"That's alright": DJ Akademiks reacts to Megan Thee Stallion's new single Whenever garnering 1.2 million streams in four days
On April 29, DJ Akademiks responded to the performance of Megan Thee Stallion's new single, Whenever. The track has reached 1.2 million streams just four days after its release. He shared his thoughts during a livestream, where he addressed how the Houston rapper's current success compares to top female artists in the industry, as reported by Hot New Hip Hop on April 29, 2025.
Megan released the track independently on April 25, 2025, following her two-weekend performances at Coachella. During his Livestream, DJ Akademiks made it clear that he doesn't see Megan Thee Stallion in the same category as some of her peers. He claimed there has been a misconception about her career trajectory and audience reach.
Referring to the idea that Megan had reached elite status, he said:
"That's just not true. In reality, Megan Thee Stallion's not even hotter than GloRilla. And I'm not saying this to disrespect her, I'm just saying the truth. For me, a flop is always proportional. A flop means you think a person's gonna do this, but they do this."
He went on to explain that some might consider the performance of Whenever underwhelming. However, the 1.2 million streams actually show that Megan is slowly building her momentum back.
"She's just gotta build back a little bit. I told you, there's a lot of obstacles in her way but if you thought she was some huge artist, no. So 1.2 million streams in four days, that's alright," he added.
Megan Thee Stallion pushes forward independently with Whenever as she teases new album Act III
Whenever was officially released on April 25, 2025, via her independent label, Hot Girl Productions. The track is built around a sample of Ms. Cherry's "It's Whatever," featuring the chorus:
"It's whenever, b—, it's whatever, h–! We can do it right now, we can take it out the door."
The single also arrived with a music video showing Megan dancing across various locations, including a desert and an office desk. This highlights her creative direction as she returns to solo work.
The track was released after a move that followed her high-profile legal battle with 1501 Certified Entertainment. That dispute, which lasted over three years, revolved around alleged contract breaches and unpaid royalties, as reported by the Los Angeles Times on October 20, 2023.
In October 2023, Megan Thee Stallion confirmed during a social media livestream that she had officially settled with the label.
She further added that she was no longer signed to any record company, saying:
"I have no label right now. Everything that's coming out is just Megan Thee Stallion. I'm so excited to be doing this by myself."
Although during a TikTok Live earlier this year, she teased her upcoming album, Act III, and explained that she's focusing on authentic collaborations. Megan Thee Stallion stated that she is currently being selective about collaborations, aiming to work only with artists she hasn't previously collaborated with.
She also wants to work with artists whose music she genuinely listens to in her personal time, as reported by Billboard on March 21, 2025.
She named Florida rapper Doechii as someone on her "wish list," emphasizing that she wants to be in the studio together to create something organic.
"I feel like Doechii would be the type of person that you would have to be in the studio to make a song with. I would like to hear a beat that she would like to rap over. And also I'm like challenging myself to rap over beats that I wouldn't normally rap over without losing myself."
Although Megan Thee Stallion has not confirmed a release date for Act III, she has stated that it's actively being developed. As stated by Billboard, her last major release, Megan: Act II, an expanded version of her third studio album, dropped in 2024 and featured artists like Flo Milli, Spiritbox, Twice, and RM of BTS, showcasing her genre versatility and global reach.
