Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to New Music Friday’s most essential releases each week — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
Last week, we featured Gracie Abrams, Drake and Maluma.
This week: Olivia Rodrigo shares the second single from her forthcoming You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, Lola Young returns with the hearty “From Down Here” and Charli xcx continues to tease her new album with “SS26” … plus much more. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Olivia Rodrigo, “The Cure”
From the first strummed chord of “The Cure” one thing becomes clear: indie-rocker Liv has entered the chat. Across the near five-minute song, Rodrigo flexes her singer-songwriter muscles as the initial riff continues on, resulting in a song that would sound just as good at a stripped down, acoustic open mic session (though she’s already been there, done that already for this cycle) as it would blaring through a stadium sound system. And once that bridge hits — introducing a swiftly sped up tempo for the song’s final minute — her upcoming Unraveled Tour name makes a whole lot more sense.
Lola Young, “From Down Here”
Following a Grammy win for best pop solo performance (“Messy”) and ahead of a celebrated return to headline All Things Go, Lola Young is sharing the soulful and soaring “From Down Here.” Co-written and co-produced by James Blake, his fingerprints are all over the track’s enticing layers. Together, each one helps create a plush sonic playground for Young’s vocals to jump around on — and in fact, it takes a voice like hers to not get lost in the sound but rather act as its guide no matter the vantage point.
Charli xcx, “SS26”
The second single from Charli’s upcoming album, once again, takes a turn down a new path (or, as she sings, down a “runway that goes straight to hell”). The surprisingly mid-tempo track puts Charli’s vocals at the forefront and feels far removed from the divisive lead single “Rock Music” — save for a subtle, unrelenting riff that at times leans heavy on fuzzy feedback. But really, it’s the writing that provokes a second play as Charli sings of the inevitable end of the world through the lens of a new spring/summer collection, concluding: “Nothing’s gonna save us, not music, fashion, or film.”
Bleachers, everyone for ten minutes
Focus track “we should talk,” from Bleachers’ fifth album that arrives on Friday (May 22), wastes no time setting the agenda for what exactly should be talked about. “We had a band, we had a life, we had dreams/ In a van we wrote our own Bible supreme/ Then you got a house, a lawn, a wife and a kid/ And those dreams turned to memories and that’s where it ends.” The flittering pop-rock track paints a picture a familiar crossroads between the life you’ve already lived and the one that feels fast approaching — and what you want to do about it.
Blondshell, Heart Has To Work So Hard
Indie rocker Blondshell is preparing for a big season ahead, announcing her biggest headlining shows for the fall and now launching her next cycle with the aching and angry “Heart Has To Work So Hard.” And while her distinct dismal tone stamps the song as only her own, the unrelenting production and musicianship create a new point of intriguing tension that could — and should — be explored more on a future project. As Blondshell shared in a statement: “This song is really about friendship and betrayal, getting stuck in a dynamic and letting things fester…but it’s also about a love so enduring that you find compassion no matter what.”
The finale of Stephen Colbert’s beloved late-night show wasn’t a cliffhanger, but a blockbuster, as Paul McCartney stopped by The Ed Sullivan Theater for an interview.
In doing so, the Beatles great completed the full circle. It was here, in the same glorious New York City building back on Feb. 9, 1964, when the legendary British band made their historic first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. When the screaming had subsided, the world had changed. The Fab Four’s U.S. TV debut shook America’s teenage population, gathering an estimated 73 million viewers, a record for its time and a wake-up call for pop culture.
McCartney, 83, is perhaps the most famous living pop star on earth. And the two-time Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductee can still command screams wherever he goes, as was evident on his final appearance Thursday night, May 21 on The Late Show. How often does that still happen, Colbert asked his famous guest. “Often,” was the response. True story. Check out the proof below.
Colbert’s final broadcast of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert draws curtains on an 11-year run. CBS announced the cancelation in July 2025, citing financial losses. Many observers, however, aren’t buying it, with figures like Senator Elizabeth Warren claiming the axing was political censorship, coming just days after Colbert publicly criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount, over its $16 million legal settlement with Trump, a moment when Paramount was on the brink of a merger deal that U.S. authorities could block.
“We’ve had so much fun in this theater, so many great segments,” Colbert remarked in his last, opening monologue. The gags, they flowed as usual. Once backstage, Elvis Presley used the bathroom and didn’t die, Colbert insisted. And those regular dry observations of current affairs and Trump’s administration, they were barbed, as expected.
Special occasions require special guests, and this final episode was no different as Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows and others popped up for fun cameos, while an extraordinary line-up of special guest questioners did their bit, including Billy Crystal, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Josh Brolin, Martha Stewart, Mark Hamill, Ben Stiller, James Taylor and Robert De Niro.
At the top, Colbert reminded the audience that, despite the show disappearing from the airwaves, “we were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years. You can’t take this for granted.” Watch his final monologue, the McCartney interview and his show-ending performance of “Jump Up/Hello Goodbye” with Elvis Costello and Jon Batiste below.
Dua Lipa is putting a bow on the Radical Optimism era with a gift for the fans. The “Levitating” singer turned her three-show run in Mexico City to close out the Radical Optimism Tour into a live album as Live From Mexico hit streaming services on Friday (May 22).
The live album boasts 21 tracks in total, which is filled with Dua hits like “Electricity,” “One Kiss,” “Levitating,” “Illusion,” “Don’t Start Now” and “Houdini.” There’s even a cover of Mana’s “Oye Mi Amor,” as Fher Olvera joined her for a surprise performance at the Estadio GNP Seguros show in December 2025.
“Live From Mexico the concert film is out now on YouTube and the album drops everywhere at midnight 2 of the most special years wrapped up into 2 hours.. the end of an era,” she wrote to social media on Thursday (May 21).
Dua continued: “I hope watching and listening to this shows the euphoria, the love, the blood sweat and tears and most importantly the radical optimism (!!) that we all shared on this tour, we will have it forever now so thank you!!!!”
Fans have the opportunity to purchase a CD or vinyl edition of Live From Mexico to commemorate their tour memories as well.
The pop star also shared a concert film for Live From Mexico, which was released on YouTube for free on Thursday (May 21), as fans could relive the thrills from the Radical Optimism Tour experience.
The Radical Optimism Tour came in support of Dua Lipa’s 2024 album Radical Optimism, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, earning 83,000 album equivalent units, according to Luminate.
The global trek scored Dua the third biggest tour of any from a pop star in 2025. According to Billboard Boxscore, the 30-year-old grossed more than $141 million with 1.2 million tickets sold throughout 59 shows.
Stream Live from Mexico below.
Mgk and Wiz Khalifa emerged as stars at the turn of the 2010s, and they’re paying homage to their breakthrough era with the Blog Era Boyz joint mixtape, which hit streaming services on Friday (May 22).
Wiz and Kels originally teamed up back in 2013 for “Mind of a Stoner,” and rekindled their working relationship in 2026. They duo joined forces for a pair of singles — “Girl Next Door” and “Everything Tatted” — to gain momentum heading into the collab tape more than a decade later.
Friendship and nostalgia power the mixtape, which boasts nine tracks in total. Mgk and the Pittsburgh rapper are also currently on the road together, so some fresh tunes from the duo made sense.
Wiz joined Kels for his Lost Americana Tour, which kicked off a second leg in California on May 15 and will be heading to Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, St. Louis, Toronto, Kansas City and Vancouver, B.C., before closing up shop in Ridgefield, Wash., on July 1 with a final date.
Mgk has been busy coming off of 2025’s Lost Americana, which went No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart. In April, the Cleveland native recruited Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst for “Fix Ur Face” in April, which topped the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.
As for Wiz, he’s been a machine when it comes to keeping his fan base fed with new music this year. Through May, the “Black and Yellow” rapper has already been part of five projects outside of Blog Era Boyz, which includes Khaotic, helming the Moses the Black soundtrack, Girls Love Horses and the Roofless Records for Drop Tops double disc joint album with Curren$y.
Stream Blog Era Boyz below.
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Formula 1 returns, as the league travels to Montreal for the only grand prix in Canada in the 2026 season. With all eyes on Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell with Mercedes sitting at the top of the leaderboard, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are looking for victory to rise in the ranks with more points and podiums.
Meanwhile, an all-Canadian lineup of Simple Plan, Bryan Adams, Alessia Cara, The Beaches and others are set to perform during the grand prix at the CGV Experience at Jean-Doré Beach, Parc Jean-Drapeau all weekend long.
Broadcasting live from Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, the F1 Canadian Grand Prix starts with Practice 1 on Friday, May 22, with a start time of 12:30 ET/9:30 a.m. PT. Race weekend ends with race day on Sunday, May 24, at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
Where to Stream the 2026 F1 Canadian Grand Prix Online, At a Glance:
- Dates: May 22-24
- Location: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec
- Stream: Apple TV
Apple TV is the best way for fans to tune in to every race for the 2026 season, at no additional cost — just the subscription price at $12.99 per month, or $99 per year.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the Canadian Grand Prix.
How to Watch the 2026 F1 Canadian Grand Prix Online for Free
New Apple TV subscribers can take advantage of a seven-day free trial, which is more than enough time to watch the F1 Canadian Grand Prix for free.
In addition, Apple TV has all F1 races for the 2026 season. It has all warmups, practices, sprints and qualifying coverage and other extras, such as Drive to Survive (in U.S. only), with no blackouts. All races livestream in 4K Dolby Vision with 5.1 surround sound and Apple’s “Multiview” experiences.
I like Apple TV for its wide range of originals, like Severance, Pluribus, Ted Lasso, Slow Horses and others, as well as live sports, such as MLB Friday Night Baseball and all Major League Soccer matches. The streaming service also has excellent original music documentaries and programming, including Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, Beastie Boys Story, Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson and others.
2026 F1 Canadian Grand Prix Schedule
The Canadian Grand Prix starts with practice, sprints and qualifying races on Friday, May 22, and concludes with race day on Sunday, May 24. Here’s the full schedule below:
Friday, May 22
- Free Practice 1: 12:30 ET/9:30 a.m. PT
- Sprint Shootout: 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT
Saturday, May 23
- Sprint Race: Noon ET/9 a.m. PT
- Qualifying: 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
Sunday, May 24
- Race Day: 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
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Charli xcx is on a “runway that goes straight to hell” for her new “SS26” song and music video, which arrived Thursday night (May 21).
For the music video — directed by Torso from a concept by Charli — the singer/songwriter walks the Paris runways in a series of high-fashion looks as she sings lyrics about both style and substance. “Spring Summer ’26/ When the world is gonna end, no hope for any of it/ Yeah, we’re walking on a runway that goes straight to hell/ Nothing’s gonna save us, not music, fashion, or film.”
In the second verse, Charli has some fun with the cancel-culture news cycle, singing, “I was hacked, it got taken out of context, obviously/ But I didn’t do it, even if I did, wrote a really good notes app apology.”
Watch the music video below:
“SS26” arrives two weeks after the release of “Rock Music,” the first taste of Charli’s seventh studio album, which doesn’t yet have a title or release date. Following her buzzy comeback with 2024’s Brat album, Charli announced her intent to pivot away from the dance genre on “Rock Music,” singing: “I think the dance floor is dead/ So now we’re making rock music.” This seemed to catch the attention of Madonna, whose own dance album Confessions II arrives on July 3. The Queen of Pop declared in an Instagram post this week: “If your Dance floor feels dead, maybe you’re playing the wrong music.”
“Rock Music” and “SS26” will both be included on Charli’s yet-untitled next album.
Kenny Chesney lands his milestone 100th entry on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart as “Carry On” opens at No. 31 on the May 23 list. It totaled 1.5 million chart-eligible U.S. streams, 10.5 million in radio airplay audience and 2,000 sold May 8-14, according to Luminate.
The track marks Chesney’s first single on Hey Now Records, which launched in March, and previews his 21st album, due later this year. He has scored 55 top 10s, including 23 No. 1s. The song also starts at No. 20 on Country Airplay, where it’s likewise his 100th appearance.
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“When I think about ‘American Kids,’ ‘Young,’ ‘You and Tequila,’ ‘When the Sun Goes Down,’ all the way back to ‘The Tin Man,’ it’s hearing my life in music,” Chesney tells Billboard, referencing some his most beloved hits. “To be told ‘Carry On’ is my 100th charting single, I feel like this is a life that’s not just well-lived, but has so much more great music ahead.”
The 100-title milestone lifts Chesney into elite company among acts with 100 or more hits on Hot Country Songs, which dates to October 1958. George Jones leads with 157. Dating to Chesney’s first charted title, “Whatever It Takes,” in December 1993, he boasts the third-most, after Morgan Wallen (119) and Taylor Swift (108). (The chart adopted its current multimetric methodology — a combination of streaming, airplay and sales — in October 2012.)
On Country Airplay, which began in January 1990 and solely tracks country radio airplay, Chesney’s 100th charted title ties him for the lead with George Strait. Garth Brooks (93), Tim McGraw (91) and Alan Jackson (82) round out the top five.
Chesney also stands out among Hot Country Songs’ most prolific No. 1 artists. His 23 leaders place him 11th overall, behind Strait’s 44, Conway Twitty’s 40, Merle Haggard’s 38, Ronnie Milsap’s 35, Alabama’s 33, Charley Pride’s 29, Jackson and McGraw’s 26 each, Dolly Parton’s 25 and Reba McEntire’s 24. In that legacy-heavy group, Chesney earned a first No. 1 most recently, with “She’s Got It All” in 1997.
Chesney’s power is even more apparent at country radio. His 33 Country Airplay No. 1s put him firmly in first place, ahead of Blake Shelton (30), McGraw (29), Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Jackson, Strait (26 each), Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban (21 each), Brooks & Dunn, Luke Combs, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley and Wallen (20 each).
Plus, since Chesney notched his first No. 1 on Top Country Albums, his Greatest Hits, in October 2000, his 17 leaders are the most among all artists in that span.
The milestones underscore the scope of Chesney’s career, one that has made him both a country radio standard-bearer and one of the most prolific hitmakers in the nine-decade history of Billboard’s country charts.
“It’s always been my goal to play as many different characters as I can and to challenge myself,” says actor Nicholas Christopher. It’s a dream plenty of actors in the theater certainly share — but few get to realize it as completely as Christopher has in his still-evolving career.
Since making his Broadway debut in 2013 in the ensemble of Motown: The Musical (he was later promoted to playing Smokey Robinson in the show’s national tour), Christopher’s roles have ranged from the comic to the ultra-dramatic, straddling vocal parts and eras of musical theater.
Now, Christopher is taking on his biggest starring role on Broadway yet, as the tormented Russian competitor Anatoly in Chess, which just earned him his first Tony Award nomination, for best actor in a musical. Playing such an internal character in the musical written by Tim Rice and ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus — albeit one who sings the beloved, immense showpieces “Where I Want to Be” and “Anthem” — was a challenge for Christopher.
“I have to trust that what I’m feeling on the inside will be felt by the audience, until it bursts in Act 2,” he says of Anatoly, who portrays an outward stoicism even as he’s torn apart inside by the political pressure his country exerts on him, his sense of obligation to a wife and children he’s left behind, and the pull of a new romantic relationship.
But for Christopher, it’s a role that many others over the years have prepared him for. “I feel like I’ve lived a lot of lives — whether it was growing up in Bermuda and then moving to Boston, playing sports, being biracial,” he says. “There are so many different parts of myself I want to explore. I look forward to both surprising myself and surprising audience members with what I do next.”
He spoke to Billboard about what he learned through the major roles he’s played on the road to becoming Anatoly.
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This fall, The Smashing Pumpkins go on the Rat in a Cage Tour throughout the United States, with nearly 25 dates starting Wednesday, Sept. 30 at Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio. The tour ends at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California on Thursday, Nov. 12.
The alternative rock band is celebrating the 30th anniversary of their third studio album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness with a nationwide tour.
Tickets to the tour first went on sale through Live Nation and Ticketmaster, while the retailer’s Face Value Exchange program is an option for fans to resell tickets.
However, many of the dates have either sold out, or are very close to selling out, so one of the best ways to find Smashing Pumpkins tickets online is through third-party sites, including StubHub, SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, TicketNetwork, Gametime, Event Tickets Center and others. All online retailers guarantee authentic tickets in time for your concert. Prices may be above or below face value at times.
Where to Find Smashing Pumpkins ‘Rat in a Cage’ Tour Tickets Online
Looking for cheap seats to see Smashing Pumpkins live? Here’s where to find tickets still available and on sale online.
StubHub has Smashing Pumpkins tickets available. StubHub ensures that all tickets are valid and authentic, but for whatever reason, if they’re not, you’ll get your money back. Additionally, if your Smashing Pumpkins concert is canceled and not rescheduled, you’ll receive 120% in credit, or be given the option of a full refund without the extra 20% credit. As of this writing, tickets start at $76.
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Find Smashing Pumpkins Tickets at SeatGeek
Use our discount code BILLBOARD10 to save an additional $10 at checkout.
One of the lowest prices we’re seeing for Smashing Pumpkins tickets is at SeatGeek. We’re seeing tickets starting at only $55, as of publication.
You can find Smashing Pumpkins tickets online at Vivid Seats, which lets you search by price, location and “Super Sellers,” which denotes reputable sellers with the best deals on tickets. You can even get 10% off your first purchase when you sign up for the company’s newsletter. On Vivid Seats, tickets start as low as $65, as of this publication date.
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Find Smashing Pumpkins Tickets on TicketNetwork
You can use our exclusive code BILLBOARD150 to save $150 off $500 or BILLBOARD300 to save $300 off orders of $1000 and up.
TicketNetwork has tickets to Smashing Pumpkins’ concerts with all-in pricing that lets you see exactly what you’ll pay up front (fees included). Tickets start at just $70, as of this writing.
Smashing Pumpkins ‘Rat in a Cage’ Tour 2026 Dates
- Sept. 30: Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 2: TD Garden in Boston, MA (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 3: CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, MD (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 4: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 6: PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 11: Kohl Center in Madison, WI (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 13: Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, MN (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 14: United Center in Chicago, IL (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 16: Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 17: VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 18: Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, FL (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 20: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 22: The Truth in Nashville, TN (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 24: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 25: Moody Center in Austin, TX (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 27: Ball Arena in Denver, CO (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 29: Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT (Buy tickets online here)
- Oct. 30: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV (Buy tickets online here)
- Nov. 1: Moda Center in Portland, OR (Buy tickets online here)
- Nov. 6: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA (Buy tickets online here)
- Nov. 8: SAP Center in San Jose, CA (Buy tickets online here)
- Nov. 11: Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, AZ (Buy tickets online here)
- Nov. 12: Kia Forum in Inglewood, CA (Buy tickets online here)
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