Music News

Photo Credit: Clem Burke by Blondie Clem Burke, the drummer for Blondie, has died after privately battling cancer. He was 70 years old. Blondie, the iconic New York City rock band founded by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein in 1974, announced Burke’s passing on social media. “It is with profound sadness that we relay news of the passing of our beloved friend and bandmate Clem Burke following a private battle with cancer,” wrote the band. “Clem was not just a drummer. He was the h

Photo Credit: Blue Origin Celebrities and the hoi polloi are laying into the all-female space tourist crew that Blue Origin sent on an 11 minute journey this week. Katy Perry has been a particular target of ire due to her comments before and after takeoff. Celebrities including Olivia Munn, Emily Ratajkowski, Olivia Wilde, and Amy Schumer all took their shots at the stunt. Olivia Munn’s comments didn’t mince words stating: “What’s the point? Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride? Th

Photo Credit: Post Malone’s set at Bonnaroo 2024 by Taylor Regulski Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival announces the complete schedule for this year’s edition, kicking off June 12-15 in Manchester, Tennessee. A timeline peek at this year’s lineup is also included. Bonnaroo 2025 will boast an assortment of highlights over its four unforgettable nights. Spanning multiple main stage performances on Thursday, June 12 — including a headline set by Luke Combs, Bonnaroo’s first country headliner, thr

Photo Credit: Yout.com Yout is a stream ripping website at the center of a high-profile criminal prosecution in Brazil—marking a significant escalation in the fight against online copyright infringement. This prosecution comes in the wake of the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) legal campaign against all stream-ripping services. Yout is operated by American Johnathan Nader and allows users to download audio and video from streaming platforms like YouTube. The services bypass

Photo Credit: joaco_ds / reddit Brazilian police have arrested two people in connection with an alleged plot to plant two explosive devices to bomb a free Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga’ show on the Copacabana Beach in Rio attracted the largest show of her career, with more than 2.1 million fans listening and dancing. The men plotting against the event were attempting to target LGBTQ attendees enjoying the show. “They were clearly saying that they were planning an attack at La

Photo Credit: Bruce Springsteen by Takahiro Kyono / CC by 2.0 Bruce Springsteen announces a box set of seven “lost albums,” totaling 83 songs. The collection, Tracks II: The Lost Albums, releases on June 27. It’s about to be a big year for Bruce Springsteen fans. The Boss is set to release a box set featuring some of his previously unreleased music. Tracks II: The Lost Albums drops on June 27, containing 83 songs recorded across four decades, 74 of which have never been officially released. T

Photo Credit: Gateway Studios & Production Services Gateway Studios & Production Services (GSPS) has opened its new studio complex in Chesterfield, Missouri—the largest and most advanced rehearsal and production campus in the US. The new campus is hosting clients on-site, with new bookings continuing to build. The 32-acre facility is designed to meet the demands of the most complex touring productions, television and film projects, and high-end corporate events. It offers a seamless, p

Morgan Stanley and others are bullish on Spotify stock ahead of the company’s Q1 2025 earnings report. Photo Credit: Sven Piper Despite being up nearly 25% on the year, Spotify stock (NYSE: SPOT) is poised to climb higher – at least according to a pair of new projections. As things stand, Spotify stock is hovering around $568 per share, reflecting the mentioned boost from 2025’s beginning and a 109% surge from the same point in April 2024. Nevertheless, SPOT is down on the month and remains $8

Photo Credit: CA.gov California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent budget proposal sent shockwaves through the arts sector with a targeted $11.5 million cut. The budget cuts could have far-reaching consequences for music funding and the broader creative community. While the headline figure for the cut is $11.5 million, critics argue that the true impact could be much larger. Arts advocates are estimating up to 58% cuts for certain arts programs. The $11.5 million slated for elimination comes from

OpenPlay cofounder and Chief Client Officer Edward Ginis. Is it time for the music industry to radically reconsider its approach to AI? Edward Ginis, cofounder and Chief Client Officer of OpenPlay, is already focused on monetizing AI instead of fighting it. An ardent activist for modernizing the industry’s data infrastructure, Ginis launched OpenPlay in 2013 after serving as CTO at Concord Music Group and views AI as an opportunity to evolve rather than a threat to resist. With over 15 years o

Photo Credit: WWE Cardi B announces during WWE SmackDown that she will host the two-night WWE SummerSlam paid live event in August. Several musicians, such as Bad Bunny and Travis Scott, have appeared in WWE programming within the last year. Now, another rapper, Cardi B, will be hosting WWE’s SummerSlam later this year. During last week’s WWE SmackDown, Cardi B announced in a video that she will host the two-night event in August. “What’s up, WWE Universe? Guess what? SummerSlam, MetLife, two

Photo Credit: Carlos Santana by Eddie Janssens / CC by 4.0 Carlos Santana postponed his San Antonio concert after a dehydration scare saw him hospitalized out of an abundance of caution. Carlos Santana was scheduled to perform at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio last night (April 22). But the event was cancelled after Santana suffered from dehydration and was taken to a local hospital for observation. “It is with profound disappointment that I have to inform you all that tonight’s show in

Photo Credit: Sean “Diddy” Combs for Cannes Lions Learnings / CC by 3.0 Footage of Diddy physically assaulting Cassie Ventura will be shown to the jury in his criminal sex trafficking trial, a federal judge has ruled. The trial is scheduled to begin next month. Sean “Diddy” Combs and his legal team pushed to have the 2016 hotel footage of him brutally assaulting then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura excluded from the evidence in his upcoming trial. But a federal judge has denied those requests, allow

Photo Credit: David Shankbone / CC by 3.0 Cassie Ventura is set to testify against her former partner Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs using her real name instead of the ‘Victim 1’ designation. She will tell the court about her relationship with the rap mogul during his upcoming trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. She is one of four victims who are set to testify in court at Comb’s trial—and the first to make public allegations against the rap mogul. Ventura sued Diddy in November 2023 for wh

Photo Credit: CBGB Festival New York City’s CBGB gets a revival in 2025 as a one-day fest under the K-Bridge in Brooklyn on September 27. Even though New York’s beloved punk venue, CBGB, closed its doors in 2006, the name lived on within CBGB Fest, which was revived in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Now, the festival is back for a new edition in 2025, co-presented by CBGB & OMFUG and The Bowery Presents. Previous editions of the festival were multi-day events across multiple venues, CBGB Fest 2025

(l to r) Cherry Red Records MD Adam Velasco; Korda Marshall (a consultant on today’s deal); Cherry Red founder and chairman Iain McNay; Dome Records founder Peter Robinson; Dome GM Santosh Robinson; and Cherry Red director Matt Bristow. Photo Credit: Cherry Red Cherry Red Records has acquired Dome Records, with plans in place to “diligently” oversee the soul and R&B label’s catalog while continuing to release new material from signed acts. 47-year-old Cherry Red formally disclosed the buyo

Photo Credit: Miguel Ángel Sanz Chicago’s Michelada Fest announces the cancellation of the two-day event. It was originally slated for July 19 and 20 at Oakwood Beach. Michelada Fest 2025 organizers have announced the cancellation of this year’s two-day event, originally scheduled for July 19 and 20 at Chicago’s Oakwood Beach. In a post on the festival’s website, organizers cited concerns about visas for international artists—as well as the “rapidly changing political climate”—among the reason

Photo Credit: Nik Trump’s broad-ranging tariffs may have ultimately delayed a TikTok deal, leading to the latest 75-day extension to make room for more negotiations. The Trump administration sounded confident that it was nearing a deal for TikTok’s operations to be spun off in the US into another company owned by a majority of American investors. But that deal seems to have been shuttered by Beijing at the eleventh hour in the face of Trump’s wide-ranging tariffs, including against China. Acc

Photo Credit: Chris Brown by Pelpa Time Production / CC by 3.0 Chris Brown was arrested at a hotel in Manchester on suspicion of causing bodily harm to producer Abe Diaw at a London nightclub in 2023. Police arrested Chris Brown on suspicion of causing “grievous bodily harm” to music producer Abe Diaw at the Tape nightclub in London back in February 2023. Brown was arrested just after 2 AM at the Lowry Hotel. The 36-year-old flew into Manchester Airport on a private jet on Wednesday afternoon

Photo Credit: Pelpa Time Production / CC by 3.0 Chris Brown was granted bail by a London court for $6.7 million over an assault charge, paving the way for his world tour to begin next month. Chris Brown is out on bail after his arrest in the UK last week after returning to the country for the first time since an alleged assault two years ago. He was initially refused bail on Friday, but a London court granted him bail on Wednesday after he promised to pay 5 million pounds ($6.7 million) in a s

Photo Credit: Lady Gaga by Justin Higuchi / CC by 2.0 Coachella 2025 is right around the corner, and there’s still time to plan a trip. Here’s how to score last-minute tickets, parking, lodging, and more. Coachella’s Weekend 1 kicks off on Friday, and this year’s edition of the much-beloved festival features headliners Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, and Post Malone. Other performers include The Misfits, Missy Elliott, Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, Japanese Breakfast, and many more set to play in

Photo Credit: Travis Scott by Frank Schwichtenberg / CC by 4.0 Coachella organizer Goldenvoice was fined $20,000 by the City of Indio for Travis Scott’s performance exceeding the city’s 1 AM curfew. Goldenvoice, the operator of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, is facing a $20,000 fine issued by the City of Indio for Travis Scott’s performance on Weekend 1, which went past the city’s 1 AM curfew. A city permit from 2013 outlining the conditions under which Goldenvoice can hold the

Photo Credit: Creators Corp. Coachella has teamed up with UGC game studio Creators Corp. for a new Fortnite Creative game called Coachella Pillars. The multiplayer showdown launched today and transports players to the Coachella Canvas in a music-fueled competition. Suspended above the festival grounds, 2-12 players will stand atop Pillars of Sounds, attempting to knock each other off within spaces inspired by the festival’s environment—all set to a backdrop of the festival’s music. The map fea

Photo Credit: Coachella Coachella’s 2025 edition just wrapped up, and festival organizers have wasted no time in announcing the event’s 2026 edition. The 2025 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival just finished up its second weekend, and it’s already time to look toward next year’s edition. The first weekend of Coachella’s 2026 edition is set for Friday, April 10, through Sunday, April 12. Meanwhile, the second weekend takes place from Friday, April 17, through Sunday, April

Photo Credit: sachoben / CC by 2.0 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is right around the corner, and tickets are still available — some for less than face value. The annual Coachella festival is almost here, and would-be attendees still have opportunities to snag tickets. Like last year, tickets for the 2025 edition haven’t sold quickly, and tickets for Weekend 2 are still available at the time of writing. In previous years, tickets for both weekends sold out within hours or sometimes