CD sales surged 45.7% in the first half of 2026 to 17.5 million units, driven by K-pop editions and younger collectors. Streaming revenue also grew to $4.9 billion.

Country music is embracing more open sexuality, with Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert and Riley Green among artists leading the trend.

Rosanne Cash postponed three Wyoming and Montana shows due to an “unforeseen medical emergency.” She is recovering under doctors’ supervision and expects to return September 19.

Dan Deacon released his soundtrack for HBO Max’s The Dark Wizard, a documentary series about free climber Dean Potter.

Iron Maiden launched the U.S. leg of its Run For Your Lives 50th anniversary tour with a classic-era setlist. Anthrax opens, with Megadeth on select dates; Simon Dawson is on drums.

The Earl Scruggs Music Festival opened with The Earls of Leicester honoring Flatt & Scruggs and Béla Fleck showcasing his innovative banjo playing.

Carrie Underwood surprised fans at Iowa’s Velocity Festival with nu-metal covers including Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff,” plus Linkin Park and Papa Roach songs.

Macklemore faces backlash from the Israeli-American Council after saying “Free Palestine” during his opening set for Ed Sheeran at MetLife Stadium. A petition calls for his removal from the tour.

JISOO’s “Click” topped Billboard’s new music poll with more than 50% of the vote. LISA’s “SaWaDiKa” finished second with nearly 45%.

Top 5 Albums:

1. The Sin: Bliss — ENHYPEN
2. Dandelion — Ella Langley
3. You Seem Pretty Sad For a Girl So In Love — Olivia Rodrigo
4. I’m the Problem — Morgan Wallen
5. Ultimate Dolly Parton — Dolly Parton

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Suno pulled an ad featuring Mary J. Blige after backlash over the impression that she endorsed its generative-AI platform. Sources close to Blige say she participated only in a product demonstration and never agreed to become a Suno spokesperson.

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The Soul Train Awards return Nov. 27 after a three-year hiatus, airing on BET and, for the first time, CBS. The ceremony will be taped in Chicago, where Don Cornelius launched the original Soul Train.

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Margo Price, Robert Plant, Brandi Carlile, I’m With Her and Kashus Culpepper are among the performers and presenters announced for the 25th annual Americana Honors & Awards, taking place Sept. 16 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

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Micky Dolenz celebrates the Monkees’ 60th anniversary with Timeless, a six-song EP featuring covers of songs by Paul Westerberg, Andy Partridge, Adam Schlesinger, Shelby Lynne and others.

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CBS will air two retrospective MTV VMA specials hosted by Donnie Wahlberg and Vanessa Lachey on Sept. 13 and 20 ahead of the live Sept. 27 Video Music Awards.

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Alanis Morissette is suing former tour manager Keren Urinov for civil extortion, fraud and negligent misrepresentation, alleging Urinov threatened to implicate her in a drug-trafficking case unless she received a lucrative 15-year employment contract and other assistance.

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New Music Friday:

“Bass Persuades” — Miley

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“SaWaDiKa” — LISA

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“So Good” — Shay Lia & KAYTRANADA

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“Nicole Kidman” — ADÉLA

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“Boots” — Kane Brown feat. Shania Twain

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Cassandra Wilson, the Grammy-winning jazz singer, songwriter and producer known for her soulful contralto and genre-blending style, has died at age 70.

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Stevie Nicks and Olivia Rodrigo will both appear on the Practical Magic 2 soundtrack, with Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” and Rodrigo’s “The Cure.”

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Ariana Grande’s 41-date Eternal Sunshine Tour grossed $107.9 million and sold 638,000 tickets, setting new career highs for average gross and attendance per show.

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Sean Ono Lennon and longtime partner Charlotte Kemp Muhl have welcomed their first child, a son named Aurelius, the only grandchild of Yoko Ono and the late John Lennon.

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Alex Van Halen has been appointed a Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion in recognition of his influential drumming and career.

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Dollywood announced permanent additions honoring founder Dolly Parton, including a memorial footpath, tribute kiosks, expanded exhibits and chapel renovations.

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Tupac Shakur’s family expressed relief following Duane “Keffe D” Davis’ conviction for Shakur’s 1996 murder, the first conviction in the nearly 30-year-old case. The family says Shakur’s legacy extends beyond the trial.

The Warning will headline the NFL halftime show in Mexico City on Nov. 22, performing at Estadio Banorte before Vikings-49ers.

Eladio Carrión’s “Polaroid” reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart after 18 weeks, his second chart-topper.

A judge dismissed much of a copyright lawsuit against Bad Bunny and other artists, ruling Steely & Clevie failed to establish copyright ownership of the dembow rhythm.

Alanis Morissette sued former tour manager Keren Urinov, alleging extortion, blackmail and incompetence during her 2025 tour.

“Weird Al” Yankovic released his 2009 educational short film “Al’s Brain” and “The Brain Song,” featuring Paul McCartney, Patton Oswalt and others.

Miley Cyrus announced “Bass Persuades,” due Sept. 18, with 10 tracks and collaborations with Model/Actriz and Andrew Wyatt. She’ll perform it in full at the Hollywood Bowl Oct. 16 and 18.

Tears for Fears’ Roland Orzabal’s memoir “Welcome to Your Life: An Astrological Memoir” combines his life story with astrology and debuted No. 3 on the New York Times bestseller list.

Andrew W.K. surprise-released “Temptation to Exist,” his first album since 2021, a 10-track instrumental jazz noir project on which he performs every instrument.

BABYMETAL appears on a limited-edition Marvel Zombies: War Zone #1 variant cover, inspired by their song “From Me To U.”

Top 5 songs this week in 1986: 5. Friends and Lovers—Gloria Loring & Carl Anderson; 4. Dancing on the Ceiling—Lionel Richie; 3. Higher Love—Steve Winwood; 2. Take My Breath Away—Berlin; 1. Venus—Bananarama.

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Lionel Richie was hospitalized after his Aug. 29 St. Louis concert but is reportedly okay. He recently ended a Minnesota show early after becoming dizzy. He plans to resume touring with Earth, Wind & Fire in September and October. Rolling Stone

A Rolling Stone review finds Prince’s new posthumous album “Timeless,” a collection of outtakes spanning decades, flat and disjointed, with little of the creativity and spark of his classic work. Rolling Stone

Kelly Clarkson ended her talk show after seven seasons with an emotional finale featuring her children and a special Kellyoke performance. She thanked viewers and the crew and will continue with other projects, including “The Voice.” Billboard

“Lion King” composer Lebo M must pay comedian Learnmore Jonasi $39,560 in legal fees after dropping a defamation lawsuit over a joke about the “Circle of Life” chant. A California court ruled in Jonasi’s favor under the anti-SLAPP law. Billboard

Mike Judge plans to reclaim ownership of “Beavis and Butt-Head” from Paramount when his rights potentially revert in 2027, 35 years after the characters debuted. Consequence

AI music company Suno is being sued by Gerencia 360 Music, which alleges Suno trained its model on copyrighted regional Mexican music. The label is seeking nearly $100 million in damages. Billboard

Sony Music and Warner are suing Anthropic over alleged unauthorized use of copyrighted compositions to train its AI models. The labels seek up to $150,000 per work. Futurism

Atlanta producer Mr. 2-17 is turning his success remixing Ms. Rachel songs into educational content for children, while continuing his after-school programs, filmmaking lessons and community giveaways. CBS News Atlanta

Ghost frontman Tobias Forge announced a band hiatus following the “Skeletour,” saying exhaustion and uncertainty about the future prompted the break. He plans to focus on family and other creative projects before returning to Ghost. NME

Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor recalled bonding with late Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison over “River’s Edge,” with their text-message movie-quote exchange eventually running Dailor an $800 phone bill. Louder Sound

Top 5 Singles: 5. Ariana Grande — “Hate That I Made You Love Me” 4. Morgan Wallen — “Been By Now” 3. Taylor Swift — “I Knew It, I Knew You” 2. Stella Lefty — “Boston” 1. Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas” Billboard Charts on Instagram

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ENHYPEN’s “THE SIN : BLISS” debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 98,000 equivalent album units, their first chart-topper. Dolly Parton’s “Ultimate Dolly Parton” reenters at No. 5 following her death. Billboard

The Warning’s “Kerosene” hits No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, making the Mexican all-women band the first Mexican act and first all-women act to top the chart in its 45-year history. Billboard

KATSEYE’s Sophia Laforteza will miss the European and UK dates of the Wildworld Tour to focus on her mental health and well-being. Billboard

Finneas married Claudia Sulewski in an intimate Santa Barbara ceremony officiated by Billie Eilish. Billboard

Kacey Musgraves’ stage caught fire during her Boston show, apparently from pyrotechnics. The fire was quickly extinguished, and she continued her 23-song set. Consequence

Ella Langley returned to Auburn University and shared advice with the Phi Mu sorority about self-care, mental health and surrounding yourself with supportive people. Whiskey Riff

Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields Festival raised $10 million for nonprofits supporting women and girls. Melinda Gates matched the donation, bringing the total to $20 million. Variety

Florence + The Machine headlined Reading Festival for the first time since 2012. For the final song, Florence asked the crowd to put away their phones and experience the moment. NME

Fear Factory released “Roboticist,” their first new music since 2021, featuring vocalist Milo Silvestro. Revolver

Bad Wolves guitarist AJ Rebollo quit over the band’s planned “Jolene” cover, saying its release following Dolly Parton’s death could appear exploitative. Loudwire

Top 5 Albums: 1. KATSEYE – Wild; 2. Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Weekened; 3. Stray Kids – This & That; 4. Olivia Rodrigo – You Seem Pretty Sad For a Girl So in Love; 5. Ella Langley – Dandelion. Billboard Charts

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KATSEYE withdrew from Olivia Rodrigo’s Aug. 29 Daisy Chain Fields benefit festival after Megan Skiendiel sprained her ankle. Devon Again joins the Dandelion Stage at 1:05 p.m., while Santigold takes KATSEYE’s former 2:15 p.m. slot.

Snoop Dogg’s Dr. Bombay and Deel are hiring a worldwide remote ice cream taster for a three-month contract paying $10,000 per month. No culinary experience is required; applications remain open for three weeks.

Dolly Parton’s sister Stella said the singer offered to let doctors try experimental cancer drugs if her condition became hopeless, hoping the research might help future patients.

The Weeknd topped Billboard’s monthly Top Tours chart for the first time after 16 July shows grossed $124.4 million and sold 892,000 tickets. Billboard Boxscore says the After Hours til Dawn Tour had grossed $910.1 million through Aug. 1, making it the highest-grossing tour by an R&B or Black artist.

Selena Gomez asked a Delaware federal court to dismiss claims against her in a Wondermind investor lawsuit. Her lawyers call the allegations “absurd,” arguing that she was a minority shareholder and consultant who did not run the company.

Friday’s new releases:

“Fallen Angel” — Jennie

“Mar Azul” — Natanael Cano

“Emerald Eyes” — Alex Warren

“Insignificant Other” — Queens of the Stone Age

“Mainstay” — Rod Wave feat. Luv Von

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British actor and singer Tim Curry has died at 80. The Rocky Horror Picture Show star also appeared in Clue, It, Annie and Home Alone 2, earned three Tony nominations and a Primetime Emmy nomination, and became a prolific voice actor.

Beyoncé is donating $1 million to groups providing food and housing supplies after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia’s Chocó region.

Post Malone has released a remastered edition of his 2016 debut mixtape August 26th on streaming services and vinyl for the first time, marking its 10th anniversary.

Kehlani canceled shows in Camden, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., after severe pain and an inability to swallow led to a hospital visit. The tour is expected to resume Aug. 29 in Richmond, Virginia.

Queen Budapest, documenting Queen’s final filmed live performance with Freddie Mercury, opens Oct. 7 in more than 2,000 cinemas, including select IMAX screens. The restored film and remixed audio arrive on Blu-ray, DVD, CD and triple-LP Oct. 30.

Stage Tour, a rhythm game developed by Guitar Hero veterans at RedOctane Games, launches Dec. 10 for PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S with more than 90 licensed songs.

Japan Hot 100:

1. “Setsuna Hanabi” — TOMORROW X TOGETHER
2. “Suki-ish” — AKB48
3. “Yes! Tokyo” — EBiDAN
4. “ONIGOTO” — Kento Nakajima
5. “Brand New” — Mrs. GREEN APPLE

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Dolly Parton, the iconic singer and songwriter, died at 80 in Nashville. Her career spanned more than five decades, crossing country and pop and producing countless hits. Donations are encouraged to her Imagination Library.

Eminem shared a heartfelt letter from Dolly Parton praising his talent and describing an “unexplained connection” to him.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s film of Geese frontman Cameron Winter’s sold-out Carnegie Hall performance will tour North America beginning November 20. The 35mm film features songs from Winter’s solo album and unreleased tracks.

Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black gets a 20th-anniversary reissue October 23 with the original album, demos, rarities, a live album and new liner notes on triple-CD and triple-LP editions.

Soundgarden will perform at the Seattle Seahawks’ NFL season opener with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and Taylor Momsen. It will be the band’s fifth performance since Chris Cornell’s death.

Bruce Dickinson recruited horror icon Bill Moseley for a music video filming in Nevada. Dickinson’s next solo album is expected in early 2027 and features 16 songs recorded with his touring band, including a collaboration with son Austin.

Kanye West’s October concerts in St. Petersburg, Russia, were canceled after Gazprom Arena said no agreement had been signed.

Spiritbox singer Courtney LaPlante released her first signature vocal plugin with MixWave, featuring seven vocal-processing modules.

Universal Studios is bringing “Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness” haunted houses to Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando and Hollywood, featuring scenes inspired by Ozzy’s solo career.

TOP 5 ALBUMS — THIS WEEK 20 YEARS AGO

1. Now That’s What I Call Music 22 — Various Artists
2. Year of the Dog Again — DMX
3. Kidz Bop 10 — Kidz Bop Kids
4. Come What(ever) May — Stone Sour
5. LeToya — LeToya

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For Hammond Chamberlain, working behind the scenes, this is Brian Ibbott. Thanks again for listening.

That’s it for today. We’ll catch you on the flip side.

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Sony Music is suing Kroger over nearly 400 TikTok and Instagram ads allegedly using songs by Beyoncé, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson and Outkast without permission. Sony says Kroger exploited the songs’ popularity to boost its social media reach

Jessica Simpson’s fall Walmart fashion line arrives as she returns to music after a 15-year hiatus, alongside a new Netflix documentary about her career and personal journey.

Stray Kids’ concert film The dominATE Experience, filmed during their SoFi Stadium shows, is now on Blu-ray and DVD with a bonus “ITEM” performance. A Seoul concert Blu-ray is also available.

Lindsey Stirling announced her 25-city 2026 Snow Waltz Holiday Tour, beginning November 18 in Hollywood, Florida, with ARKAI. Tickets go on sale August 28.

North West released her six-track debut EP N0rth4evr, blending rage rap, emo, hyperpop, alt-rock and metal as she works to establish her own musical identity.

Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” has spent 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, tying the record for the longest-running non-holiday song.

Alice Cooper’s 24th annual Christmas Pudding fundraiser is set for December 12 in Phoenix, featuring Dee Snider, Lzzy Hale, Joe Hottinger and John 5. Proceeds benefit Solid Rock Teen Centers. Tickets go on sale August 28.

Australia’s ARIA has banned entirely AI-generated songs from its charts and Music Awards. Generative-AI music must be “substantially human made” to qualify.

Top 5 Albums:

5. Dandelion — Ella Langley

4. You Seem Pretty Sad For a Girl So in Love — Olivia Rodrigo

3. This & That — Stray Kids

2. Lost Weekend — Phoebe Bridgers

1.Wild — Katseye

Join the Daily Music Headlines Discord: http://tiny.cc/dmhdiscord

For Hammond Chamberlain, working behind the scenes, this is Brian Ibbott. Thanks again for listening. That’s it for today, we’ll catch you on the flip side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.