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Iron Maiden announce Knebworth show for summer 2026 with The Darkness, The Hu and more
Music

Iron Maiden announce Knebworth show for summer 2026 with The Darkness, The Hu and more

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Iron Maiden have announced a huge Knebworth headline show for the summer of 2026, with support from The Darkness, The Hu and others.

Last week, the band shared details of a European stadium headline tour for next year, an extension of their two-year, 50th anniversary ‘Run For Your Lives’ tour.

That announcement included a tease of a major UK show, and now they have confirmed that they will top a bill at the legendary outdoor venue in Hertfordshire on Saturday 11 July, with a hand-picked set of opening acts made up of The Darkness, The Hu, Airbourne and The Almighty.

The “weekend event” will include the biggest Eddie’s Dive Bar ever, as well as Maiden-themed food and other specialised stalls, with proceedings kicking off on Friday 10 July for fans with camping tickets.

Tickets go on sale at 10am on Saturday (September 27) and you can find yours here.

Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood has said: “We knew that we had to bring the ‘Run For Your Lives’ show back to the UK again next summer as there was such a phenomenal demand for tickets this year but we wanted to do something a bit different especially as it would be hard to top the show at London Stadium!”

“Well, we think that Knebworth is the solution – besides being a legendary venue for historic concerts over the years going right back to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Stones and Queen – it also gives us the outdoor space and control to create something very special for our fans! Of course, we also have history there too with our headline appearances at Sonisphere some years ago, who could forget that World War I Centenary dog fight over the park’s tree line with Bruce full guns blazing in his own Fokker triplane?”

“However, this time we will be taking over the whole of the grounds ourselves and turning it into as much of a ‘Maiden World’ as we can for all our fans to enjoy!”

Justin Hawkins, frontman of The Darkness, has said: “We’re thrilled to announce that The Darkness are to appear LIVE in support of the legendary Iron Maiden at Knebworth! Iron Maiden are among our favourite all-time bands and what’s more, they are named after my second favourite medieval torture device. My favourite would be the Pear of Anguish. So those in attendance can expect us to force our music into them, whereupon the catchiness of our tuneage will expand until they tell us everything. Yay!!!”

Earlier this year, Iron Maiden shared a message with fans, urging them to “severely limit the use of their phone cameras out of respect for the band and their fellow fans” during their ‘Run For Your Lives’ shows.

This year’s run of shows were the first with new touring drummer Simon Dawson, who was appointed following the touring retirement of long-term sticksman Nicko McBrain. McBrain announced he would be “taking a step back” from touring last year due to suffering a minor stroke in 2023, which left him partially paralysed on his right side from the shoulder down.

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Sean Combs Asks for 14-Month Prison Sentence, Cites Addiction Struggle
Music

Sean Combs Asks for 14-Month Prison Sentence, Cites Addiction Struggle

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Sean Combs made a plea for “fairness” ahead of his Oct. 3 sentencing, arguing in a new brief that he deserves no more than 14 months in prison for his two felony convictions for transportation to engage in prostitution.

In the 182-page sentencing memo submitted Monday shortly before the midnight deadline, Combs’ lawyers laid out his life story in an apparent bid for mercy, saying Combs struggled as a child after his father was murdered when he was only three years old. They argued the loss caused a “profound form of trauma” that set the stage for the substance abuse issues Combs wrestled with during his admittedly violent relationships with the two ex-girlfriends involved in his convictions.

“For decades, Mr. Combs struggled with serious substance abuse issues, anger and anxiety, and other flaws that he did not properly or professionally address until his incarceration last year,” the filing obtained by Rolling Stone stated. “Like every addict, his behavior while on painkillers was erratic and unpredictable, and often the reason behind any assaults discussed at the trial.”

His lawyers also attached more than 75 letters of support from family and friends, including Combs’ mother Janice; his sister Keisha; his three teen daughters, Chance, Jessie and D’Lila; and Dana Tran, the mother of Comb’s two-year-old daughter, Love.

Combs, 55, was convicted of the two felony counts on July 2 after a nine-week trial. Jurors rejected a trio of more serious charges, finding that prosecutors failed to prove Combs ran a racketeering conspiracy or sex trafficked two former girlfriends. The acquittals meant Combs was no longer facing the possibility of life in prison. At the time, the mogul pumped his fist and dropped to his knees as he celebrated in the courtroom.

The two prostitution charges, violations of a century-old law known as the Mann Act, each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. For their part, prosecutors previously estimated Combs’ sentencing guidelines range was around four to five years behind bars. Their formal recommendation could be much higher when they file their separate sentencing brief due Sept. 29.

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Combs, who has served a year in custody, argued in his filing that a review of more than 60 other Mann Act cases determined that the average sentence was 14.9 months of incarceration. Combs and his lawyers claimed it would be “unlawful and a perversion of justice” if the court increases the sentence beyond 14 months based on “the court’s own findings about force or coercion or racketeering.”

Federal judges aren’t required to follow guidelines. In the Southern District of New York, judges stuck to guideline ranges 34.5 percent of the time in the last fiscal year, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian will have wide latitude at the Oct. 3 sentencing, and it’s not clear how he’ll rule. But on the day of the verdict, when many speculated that Combs’ acquittal on the top charges would lead to his immediate release on bail pending sentencing, Judge Subramanian took a hard line. He denied the release on the basis that Combs’ defense admitted during trial that Combs was violent with his ex-partner Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, and a more recent ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym Jane. In his closing argument, lead defense lawyer Mark Agnifilo explicitly told jurors that the defense wasn’t challenging the women’s claims of domestic violence.

“In terms of owning, just as a matter of personal responsibility … owning the domestic violence, we own it. It happened,” Agnifilo told the panel in his final address on June 27. “If he was charged with domestic violence, we wouldn’t all be here having a trial, because he would have pled guilty – because he did that.”

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Rejecting the defense bid for immediate bail on July 2, Subramanian pointed to the disturbing video of Combs’ 2016 assault of Ventura inside L.A.’s now-shuttered InterContinental Hotel before sending a seemingly stunned Combs back into custody. Taking a serious tone, Subramanian also noted the video wasn’t the only violence acknowledged by the defense. He pointed to the days Ventura spent at the London Hotel in Los Angeles to recover after Combs allegedly stomped on her face in a vehicle. (“Obviously, there was some physical event, and she had injuries, okay? So she goes to the hotel as much for her own good as anyone else’s,” Agnifilo told jurors about the fight that landed Ventura at the London Hotel.)

“This type of violence, which happens behind closed doors in personal relationships, sparked by unpredictable bouts of anger, is impossible to police with conditions,” the judge said July 2. Turning to the June 2024 incident at Jane’s house, where, according to Agnifilo, Combs admittedly kicked Jane and restrained her “around the neck” during a blowout fight, the judge called out the timing. He noted the incident came after Combs’ homes were raided by federal authorities in March 2024. “At a time when [Combs] should have known that he needed to stay clean,” the mogul instead showed “a disregard for the rule of law and the propensity for violence,” the judge said.

Combs has been held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) since his arrest last September. In a separate motion set for a hearing later this week, Combs is asking that his conviction be set aside as a matter of law or that he be retried on the prostitution charges alone. 

In its written opposition, filed Aug. 20, federal prosecutors alleged Combs’ motion should fail because there was “ample evidence to support the jury’s conviction.” They said Combs transported Ventura, Jane, and multiple male commercial sex workers to engage in threesomes, variously dubbed “freak offs” and “hotel nights,” that he stage-directed and often recorded.

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“The defendant masterminded every aspect of freak offs. He transported escorts across state lines to engage in freak offs for pay. He directed the sexual activity of escorts and victims throughout freak offs for his own sexual gratification. And he personally engaged in sexual activity during freak offs,” they wrote. “While the defendant may wish to cabin his participation to mere voyeurism, he was, in reality, an active participant in the sexual activity.”

Prosecutors blasted Combs’ claims that he was an amateur porn producer who should be protected by the First Amendment. “Far from acting like an adult film producer or director, the defendant did not provide advance notice that he may film the sexual encounter and did not seek consent from the participants to be filmed,” they wrote in their Aug. 20 filing. “In fact, multiple participants specifically did not want to be filmed.”

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Colombian Musicians Were in Mexico
Music

Colombian Musicians Were in Mexico

by jummy84
written by jummy84

The bodies of two Colombian musicians, who had been reported missing in Mexico for a week, were found on Monday (Sept. 22) in the State of Mexico, near Mexico City, according to a statement from local authorities.

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Música urbana artist Byron Sánchez and his music parter Jorge Herrera, known professionally as B-King and Regio Clown, were on tour in Mexico when they disappeared on Sept. 16. They were last seen in the upscale Polanco neighborhood in Mexico City.

In a statement, the Mexico City Prosecutor’s Office announced that it had launched an investigation into the case, gathering testimonies and video footage. Based on this evidence, they determined that the musicians were last located in the State of Mexico, prompting collaboration with the relevant authorities.

“Thanks to this coordination, forensic services personnel from the Mexico State Attorney General’s Office compared the profiles of the missing persons and found matches with two deceased individuals who were located on September 17 in the municipality of Cocotitlán. In light of these facts, the Mexico State Attorney General’s Office is conducting a homicide investigation,” the statement said.

The statement noted that Sánchez’s family identified the musician’s body during a procedure at a regional prosecutor’s office in the State of Mexico.

A request for information sent by Billboard Español to the State of Mexico Prosecutor’s Office had not yet been answered.

“They murdered our youth in the United Mexican States,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed in a message on X on Monday following the news of the discovery.

Earlier, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that authorities in Mexico City and the foreign ministries of both countries were already working together on the case. This followed a message on X from her Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, on Sunday, urging Mexican authorities to help locate their missing citizens.

During her morning press conference, Sheinbaum stated that Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office was already investigating the case. She clarified that a missing persons report had been filed with the Mexico City Prosecutor’s Office, not in Sonora, as Colombian President Gustavo Petro had initially mentioned.

“Thank you so much, my beautiful and beloved Mexico,” musician Byron Sánchez, 31, wrote in an Instagram post six days ago, accompanied by a video where he shared his excitement about performing his first concert in the country and his dream of succeeding there.

For now, authorities have not provided further details about the case, which has sparked outrage among fans and fellow artists of the two Colombian musicians on social media.

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Riot Fest 2025 Was a Celebration with Green Day, Blink-182: Review + Photos
Music

Riot Fest 2025 Was a Celebration with Green Day, Blink-182: Review + Photos

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Last week, Coachella dropped its 2025 lineup and, unsurprisingly, it sparked quite a bit of discourse. Echoing sentiments lobbed at Lollapalooza in previous years, many felt like Coachella’s three pop star headliners marked a shift away from the festival’s alternative roots. Luckily, there’s a festival in the Windy City that has dug its feet into the ground, remained independent, and kept the ethos of its founding days intact: Riot Fest.

The punk-leaning event celebrated its 20th anniversary this past weekend at Douglass Park in Chicago, boasting a pop punk holy trinity of headliners in Blink-182, Weezer, and Green Day, as well as an impressive undercard consisting of both scene veterans and exciting newbies. The whole shebang was certainly grander in scale than Riot Fest’s earliest editions, but its spunky core remains — RIOT FEST SUCKS, as they say. Acts like The Effigies, Alkaline Trio, Smoking Popes, Bad Religion, and a host of others were even ripped right from lineups of Riot Fest’s past; say what you want about punk rockers, but if Riot Fest has proven anything over the past two decades, it’s that they’re remarkably consistent.

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With a deep lineup, an everlasting spirit of rebellion, and the final payoff for years of John Stamos jokes, this year’s edition was a celebration to be proud of. Better yet, it was a celebration that was damn fun to take part in.

For those looking to relive the three days of festivities, or who missed out on all of the hoopla, here’s everything that went down at Riot Fest 2025 (plus, scroll on for a photo gallery of action shots).

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WHY WE NEED OASIS RIGHT NOW
Music

WHY WE NEED OASIS RIGHT NOW

by jummy84
written by jummy84

There are times when a band comes along and takes possession of the moment — carries you along with them. I want to tell you my story of Oasis and why it matters today.

Somewhere in the dregs of being a desperate, unsigned musician in San Francisco in the spring of 1994, I got a meeting with the booking agent at Slim’s nightclub. I was impoverished and barely holding a lineup of my band Third Eye Blind together. I sat in her office in the Slim’s basement, hoping for a gig. Just receiving her attention felt like stepping up to a new level. I was excited to be there. Her office was under the stage. Her name was Kat.

Kat noted she’d received my demo tape. Then she asked me what my goals were. What an unexpected question. It felt like someone with power was taking interest in my aspirations.

“I want to be the biggest band in the world.” Big smile on my face.

Kat seemed taken aback.

“Well… I mean, you need to pay your dues,” she said.

“Hmm,” I replied, “My dues — according to whom?”

Needless to say, I never received a booking at Slim’s. Insolent little sprat that I was. They sure showed me!

Singer Liam Gallagher (left) and brother Noel Gallagher of Oasis on stage in San Francisco in 1997. (Photo by Dave Hogan via Getty Images)

A few dreary, no-gig-having months later, that lineup of Third Eye Blind disintegrated. I, battling disheartenment, walked into my friend Kim’s warehouse in the Lower Haight for a photo shoot. Kim was a talented photographer, and her studio’s atmosphere rivaled what you’d imagine in SoHo in New York. I don’t know why she wanted to blow film on me, but I was happy to have new photos.

Kim had a CD turned up spiritedly loud, and on it was a “Bang a Gong” rip-off with a John Lennon-goes-Johnny Rotten-in-sport-mode vocal on top. It was rudimentary as you please — root note bass, nothing too fancy on the drums, and a T. Rex cop to be sure — but this guitarist’s chords rang, the leads sang, and together it all sounded huge, like acid house slurring off the walls of an arena. My head started involuntarily banging. It was reckless and matter-of-fact and soulful. I felt something depleted in myself being replenished. That rare feeling of being main-lined by music. Magnificent.

“Kim, what is this?” I asked.

“Oasis!” Her eyes glinted and she smiled at me in recognition. “Right?!”

“I have been needing this!” I said.

Oasis’ debut CD, Definitely Maybe, played on loop as Kim fiddled around with lighting and backdrops. The lyrics sounded like Noel Gallagher just wrote down the next rhyme that popped into his head. But I felt their message sink in and liberate my psyche:

I need to be myself
I can’t be no one else
I’m feeling supersonic

No pretense. No apologies. Oasis was void of indie’s elitism or grunge’s propensity to whinge. Fuck your dues and fuck your dress code. We’re the rock stars now, and it’s on our terms they were saying. Oasis’ rebellion was optimism. They had a dream and an aliveness in their sound, and no one was going to step on it.

Listening, I could feel the cloud I was under in my beloved San Francisco dissipate. Navigating the SF music scene then was like trying to be friends with snitches. It was riddled with self-appointed arbiters of cred, each impugning the other over flannel shirts or some shit. In my forward-thinking city, the scene felt like it was constricting into itself until it suffocated.

It could be I’m just grousing about that period in San Francisco because no one was paying attention to my band. Either way, in a moment when I needed it, Oasis reactivated a scrappy optimism within me.

I wasn’t alone in resonating with Oasis. Over the next two years, while I struggled to get a record deal and break out of a local scene that still had little interest in me, Oasis did indeed become the biggest band in the world.

“I, insolent as ever, proposed Third Eye Blind as Oasis’ opener,” writes Stephan Jenkins. And they got the gig, as reported here by the San Francisco Chronicle in April 1996.

At the height of their success, Oasis booked a show in San Francisco. As if by magic, their American record company rep, David Massey, had taken a shine to our demo and wanted to see us. And I, insolent as ever, proposed Third Eye Blind as Oasis’s opener. And he went for it!

On April 13, 1996, at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in SF, Third Eye Blind actually did get its big break opening for Oasis. We knew, as an unknown band, that to this sold-out audience of ravenous Oasis fans, we would be, at best, patiently tolerated. But we rolled through our brief set with a heads-up exuberance that caught momentum from Oasis — and something else happened altogether. When our set ended, the crowd called us back for more, and the promoter said we had to do an encore. The San Francisco Chronicle mentioned us with praise in the next day’s review. A bidding war to sign us ensued, and a year later, our songs embedded themselves in alternative radio.

You can’t fake swagger. Swagger means your vibe comes from knowing what you’re about and standing by it. Swagger is infectious. It draws people in. It crushes fear. Oasis had theirs, and they reconnected me with mine a long time ago. We don’t sound the same or explore the same themes, but there is a bit of Oasis in our DNA, and I am forever glad for them.

Now Oasis has reformed for a tour, and here is the point of this whole essay: I don’t believe their return after 15 years is random. It’s not because Noel needs to pay for his divorces, or because Liam mellowed, or some nostalgia nonsense. I believe they are being called back by the collective consciousness of a culture longing for that precious swagger’s return.

Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis at Rose Bowl Stadium on September 06, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter via Getty Images)

These days, people of good conscience have been balled up into a defensive crouch for more than a minute now — and they’re ready to emerge. We’ve been told to be afraid while the bullies eat cake. We’ve been encouraged to acquiesce in despair while the world around us is defouled. Might as well just park your sad blue face in a screen and cuck out till you rot.

As an artist, I sense a collective voice gathering that says: Fuck all that. I think the millions of people at the No Kings protests were there less for a specific policy than because they are ready to feel optimism over fear again.

Music resonates at a higher level when it illuminates a culture’s subconscious aspirations.

Oasis is not Kumbaya, but something in their music says all together. They’re not anodyne, but these council estate lads refused to surrender to their circumstances — so when they say things can get better, it hits different.

When you go to an Oasis concert, the loudest thing you will hear is every soul in there, at the top of their lungs, singing “DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER!” People are ready to move on from this nightmare moment, and that readiness creates agency. People are ready for a glint in the eye and a chip on the shoulder — and that is why Oasis is back. And that is why, when they play America next, it will hit different. Just you wait. When you see Oasis play again, you will see a collective mood galvanize — just as surely as it did for me.

Maybe politicians will catch up to this moment, as well. If House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, listened to “Supersonic” every morning before entering chambers, he might say something worth remembering. But I digress.

Here’s the truth: I’m here telling you — you need Oasis. I NEED OASIS. I’m ready to feel supersonic.

Welcome back, lads. Just when we needed it most.

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Sylvia Rhone Steps Down As CEO Of Epic Records
Music

Sylvia Rhone Steps Down As CEO Of Epic Records

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Sylvia Rhone, the CEO and chair of Epic Records, announced on Monday (Sept. 21) that she is stepping down from the role.

First named chair and CEO back in 2019 following a five-year stint as President of Epic, Rhone is one of the industry’s most prolific executives, having been the first woman and the first Black woman to be named CEO of a major record label. Her successor has yet to be named.

She shared the news via an internal memo.

“It’s been an extraordinary journey: eleven years since my promotion to President of Epic Records and six years since my appointment as Chairwoman and CEO. This role at Epic represents the third time in my career that I’ve been the first woman and first Black person to serve as CEO of a major record label owned by a Fortune 500 company. And today, I am moving on from this historic role at Epic and I’m very excited about the future,” the 73-year-old wrote.

Rhone reflected on her historic journey, having worked with the likes of Missy Elliott, Travis Scott, Future, 21 Savage, Tyla, GIVĒON, Mariah The Scientist, Q-Tip, Andre 3000 and more.

Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer, who appointed Rhone to her CEO role back in 2019, said in his own statement: “It’s been our honor to work with a true icon,” describing it “our collective responsibility to continue to build on her work at Epic Records.”

Stringer added, “In an industry defined by its constant evolution, Sylvia has adapted and embraced change, time and time again. Her journey is more than just a list of accomplishments. She is a trailblazing executive with a distinguished background and unwavering commitment to supporting artists […] Sylvia’s influence is rooted in an understanding of music’s power to connect with people.”

Read Rhone’s full memo below:

To My Sony Music Family,

It’s been an extraordinary journey: eleven years since my promotion to President of Epic Records and six years since my appointment as Chairwoman and CEO. This role at Epic represents the third time in my career that I’ve been the first woman and first Black person to serve as CEO of a major record label owned by a Fortune 500 company.

And today, I am moving on from this historic role at Epic and I’m very excited about the future.
I’ve always been surrounded by excellent teams, but our current one at Epic is extraordinary. Spanning multiple generations, our team understands music’s history, finds meaning in complex data, and anticipates emerging trends. From Travis Scott, Future and 21 Savage, to Meghan Trainor, Tyla and Madison Beer, Zara Larsson to Giveon and Mariah The Scientist, Q-Tip to Andre 3000 and the late, great Ozzy Osbourne…Epic artists thrive through bespoke campaigns that honor their unique voices and goals. While helping artists maintain authentic fan connections, our team guides them through partnerships in video, fashion, gaming, and content innovation. We’re proud of leading Sony Music’s 2020 “Your Voice, Your Power, Your Vote” campaign and fostering a workplace culture that reflects our values: 62% women and 57% people of color. From day one, we set out to build something special at Epic — and we have.

This moment of my transition invites reflection on a journey that has been wide-ranging in its scope and impact.

Following my graduation from The Wharton School, I started as a secretary at Buddha Records and after working my way up through radio promotions, I was privileged to be appointed SVP of Black Music at Atlantic Records.  Those times feel like yesterday, working with Roberta Flack, Donnie Hathaway, En Vogue, LeVert, Brandy, Adina Howard, Troop, DAS EFX, Snow, MC Lyte, Kwamé, Miki Howard, Gerald Albright, The System and Ice Cube’s Lynch Mob and Yo-Yo.  Through our Ruthless Records deal, we also released The D.O.C., JJ Fad, Michel’le, and Easy-E.

In July 1994, I was appointed Chairwoman of Elektra Records, where we orchestrated a cultural renaissance that still resonates today. There, we became guardians of musical diversity, nurturing the power of AC/DC and Metallica alongside the genius of Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes. From Pantera’s intensity to Phish’s improvisational spirit, from Tracy Chapman’s truths and Anita Baker’s soul to Tamia’s powerful vocals — each artist flourished on their own frequency. Third Eye Blind, Yolanda Adams, Silk, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Gerald LeVert, Keith Sweat, Natalie Merchant, The Cure, Björk, Staind, Better Than Ezra, The Afghan Whigs, and Jason Mraz all found their home in our musical family, creating moments that transcended mere entertainment.

Then came my chapter at Motown, where the label’s iconic history and its future converged under my leadership as Chairwoman and CEO. It was an honor to record Stevie Wonder’s last full-length studio album while simultaneously collaborating with artists like Nelly, Erykah Badu, Kid Cudi, and Akon. We also extended hip-hop’s global reach by distributing Cash Money Records’ roster — elevating Baby, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, and Drake. 

I am blessed to have worked with some of the most brilliant and influential artists in the history of recorded music. And I’ve discovered this: when we channel our strength and creativity in service of a vision, and collaborate with artists who do the same, we create music that reflects our world, questions our assumptions, and uplifts our spirits. This is a kind of magic, a deeply human connection. Right now, when music’s DNA is being reimagined, when artists face existential challenges, and when all of us are building the future in real time, there is little that is more profound.

Looking back on my Epic era fills me with great pride. To my team of creative champions, you now hold the reins, and I know your best work lies ahead. I’m grateful for Zeke Lewis, Rick Sackheim, Sandra Aflorei, Tyler Pittman, John Shoup, Dave Bell, Lisa Kasha, Shannon Mingal, Margeaux Watson, Justin Duran, Chelsea Donnarumma, Brooke Marcimo, Mez Tara, Gina Harrell, Melissa Victor, Traci Adams, Scott Dimig, Dontay Thompson, Jennifer Goicoechea, Patrick Afeku, John Kirkpatrick, Michael Petullo, Max Sholl, Hector Rosario and the countless other executives who made Epic Records home. 

I thank my daughter Quinn for her unconditional love and my late parents Marie and Bob Rhone for their heroic support. And I am forever grateful for my prior teammates from over the years. Not only did we work great music, but we also created an amazing network of advocacy and goodwill! Thanks to Rob Stringer for his trust and camaraderie and to Doug Morris for empowering me to shatter the glass ceiling.

I have worked in our industry since vinyl ruled, and women were rarely if ever in line for C-level or even vice-presidential roles. I am proud of my achievements, and of my commitment to those who take inspiration from them. The many individual honors I’ve received — from Billboard, Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women, Essence, Variety, Ms. Magazine’s Woman of the Year, and the recent honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music — serve as grace notes on my years of dedication. But they pale beside what we’ve all built together. They pale beside the glory of our musical culture.

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Amaarae Announces North American Tour
Music

Amaarae Announces North American Tour

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Last month, Amaarae shared her new album Black Star. Now, the Ghanaian American singer has announced a short North American tour. The Black Star Experience will bring Amaarae to New York City, Toronto, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles in November and December. Check out her upcoming shows below.

Black Star was led by the singles “S.M.O.” and “Girlie-Pop!” Album track “Fineshyt” also received a release-day music video. Last week, Amaarae made her late-night debut with a performance of “Fineshyt” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Read about Amaarae’s 2023 album Fountain Baby at No. 20 on “The 100 Best Albums of the 2020s So Far.”

All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Amaarae: The Black Star Experience Tour

Amaarae:

11-01 New York, NY – Knockdown Center
11-20 Toronto, Ontario – Rebel
11-21 Washington, D.C. – The Anthem
12-04 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium

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Jimmy Kimmel's late night show to return this week after controversial suspension
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Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show to return this week after controversial suspension

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Jimmy Kimmel Live will return to the air this week, following its controversial suspension due to comments relating to the murder of Charlie Kirk.

Last week, it was announced that the late night host’s show had been pulled from the ABC Network, which is owned by Disney, over Kimmel’s comments following the killing of the right-wing activist.

Kirk was shot in the neck and killed at Utah Valley University campus on September 10, and, following the incident, Kimmel said that all signs pointed to Kirk’s shooter being a Trump supporter.

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterise this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” he said in his Monday night monologue.

The subsequent fallout saw the show taken off-air indefinitely, a move that sparked a strong response from either side of the political spectrum. President Donald Trump celebrated the decision, while most of Hollywood’s labour unions reacted to the decision with anger and protest.

On Monday (September 22), the Walt Disney Company said in a statement: “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.

“It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”

Reports had emerged in recent days that Kimmel’s business and legal representatives were in discussions with Disney and ABC executives in the hope of reaching a compromise.

Among those to speak out against the suspension were talk show legends Stephen Colbert and David Letterman, citing concerns relating to free speech, as well as comedian and podcaster Marc Maron, who called it “government censorship”, Olivia Rodrigo, who labelled it “blatant censorship”, and Pedro Pascal, who stressed the importance of free speech and democracy.

Over the weekend, John Cleese and Piers Morgan clashed over the cancellation after Morgan questioned Kimmel being “heralded as some kind of free speech martyr”.

The topic worked itself into Trump’s speech at Kirk’s memorial on Sunday (September 21), where he once again took aim at his political opponents on the “radical left” and addressed the backlash about Kimmel’s show being axed.

“The same commentators who this week are screaming fascism over a cancelled late-night TV show, where the anchor had no talent and no ratings, last week were implying that Charlie Kirk deserved what happened to him,” he said.

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Coachella 2026 Sold Out, Where to Join Wait-List for Tickets
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Coachella 2026 Sold Out, Where to Join Wait-List for Tickets

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Next year’s Coachella Music Festival has officially sold out, organizers announced Monday — less than a week after the fest unveiled the full lineup slotted for April 10-12 and 17-19 with Sabrina Carpenter, Karol G, Justin Bieber, and Anyma as 2026’s headliners.

Although both weekend passes are no longer available, fans can still sign up for two wait-lists. Friday will see the Man’s Best Friend Grammy winner close out the night, with the likes of XX, Disclosure, Ethel Cain, Teddy Swims, Devo, Sexyy Red, Central Cee, and girl groups BINI and Katseye taking the stage earlier in the day.

On Saturday, along with headliner Bieber, who joined Tems during her set last year to perform “Essence” with WizKid, Rolling Stone‘s February cover artist Addison Rae, Sombr, David Byrne, and PinkPantheress also join the weekend slate.

Karol G and Anyma will cap it off on Sunday each week, following Young Thug, Kaskade, Laufey, Iggy Pop, FKA Twigs, and more. The Colombian superstar is poised to make history as the first Latina artist to headline Coachella, three years after Bad Bunny became the first Latino artist to headline the event in 2023. 

Last week, Rolling Stone broke the news that Karol G and Sabrina Carpenter were set to headline Coachella last week. The full lineup announcement confirmed that Bieber would be the third headliner. 

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Bieber scored a seven-figure deal to headline Coachella — all without an agent, Rolling Stone previously learned. The musician worked “directly” with festival promoter Goldenvoice to negotiate the terms of his slot, a source close to Bieber said.

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The Top 10 Songs Played at Atlanta Strip Clubs in August 2025
Music

The Top 10 Songs Played at Atlanta Strip Clubs in August 2025

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Atlanta strip clubs have played an integral role in breaking rap hits for decades. Gentlemen’s clubs have long served as a testing ground for the genre — and although the streaming era of music has changed the music landscape, strip club DJs have continued to be meticulous about what makes their playlists on a nightly basis.

There has undoubtedly long been a symbiotic relationship between hip-hop culture and the strip club. Jeezy once called Magic City his “office,” and Jermaine Dupri executive-produced a Magic City docuseries on STARZ alongside Drake earlier this year. “When I got serious about music, Magic City Monday, everything happened there,” Jeezy told Billboard over the summer about his rap origins.

Billboard and DJ Monitor, a service that installs music-recognition technology for venues and festivals, have collected data from three prominent Atlanta strip clubs, tracking every song played during August 2025.

Metro Boomin paid homage to 2000s Atlanta with his mixtape A Futuristic Summa, which dropped in August, and The A reciprocated that love, as Young Metro boasts three of the top five songs on the inaugural strip club songs recap.

As far as artists who enjoyed the most spins in the strip club for August, the top 10 is as follows:

No. 10, Gunna (253)
No. 9, Young Nudy (276)
No. 8, Drake (286)
No. 7, Gucci Mane (306)
No. 6, Jeezy (363)
No. 5, Moneybagg Yo (380)
No. 4, Bossman Dlow (436)
No. 3, Metro Boomin (624)
No. 2, Lil Baby (636)
No. 1, Future (1,406)

Billboard will continue to track the top-played strip club hits each month throughout the year. U.S. club owners interested in contributing data can send an email to [email protected].

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