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Apple’s AirPods Max headphones made quite the impression when they launched in 2020, instantly attracting fans like Timothee Chalamet, Dua Lipa and JENNIE with the product’s sleek and elevated look, while earning thumbs up from tech journalists for crisp and immersive audio.

Now, Apple is hoping lightning strikes twice with the launch of the AirPods Max 2, the next generation in the venerable tech brand’s over-ear wireless headphones.

NEW RELEASE

Apple AirPods Max 2 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones

“Midnight” colorway

$529.00

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Released March 25, the new headphones features the same instantly-recognizable over-ear design as the original AirPods Max, but with improved Active Noise Cancellation technology (ANC), enhanced audio and intelligent features all powered by Apple’s H2 chipset.

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The most impressive update is on the noise cancellation prowess of the AirPods Max 2, with Apple reporting that the new headphones “deliver ANC that’s up to 1.5x more effective than the previous generation.” You’ll notice it when you’re on a plane and the whiz and whirl of the airplane engine suddenly fades away; or when crossing an intersection in a bustling city, and the crowd and traffic noise dissipates.

I live on a second-floor unit in an apartment building located on a main road in Los Angeles, and I’ve found the original AirPods Max headphones to be a lifesaver for when I want to put on some tunes to focus on work and not hear the honking and screeching of cars below. The AirPods Max 2 promise an even more immersive experience, by detecting and canceling out background noise before it even hits your ears.

Of course if you still need to pay attention to your environment — I.e. in the office or when walking in traffic — you can set the cups to Transparency Mode, which filters in some natural sounds, so you’re not completely unaware or zoned out to what (or who) is around you. Voice Isolation technology automatically moves your voice to the forefront during calls, while blocking out ambient noise. And if you’re listening to a playlist or podcast, Apple’s Adaptive Audio feature automatically adjusts the noise cancellation levels depending on how noisy your environment is, so there’s always a balance of music with organic outside sounds.

A new feature we like is “Conversation Awareness,” which automatically lowers the volume of what’s playing in your ears, to make it easier to hear and talk to those around you.

ALSO AVAILABLE

Apple AirPods Max 2 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones

Orange colorway

$549.00

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Music-wise, the AirPods Max 2 continue to support Spatial Audio, for a more natural-sounding listening experience, and lossless audio, which lets you stream the highest-quality tracks. Apple says a new high dynamic range amplifier offers “even cleaner audio,” and you can also personalize your headphones to suit your ear shape and the way your head moves, so that music is always directed at you, rather than say, floating off somewhere in the distance.

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One other new feature we like: Live Translation, which does exactly as the name suggests, by letting you read or listen to an English-language translation of a conversation when you are talking to someone who’s using another language. The same feature is available in Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 model, which I tested last fall, and while it took me a bit of time to set up Live Translation (mostly making sure my phone was updated), once I got it to work, it was pretty intuitive.

The AirPods Max 2 retain the same premium look and feel as its predecessor, with the flexible mesh headband for breathability and cushy, pillow-like earpads for comfort (Apple has also upped their sustainability efforts by using 100% recycled polyester in the ear cushion). What I liked: you won’t sweat through these headphones, even when wearing for long periods of time. And as someone who wears glasses, I found that the headband wasn’t squeezing my temples in at all. The exterior has the clean and minimalist look I love, and Apple has these headphones available in five colors online, including the orange colorway that was so popular with users of the iPhone 17.

The AirPods Max 2 wireless headphones are available to purchase online now with a suggested retail price of $549. In my opinion, Apple’s got another winner on its hands, with the AirPods Max 2 offering that perfect balance of audio and aesthetics, to deliver another pair of headphones that will be topping everybody’s must-have list this year.

MGK is sharing pics from his infant daughter Saga Blade’s first birthday celebration. The “Cliché” singer posted a series of snaps of his second-born little one on Wednesday (April 1), obscuring the face of the child he shares with ex actress Megan Fox in a photo carousel of images from the baby’s first year.

In the first snap, Saga sits on a tile floor in a cute pink onesie with smiley faces and flowers on it as she reaches out to touch her dad’s black and white patterned sneakers, which match her checkered mini Vans. In another, the rap-rocker enjoys an al fresco lunch with 16-year-old daughter Casie Baker, who leans into her dad as he balances Saga — with the baby’s face obscured by a birthday themed emoji — on his knee.

Elsewhere, MGK (born Colson Baker), 35, and Saga ride a mini-train at what looks like a carnival, take a daddy-daughter nap, dress up for Halloween as Jack Skellington and a little monster, swing on swings and celebrate Christmas with Casie in matching holiday onesies.

According to E! News, a day earlier during an Instagram Live, MGK revealed the cute nickname he has for Saga when he said “Hi, princess,” asking the little one if she wanted to “jam” with him. Dressed in all-black, he then picked up the baby and said, “I got my baby in my hands, y’all. Come here, princess.” In the video cued to Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know,” he danced around with Saga, whose head bobbed as she excitedly said, “Let’s go. Hey, look at her dance!”

Last month, MGK left the second of two lusty messages on Fox’s Instagram, when he commented, “stoked we had a baby,” on the Expend4bles star’s thirst trap photo series in which she was captured sticking her tongue out and crawling on all fours while wearing a skin-tight strappy dress with an exposed thong.

MGK is currently on his Lost Americana tour, which will hit RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on April 8.

With Tiffany Young approaching nearly two decades in entertainment — and just ahead of her 10th anniversary since debuting as a solo artist — the singer-songwriter-actress has signed with the quickly growing Pacific Music Group ahead of her upcoming music releases.

Pacific signed Tiffany to a 360 deal encompassing full management representation and a recording contract with Pacific Records, the company’s flagship label. The signing formally launches the Korean roster for the new globally-focused Pan-Asian music and entertainment company founded by Ne-Yo, MC Jin, Indian singer-actor Sonu Nigam and former Warner Music Asia president Jonathan Serbin. Last week, Billboard reported that Timbaland signed his AI artist TaTa with PMG for management.

“As I step into the next phase of my career, I find myself focusing more than ever on intention — on the quiet importance of details and on building meaningful connection through the work I create,” Young said in a statement to Billboard. “I’m honored and excited to begin this new chapter with Pacific Music Group as I prepare for my 10th solo anniversary album and the promotions to come. More than anything, I’m looking forward to celebrating this moment with my fans, the ones who have walked this journey with me, because the music has always been for them.”

Young left her native California at 15 to move to Seoul and train with SM Entertainment before debuting as a member of Girls’ Generation in 2007. The female act helped shape the commercial and cultural templates that K-pop now regularly exports globally. As part of the Girls’ Generation splinter trio Girls’ Generation-TTS, Tiffany made chart history when Twinkle earned the first-ever entry on the Billboard 200 for a Korean-pop girl group. In May 2016, Young made her debut as a soloist with the EP I Just Wanna Dance, which reached the top 5 of Billboard‘s World Albums chart, while its title track reached the top 5 of the World Digital Song Sales chart. That was followed by 2019’s Babyface-assisted EP Lips on Lips, which sent her to a new peak on Billboard‘s Independent Albums chart.

While Young has kept a lower profile in the K-pop industry in the ’20s, she has stepped into musicals (including two runs as Roxie Hart in the South Korean production of Chicago), acting (she most recently appeared in 2024’s Uncle Samsik on Disney+) and TV judging (acting as a mentor on popular K-pop competition series including Girls Planet 999, Veiled Cup and Peak Time).

“Tiffany is exactly the kind of artist Pacific Music Group was built to partner with,” Serbin, Pacific Music Group co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. “She’s a true pioneer, an artist who helped define a generation, yet continues to evolve creatively across music, acting, and global culture. Launching our Korean roster with Tiffany is incredibly meaningful, and her 10th anniversary solo release in May 2026 will be a powerful statement of where she’s headed next. Korea is a cornerstone of the global music industry and this signing, alongside our expanded Seoul team, reflects our long-term commitment to the market.”

While Pacific Music Group is headquartered in Hong Kong, it has expanded its Seoul operations with 12 new hires — including the newly announced Korea exec Samuel Ku — to support artist management, creative development, marketing and global coordination.

New music from Young via Pacific Records is scheduled for release later this year.

A little more than a week after Sturgill Simpson’s alter ego Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with the solely physical release Mutiny After Midnight, the group has announced an arena tour.

The Mutiny for the Masses outing kicks off Sept. 4 in Austin, Texas, and will stop in 29 cities before concluding at Lexington, Kentucky’s Rupp Arena on Oct. 30. There will be no opening act.

Starting in 2024, Sturgill began releasing albums under the Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds moniker with Passage du Desir. Previously, Sturgill had declared that 2021’s The Ballad of Dood and Juanita would be his last album released under his own name. Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds toured previously in 2025 with the Who the F*ck is Johnny Blue Skies outing.

Mutiny After Midnight moved 59,000 units following its March 20 release on vinyl, CD and cassette. It was the first physical-only release to debut in the top 10 in almost three years, following the Record Store Day limited-edition vinyl release of Taylor Swift’s Folklore.

In addition to its stellar Billboard 200 start, Mutiny After Midnight debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts.

Starting Wednesday (April 1), Mutiny After Midnight is available for download on iTunes as a full album, including exclusive bonus track, a cover of Eddie Murphy’s 1985 hit “Party All the Time.” Also coming for April 18’s Record Store Day is a two-sided 7-inch picture disc with Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds’ versions of Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” and William Bell’s “You Don’t Miss Your Water.”

Below are the Mutiny for the Masses tour dates

Sept. 4 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
Sept. 6 – Rio Rancho, NM – Rio Rancho Events Center
Sept. 8 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena
Sept. 9 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl
Sept. 11 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum
Sept. 13 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
Sept. 15 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek Theatre
Sept. 18 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Sept. 19 – Vancouver, BC – Pacific Coliseum
Sept. 21 – Eugene, OR – Matthew Knight Arena
Sept. 23 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Sept. 26 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Sept. 27 – St. Paul, MN – Grand Casino Arena
Sept. 29 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Oct. 2 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Oct. 3 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Oct. 6 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
Oct. 7 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
Oct. 9 – Pittsburgh, PA – Petersen Events Center
Oct. 10 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Oct. 13 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Oct. 15 – Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena
Oct. 16 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Oct. 18 – Washington DC – Capital One Arena
Oct. 21 – Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center
Oct. 23 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium
Oct. 25 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Oct. 27 – New Orleans, LA – Lakefront Arena
Oct. 30 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena