It’s been a characteristically hectic week for the hip-hop world.

Last Thursday (April 2), Pooh Shiesty previewed the weekend with a shocking legal altercation barely six months after his release from federal prison. The Memphis rapper was one of eight men arrested on kidnapping and robbery charges tied to a physical altercation regarding his recording contract with Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records.

Ye quickly stole the weekend’s headlines from Pooh, thanks to his new Bully album, which opened at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 behind BTS’s Arirang, and its accompanying pair of SoFi Stadium shows in Los Angeles. At the final show (April 3), the controversial rapper brought out Ms. Lauryn Hill, Travis Scott, Zion Marley, YG Marley, CeeLo Green and André Troutman as special guests.

Despite packing one of the world’s flashiest stadiums and breaking the six-figure mark with Bully’s opening week total, Ye’s past antisemitic, antiblack and sexually violent controversies continue to muddy his comeback efforts. On Monday morning (April 6), flagship alcohol brand parent company Diageo and energy drinks company Rockstar Energy joined the growing list of sponsors severing ties with London’s Wireless Festival, which booked Ye as a headliner for all three nights (July 10-12). PepsiCo was the first sponsor to withdraw from Wireless, with PayPal also distancing itself from the Finsbury Park-set festival. As the summer approaches, all eyes will be on Wireless and Ye to see if the two parties can actually pull off this festival takeover.

Outside of the high-stakes headlines, we also got new albums from Arlo Parks (Ambiguous Desire), Swae Lee (Same Difference) and Earl Sweatshirt, Mike & Surf Gang (Pompeii // Utility).

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from a disco-infused Sekou to a new Lazer Dim 700 banger. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.

Good 4 u, Olivia Rodrigo fans: After a three-year wait, the pop star announced that she is finally releasing her third studio album in 2026.

Rodrigo announced on the second day of April that her next LP will be titled You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, formally kicking off her next album era. Sharing the project’s dreamy artwork, Rodrigo wrote, “I am so proud of this record and I can’t wait for you to hear it.”

Leading up to the big news, anticipation for fresh material from Rodrigo had been at an all-time high. There had been whispers that she was gearing up to drop something when a pink mural wall in Los Angeles — which fans linked back to the Grammy winner — popped up, displaying the phrase that would end up being the album’s title in curly-cue writing. But even before that, fans had been jonesing for new tunes, as Rodrigo hasn’t released a full-length since 2023. Her last album, sophomore effort Guts, opened atop the Billboard 200 and spawned Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Vampire.” Two years prior, her chart-topping debut LP, Sour propelled Rodrigo to global superstardom, boosted by No. 1 hits “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U.”

Now, she’s got a batch of new future hits coming our way — and as the days count down to OR3, Billboard is keeping an updating list of everything we know so far. From the release date to its cover art, track count, lyrical themes and more, check out all there is to know about about You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love below.