Life is a rollercoaster, Ronan Keating once told us. You’ve just gotta ride it.

More than a quarter century has passed since the Irishman handed out those lifehacks, none of it a lie.  

Keating has whizzed to the very peak of that thrill ride, bagging three U.K. solo No. 1 singles — including that perfect pop nugget from 2000, “Life Is A Rollercoaster” — and four No. 1 albums. And as a member of Boyzone, he boasts another six U.K. No. 1 singles, and five No. 1 albums.

That’s nine No. 1 singles, nine No. 1 albums. Another hit might not be too far away, perhaps tipping Keating’s career chart crowns into double-digits.

“I’m just in the process of making a record right now,” he tells Billboard over a Zoom from his home in Dubai, “and the first single is with a young singer-songwriter by the name of Ed Sheeran. I’m ready to release this album.”

Rollercoasters, they come down too. After the misery of the pandemic, Keating lost his brother, Ciaran Keating, in a car accident in 2023. That tragedy rocked the veteran artist, now aged 49, as did the loss of his former Boyzone bandmate, Stephen Gately, in 2009. Art, as it so often does, finds its way in the darker times.

“I do find clarity, calm, in those moments when I’m on stage,” he explains. “I tried to write a song about Ciaran, but I struggled a lot with writing in the last couple of years.” Earlier this year on a trip to Australia, where he has a long history as a reality TV judge, that creative block became dislodged when Keating and his wife Storm stumbled upon a melody, a tune that became something more.

“The two of us spent the afternoon just sitting and writing. I had the guitar and we wrote this song. It was the first song I’d written since my brother died. That was the catalyst that has allowed me to get this album moving and going,” he tells Billboard. “I think it was my wife’s angle of what she saw me going through, and us going through as a family, and we ended up just pouring our hearts out into this song. It was beautiful. I think music and songwriting has allowed me to grieve.”

After the tough, low points, the rollercoaster is on the climb. “Storm and I, we spend a bit of time in the studio writing. I’m in a really good place musically, and I’m ready to drop this next album, and I’m really excited about it, the way it feels, and it sounds.”

There’s no title just yet, but Keating is happy with the progress made. “We’re about halfway through the album. And I can definitely say that the first single will be with Ed and (Wheatus frontman) Brendan Brown. The three of us wrote the song earlier in the year, and it was just one of those moments. I knew this is going to be a big moment. So, yeah, I can confidently say it’s the first single on the album.”

Keating is excited, too, about his 26^th anniversary tour of “Life Is A Rollercoaster,” which continues Saturday, July 18 at Newbury Racecourse in the United Kingdom, and bolts into Germany, Switzerland, Austria and more markets this summer.

Then, on Dec. 5, a once-in-a-lifetime moment, when Keating joins the likes of Robbie Williams, the Corrs, Natalie Imbruglia, Darren Hayes, Katherine Jenkins and more for the Carreras & Friends concert at the Gabba Stadium in Brisbane, Australia — the host city for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“I’m very excited to finally get to sing with Jose (Carreras), because, you know, I was lucky enough to sing with Pavarotti back in 1998 (dueting on the Boyzone hit “No Matter What”). He’s on my list. I remember that moment when The Three Tenors stood up and sang ‘Nessun Dorma’ at the 1990 World Cup. That was a moment that will go down in history as one of the great musical moments of our generation.”

Looking ahead, “for me to get to sing with Pavarotti was this huge moment, and now Jose is there, and I have this opportunity to tick that box and to sing with him. This is a great honor,” Keating enthuses. “And yes, to stand in the mighty Gabba, I’m very excited to be there and to perform.”

Versatile. Joyful. Family. Sam Neill was all of those things and more to Jimmy Barnes, the great Australian rocker.

Neill, the Northern Ireland-born, New Zealand-raised actor who memorably led the way in scores of films, from ‘90s blockbuster Jurassic Park to Jane Campion’s Academy Award-winner The Piano, Event Horizon, Dead Calm, My Brilliant Career, the Peaker Blinders series, and many others, died Monday, March 13. He was 78.

“What a day it’s been. My dear friend Sam left us today,” writes Barnes, who boasts an unmatched 22 No. 1 albums in Australia, including 16 solo leaders and six with Cold Chisel. “I can’t believe we will no longer be eating great food together and sharing the odd glass of wine down at his winery, while laughing, singing and solving the problems of the world together.”

Neill, he continues, “was a big part of our lives. He was family. He lifted our spirits when he walked in the room. Sam was everything he appeared to be on the screen. Caring, funny, intelligent, charming, honest, talented, the list could go on. He sat with me while I recovered in hospital and I sat with him when he needed me. We shared a lot in this life and for that, I will be always thankful. Rest easy, dear Sam. You are always in our hearts.”

Fellow Australian rockers The Cruel Sea remembered Neill for his “superb acting and his wonderful presence off screen,” and for those quirky videos that kept the flame burning for so many of us during the pandemic — including a Radiohead cover, performed on ukulele. “One of my great small joys through Covid and recent years was to follow him on Instagram. Such a funny and charming man full of humble Kiwi stoicism and humanity,” writes The Cruel Sea’s bass player Kenny Gormly.

Neill had friends everywhere, across the creative industries and into the halls of power. He attended the ARIA Hall of Fame ceremony in Sydney on June 11, a special guest of inductee and fellow Kiwi Jenny Morris.

Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern inducted Morris on the night, and “had the profound joy of sitting with Sam Neill, talking about life, politics, and home,” she recounts in a social post. “He was such a thoughtful, curious, and decent person. Someone who was principled, unafraid of speaking his mind, and willing to take up a fight when he saw injustice. He was also an artist, and anyone who watched him perform knew he was someone special. We’ve lost another incredible kiwi, and I feel profoundly sad.”

Prior to his passing, Neill fought and beat an advanced blood cancer, Stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, thanks to an innovative CAR T-cell therapy. He was cancer-free at the time of his death. However, his immune system was compromised by the treatment and the beloved actor succumbed to pneumonia, his agent has confirmed.

His death was confirmed in a post on his official Instagram account.

“It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia,” the post reads. “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life. The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care. More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”

Neill’s survivors include his children, Andrew, Tim and Elena, and six grandchildren.

Read more on his life and career at The Hollywood Reporter.

Dave Kendall, the British VJ who helped bring the sounds of the alternative rock nation into millions of homes in the late 1980s and early 1990s as the host and guiding force behind MTV’s influential 120 Minutes, has died at age 68. The news was shared by fellow former MTV talking head and 120 Minutes host Matt Pinfield, who paid tribute to his friend and colleague in a post on Tuesday (July 14).

“Dave was one of the true believers,” wrote Pinfield on Instagram. “Long before alternative music found its way into the mainstream, he was there every week on 120 Minutes, introducing people to bands that would go on to define an era. He didn’t just host a show. He gave a home to music that deserved to be heard. He loved the music, respected the artists, and connected with fans in a way that always felt authentic. That’s a rare gift.” Pinfield gave no cause of death.

According to his bio, Kendall began his career as a journalist and editor, writing profiles and reviews for American and British newspapers and magazines including Melody Maker, Spin and the New York Post. After relocating from his native England to New York, he was hired by MTV to create 120 Minutes. He went on to spend seven years as a writer, producer, presenter and news reporter at the video music channel that once had tremendous star-making power.

In his role as host of 120 Minutes from 1988 to 1991, Kendall helped to promote a variety of alternative acts who went on to great fame, including premiering the video for Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in September 1991. The show continued with Pinfield as host from 1995 to 1999, and then enjoyed a brief 2011-2012 revival, before being canceled by sister channel MTV2 in 2003.

Following his MTV run, Kendall went on to host and co-produce the nationally syndicated talk show Music Scoupe, as well as to host the internationally simulcast 1994 concert Soccer Rocks the Globe and anchor the Woodstock ’94 pay-per-view. In addition, Kendall worked extensively in radio, writing and hosting local and nationally syndicated shows. He also created an early video streaming site (alterworld), worked in content development at Soundbreak and had a seven-year DJ residency at New York’s Limelight; he released the mix CD A Voyage Into Trance, Volume 2, in 2002.

Kendall moved to Bangkok in 2011 to host and produce the travel show Destination Thailand. Beginning in 2017, he edited and wrote stories for the Bangkok Post.

Cardi B is having a proud mom moment while celebrating her daughter Kulture’s 8th birthday. 

The Grammy winner posted a series of photos on her Instagram of her firstborn at different moments of the celebration. The carousel included shots from a photoshoot of Kulture in her birthday dress; posing in front of a private plane and in front of the pool at her birthday party; snapshots of Cardi and her family at Universal Studios; and various pictures in front of a four-story rainbow Care Bears-themed birthday cake. 

The singer included a message in the caption that said, “Happy birthday to my sweet beautiful firstborn @kulturekiari …just the most kind hearted girl in the world ..My real life bestie …Shout out to @universalorlando A TIME WAS HAD !! Ooo and of course @thecakegirl for the amazing cakes.”

The New York City rapper has four children: three with rapper Offset and one with New England Patriots player Stefon Diggs. In September 2025, the artist released her latest album, Am I the Drama?, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking her second time atop the chart following her debut album, Invasion of Privacy.

After Kulture was born in 2018, Offset released his debut solo album, Father of 4, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in February 2019.

While daughter Kulture, 8, son Wave Set Cephus, 4, and daughter Blossom Belle Cephus, 1, are Cardi and Offset’s three children together, he also has three children from previous relationships. In 2024, Cardi B filed for divorce from the hip-hop artist and gave birth to their daughter, Blossom, shortly after. 

Following her split from the Migos member, Cardi began dating New England Patriots player Stefon Diggs. They share an 8-month-old child, her youngest, who was born in November 2025.

Lily Allen has rethought the routing for her upcoming tour in support of her acclaimed West End Girl album. After playing a series of North American theaters in the spring, Allen had announced a run of arenas in the fall. But this week, she’s downsized a majority of the shows to arenas and amphitheaters, as well as canceling her planned stop in Montreal.

In an Instagram post announcing the change on Monday (July 13), Allen wrote, “I am so beyond excited to bring West End Girl back across the pond this September!! It has been so surreal playing this album to such epic crowds this summer.. Thank you for singing every word with me.”

She added, “We have a few updates since we first announced this leg of the tour earlier in the year. I am SO excited to say we are now coming to Seattle, tickets on sale July 24, 10AM local.” Allen also noted that shows in Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver have been adjusted down, informing fans that if they have tickets for those shows they will automatically be refunded in the next 5-7 working days and enrolled into a presale that will go live at 10 a.m. local time on July 22; a general onsale will follow on July 24 at 10 a.m. local.

Allen also apologized to her fans in Montreal, saying, “I am so sad to say we tried our hardest but will not be able to make it to you this time. NY, Boston, Toronto, Detroit, Minneapolis, Red Rocks – you are staying as is. Tickets on sale now :))” The singer did not give any reason for the downscaling of the tour, which played theaters and concert halls across the U.K., Europe and the U.S. earlier this year, bumping up to arenas in the U.K. during a recent run; at press time a spokesperson for Allen had not returned a request for additional comment on the tour date shuffle.

The fall North American tour is now slated to kick off on Sept. 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York, followed by a Sept. 4 stop at MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston. After shows in Philadelphia at the TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann (originally at 21,000-capacity Xfinity Mobile Arena), Toronto, Detroit, Chicago (now at the 3,500-capacity Chicago Theatre vs. the 23,500-capacity United Center), Minneapolis, Morrison, Colo., Los Angeles (5,900-capacity Greek Theatre vs. the 18,000-capacity Kia Forum), Oakland (3,000-capacity Paramount Theatre vs. 21,500-capacity Chase Center in San Francisco) and Seattle, the outing is slated to wrap up on Sept. 28 at the Orpheum in Vancouver.

Allen has been eschewing her back catalog on the tour in favor of playing the new 2025 album in chronological order. She recently defended her artistic choice after someone who attended one of her shows at the O2 Arena in London complained about length of the show, the lack of an opening act and Allen not addressing the audience.

“The show has always been advertised as ‘Lily Allen performs West End Girl,’” Allen wrote. “I was a few mins late as my tights were laddered and i had to change them,” she continued. “The show is just over an hour as it’s just the album in its entirety. It’s my artistic choice not to talk to the audience, the fourth wall helps with the storytelling. Most people find it to be effective. “I don’t want anyone to feel ripped off. Everyone on this tour is really working very hard to give people the best show we possibly can, and i’m extremely proud of it.”

Check out the revised fall 2026 North American tour dates below.

Queens of the Stone Age is back with new music, and the announcement of an extended tour that will see the rockers finish the year touring the lands down under.

But first, the arrival of QOTSA’s new single “Easy Street” (via Matador Records / Remote Control Records), the band’s first new song since 2023 studio album In Times New Roman. 

Featuring vocals from Nikki Lane, the mid-tempo “Easy Street’ is accompanied by a weird and wonderful music video directed by Tony Wolski and Christopher Gruse, based on a story and idea by frontman Josh Homme.

“It’s kind of a funny song,” remarks Homme, who produced it with Michael Shuman. “It’s like hitting your funny bone, where it’s funny because it hurts and it hurts because it’s funny. You’re serious, but it’s funny,” he continues. “We made it the way you’d make a demo. No click track, mistakes left in. It speeds up, it slows down, the claps aren’t great, but they’re not bad, and a bad clap adds this human thing you can’t fake.” 

He continues, “It’s not just about silliness. It’s about understanding the imperfection of your life. The song, like your life, is in the mistakes. Its imperfections are unbeatable.”

With new music comes additional tour dates. As the new Australasian itinerary currently stands, Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen, Michael Shuman, Dean Fertita and Jon Theodore will embark on a seven-city visit of capital cities and at least two regional centers.

On that route, the band will play a mix of outdoor and arena shows, starting Dec. 8 at Adelaide’s The Drive. The QOTSA show will then hit the road for arena concerts in Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, and wrap up Dec. 20 at Auckland’s Spark Arena.

Australian and New Zealand fans will be the first to experience a brand-new show following QOTSA’s current European tour with System of a Down and scheduled U.S. dates with Foo Fighters, plus a headline show in Iceland set for October, according to Live Nation, which is production the run of Australia and New Zealand.

Special guests on the ANZ tour are ‘90s alternative rockers Primus and homegrown experimental art-punk quartet Tropical F*ck Storm.

The general on sale begins Monday, July 20 at 11am. For complete tour and ticket information, visit livenation.com.au and livenation.co.nz.

Queens Of The Stone Age Tour of Australia And New Zealand 2026:

Dec. 8 — The Drive, Adelaide
Dec. 11 — MyState Bank Arena, Hobart
Dec. 13 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Dec. 15 — Afterpay Arena, Sydney
Dec. 16 — Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Dec. 18 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Dec. 20 — Spark Arena, Auckland

With special guests Primus and Tropical F*ck Storm
Presented by Double J

Fanatics Fest is returning to NYC this weekend, and Audiomack unveiled the official playlist to soundtrack the festivities on Tuesday (July 14).

The 50-track playlist boasts hits like Drake’s “Shabang,” Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind,” Justin Bieber’s “Yukon,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Bed Chem,” Pop Smoke’s “Dior,” Don Toliver’s “E85” and Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero.”

“At Audiomack, we believe that discovering new artists is one of the most exciting parts of being a music fan. Fanatics Fest brings together sports, music, and entertainment in a way that feels incredibly authentic, so becoming the official streaming partner was a perfect fit. We’re excited to help soundtrack the weekend while introducing fans to the next generation of artists,” said Audiomack’s co-founder and chief marketing officer, David Ponte.

While some of music’s titans carry the playlist, Audiomack also made sure to spotlight emerging acts like Lane Gang Wells, Bashfortheworld and Iman Nunez, whose track “Rotten Apple” features fellow New York natives Niko Brim and Kai Ca$h.

“‘Rotten Apple’ is New York personified. It’s about the grit, resilience, and mentality that defines this city. Having to do whatever it takes to push through obstacles and keep moving forward,” Nunez said in a statement. “That same mindset is what makes great athletes, so having the record featured on this year’s playlist feels like the perfect fit. We’re excited for it to help set the tone.”

Sports and music have been synonymous for decades, and those worlds will clash once again at Fanatics Fest, which takes over the Javits Center in NYC from July 16 through July 19. Adult single-day tickets are still available for $81, while Saturday (July 18) is priced at $93. Kids’ tickets are on sale for $35. There are various family deal packages as well.

The stars will be out at the four-day event, with appearances scheduled for Jay-Z, Serena Williams, Kevin Hart, Aaron Judge, New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Travis Scott and WWE superstar Roman Reigns.

Listen to the full Fanatics Fest playlist here.

Millie Bobby Brown, Ice Spice and Lil Yachty recently hung out and formed one of the more random celebrity trios that fans didn’t expect to see together.

Ice Spice posted a clip on Tuesday (July 14) on TikTok while out to eat at a restaurant with the Stranger Things actress and Lil Boat, which saw the crew attempt the viral challenge to Drake’s “Shabang.”

“U know what we tried,” Ice Spice captioned the post. Each pops up at different times in the clip before a glass of wine “magically” appears in their hands.

Fans flooded the comment section, surprised to see Yachty, Brown and Ice Spice kicking it with one another. “Did i genuinely just see ice spice, lil yachty and millie bobby brown in the same video?” one person asked.

The trend’s taken off in the months since ICEMAN‘s arrival, and Drake even hopped on the challenge while out with a crew of women in June.

Ice Spice, Millie Bobby Brown and Lil Yachty each have their own history with the 6 God. Drake sparked a friendship with Ice Spice when her “Munch (Feelin’ U)” hit began to take off in 2022. The Bronx rapper attended OVO Fest that same year.

Millie Bobby Brown met Drake backstage at one of his Australia shows in 2017 and opened up to Access Hollywood about their friendship at the Emmy Awards in 2018. “I love him. I met him in Australia and he’s honestly so fantastic,” she gushed.

Drake was criticized for the age gap with the actress and he defended their friendship on For All the Dogs‘ “Another Late Night.” “Weirdos in my comments talkin’ ’bout some Millie Bobby, look/ Bring them jokes up to the gang, we get to really flockin’,” he raps on the track, which happens to feature an appearance from Lil Yachty.

Drake and Yachty first linked up on 2020’s “Oprah’s Bank Account” and the Atlanta rapper was a contributor to Drizzy and 21 Savage’s Her Loss project as well as the aforementioned For All the Dogs.

“Shabang” landed on Drake’s ICEMAN in May and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and currently sits at No. 24.

Watch Ice Spice’s TikTok video with Millie Bobby Brown and Lil Yachty below.