Music News

Tomorrow X Together have announced that they are bringing their highly-anticipated Act: Tomorrow 2025 World Tour to the U.S. The K-pop boy band will make stops in seven major cities, including the U.S. tour kickoff on September 9 in San Jose, followed by a high-profile stadium stop in Los Angeles, before hitting arenas in Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington D.C., and finishing with a two-night stand at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on October 1-2. This tour follows their successful run of shows in the U.S. in 2024, and marks their third world tour in as many years, with prior stops scheduled in Europe, China, and Japan. The announcement coincides with the July 21 release of the group’s fourth studio LP, The Star Chapter: Together, which marks the second and final instalment of the band's Star Chapter series. (Rolling Stone)

Kanye West faces new accusations of sexual battery and sex trafficking from his former assistant, Lauren Pisciotta, who initially sued him in 2024 for wrongful termination and sexual harassment. The amended complaint alleges that West coerced Pisciotta into sexual encounters, made lewd comments, and subjected her to harassment and assault. Pisciotta began working for the rapper in 2021 as an A&R during the making of his album, Donda, and eventually became his personal assistant. She is demanding a trial by jury to seek general, economic, and punitive damages, including past and future lost earnings. Representatives for West have not made a statement about the new accusations, though at the time of Pisciotta’s original lawsuit in 2024, West’s lawyer put out a statement calling her accusations “baseless” while claiming that they planned to countersue. (Variety)

Temple University has unveiled a groundbreaking new course, "Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D City," to be taught by Professor Timothy Welbeck in Fall 2025. The class will focus on the cultural impact of the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper, with students giving close listens to Lamar’s Grammy-winning albums, while also receiving guest lectures from his collaborators. “Kendrick Lamar is one of the defining voices of his generation, and in many ways, both his art and life is reflective of the Black experience in many telling ways,” Welbeck says, while revealing that the college was very supportive of his course idea. “My current department chair was very open to the idea and received it almost immediately,” he says. “Our department at Temple has embraced the study of hip-hop in academic spaces.” The course, which begins in August, is now open for enrollment. (Rolling Stone)

Jennifer Hudson is set to headline the Whitney E. Houston Legacy of Love Gala at the St. Regis Hotel in Atlanta on August 9, on what would have been the late singer's 62nd birthday. The event will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Houston's groundbreaking career, with music industry legend Clive Davis serving as honorary chair. Hudson, an EGOT winner, will be joined by R&B artist Meli'sa Morgan, who sang on Houston’s self-titled debut album, along with the foundation’s Cover Song Competition winner Jimmy Vance, and a symphony orchestra previewing the upcoming North American tour of The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration. The gala will honor Houston's legacy while also continuing her mission of supporting children and empowering youth, by offering grants to organizations like Kids in the Spotlight, and awarding scholarships for students attending HBCUs. (Billboard)

Justin Bieber is set to surprise fans with the unexpected release of his long-awaited seventh album, Swag, on Friday (July 11) via Def Jam. The highly-anticipated project, which Bieber put the finishing touches on during a getaway to Iceland in April, will likely feature collaborations with Gunna, Sexyy Red, and Cash Cobain, who recently participated in “jam sessions” with the singer. A series of social media posts that surfaced on Thursday announced the impending arrival of the surprise album, including a billboard in Iceland featuring the possible cover art that includes a black-and-white photo of Bieber alongside the word “SWAG.”

Bieber himself also shared an Instagram post featuring a Times Square billboard displaying the surprise album’s 20-song tracklist. Bieber's dedicated fans are eagerly awaiting the upcoming release, which marks the 31-year-old pop superstar’s first album since 2021’s chart-topping, Grammy-nominated, Justice. Bieber has since undergone considerable changes in his personal and professional life, including becoming a father and parting ways with longtime manager Scooter Braun. (The Hollywood Reporter)

During a recent appearance on the StageLeft podcast, Olivia Rodrigo's guitarist, Daisy Spencer, revealed that the singer generously paid for free therapy for her crew throughout the Guts Tour, as well as during their time off the road. Spencer expressed gratitude for the accessible and free therapy, emphasizing the impact it had on her mental health and well-being. “I have never had anything like that,” Spencer said. “And that reignited the importance of therapy to me because I had just kind of fallen off for so long, and then suddenly I had this free resource of incredible therapists. Honestly, that was one of the coolest things that has ever happened on tour.” Spencer detailed how Rodrigo's gesture allowed her to regularly access therapy and work through unprocessed trauma from her younger years, describing it as one of the best gifts one can receive. The act reflects a growing trend of artists openly discussing mental health struggles, with Rodrigo being a leading proponent of prioritizing mental well-being. (Billboard)

In a recent appearance on the School of Greatness podcast with his brothers Nick and Joe, Kevin Jonas revealed that he faced financial ruin after losing "almost all" of his money following the split of the Jonas Brothers. Kevin eventually restored his assets due to the group's reunion in 2019, and reflected on his personal journey from financial success to near bankruptcy on the show. “I’ve seen the beginning of the success to financial success — not knowing what money really was and understanding it — to not having [it], to losing almost all of it,” Kevin said, revealing that he lost “most of” his money, “like, down to the one 10 percent left.” Kevin didn’t share specific details of his ordeal, though he said it happened around nine years ago. “I invested in a bunch of property and doing other things and I was building at the time,” he explained. “Sadly, it wasn’t the right partnership.” (Variety) 

The new Netflix competition series, Building the Band, is dedicated to the late Liam Payne, with host AJ McLean honoring the One Direction member in the premiere episode. “When we came together to film ‘Building the Band,’ we never imagined we’d soon be saying goodbye to our friend Liam Payne,” McLean said at the beginning of the episode. “Liam is a guest judge in later episodes, and through his presence, we see his deep love for music and his unwavering commitment to helping others find their voice. It’s through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.” Payne will appear posthumously as a guest judge in later episodes set to arrive next week, alongside fellow judges Kelly Rowland and Nicole Scherzinger. Payne filmed scenes for the show in the summer of 2024, with his last scenes captured in August, before his tragic death in October. The first four episodes of the series are currently available for streaming, with additional episodes set to be released on July 16 and July 23. (Variety)

Ed Sheeran will showcase his Jackson Pollock-inspired paintings in London at the Heni Gallery in Soho, starting on July 10 and running until August 1. The exhibition, titled "Cosmic Carpark Paintings," will raise funds for his Ed Sheeran Foundation, which focuses on providing music education for young people. “So last year in between shows I was doing these paintings,” Sheeran wrote in an Instagram post announcing his exhibition, while adding, “I love painting, more for fun and to give to friends, but this time I was encouraged to do a show of them by @DamienHirst and @Heni.” The musician explains that, “I paint when I’m not working on a record, just to do something creative with my brain,” while admitting, “I am by no means ‘an artist’, but I do love making art, it makes me feel great, and I love the end result.” Sheeran says,”The paintings are for sale if anyone fancies it, and my proceeds from them will all go into the @edsheeranfnd so art will fund art. I like the idea of that.” (Rolling Stone)

Sean "Diddy" Combs will be sentenced on October 3 for his two prostitution convictions, after his defense team reached an agreement on the sentencing timeline with the prosecution. The defense's sentencing memorandum is due on September 19, and the prosecution’s will be expected the following week, which was agreed to and signed by presiding Judge Arun Subramanian on Tuesday (July 8). The government is seeking a prison sentence of between 51 to 63 months, while the defense is recommending between 21 to 27 months, with Combs expected to receive credit for over a year of time served. Following a nearly two-month trial, Combs was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, but was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He will remain in custody at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center until the sentencing. (People)

On Monday (July 7), Frankie Grande took to Instagram to announce that an upcoming remix of his song, "Hotel Rock Bottom," will feature his sister, Ariana Grande. The track is set to be released on Friday (July 11) as part of the deluxe edition of his debut album, also titled Hotel Rock Bottom. This collaboration marks the siblings first music collaboration together, while showcasing Frankie's transition from Broadway to his own music project. Frankie captioned the post: “This song is so personal to me, and having her on it makes it even more meaningful. Can’t wait for you to hear it!!” Ariana showed her support by commenting on the post, “love you so much 🥹🥲 ♡ so proud of you and grateful to be a part of this deluxe!” Ariana remains focused on her acting career, continuing her portrayal of Glinda the good witch in the highly-anticipated Wicked sequel, Wicked: For Good, which will hit theaters on November 21. (Rolling Stone)

On Monday (July 7), Jessie J shared an emotional update on Instagram where the English pop star revealed that her breast cancer had not spread following a mastectomy. In the touching video clip, her two-year-old son Sky Safir is shown saying, “Mommy’s gonna be okay.” Jessie captioned the post: “And…I AM OK Results = I have NO cancer spread 😭😭😭 Happy tears are real 😭😭😭😭😭😭 Thank YOU for the prayers, the love, the well wishes, the joy and all the positive energy. 🥹” The singer also disclosed her plans for further reconstructive surgery to ensure a full recovery. “Lots of healing to go and one more surgery to make these cousins look more like sisters. But for now it’s gratitude time.” This positive news comes after the musician's initial announcement of her breast cancer diagnosis on June 3. During an appearance at the Summertime Ball at London’s Wembley Stadium on June 16, Jessie declared it was her "last show before I go to beat breast cancer!" (People)

In an Instagram post on Monday (July 7), Justin Bieber shared a couple adorable snapshots of his 10-month-old son, Jack Blues, joining him in the recording studio. sparking speculation about his possible musical inclinations. In the photos, Jack is seen in striped dungarees standing by a coffee table surrounded by Justin and his friends, two of whom are playing guitars, while Justin lovingly gazes at his son. The proud dad captioned his post, “💕💕💕💕💕💕💕.” This heartwarming moment follows a video posted on Sunday featuring Justin affectionately playing with Jack, as well as a carousel of snapshots featuring Justin and his wife, Hailey, sharing a sweet embrace, which the singer captioned, “My forever n always 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕.” These tender glimpses into Justin’s personal life capture the love he has for his family, while he remains at work on the long-awaited follow-up to his chart-topping, Grammy-nominated 2021 album, Justice. (People)

Janet Jackson and Maxwell sparked romance rumors when they were spotted smiling and holding hands as they attended the 1,500th performance of Cabaret in London on Monday night (July 7). Jackson, a five-time Grammy-winning singer, and R&B star Maxwell, were captured by fans arriving together at the Playhouse Theatre, with Jackson donning an all-white pantsuit and Maxwell in all black. Fellow celebrities Eddie Redmayne and Helena Bonham Carter also attended the event. The 59-year-old Jackson divorced Wissam Al Mana eight years ago, with the former couple sharing an eight-year-old son, Eissa. In May, Jackson received the ICON Award at the 2025 American Music Awards, and recently wrapped a 10-date residency at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas on May 31, with six additional dates scheduled for September. (People)

During his concert in Hamburg, Germany on Saturday night (July 5), Ed Sheeran delighted fans by bringing out his childhood band along with Wheatus frontman Brendan B. Brown to perform the 2000 indie rock hit, "Teenage Dirtbag," a song he considers one of his all-time top 10 favorites. Sheeran, 34, explained that he reunited with his high school band earlier this year to perform at a friend’s wedding, and got the idea to play the song with them during his 2025 stadium tour. He then reached out to Brown to perform his band’s classic track on stage with them. Sheeran shared a video of the performance on social media, captioning his post: “Used to play Teenage Dirtbag with my high school band when I was 12. I cheekily asked Brendan from @wheatusofficial to come over and rock it with us, and being the ledge that he is, he did. One of my fav moments ever on stage. What a night.” Wheatus' Instagram page commented on the post, "BEST DAY EVER!!!! 💛🩵." (People)

Lauryn Hill took the stage at the Essence Festival in New Orleans in the early hours of July 5, starting her performance at 2:30 a.m. due to the festival lineup running behind schedule. With a sparse audience in the 83,000-seat Superdome, Hill still engaged with the small crowd, took requests, and performed alongside her sons – Zion Marley, 27, and Joshua “YG” Marley, 23 – before concluding her set at 3:37 a.m. Videos of the near-empty stadium circulated on social media, prompting fans to defend the singer while absolving her of responsibility for the late start. Hill was a late addition to an already overcrowded lineup – which also featured Maxwell, Babyface, the Isley Brothers, and GloRilla – with the evening running behind schedule from the start, with some acts finishing their set an hour after the next performers were scheduled to begin. The Essence Festival 2025 concluded on Sunday (July 6), featuring a lineup including Boyz II Men, Master P, NAS, and Doug E Fresh. (People)

During her second sold-out headlining show at BST Hyde Park in London on Sunday night (July 6), Sabrina Carpenter surprised the 65,000 fans by bringing out Duran Duran for a performance of their 1982 hit, "Hungry Like the Wolf." Before their collaboration, Carpenter had the audience howling at the moon and then introduced the legendary band to the stage. Carpenter sang harmonies while vocalist Simon Le Bon and bassist John Taylor led the way, before Sabrina took over the lead on the second verse. The Duran Duran members were clearly thrilled with the experience, sharing photos of the night on Instagram while captioning the post: “Thank you @sabrinacarpenter for having us at her epic headlining show in Hyde Park last night! “Hungry” has never sounded so good!” Carpenter is gearing up to headline Lollapalooza in Chicago on August 3, and will release her highly-anticipated new album, Man’s Best Friend, on August 29, which has already spawned the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit, “Manchild.” (Rolling Stone)

Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” tops the Billboard Hot 100 once again, as his first career leader on the chart scores a fifth total week at No. 1. Meanwhile, Morgan Wallen notches his fifth week in 2025 with at least three songs simultaneously charting in the Hot 100’s Top Five, as “What I Want,” featuring Tate McRae, remains at No. 2, “Just in Case” rises one spot to No. 3, and “I’m the Problem” holds at No. 5. Wallen ties Kendrick Lamar for the most weeks with three or more concurrent Top Five hits in a single year among solo artists, with Lamar also posting three such weeks this year. Among all acts, only the Beatles have more such frames with eight, achieved during their historic breakthrough year of 1964.

The rest of the Hot 100 Top 10 is rounded out by Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” jumping up three spots to No. 4, Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” holding at No. 6, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” drops four slots to No. 7, Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” moves up one place to No. 8. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” drops one spot to No. 9 – marking the longest-charting song in the Top 10 ever by a woman artist at 45 weeks, while also surpassing The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” for the longest such stretch for a collaboration. While Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” returns to the Top 10 by jumping up one spot to reach No. 10. (Billboard)

During a visit to Phoenix Children’s Hospital in May, Kelsea Ballerini continued her involvement with Musicians On Call, a music-based charity that brings live and recorded music to patients in healthcare environments. In a heartwarming TikTok video shared by the charity, Ballerini sang Justin Bieber’s 2010 hit, “Baby,” with a young girl in a hospital bed, playfully passing the “mic” back and forth between the two of them during their special duet. Musicians on Call captioned the clip, “Huge thanks to @kelseaballerini for bringing joy and brightness to patients by playing their favorite songs 🎶💛 Your talent brings smiles to many!” Ballerini has been a part of the organization for nearly ten years, after helping launch the program – which now has a roster of volunteers which includes Darius Rucker, Luke Bryan, Trisha Yearwood, and Dolly Parton – in Phoenix back in 2016. After her most recent visit, Ballerini said, “it’s a beautiful way to let music be what music is, which is powerful.” (Holler)

Kelly Clarkson postponed her Las Vegas residency hours before the opening night due to vocal damage she suffered from rehearsals. In an Instagram post on Friday (July 4), the three-time Grammy-winning singer wrote: “I am devastated to have to postpone tonight and tomorrow’s opening at Caesars. The prep and rehearsals have taken a toll on my voice. I want the shows to be perfect for y’all and I need to protect myself from doing serious damage so I am taking this weekend and next week to rest up so that we can deliver what you all deserve.” Clarkson is aiming to officially kick off her Studio Sessions residency with scheduled shows on July 11-12 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The performances are slated to run every Friday and Saturday through August 16, with encore dates scheduled for November. Rescheduled dates for the postponed shows have not yet been announced. (Rolling Stone)