Drake’s Toronto Mansion Gets Virtually Iced Out in Pics Ahead of ‘Iceman’ Album Release
Drake has turned his Toronto estate, The Embassy, into a frosted showcase ahead of his May 15 Iceman album launch. The mansion’s entrance, studio, bedroom, pool and kitchen are all draped in icicles, echoing earlier ice‑themed stunts such as frozen Raptors seats and a massive ice block that concealed the release date. Fans flocked to chip away at the block, prompting police to intervene as crowds swelled to nearly 800. The visual campaign reinforces the album’s cold motif and builds anticipation for Drake’s first solo record since 2023’s For All the Dogs.
RAGEFLOWER Signs With Weird Fishes
Australian indie rock/pop act RAGEFLOWER, fronted by Madeleine Powers, has signed a management deal with the nine‑month‑old firm Weird Fishes. The artist recently broke through with a debut EP, high‑rotation singles on triple j, and placements on key Spotify and Apple...
Arena One, AMC Theatres Lift the Curtain on ‘Next Chapter of Live Shows’
Arena One and AMC Theatres have launched “Arena One at AMC,” a live‑concert experience streamed to 300 AMC locations across 89 U.S. markets starting in June. The format lets artists perform on a purpose‑built stage while interacting with cinema audiences...
Madonna Shows How It’s Done With Witchy, Weird Met Gala Look
Madonna made a dramatic entrance at the 2026 Met Gala, wearing a custom Yves Saint Laurent gown designed by Anthony Vaccarello. The black ensemble featured a gossamer ship‑like headpiece inspired by Leonora Carrington’s painting “The Temptation of St. Anthony.” The look...
Bad Bunny Ages Himself ’53 Years’ for Senior Citizen Met Gala Look
Bad Bunny shocked the 2026 Met Gala by aging himself 53 years, appearing with white hair, wrinkles and a cane in an all‑black suit. The senior‑citizen look complemented the gala’s “Fashion Is Art” theme centered on the Costume Art exhibit....
SZA’s Dazzling Met Gala Dress Is Made of Pieces Bought Off eBay: ‘This Is How I See Myself’
SZA turned heads at the 2026 Met Gala in a vibrant yellow gown crafted from re‑worked pieces bought on eBay. Designed with Emily Adams Bode Aujla of Bode, the dress incorporates vintage saris, cowrie shells, real flowers and crystal accents...
Sabrina Carpenter’s Met Gala Dress Is Made of Film Reels From One of Her ‘Favorite’ Movies
Sabrina Carpenter dazzled the 2026 Met Gala in a custom Dior gown crafted entirely from 35 mm film strips taken from the 1954 classic *Sabrina*. Designed by Dior’s Jonathan Anderson, the dress merges Hollywood nostalgia with avant‑garde couture, reflecting the event’s...
Janelle Monáe’s Stunning Met Gala 2026 Look Combines Nature & Tech in Custom Christian Siriano
Janelle Monáe turned heads at the May 4, 2026 Met Gala in a custom Christian Siriano gown that fused living moss, succulents, and a tangle of cables with kinetic mechanical butterflies and dragonflies. The outfit incorporated 230 electrical wires, Ethernet cables, a...
Fans Choose Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Bring Your Love’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter’s new duet “Bring Your Love” topped Billboard’s weekly best‑new‑music poll, capturing 88.99% of fan votes. The track, co‑produced by longtime collaborator Stuart Price, was first performed live during Madonna’s surprise appearance at Carpenter’s Coachella set before...
Olivia Dean’s ‘The Art of Loving’ Tour Will Be 2026’s Hottest Ticket: 5 Best Moments From London’s O2 Arena
Olivia Dean’s ‘The Art of Loving’ tour has escalated from modest London venues to six sold‑out nights at the O₂ Arena, pulling roughly 120,000 fans. Her sophomore album has lingered in the UK Top 5, spent eight weeks at No. 1 and...
Laura Pausini Fulfills Her Dream of Singing ‘Hijo De La Luna’ With Ana Torroja in Mexico
Laura Pausini fulfilled a long‑standing dream by duetting with Spanish icon Ana Torroja on Mecano’s “Hijo de la Luna” at Mexico City’s Arena Ciudad de México, drawing a packed crowd of 15,000. The show also featured a surprise appearance by...
Charli Xcx Shares ‘Rock Music’ Song Teaser, Says She’s Not Making a Rock Album
Charli XCX posted an Instagram reel on May 1 teasing an unreleased track titled “Rock Music,” recorded in Paris last October. The clip shows her vocalizing over a guitar‑laden hyper‑pop production, confirming the song is not a traditional rock piece. Despite...
Morgan Wallen Calls Out Celebs Who Bailed Last-Minute on Walkout at Las Vegas Show: ‘Y’all Got Some Flaky A— People...
Morgan Wallen’s Still the Problem tour turned its Las Vegas walkout into a headline moment when five scheduled celebrity guests bailed at the last minute, leaving the country star to address the empty stage. The walkout tradition, featuring high‑profile figures...
Madonna & Anna Wintour Appear in ‘Confessions II’ Theatrical Promo Ahead of ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’
Madonna and Vogue editor‑in‑chief Anna Wintour appear together in a 30‑second theatrical teaser for Madonna’s upcoming album "Confessions II," which will play before the May 1 opening of "The Devil Wears Prada 2." The spot blends a manipulated clip from the Dolce...
Every Song That Topped the UK Chart for 8 or More Weeks, But Didn’t Make the Top 10 on the...
Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s duet “Rein Me In” returned to No. 1 on the UK Official Singles Chart for a ninth non‑consecutive week, yet it has never cracked the top‑10 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 64. The track joins...
Olivia Rodrigo on ‘SNL’: How to Watch the Pop Star Host and Perform as Music Guest Live Online for Free
Olivia Rodrigo returns to Saturday Night Live on May 2, serving as both host and musical guest. The live broadcast streams on NBC and can be accessed online via Peacock Premium or a free five‑day DirecTV trial. Viewers can also use...
Marc Anthony Brings Stars to the Golf Course for Maestro Cares & More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music
Billboard highlighted a series of uplifting moments across Latin music this week, beginning with Marc Anthony and Henry Cárdenas hosting the fifth Maestro Cares golf fundraiser in Miami, which supports disadvantaged children in Latin America and the U.S. Los Tigres...
Allison Crutchfield Joins Another Management Company
Allison Crutchfield, longtime musician and former ANTI‑Records A&R leader, is moving to artist management. After seven years signing acts like Death Cab for Cutie and Waxahatchee, she joined boutique firm Another Management Company (AMC) on May 1. The shift reflects her...
MusicNSW Unveils Inaugural Ambassadors
MusicNSW, the NSW trade body for contemporary music, announced its inaugural Ambassador Program featuring six independent artists—Alex The Astronaut, Jamaica Moana, Jannah Beth, Jem Siow, Zeppelin Hamilton, and Zoe Catterall. The program coincides with a brand refresh and a new website that centralises grants, job...
KATSEYE Sets One-Off Performance In Australia
KATSEYE will deliver a one‑off 30‑minute pop‑up performance at Melbourne’s Festival Hall on May 8, following a fan Q&A in Sydney on May 6. The show is part of Visit Victoria’s tourism push and is co‑presented by American Express, Live Nation, HYBE...
HUNTR/X’s Ejae, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna Accept Woman of the Year at 2026 Billboard Women In Music: Read Their Full Speech
HUNTR/X vocalists Ejae, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna were honored as Billboard’s 2026 Women of the Year at the Women in Music ceremony. The trio, who voice the fictional K‑pop group from Netflix’s *KPop Demon Hunters*, have already broken barriers...
Ed Sheeran Shaves His Head for a ‘Fresh Start’ & Reveals He’s Battling Shingles
Ed Sheeran announced a dramatic buzz cut on Instagram, calling it a "fresh start" and hinting at new personal chapters. He also disclosed he’s been battling shingles for a month, though he says he’s now on the mend. The singer...
Taylor Swift Voice Trademarks, T.I. Catalog Lawsuit, D4vd Murder Case & More Top Music Law News
Taylor Swift has filed three trademark applications with the USPTO to protect the spoken phrases “Hey, it’s Taylor” and “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift,” as well as a stage‑image of herself. The filings aim to block AI‑generated deepfakes that could misuse...
Billie Eilish Addresses Rumors That She & Brother Finneas Had a Falling-Out
Billie Eilish used her Elle cover story to quash rumors of a falling‑out with brother and collaborator Finneas, explaining that his absence on the Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour was a pre‑planned, mutual decision, not a feud. She emphasized...
NCT’s TAEYONG Announces Details of Debut Full-Length Solo Album, ‘WYLD’
NCT leader Taeyong announced his debut full-length solo album, WYLD, slated for release on May 18. The ten‑track record is described as a deeply personal, sonically dynamic project, with Taeyong writing lyrics on every song, composing nine, and co‑producing the...
The Return of Cheetos® Flamin’ Hot® Dill Pickle Hits the Streets of Austin for the Ultimate Taste Test
Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle has been re‑launched, this time as a puff snack available nationwide. Frito‑Lay partnered with Billboard to conduct a street‑level taste test in Austin, Texas, gathering real‑time reactions from passersby. The majority of participants praised the bold, tangy flavor and...
Twenty One Pilots Tie for Second-Most Alternative Airplay No. 1s With ‘Drag Path’
Twenty One Pilots earned their 14th No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart with “Drag Path,” tying Linkin Park for second‑most chart‑toppers behind the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The song jumped 10 percent in audience impressions during the April 17‑23 week, marking the duo’s...
Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage Reveals 2026 Lineup, Celebrating 40 Years
Ahead of its 40th anniversary, Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage unveiled a star‑studded 2026 lineup. Grammy‑winner Ledisi will kick off the season with a Dinah Washington tribute, while the program spans all five NYC boroughs with free concerts from...
David Lee Roth Joins Teddy Swims at Stagecoach for ‘Jump’
David Lee Roth surprised Stagecoach Festival attendees by joining Teddy Swims for a live rendition of Van Halen’s 1984 hit “Jump.” The performance marked their third consecutive festival collaboration, following a similar surprise at Coachella. High winds earlier forced an emergency evacuation,...
Fans Choose Noah Kahan’s ‘The Great Divide’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music
Noah Kahan’s folk‑rock album *The Great Divide* captured 60% of the votes in Billboard’s fan‑voted new‑music poll released April 24, making it the week’s top pick. The 17‑track record, his first full‑length since 2020’s *Stick Season*, features the title single that...
The Night ‘Ghetto Singer’ Ryan Castro Became a Singer Who Fills Stadiums
Colombian singer‑songwriter Ryan Castro turned a night at Medellín’s Atanasio Girardot Stadium into a stadium‑scale spectacle, drawing roughly 47,000 fans. The show opened with a dramatic helicopter intro and featured a rotating roster of guests, including Sean Paul, Maluma, J Balvin, Feid...
After Just One Weekend, Michael Jackson Film Ranks Among 10 Highest-Grossing Music Biopics Worldwide: Find Out Where
The Michael Jackson biopic *Michael* pulled in $217.3 million worldwide and $97 million in North America during its opening weekend, making it the highest‑grossing debut for a music biopic and placing it at No. 3 on Billboard’s all‑time list. The film’s launch eclipsed...
Ella Langley’s ‘Dandelion’ Spends Second Week Atop Billboard 200
Ella Langley’s album *Dandelion* held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for a second week, moving 106,000 equivalent album units in the week ending April 23, a 37% decline from its debut. Streaming accounted for 97,000 units, representing 99.4 million on‑demand streams,...
Demi Lovato Explains How Disney Channel Nostalgia ‘Definitely’ Reconnected Her With Selena Gomez & Joe Jonas
Demi Lovato headlined Madison Square Garden on April 24, debuting the deluxe edition of her album It’s Not That Deep with eight new tracks, including the fan‑favored “Low Rise Jeans.” The release pushed the record back into the Billboard 200’s top‑10 and sparked...
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Drop Dead’ Debuts at No. 1 on U.K. Charts
Olivia Rodrigo’s new single “Drop Dead” debuted at No. 1 on the Official UK Singles Chart for the week of April 25, unseating Sam Fender and Olivia Dean after a five‑week run. The track is the lead single from her upcoming third...
Jimmy Barnes, INXS Lead Tributes to James Valentine Following Death at 64
Australian saxophonist and broadcaster James Valentine died at 64 using voluntary assisted dying, two years after a cancer diagnosis. Best known for his work with the 1980s new‑wave band Models, he later became a fixture on ABC radio, hosting the...
Xaviersobased Announces Debut Australia Tour With Vivid LIVE Date
New York rapper‑producer xaviersobased announced his first Australian leg of the Riverside Tour, with three shows scheduled for June 3‑7, 2024. The dates include Brisbane’s Princess Theatre, Melbourne’s Northcote Theatre, and Sydney’s Metro Theatre as part of Vivid LIVE. The tour follows...
How Tax Season Becomes a Mess for Touring Musicians
Touring musicians face a tax maze similar to professional athletes, needing separate state filings for every venue where they earn income. Many are classified as self‑employed gig workers, so they must make quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid penalties. Royalties...
Smokey Robinson’s Defamation Claims Thrown Out in Sexual Assault Legal Battle
Los Angeles Judge Kevin C. Brazile dismissed Smokey Robinson’s defamation counterclaims against former housekeepers, finding insufficient evidence of actual malice. The ruling does not address the underlying sexual assault allegations, which remain in a $50 million lawsuit slated for trial in...
Taylor Swift Has a Record-Tying 8 Grammy Nods for Song of the Year, But Has Yet to Win: Will 2027...
Taylor Swift has amassed eight Grammy nominations for Song of the Year, tying the record for most nods by any songwriter. Despite her prolific catalog, she remains winless in the category, matching Jack Antonoff’s 0‑8 record and joining Lady Gaga’s 0‑5...
This Swiftie’s Best-Selling Book Offers an Insider’s Look at Taylor Swift’s Fanbase
Olivia Levin, a self‑identified superfan with a 630,000‑strong Instagram following, released *The Story of Us* on April 14 through Simon & Schuster. The memoir, chronicling the evolution of the Swiftie community from its early days to the Eras Tour ticket frenzy,...
NASCAR Heads to Talladega: Here’s How to Stream This Weekend’s Races Online for Free
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway for the Jack Link’s 500 on Sunday, April 26, with Zac Brown serving as grand marshal and Kip Moore performing the Saturday in‑field concert. The race starts at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FOX....
RAYE Dazzles With Double Performance on ‘Colbert’: Watch
British singer‑songwriter RAYE returned to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on April 21, delivering a rare double performance of “Clack Clack Symphony” and “Joy.” The set follows a breakout period that includes two UK No. 1 singles, a No. 1 debut album *Hope* in...
Here Are the Radio Hall of Fame’s 2026 Nominees: Full List
The Museum of Broadcast Communications released the 24 nominees for the 2026 Radio Hall of Fame, selected by a nominating committee with industry and listener input. Voting opens on April 24 and runs through May 8, with the top six...
Olivia Dean’s ‘Man I Need’ Passes One Billion Streams on Spotify
Olivia Dean’s single “Man I Need” has entered Spotify’s Billions Club after surpassing one billion streams, joining an elite list of tracks. The British pop star, fresh off Grammy, BRIT and MOBO wins, also logged 20 weeks at No. 1 on...
From ‘Confessions II’ Reveal to Sabrina Carpenter Coachella Cameo, Madonna Is Back On the Dance Floor
Madonna announced the sequel to her 2005 dance classic, Confessions II, with a July 3, 2026 release date. She unveiled the album’s lead single, “I Feel So Free,” on Friday, marking the first full taste of the project. The pop icon then...
Celeb-Loved Juicy Couture T-Shirts Are On Sale for $8 Right Now (If You Hurry)
Juicy Couture, the iconic 2000s label, is back in the spotlight thanks to the Y2K revival and influencer buzz. Amazon is offering a five‑pack of its Juicy Sport cropped T‑shirts for $38.24, dropping the per‑shirt cost to under $8, while...
Anthropic Argues for Fair Use in UMG’s AI Lawsuit: ‘Training on Lyrics Is Transformative’
Anthropic filed a brief asserting that training its Claude chatbot on song lyrics qualifies as transformative fair use. The company argues the lyrics are just one of trillions of data points used to teach language relationships, and that Claude does...
Anne Hathaway & FKA Twigs Talk ‘Mother Mary’ Music, What to Wear to the Studio & Becoming a Pop Star:...
Anne Hathaway stars as fictional pop icon Mother Mary in A24’s thriller, front‑and‑center with a seven‑track original soundtrack released April 17 on streaming and vinyl. The actress, who previously sang on the Ella Enchanted soundtrack and Les Misérables, co‑wrote four songs...
Why Wisin Says Ivy Queen Is the Reason ‘Many of Us Are Able to Make a Living Through Our Art Today’
Ivy Queen, the long‑time queen of reggaetón, will receive Billboard’s Pioneer Award at the 2026 Latin Women in Music ceremony, recognizing her three‑decade career that broke gender barriers. She has amassed 20 Latin Rhythm Airplay entries, nine Top Latin Albums,...