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After much deliberation and speculation from fans, Travis Scott announced on Monday that "Highest In The Room," his new single, would finally drop this Friday.

Travis Scott - HIGHEST IN THE ROOMwww.youtube.com

Two days prior to the single's release, Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott "broke up," with Jenner being spotted hours later alongside Tyga, her pedophiliac ex-boyfriend who reportedly started dating the reality star when she was a minor. She was then spotted again, dancing with Jaden Smith at Justin Bieber's wedding. The timing of Travis Scott's release feels too close to the break up to be coincidental, and Scott fans everywhere began to salivate as they waited for Scott to address the break up on the track.

Fans got what they wanted—kind of. But publicity stunt aside, the song itself is boring. Scott meanders his way through each verse, talking about his recent break up, his fast cars, and of course, how high he is, in the same auto tuned pitter-patter flow that consumed all of Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho. It has the ghostly auto tuned "Yeah's!" and "Whoa's" that we've come to expect from the artist, but Scott himself just doesn't sound like he's having that much fun. The track's outro is additionally captivating, but frankly fades away before it has time to really sink in. The video, in contrast, is an absolute trip, with Scott's dark creativity in full swing. Check the new single out above.

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Photo by Trish Badger/imageSPACE/Shutterstock

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Lil Nas X’s “Panini” Doesn’t Live Up to the Hype

The song may be catchy, but the production is elusive and repetitive—overbearingly so.

Lil Nas X finally took off his cowboy hat.

After months of teasing the drop of his next single, "Panini," he finally did it—the day before his EP 7's release. Accompanied by a futuristic music video, "Panini" is a heel turn from the chart-topping "Old Town Road."

The lean one minute and fifty-five-second song bops just enough to earn a place on playlists for summertime drives. With a chorus that interpolates Nirvana's "In Bloom," "Panini" seems rushed in order for Lil Nas X to have something to say and a way to say it; in the chorus he directly says, "Say to me / What you really want from me."

Unfortunately, that's a hard plea to answer. After the success of "Old Town Road," many had no idea where he'd go, and judging by "Panini," it seems like he doesn't know either. While the genre-bending artist exploded this past spring and showed prowess in his debut single, on "Panini" he's measured—maybe even cautious. The song may be catchy, but the production is elusive and repetitive, overbearingly so.

This time around, there's no question what Billboard chart "Panini" will be categorized under: rap. Travis Scott's influence on Lil Nas X is front and center with the song's smooth, futuristic production. However, on "Panini," Lil Nas X fails to be as imaginative as he was in its predecessor. He's unfortunately struggling to keep up with expectations to create something new. That's not to say Lil Nas X is a one-hit wonder, but on "Panini" he's only skimming the surface of his potential.

DJ Khaled

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Music bundling and bloated albums are among the latest attempts by artists to skew album charting, streaming numbers, and sales in their favor.

DJ Khaled is not the first nor the last to join the endless debate about the validity of these kinds of marketing strategies.

After his latest album, Father of Asahd, charted at number 2 (behind Tyler the Creator's IGOR) Khaled threatened to sue, claiming his album sold more than Billboard stated. The controversy stems from Khaled's bundle deal with Hype Power: With a purchase of the DJ Khaled Official Energy Drink Vibes Berry Colada, customers also receive a download link of his album.

According to Khaled, Billboard agreed to recognize the bundle deal as a part of the album sales but then backtracked, arguing there were "anomalies" in the financial records. Khaled accused Billboard of hypocrisy since they recognized Tyler the Creator's merch bundles as a part of record sales.

The threatened lawsuit reopens the conversation about record sales and how institutions like Billboard quantify and justify an album's "number one spot" on the charts. The debate continues to put artists at odds and in competition with each other. Similar to Khaled, Nicki Minaj claimed that Travis Scott's Astroworld did not deserve to beat her album, Queen, on the charts after his tour bundles boosted his album sales.

Although many sided with Scott, Minaj's highly anticipated album and unsuccessful comeback have Billboard reassessing their rules regarding bundle deals with merchandise. While the music industry has been able to keep up with the shift from sales to streaming, the questionable tactics used to influence record numbers are a key issue that could be blown wide open if brought to court. Only time will tell, but either way, we can all agree Khalid's chaotic 15-track album with 29 features doesn't deserve any more attention than it's already received.

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