Music News

On Wednesday (September 3), Rolling Stone announced the details of their 2025 Musicians on Musicians event, which will take place on October 23 at New York’s Beacon Theatre. The special evening will feature onstage conversations and collaborations by Jack Antonoff and Hayley Williams performing with Bleachers, alongside Role Model and María Zardoya of the Marías, with the event set to be hosted and moderated by Saturday Night Live’s James Austin Johnson. Ticket presale starts on Thursday (September 4), followed by a public on-sale on Friday (September 5). This year's iteration continues the acclaimed series that began in 2019 and has showcased legendary pairings like Paul McCartney with Taylor Swift, Elton John with Lana Del Rey, and Lorde with David Byrne, with last year’s event featuring Doechii with Brittany Howard, and Busta Rhymes with GloRilla. This year’s event follows a successful Musicians on Musicians five-city tour, which featured Charley Crockett, Tank and The Bangas, Big Freedia, Chelsea Cutler, and Sleater-Kinney taking part. (Rolling Stone)

On Wednesday (September 3), Brandi Carlile announced the details of her first solo album in four years, Returning to Myself, which is set for release on October 24 via Interscope and the rejuvenated Americana imprint Lost Highway. The 10-song project features co-producers Andrew Watt, The National’s Aaron Dessner, and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, with contributions from Carlile’s longtime collaborators the Hanseroth Twins, plus SistaStrings, drummers Matt Chamberlain and Chad Smith, and keyboardist Josh Klinghoffer. The announcement was accompanied by the release of the title track and a music video directed by Floria Sigismondi. The album includes tracks like “Joni,” a tribute to Joni Mitchell, and a new version of “You Without Me,” a previously released collaboration with Elton John, with Carlile drawing inspiration from Emmylou Harris’ celebrated 1995 album, Wrecking Ball. “I wanted to make something that was undeniably and willfully me,” Carlile says of the album. “Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to be carried and still end up on your own two feet.” (Variety)

Noah Kahan married his longtime fiancée “in an intimate ceremony in their home state of Vermont on August 23rd,” according to a spokesperson who requested privacy for the couple. The 28-year-old "Stick Season" singer, known for keeping his personal life private, has previously expressed deep gratitude to his fiancée for supporting him through difficult times, including in the liner notes of the 2023 expanded edition of his album, Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever). “To my fiancée, you're the air I breathe, you are everything and whatever is left after that,” he wrote in the dedication. “I could spend the rest of my life thanking you for getting me through this, and I promise I will. I love you to the moon and back." The couple, rarely seen together publicly, made their first appearance at the 2023 TIME100 event after several years of dating, and media outlets have chosen not to disclose his wife's identity out of respect for their privacy. (Billboard)

Lady Gaga has just released a Tim Burton-directed music video for her new song, “The Dead Dance,” which is featured on the soundtrack for the hit Netflix series, Wednesday. The release coincides with Gaga’s guest role as Rosaline Rotwood on Season Two of the show, which stars Jenna Ortega in the title role. “I had a wonderful time working on ‘Wednesday’ season two, even just being a small part of the show,” Gaga said during a recent Wednesday promotional event. “I loved working with Tim Burton and Jenna and everyone here, it’s so incredible.” “The Dead Dance” also appears on an extended version of Gaga’s recent chart-topping album, Mayhem, along with two other new tracks, and was specifically written for the series after Gaga connected with the show’s team following the conclusion of  Season One. Gaga is currently on her Mayhem Ball Tour, and is set to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards this Sunday. (Variety)

During an appearance on the Today Show on Wednesday (September 3), NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fueled speculation about Taylor Swift possibly headlining the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. Goodell said that a potential Swift performance is a definite “maybe,” while adding that the final decision rests with Jay-Z and his Roc Nation team, who produce the halftime show. “We would always love to have Taylor play,” Goodell said. “She is a special, special talent, and obviously she would be welcome at any time.” Swift has strong ties to the NFL through her recent engagement to the Chiefs’ star tight end Travis Kelce, and her highly-anticipated upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl, would be a perfect fit for a promotional Super Bowl performance. While the halftime show has favored hip-hop and R&B stars recently, Swift’s recent hints about the Super Bowl and Goodell’s coy remarks suggest fans may soon see her take the iconic stage in February 2026. (Billboard)

During a recent appearance on the In The Trenches With Spidey podcast, renowned Nashville music manager Troy “Tracker” Johnson revealed how Morgan Wallen made an unexpected appearance in Drake’s 2023 music video for “You Broke My Heart.” After a chance lunch involving Big Loud’s CEO Seth England and music legends Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, Drake’s team suddenly contacted Tracker late at night to fly Wallen to Toronto with little info beyond the shoot’s location. Despite initial uncertainty and secrecy about details, Wallen and his team eventually arrived on a movie-like set where the country superstar met Drake, with the duo hitting it off and filming multiple takes of their scenes. The surprise collaboration not only shocked country music fans, but it also solidified Wallen’s growing global status. Both artists ended up exchanging numbers and teasing possible future projects, while the day ended with a late-night feast where they were joined by ERNEST and Charlie Handsome, where they reflected on the surreal experience. (Holler)

At their concert in Dallas over Labor Day weekend, the Jonas Brothers surprised fans by bringing out Kelsea Ballerini – who previously opened for them on their 2021 Remember This Tour – to perform duets of her hit “Peter Pan” and their song “Fly With Me.” “We had the wonderful pleasure of bringing her on tour, and throughout the years, we’ve had the fortune of doing several performances,” Nick Jonas said while introducing Ballerini. “But tonight, she’s gracious enough to come out and be here for this incredible Dallas crowd. Please welcome to the stage our friend, your friend, Kelsea Ballerini.” Sunday’s concert featured several special moments, including guest appearances by Ryan Cabrera for a rendition of “On the Way Down,” and Plain White T’s for their smash hit, “Hey There Delilah,” as well as performances of fan-requested live rarities “One Day at a Time” and “Love Is on its Way,” and the live debut of Kevin Jonas’ solo track “Changing.” (Rolling Stone)

British singer-songwriter Myles Smith will headline the halftime show at the NFL’s first-ever regular season game in Dublin on September 28, where the Minnesota Vikings will face the Pittsburgh Steelers at the iconic Croke Park. Smith is best known for his billion-stream hit "Stargazing," which peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached No. 4 on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart, leading to the Luton-born singer winning BRITs Rising Star Award. The 27-year-old Smith will perform alongside Dublin’s The Line-Up Choir, and says, “I can’t wait to bring my music to such a massive stage and share this experience with those in the stadium and watching around the world.” Irish singer Lyra will sing the national anthem before kickoff, in front of an expected sold-out 82,000 crowd at a venue famed for both sports and major concerts, including last month’s two-night stand by Oasis on their Live ‘25 reunion tour. (Billboard)

In a new interview with London’s The Times, Lil Nas X’s father, Robert Stafford, attributed the rapper’s recent arrest and public breakdown to the immense pressures of fame and family responsibility. Stafford explained that the stress of being a young breadwinner and dealing with family struggles – including the addiction battle of his mother, Tameka Hill – contributed to the August 21 incident where Nas (born Montero Lamar Hill) was found wandering naked in Los Angeles and allegedly resisted police, leading to four felony charges including battery on an officer. “I went to visit him in jail and as soon as I walked through that door, I couldn’t do anything but cry,” Stafford recalled. “To see my baby boy on the other side of that glass. And I had to tell him that, ‘What you’re going through is normal. We all have breakdowns every now and then, but the difference is, yours get played out in the public eye.’” (Billboard)

Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” dominated Billboard’s 2025 Songs of the Summer chart, holding the No. 1 spot throughout all 14 weeks of the season, while also spending 10 total weeks atop the Hot 100, marking the first chart leader of the breakout pop star’s career. The chart ranks songs based on streaming, airplay, and sales from Memorial Day to Labor Day, excluding titles that appeared the previous year. Morgan Wallen made history by securing the Nos. 2, 3, and 4 spots with a trio of hits from his chart-topping album, I’m the Problem –  “What I Want,” featuring Tate McRae, “Just in Case,” and “I’m the Problem,” respectively – making the country superstar the first artist with three Top 5 entries in a single Songs of the Summer chart.

Warren’s “Ordinary” led in radio airplay and downloads, while Wallen’s “What I Want” had the most overall streams. The Songs of the Summer Top 10 is rounded out by Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” at No. 5, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” at No. 6, current Hot 100 chart-topper, “Golden” by HUNTR/X at No. 7, Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” at No. 8, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” at No. 9, and Ravyn Lenae’s “Love Me Not” at No. 10. (Billboard)

Fugees rapper Pras Michel missed his scheduled sentencing hearing on Friday (August 29) after undergoing "emergency surgery for colon cancer removal," according to his spokesperson, Erica Dumas. The medical procedure delays the proceedings in his 2023 criminal case where he was found guilty of conspiring to defraud the U.S. government, witness tampering, and acting as an unregistered foreign agent. Michel faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, with the federal government seeking the forfeiture of nearly $65 million linked to his efforts to influence the Trump administration to drop an investigation into Malaysian fugitive Jho Low. Michel’s next hearing is set for October 3, with Dumas sharing that he is “recovering right now until he is in the clear and focused on spending time with his family ahead of sentencing,” while adding that the musician “remains hopeful for his future.” (People)

HUNTR/X’s “Golden,” from the soundtrack to the hit Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters, claims the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for a third week, while the music from the movie notches three Top 5 hits and a record-setting four simultaneous Top 10s for a second consecutive week. Saja Boys’ “Your Idol” and “Soda Pop” remain at their respective No. 4 and No. 5 peaks, while in addition to their chart-topping hit, HUNTR/X’s “How It’s Done” moves up one spot to reach a new high of No. 9. With three Top 5 hits in two straight weeks, KPop Demon Hunters joins Saturday Night Fever as the only soundtracks to achieve that triple-double in chart history. In April 1978, Saturday Night Fever’s three hits were the Bee Gees' “Night Fever” at No. 1 and “Stayin’ Alive” at No. 2, while Yvonne Eliiman’s “If I Can’t Have You” was No. 5.

The rest of this week’s Hot 100 Top 10 includes Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” holding at No. 2, Morgan Wallen’s “What I Want,” featuring Tate McRae, remaining at No. 3, Ravyn Lenae’s “Love Me Not” stays at No. 6, while Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” vaults up seven spots to No. 7, fueled by the buzz for the pop superstar’s new album, Man’s Best Friend, which was released on Friday (Aug. 29). Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” falls one spot to No. 8, and Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” rises one slot to No. 10, becoming only the fourth song to spend a milestone 50 weeks or more in the Top 10, joining Swims' “Lose Control” (76; 2024-25), Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (66; 2024-25) and The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” (57; 2020-21). (Billboard)

The Killers have just been announced as the replacement for Doja Cat as the Sunday night headliners for the Austin City Limits Festival on October 5 and 12. The move comes after Doja withdrew due to promotional commitments for her upcoming album, Vie, which is set for release on September 26. “Unfortunately, I will not be performing at Austin City Limits this year,” Doja wrote in an Instagram Story on Friday. “When I made the commitment I didn’t know exactly when Vie would be released. I’ve been working on finalizing the album, making videos, taking the time to put together an album campaign that I am really excited about, and it’s become clear to me that I cannot give you guys the show you deserve within this time frame.” ACL organizers quickly announced that The Killers would step in for Doja, marking the Las Vegas band's return to the festival for the first time since 2017. The 2025 ACL lineup also features headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Hozier, Luke Combs, and the Strokes. (Rolling Stone)

Cyndi Lauper concluded her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour on Saturday night (August 30) at the Hollywood Bowl with a star-studded final show featuring surprise guest appearances by Joni Mitchell, Cher, SZA, and John Legend. Mitchell, making only her second public performance of 2025, joined Lauper for a rare live performance of “Carey,” the Blue classic that Cyndi covered during a 2000 tribute concert for the folk music icon. Legend duetted with Lauper on “Time After Time,” while SZA joined her on “True Colors,” and Cher fittingly helped close out the night alongside her friend and former tourmate on Lauper’s iconic 1983 debut single, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Lauper has previously welcomed special guests like Sam Smith, Hayley Williams, and Mickey Guyton during her farewell tour, and the 72-year-old will likely perform next at her upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this year. (Rolling Stone)

Fifth Harmony surprised fans at the Jonas Brothers concert in Dallas on Sunday night (August 31) by reuniting on stage for the first time since their 2018 hiatus. 5H members Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, and Lauren Jauregui – minus Camila Cabello, who left the group in 2016 – performed their hits “Worth It” and “Work From Home.” The group shared a clip of their performance on Instagram, captioning their post, “Where were you on August 31, 2025? Thank you @jonasbrothers for having us. Felt amazing to be back 💖.” Cabello showed her support to her former bandmates by commenting, “❤️❤️❤️❤️.” The reunion coincides with the release of new 5H merchandise and the group’s move to the Hybe-owned WeVerse platform to reconnect with their fans. Fifth Harmony originally rose to fame on The X-Factor in 2012, and their comeback marks the most notable appearance amid a series of high-profile special guests during the Jonas Brothers' recent shows, such as Demi Lovato’s “Camp Rock” reunion earlier in the tour. (Variety)

Lady Gaga is set to make her first MTV VMAs performance in five years at the 2025 awards show on September 7, where she leads all nominees with 12 total nods, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for Mayhem. MTV made the announcement on Instagram over the weekend, writing “There will be magic in the air at the 2025 #VMAs because @LADYGAGA IS PERFORMING! 🪄 You won’t want to miss her return,” while adding in the comments, "let mayhem commence!!!" Gaga is currently on the road as part of her wildly successful Mayhem Ball Tour, with upcoming shows in Miami, New York, Chicago, and Toronto. The VMAs, airing live from UBS Arena in New York on CBS, MTV, and streaming on Paramount+, will also feature performances from Sabrina Carpenter, Post Malone, Ricky Martin, Doja Cat, Tate McRae, and Mariah Carey, who will receive the Video Vanguard Award. (People)

Taylor Swift’s upcoming 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, set for release on October 3, has already broken Spotify records by becoming the most pre-saved album Countdown Page in the platform’s history. It surpasses the record previously held by Swift's 2024 album, The Tortured Poets Department. The pop superstar announced her forthcoming project back in August during a record-setting appearance on her fiancé Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast. The album features 12 new tracks produced by longtime collaborators Max Martin and Shellback, and was supported by an exclusive Spotify playlist titled, And, baby, that’s show business for you, which highlights her previous work with the production duo. This milestone adds to Swift’s continued streaming dominance, following her being recognized as Spotify’s most-streamed artist of 2024, with over 26.6 billion global streams. Those figures were propelled by the massive success of Tortured Poets, which topped the Billboard 200 for 17 weeks and earned her a seventh Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. (Billboard)

Stray Kids’ KARMA debuts atop the Billboard 200 chart, earning the K-pop group the seventh No. 1 of their career. The release notched 313,000 equivalent album units in the United States over the past week, with traditional album sales making up 296,000 of that figure, marking career highs in both totals for the group. All seven of Stray Kids’ Billboard 200 chart entries have debuted at No. 1, beginning with ODDINARY in 2022, and continuing with HOP in 2024, making them the first act to debut at No. 1 with their first six entries in the 69-year history of the chart, with KARMA’s chart-topping success extending their record.

Other significant moves in this week’s Top 10 include Laufey earning her first Top 10 of her career with the No. 4 debut of A Matter of Time, while Deftones score their seventh Top 10 with Private Music, which enters at No. 5. Tyler, The Creator’s Cherry Bomb vaults back up the chart, reaching No. 6 following a 10th anniversary reissue, while BigXthaPlug claims his highest-charting effort of his career with the No. 7 debut of I Hope You’re Happy. The rest of the Billboard 200 Top 10 is rounded out by the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack holding steady at its No. 2 peak, Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem drops two places to No. 3 following twelve nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1, Alex Warren’s You’ll Be Alright, Kid falls three spots to No. 8, Gunna’s The Last Wun descends five slots to No. 9, and Wallen’s One Thing at a Time slides down three places to No. 10. (Billboard)

The new series, Words + Music, produced by Gunpowder & Sky and Audible, will premiere on MGM+ on November 30, featuring artists like Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, John Legend, and Alanis Morissette. During each episode, the musicians will share personal songs and stories in front of small audiences, with the performances fiilmed on Amazon MGM Studios’ volume stage in Culver City, California. The show is an evolution of the popular Words + Music podcast – which featured appearances by Pete Townshend, Mariah Carey, St. Vincent, and Snoop Dogg – combining live performance with rich visual storytelling to create a blend of intimate narrative and dynamic imagery. With experienced producers like MTV and VH1 veterans Van Toffler, Alex Coletti, and Bill Flanagan behind it, the series aims to redefine music storytelling in a modern three-dimensional format, with hopes for more seasons and a growing roster of artists eager to explore innovative ways to present their music. (Variety)

Paramore's Hayley Williams has officially released the properly sequenced version of her new solo album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party. The project now features 18 total tracks, including the 17 previously released songs Williams shared back in July, and an additional new tune, “Parachute.” The album was produced entirely by Daniel James, with Williams playing multiple instruments on the project, alongside additional contributions from Brian Robert Jones, Joey Howard, and Jim-E Stack on “True Believer.” The release of the newly sequenced album follows a unique rollout where Williams initially shared the collection on her website for 24 hours, before releasing it to streaming platforms and inspiring fans to create custom playlists that influenced the final running order. Preceded by music videos for tracks like “Ego Death,” “Glum,” and “Kill Me,” the album is available for pre-order now in multiple vinyl colors and limited-edition CD-Rs, with a physical release slated for November 7. (Variety)