The new series, Words + Music, produced by Gunpowder & Sky and Audible, will premiere on MGM+ on November 30, featuring artists like Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, John Legend, and Alanis Morissette. During each episode, the musicians will share personal songs and stories in front of small audiences, with the performances fiilmed on Amazon MGM Studios’ volume stage in Culver City, California. The show is an evolution of the popular Words + Music podcast – which featured appearances by Pete Townshend, Mariah Carey, St. Vincent, and Snoop Dogg – combining live performance with rich visual storytelling to create a blend of intimate narrative and dynamic imagery. With experienced producers like MTV and VH1 veterans Van Toffler, Alex Coletti, and Bill Flanagan behind it, the series aims to redefine music storytelling in a modern three-dimensional format, with hopes for more seasons and a growing roster of artists eager to explore innovative ways to present their music. (Variety)

Paramore's Hayley Williams has officially released the properly sequenced version of her new solo album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party. The project now features 18 total tracks, including the 17 previously released songs Williams shared back in July, and an additional new tune, “Parachute.” The album was produced entirely by Daniel James, with Williams playing multiple instruments on the project, alongside additional contributions from Brian Robert Jones, Joey Howard, and Jim-E Stack on “True Believer.” The release of the newly sequenced album follows a unique rollout where Williams initially shared the collection on her website for 24 hours, before releasing it to streaming platforms and inspiring fans to create custom playlists that influenced the final running order. Preceded by music videos for tracks like “Ego Death,” “Glum,” and “Kill Me,” the album is available for pre-order now in multiple vinyl colors and limited-edition CD-Rs, with a physical release slated for November 7. (Variety)

The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” has been named No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs of the 21st Century chart. The top ranking reflects the track’s record-breaking 59 weeks in the Top 10 – the longest run in the chart’s history since 1958 – and 11 weeks at No. 1, the most among the Weeknd’s nine chart-topping hits. This achievement cements the song’s status as a modern classic, following its 2021 recognition as the top track on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs and its No. 1 ranking on the Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century chart that Billboard released in January. Rising from Toronto’s alt-R&B scene to global superstardom, The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” has dominated multiple Billboard chart rankings, underscoring its unprecedented impact across multiple genres and decades.

The rest of the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs of the 21st Century chart is rounded out by (in order): Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby” at No. 2, followed by Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You,” Miguel’s “Sure Thing,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop,” Bruno Mars’ “That’s What I Like,” Post Malone & Swae Lee’s “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse),” SZA’s “Snooze,” Maxwell’s “Pretty Wings,” and Robin Thicke feat. T.I. + Pharrell’s “Blurred Lines” at No. 10. (Billboard)

In a short clip promoting her appearance on CBS Mornings on Friday, Sabrina Carpenter warned that her upcoming album, Man’s Best Friend, dropping August 29, is “not for any pearl clutchers” due to its bold themes and sexually explicit lyrics. “But I also think that even pearl clutchers can listen to an album like that in their own solitude and find something that makes them smirk and chuckle to themselves,” Carpenter adds, while admitting that “sometimes people hear the lyrics that are really bold or they go, ‘I don’t want to sing this in front of other people.’ It’s like it’s almost too TMI.” Even the provocative cover art to Man’s Best Friend generated controversy, with the image of Carpenter down on all fours with a man grabbing her by the hair receiving backlash from critics who found the image degrading to women. The Grammy-winning pop superstar released multiple variants of her new album with different cover images to satisfy even the biggest pearl-clutchers in her fanbase. (Billboard)

On Thursday (August 28), Halsey announced that she will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of her debut album with the Back to Badlands North American club tour this fall. Only one week after concluding her For My Last Trick arena tour, the singer is opting for more intimate venues on this 13-date run. The tour kicks off with “a very special show” on October 14 at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Forever Cemetery, making stops in major music markets like Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, Toronto, and New York, before concluding on January 17 in Detroit, followed by dates in Europe and Australia in early 2026. The announcement coincides with the release of Badlands: Anthology, a reissue featuring unreleased demos and rare recordings. “I can’t believe it’s been 10 years,” Halsey said in a statement. “Badlands remains the most exciting musical journey of my life. I have so many unbelievable things planned to celebrate the album that changed my life. This is just the beginning.” (Rolling Stone)

Mariah Carey took to social media on Wednesday (August 27) to reveal the track list for her 16th album, Here for It All, which is set to be released on September 26. The project features 11 songs with guest collaborations with Anderson .Paak on “Play This Song,” and the Clark Sisters joining Carey on the gospel number, “Jesus I Do.” The album, Carey’s first solo LP since 2018’s Caution, includes previously released singles like “Type Dangerous” and “Sugar Sweet” (featuring Shenseea and Kehlani), as well as a potential cover of Paul McCartney and Wings’ “My Love.” Carey excitedly captioned her announcement post, “Tracklist is here! My new album Here For It All is out 9/26. Can’t wait for you to hear it!! #TheEraOfMi.” The five-time Grammy-winner has teased her new project on social media throughout the summer, and accompanied the release of “Type Dangerous” with a remix EP featuring Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Redman, Big Sean, DJ Snake, and Luísa Sonza. (Rolling Stone)

On Thursday (August 28), Ariana Grande announced that she will be going on tour for the first time in seven years with her 2026 Eternal Sunshine Tour. The 27-date run starts in June and covers nine major North American cities – including multi-night stands in Oakland, Los Angeles, Austin, Sunrise, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Boston, Montreal, and Chicago – before concluding with a five-night run at London’s O2 Arena in August. “See you next year ♡ 🧸” Grande captioned her announcement post. The tour will feature music from her 2024 chart-topping album Eternal Sunshine and her 2020 release Positions, with Grande seemingly ready to redefine her relationship with performing live after a series of emotionally challenging past tours. An artist presale starts on September 9 for the North American dates and on September 16 in the UK, with general on-sales starting the following day, with a variety of VIP packages available. Since her last tour in 2019, Grande has shifted her creative focus to acting, starring in the hit film adaptation of Wicked, with Wicked: For Good set to premiere on November 21, along with filming the upcoming Meet the Parents sequel. (Variety)

Lil Baby’s 2020 album, My Turn, has been named No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums of the 21st Century chart, which ranks the 100 best-performing albums on the weekly Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart from 2000 through 2024. Released via Quality Control/Motown, My Turn was Lil Baby’s first No. 1 on the chart, propelled by hit singles like “Woah,” “The Bigger Picture,” and “Sum 2 Prove,” ultimately spending six weeks at No. 1 while also topping 2020's year-end chart. The album set records for longevity, becoming the first to log 100 weeks in the Top 10 since 1965, ultimately accumulating 128 weeks in the Top 10 by the end of 2024, the longest for any male artist in the chart’s history. The rest of the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums of the 21st Century chart is rounded out by (in order): Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city at No. 2, followed by Drake’s Take Care, SZA’s SOS, Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding, Pop Smoke’s Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon, Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN., The Weeknd’s The Highlights, J. Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive, and Juice WRLD’s Goodbye & Good Riddance at No. 10. (Billboard)

On Wednesday (August 27), Ariana Grande teased a mysterious forthcoming announcement in a cryptic Instagram video. The brief sci-fi themed clip features the message, “A corrupt file has been found and corrected,” with the Grammy-winning pop superstar’s hand trembling as she reaches towards the computer screen. The video then fades to black, followed by the words, "See you next year... Announcement loading." The post hints at a possible live tour announcement for 2026, or a potential project related to her chart-topping seventh album, Eternal Sunshine. Although Grande had previously expressed uncertainty about touring soon, she recently mentioned working on plans to perform for fans next year "even if it’s just for a little." This tease perhaps reaffirms Grande's commitment to music despite a busy entertainment schedule, including her starring role in the highly-anticipated Wicked sequel, Wicked: For Good, which hits theaters on November 21. (Billboard)

Spotify’s editorial team has named Sabrina Carpenter, Alex Warren, and Ravyn Lenae among the artists leading its 2025 Songs of Summer list. The tally features tracks like Warren’s “Ordinary,” Lenae’s “Love Me Not,” Carpenter’s “Manchild,” Sombr’s “Back to Friends,” and the remix “Shake It to the Max” by Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng, and Shenseea. This summer has been noted as the least danceable and lowest-energy in a decade, with many top tracks, including the chart-topping ballad “Ordinary,” reflecting a more subdued musical trend. Among the statistical highlights of the featured tracks, “Ordinary” is the most streamed song of the summer, while “Manchild” spent 25 days at No. 1 on the U.S. Daily Top Songs chart, and “Shake It to the Max” charted in the Top 50 in over 45 countries. All songs included in the list were initially part of Spotify’s May predictions for the Song of the Summer, except “Manchild,” which was released the following month. (Variety)

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s joint Instagram post announcing their engagement shattered records by surpassing 1 million reposts – the most ever on the social media platform – in just six hours. The celebratory post has also received well over 31 million likes, sparking a massive online reaction including congratulations from fellow celebrities, musicians, athletes, friends, and fans. The couple, who have been dating for about two years, revealed the news with the playful caption, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married 🧨.” The announcement comes two weeks after Kelce’s proposal, according to the timeline revealed by the NFL star’s dad, Ed. As they prepare to make their wedding plans, the couple has a busy upcoming schedule, including the start of the Kansas City Chiefs’ football season on September 5, and the release of Swift’s highly-anticipated upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl, on October 3. (Billboard)

Drake has been named Billboard’s No. 1 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the 21st century, dominating the chart that retrospectively ranks artist performance from 2000 to 2024 based on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. Despite only making his debut on the Billboard charts in 2009, Drake still amassed a record 30 No. 1 hits on the songs chart and 15 No. 1 albums, leading all artists in total No. 1s, Top 10 hits (135), and overall chart entries (355) during this period. His albums have spent 67 total weeks at number one, helped by record-setting streaming numbers, and he has previously topped the annual R&B/Hip-Hop artist rankings eight times, solidifying his widespread impact on hip-hop across the past quarter-century. The rest of the Top 10 of Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists Of The 21st Century Chart is rounded out by (in order): Beyoncé at No. 2 followed by the Weeknd, Chris Brown, Usher, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Eminem, and Alicia Keys coming in at No. 10. (Billboard)

Post Malone, Tate McRae, Jelly Roll, Doja Cat, and Conan Gray have just been added to the 2025 MTV VMAs performance lineup, joining previously announced artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Ricky Martin (who will receive the inaugural Latin Icon Award), Busta Rhymes (the recipient of the first ever Rock the Bells Vision Award), J Balvin with DJ Snake, Sombr, Alex Warren, and Mariah Carey, this year's recipient of the Video Vanguard Award. Hosted by LL Cool J, the show will air live from New York’s UBS Arena on September 7 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The iconic awards show will be broadcast on CBS for the very first time, with a simulcast on MTV, and streaming on Paramount+. Gray will make his VMA main stage debut with his new single, “Vodka Cranberry,” while the ceremony will feature Doja's first televised performance of “Jealous Type.” In addition to performing, Jelly has received four nominations, while the show will mark Posty's first VMAs performance since 2018, and McRae will make her main stage debut celebrating her four nominations, including Song of the Year and Best Pop Artist. (Variety)

In a new cover story interview with Lynn Hirschberg for W, Lana Del Rey revealed that she has renamed her eagerly anticipated country album to Stove, while sharing that the frequently postponed project “will likely be released at the end of January.” This announcement follows several title changes and delays since its initial announcement in early 2023 under the name Lasso, before Del Rey eventually switched the title to The Right Person Will Stay. The long-awaited album will serve as a follow-up to 2023’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, which received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. Del Rey explained that the project was delayed because it now features six additional songs. “They were more autobiographical than I thought, and that took more time,” Del Rey shared, while adding, “The majority of the album will have a country flair. Eight years ago, when I was looking to make a country record, no one else was thinking about country. Now everyone is going country! I’ve asked myself, Should I retire all my snakeskin boots? Should I put my cowboy hats in storage?” (Rolling Stone)

Lil Nas X broke his silence on social media on Monday (August 25) following his arrest and four felony charges after allegedly charging at Los Angeles police officers while wandering in Studio City wearing only underwear and cowboy boots. Nas, born Montero Lamar Hill, was released on $75,000 bail after pleading not guilty to three counts of battery on a police officer and one count of resisting an executive officer. Hill reflected on the incident in a since-expired Instagram Story, with the rapper stating: “Your girl is gonna be okay, y’all. Okay? She’s gonna be alright. Sh*t.” After letting out an exhausted laugh, he admitted, “That was fu**ing terrifying. That was terrifying. That was a terrifying last four days. But your girl is gonna be alright.” The rapper was initially taken to a hospital for a possible overdose before spending the weekend in jail, with a judge requiring him to attend a series of Narcotics Anonymous meetings or outpatient treatment as part of his release conditions. (Rolling Stone)

On Tuesday (August 26), Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement with a joint Instagram post featuring Kelce on his knees proposing and Swift showing off her custom-made diamond engagement ring. The couple kept things playful in the caption for the post – which had over 14 million with an hour of being shared – by writing, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married 🧨.”  The engagement comes after the couple dated for about two years, with their romance beginning to blossom publicly in 2023 following Kelce’s candid confession of his crush on Swift during his podcast, which led to the pop superstar’s high-profile first attendance at a Kansas City Chiefs game.

Since then, Swift became a regular at Kelce’s games and family events, while he frequently attended her concerts and even served as a backup dancer during an Eras Tour stop in London. Swift recently made a record-setting appearance on Kelce’s New Heights podcast, where the happy couple recounted their love story. Swift likened it to “an ’80s John Hughes movie” moment, while adding, “If this guy’s not crazy, this is sort of what I’ve been writing songs about wanting to happen to me since I was a teenager.” Swift and Kelce have not announced a wedding date as of yet. (Billboard)

In a new cover story feature for People, Noah Cyrus reflects on her early exposure to the music industry through her sister Miley’s career. The rising country star says she learned valuable lessons by observing Miley’s experiences and handling of challenges, which helped guide her own path as she launched her music career at 15. Though she didn’t seek direct advice, Noah recognized what to do and what to avoid in the industry by watching Miley navigate through setbacks and personal growth. “I've had a great role model for how it all works,” Noah says of her big sister. Noah’s latest album, I Want My Loved Ones to Go with Me, released in July and co-produced by her, is a family collaboration featuring samples and songs connected to four generations of the Cyrus family. “It really was beautiful to have that bloodline [running] through the record,” says Noah, who will promote the album on a headlining tour that starts on September 12. (People)

On Monday (August 25), Epic Games announced that the tenth season of “Fortnite Festival” will feature the virtual band Gorillaz as headliners, which will launch in-game on Tuesday (August 26). Gorillaz – the creation of Blur's Damon Albarn and artist/illustrator Jamie Hewlett – join an impressive lineup of past musical icons like Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, and The Weeknd who have headlined earlier seasons of the festival. The event includes playable Jam Tracks of Gorillaz hits such as “DARE,” “Clint Eastwood,” and “On Melancholy Hill,” a new Main Stage designed to reflect the band’s aesthetic, and Gorillaz band members Noodle, 2D, Russel, and Murdoc as playable characters. Additionally, Epic is hosting a “Fortnite Festival IRL” pop-up event in London through September 3, combining gaming stations, giveaways, live streams, and DJ performances to immerse fans in the worlds of both Gorillaz and Fortnite. (Variety)

John Fogerty, legendary frontman of Creedence Clearwater Revival, has re-recorded 20 of his classic hits with his sons Shane and Tyler for the new album, Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years, which was released on August 22. Motivated by finally gaining majority control of his CCR publishing rights in 2023 after decades-long battles, and inspired by Taylor Swift’s successful re-recordings to regain her own masters, Fogerty playfully called these tracks “John’s Version” in homage to the pop superstar. “I was so happy to see her solution to her predicament,” Fogerty says of Swift acquiring her master recordings. “I’m convinced that her re-recording those albums in many ways reset the condition, so that she was able to purchase the originals. She was strong enough and powerful enough a force that she rearranged the playing field.” Fogerty’s updated versions were produced under the guidance of his wife Julie, with the project reflecting both a celebration of his musical legacy and a meaningful family collaboration as Fogerty approaches 80 and prepares to receive BMI’s Troubadour Award in September. (Billboard)

At the 13th annual Rock N’ Roll Carnival benefit in an undisclosed Los Angeles backyard on Saturday night (August 23), the Go-Go’s performed a lively greatest-hits set with a series of guest vocalists filling in for Belinda Carlisle, who was on tour promoting her new covers album. Original members Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, and Gina Schock were joined by celebrity guests including Thomas Lennon (in character as Lieutenant Dangle from Reno 911) singing “Vacation,” Lisa Loeb leading “Our Lips Are Sealed,” Letters To Cleo’s Kay Hanley joining in on “This Town,” and Jack Black energizing the crowd with “We Got The Beat” and closing with a cover of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” in honor of the late Ozzy Osbourne. Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna also joined for several songs, while Fred Armisen played guitar with the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and also opened the show. The event, attended by notable figures like RZA, Ad-Rock, Robyn Hitchcock, and Lynval Golding, served as a benefit for Musack, which provides music teachers and school programs with equipment and instruments for kids. (Stereogum)