Music

Slang, the independent frontline record label under the Influence Media umbrella, has named Tiara Hargrave general manager. She is based in New York and will report to Influence partner and founding advisor Rene Mclean, who heads up the label. Slang, launched last July, has a distribution deal with Will Smith, and its roster includes Grammy-winning producers Camper (Jay-Z, Drake,

Irv Gotti, the producer and music industry mogul who launched the careers of Ja Rule and Ashanti, has died at the age of 54, according to the Hollywood Reporter and sources close to the situation. A cause of death has not been confirmed, although sources tells Variety that he had suffered a series of strokes

Apple TV+ has ordered a K-pop competition series with “Gangnam Style” singer Psy and Megan Thee Stallion set to star, Variety has learned. The series is titled “KPopped.” Apple has commissioned eight episodes. Per the official description, “In each episode, western icons reimagine one of their biggest hits, collaborating with top-tier K-pop idols to deliver

Elton John and Brandi Carlile didn’t just record the currently Oscar-nominated song “Never Too Late” together but, as rumored, an entire album together. That 10-song set, “Who Believes in Angels?,” will be released April 4 on the Interscope label. It’s preceded by a first taste of the album, the title track, out today. The two

Black Sabbath has announced what is being billed as the “final” show by its original lineup — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — a benefit titled ‘Back to the Beginning’ in the band’s hometown of Birmingham, England, taking place on July 5 at the city’s Villa Park. Also performing at “Back

Global music superstar J Balvin is making his first foray into anime voice acting, joining the cast of Crunchyroll and Aniplex’s “Solo Leveling Season 2 — Arise From the Shadow” in a key role. Though details of his part are being kept under wraps, the Grammy-nominated Colombian artist will provide both English and Spanish voice

In Prime Video‘s “Newtopia,” love doesn’t just survive the apocalypse — it thrives in it. The Korean series pairs Blackpink‘s Jisoo and acclaimed actor Park Jeong-min in a romantic comedy with undead twists that’s being billed as a fresh take on the zombie genre. The series follows Lee Jae-yoon (Park), a late military conscript, and

If you’re a Mary J. Blige fan at a tour called “For My Fans,” you’d better know what to do, and how and when to do it. If you’re singing along with her 2007 hit “Just Fine,” you’d better belt “Ooooo!” at the top of your lungs after she hits the song’s title six times.

Jimmy Kimmel said during his Feb. 3 monologue on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” that Will Smith should’ve slapped Kanye West on the Grammys red carpet. Smith made his first televised awards show appearance since the notorious Oscars slap at the Grammys, where he presented a musical tribute to the late Quincy Jones. West, meanwhile, did not

Warner Music Group and streaming platform Audiomack have agreed to expand their current licensing deal, signed in 2019, to include 47 additional countries — including much of Europe and Africa and the Caribbean. Audiomack’s previous deal with WMG, which was its first licensing deal with a major label, covered the United States and Puerto Rico,

Shakira, Don Omar, Peso Pluma, Grupo Frontera and more are slated to play Chicago’s up-and-coming Latin music festival, Sueños. The weekend event will return to Grant Park, in the heart of Downtown Chicago, on May 24 and 25. Argentine pop star Maria Becerra is set to play on Saturday with Shakira as a headliner. Peso

Whoopi Goldberg passionately defended Beyoncé’s Grammy wins on “The View” (via Entertainment Weekly) after conservative figures expressed outrage over the singer winning such major categories as best country album with “Cowboy Carter,” which also took home the prize for album of the year. Conservative author Raymond Arroyo notably went on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle”

Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Jelly Roll has sealed a deal to join this upcoming season of ABC’s “American Idol” as the show’s first-ever “artist in residence.” According to the network, the Nashville artist will join the show during its “Hollywood Week” episodes, and then continue to appear throughout the season. Jelly Roll previously served last season as

With fundraising still ongoing, proceeds raised from the FireAid benefit concert are expected to have raised well over $100 million. FireAid brought in more than 50 million viewers across 28 streaming platforms with performances from Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Joni Mitchell, Dave Grohl and more on Jan. 30. These artists played short sets of one

DJ Khaled has announced his fourteenth album “Aalam of God,” which is slated for release in 2025 via We the Best/Republic Records. In typical widescreen fashion, Khaled revealed the news of the album with a seven-minute movie album trailer co-starring Mark Wahlberg and Anthony Ramos. In it, Khaled is on the run with Ramos in

Blondes really do have more fun, especially in tandem, as the world may be about to re-learn when Sabrina Carpenter is joined by Dolly Parton for a freshened up version of “Please Please Please,” set for a deluxe edition of her Grammy-winning “Short n’ Sweet” album in February. Other tracks set as bonuses for Carpenter’s

Music’s biggest night drew 15.4 million viewers on CBS Sunday night. That’s down 9% from last year’s Grammys, which brought in 16.9 million viewers on CBS, per Nielsen Live + Same Day ratings. (The 2024 Grammys marked a 34% increase from the year before.) Those figures do not include streaming and online viewership from Paramount+,

Three weeks ago, as wildfires raged across Los Angeles, there was some question over whether it would be in good taste to proceed with Grammy Weekend, even if it were safe to do so. Yet with the go-ahead from local officials, the Recording Academy and its broadcast partner CBS quickly decided to proceed with a

“Let’s go to WeHo in the meantime” doesn’t have the same ring to it, but legendary singer-songwriter and longtime Tennessean resident John Hiatt returned to his old haunts in L.A. to be serenaded by a parade of boldface admirers Saturday at a benefit show at the Troubadour. The combination of classic material and an A-list

Killer Mike is suing the private security companies that worked the 2024 Grammys after the Atlanta rapper was arrested at the ceremony. Following his three-award sweep at last year’s Grammys, Mike was detained by security and arrested by the LAPD for misdemeanor battery while trying to access the red carpet area of the event. Mike

Janelle Monáe took aim at Nelly on Sunday for his performance at Donald Trump’s inauguration ball. Monáe called out the St. Louis rapper at a Grammys afterparty (via TMZ) while performing a cover of his hit song “Hot In Herre.” “Fuck you Nelly. I used to like Nelly, but then he went to perform for

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sued by another John Doe who claims that the incarcerated mogul drugged and assaulted him. Attorney Tony Buzbee filed the suit in New York earlier today on behalf of a John Doe who alleged assault from an incident that took place in 2015. Buzbee has been behind a substantial number

Based on purely anecdotal evidence, the common post-show consensus is that the 2025 Grammys were the best in many years on nearly every level: The freshness of the performances, the fittingness of the winners, the heartfelt nature of its efforts to raise funds for Los Angeles wildfire relief, and to an unprecedented degree, the righting

Travis Scott “4×4″ — the Houston rapper’s first original solo release since 2023 — is the No. 1 song in the United States this week. Scott debuted the hard-hitting single during the halftime show at the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 20, and followed up by releasing an action-packed music video that doubled

As the Grammy Awards were underway just across town last night at Crypto.com Arena, Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler gathered a collection of gutsy rock hitmakers for his 6th annual Jam for Janie event and live auction at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Palladium. Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Marcus King, Linda Perry and more joined the rhythm section

Beyoncé’s history-making turn at the Grammy Awards last night was just the boost she needed for “Cowboy Carter” to surge back up on streaming, as her eighth album saw a 795 percent increase on Spotify compared to the day prior. At the Grammys, the singer took home the awards for album of the year, best

Not many awards shows that have lasted 3 hours and 45 minutes have ever had a preponderance of viewers agreeing that this length was justified. Sunday night’s 67th annual Grammys telecast might be the exception that belongs in that very rarefied strata — a show so solid, so relatively fat-free, that you might not even

Drake and PartyNextDoor have announced their collaborative album “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U,” releasing on Feb. 14. Drake revealed that the project will land on Valentine’s Day with a teaser clip on his social media showing him in a karaoke room with a few women. Details about which songs will make the final cut are

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. After a long wait — and many snubs later — Beyoncé finally won Album of the Year at Sunday night’s Grammys with her country album “Cowboy Carter.” “I just feel very full and very

Natalia Lafourcade will head her most extensive North American run since 2018 for the “Cancionera Tour,” launching on April 24. She is set to perform in concert halls across the United States and Canada including the Chicago Theatre, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, among others. “I’ve been dreaming for a