HOW LONG WILL THEE STALLION RUN FREE?

Roc Nation star Megan Thee Stallion has experienced a mixture of triumph and travail over the last few years.

Megan broke out in 2020, contributing to two #1s, her own “Savage Remix” f/Beyoncé and Cardi B’s “WAP,” before releasing her debut full-length, Good News, which opened at #2 on the HITS Top 50. Lead single “Body” went viral as well. Thee Stallion kicked off 2021 winning Best New Artist at the Grammys.

But the Houston native was also the victim of a shooting, the aftermath of which saw her drawn into a high-profile trial and subject to a vicious smear campaign. Simultaneously, she and her team were attempting to get out of her label deal with Carl Crawford’s 1501 Certified. It wasn’t until late 2023 that both matters were settled—Tory Lanez is serving a prison sentence for the shooting and MTS settled with 1501. Her projects during this period, 2021’s Something for the Hotties and 2022’s Traumazine, earned Top 5 bows and were certified gold.

Megan started a new chapter in November with “Cobra”—the first song she delivered without 1501, 300 or Atlantic attached. She's now releasing music independently via WMG’s ADA. Her second indie release, “HISS,” will drop on Friday (1/26).

Can Megan Thee Stallion return to the chart-topping of 2020? Is she looking for a new partner to pony up a fat deal? Are labels queuing to close her? It remains to be seen. In the meantime, watchers are watching the performance of her self-released cuts.