Summer’s not over yet but David Archuleta is already getting into the holiday spirit. The singer has announced his Warm Me Up holiday tour, set to kick off Nov. 28 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The trek wraps Dec. 20 in Modesto, California. Tickets go on sale Aug. 7.
Ariana Grande is set to play the first of three shows in Chicago Monday night, following news that she’d be stepping back from public visibility once her Eternal Sunshine tour is over. She posted a message to fans on her Instagram Story, writing, “i love you, my sweeeetests & cannot wait to be with you tonight ! ! ! ! !”
JENNIE is on the cover of the latest issue of Cosmopolitan. She tells the mag the person whose career she admires the most is Rihanna. “Rihanna will always be my biggest dream in terms of how much influence she has over pop culture and also music culture and art itself,” she says.
Stella Lefty is following up her debut Lollapalooza performance with a debut album.
The singer has announcedLong Way Home will be out Aug. 21. Her new single off the album, “Lean In, Kiss Me,” drops Aug. 7, the same day the album becomes available for preorder/presave.
Her album follows the May release of her EP, Is This Heaven?, featuring her viral hit “Boston.”
Stella performed in front of over 12,000 fans Sunday at Lollapalooza in her home city of Chicago. It marked a full-circle moment for the singer — she’d been attending the festival as a fan since she was 15 years old.
During the performance, she brought out her boyfriend, country star Vincent Mason, to perform “Something to Lose.”
aylor Swift attends the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Taylor Swift left quite a first impression on Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Phil Collins.
Collins appears on the latest installment of BBC Radio 2's Tracks of My Yearspodcast, where artists reveal the 10 songs that have soundtracked their life. Because of that first encounter with Taylor, Collins chose her Fearless song “White Horse” for his list.
Collins explains that he met Taylor “way, way back” at the Songwriters Hall of Fame, where he was introduced to her by one of his daughters, Emily in Paris star Lily Collins.
“I’d kind of known the name, but she wasn’t anywhere near the star she is today,” Collins says. “Then she got up onstage with a guitar and sang ‘White Horse,’ and it blew me away completely, cause not only was the song great, and the sentiment of the song really got me, but she sang it beautifully and it was just so simple, you know, her on the guitar.”
“So, I’ve always had a soft spot for this song since then,” he adds.
Collins says he’s “so pleased that she’s the hugest thing in the world now."
“It kind of feels like she deserves it, you know," he says. “It’s easy to knock someone that’s got so much success but I think she really deserves it.”
Swift performed “White Horse” at the 2010 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction, where she received the Hal David Starlight Award. In May, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Sam Fender and Olivia Dean accept the Song of the Year Award for “Rein Me In” on stage during The BRIT Awards 2026 at Co-op Live on February 28, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Olivia Dean brought out Sam Fender during her headlining set at Lollapalooza on Saturday for a joint performance of "Rein Me In."
The rendition marked the first time Dean and Fender have played the song together in the U.S.
"@lollapalooza that was mega," Fender wrote in an Instagram post alongside footage of the performance. "Thank you for having us @oliviadeano."
Olivia posted her own reaction to playing the festival, writing, “@lollapalooza my first time headlining a festival in america. 97,000 of you !!! truthfully i had been crying all day beforehand trying to process how we even got to this point.”
The performance comes after "Rein Me In" broke a 73-year-old British chart record in becoming the longest-running #1 single in the history of the U.K.'s Official Singles Chart. The track has led the ranking for 19 weeks.
"Rein Me In" originally appeared on Fender's 2025 album, People Watching. The duet version with Dean was later released as part of the deluxe version of the record.
Olivia Rodrigo performs on ABC's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' (Disney/Randy Holmes)
Over the weekend, there was an unexpected live appearance by Olivia Rodrigo, a quick recovery by Harry Styles, and a sudden cancellation from Benson Boone.
At Lollapalooza in Chicago Friday night, Olivia continued her track record of joining legendary alternative rock acts onstage when she popped up to duet with Smashing Pumpkins during their set. It was the Chicago band's first appearance at the festival since 1994. Olivia sang "Thirty-Three," a song from the band's biggest album, 1995's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
Over the past few years, Olivia has performed onstage with Talking Heads singer David Byrne, The Cure singer Robert Smith, the band Weezer and No Doubt.
Meanwhile, Harry Styles avoided serious injury when he slipped on the wet stage during his Saturday night concert in Mexico City. The "Aperture" star was singing "Are You Listening Yet?," a track from his latest album, while skipping down the stage, when his feet shot out from under him and he went down. He landed on his side, but was unbothered: He propped himself up on his elbow and kept on singing without missing a beat.
Finally, Benson Boone was forced to call off his Sunday night concert in Spokane, Washington. A note on his Instagram Story read, "There has been an enormous amount of wildfires and smoke filling the area, hundreds of people are out of power and unable to make the show." The show has been rescheduled to Sept. 6, and tickets will be honored for the new date. Benson added, "I hope everyone is staying safe in Spokane. I love you guys so much, can't wait to see you in a month."
Ariana Grande attending the 83rd Golden Globes awards at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, January 11, 2026. (by Sthanlee Mirador/PA Images via Getty Images)
Ariana Grande plans to step back from public appearances after completing The Eternal Sunshine Tour, her representative confirmed to ABC News.
The singer will also no longer star in the upcoming West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George, which would have reunited her with her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.
"Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour," her representative said in a statement to ABC News on Sunday.
"She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny," the statement continued. "This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much."
A source close to Grande said the singer is disappointed to leave the production but remains supportive of the creative team.
"She cannot wait to support the brilliant team bringing this project to life," the source added.
The representative did not specify what prompted Grande's decision to step back, though the statement cited "endless, ongoing public scrutiny" tied to her public-facing work and appearances.
Grande's appearance has been the subject of public discussion and body-shaming in recent years, with renewed online commentary following the release of the music video for her latest single, "Petal," from her newly released album of the same name.
The Grammy winner has previously addressed comments about her body, including in her 2024 song "Yes, And?," in which she sings, "Don't comment on my body."
Grande launched her The Eternal Sunshine Tour in June in Oakland, California. After wrapping up the remaining U.S. dates, she will head to London, where the tour is scheduled to conclude Sept. 1.
The tour marks Grande's return to the stage after several years focused on acting and recording music, including her starring role as Glinda in the Wicked films.
After the tour concludes, Grande is next set to appear on the big screen in Focker-in-Law, the latest installment of the Meet the Parents franchise, alongside Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters Nov. 25.
Sara Bareilles has released a new song and video from her upcoming album Good Grief. The video for "Still Crying" reunites Sara with her Girls5eva castmates Renee Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell, John Lutz, Janine Brito and Daniel Breaker, while Sara's husband, Joe Tippett, plays an arm wrestler. "The literal dream team assembled to make this music video and there is nothing but love on screen and off," Sara wrote on Instagram. As for the song, Sara says it's for "those of us who find ourselves in the depths maybe more often than we’d like." Good Grief comes out Aug. 28.
Selena Gomez stars in the video for "Te Olivado (La La)," the new Spanish-language song from her husband, Benny Blanco, that also features Becky G. In one scene, Selena is shown riding a bicycle with Benny on the back, wearing a mask that looks like his own face, but grossly and grotesquely exaggerated. On Instagram, Selena wrote, "I love this song so much and had the best time making it with two people I adore. Hope you love it." Veteran actor Danny Trejo is also in the clip.
Backstreet Boys aren't the only pop act featured on the soundtrack of the upcoming movie PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie. Ava Max has contributed a new song called "Work" to the film, and there's a lyric video as well.
"A Bar Song (Tipsy)" star Shaboozey is out with his new album The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales, featuring Jamie Foxx, Teyana Taylor, Leon Bridges, Kehlani and more.
Sombr and Luke Hemmings of 5 Seconds of Summer perform during 2026 Lollapalooza Festival on July 30, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Erika Goldring/WireImage)
What do artists do at Lollapalooza when they're waiting around to go on, or they've already performed and decide to hang out? They join other artists onstage, that's what.
As the festival kicked off in Chicago Thursday, Sombr welcomed 5 Seconds of Summer to the stage to join him for a cover of the Australian band's signature song "She Looks So Perfect." You can see footage of the moment on 5SOS' Instagram Story and on Billboard's Instagram. The band had played Lolla earlier in the evening. Their setlist featured a cover of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream."
Meanwhile, Lorde headlined Lollapalooza on Thursday and brought out Charli XCX, who's set to headline on Friday night. The two performed the remix of "Girl, so confusing," which appeared on Charli's album Brat and it's completely different but also still brat.
The two have performed the song together live multiple times since it was released in 2024. Charli posted videos and photos of the Thursday night performance and wrote on Instagram, "the more we do this the more special it feels <3 love you ella, congrats on headlining and ty for bringing me out!!!! ps i headline lolla tonight… im excited."
Also performing Friday at Lollapalooza are Zara Larsson, Major Lazer, Suki Waterhouse, Slayyter, Finn Wolfhard and many more. Olivia Dean and JENNIE headline on Saturday; it's Tate McRae on Sunday.
Sam Fender and Olivia Dean accept the Song of the Year Award with Mastercard for 'Rein Me In' during The BRIT Awards 2026 on Feb. 28, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
In the U.S., Olivia Dean is riding high with her hits "Man I Need" and "So Easy (To Fall in Love)." But in the U.K., she's just shattered a chart record with a completely different tune: "Rein Me In," her duet with fellow British singer/songwriter Sam Fender.
At 19 weeks, "Rein Me In" is now the longest-running #1 hit in the history of the U.K.'s Official Singles Chart. The previous record was 18 weeks, set all the way back in 1953 — 73 years ago — by a song called "I Believe" by singer Frankie Laine.
Those 19 weeks weren't consecutive, though — "Rein Me In" first topped the chart in February. It's been in and out of the top spot ever since, stepping aside for singles by Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo and Ariana Grande, but always regaining the crown.
In a statement to Official Charts, Sam said, "Completely lost for words, thank you so much to Olivia Dean and the fans for making this song the juggernaut that it is. Can’t believe we broke the UK record!”
Olivia hasn't put out a statement about the record, but it's the second piece of good news she's had in as many days. On Thursday her album The Art of Loving was nominated for the U.K.'s prestigious Mercury Prize. It's her second nomination for the award.
She wrote on Instagram, "wow i remember being so proud and so nervous to be there with my first album in 2023. to think of how far we’ve come and everything that’s happened since then!!! that girl wouldn’t believe where she is now!!!"
Ariana Grande recently said she wrote her new album, petal, from a place of "unfiltered rage." She definitely shows that off in the video for the title track, which may be a commentary on the singer's relationship with the public, the music industry, or both.
In the clip, Ari is Pepper, an aspiring actress who shows up at an audition with dozens of other women. The first time she tries out, the old, ugly men judging her stamp her application with the words "Not Good Enough." But she keeps coming back wearing multiple outfits, one of which seems to be a direct reference to Sandy's "bad girl" fit in Grease.
Finally, the music stops and the men start telling her why what she's doing isn't working.
One says, "There's something about you — you give off this feeling that is completely—" "It's unmarketable!" barks another. "Unattractive," says another. "Inauthentic," adds another.
"The way you used to be, I miss that," says the first man. "We miss the old you," says another man. "Maybe you could go out and find her and give her another shot, huh?"
Then the first guy adds, "You should try singing tenor. Ten or 15 miles from here."
"OK. Thank you," says Ariana. She pulls out a chainsaw from a bag at her feet, starts it up, and slices and chops the men to death. As she emerges from the audition room soaked in blood, all the other women cheer, while the secretary says, "Good for you, b***!"
Next, Ari's sitting in a Chinese restaurant, still covered in blood, opening a fortune cookie that says, "You bloom wherever you are planted." The camera pulls back and we see that the whole thing was a movie.
As director Christian Breslauer congratulates Ari on her performance, she leaves the studio, stepping over a star on Hollywood Boulevard that reads "Pepper"; a flower grows out of a crack in the pavement.
Noah Kahan performs onstage during the 'Noah Kahan: Out of Body' SXSW Premiere on March 16, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Netflix)
Noah Kahan has been jokingly complaining for years that former President Barack Obama has never chosen his songs for his annual summer playlist. On Thursday, Obama finally did put one of Noah's songs on his playlist: "Doors," from his album The Great Divide. So Noah decided to acknowledge that at his concert in Arlington, Texas, Thursday night.
As captured in a fan video, Noah picks up a phone onstage and says, "Hello? Obama? You finally put me on your summer playlist after 15 f******years?"
As the audience screams and cheers, Noah continues, "Are you doing OK? It's not a happy song at all. Is everything all right with Michelle?"
"OK, we f****** miss you so much," Noah says, wrapping up the pretend call. "Goodbye!"
One reason why Noah may say he misses Obama is because he's angry that the Trump administration used his song "American Cars" without permission in a social media video. The song has since been deleted from the post on both TikTok and Instagram.
Andy Grammer, 'Big Stupid Heart' (S-Curve Records/Hollywood Records.)
Andy Grammer is releasing a new album this fall, but in June, his wife released a new baby.
People reports that Andy and his wife, Aijia Grammer, welcomed their third daughter, West Lizette Grammer, on June 16. Like her big sisters Louisiana "Louie" Grammer and Israel "Izzy" Grammer, West has a location-inspired name. Andy tells People that Louie is the one who suggested "West"; the couple calls her "Westie."
For all three pregnancies, Aijia suffered with hyperemesis gravidarum, a pregnancy complication that causes extreme nausea. "There wouldn’t be anything else worth her going through this except these little girls,” says Andy. “She loves our daughters. She did it, and she’s never going to do it again.” The couple says they feel their family is now "complete."
As for Andy's new album, it's called Big Stupid Heart, and it'll be out Oct. 16. He's released two songs from it: the title track and "Best Hearts." He's now in the middle of a headlining tour in support of the project, which he says is about "how much cost there is to loving deeply, and the decision to still do it."
KATSEYE fans have been clamoring for the girls to write their own music, and now, their wish has come true.
The group unveiled the track list for their new EP WILD on Thursday, and member Lara Raj revealed that the Target-exclusive version includes a song she helped create. In a video, she announced that "Unloveu" was co-written and co-produced by her, Amy Allen and Ross Golan, who have collectively worked on hits for stars including Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande.
"I know that you guys have been asking and waiting for a song written and produced by one of us, so I really, really hope that you love it," Lara said.
The standard edition of WILD includes the tracks "Pinky Up," "Animal," "Hootie Frutti," "Bel Air" and "That Way." The EP is out Aug. 14.
WILD is KATSEYE's second EP, following last year's Beautiful Chaos. Two days before it drops, the movie KATSEYE: WILD HEARTS will begin a limited engagement in theaters.
Tickets for Katy Perry's concert film Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour – Live from Paris are now on sale. Meanwhile, you can watch a mini behind-the-scenes documentary about how the elaborate production came together, plus the sequence from the film when she performs "The One that Got Away."
For several years, Noah Kahan has jokingly complained that he's never been included on one of Barack Obama's playlists, but now his wish has finally come true. After the former president included Noah's song "Doors" on his new summer playlist on Thursday, Noah reposted it and wrote, "I can finally rest." He also reposted the playlist on his Instagram Story and wrote, "And now my watch has ended." That's a Game of Thrones reference that essentially means, "My ordeal is over and now I'm free."
Post Malone has reworked his song "I Had Some Help" for an Aug. 3 Sesame Street special Storm on Sesame Street, which is designed to teach kids how to deal with extreme weather events. After the storm, everyone pitches in to help rebuild, and Posty joins the Muppets to sing "A Little Help," a song about working together to restore the neighborhood.
Workers at a Montreal eatery called Cafe Meekha were shocked this week when none other than Ariana Grande strolled into their establishment, along with her ex, Ricky Alvarez, with who she's rumored to be dating again. She also posed for photos with all the employees: You can watch video of the moment on Instagram. Ari is currently performing in Montreal as part of her Eternal Sunshine tour.
Train is out with the title track of their upcoming album, Mad Dog in the Fog, due Aug. 28.
The song and the album are named after a bar in San Francisco where the band performed in its earliest iteration. Singer Pat Monahan says in a statement, "It was the first venue to pay us to play, and its owner, Cyril, has been one of our biggest champions from the beginning. So it only felt right to name this album in its honor.”
The band filmed the video for the song in the titular bar; their friend Matt Nathanson, who's currently joining them on their summer tour, is also in the clip, singing and playing guitar.
In other Train news, Pat was one of the lucky thousand or so people who were invited to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding. Pat and Taylor co-wrote the song "Babe," which was supposed to appear on her 2012 album Red, but didn't make the cut. In 2013 Pat joined Taylor onstage during her Red tour to sing the Train hit "Drive By."
Speaking to E!, Pat said of the wedding, "I was very honored to be there. I was blown away with how incredible and beautiful it was. So glad that she and Travis found each other ‘cause I think they’re a really beautiful, connected couple of people.”
As for "Babe," it became a top-10 country hit for the band Sugarland in 2018. Taylor's recording of the song appeared as a "From the Vault" track on Red (Taylor's Version).
Former U.S. President Barack Obama at the dedication ceremony for the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in John Lewis Plaza on June 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Former President Barack Obama has released his annual summer playlist, and as usual, it's an eclectic mix of musical genres and eras.
Among Obama's picks are Noah Kahan's "Doors"; "Where Is My Husband!" by RAYE; "She Did It Again" by Tyla and Zara Larsson; "Charlie Brown" by Coldplay; Drake's Iceman track "Ran to Atlanta," featuring Future and Molly Santana; Hozier and Mumford & Sons' collab "Rubber Band Man"; and "girl, get up." by Doechii and SZA.
Obama also picked a bunch of classic tunes from artists like The Police, David Bowie, Marvin Gaye, Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, The Beatles, Neil Young, Johnny Cash, The Temptations and Earth, Wind & Fire.
He also included "Song of Good Hope," a song by the late Glen Hansard, the Irish musician, actor and Oscar winner who died in a motorcycle crash Wednesday. Obama wrote that he and wife Michelle Obama love that particular song, adding, "Our hearts go out to his family."
Justin Bieber performs during the Topps Final Halftime Show the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Clothing worn by Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and BTS during the FIFA World Cup Halftime Show on July 19 have been auctioned off, bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity.
A pair of sneakers Justin Bieber wore from his own SKYLYRK clothing brand went for $26,400. He sported the kicks while singing "Everything Hallelujah" during the show. The yellow costume Shakira wore during her performance went for just over $8,000.
But it was the items worn by BTS during their performance of "Dynamite" that really brought in the big bucks. A scarf worn by group member V sold for $46,200, while a pair of pants worn by Suga took in $33,000. And a shirt worn by group member Jimin brought the auction's high price of $110,000.
Proceeds will go to expand access to education and sports for kids in underserved communities worldwide.
Key Art for 'Billie Eilish Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live,' featuring Billie Eilish streaming on Paramount+, 2026. (Paramount+)
Billie Eilish's HIT ME HARD AND SOFT concert film will soon be streaming hard and soft.
The movie is set to debut on Paramount+ on Aug. 6.
BILLIE EILISH – HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR was filmed during the "bad guy" artist's world tour in support of her latest album, 2024's HIT ME HARD AND SOFT. It was co-directed by Eilish alongside famed Titanic and Aliens director James Cameron.
The film premiered in theaters in May and was released to digital platforms in June.
In related news, Eilish paid tribute to late Irish singer-songwriter and Oscar-winning Once star Glen Hansard, who died Wednesday at age 56.
"Devasted... wouldn't be who I am today without glen," Eilish wrote in an Instagram Story.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. is weighing in after BTS announced Wednesday that they will not submit music for consideration in the 2027 Grammy Awards.
The decision of the group's seven members — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook — to withdraw from Grammy consideration comes one month after the Recording Academy announced five new categories for next year's awards, including best Asian pop music performance.
As previously reported, each BTS member shared a statement on their Instagram accounts Wednesday morning that read, "We have decided not to submit for Grammys this year. Rather than music being divided by region or language, we hope music itself can be heard and loved for what it is. We are always grateful to ARMY and everyone who is always with us.”
In a statement shared with ABC News, Mason said he is "saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year."
He added said that he respects the group's decision and also wanted to address why the Asian Pop category was created.
"I do want to clarify something that seems to be getting lost in the conversation," he began. "The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia. The spirit of this new category is to shine a dedicated spotlight on these important artists."
Mason continued, "More categories mean more artists' work is recognized. It’s never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters."
"I also want to be very clear: submitting music in a genre category such as Asian Pop, or Jazz or Country does not exclude an artist from also submitting and being considered in the General Field categories, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year," he added.
"Those categories remain open to any eligible recording, regardless of genre. Recognition in a genre category and recognition in the General Field are not mutually exclusive. An artist can absolutely pursue both."
BTS were the only K-pop group to have earned a Grammy nomination until 2026, when several K-pop artists scored big nods in top categories.
The 2027 Grammy Awards will air live on ABC, Disney+ and Hulu on Feb. 7.
Olivia Dean and RAYE are among the nominees for the U.K.'s prestigious Mercury Prize, which recognizes artistic achievement by U.K. and Irish musicians.
Projects by the "Man I Need" and "Where Is My Husband!" singers are among the 12 albums nominated for the Prize, which is open to records released by British or Irish artists between Aug. 30, 2025, and July 17, 2026.
Olivia's album The Art of Love and RAYE's This Music May Contain Hope. are up against releases by Florence + The Machine, ex-Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall aka JADE and Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney, among others.
Also nominated is HELP (2), a charity album featuring tracks by multiple artists performing under the collective name War Child. That album includes Olivia Rodrigo's version of "The Book of Love," originally recorded by the indie band The Magnetic Fields.
The 2026 Mercury Awards show will take place Oct. 22 in Newcastle, England, and will feature live performances by many of the nominees, along with the presentation of the award. The winner is selected by an independent judging panel made up of musicians, journalists, producers, executives and other music biz figures.
