David Aguilar and Arath Herce perfectly captured my feelings when I have to work, leave her behind, be away on a tour, and miss her. The video recreates what I feel when I step off the stage after a concert — I always call my daughter and tell her that I’m running to her arms. When I have time, we go to new places to create memories together. The melody is a romantic ranchera with very specific accordion touches that make it sound even better.

“La Loca Era Yo”

This is a mariachi-pop song about realizing you were wrong and that you were with a narcissistic person who blamed you for everything. You then realize it wasn’t true — you weren’t the crazy one. Written by Marcela de la Garza, the song wasn’t originally intended for me, but when it was sent to me, I loved it and made it my own. It has beautiful arrangements, with strings that accentuate the mariachi sound I love so much. This is the focus track, written by Marcela de la Garza, Osiris del Carmen Preciado, and Raúl Jiménez.

“Lo Sabía”

This is the story many women have experienced: Going back to an ex, knowing deep down that the relationship won’t work. Musically, the song’s structure is very defined. There’s a beautiful a cappella section — that silence allows my voice to shine perfectly. In the final verse and chorus, the emotion runs deep due to the theme. Arath Herce knew exactly how to write the precise words for a story like this.

“Se Cancela La Llorada”

A ranchera to pair with tequila, where the mariachi resonates in all its glory, accompanied by accordion and subtle tumbado touches. It’s one of those heartfelt songs that blends traditional and modern elements, especially in its lyrics. Written by three women — Erika Vidrio, known for her direct and powerful lyrics, along with Marcela de la Garza and Flor Naomi Castelán — they achieved the goal of inviting women to feel the pain of a breakup or disappointment, go out partying, but not cry over a bad love.

“Pudimos Ser”

Sometimes cowardice prevents us from trying a relationship that could have been wonderful but never happened. This song has a line that says it all: “We stayed in the ‘could have been.’” It’s the story of a love left unfinished. I was part of the songwriting team along with Mauro Muñoz, Rocío Gómez, and Lourdes Eunice Herrera. We managed to capture the story clearly, and many people will surely relate to it. Musically, the mariachi sounds very rustic — pure and traditional. It has a catchy chorus, and the ending is filled with emotion.

Shaking up the Billboard Latin charts, two artists storm into the top 10 on multiple charts with their new albums on the Aug. 16-dated charts. Genre-bending pop singer-songwriter Danny Ocean and breakout Mexican artist Chino Pacas claim their third and second top 10s on the Top Latin Pop Albums and Top Regional Mexican Albums charts, respectively. Meanwhile, early Latin trap wave-rider Bryant Myers, scores a No. 15 entrance on Latin Rhythm Albums.

Danny Ocean’s Third Chapter: Venezuelan Ocean earns his third straight top 10 on the Top Latin Pop Albums chart, as his fifth studio album, Babylon Club, debuts at No. 2. During the Aug. 1-7 tracking week, the 14-track set generated 4,000 equivalent units in the United States, according to Luminate. The set joins debut album 54+1, which holds strong at No. 15 –in its 144th week– with 2,000 units.

Streaming is the dominant factor for Babylon Club’s first-week sum, which translates to 5.4 million official on-demand streams for the songs on the album.

Babylon Club builds on the momentum of three charting songs: “Imagínate,” with Kapo, earned Ocean his first No. 1 hit on the overall Latin Airplay chart (April) among five entries. “Vitamina” reached a No. 20 high on the Hot Latin Pop Songs, and “Priti,” with Sech, peaks at No. 20 on Latin Rhythm Airplay this week. As a recruit, “Corazón” bows on Hot Latin Pop Songs at No. 25.

The 14-track set also arrives at No. 34 on the Top Latin Albums chart

Back-To Back Top 10s for Chino Pacas: Nine months after rising star Pacas entered a Billboard albums ecosystem with the No. 6-peaking Que Sigan Llegando Las Pacas, the 18-year-old returns with his second top 10 on the Regional Mexican Albums chart, as his sophomore project, Cristian, launches at No. 10.

The set, released Aug. 1 on Street Mob, starts with 6,000 equivalent album units. Of Cristian’s starting sum, streaming activity contributes 5,000 units, equating 6.6 million official on-demand audio and video streams of its songs. Plus, album sales deliver the bulk of the remaining units. Cristian also bows at No. 19 on Top Latin Albums.

Along with Cristian, “Flota,” with Netón Vega, opens at No. 21 on Hot Regional Mexican Songs.

Myers’ Comeback: Puerto Rican rapper and singer Myers climbs back onto the Billboard albums charts with his fourth studio project, Millo Gangster Club which debuts at No. 13 on the Latin Rhythm Albums list. The set earns Myers his first chart entry in nearly five years, and the fourth of his career.

Myers’ first Rimas-released set arrives with 4,000 equivalent album units mainly from streaming activity, equating to 6.3 million official on-demand audio and video streams of its songs.

Millo Gangster Club also launches at No. 30 on Top Latin Albums.