Neil Young made his first live appearance of 2026 on Friday (May 22), delivering a surprise acoustic set at a benefit concert in Vancouver honouring the 90th birthday of his friend, Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki.

Young performed two solo acoustic songs at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre — strumming “Heart of Gold” before moving to the piano for a rendition of “After the Gold Rush” with added harmonica. It marked his first performance since the Painted Turtle benefit show on Oct. 25, 2025, and comes months after the 80-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer cancelled all of his 2026 tour dates.

Also appearing at the Suzuki birthday event were Jane Fonda, Al Gore, Sarah McLachlan, Bruce Cockburn and Chantal Kreviazuk. The concert raised funds for the David Suzuki Foundation.

The surprise appearance came after Young abruptly cancelled a planned European tour in February, citing no specific reason. “I have decided to take a break and will not be touring Europe this time,” he wrote at the time. “Thanks to everyone who bought tickets. I’m sorry to let you down, but this is not the time.” He later reassured fans that “all is good” and that he was “listening to my body.”

Despite the absence from the stage, Young has remained active creatively. He recently completed a new studio album titled Second Song, recorded with the Chrome Hearts at producer Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La studios in Malibu, California, which he has said includes two unheard songs from 1964 that have never been released. A new live album with the Chrome Hearts, As Time Explodes, is due May 29.

Young’s only solo Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 remains “Heart of Gold,” which topped the chart on March 18, 1972, from his landmark album Harvest — the best-selling album of 1972 and one of the most celebrated records in rock history. “After the Gold Rush” is the title track from his acclaimed 1970 album of the same name, which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200.

The Pretty Reckless have released “Dear God,” the title track from their forthcoming fifth studio album, due June 26 via Fearless Records.

The track arrives as the band’s fourth single from the album, following lead single “For I Am Death” — which became their eighth No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, the most by any woman-fronted act in the chart’s history — “When I Wake Up,” currently sitting at No. 4 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, and last month’s “Love Me.”

Where the earlier singles leaned into intensity and grit, “Dear God” pulls toward something more haunting — a slow-building track led by Taylor Momsen’s vocals that climbs toward an electrifying guitar solo, with lyrics framing a desperate plea for escape.

“Dear God is desperation set to music,” Momsen said in a statement. “When life gets that physical, that brutal, you leave your body and start begging something bigger than yourself to pull you out. That space between heaven and hell isn’t a metaphor. It’s somewhere you actually live.”

DEAR GOD — the album — is described as the band’s most emotionally raw and uncompromising record to date, written with what the band calls diaristic honesty. The 14-track set includes “Life Evermore” across three parts bookending the album, alongside “Dragonfire,” “Eye of the Storm” and closer “Devil in Disguise (Michelle’s Song).” A headlining world tour in support of the album has already been announced, kicking off in North America with dates in New Orleans, Dallas and Los Angeles before heading to Europe.

The release arrives at a milestone-heavy stretch for the band. In 2025 they completed a two-year run supporting AC/DC on the PWR UP Tour, performed with Soundgarden at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and appeared at the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala honouring Mariah Carey. Their holiday EP Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas produced a reimagined version of “Where Are You Christmas?” that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.

Neutro Shorty’s El Disco de Salsa has topped this week’s new music poll.

In a poll published Friday (May 22) by Billboard, music fans selected the Venezuelan rapper’s latest album as their favorite new release of the week.

El Disco de Salsa (the salsa album) earned 75% of the vote, outperforming new releases from Olivia Rodrigo (“The Cure”), Greeicy (Candela), Charli xcx (“SS26”), Lola Young (“From Down Here”), Brandi Carlile (“Life on the Run”), and others.

Since rising to prominence in 2012 with his 5 Historias mixtape, Neutro Shorty (born Liomar Ricardo Acosta Orta) has been recognized as one of the pioneers of Venezuela’s trap scene.

On the new project, he shifts away from his signature rap style, embracing a more melodic approach for a full-length salsa album. The 12-track set draws inspiration from salsa brava, a genre popularized in 1970s New York by acts such as the Fania All-Stars.

The Caracas-born artist also earns co-signs from several salsa legends on the album, including Gilberto Santa Rosa on “Un Consejo,” Porfi Baloa — founder of Los Adolescentes — on “Infidelidad,” and Oscar D’León on a rendition of Willie Colón’s classic “Idilio.”

Rodrigo’s “The Cure” came in second on the poll with nearly 17% of the vote. The track is the second single from the three-time Grammy winner’s upcoming third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, which arrives on June 12.

Greeicy followed in third place with Candela, which earned 3% of the vote. The project brings together the Colombian singer’s latest hits alongside new tracks that move away from the pop-urban sound that first made her a breakout star.

Check out the full results of this week’s poll below, and visit Billboard’s Friday Music Guide for more must-hear new releases.

Nicola Roberts has announced the arrival of her first child.

On Sunday (May 24), the 40-year-old Girls Aloud singer revealed on social media that she and her fiancé, Mitch Hahn, recently welcomed a baby daughter.

“Our beautiful baby girl is here,” Roberts wrote on Instagram alongside adorable photos of her newborn. “We haven’t stopped staring at her perfect little face or kissing her softest little head.”

The vocalist added, “She arrived healthy and content a couple of weeks ago at 38 weeks weighing 6.5lbs and is thriving. It’s heaven on earth with her and we can hardly believe she’s ours.”

Roberts’ post included several adorable snapshots, including one of the glowing new mother holding her child, another showing the infant’s tiny hand resting on hers, and a picture of Hahn carrying the baby in a car seat.

Fellow celebrities quickly flooded the comments section with congratulatory messages.

“Congratulations!!!!!!!!! Sending so much love!!” her Girls Aloud bandmate Nadine Coyle wrote. English singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor added, “congratulations!! Xxx.” And Little Mix star Perrie Edwards, who welcomed her second child earlier this year, commented, “Congratulations! Enjoy the baby bubble.”

Roberts and the former soccer player got engaged during a trip to the South of France in August 2024. The couple announced on Christmas 2025 that they were expecting their first child together.

“Mitch and I have had the most magical Christmas Day sharing the most precious news with our families,” Roberts wrote on Instagram at the time. “We’ve been keeping a secret. We are five months pregnant! We can’t wait to meet our little one in the spring.”

She documented much of her pregnancy journey on social media in the months that followed, including her “surreal” baby shower on Easter. In late April, Roberts also revealed that she had undergone surgery at 22 weeks to “help keep the baby in.”

“Hitting that 34 week mark was a big relief,” Roberts wrote on Instagram April 28. “I now only have a few weeks left. Safe to say, this last bit is not the easiest is it?! In one breath, it will be nice to feel more comfortable again but I will also really miss my bump and having this tiny little thing in there.”

Girls Aloud members Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Roberts reunited for an arena tour across the U.K. and Ireland in 2024, marking their first tour in more than 11 years. Following the reunion trek, Roberts starred as Persephone in the West End production of Hadestown at London’s Lyric Theatre, appearing in the role from September 2025 through January 2026.

See Roberts’ baby announcement on Instagram here.

Selena Gomez appears to be having a blast while filming the upcoming season of Only Murders in the Building in London.

The 33-year-old singer-actress took to social media on Sunday (May 24) to share a carousel of photos, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the hit Hulu series’ sixth season.

“First week in London,” Gomez captioned the gallery on Instagram, alongside a smiling face with hearts and a U.K. flag emoji.

The Rare Beauty founder opened her post with a video of herself jumping on the viral Sabrina Carpenter “House Tour” trend, lip-syncing to the track while pointing to the multiple levels of a dessert tray while seated in a restaurant.

“House Tour” appears on Carpenter’s latest album, Man’s Best Friend, which topped the Billboard 200 in September 2025. The track peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that same month.

Gomez’s Instagram post also included candid snapshots of the “Single Soon” hitmaker walking the streets of London, playing Scrabble, and on-set images alongside her Only Murders in the Building co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short, with Big Ben appearing in the background.

It was confirmed in October 2025 that Only Murders in the Building would be returning for a sixth season and set in London. The upcoming season will also mark the first time the series has filmed overseas.

“Well, looks like our fam is going to London y’all …,” the singer-actress wrote on her Instagram Story at the time. “I want to thank our community and fans of @onlymurdershulu for allowing us to even have a season 6!” she continued in a different slide, posting a photo she took of Martin and Short. “We are eternally grateful we can bring any of you any sort of joy. My deepest gratitude from Steve, Marty and myself.”

Only Murders in the Building first premiered on Hulu in 2021 and has become one of the streaming service’s most successful programs. It has received seven Emmys out of 56 total nominations in the years since.

The location of season 6 seems to correlate with the cliffhanger ending of the previous season, which closed with the main trio listening to a podcast episode — narrated by Tina Fey’s character, Cinda Canning — about a U.K. woman who allegedly murdered a descendant of the royal family before fleeing to the United States.

Check out Gomez’s post on Instagram below.

Taylor Swift made a courtside appearance at Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday (May 23), sitting alongside fiancé Travis Kelce as the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena — and prompting one of the more baffling broadcast moments of the NBA playoffs.

Swift and Kelce, who announced their engagement last August, were spotted in the first quarter and shown on the ESPN on ABC broadcast. What followed left the internet in disarray: play-by-play announcer Mike Breen acknowledged the pair with “Travis Kelce and his fiancée here at the game,” while analyst Richard Jefferson went with “as Travis and his girlfriend are in the building, that’s always great to see.”

Analyst Tim Legler then inadvertently delivered the evening’s funniest line when, after Jefferson mentioned being invited to the couple’s wedding, Legler asked who was getting married — apparently unaware of the engagement.

The trio made the curious decision not to say Swift’s name at any point during the broadcast, despite ESPN having shown the couple on camera multiple times, and the broadcast drew immediate backlash online.

The omission is particularly striking given Swift’s current commercial standing. Her album The Life of a Showgirl debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in October 2025 with a modern-era weekly record of 4 million equivalent album units — the largest opening week of any album since Adele’s 25 in 2015.

It spent 12 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1, topped the 2025 year-end Billboard 200, and led to Swift becoming the first act to top the year-end chart in back-to-back years with two different titles since Elton John in 1974 and 1975. She holds 15 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 — the most among soloists in chart history. She also leads tomorrow night’s American Music Awards with eight nominations, going in as the most decorated artist in the ceremony’s history with 40 career wins.

Whether the broadcast omission was a deliberate bit or a genuine oversight is unclear, though the latter seems unlikely given Swift is one of the most recognisable people on the planet. The moment echoes a long history of sports broadcasters fumbling Swift’s identity — in December 2023, Tony Romo called her “Kelce’s wife” during a CBS Chiefs broadcast.

The Cavaliers had also issued a light-hearted warning ahead of the game via social media, posting “NEW ROUND. NEW RULES” and specifying that anyone in the building was required to wear a playoff T-shirt from tip to final buzzer. Neither Swift nor Kelce was wearing the shirt.

The Knicks lead the series 2-0 going into Game 3, with Kelce cheering on his hometown Cavs — he was born in Westlake, Ohio and attended Cleveland Heights High School. In the fourth quarter, he was captured on camera chugging a beer to crowd cheers.

Fresh off the release of her new song “SS26,” Charli xcx is giving fans another glimpse into her latest album era.

On Saturday (May 23), the 33-year-old singer-songwriter took to social media to share the pop-punk track “Playboy Bunny,” the B-side to “SS26,” which dropped earlier in the week.

“’Playboy bunny’ video. Shot this day after we shot SS26. Was honestly v hungover lol xx,” Charli captioned the post on her “b.sides” Instagram account.

The minimalist black-and-white music video for “Playboy Bunny” finds the pop star sporting a ponytail, a white jacket, and black pants as she strolls through the streets of Paris, poses in front of the Eiffel Tower, lounges at a restaurant, and walks through crowded streets.

“All my music sounds the same/ Well, that’s because I made it,” Charli sings over a fast-paced guitar riff. “Write a song like the Playboy Bunny.”

The “Playboy Bunny” video is only available on Instagram, and the song will be included on a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl for “SS26.”

“The B sides are sort of like coupled with some of the songs that are coming out ahead of the album,” she said in an Instagram video on her “b.sides” account a day earlier. “The reason that they’re paired together, these two songs, is because, in ways, they’re totally opposite from each other, and that is kind of the main point of them.”

The singer added, “It’s sort of a mirror… there are specifically sonic things about it that are extremely opposite to ‘SS26,’ and I think that’s what made it a good B-side, a good pair.”

She also noted that the B-sides “are never gonna go on streaming,” but said that could possibly change in the future.

In early May, Charli shared “I Keep On Thinking Bout You Every Single Day and Night,” a track released as the B-side to “Rock Music” on vinyl.

On Thursday (May 21), Charli shared her new “SS26” song and music video, which finds the artist walking Paris runways in a series of high-fashion looks as she sings lyrics about both style and substance.

“SS26” arrived 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, she 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.”

“Rock Music” and “SS26” will both be included on Charli’s yet-untitled next album.

Check out Charli xcx’s “Playboy Bunny” on Instagram below.

Dick Parry, who played saxophone on some of Pink Floyd’s most iconic songs, has died. He was 83.

Parry’s death was announced by David Gilmour on Friday (May 22) in an emotional social media tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator.

“My dear friend Dick Parry died this morning,” Gilmour, 80, captioned a series of photos on Instagram. “Since I was seventeen, I have played in bands with Dick on saxophone, including Pink Floyd.”

A cause of death was not disclosed.

During a lengthy career spanning rock, blues and jazz, Parry was best known for his unforgettable saxophone solos on 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon and 1975’s Wish You Were Here. His work can be heard on signature songs including “Money” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.”

“Money” reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973, while The Dark Side of the Moon spent one week atop the Billboard 200 that same year. Wish You Were Here spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 1975.

“His feel and tone make his saxophone playing unmistakable, a signature of enormous beauty that is known to millions and is such a big part of songs such as ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond,’ ‘Wish You Were Here,’ ‘Us and Them’ and ‘Money,’” Gilmour continued in his tribute.

Born in Kentford, Suffolk, in 1942, Parry and Gilmour met as teenagers, and the two played in local groups together around Cambridge. Gilmour joined Pink Floyd in the late 1960s after Syd Barrett’s departure.

After Pink Floyd, Parry continued to appear on albums and tours undertaken by Gilmour as a solo artist and as the band’s frontman. Those projects included his performance on “Wearing the Inside Out” from Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell (1994), recorded after the split between Gilmour and Roger Waters. He also toured with the reconfigured group that year and had previously gone on the road with the act in the mid-1970s.

Outside of Pink Floyd, Parry collaborated with artists including Rory Gallagher, John Entwistle and Lightnin’ Slim.

See Gilmour’s full tribute to Parry on Instagram here.

The World Cup is ready for Shakira.

On Saturday (May 23), the Colombian superstar released the music video for her 2026 World Cup song with Burna Boy, “Dai Dai.”

The four-minute visual opens with soccer stars including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland taking the field to declare, “We are ready” for Shakira.

Shot in Miami and directed by Hannah Lux Davis, the clip begins with the “Whenever, Wherever” singer perched atop Mexico City’s iconic Angel of Independence before transitioning to scenes of her dancing in a desert landscape alongside a group of African children.

Burna Boy then appears for his verse as Shakira is seen standing atop a glowing globe amid a starry sky. She later steps into a soccer stadium alongside female dancers dressed in outfits representing flags from countries participating in this summer’s World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The clip culminates with archival clips from past World Cup matches as Shakira shouts out some of the legends of the sport, including Diego Maradona, Paolo Maldini, Romário, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Kaká and Lionel Messi, as well as this year’s participating nations such as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, the U.S., and the Netherlands.

“Dai Dai” marks the second time Shakira has been tapped for an official FIFA World Cup song, following the global hit “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” recorded for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and concludes July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which will be renamed New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament.

Shakira will also co-headline the halftime show at the World Cup final alongside Madonna and BTS.

Watch the full video for Shakira and Burna Boy’s “Dai Dai” below.

Tommy Lee has released Tommyland Rides Again via BMG — a reimagined version of his 2005 solo album Tommyland: The Ride — marking the first time the record has been available on digital streaming platforms.

The refreshed edition was remixed by Lee and collaborator Smiley Sean at Lee’s own Dolby Atmos-certified studio in Los Angeles, with the project also available in an immersive Dolby Atmos mix.

“A couple years ago, my kids were tripping out and like, ‘Dad, you gotta re-release this,’ ’cause it was 20 years since it came out,” Lee recently explained to Billboard of the new project. “I didn’t really think much of it, but then the studio got done being built and I was like, ‘I wanna remix some of my stuff’ — one being Tommyland: The Ride, for its anniversary.

“So I learned the process, and once you hear Dolby Atmos, it’s insane. I’ll never listen to regular stereo again. And now we’re going down the rabbit hole and I’m remixing anything.” The release includes a new bonus track, “Stupid World,” featuring alt-rock artist and former professional skateboarder Chad Tepper, alongside an accompanying music video.

Physical formats — including CD and, for the first time, vinyl — follow on Sept. 18.

“Whenever I do something solo, without Motley Crue, I’m like a little kid in a sandbox,” Lee said. “It’s just you, and you sort of have the freedom to do whatever it is that’s blowing your skirt up.

“The cover art kind of says it all; it’s basically a, like, roller coaster (track) going into my ear, into my f***in’ crazy, eclectic musical styles mind, and that’s what it’s always been.”

The original Tommyland: The Ride, released independently in August 2005, peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and produced lead single “Good Times” featuring Butch Walker, which reached No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 and served as the theme song for Lee’s NBC reality series Tommy Lee Goes to College.

The album was part of an ambitious multimedia rollout that also included Lee’s autobiography of the same name. Despite its modest chart performance, the record featured a heavyweight cast of collaborators spanning rock, pop and punk — among them Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger, Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden, Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter, Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley, Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction, Andrew McMahon and Butch Walker.

Two decades on, Lee says the Dolby Atmos technology available at his studio made revisiting the album irresistible. “The cover art invites you to take a ride inside my twisted musical world and experience its new life after 20 years,” he said. “And in Dolby Atmos.”

The release arrives as Lee heads back on the road with Mötley Crüe for The Return of the Carnival of Sins tour this summer, celebrating both the 20th anniversary of that original 2005 concert run and the band’s 45th anniversary. Mötley Crüe have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and hold a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.