Music

Billie Eilish surprised fans with Charli XCX on Tuesday to deliver the live debut of their “Guess” (Remix) in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum. On the third of five nights at the arena for Eilish, the pair took the “Brat”-green lit stage to sing their Grammy-nominated high-energy track. Charli posted footage of the performance

In what she described as “my last singing of the year,” Sabrina Carpenter sang a “Christmas version” of her hit “Please Please Please” as well as “Slim Pickins” at the tenth anniversary edition of the Jack Antonoff’s Ally Coalition Talent Show in New York Tuesday night. Sabrina Carpenter performs with Bleachers (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty

Leading contenders for the Society of Composers & Lyricists’ 2025 SCL Awards include “Emilia Pérez” composers Clément Ducol and Camille, who picked up three nominations, for their score and for two original songs from the musical drama. Matching that number as an individual was Atticus Ross, whose three nominations are split between his scoring work

Universal Music Publishing Group Chair-CEO Jody Gerson will receive the 2025 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons honor at the Recording Academy and Clive Davis’ annual Pre-Grammy Gala, the organizations announced today. The celebration takes place Feb. 1, 2025, on the Saturday night before the Grammy Awards. Adding to the honor, the “Clive Party” is celebrating

Megan Thee Stallion has filed for a restraining order against Tory Lanez, who she claims is harassing her from behind bars as he serves a 10-year sentence stemming from a July 2020 incident where he shot at her feet. In the substantial 194-page document, lawyers for the rapper (aka Megan Pete) describe Lanez (aka Daystar

Trip-hop group Massive Attack revealed they turned down a performance slot at the 2025 Coachella Festival due to concerns about the desert event’s environmental impact. Coachella is held in April at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. and is one of the largest and most profitable music festivals in the United States. Next year’s

The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, which provides services and financial assistance for career musicians and professionals, will pay tribute to legendary singer Joan Baez with a benefit concert at the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco on Feb. 8. Confirmed performers include Baez, Emmylou Harris, Hozier, Rosanne Cash, Margo Price, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Morello, Joe Henry, Lucinda Williams, and Taj Mahal, with surprise guests and additional performers

South by Southwest Conference and Festivals has upped Co-President and Chief Programming Officer Hugh Forrest to president of the company. Forrest will continue to oversee the programming departments while taking over current Co-President and Chief Brand Officer Jann Baskett’s role. Baskett will step down on Dec. 31, transitioning to an advisory and project-based role. Forrest’s

Ticketing agencies will have to disclose total costs upfront — including junk fees — in a new ruling from the Federal Trade Commission targeting deceptive pricing tactics. The bipartisan Junk Fees Rule will take effect around April and require live ticket events, hotels and vacation rentals to be transparent in pricing instead of tacking on

Beyoncé is now the most RIAA certified female artist of all time with 103 certified titles across her discography, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced Tuesday. “We are so excited to recognize the incredible talent, hard work and creative spirit reflected across diverse genres,” said RIAA President & COO Michele Ballantyne. “Beyoncé’s iconic catalogue

We say it every year: There are way too many music books for any human to keep track of, let alone read. Yet this year has seen a backbreaking pile of welcome additions to the boundless stacks, just a few of which we delve into here (we’re still dying to read the Cher book). So

A 1983 Fender Telecaster made for and owned by Bob Dylan will be up for sale via Julian’s Auctions’ “Celebrating Bob Dylan: The Aronowitz Archive, T Bone Burnett, & More” event at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville on Jan. 18. The auction features 60 items, 50 of these from journalist Al

SoundCloud is introducing a new artist subscription plan called Artist, intended to help emerging and aspiring musicians get their music out into the world easily and affordably. Priced at $3.25/month (or $39/year), the Artist plan bridges the gap between the platform’s Basic and Artist Pro subscriptions (formerly known as Next Pro), providing an affordable option

SZA announced on social media Monday that her long-delayed album “Lana” — a deluxe edition of her Grammy-winning second full-length “SOS” — will be released on Friday. The post features actor Ben Stiller singing along passionately with what is presumably the new single, “Drive,” while driving on a rainy night. While SZA’s forthcoming stadium tour

Grammy-nominated rapper Gunnais set to make his African debut as the headliner for Coca-Cola Rhythm Unplugged, the flagship event of Flytime Fest 2024. Taking place at the Eko Convention Center in Lagos, Nigeria, on Dec. 22, the performance marks a milestone in both Gunna’s career and the legacy of the festival, which celebrates its 20th

Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” is closing the year at No. 1 on the albums chart. For a 17th (nonconsecutive) week, Swift leads the list with her Grammy-nominated “Tortured Poets” logging 240,000 equivalent album units, according to Luminate. Over 80% of that total is fueled by physical album sales following the release of the

Little Big Town likes to do things in fours, as the ensemble’s vocal-quartet configuration would indicate. So the country-pop group wasn’t about to let its 25th anniversary pass with just one commemoration when four would do: a national tour with their longtime friends in Sugarland; a greatest hits album; a Christmas record; and the quartet’s

In a long-rumored move, Virgin Music Group, the independent music division of Universal Music Group, announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Downtown Music Holdings LLC for $775 million (approximately €737 million). The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the second half of 2025.  “Justin Kalifowitz, Andrew Bergman and Pieter Van Rijn have

Taylor Swift’s “Tortured Poets Department” and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” topped the RIAA’s albums and singles lists for 2024, based on sales and streaming, the organization announced Monday. The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) recognizes certifies the top selling and streaming recordings, with 65 artists earning their first Gold (500,000 units) and Platinum

All they want for Christmas is to ride shotgun. Superstar pop divas Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa and Chappell Roan go a-SUV-caroling in “A Very Carpool Karaoke Christmas,” a holiday special that was unwrapped as a surprise release Sunday night on Apple TV+ and Apple Music. The hour-long installment of the Emmy-winning “Carpool Karaoke: The Series”

Zakir Hussain, virtuoso of the tabla instrument and a towering figure in Indian classical music, died on Dec. 15 of chronic lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, at a hospital in San Francisco. He was 73. “His prolific work as a teacher, mentor and educator has left an indelible mark on countless musicians. He hoped to

Children’s Diabetes Foundation founder Barbara Davis and her daughter Dana share the remarkable impact David Foster has made over the past 28 years to bring awareness and financial support to families whose children have type 1 diabetes. Here’s their story: Since 1996, when David Foster joined the Carousel of Hope family as music director, his

The woman accusing Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping her when she was 13 years old has addressed some inconsistencies in her report. Speaking with NBC News, the woman, whose identity remains protected as Jane Doe, said “not all the faces are clear” in her recollection of what happened to her over 20 years

Sean “Diddy” Combs has officially given up on getting out of prison before his trial date comes in May 2025. Legal counsel for Combs, who is currently incarcerated at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., filed a motion earlier today to dismiss his appeal for bail in his ongoing sex trafficking and racketeering case. He

Will Smith has seen the memes, and he’s making it clear that he had nothing to do with Sean “Diddy” Combs and his freak off parties. During a performance last night in San Diego, the rapper paused his set to lightheartedly address speculation that he was one of the celebrity guests that frequented Combs’ infamous

David Foster, composer-producer-songwriter extraordinaire, never stops. “I am a workaholic,” he confesses, “and I move around a lot.” Foster and his wife, singer-actress Katharine McPhee, will tour during December and January, with multiple dates scheduled for California, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. “Kat and I started touring together four or five years ago,” he

Please please please … may we have another year-in-music in 2025 as strong as this one? In coming up with 10 best album lists, each of Variety‘s staff music writers felt 2024 brought an embarrassment of riches from which to choose. You could already see that in how the upcoming 2025 Grammys are easily the

It may be surprising to learn that Idles, one of the most innovative rock bands to arise in years and an unlikely Grammy perennial, seem to have little background in rock music — at least frontman Joe Talbot. “My influences come from hip-hop, soul music, blues, garage, grime and jungle,” the 40-year-old Brit says, similar to

The Billboard Music Awards returned for their 2024 edition, delivering a star-studded lineup of performances and appearances from chart-topping favorites like Tyla, Stray Kids, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey and many more. Zach Bryan, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen and Sabrina Carpenter lead with the most nominations. Swift won in 10 categories: top Artist, top female artist, top

Since Alissia began uploading bass covers on YouTube 13 years ago, she’s gone from a Berklee College grad to a Grammy-nominated producer for Mary J. Blige, Anderson .Paak and Bootsy Collins, to name just a few. Her goal has remained the same throughout: “There’s always more to learn,” she tells Variety. “It’s that hunger for