Rush‘s Fifty Something reunion tour has hit yet another snag. Just hours before they were slated to take the stage a Dixies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, the beloved Canadian prog rockers announced on Tuesday (June 30) that they would need to push back that night’s gig as well as a show on Thursday (July 2) at the same arena due to 72-year-old singer/bassist Geddy Lee’s health.
“We are deeply sorry to share that we must postpone our June 30 and July 2 shows.
Geddy has been diagnosed with laryngitis and bronchitis. After being evaluated by his doctors, he has been advised that he needs additional time to rest and recover before returning to the stage,” read a statement from the group on Facebook.
“This is incredibly disappointing for all of us. We know many of you have made travel plans and have been counting down the days to these shows. Please know this decision was not made lightly. After more than 50 years of touring, we’ve always believed that if we’re going to step on stage, we owe you the very best performance we can give — and right now, that simply isn’t possible.”
As a result, the show originally scheduled for Tuesday night has been pushed back to July 11, while Thursday night’s (July 2) gig will now take place on July 13, with tickets for both shows to be honored on the new dates; fans who cannot attend the rescheduled shows can get refunds at point of purchase.
“Thank you for your patience, your understanding, and for always standing with us,” the band added. “We look forward to seeing you in just a couple of weeks and appreciate your continued support while Geddy makes a full recovery.”
It’s the latest setback for the tour that kicked off on June 7 in Inglewood, Calif. with the first of four shows at the Kia Forum, before moving on to a pair of gigs at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City on June 18 and 20. The band, which also features co-founder guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Anika Nilles — who has taken over the drum seat formerly held by the power trio’s legendary longtime drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, who died in Jan. 2020 at age 67 — had to push back the originally scheduled first night in Fort Worth on June 24 due to what they described at the time as “travel and border-related delays”; that show was rescheduled for July 2, then pushed again due to Lee’s illness.
Following next week’s rescheduled Fort Worth shows, the group is slated to move on to a four-night stand at the United Center in Chicago on July 16, 18, 20 and 22. The reunion tour is currently scheduled to wrap up with an April 10, 2027 gig in Helsinki, Finland.
Over the weekend, Lupe Fiasco appeared on former battle rapper Breezy Nice’s YouTube page KoalaTeaReacts to discuss issues they’ve had in the past, when the discussion pivoted into a conversation about Kendrick Lamar.
The Chicago rapper has shared his opinion in the past about Lamar — opinions he thinks have been blown out of proportion by fans and the media — one of which is that he thinks he’s the better rapper.
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“I find it crazy that you can’t even say that you think that you are a better rapper than Kendrick Lamar,” he said in astonishment before conceding that the Compton rapper is better in other areas.
“I’m not talking about album, I’m not talking about making songs, I’m not talking about being an artist. All the things that I’ve said all these years: He’s a better artist than me, he makes better albums, he has a better team, he has better beat selection, he has better production, right? He has all these better things, right? When it comes down to lyricism, when it comes down to these lyrics and putting these bar-for-bar-for-bar? No. Everything else? For sure. 100 percent.”
However, what’s been causing chatter in rap social media circles is that he said he can name “hundreds” of rappers better than Dot. This is because Lupe has said that battle rappers are better lyricists than mainstream rappers and can name a bunch that are better than most, including Kendrick. “I said it was hundreds and I’ll name ’em, and we could list them,” he doubled down. “We gonna just start listing n—as and then let’s see how long that list get before we start naming one n—a with a record deal? As the better rapper? Stop.”
Back in 2014, he made headlines after he claimed King Los, Logic and Cassidy were better rappers than Kendrick during an appearance on Hot 97. Fast forward to 2018, Fiasco took to Twitter and criticized the “Control” verse. “The only issue that the world thinks I have with K. Dot and I actually do is that I think his ‘Control’ verse was wack and super overhyped to be a verse claiming you are the best rapper,” he quote-tweeted a troll at the time who suggested Kendrick’s “Look Out for Detox” is better than every Lupe song ever. “It was very weird. I was told it was just bait, but still.”
He later apologized a couple of months later and said he’ll never talk about someone else’s career again. “Maybe I should have just left it alone. Even though my impetus was the ‘Control’ verse,” he said. “I mean you put yourself out there like that. So, you opened yourself up to critique, but even that still, I should have just shut my f—ing mouth. I apologize for even engaging and talking about n—as’ careers, I’ll never do that sh– again.”
You can watch the full convo below.
As anticipation continues to build for Madonna’s Confessions II album, fans will be able to check it out sooner than expected.
The project is getting an early spotlight through a new partnership with iHeartRadio and TikTok, who are teaming up for an exclusive preview event ahead of the album’s Friday drop.
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The “iHeartRadio and TikTok LIVE Premiere With Madonna” will air Thursday, giving audiences a global first listen one day before the album’s official release date. Fans will be able to follow along via @tiktok, @madonna and @iheartradio, while more than 200 iHeartRadio stations across the U.S. broadcast the experience.
According to a press release, the hour long stream will have Madonna, Bob the Drag Queen, longtime collaborator Stuart Price — who served as musical director and co-producer for the album, as well as the original Confessions project — and her daughter Lola Leon, who appears on the new track “The Test.” Instead of a standard interview setup, the format will use TikTok’s live tools, where viewers can engage with polls, custom reactions, Q&As and real-time audience prompts, turning the event into an interactive listening session.
Confessions II is Madonna’s 15th studio album and includes 16 songs, including collaborations with Sabrina Carpenter, Feid, Martin Garrix, Lola and Stromae.
In April, Madonna released “I Feel So Free” as the first taste of the project. The song cemented the singer’s return to multiple Billboard charts, including Digital Song Sales, Hot Dance/Pop Songs and Dance/Mix Show Airplay, where it also reached No. 1 on Dance Digital Song Sales. Lead single “Bring Your Love” with Carpenter hit the Billboard Hot 100 as well as the top 10 of Hot Dance/Pop Songs, so far peaking at No. 7.
Earlier this month, Madonna offered an early glimpse at the project’s track list during the Tribeca Festival, where Confessions II —The Film debuted with six songs tied to the album: “I Feel So Free,” “Good for the Soul,” “One Step Away,” “Bring Your Love,” “Danceteria” and “Read My Lips.” The film is also now available on YouTube.
The “iHeartRadio and TikTok LIVE Premiere With Madonna” will air Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT.
Political satire, but make it jazzy. Randy Rainbow is once again using the power of song to tear into Donald Trump, this time reimagining Cole Porter‘s classic “It’s De-Lovely” to say that he thinks the president is anything but.
The parody posted Tuesday (June 30) opens with the musical comedian portraying a news correspondent, editing clips of Trump from real interviews to make it look like the pair are having a conversation. After questioning the twice-impeached POTUS about his widely opposed handling of the Iran war, the setting shifts into a jazz club as Rainbow, wearing a retro tux, breaks into a song titled “He’s De-Mented.”
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“This dumbf–k tyrant seems to be the tyrant-ithesis of sanity,” he croons to the tune of Porter’s famous melody. “His screws are loose, his tangents roam/ The lights are on but no one’s home/He’s defective, he’s destructive, he’s demented.”
Rainbow — who’s made countless viral song parodies making fun of the president — goes on to change the original song’s lyrics to take aim at Trump’s old age and “decrepit” appearance. “It’s clear that Grandpa’s off his pills,” the Internet personality sings. “He can hear that bipartisan fear/ They’re united left and right: He’s in decline/ Time to resign.”
The video comes after the politician’s approval rating for the second-to-last week of June was calculated at just 34%, according to Reuters. Many of Trump’s past supporters in the conservative commentary landscape have turned against him, taking issue specifically with his approach to the conflict in Iran. Two months ago, Trump threatened that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran failed to agree to a ceasefire deal; at press time, the U.S. is still in slowly progressing peace talks with Iran.
Watch Rainbow’s new parody above.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is headed to “Tha Crossroads” of Hollywood Boulevard on the 8th of next month. The legendary Cleveland-bred rap group is set to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the ceremony is slated for July 8.
Radio icon Big Boy will emcee the event alongside Xzibit, who will also speak at the ceremony, which will be livestreamed July 8 at 11:30 a.m. PT.
“Receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a blessing beyond words. Coming from Cleveland, we never imagined that the music we created would touch so many lives around the world,” Bone Thugs said in a statement. “This honor belongs not only to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, but to our families, our city, our fans, and everyone who believed in us from the beginning.”
The group continued: “More than three decades later, we’re still here, still creating, and still carrying the legacy forward. We thank the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for this incredible recognition and dedicate this star to the generations who continue to keep our music alive.”
Bone Thugs founding member Krayzie Bone hopped on social media to show his appreciation to the fans for still supporting the crew over three decades later. “After all these years, we’re officially receiving our star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” he wrote to IG. “This is bigger than us this is for the fans, the family, and everyone who’s been rocking with Bone since day one.”
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony put Cleveland hip-hop on the map as the group rose to prominence in the mid-’90s after signing to Eazy E’s Ruthless Records. The crew ushered in a mix of rapping with singing to hip-hop’s mainstream, and Bone Thugs came in at No. 21 on Billboard‘s 50 Greatest Rap Groups of All Time list.
Bone Thugs released a pair of albums that topped the Billboard 200 with 1995’s E. 1999 Eternal and 1997’s The Art of War. They boast a trio of top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including “I Tried” featuring Akon, “Look Into My Eyes” and “Tha Crossroads,” which held the No. 1 slot for eight weeks in 1996.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony will hit the road in July for a handful of shows and then join the Wu-Tang Clan’s The Final Chamber Tour in August.
Even as K-pop megagroup SEVENTEEN comes to a brief standstill for its military hiatus era, its latest unit is firing on all cylinders.
The aptly named V8’s team-up was, by all accounts, a no-brainer, considering their in-sync tastes: heady European EDM for THE 8 — who hails from a coastal province in China and moonlights as a DJ — and hyperpop-adjacent sounds bred by the internet for Seoul-via-New-York rapper VERNON. After over a decade together, the two members knew how well these influences mesh, theoretically; the question became how to actually execute that far-flung fusion.
To do so, the duo leaned on Alice Longyu Gao, an experimental artist who’s been reshaping K-pop as we know it. (In 2023, she recorded a TikTok soundbite with The Chainsmokers that would come to serve as the bedrock for KATSEYE’s off-the-wall — and influential — hit “Gnarly.”) Gao introduced V8 to certain wishlist producers like Dylan Brady of 100 gecs, among others.
Produced by Mechatok, their lead single “singasong” is just as silly as the title suggests, with its equally irreverent MV pulling out all the stops: bodybuilders, CGI Transformers, monster trucks, sing-along lyrics, a chimeric horse and — most importantly — lots of LMFAO-style shuffling. But in the tradition of genre forebearers PC Music, there’s a heart behind the exaggerated front.
Because while K-pop’s practically gotten its methodology down to a science, V8 went off in search of genuine expression. “I don’t think authenticity is something you can calculate or artificially make,” VERNON says. “But works that feel authentic are what reach out to me the most. They sound like, or look like, or feel like actual stories — what people actually go through.”
Their goal was to capture that kind of magic, VERNON adds, and ultimately, “I hope we’re able to reach our listeners in the same way.”
The self-titled V8 album thus has both their fingerprints and feelings: Innuendo goes hand in hand with ennui on Pharrell co-creation “girlsnboys” (“She can’t get out of bed when she home … I think the girls and boys are so tired“). Meanwhile, VERNON and THE 8 spout real guilt on imposter syndrome party anthem “rat race,” holding a mirror up to the machine that made them.
“We just do everything our way,” THE 8 says. “We got involved in every part because we’re trying to do what we want, how we want. I think, because of that, more of who we are as people will be felt.”
Below, the duo breaks down every track on V8, out now.
Olivia Rodrigo is getting smaller, on purpose. The singer has teamed up with LEGO for a new series of sets inspired by her most beloved songs, looks and symbols. The LEGO Editions Olivia Rodrigo collection features five sets paying tribute to Rodrigo’s three studio albums — Sour, Guts and her brand new You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love — making the singer the first musician to receive multiple dedicated LEGO sets, including five new minifigures celebrating some of her most iconic performances.
Created in collaboration with the singer, the collection “captures the emotion and energy that has made the 23-year-old singer-songwriter one of the defining artists of her generation – from sold-out stadium tours and festival stages, to heartbreak anthems, handwritten lyrics and love stories hidden between the lines,” according to a release announcing the line.
The sets feature custom detailing inspired by some of the singer’s most iconic onstage moments through the years, as well as nods to her Filipino heritage. Each minifigure will feature her instantly recognizable expressions and favorite looks, with all five characters having dual facial expressions to represent the different sides of Rodrigo’s personality.
“I’ve always loved hiding little details and meanings in my music and videos, so working with the LEGO team to bring something that fans can actually build and explore together has been so exciting,” Rodrigo said in a statement about the range that features a number of Easter eggs. “There are so many pieces of my world inside these sets – little nods to songs, memories, outfits and moments that mean a lot to me.”
According to the release announcing the collaboration, Rodrigo played an active role in the design process and helped refine each element during the process, with LEGO senior design manager and product lead Amy Corbett saying that the singer wanted the collection to feel like something “fans could explore over time. Every detail — from the outfits, minifigure expression and smallest symbols — was designed to reflect moments from Olivia’s world and her energy in a way that invites discovery.”
The sets designed for ages 9-14 are described as telling a variety of stories about Rodrigo’s career, from “arena-sized performances and emotional love songs to handwritten lyrics, vintage-inspired visuals and her signature rock-and-roll edge.” They will include the “Olivia Rodrigo Vinyl,” a 360-piece set that tracks her musical journey, inspired by the greatest hits from her trio of albums, with hidden references from across her career.
There will also be a 400-piece Flower Bouquet set that will bloom with symbolic flowers, hidden meanings and surprises inspired by Rodrigo’s songwriting, marking the first time a LEGO partner will get their own personalized LEGO Botanicals set. Centered on a striking purple flower made of electric guitars, that set will include floral nods to Rodrigo’s Filipino heritage.
The 670-piece Concert Moon set will recreate a viral concert scene in which Olivia soars above the crowd on a giant moon, while the 1,085-piece Secret Storage set collects some of the singer’s most recognizable symbols, from a bright red guitar inspired by the instrument she played on her 2025 festival tour, to a bold red megaphone from her Guts tour and a notebook inspired by the handwritten lyrics books featured on the Sour tour.
Fans can also check out the 1,228-piece Dual Guitar set, featuring a split acoustic and electric guitar design celebrating two sides of her artistry, which opens up to reveal hidden stage scenes, backstage details, secret storage compartments and plenty of hidden references for fans to discover.
“Olivia Rodrigo has created a world that fans feel deeply connected to – one filled with emotion, individuality, creativity and discovery,” said Julia Goldin, the LEGO Group’s chief product and marketing officer in a statement. “With this collection, we wanted to celebrate the passion Olivia brings to every lyric, every hidden clue and every album, while giving fans a meaningful way to connect with her. This collaboration is about more than recreating moments – it’s about inspiring fans to build, explore and express themselves through storytelling and creative building.”
The full collection will launch globally on Aug. 1 at LEGO.com, as well at LEGO stores and select global retailers.
Ariana Grande has rescheduled three dates on her Eternal Sunshine Tour, after production issues raised safety concerns ahead of the shows.
The singer shared the update with fans on Instagram Stories on Monday, announcing changes to one Brooklyn show and two Boston dates. Her July 12 concert at Barclays Center in Brooklyn has been moved to July 14, while her July 22 and July 24 concerts at TD Garden in Boston will now take place July 23 and July 26, respectively.
“We are so sorry for these unfortunate scheduling changes,” Grande wrote. “This was our best and safest option as these challenges with production have come to our attention.”
She added that the call was made to ensure the show could be presented safely and as planned: “The utmost important thing to us all is safety, first and foremost, and also making sure you all see the show how it is intended to run. Thank you so much for your understanding and I cannot wait to see you.”
All tickets will be honored for the rescheduled dates, with ticket holders expected to receive additional information directly.
The Eternal Sunshine Tour launched earlier this month in Oakland, Calif., marking Grande’s first headlining tour since 2019’s Sweetener World Tour. The run supports her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, released in 2024. That record debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, giving Grande another chart-topping album, and spun off two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles in “yes, and?” and “we can’t be friends (wait for your love).”
Grande’s setlist has leaned heavily on Eternal Sunshine while reaching back across her catalog, with recent shows folding in songs from Positions, Dangerous Woman, My Everything and thank u, next — a career-spanning return after years away from the road.
For now, the production-related changes affect only the three listed shows, with the tour set to continue across North America before heading overseas later in the run.
New music lands first, regardless: Grande’s eighth studio album, Petal, arrives July 31, led by “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” which recently became her 10th career No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — tying her for the 10th-most chart-toppers in the survey’s history.
Eric Hutchinson is returning to Australia for the first time in 16 years, booking three East Coast theater shows in November for what will be his first-ever headline run in the country.
The tour stops at Brisbane’s Lefty’s Music Hall on Nov. 19, Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club on Nov. 20 and Sydney’s The Lansdowne on Nov. 21.
The American singer-songwriter has an unusual history in the market: he broke there largely through a sync. His single “Rock & Roll” featured on the homegrown drama Packed to the Rafters, helping drive the track to platinum certification in Australia, where it reached No. 1 in 2009. Hutchinson first toured the country supporting Jason Mraz and Kelly Clarkson in 2008 and 2009, but never returned for his own run.
“I honestly have no idea why I never came back to Australia, other than the fact that it’s super far away from New York City, where I live,” he said in a statement, adding that the timing finally aligned after years of fan requests.
The U.S. story ran in parallel. “Rock & Roll” earned Hutchinson his first gold record in the United States, though it never reached the Hot 100. Its parent album, Sounds Like This, first gained traction independently — a Perez Hilton co-sign pushed it to No. 5 on the iTunes Store in September 2007, before debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and earning a wide release through Warner Bros. Records in May 2008. He has since released a string of albums and built a touring-driven following well beyond the radio years.
The run supports Hutchinson’s latest album, the 2026 release Repeating Myself, billed as a return to the piano-driven pop and soul of that breakthrough. Australian sets are expected to mix the new material with catalog cuts including “Rock & Roll,” “OK, It’s Alright With Me” and “A Little More.”
Marshall Hamburger, who won the tenth season of Australian Idol in 2025, will open for Hutchinson on tour.
Eric Hutchinson Australian Tour
Presented by Teamwrk Touring & MRG Live
Thursday, Nov. 19 — Lefty’s Music Hall, Brisbane
Friday, Nov. 20 — Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Saturday, Nov. 21 — The Lansdowne, Sydney
An archive of early Coldplay recordings — studio tapes, alternate mixes and demos from the formative sessions that predated and helped shape the band’s debut album, Parachutes — is heading to auction this week through Wax Poetics, offering a rare look at the band before it broke worldwide.
The bulk of the collection comes from British producer, mixer and engineer Chris Allison and centers on Coldplay’s “Blue Room” sessions at London’s Orinoco Studios, recorded shortly after the band signed to Parlophone.
The auction house describes the material as a window into the period that laid the groundwork for Parachutes — including “High Speed,” which would become the only track on the album not produced by Ken Nelson; Allison produced it alone. The song first surfaced on the Blue Room EP, Coldplay’s first release for Parlophone, in October 1999, before being re-recorded for the album.
The lots also include original DAT mixes, unreleased alternate versions, a previously unheard take of “We Never Change,” and a nine-track cassette holding some of the band’s earliest known recordings — two of those songs never released in any form.
Among the more unusual items, the auction house says the archive contains an acoustic demo that Chris Martin recorded as a pitch for the title song of the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. The assignment ultimately went to Garbage, whose “The World Is Not Enough” became the official theme; per Wax Poetics, Martin’s version has never been released or documented.
“This is a window into the writing, recording, production and promotion of some uniquely celebrated music artists – pieces of music history that deserve to be in the hands of fans, not gathering dust in a storage unit,” Allison said in a statement.
The tapes document Coldplay at its absolute starting line. Parachutes was released in July 2000, peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified double platinum in the U.S., later winning the Grammy for best alternative music album. From there, the band became one of the defining stadium acts of the century, stacking up Billboard 200 No. 1 albums and one of the highest-grossing touring runs in history.
The wider Alt/Indie, Rock & Pop collection also features material tied to the Beta Band, the Wedding Present and Red Hot Chili Peppers, with bidding open through July 19. A percentage of proceeds is earmarked for Restore the Music, a charity funding instruments and equipment in under-resourced state schools.