A$AP Rocky has revealed that it took years of persistence before Tim Burton agreed to create the cover artwork for his upcoming album, Don’t Be Dumb. The rapper reflected on how the unlikely collaboration finally came together during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday.
Going into detail about the process, Rocky confessed that he “basically had to stalk and harass him for a few years” before things clicked. He explained, “I reached out and told him I would love to hang out, play him some vibes and just connect. I ended up going to Malibu while he was on a break, and he was feeling it. I played him an early version of the album and he really liked it. That’s when I asked, ‘Do you think you might want to do the illustration for this?’ He was open to it, but then suddenly he had Wednesday and Beetlejuice 2 going on. I realized this was going to take a lot longer than I thought.”
A$AP Rocky went on to describe a moment that really stuck with him during that visit. “While I was there, I noticed a sketch sitting on the table and asked if he drew it,” he said. “He told me that every morning he and his daughter work on drawings together. He starts one, then she comes in and finishes it or changes it. It’s something they practice daily. I saw it as their bond, and to me, that felt priceless.”
On Tuesday, A$AP Rocky also released a double music video for his tracks “WHISKEY” and “BLACK DEMARCO.” Tim Burton appears in the visual and contributed multiple illustrations that tie into the project.
Alongside the release of the “WHISKEY” and “BLACK DEMARCO” video, Rocky officially unveiled the Don’t Be Dumb World Tour. The run will include 42 dates across North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom, with shows scheduled throughout 2026.
Charli xcx has added the Music, Fashion, Film B sides “I Keep On Thinking Bout You Every Single Day and Night,” “Playboy Bunny” and “If You Take the Music Then What Has She Got?” to iTunes through a new digital deluxe release titled Music, Fashion, Film (B-Sides Edition).
The three tracks had already been introduced to listeners through Charli’s @b.sides alternative Instagram account. They also appeared as physical B sides on limited edition 7 inch singles for “Rock Music,” “SS26” and “Camera,” as well as in an extensive Music, Fashion, Film box set. However, fans were unable to officially buy them as digital downloads until Sunday, July 26.
Charli previously told her audience that the songs were “never gonna go on streaming … I don’t think,” although she admitted at the time that her decision might eventually change.
“you can call me a hypocrite, i don’t mind,” Charli wrote alongside a winking emoji while announcing Music, Fashion, Film (B-Sides Edition) on Sunday.
Priced at $4.99 on iTunes, the digital collection features all 11 songs from the original Music, Fashion, Film album, along with the three additional B sides and their accompanying music videos.
Explaining her choice further on Instagram, Charli wrote: “i made b sides for each of the songs released ahead of Music, Fashion, Film because it felt natural to pair each songs with a fitting counterpart – something that’s adjacent to the album but not entirely part of it. traditionally, b sides often become fan favorites… and i guess in the case of some of the b sides for this album, that has proven to be true. i felt adamant i wouldn’t put them on streaming because it sort of felt counter intuitive to the whole ethos of those songs, but i know you all really wanted them so i’ve begrudgingly put them on itunes lol.”
Music, Fashion, Film was released on Friday, accompanied by the online premiere of the theatrical short film Charli developed to complement the project.
She will begin a short North American tour supporting Music, Fashion, Film in Philadelphia on Sept. 11. The run will then visit Brooklyn, Toronto, Boston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, San Diego, Los Angeles, Glendale and Las Vegas.