Megan Thee Stallion Opens Up About Her New 'Act III' Era

• Megan believes true talent is necessary for lasting success, not just viral fame.
• Megan is taking her time to create her next album, reflecting on her growth.
• Megan has learned to better manage the pressures of being in the public eye.

Megan Thee Stallion isn’t convinced that everyone who blows up in music actually has the talent to back it up.

The Houston rapper got candid about fame, music, and the internet during Wednesday’s episode of IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, offering an unfiltered take on artists who seem to go viral overnight.

During the conversation, Megan explained that after years of constantly recording and releasing music—including her 2024 self-titled album—she’s finally learned how to slow down and actually enjoy the studio process. Craig pointed out that plenty of people seem to want the perks of fame without putting in the work, and Megan was quick to agree.

“Honestly, it’s a little bit easier to do that, though, now. You can go viral on Instagram and have a terrible song,” she said.

As for whether that kind of attention has staying power, Megan didn’t hold back.

“Sometimes, and sometimes not,” she said. “The internet has made it really easy to be famous. Good or bad. I think you can tell the difference between people who really love what they do and people who just want to be famous. I feel like I fall on the side of, I really love what I do.”

Megan also has plenty of her own music to look forward to. Earlier this week, the Houston rapper announced that her fourth studio album, Megan: Act III, is set to arrive later this year through her Hot Girl Productions imprint. While the project’s official title is apparently still being figured out, Megan already knows one thing: It’s time for Tina Snow to make her comeback.

The rapper said she wants to give the alter ego a proper rollout and reintroduce Tina Snow to fans who may not have been around when she first emerged.

“I think giving her a proper rollout, a proper title, [and] a reintroduction to Hotties that may not have been with me since 2017, 2018,” Megan explained. “I think that this is gonna be a new experience for them. Tina is grown now, babe. She has been through lots of life since y’all heard from her last.”

And apparently, the Hotties have plenty of collaborations to look forward to.

Megan teased that the album will feature some long-awaited linkups, including both niche collaborations and tracks that could seriously catch fans off guard.

“Collaborations that’s overdue, collaborations that [will] shock the people, like really gag [them],” she said.

Naturally, fans are already hoping that means the long-rumored Doja Cat reunion could finally happen, along with potential collaborations with Doechii and Monaleo. One of the biggest differences with ACT III is that Megan isn’t rushing the process.

She admitted that the upcoming project could end up being one of her favorites because she actually gave herself the time to make it.

“ACT III is going to be one of my favorite projects I ever put out because I definitely took my time with this one,” she said.

Megan reflected on a period when she was constantly juggling work and felt like she had to hurry through everything, including recording music.

“There was a portion of life where I was so super busy… I was in a rush to everything. I was like, ‘Dang, I gotta hurry up and record these songs,’” she recalled.

The conversation also gave Megan and Michelle Obama a chance to connect over what it’s like living life under a microscope. For Megan, being a constant topic of conversation comes with some serious highs and lows.

“Being me is, it’s a rollercoaster,” she said. “Some days I feel like, ‘Yes, hell yeah. We on top.’ But then some days, I feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, I need to go get under my bed.’”

The rapper admitted there are times when she doesn’t want to see or talk to anyone because she’s simply exhausted from people constantly having something to say about her.

“But then I have to take a step back sometimes and realize I’m very blessed,” she added.

Megan said she’s also been working on expressing more gratitude instead of constantly asking for things in her prayers.

“I start praying and saying like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so thankful,’” she explained.

Megan’s journey to this point hasn’t exactly been easy. Over the years, she’s dealt with grief, friendship fallout, legal battles, breakups and the pressures that come with being one of the biggest names in rap.

Following the end of her relationship with Klay Thompson earlier this year, Megan said she planned to focus on herself and move forward with “peace and clarity.” She has kept a relatively low profile since then while working on herself and new music.

She also opened up about the difficulty of grieving her mother while simultaneously being expected to remain Megan Thee Stallion for the world.

“When my mom passed away, I immediately still had to be Megan Thee Stallion,” she said. “And so I’m literally trying to figure out how to grieve, how to perform, how to go through everything I’m going through and still do it in front of everybody.”

That experience taught her that sometimes the only way forward is to actually sit with the emotions instead of pushing them away.

“I’ve learned to just feel what I’m feeling. And just feel it,” she said. “If it’s pain, if it’s sadness, I have to express it.”

Getting to a healthier place has taken work. Megan said she’s created stronger boundaries, cut down on the social media apps she uses and accepted that not everyone is going to like her, and that’s okay.

“There was a point in life when I didn’t want to do anything. I didn’t want to go anywhere,” she recalled. “I don’t want to be filmed eating. I don’t want to be filmed getting coffee. I don’t want to be filmed talking to people. Like, just bye, I’m not going outside.”

She joked that she would essentially become a “vampire” in her room until it was time to step back into her public persona. Now, however, Megan says she’s slowly getting back to doing the everyday things she once avoided.

“I was definitely in my head for a long time. I was not in a good space,” she admitted. “But now I’m doing more Megan things. I feel better. I feel a little less heavy.”