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MARIA SHERMAN Music Writer.

The end is near: Megadeth to release final album and embark on farewell tour

August 14, 2025

Call it a symphony for dissolution. American thrash metal giants Megadeth have announced their forthcoming album will be their last. They will also embark on a farewell tour in 2026. They have yet to reveal the final album’s title, release date or the band’s remaining tour dates. Megadeth founder and frontman Dave Mustaine shared the news in a statement Thursday. It arrived after the band shared a teaser post on Wednesday that read “The end is near…” Megadeth was founded in 1983 after Mustaine was kicked out of Metallica, a band he co-founded. Megadeth released their debut album in 1985, “Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!”

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FILE - Karol G performs at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on Feb. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)

Karol G to headline halftime show during YouTube’s first exclusive NFL broadcast, live from Brazil

August 14, 2025

Bringing football fans, Brazil and Karol G together for a one-night experience? That’s a winning formula. The Grammy award-winning musician will headline a halftime show during YouTube’s first exclusive NFL broadcast next month. It will stream live from Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil on Sept. 5. That’s the NFL week 1 matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and the reigning AFC-winning Kansas City Chiefs. The game is free to stream for fans across the globe through YouTube and YouTube TV. It begins at 5 p.m. Pacific / 8 p.m. Eastern / 9 p.m. BRT (local time). A pre-show kicks off an hour earlier.

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FILE - Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, right, appears with singer Taylor Swift after the Chiefs victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game in Kansas City, Mo., on Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

How to watch Taylor Swift’s first appearance on the Kelces’ ‘New Heights’ podcast

August 12, 2025

Taylor Swift’s latest era is almost upon us. Part of the surprising rollout of “The Life of the Showgirl” involved the popular “New Heights” podcast and she’ll appear on it Wednesday. It is hosted by Swift’s boyfriend and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce alongside his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. Swift’s episode of the “New Heights” podcast will premiere at 7 p.m. Eastern. It will be available to stream in full on YouTube. Episodes typically run around one hour to two in duration. It is unclear how long Swift’s episode will be or how long she will be present.

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A guide to Taylor Swift’s most elaborate album announcements

August 12, 2025

Taylor Swift has announced her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” She revealed the news on Tuesday, continuing her trend of elaborate album announcements. Swift often uses innovative marketing techniques to connect with fans. Her past album announcements have involved social media teasers and even surprise releases. For “Reputation,” she deleted all her social media posts before revealing the album. During the pandemic, she announced “Folklore” just a day before its release. “Evermore” was announced just months later. The release date for “The Life of a Showgirl” remains unknown.

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From ‘Bodies’ to new albums, allow Offset and JID to reintroduce themselves

August 12, 2025

Atlanta rappers JID and Offset have new albums out this month. Before JID released “God Does Like Ugly” last week, and before Offset will release “Kiari” on Aug. 22, the pair teamed up for an unusual Hot 100 hit. Titled “Bodies,” the song combines Offset’s melodic flow with JID’s lyrical dexterity atop a sample of a Drowning Pool’s 2001 hit. JID told The Associated Press it is one of his favorite compositions. He also described his new album as intentional. Offset says “Kiari” is a very personal album. It features John Legend and arrives after Cardi B filed to divorce him.

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FILE - Kelly Clarkson arrives with Brandon Blackstock for the ceremonial swearing-in of President Barack Obama at the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington on Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband and former manager, dies at 48

August 7, 2025

Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband and talent manager Brandon Blackstock has died of cancer. His death was first reported by People. He was 48. A representative for the Blackstock family shared a statement to The Associated Press explaining that Blackstock battled cancer for more than three years. Blackstock was the father to four children, two from a previous marriage and two with Clarkson. He was previously Clarkson’s manager and also formerly represented Blake Shelton. Clarkson and Blackstock were married in October 2013. In 2020, she filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.

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FILE - Kendrick Lamar performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans on Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, file)

Lady Gaga leads 2025 MTV Video Music Awards nominations, followed by Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar

August 5, 2025

Lady Gaga tops the 2025 the MTV Video Music Award nominations, ending Taylor Swift’s two-year run in the top spot. Gaga is up for 12 awards including song, video, album and artist of the year. She is followed closely by Bruno Mars with 11 nominations. Kendrick Lamar has 10. Sabrina Carpenter and first-time nominee Blackpink’s ROSÉ are tied with eight. The three-hour VMAs will broadcast live on CBS on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. Eastern from the UBS Arena just outside New York City. It will also simulcast on MTV and be available to stream on Paramount+.

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From a job at a meat processing plant to country music stardom, Bailey Zimmerman is figuring it out

August 4, 2025

Country singer Bailey Zimmerman is releasing his sophomore album, “Different Night Same Rodeo.” Coming out Friday, it follows his successful 2023 debut, “Religiously. The Album.” Zimmerman is a far cry from where he was before 2020, when he was working at his local meat processing plant and laying gas pipeline. Uploading videos to TikTok built him a loyal fan base and the rest is history. For his new album, Zimmerman told The Associated Press he focused on doing what he does best. He wrote songs about his life to connect with others. “Different Night Same Rodeo” also features Luke Combs, the Kid LAROI and Diplo.

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Jeannie Seely, soulful country singer behind hits like ‘Don’t Touch Me,’ dies at 85

August 1, 2025

Jeannie Seely, the soulful country music singer known for hits like “Don’t Touch Me,” has died at 85. Her publicist says she died Friday from complications of an intestinal infection. Known as “Miss Country Soul,” Seely was a trailblazer for women in country music, celebrated for her spirited nonconformity and hits in the ‘60s and ’70s. She was hospitalized in May after multiple surgeries and a bout of pneumonia. Seely never stopped working in country music. Since 2018, she’s hosted the weekly “Sunday’s with Seely” on Willie Nelson’s SiriusXM channel. She appeared nearly 5,400 times at Grand Ole Opry, which will dedicate its Saturday show to her.

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FILE - Singer Ozzy Osbourne performs during halftime of an NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills in Inglewood, Calif., Sept. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

10 songs to memorialize Ozzy Osbourne, the great Black Sabbath frontman

July 23, 2025

The larger-than-life frontman of the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath Ozzy Osbourne has died. He was 76. The English icon’s idiosyncratic, throaty voice launched generations of metalheads, both through his work at the reins of Black Sabbath and in his solo career. Now is an ideal time to listen to The Associated Press’ playlist celebrating his life and legacy. It includes Black Sabbath classics like “Iron Man” and “War Pigs” as well as unexpected selections like his 1991 solo power ballad “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and a 2019 collaboration with Post Malone and the rapper Travis Scott.

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This combination of photos shows Miley Cyrus performing at the Rock in Rio music festival in Lisbon on May 29, 2010, left, Bruno Mars performing at the Z100 Jingle Ball concert in New York on Dec. 10, 2010, center, and Rihanna performing at the American Music Awards on Nov. 21, 2010. (AP Photo)

‘Recession pop’ and new Christian music surge in the US as streaming growth slows

July 16, 2025

More music is being streamed than ever before, but the rate of growth has slowed. That’s according to Luminate’s 2025 Midyear Report, which was released Wednesday. Global streams reached 2.5 trillion in the first half of 2025, up from nearly 2.3 trillion last year. However, growth rates have dropped compared to 2024. In the U.S., streaming now accounts for 92% of all music consumption. Notably, Christian music and “recession pop” are seeing a resurgence. Christian music’s growth is driven by younger, streaming-savvy fans, while nostalgic pop hits from the time of the Great Recession are gaining popularity, including tracks from Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

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Justin Bieber releases ‘Swag,’ his long-awaited seventh album

July 10, 2025

Justin Bieber has released “Swag,” his long-awaited seventh studio album. The 21-track release arrived Friday, hours after Bieber teased it was coming through a series of billboards and social media posts. The album’s tracklist includes songs named “All I Can Take,” “Walking Away,” “Dadz Love” and “Forgiveness.” Def Jam Recordings says the album was inspired by Bieber’s “devotion as a husband and father” and that’s led to a “a deeper perspective and more reflective sound, resulting in some of his most personal music yet.” In August, Bieber and his wife Hailey announced the birth of their first child, Jack Blues Bieber.

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Jennifer Hudson performs at the pre-Grammy gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 4, 2023, left, and Whitney Houston performs at the pre-Grammy gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 13, 2011. (AP Photo)

Jennifer Hudson will headline the Whitney Houston estate’s fourth annual Legacy of Love Gala

July 10, 2025

No one could replace the inimitable talent that was Whitney Houston. But EGOT-winner Jennifer Hudson can master her hits. Hudson will headline the fourth annual Whitney Houston Legacy of Love on Aug. 9, presented by The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation and Primary Wave Music. The event, held at the St. Regis Hotel in Atlanta on what would have been Houston’s 62nd birthday, doubles as a celebration of 40 years since the launch of her career. Houston’s self-titled debut album was released in 1985.The Whitney Houston Legacy of Love on Aug. 9, which will benefit the late singer’s foundation aimed at helping young people.

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FILE - Rick Springfield performs at Live Aid, a famine relief concert at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia Pa., Jon uly 13, 1985. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)

Judas Priest, Rick Springfield, John Oates and Bob Geldof reflect on 40 years of Live Aid

July 9, 2025

Forty years ago, the legendary Live Aid concerts simulcast from Philadelphia and London aimed to do a lot of good. They helped to raise over $100 million for famine relief in Ethiopia and inspired worldwide awareness for a cause it might otherwise have ignored. A lot has changed in the years since. Performers Rick Springfield, Hall and Oates’ John Oates, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford and organizer Bob Geldof tell The Associated Press they don’t think Live Aid could happen again in 2025. But the event serves as a reminder that music can create change and bolster a sense of camaraderie.

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Pop star Katy Perry and actor Orlando Bloom split 6 years after getting engaged

July 3, 2025

Popstar Katy Perry and actor Orlando Bloom have split. Their representatives confirmed the breakup to multiple media outlets Thursday. The 40-year-old Perry and 48-year-old Bloom have been romantically linked since 2016. They were engaged on Valentine’s Day in 2019. They have one child together, a daughter named Daisy Dove Bloom. She was born in 2020. Perry is a 13-time Grammy Award nominee credited with ushering in the sound of ’00s pop. Bloom is best known for his roles as the elf Legolas in “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” films as well as Will Turner in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series.

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50 Cent, Aubrey O’Day and more react to the verdict in the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex trafficking trial

July 2, 2025

Sean “Diddy” Combs was convicted of a prostitution-related offense but acquitted of more serious counts that could have put him behind bars for life. The verdict announced Wednesday means the 55-year-old could still face a maximum of 10 years in prison. Celebrities like rappers 50 Cent and Boosie Badazz shared their reactions online. Some were critical of the decision. Singer Aubrey O’Day is a former member of the music group Danity Kane and she said on her Instagram story that the verdict made her sick. Danity Kane formed on Combs’ MTV reality television program “Making the Band” and signed to his Bad Boy Records.

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Liam Gallagher performs at the Reading Music Festival, England on Aug. 29, 2021, left, and Noel Gallagher performs at the Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, on June 25, 2022. (AP Photo)

Ahead of Oasis’ tour, a look at famous and brief band reunions: Nirvana, Outkast and more

July 2, 2025

The Britpop band Oasis will reunite for a 2025 world tour kicking off Friday in Cardiff, Wales. It is a surprising run of dates that end the band’s 15-year hiatus and seem to suggest an end to the long-held feud between bandmates and brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. The Oasis reunion tour brings to mind other short reunion runs, like Nirvana and Led Zeppelin, who got together only for a few select events over the last few decades. Or Outkast, who reunited for a worldwide festival run in 2014 and then resumed their hiatus.

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Lorde performs at the Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, Monday, June 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Scott Garfitt)

Music Review: Lorde enters ‘Virgin’ territory on her liberated, physical pop album

June 26, 2025

Fans of the New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde have long commended the artist for her visceral pop craft. To them, her music sounds like freedom. On her new album, “Virgin,” it is as if Lorde is able to hear that freedom, too, writes The Associated Press music writer Maria Sherman in her review. “Virgin” is Lorde’s first studio album in four years. She’s now writing pop hits devoid of any anxious filtering. Musically, “Virgin” threads the needle from her 2017 synth-pop album “Melodrama” to the current moment. And thematically, Lorde’s never been more fluid and feral than on “Virgin,” in her descriptions of gender experience and sexual autonomy.

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(AP Illustration / Peter Hamlin)

Who will have the 2025 song of the summer? We offer some predictions

June 19, 2025

What makes a great song of the summer? Is it an up-tempo pop banger? Something with an earworm chorus? Does it need to feature the words “summer” or “sunshine” or “California”? The Associated Press views the song of the summer as the one that takes over those warm months between June and August. And in 2025, there are a number of contenders. Those include Bad Bunny’s “NUEVAYoL,” Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild,” KATSEYE’s “Gnarly,” Drake’s “Nokia,” Addison Rae’s “Fame Is a Gun” and the viral track “Boots on the Ground” by 803Fresh.

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Mike Love celebrates Brian Wilson and George Clinton shines at 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame

June 12, 2025

The Beach Boys’ Mike Love has been inducted into the 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame. It was just one day after it was announced that his inimitable bandmate Brian Wilson had died. The gala was held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City Thursday night. Inductees included George Clinton, The Doobie Brothers, Ashley Gorley, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins and Tony Macaulay. The 2025 class brings an eclectic mix of funk, rock, R&B, country and beyond. Last year’s inductees included Steely Dan, R.E.M., Timbaland, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford.

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FILE - Brain Wilson, leader of The Beach Boys, performs the song "Heroes and Villains" during a rehearsal at a sound stage in Burbank, Calif., Sept. 22, 2004. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)

10 songs to celebrate the life and legacy of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson

June 11, 2025

The musical world has lost a giant. Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ visionary and fragile leader, has died at age 82. Attempting to distill Wilson’s talent and influence in a few short songs is an impossibility. Even just focusing on a few select cuts from The Beach Boys’ 1966 album “Pet Sounds” would feel shortsighted. But now is as good a time as ever to listen to The Associated Press’ playlist celebrating his life and legacy. It includes classics like “Surfin USA” and “God Only Knows” as well as unexpected selections Wilson’s solo track, “Don’t Let Her Know She’s an Angel.”

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How the ‘F1’ soundtrack came together, with a little help from Lewis Hamilton

June 11, 2025

The soundtrack for the summer tentpole “F1” needed to sound as massive as the pinnacle of motorsport itself. So, the team behind the movie worked with Atlantic Records for “F1 The Album.” The soundtrack features Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton, Myke Towers, Blackpink’s Rosé, Tate McRae and many more. Director Joseph Kosinski, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Atlantic Records West Coast President Kevin Weaver told The Associated Press that they endeavored to find big, bespoke songs from diverse artists reflective of F1’s global reach with a little help from F1 driver Lewis Hamilton. But most importantly, the songs had to fit the film. The movie and album release June 27.

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Pop singer Jessie J says she has been diagnosed with early breast cancer

June 4, 2025

The English pop singer Jessie J says she has been diagnosed with early breast cancer. She says she will undergo surgery after her performance at the London music festival Capital’s Summertime Ball next weekend. The news arrived in a video message shared to her social media accounts. The annual Summertime Ball will be held at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, June 15. She told her social media audience that she felt compelled to share her diagnosis. The Grammy-nominated Jessie J has long been celebrated for her robust soprano and R&B-informed pop hits, like the 2014 collaboration with Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande, “Bang Bang,” and 2011’s “Domino.”

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Pulp is back for ‘More,’ their first album in 24 years. Even the Britpop band is surprised

June 2, 2025

The singular Britpop band Pulp has returned. On Friday, they will release their first new album in 24 years, the aptly titled “More.” Even the band is shocked there’s new Pulp music in 2025, as they told The Associated Press in a rare interview. “More” is the band’s first full-length since bassist Steve Mackey died in 2023. His death was a catalyst for the new record. “It made me realize that you don’t have endless amounts of time to create things,” the charismatic frontman Jarvis Cocker told the AP.

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Authorities work the scene where a small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood, setting several homes on fire and forcing evacuations along several blocks early Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego plane crash is a devastating loss to the alternative rock music community

May 23, 2025

The alternative music community is in mourning after a private jet hit a power line in foggy weather early Thursday and crashed into a San Diego neighborhood. It slammed into a home and killed multiple people on the flight. Among them was the groundbreaking music executive Dave Shapiro, a pillar of his music scene, and Daniel Williams, a former drummer for the popular Ohio metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada. Both Williams and Shapiro served as success stories for their rock music scenes, proof that these subcultural sounds had real mainstream appeal, according to members of their community.

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What to know about Kid Cudi, the rapper testifying against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

May 21, 2025

Rapper Kid Cudi is the latest celebrity being called to testify in Sean “Diddy” Combs′ sex trafficking trial. The popular melodic rapper is expected to tell the jury about his brief relationship 14 years ago with Combs’ ex-girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie. She testified that the relationship sent Combs into a rage, and he beat her when he learned of it. Prosecutors contend that Combs arranged to have Cudi’s convertible firebombed. The Cleveland born-and-raised, Grammy-award-winning rapper has long been celebrated for his alternative hip-hop. His game-changing single “Day ‘n’ Nite (Nightmare)” is easily one of the most influential rap records of the last two decades.

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