Chika is having a breakout year, no matter how you look at it. Born Jane Chika Oranika in Montgomery, Ala., the first-generation Nigerian-American rapper was named to XXL Magazine's 2020 Freshman Class. And it's easy to see why:

The self-described "professional truth-teller" with "a pen that's tactical," Chika shines in the latest edition of Press Play At Home, delivering an intimate version of "Balencies" from her major label debut EP Industry Games.

"The time that went into 'Industry Games,' was a year of my life, last year specifically," she recently told The Recording Academy. "I think that I fleshed out a lot more about myself with this project. You get more of my thought process, and the way my brain actually works––I get to share how crazy and hectic it gets in my brain sometimes. [Laughs.] You hear me versus my ego on it, and what that sounds like for me to be this soft-spoken person, but having a bigger ego, and having to defend certain words."

"Balencies," produced by Lido, also features production elements chosen by her puppy, Vision, who gets a nice shoutout in one of her verses. Chika's soulful, poetic lyricism shows her poetry slam roots and the influence of her southern upbringing in the church, which had a strong musical influence on her style. 

Enjoy Chika's very personal performance of "Balencies" and stay tuned for more outstanding original music from GRAMMY.com's Press Play series.

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Sometimes love can catch you off guard — and in Marley Bleu's case, she may have found the perfect partner unintentionally.

"'Cause your love is so intentional/ Wrong time, I think I found the right one," the rising R&B star sings in her latest single, "Unintentional." "You're here, don't know where you came from/ What we got is so unintentional."

In this episode of Press Play, the Los Angeles native sings a stripped-down version of "Unintentional," supported by a keyboardist. The pair perform on her living room sofa, emphasizing the track's intimate nature.

"Unintentional," which originally features Pink Sweat$, is Bleu's major label debut under Republic Records. Her next single, "goodmorning," is slated to arrive later this year.

Bleu found her roots in performing from a musical family. Her great-great uncle is the late Chuck Berry, and her father, Al Berry, played bass guitar for industry titans like Nile Rodgers, Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne.

Watch the video above to hear Marley Bleu's live performance of "Unintentional," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

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Gavin Magnus knows firsthand what it's like to love someone who only causes you pain — and he narrates the reality of toxic relationships in his swirling new single, "Psycho."

"You were never there for me when I needed you most/ But you would stick around and watch it all go up in smoke," Magnus sings on the second verse. "Burn my bridges down until there's only ashes left/ But the flames, they never rest at all."

In this episode of Press Play, Magnus delivers a performance of "Psycho" from a music studio, stripping down the song with just an acoustic guitar.

Released in September, "Psycho" marks Magnus' debut single under Big Noise Music Group. Earlier this year, he released two more solo tracks, "Exit" and "Lonely."

Along with his work as an artist, Magnus is a prolific content creator with over 6 million subscribers on YouTube and 2 million followers on TikTok. And on Nov. 10, he'll take his music career to the next level with the release of his debut project, Blurry Eyes.

Watch the video above to hear Gavin Magnus' cathartic, acoustic performance of "Psycho," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

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Like the old saying goes, out of sight often means out of mind. But pop singer Lindsey Lomis has someone consuming her thoughts everywhere she goes — whether she's out with her friends or alone in her bedroom. And she's just as surprised by her behavior as everyone else may be.

"No, they've never seen me like this/ Woah, I've never seen me like this," Lomis sings in the second verse of "Outta Sight (On My Mind)." "You're outta sight, but you're on my mind/ Thinkin' 'bout how I'm thinkin' bout you all the time."

In this episode of Press Play, Lomis delivers a stripped-down rendition of her latest release, performing the track in her bedroom with an acoustic guitar.

The track — which Lomis dropped on Sept. 22 — marks her first independent release in almost four years. Earlier this year, she dropped an EP, Universe, via Warner Records.

Lomis recently wrapped up a tour supporting Bruno Major. She also toured with Joshua Bassett on his Complicated Tour this past spring, before headlining six of her own shows in June.

Watch the video above to hear Lindsey Lomis' sweet performance of "Outta Sight (On My Mind)," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

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Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

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He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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