Music news

• Abel Tesfaye doubles down: 'The Weeknd isn't going anywhere'

  16-09-2026 13:00 via music-news.com
  
  The Weeknd is reassuring fans that he won't be ditching his stage name.
  
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• Taylor Swift to Receive Inaugural Artist Director Honors at 2026 MTV VMAs

  21-09-2026 18:52 via rollingstone.com
  
  Four-time Best Direction winner honored with first-ever award celebrating "a sustained and influential body of work from artists who have pushed creative boundaries and developed a clear directorial voice"
  
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• ‘SNL UK’ takes aim at Ed Sheeran and “wealthy corpse-maxxer” Robert Kraft amid Palestine controversy

  21-09-2026 18:13 via nme.com
  
  Saturday Night Live UK poked fun at the ongoing Ed Sheeran-Palestine controversy over the weekend. Watch the videos below.
  In the ‘Weekend Update’ news segment of the show, Ania Magliano joked that “the Israel-Palestine conflict just got serious” as she and co-host Paddy Young delved into the backlash Sheeran has faced of late.READ MORE: Ed Sheeran – ‘Play’ review: a hasty retreat to the genre-spanning of old“That’s right – Ed Sheeran&r
  
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• Irish teenagers to receive €100 voucher to spend on culture in budget

  21-09-2026 17:03 via nme.com
  
  Teenagers in Ireland are set to receive a €100 voucher from the government to spend on cultural events.
  The new initiative for 16-year-olds will be launched in next month’s budget, according to RTÉ. Should it be successful, the scheme could also be extended to include all 17-year-olds in next year’s budget.
  Those eligible will be able to redeem the card via digital download, giving them access to cinemas, theatres and live music venues.
  Patrick O’Donovan, Irish Mini
  
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• Susanna Hoffs Kept Notes on Her Rock Star Journey. She’s Ready to Tell the Story

  21-09-2026 16:28 via rollingstone.com
  
  The Bangles frontwoman on her new album, Prince, Bob Weir, and keeping the eternal flame alive
  
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• CRB Requests ‘Additional Information’ About the Proposed Phono V Settlement — Questions Cover ‘Missing Inflation Data,’ ‘Overlapping’ Label-Publisher Ownership, and More

  21-09-2026 16:25 via digitalmusicnews.com
  
  Washington, D.C.’s James Madison Memorial Building, which houses the U.S. Copyright Office. Photo Credit: UpstateNYer
  After receiving “substantive objections and comments” concerning the proposed Phonorecords V settlement, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has ordered the involved parties to provide a significant amount of “additional information.”Chief Copyright Royalty Judge Trevor Jefferson recently issued that noteworthy order, calling on the major labels, the A
  
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• Troye Sivan on His Bold New Album, Touring with Charli XCX and Casting Nicole Kidman

  21-09-2026 16:02 via rollingstone.com
  
  The Australian pop star had a whirlwind couple of years on the road and on TV. Now, he’s back with a new album — and he’s feeling more introspective than ever
  
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• What Awaits Sean Combs After He’s Released From Prison

  21-09-2026 16:00 via rollingstone.com
  
  Read the final chapter from the upcoming book Bad Boy for Life by Rolling Stone's senior reporter Cheyenne Roundtree
  
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• Check out Deftones’ Chino Moreno’s emotive duet with Beabadoobee on new song ‘Satellite’

  21-09-2026 15:58 via nme.com
  
  Deftones‘ Chino Moreno has teamed up with Beabadoobee for a new joint song – listen to ‘Satellite’ below.READ MORE: Beabadoobee – ‘Pylon’ review: making peace with the mess of being in your mid-twentiesThe collaboration serves as the closing track on Bea’s fourth studio album, ‘Pylon’, which was released last Friday (September 18).
  “I wonder if you think of me/ Like the way you used to/ I’m hanging upside down/ Don’t w
  
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• Muse explain handing over social media handles to Meta AI and conversations with Mark Zuckerberg

  21-09-2026 15:41 via nme.com
  
  Muse have had to change their social media handles to make way for Meta’s new AI tool.READ MORE: Matt Bellamy on rediscovering his own muse: “I can’t live without music – that feeling came back to me on this album”Earlier this year, the Devon rock icons changed their handle on X/Twitter and Instagram from @Muse to @Musetheband, allowing Meta’s new AI tool, also called Muse, to take on their former usernames.
  The initial change cau
  
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• Dolly Parton Day Declared in California, Nashville for September 25

  21-09-2026 15:33 via rollingstone.com
  
  9/25, a nod to late singer's "9 to 5," also designated in Portland, Oregon and Texas counties
  
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• Steven Wilson announces new album ‘Requiem For A Village’ with eclectic title track

  21-09-2026 15:00 via nme.com
  
  Steven Wilson has announced his new album ‘Requiem For A Village’. Find all the details below.READ MORE: Steven Wilson: “I’ve tried to reinvent the classic rock guitar solo”The former Porcupine Tree musician and cult singer-songwriter released his eighth studio album ‘The Overview’ last year, a record inspired by the Overview Effect, the phenomenon experienced by astronauts when they first view Earth from outer space.
  Now, he’s annou
  
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• Universal and Warner labels ask court to dismiss musicians’ AI licensing lawsuit

  21-09-2026 14:03 via nme.com
  
  Universal Music Group and Warner labels have asked a court to dismiss the American Federation of Musicians’ (AFM) AI licensing lawsuit.
  The AFM is amid a legal fight against UMG and Warner Records, arguing that recordings performed by its members were licensed to AI companies Suno and Udio without the musicians receiving compensation or being properly notified.
  The dispute is over whether AI licensing represents a “new use” of recordings under the AFM’s Sound Recording La
  
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• CD revenue up by nearly 60 per cent in first half of 2026

  21-09-2026 14:01 via nme.com
  
  CD revenue in the US surged by nearly 60 per cent in the first half of 2026, according to a recent report.READ MORE: Why physical music media still matters in 2025The Recording Industry Association Of America’s new mid-year report shows that compact disc revenue increased by 58.6 per cent during the first six months of the year, reaching $171million.
  That’s up from approximately $108million over the same period in 2025, marking the biggest percentage increase of any category hig
  
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• Mis-Teeq SPLIT just one week after sold-out Wembley reunion as Sabrina Washington launches solo tour

  21-09-2026 14:00 via music-news.com
  
  Sabrina Washington has announced her own UK headline tour after Mis-Teeq decided not to continue beyond their epic Wembley comeback.
  
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• Has Zara Larsson pulled out of her Abu Dhabi Grand Prix gig?

  21-09-2026 14:00 via music-news.com
  
  Zara Larsson has suggested she won’t perform at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
  
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• Mel C and Sir Ian McKellen doodle for National Doodle Day charity auction

  21-09-2026 12:30 via music-news.com
  
  Spice Girl Mel C and acting legend Sir Ian McKellen are among a star-studded line-up of celebrities, artists, and illustrators reaching for their pens to support National Doodle Day 2026.
  
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• Mariah Carey announces ‘Christmastime’ 2026 UK arena tour

  21-09-2026 12:22 via nme.com
  
  Mariah Carey has announced a festive UK arena tour for 2027. Find all the details below.READ MORE: Mariah Carey: “You know what? I love Christmas!”The ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ pop star will play a trio of headline shows on these shores in November and December.
  Dubbed the ‘Christmastime’ tour, the forthcoming trek includes concerts at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham (November 27), The O2 in London (November 30) and the Co-op Live in Manchester (D
  
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• Taylor Swift screams 'that's my husband' as Travis Kelce scores touchdown

  21-09-2026 12:00 via music-news.com
  
  The singer was joined by her parents and mother-in-law in a luxury suite for the game at the Arrowhead Stadium.
  
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• Ed Sheeran’s former support act Aaron Rowe says anger should be aimed at “the likes of Robert Kraft” and “Zionist lobbies”

  21-09-2026 11:41 via nme.com
  
  Ed Sheeran‘s former support act Aaron Rowe has said people should direct their anger towards “the likes of Robert Kraft”.
  Rowe was among the artists to withdraw from Sheeran’s ongoing ‘Loop’ tour last week, after Macklemore was dropped from the shows due to making an impassioned “Free Palestine” speech during a gig at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
  He subsequently faced calls for his removal from the tour, including from Pink and the Isra
  
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• Metallica and Limp Bizkit are hitting the road together in 2027

  21-09-2026 11:21 via nme.com
  
  Metallica and Limp Bizkit are set to hit the road together in 2027. Find all the details below.READ MORE: Metallica live in Amsterdam: still the greatest heavy metal band aroundThe metal giants have extended their huge ‘M72’ world tour, which kicked off back in April 2023 to mark their latest studio album ’72 Seasons’.
  Following Lars Ulrich and co’s upcoming ‘Life Burns Faster’ Las Vegas residency at the Sphere, Metallica will embark on another stin
  
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• Melissa Barrera airs support for Macklemore but questions why she didn’t get the same when fired from ‘Scream’

  21-09-2026 11:02 via nme.com
  
  Melissa Barrera has aired support for Macklemore after the rapper was recently dropped from Ed Sheeran’s ‘Loop’ tour after making pro-Palestine comments.
  Macklemore made an impassioned speech at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium while supporting Sheeran earlier this month, while also performing his protest track ‘Hind’s Hall’ with footage from Gaza. This led to calls for him to be dropped, which he was, while the tour’s other support acts, including FIN
  
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• Music legend Sting insists he doesn't see AI as 'competition'

  21-09-2026 11:00 via music-news.com
  
  Sting says AI will never rival human musicians, arguing that machine-made songs lack the emotion, vulnerability and lived experience fans connect with.
  
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• Carrie Underwood working on rock music project with the help of Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose

  21-09-2026 11:00 via music-news.com
  
  Carrie Underwood has been slipping rock covers into her setlists for months, and it’s starting to look like she’s road-testing them with a purpose.
  
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• Geezer Butler, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, Mike McCready among new names for Tom Morello’s stacked ‘Power To The People’ line-up

  21-09-2026 10:33 via nme.com
  
  Black Sabbath‘s Geezer Butler, Anthrax‘s Scott Ian, and Pearl Jam‘s Mike McCready are among the new names confirmed for Tom Morello‘s ‘Power To The People’ event. See the line-up below.READ MORE: Tom Morello: “In the past, I’ve wanted to use music as a battering ram for social justice”The festival is due to take place on Saturday October 3 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, and is billed as “a day of peace, love,
  
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• Gurriers’ exclusive playlist for The Cover is pure cinema

  21-09-2026 10:30 via nme.com
  
  Gurriers are on The Cover this week – read the story and stream their exclusive playlist ‘Favourite Film Songs’ below.READ MORE: “It’s an extension of our anger”: Dublin rockers Gurriers won’t back downThe Irish punk band land on The Cover, NME’s weekly spotlight on the best and brightest emerging artists, ahead of their new album ‘Nobody’s Coming To Save You’. Gurriers were profiled by NME news editor Andrew Trendell and photogra
  
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• Miley hints at plans for concert residency

  21-09-2026 10:14 via nme.com
  
  Miley has hinted at plans for a concert residencyREAD MORE: Miley Cyrus – ‘Something Beautiful’ review: the post-genre popstar pulls off another big swingThe singer – who recently dropped her last name – released her tenth album ‘Bass Persuades’ last Friday (September 18).
  To celebrate the record’s release, she announced two shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on October 16 and 18. You can find any remaining tickets here.
  The shows come
  
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• Taylor Swift Celebrates Travis Kelce’s First Touchdown of the Season: ‘That’s My Husband!’

  21-09-2026 09:04 via rollingstone.com
  
  The Kansas City Chiefs triumphed over the Indianapolis Colts at Arrowhead Stadium
  
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• Parents can now reclaim their Spotify Wrapped and recommendations from their kids’ music choices

  21-09-2026 09:03 via nme.com
  
  Spotify is now allowing parents to exclude their kids’ music choices from their Wrapped. Find out all the details below.
  The streaming platform is now giving parents the ability to exclude music for children from their own music recommendations, with a new feature that encourages subscribers to “Keep your recommendations yours.”
  “Parents love using Spotify to play music for their families. But parents don’t always share the same taste as their young children,&r
  
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• Maruja on their “life-affirming” year and punk’s anniversary: “Do what you think is right and share that with the world”

  21-09-2026 09:00 via nme.com
  
  Maruja saxophonist and vocalist Joe Carroll has spoken to NME about playing the 50th anniversary of The 100 Club’s Punk Special, and the whirlwind year since the release of their debut album.READ MORE: Maruja’s sprawling jazz-punk offers solidarity in the face of disorderTaking place tonight (September 21), this is the second of two gigs commemorating 50 years of the iconic venue’s now-legendary two day festival, which has hosted the likes of Sex Pistols, The Clash, Siouxsie An
  
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