Artist Spotlight

Talented Rapper Rosebud Is Making Waves In The Music Industry

Breaking into the world of Pop, New York City-raised rapper, Rosebud is driven to craft his own stunning position in the musical world, charged by his talents and musical skills. Offering rhythmic musical compositions, rooted within meaningful lyricism, the eclectic artist offers his unique takes on the hip-pop genre, stunning listeners with smooth vocals that showcase his distinct prowess. Currently, Rosebud has released 7 singles and 5 music videos to give the world a taste of Rosebud, but at this point now, he is about to level his whole game up and get ready for the big leagues (billboard top 100). Looking to take over the summer with his not yet released song “TOW IT”, a crazy club banger!

Slated to steal the hearts and minds with the release of his rich and dynamic single, “Savior”, talented rapper Rosebud is driven to soar, capturing his listeners with his stirring musical brilliance.

Check out his latest single “Savior” on Spotify:

Hello there, welcome to Honk Magazine. Can you tell our readers about what really inspired you to write music?

What really inspired me to write music was seeing how music helped me get through so many moments in life. Just forget and rock out to them 808s banging, that’s what really got me into creating beats and writing music. So now when someone else is down in my life, music is there too, “PLAY” forget about your problems and rage!

When did you realize you were going to make music professionally?

I realized I wanted to make music professionally at around the age of 14. When you grow up check to check, you get an understanding at a pretty young age, if you want to do something you love for the rest of your life you gotta hustle and get to a professional level. Music is what I LOVE so that’s what I did.

Tell us what is so unique about you and your music?

What’s unique about me and my music is that I grew up with my mom playing classic rock, my dad playing Motown, my uncle playing 90’s rap, and I grew up on 2000’s hits. So I got a wide range of music genres in my head and mashed it all together to get ROSEBUD. I got club banger beats, with Hip-hop/Pop vocals, with a dash of rock-rager vibes.

Can you tell us about your latest releases and what inspired you to create them?

My latest release was my song called “SAVIOR”, what inspired me to create it was what I’ve been preaching, forget your problems, don’t take life so seriously, and TURN UP. The song talks about how I was in a dark space and my girlfriend made me love life again and then she went into a dark space so it was my turn to be the “SAVIOR”. Now, whenever either of us is feeling down we turn that song up to max and forgive and forget.

Can you give us a brief insight into your upcoming projects?

My next upcoming project is a summertime banger. The song is called “TOW IT”, hard 808’s, high tempo, club banger. It’s about flexing with my friends, talking my shit, and having fun with my girl, High ENERGY.

What do you wish you were told when you first started making music that you think would help artists just starting out?

I wish I was told when I first started making music that I think would help artists just starting out, would be that no one is going to do it for them. The way technology and music are now, you gotta hustle, hustle, hustle and the opportunity is going to come. Can’t think someone just gonna bring you up out of nowhere, unless you have a famous relative or money lol but if you grew up like me, you gotta do it all yourself and people are gonna come into the picture and respect your grind.

What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) that you are passionate about?

Before I took music as a career I played Basketball 24/7. I’m 6’4, hit 6 feet at 14, grew up playing pickup games in Harlem, NYC, and actually got scouted to play in some young leagues. Other than that I love to go sliding in my widebody charger scat pack!

Any last piece of advice for those artists who just started making music?

keep putting music out, that’s the only way to start a fanbase for your music, and don’t be afraid to fail, because everybody fails a few times on their way to success.

How can our readers follow you online?

you can go follow me on Instagram – @212rosebud

And also on all music platforms at “ROSEBUD”.

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Artist Spotlight

Who’s Making the Most Money on Spotify in 2025?

In 2025, Spotify conquers the music streaming world, with 500+ million monthly paying subscribers globally. Considering the platform paid out $10 billion in royalties, a record high, during 2024, it’s evident that streaming is now a revenue stream for artists. Yet only a few musicians are making good money from it.

At the top of the list is Drake, whose 21.5 billion streams yield around $52.5 million. Next up is J Balvin, with $37.9 million this year, a clean-up job from his massive streaming numbers. Other artists who earned significant amounts included Post Malone, Ariana Grande, and Bad Bunny, each featured among the platform’s top earners.

In electronic music, the Chainsmokers had 7.2 billion streams and made $17.7 million, and Calvin Harris made $14 million. The first-place finisher among the grossers is Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” which earned $6.6 million from 2.7 billion streams.

Although these numbers are impressive, most artists on Spotify receive a much lower payday. In its 2024 Loud & Clear report, Spotify found that only 4.4% of artists make at least $131,000 annually. On average, an artist in the bottom 98.6% of earners makes just $12 monthly. This difference underscores the difficulties many musicians face in the streaming age.

Dead artists are still having a real impact on Spotify. Pop Smoke, Shoot for the Stars, and Aim for the Moon have 8.51 billion streams, £29.29m, 6.79 billion streams, and £23.37 million in earnings with Juice WRLD’s “Legends Never Die.” Lil Peep and The Notorious B.I.G. are also proving influential, with their music still raking in significant amounts of money.

Spotify’s global platform has allowed artists to perform in front of audiences beyond their home countries. In 2024, most artists who earned at least $1,000 in royalties made most of their revenue through international listeners, at over 50%. Since 2017, the number of female artists grossing over $1 million per year has quadrupled, signaling greater diversity and representation in the music industry.

The few artists who do make millions from Spotify streams get 1 %, while the 1% of artists get funds. Only a handful of artists are financially rewarded through it, even as the platform’s continued global reach and growing diversity create opportunities for emergent practitioners.

Let me know what you thought of this post in the comments if you found this article interesting!

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Artist Spotlight

Kayla Marque lights a fire with “Slow Burn”

Kayla Marque has returned with a new single, “Slow Burn,” a simmering, soul-passionate affair that holds you well past when the last notes die out. True to her endlessly evolving artistry, Marque serves up something future-facing and thoughtful, stitching together a grunge-adjacent bassline with ethereal melodies and haunting vocal dynamics.

Right from the outset, “Slow Burn” sucks you into its smoky milieu. The measured bassline sounds plucked from the ‘90s alt-rock golden age and dunked in modern, velvety skin. But Marque’s voice brings center stage, fluent, forceful, and emotionally detailed. She doesn’t only sing; she tells stories, whispers, and wails, and her approach lends the music an astonishing contrast between restraint and release.

As the song progresses, there’s something undeniably mesmerizing about how the instrumentation interacts with the vocals. The melodies shimmer like heat off the pavement, entrapping listeners in a hypnotic haze that feels at once intimate and cinematic. Marque displays not only her vocal range but also her emotional depth. Every note feels deliberate, and every word feels lived-in.

What’s so exciting about “Slow Burn” is how it feels like another chapter in a broader story. Kayla Marque has consistently refused to settle into a single groove, and this track demonstrates that she’s continuing to push limits and defy expectations. There’s a rawness here, an audacity that doesn’t plead for attention but commands it regardless. It’s a song that reveals more textures and emotions after every listen. “Slow Burn” is a vibe, a feeling, a statement. It’s another step in Kayla Marque’s evolution as an artist, and if this is what’s to come, we’re in for something special.

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