Entertainment

Exclusive Interview: Rising Artist Kadia Zhané

Tell us a little more about when you first got into music?

I have always been surrounded by music from a young age. Besides singing around the house when I was younger, I was also in a concert choir. From there, my mother had moved me to Atlanta and had put me in this singing, acting, and dancing agency named A.G.I. They would train us starting off by having us do jumping jacks and then running around this huge room 6 times. From there we would have to belt out a song to build up our stamina. I’ve been training since young.

If you could describe your sound/style in one word, what would it be and why?

That’s really a tough one. I feel like my music can be described with multiple words. If I had to choose one word though, I would have to say universal. My music has been played around the world. It’s very diverse and I can sing and rap in different genres as well in my native tongues of English and Spanish.

What would you say to any aspiring recording artists who look up to your work?

Keep going. No matter how hard it gets, KEEP GOING. It might feel like hell but why would you want to stop there?! I would also say to stay focused on you and your goals. People will try to come and alter your plans and try to convince you that their way is right but ultimately you decide what’s best for you!

What quote or mantra do you live by?

“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says “I’m possible!”” – Audrey Hepburn

What is your hobby outside of music?

I love Cooking, Spending time with my family and traveling. I plan to resume traveling out of the country now that Covid has been lifted.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years, I plan to have my own businesses that I am currently working on. I also plan to get into acting as well as create my own charity organization.

Do you have anything new or upcoming we can expect to see from you?

I have new music coming as well as my ep. I also have merch on the way. I am currently working on recording music videos for the singles currently available on all streaming platforms.

What is the inspiration behind your latest song?

All my music stems from previous experiences in my life. The Weekend was actually written outside of the studio. I remember I was home and I had decided to write about my previous situation with a guy. I remember writing, “he wanna have for the weekend”. And the rest was history!

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

Honestly, the biggest thing I wished someone had told me earlier would be to be patient. It doesn’t happen overnight. It doesn’t look like it but the artists out now have been doing it for years on end.

I would always think to myself that maybe this music life wasn’t for me. Why isn’t this going as planned? But I realized the things I want most I have to work hard for.

Another would be that you have to stay consistent. You have to put out work often and frequently. My thing with this is I am a perfectionist and always want to make sure it’s the best quality of things before I share it with the world! The third would have to be quality over quantity.

This I would say goes with the other reason but it’s true. You can’t just put out anything. You have to have good sound, mixed and mastered and the levels on point. Investment is key! No one will take you seriously if you don’t take your craft seriously and invest. The fourth would be to make sure you have a good team behind you.

I had to deal with people who I thought were really just using my name to get into rooms off of the hard work I have done in the past. They weren’t adding value to my life. They were more of a liability versus being an asset. The fifth and final advice would be make sure you enjoy what you do. Don’t let anyone take the joy out of your talent!

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I would mainly say pick up other hobbies besides your talent so that way you can feel more alive. I would also advise taking little vacations in between just so you can enjoy and be grateful for the life you are living!

How can our readers follow you online?

You can follow me on All social media platforms @Kadiazhane My music is available on all streaming platforms as well. Kadia Zhané

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YouTube and Billboard will renew their streaming pact in January 2027.

YouTube streams will once again be counted toward the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200, after the platform removed itself from the charts at the start of 2026. The renewed partnership was announced by YouTube’s Lyor Cohen in a blog post and will commence on January 16, 2027.

The rollout ends a period when YouTube activity was not part of the Billboard chart calculations covered by the previous arrangement. The split was evident for artists whose music typically did well on the video platform, who were in a different chart landscape without those streams feeding into their Billboard numbers.

YouTube’s departure was tied to problems related to how streaming consumption was being measured. Under the system described in the supplied information, Billboard’s album consumption units counted 2,500 ad-supported streams as equivalent to one album unit, as opposed to 1,000 paid-subscription streams. YouTube said the weighting disadvantaged its ad-supported model and created an unfair situation for artists whose audience mostly listened through free, ad-supported streams.

Why does the row matter? Because streaming numbers feed into how music consumption is reflected in the major charts. Artists who had relied heavily on the platform no longer could claim the same chart contribution from those plays once YouTube was removed from Billboard’s calculations.

The new deal means the two companies have found a way to make it work together again. Cohen’s announcement said the revised arrangement would have a different calculation for album consumption units. New terms take effect January 16, 2027, under which 1,500 ad-supported streams will count as one album consumption unit.

That’s a change from the previous ratio of 2,500 ad-supported streams, responding to the concern YouTube raised about the value of its free listening model. The adjustment could be especially pertinent to artists who have audiences that create a lot of activity via ad-supported listening.

The return of YouTube streams to Billboard’s chart formulas will also restore an important link between one of the world’s largest video platforms and two of the music industry’s most closely tracked rankings. The Hot 100 tracks song performance, while the Billboard 200 measures album performance, making the renewed arrangement relevant to both singles and full-length releases.

The announcement offers a change in how artists’ YouTube audiences could be reflected in chart results once the new system is in place. For listeners, it means that activity on the platform will once again contribute to the Billboard rankings under the revised rules.

The announcement does not mean the change is immediate. The new partnership is set to go into effect on January 16, 2027, providing the industry with a definitive date for when YouTube streams will be included again in Billboard’s calculations.

The new agreement is a major change in the relationship between the two companies following a split that started at the beginning of 2026. The revised streaming ratio is central to the announcement, with YouTube and Billboard preparing to bring platform activity back into the chart conversation.

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Entertainment

Wale Hosts Howard University For His Third Annual Gifted Week

Wale continues his commitment to creating opportunities for young people with the third annual Gifted Week Program, a four-day initiative designed to connect emerging talent with established figures in sports, music, media and culture. The program, scheduled for November 17-20, features panels, workshops and clinics designed to provide the next generation with access to people and experiences that can support their ambitions.

His management company, EQT, is helping him put together this year’s installment. Gifted Week has been built around the idea of opening doors for young people in his city, especially those who may not have easy access to the professional networks and guidance that can make the difference in a career path.

One of the featured events will take place on November 18, when Gifted Week partners with Howard University for the Sports, Media, Culture & Film workshop. The session will include six panelists from the music and sports industries, providing attendees an opportunity to hear from professionals in industries that often intersect, but can require very different career paths.

The workshop is designed to get participants to bring their ideas, meet others with similar aspirations, and get direct access to people already working in the industries they want to work in. The event description focuses on sharing a vision, meeting peers, and getting to know the people helping shape the business.

The point of Gifted Week is really that focus on access. The talent and ambition to get into an industry is one thing, but knowing how it works is just as important for aspiring sportspeople and sports professionals. When older and younger people are together in the same space, it creates opportunities for conversations that might be hard to arrange otherwise.

The Howard University partnership also provides the program a platform to explore the intersection of sports, media, culture and film. These areas are intersecting more and more, and the workshop format is to have a panel discussion bringing different professional perspectives into one discussion.

Additional panels, clinics, and workshops are part of the full schedule of Gifted Week, Nov. 17-20. It is a program for multiple cohorts of aspiring professionals, geared toward athletes as well as those interested in the business and creative industries surrounding sport.

For Wale, the initiative is about providing young people with access to opportunities that were not always easy to come by on his own journey. Instead of confining his role to his musical career, he’s using the program to bring established professionals into the conversation with the next generation.

As the third annual edition approaches, Gifted Week continues its mission of providing mentorship, networking and professional access. One of the marquee events on the calendar is the November 18 workshop with Howard University, which will have six industry panelists and will allow young participants to begin making connections that may help shape their futures.