Music

As expected, Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” album has notched a fifth non-consecutive week — and its third straight week — at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, fending off a strong newcomer in the form of Brent Faiyaz, a much-touted indie R&B artist who enters at No. 2. The Latin music star’s

“Stranger Things” star Maya Hawke has released the first single and NSFW music video for her upcoming album, “Moss” (due Sept. 23). The song, “Thérèse,” “is about the secret spaces we build where we are free to be ourselves, in a world that is always intentionally or systematically misunderstanding us,” Hawke said in a statement

There aren’t many Tony-winning productions in which one of the veteran creator-performers can announce that he’s retiring, right in the middle of a performance… and do it in song form… and have it be part of the natural flow of the evening. But that’s what happened at the opening night of “Freestyle Love Supreme” at

Celebrated guitarist Zakk Wylde has made it official, after rumors and anonymously sourced reports that he was joining Pantera for a reunion tour: It’s all true. Except maybe for the part that he is truly “in” Pantera. In Wylde’s view, the guitarist whose shoes he will be filling, the late “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, can’t be

Steven Spielberg has a new first in his 50-year-plus directing career — he’s directed a music video, using his smartphone, for Marcus Mumford’s debut solo track, “Cannibal.” Kate Capshaw may have some firsts on her resume, too: She acted as dolly grip and art director as well as producer for the single-take clip. [embedded content]

Kanye West will no longer be performing at the Rolling Loud music festival. Festival organizers shared a statement with Variety Sunday afternoon confirming that the rapper’s headlining set would be replaced with a performance by Kid Cudi. News of West’s exit from the event comes just days before Rolling Loud is set to kick off.

The New York City Council has voted to officially bestow the name “Beastie Boys Square” upon the intersection of Ludlow Street and Rivington Street in New York City– the corner popularized by the rap trio’s 1989 album, “Paul’s Boutique.” Council member Christopher Marte confirmed in an interview with local news channel Pix11 that the effort,

Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters made a bold statement against Drake and the Weeknd, stating that he’s “far, far more important” than either Canadian artist. During a Friday interview with Canadian publication the Globe and Mail, the 78-year-old musician stated that it “seemed odd” that the Weeknd’s concert received more media coverage from Toronto publications, considering

It’s been a summer tour of twists and turns for Dead & Company, who wrap it up tonight at Citi Field. Just 10 days ago, the band cancelled a show when John Mayer’s 94-year-old father had a medical emergency. Richard Mayer is out of the hospital and recovering. The state of original Grateful Dead drummer

Jack White has always been a bifurcated kind of guy. That was evident right from the name of his very famous first band: Announcing you’re a stripe may be one strong indicator of a two-tone sensibility. His yin and yang are there not just in a serious design ethos — which could be red, yellow

Bill Kahan Kapri, better known by his stage name Kodak Black, was arrested Friday after a traffic stop in Florida. The rapper was pulled over when Florida Highway Patrol flagged his car as having tinted windows “which appeared to be darker than the legal limit,” according to a release obtained by CNN. Upon stopping Kapri,

An attorney for singer Ricky Martin has strongly refuted disturbing allegations that the singer abused his nephew, calling them “not only untrue” but “disgusting.” Martin was served a restraining order in Puerto Rico in early July, citing domestic abuse. On Friday, TMZ reported that the singer’s brother, Eric Martin, identified the alleged victim as Martin’s

A few days after her latest legal victory in court, Britney Spears is sharing her passion and love for music with her fans, singing a powerful new version of her hit “Baby One More Time.” Spears, who was freed from her conservatorship after 13 years this past November, took to Instagram to post a brand

TikTok superstar Bella Porch is back with a brand new single and kick-ass video, “Dolls.” It’s Poarch’s third single, following “Build a Bitch” and “Inferno,” a collaboration she did with Sub Urban. Speaking with Variety, Poarch, who has 90 million followers on TikTok and 14 million on Instagram, said her latest release was inspired by

Billy Corgan, best known as the frontman of alt rock group Smashing Pumpkins, will host a benefit concert for recent victims of the recent Highland Park shooting. Corgan, a resident of Highland Park for over 20 years, announced the concert on Instagram in a post shared on the accounts of Smashing Pumpkins and tea shop

Bea Kristi is booked and busy. When Variety caught up with the 21-year-old, she was just starting to settle down from a full day’s preparation for her performance at Madrid’s Mad Cool festival, which she was leaving for the following morning. For a brief moment, her standard nonchalance slipped as she started to gush over the

It’s difficult to imagine that an intensely theatrical performer like the Weeknd — whose videos, concerts, 2021 Super Bowl Halftime performance and lyrics are loaded with vibrant, at times disturbing imagery — would launch his first-ever stadium tour without spectacle. And thankfully, after several  incidents of unwanted drama — including two Covid-related delays, the postponement

William “Poogie” Hart, lead singer of legendary Philadelphia soul act the Delfonics, has died, his son Hadi confirmed to TMZ. According to the report, Hart was taken to Philadelphia’s Temple University Hospital after suffering breathing difficulties and died Thursday due to complications from surgery. He was 77. Powered by Hart’s high, sweet falsetto, the Delfonics

If we were going to borrow the terminology of one pop-culture juggernaut, “Star Wars,” for another, BTS, we might call this phase of the career of one of the group’s members “BTS, Episode II: A New J-Hope.” At least, J-Hope himself considers this the beginning of a second chapter in the ensemble’s career as well

When Israeli singer Mergui took the stage at the Sun Rose in Los Angeles on Thursday night, it was clear the 22-year-old has some big-time backers in his corner. Chief among them: Haim Saban, the veteran businessman, philanthropist, owner of the Power Rangers IP and label head, who launched Saban Music Group in 2019, and

What’s old is new again. Take Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” Resurrected by “Stranger Things” and overnight virality on social media, the synth-pop anthem is a chart phenomenon (No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the week ending June 30) 37 years after it was first released in 1985. While revivals of that magnitude

Although Hipgnosis Songs Fund was unusually quiet in the last six months of its fiscal year, the company that helped propel the value of music catalogs in recent years saw its value grow by nearly 5.5%, and picked up a 24% gain in gross revenue, according to its just-issued annual report. The outside evaluator cited

David Buckley is set to score the music for Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman.” Based on the DC Comics character, the 10-part series premieres on Netflix Aug. 5 stars actor Tom Sturridge as Dream —aka Morpheus. He lurks in a realm called the Dreaming, and when he’s captured, his absence triggers events that change both the

Hip-hop titan Kanye West, aka Ye, is the subject of a lawsuit filed Thursday that alleges he and his firms are holding out on more than $7.1 million owed to a production and design firm that worked on his “Donda 2” livestream release show, his canceled Coachella appearance, the “Free Larry Hoover” concert with Drake,

When the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) scheduled its first annual conference in Cleveland, Ohio, for July 11-12, it set a modest attendance goal of around 350 people. The two-day event exceeded expectations: Nearly 600 people registered for a gathering that included solutions-driven panel discussions, robust networking and packed concerts at various Cleveland independent venues.

It’s been an action-packed few weeks for the Backstreet Boys — from the group’s DNA World Tour relaunch, which included a special engagement in Las Vegas and a duet with Drake on “I Want It That Way” in Toronto, to their Hollywood Bowl bow, where the five guys — Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell,

Queen Bey is now on TikTok. Pop superstar Beyoncé has joined the short-form video app (link) — and her entire catalog is now available to TikTok users to use as backing sounds for their creations. The songs include her new single, “Break My Soul,” and hits like “Halo” and “Single Ladies.” Beyoncé just posted her first

Continued growth in streaming is delivering another upbeat year for the music business, both in the U.S. and globally, according to Luminate’s 2022 Midyear Report. The study also shows Latin and country continuing to gain ground in streaming, with Bad Bunny proving a catalyst for the former. But the report’s biggest surprise might be that

Drake continues to surprise. On the heels of his latest album, “Honestly, Nevermind,” which he announced within days of its release June 17 release, the artist has revealed plans for the three-day October World Weekend, set to kick off July 28. Taking to his 116 million followers on Instagram, Drake posted the official lineup to

A judge ruled that Britney Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, must sit for a deposition and produce all documents that are being requested by the pop star’s team. The judge ordered Spears’ father will be deposed within the next 30 days in Los Angeles. Judge Brenda Penny ordered Spears’ father to produce all documents related to