GloRilla knows a thing or two about the power of social media. The Memphis native’s rise to rap stardom began in May 2022, when her breakout song with HitKidd "F.N.F. (Let’s Go)" went viral on TikTok. For some artists, a viral hit single is the ultimate goal — but for Glo, it was only the beginning.

Within the next few months, she signed to Yo Gotti's Collective Music Group and hit the studio to finish recording her EP, Anyways, Life’s Great, which includes the single "Tomorrow 2" featuring Cardi B — her rap hero-turned-friend. Last November, their performance at the American Music Awards brought the house down. One month prior, Glo won Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, then took the stage to perform "F.N.F." as rap icon Lil' Kim and other female emcees danced and rapped along from the audience.

GloRilla's hard-hitting flow and contagious energy has attracted additional co-signs from Mary J. Blige and Nicki Minaj, and earned her a nomination for Best Rap Performance at the 2023 GRAMMYs. At the awards, Glo will be up against heavy hitters like Doja Cat, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Jay-Z, Gunna, and Future.

Born Gloria Hallelujah Woods, the 23-year-old rapper's Memphis roots shine in her crunk-infused songs, which touch on everything from break-ups and fake friends, to sex and turning up at the club. Glo also embeds hard-learned lessons throughout her EP, pushing back against critics and fairweather friends on "Out Loud Thinking" while highlighting the importance of prioritizing your own needs and pruning toxic people on the slow jam "No More Love."

For fans, part of Glo's appeal — outside of her music — is her relatability. She just wants to have a little fun, build a long and lucrative career and take care of her loved ones. 

GRAMMY.com caught up with GloRilla to discuss her rise to fame, writing process, dream collabs and the advice she received from Cardi B.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Congratulations on your GRAMMY nomination. How did you hear about the nod?

I was just getting off the plane in L.A. I didn't believe it until I got on Twitter and I saw them saying it. I couldn't believe it for a minute. I thought they was lying.

You took the music world by storm last year. You released the song of the summer, dropped an EP, collaborated with Cardi on "Tomorrow 2," with Ciara, and Summer Walker on the "Better Thangs" remix and won a BET Hip-Hop Award within the span of a few months. Which moment meant the most to you out of everything you experienced last year?

 I just can't single out one thing. A lot of people don't get to experience this, so everything is just super special to me.

 After you dropped "F.N.F," when did you realize your life was going to change?

Once the song went viral on all the different social sites and different celebrities started reaching out to tell me they liked it.

Anyways, Life’s Great is an incredible debut. How long did it take you to write and record the EP?

A few of those songs I had recorded before I blew up: "Nut Quick," "PHATNALL" and "Out Loud Thinking." It didn't take long to record the rest of it. Once I'm in the studio, and I get the vibe, it just is what it is at that point.

At first, I would write my songs at home and pay for two hours of studio time. But now I can write in the studio.

Do you wait for dedicated studio time or are you always writing?

I could be doing anything. I could be watching TV and they can say something and it’ll give me an idea and I’ll jot it down in my notes. Or I can be at the airport and see something, and it’ll give me an idea. Then at the studio, I’ll gather all the notes I wrote together and see what sounds good on what beats. 

The beat for "F.N.F" was originally meant for Megan thee Stallion. When that didn’t work out, Hitkidd offered it to you, and you wrote it pretty quickly. Are you usually a fast writer or was it something about that particular beat that inspired you?

I actually listened to the beat all day, and I couldn't come up with nothing. When I finally pulled up to the studio, I had to get a blunt, so I could think of something. Soon as I got done smoking, I wrote it so fast.

Your "Tomorrow 2" collab with Cardi was an instant hit. It was such a perfect pairing: two talented, genuine, energetic emcees who are unapologetic and own their space. How did that collaboration come about?

My team had hit her up, Gotti and them. I didn't know they had did it. I texted her one day to get on another song I had but she said, "I’m already doing ‘Tomorrow.’" I was shocked, and I was so excited. Then she had sent me the clip of her verse. And when I heard it, I was like, "Oh my God, Cardi. What got into you?"

I felt the same way when I heard it. She went hard. How was it performing at the American Music Awards with her?

Great, I love Cardi so much. Like, I know ain't nobody perfect. But to me, she's just so perfect.

Did she offer you any career advice?

The best advice I got from Cardi was just to stay focused, keep going hard and don’t stop.

You grew up in a big Christian family — you're one of 10 kids. Was music always playing in the house?

Yeah, I used to listen to gospel music all the time. I liked Yolanda Adams, Deitrick Haddon, Kirk Franklin, and Tamala Mann. But we also watched "106 & Park" and "BET Countdown."

Your styling is always on point and makes me want to step my own fashion game up. What inspires your looks?

I liked Aaliyah and Left Eye growing up. I loved how they dressed. I really just be on some new-school version of Aaliyah.

I saw a clip of you singing "Bet On It" from High School Musical and it made me wonder if there are any other artists or songs that people would be surprised to find that you like.

I really like Ariana Grande, and I'm in love with Miley Cyrus.

You’re a big Beyoncé fan, and she’s one of your dream collabs. Who else would you love to work with in the future?

There’s a lot of people I want to do songs with that I’m a fan of. But my top two that I'm extremely obsessed with is Beyoncé and Chief Keef. I want to work with Drake and Lil Wayne, too.

I've noticed that you do not hesitate when you want something. You just figure out a way to make it happen. 

All it takes is faith and manifestation. One, you actually got to put the work in and have discipline and know that it is there. You just gotta work for it. I tell everybody that's gonna get you a long way. Manifesting and having faith and actually working and reaching toward that goal. I don't feel like it's nothing you can't accomplish if you have your mind set to it and you don't ever stop or give up on it.

Your music is full of these nuggets of wisdom that may help people learn how to navigate different life challenges. Would you ever consider writing a self-help book?

I was actually talking about that with one of my friends.

Alongside that, I could see acting in your future too. I think about the City Girls working with Issa Rae down in Miami on "Rap S—" and I could easily see a show about your come-up set in Memphis. Is Big Glo the actor something we can look forward to?

Yeah, of course. Before I got into music, I wanted to act. I love Meagan Good, Taraji P. Henson. Those are my top two. I like Kevin Hart, Idris Elba. It’s a lot of people. I like Regina Hall.

You’re heading out on a 16-city solo tour soon. How are you preparing for tour life? Do you have to learn any choreography?

Yes. I've been going to practice a lot. I've been doing good though. We gonna put together a good show on the tour. We gonna turn up. I actually like doing choreography.

Were you into choreo growing up?

Yeah, I was a majorette, and I still can't dance. But I like to learn, and once I get it down pat, and I know how to do it, I'll be like, "Yes!" But I got two right feet. I don't got two left feet. [Laughs.] So that's why I like learning. ‘Cause when I just be on the stage rapping, it can get boring if you just walking around, you know? They wanna see you pop out with a little somethin’ somethin.’

Who are you taking on tour?

Gloss Up, Slimeroni, K. Carbon, and Aleza.

After the tour, do you have any plans to release an album or another EP in 2023?

Most definitely. I'm changing it up. I'm gonna have different guys on it.

Listen: All Of The Rap Music 2023 GRAMMY Nominees In One Playlist

Beware of venom: Megan Thee Stallion is not biting her tongue on her new album, simply titled Megan.

The GRAMMY winner's first full-length release in two years is also the first to drop under her own control. Fans have been ready for this release even before the first single, "Cobra," came out in November. The second single, "Hiss," followed in January and brought the star her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard’s Hot 100 and Global 200 charts. These songs, as well as the third single, "BOA," foreshadowed a certain slithery theme that helped shape the album.

Megan was released on June 28 and features guest stars such as GloRilla, Victoria Monét, Big K.R.I.T. and Kyle Richh as well as her longtime ace producers like Juicy J (who made "Hot Girl Summer" among other calling cards) and LilJuMadeDaBeat, who produced Stallion anthems like "Big Ole Freak," "Body" and "Thot S—."

Here’s what we learned from listening and vibing to the latest work by three-time GRAMMY winner Megan Thee Stallion.

A Theme Snakes Through Megan

As could have easily been predicted from the first three singles "Cobra," "Hiss" and "BOA," and now the album track "Rattle," there is a hint of a snake theme that wends its way through the album from beginning ("Hiss") to end ("Cobra").

In several songs, she denounces all the snake behavior that she has encountered from former lovers, friends, and haters who support those who have caused actual harm to her. In the music video for "Cobra," Megan literally sheds her old skin to reveal a shining new layer.

Megan Is Calling The Shots This Time 

"I feel like Biggie, 'Who Shot Ya?’/But everybody know who shot me, bitch/ So now, let’s stop speaking on the topic," she rapped in "Who Me (feat. Pooh Shiesty)" off her 2022 album Traumazine. MTS was referencing the July 2020 incident in which rapper Tory Lanez shot her in the foot, and was subsequently charged with assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. 

Turns out, she wasn’t done referencing the topic. Now, she’s one taking the shots. MTS takes aim at less-talented women rappers on "Figueroa" (named for a Los Angeles street known for prostitution), and at Lanez on "Rattle," when she suggests that his male supporters should schedule a conjugal visit with him in prison. (Lanez is currently serving a 10-year sentence while simultaneously going through a divorce with wife Raina Chassagne.)

Inspiration Comes From Everywhere

The star and her collaborators incorporate unexpected musical influences on Megan via creative sampling. Megan Thee Stallion speeds up and flips Teena Marie's 1984 ballad "Out on a Limb" for "B.A.S." — a song she co-produced with her longtime ally LilJuMadeDaBeat. "BOA" is cleverly crafted from sounds in the first solo hit by Gwen Stefani, 2004’s "What You Waiting For?" 

UGK are reunited from across the heavenly divide on the Juicy J-produced "Paper Together," with Bun B contributing new work and the late Pimp C joining in lyrical spirit. This is especially significant when considering that Juicy J produced "Intl’ Players Anthem (I Choose You)," UGK’s 2007 hit with Outkast. Juicy J also made the beats for Megan’s famous song "Hot Girl Summer." 

That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to samples waiting to be discovered on Megan. There are many more riffs and other musical notions that the sample bank in our brains have yet to detect.

Self-Love Is Queen 

Whether she’s affirming, "I’m worthy, not worthless" on "Worthy," or literally touching herself in the auto-erotic "Down Stairs DJ" (which joins masturbation masterpieces like Divinyls’ "I Touch Myself" and Tweet’s "Oops"), Megan is grounded in songs that promote self-love as the best kind of love. 

She does admit that this is sometimes a challenge to embody, as when she talks about lingering depression on "Moody Girl." But the album generally moves towards the light.

She Loves Japan 

One of the big surprises on Megan is that she raps in two languages. She rhymes beautifully in Japanese on "Mamushi" with Yuki Chiba, a seasoned rapper from Japan who is influenced by the Southern swag. (Just take a look at the Memphis moves and Houston rhyme schemes of his viral song "Team Tomodachi.") 

On "Otaku Hot Girl," she raps about the manga series "Naruto" and drops other anime references to show her love of Japanese pop culture. 

Learn more: 10 Neo J-Pop Artists Breaking The Mold In 2024: Fujii Kaze, Kenshi Yonezu & Others 

Megan's Game Is Tight 

Megan is the first album to be released on Megan Thee Stallion’s own label. It follows her split from 1501 Certified Entertainment, a record label with which she was engaged in a protracted and ugly legal battle for earnings. 

She now has the muscle of the major label Warner Brothers as a partner for her independent venture, Hot Girl Productions. She also recorded an Amazon Original song called "It’s Prime Day" for a commercial, as well as an exclusive Amazon edition of Megan. 

It’s safe to say that this album represents a new level of business freedom and acumen for Megan Thee Stallion.

"Honestly, I feel like a zaddy," Omar Apollo says with a roguish grin, "because I'm 6'5" so, like, you can run up in my arms and stay there, you know what I mean?"

As a bonafide R&B sensation and one of the internet’s favorite boyfriends, Apollo is likely used to the labels, attention and online swooning that come with modern fame. But in this instance, there’s a valid reason for asking about his particular brand of "zaddyhood": he’s been turned into a Bratz doll.

In the middle of June, the popular toy company blasted  a video to its nearly 5 million social media followers showing off the singer as a real-life Bratz Boy — the plastic version draped in a long fur coat (shirtless, naturally), with a blinged-out cross necklace and matching silver earrings as he belts out his 2023 single "3 Boys" from a smoke-covered stage.

The video, which was captioned "Zaddy coded," promptly went viral, helped along by an amused Apollo reposting the clip to his own Instagram Story. "It was so funny," he adds. "And it's so accurate; that's literally how my shows go. It made me look so glamorous, I loved it."

The unexpected viral moment came with rather auspicious timing, considering Apollo is prepping for the release of his hotly anticipated sophomore album. God Said No arrives June 28 via Warner Records.

In fact, the star is so busy with the roll-out that, on the afternoon of our interview, he’s FaceTiming from the back of a car. The day prior, he’d filmed the music video for "Done With You," the album’s next single. Now he’s headed to the airport to jet off to Paris, where he’ll be photographed front row at the LOEWE SS25 men’s runway show in between Sabrina Carpenter and Mustafa — the latter of whom is one of the few collaborators featured on God Said No. 

Apollo’s trusted co-writer and producer, Teo Halm, is also joining the conversation from his home studio in L.A. In between amassing credits for Beyoncé (The Lion King: The Gift), Rosalía and J Balvin (the Latin GRAMMY-winning "Con Altura"), SZA ("Notice Me" and "Open Arms" featuring Travis Scott) and others, the 25-year-old virtuoso behind the boards had teamed up with Apollo on multiple occasions. Notably, the two collabed on "Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All)," which helped Apollo score his nomination for Best New Artist at the 2023 GRAMMYs. 

In the wake of that triumph, Apollo doubled down on their creative chemistry by asking Halm to executive produce God Said No. (The producer is also quick to second his pal’s magnetic mystique: "Don't get it twisted, he's zaddy, for sure.") 

Apollo bares his soul like never before across the album’s 14 tracks,  as he processes the bitter end of a two-year relationship with an unnamed paramour. The resulting portrait of heartbreak is a new level of emotional exposure for a singer already known for his unguarded vulnerability and naked candor. (He commissioned artist Doron Langberg to paint a revealing portrait of him for the cover of his 2023 EP Live For Me, and unapologetically included a painting of his erect penis as the back cover of the vinyl release.) 

On lead single "Spite," he’s pulled between longing and resentment in the wake of the break-up over a bouncing guitar riff. Second single "Dispose of Me" finds Apollo heartsick and feeling abandoned as he laments, "It don’t matter if it’s 25 years, 25 months/ It don’t matter if it’s 25 days, it was real love/ We got too much history/ So don’t just dispose of me." 

Elsewhere, the singer offers the stunning admission that "I would’ve married you" on album cut "Life’s Unfair." Then, on the very next song — the bumping, braggadocious "Against Me" — Apollo grapples with the reality that he’s been permanently altered by the love affair while on the prowl for a rebound. "I cannot act like I’m average/ You know that I am the baddest bitch," he proclaims on the opening verse, only to later admit, "I’ve changed so much, but have you heard?/ I can’t move how I used to."

Given the personal subject matter filling God Said No — not to mention the amount of acclaim he earned with Ivory — it would be understandable if Apollo felt a degree of pressure or anxiety when it came to crafting his sophomore studio set. But according to the singer, that was entirely not the case.

"I feel like I wouldn’t be able to make art if I felt pressure," he says. "Why would I be nervous about going back and making more music? If anything, I'm more excited and my mind is opened up in a whole other way and I've learned so much."

In order to throw his entire focus into the album’s creation, Apollo invited Halm to join him in London. The duo set up shop in the famous Abbey Road Studios, where the singer often spent 12- to 13-hour days attempting to exorcize his heartbreak fueled by a steady stream of Aperol spritzes and cigarettes.

The change of scenery infused the music with new sonic possibilities, like the kinetic synths and pulsating bass line that set flight to "Less of You." Apollo and Halm agree that the single was directly inspired by London’s unique energy.

"It's so funny because we were out there in London, but we weren't poppin' out at all," the Halm says. "Our London scene was really just, like, studio, food. Omar was a frickin' beast. He was hitting the gym every day…. But it was more like feeding off the culture on a day-to-day basis. Like, literally just on the walk to the studio or something as simple as getting a little coffee. I don't think that song would've happened in L.A."

Poetry played a surprisingly vital role in the album’s creation as well, with Apollo littering the studio with collections by "all of the greats," including the likes of Ocean Vuong, Victoria Chang, Philip Larkin, Alan Ginsberg, Mary Oliver and more.

"Could you imagine making films, but never watching a film?" the singer posits, turning his appreciation for the written art form into a metaphor about cinema. "Imagine if I never saw [films by] the greats, the beauty of words and language, and how it's manipulated and how it flows. So I was so inspired." 

Perhaps a natural result of consuming so much poetic prose, Apollo was also led to experiment with his own writing style. While on a day trip with his parents to the Palace of Versailles, he wrote a poem that ultimately became the soaring album highlight "Plane Trees," which sends the singer’s voice to new, shiver-inducing heights. 

"I'd been telling Teo that I wanted to challenge myself vocally and do a power ballad," he says. "But it wasn't coming and we had attempted those songs before. And I was exhausted with writing about love; I was so sick of it. I was like, Argh, I don't want to write anymore songs with this person in my mind." 

Instead, the GRAMMY nominee sat on the palace grounds with his parents, listening to his mom tell stories about her childhood spent in Mexico. He challenged himself to write about the majestic plane tree they were sitting under in order to capture the special moment. 

Back at the studio, Apollo’s dad asked Halm to simply "make a beat" and, soon enough, the singer was setting his poem to music. (Later, Mustafa’s hushed coda perfected the song’s denouement as the final piece of the puzzle.) And if Apollo’s dad is at least partially responsible for how "Plane Trees" turned out, his mom can take some credit for a different song on the album — that’s her voice, recorded beneath the same plane tree, on the outro of delicate closer "Glow." 

Both the artist and the producer ward off any lingering expectations that a happy ending will arrive by the time "Glow" fades to black, however. "The music that we make walks a tightrope of balancing beauty and tragedy," Halm says. "It's always got this optimism in it, but it's never just, like, one-stop shop happy. It's always got this inevitable pain that just life has. 

"You know, even if maybe there wasn't peace in the end for Omar, or if that wasn't his full journey with getting through that pain, I think a lot of people are dealing with broken hearts who it really is going to help," the producer continues. "I can only just hope that the music imparts leaving people with hope."

 Apollo agrees that God Said No contains a "hopeful thread," even if his perspective on the project remains achingly visceral. Did making the album help heal his broken heart? "No," he says with a sad smile on his face. "But it is proof of pain. And it’s a beautiful thing that is immortalized now, forever. 

"One day, I can look back at it and be like, Wow, what a beautiful thing I experienced. But yeah, no, it didn't help me," he says with a laugh. 

Six years after her last solo studio album, Beyoncé returned to the music industry with a bang thanks to RENAISSANCE. In homage to her late Uncle Johnny, she created a work of art inspired by the sounds of disco and house that wasn't just culturally impactful — it was history-making.

At the 2023 GRAMMYs, RENAISSANCE won Best Dance/Electronic Album. Marking Beyoncé's 32nd golden gramophone, the win gave the superstar the record for most gramophones won by an individual act.

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, revisit the historic moment Queen Bey took the stage to accept her record-breaking GRAMMY at the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards.

"Thank you so much. I'm trying not to be too emotional," Beyoncé said at the start of her acceptance speech. "I'm just trying to receive this night."

With a deep breath, she began to list her praises that included God, her family, and the Recording Academy for their continued support throughout her career. 

"I'd like to thank my Uncle Johnny, who is not here, but he's here in spirit," Beyoncé proclaimed. "I'd like to thank the queer community for your love and inventing this genre."

Watch the video above for Beyoncé's full speech for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 2023 GRAMMYs. Check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind. 

Tune into the 2024 GRAMMYs on Sunday, Feb. 4, airing live on the CBS Television Network (8-11:30 p.m. LIVE ET/5-8:30 p.m. LIVE PT) and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).

A Timeline Of Beyoncé's GRAMMY Moments, From Her First Win With Destiny's Child to Making History With 'Renaissance'

Since the start of her career, four-time GRAMMY winner Lizzo has been making music that radiates positive energy. Her Record Of The Year win for "About Damn Time" at the 2023 GRAMMYs proved that being true to yourself and kind to one another always wins.

Travel back to revisit the moment Lizzo won her award in the coveted category in this episode of GRAMMY Rewind. 

"Um, huh?" Lizzo exclaimed at the start of her acceptance speech. "Let me tell you something. Me and Adele are having a good time, just enjoying ourselves and rooting for our friends. So, this is an amazing night. This is so unexpected."

Lizzo kicked off her GRAMMY acceptance speech by acknowledging Prince's influence on her sound. "When we lost Prince, I decided to dedicate my life to making positive music," she said. "This was at a time when positive music and feel-good music wasn't mainstream at that point and I felt very misunderstood. I felt on the outside looking in. But I stayed true to myself because I wanted to make the world a better place so I had to be that change."

As tracks like "Good as Hell" and "Truth Hurts" scaled the charts, she noticed more body positivity and self-love anthems from other artists. "I'm just so proud to be a part of it," she cheered.

Most importantly, Lizzo credited staying true to herself despite the pushback for her win. "I promise that you will attract people in your life who believe in you and support you," she said in front of a tearful audience that included Beyoncé and Taylor Swift in standing ovation, before giving a shout-out to her team, family, partner and producers on the record, Blake Slatkin and Ricky Reed. 

Watch the video above for Lizzo's complete acceptance speech for Record Of The Year at the 2023 GRAMMYs. Check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind, and be sure to tune into the 2024 GRAMMYs on Sunday, Feb. 4, airing live on the CBS Television Network (8-11:30 p.m. LIVE ET/5-8:30 p.m. LIVE PT) and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).

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