Beyoncé has removed a visual of the Sphere from her Cowboy Carter Tour after receiving a cease-and-desist order from the venue’s owner. An image of the Sphere was included in the show’s “400 Foot Cowboy” visual interlude where the towering singer picked up the venue from the Las Vegas strip. During Sunday night’s show (May 4) in Inglewood, the image was appropriately replaced with footage of Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium, where Beyoncé is set to perform in July during her Cowboy Carter Tour. Following the show, Beyoncé’s production company, Parkwood Entertainment, shared the new clip on Instagram, captioning the post, “What happens in Vegas starts with a BANG.” The cease-and-desist letter was reportedly issued by Sphere Entertainment Group, who claimed that the footage of the state-of-the-art venue was used “without permission,” and misled fans by prompting speculation of a potential Sphere residency for Beyoncé. (Rolling Stone)

Jury selection began on Monday (May 5) for the sex trafficking and racketeering trial of hip-hop mogul Sean Combs. Both the defense team and prosecutors questioned potential jurors about their views on wealthy individuals and Combs' self-professed "swinger" lifestyle. The jury selection process – which involves whittling down 150 prospective jurors into a final pool of 12 men and women and six alternates – is expected to last three days, with opening statements set to begin next week. The trial itself is expected to last at least eight weeks, with Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Entertainment, facing five felony counts and up to 15 years to life in prison if convicted.

The heart of the case alleges that Combs used his billion-dollar business as a "criminal enterprise" for sexual gratification, including the alleged sex trafficking of two former girlfriends. The defense – who already rejected a plea deal – will portray the alleged sexual encounters as consensual and part of Combs' alternative lifestyle. One of the key witnesses against Combs will include his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, who was allegedly sex trafficked between 2008 and 2018, with a 2016 surveillance video surfacing last year of Combs violently assaulting Ventura in a California hotel. (Rolling Stone)

On Monday (May 5), Benson Boone announced the dates and details of his 2025 American Heart North American Tour. The 30-date trek is in support of the pop superstar’s upcoming album, American Heart, which is due out on June 20. Boone’s arena tour gets underway on August 22 in St. Paul, Minnesota, before stopping in major music markets across the U.S. and Canada, including high-profile shows at Madison Square Garden in New York and Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, eventually finishing up on October 8 in Salt Lake City. General ticket sales start on May 9, with a fan presale launching on May 8. Boone recently made his debut on Saturday Night Live on May 3, showcasing his new American Heart singles, "Sorry I'm Here for Someone Else" and "Mystical Magical," which he also debuted at Coachella back in April. (Rolling Stone)

Bad Bunny has announced his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, where the Puerto Rican music superstar will headline stadiums throughout Europe, Australia, Latin America, and Japan. The 23-date trek is set to begin on November 21 in the Dominican Republic, and will conclude on July 22 in Brussels, while hitting major cities in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Spain, Portugal, and Italy along the way, including Bad Bunny’s first ever dates in Australia, Brazil, and Japan. According to a tour press release, these shows “will bring [Debí Tirar Más Fotos] to life, fully immersing audiences in its world, celebrating the essence and culture of Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rican heritage.” Before embarking on his expansive global tour, Bad Bunny is set to perform a historic 30-date homecoming residency at El Choli in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where Benito is set to draw an estimated 250,000 fans during those summer shows. Tickets for the world tour go on sale on Friday, May 9. (Billboard)

Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for an 11th consecutive week. The track matches Puff Daddy and Faith Evans’ 1997 chart-topper, “I’ll Be Missing You” (featuring 112), for the most weeks spent at No. 1 among duets by co-billed lead solo men and women. Other notable moves in this week’s Hot 100 Top 10 include Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” rising a spot to claim a new career high of No. 2, while Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” remains at No. 5 – notching its 43rd week in the Top Five, matching The Weeknd’s 2020-21 run with “Blinding Lights” for the most total weeks spent in the top tier all-time – while Doechii’s “Anxiety” returns to the region by matching its previous peak of No. 10. Elsewhere in the Top 10, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” drops one spot to No. 3, Drake’s “Nokia” remains at No. 4, Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” stays at No. 6, Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” jumps up two spots to No. 7, Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Problem” drops one spot to No. 8, and Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” moves up a slot to No. 9. (Billboard) 

In a new interview with Variety, Blackpink's Lisa confirmed that a new album from the K-pop girl group is on the horizon. “We were in the studio a few days ago,” Lisa told the outlet on Saturday (May 3). “We’re all so super excited to get back together and go on tour.” Blackpink’s upcoming world tour kicks off with a two-night stint in Seoul, South Korea beginning on July 5, then heads to North America for a series of shows in Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, and New York throughout July, before heading to Europe and the UK. While a specific release date for Blackpink’s third studio album has not been revealed, Lisa assured fans it is on the way. “You have to be patient about it,” Lisa said. “It’s coming soon, I promise. It’s about time.” In additional Lisa news, the singer has collaborated with Maroon 5 on their new single "Priceless," which is taken from their upcoming eighth studio album. The track is accompanied by a cinematic music video directed by Aerin Moreno, which features frontman Adam Levine and Lisa acting out a Mr. & Mrs. Smith-themed clip. (Variety)

Ghost reaches the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart for the first time in their career, as the Swedish hard rock band’s new record, Skeletá, debuts at No. 1 this week. Skeletá is the first hard rock album to lead the Billboard 200 in over four years (since AC/DC’s Power Up in 2020), and marks the ninth time the group has charted on the Billboard 200, reaching a previous high of No. 2 with 2022’s Impera. Ghost claims the biggest week of 2025 for any rock, hard rock, or alternative album, while the vinyl sales of over 44,000 represent the biggest week for a hard rock album on vinyl in the modern era (since 1991).

The rest of the Billboard 200 Top 10 is rounded out by SZA’s SOS dropping one slot to No. 2, Kendrick Lamar’s GNX falls a spot to No. 3, Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time slides down one place to No. 4, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet drops a spot to No. 5, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U falls one slot to No. 6, Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos slides a spot to No. 7, Shaboozey’s Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going vaults up 37 places to No. 8 following a deluxe reissue on April 25, Playboi Carti’s MUSIC falls two spots to No. 9, and Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album drops a slot to No. 10. (Billboard)

The owner of the Sphere has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Beyoncé regarding footage of the singer picking up a version of the iconic Las Vegas venue that is shown during her current Cowboy Carter Tour. “Beyoncé — many orders of magnitude larger than the Sphere venue — leans over, picks up the venue, and looms over it,” the letter reads, which has led to “significant speculation that Beyoncé will end her tour with a Sphere residency.” The letter alleges that the footage – which is featured in an interlude for Beyoncé's show – is unauthorized and used “without permission,” and has upset Sphere Entertainment Group's CEO, James Dolan, who has tried to book the 35-time Grammy winner at his venue. Despite those past negotiations, Beyoncé will instead bring her Cowboy Carter Tour to Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on July 25-26. Beyoncé launched her highly-anticipated tour in Los Angeles on Monday, April 28. (Rolling Stone)

On Sunday (May 4), Julien Baker and Torres announced that they have canceled all remaining dates on their 'Send A Prayer My Way' tour. “Due to recent events, Julien Baker is prioritizing her well-being and taking time to focus on her health,” reads a statement on Baker’s Instagram. “Therefore, the Julien Baker & Torres ‘Send A Prayer My Way’ Tour has been canceled. This decision was not made lightly, and we understand the disappointment this may cause for fans. We deeply appreciate your understanding.” The joint tour had previously kicked off on April 23 in Richmond, Virginia, and was set to run through September 13, featuring a series of high-profile festival appearances including Utah’s Kilby Block Party, Oregon’s Pickathon, the Newport Folk Festival, San Francisco’s Outside Lands, Milwaukee’s Summerfest, and Louisville’s Bourbon and Beyond Fest. The duo’s last performance was a sold-out show on Thursday (May 1) at Tipitinasas in New Orleans. Refunds for all cancelled shows will be issued by the ticket companies. (Rolling Stone)

Jill Sobule, the pioneering singer-songwriter behind the 1995 hit, "I Kissed a Girl," tragically passed away at 66 in a house fire in Minneapolis. The news of her death was confirmed by her representative to Variety. Known for her groundbreaking music and advocacy for human rights, Sobule's song "I Kissed a Girl" is recognized as the first openly lesbian pop song to reach the Billboard Top 20, setting the stage for visible LGBTQ+ representation within the music industry.

Her untimely death has prompted an outpouring of grief and tributes from fellow artists and activists, including her frequent collaborator, Sarah Thyre, who wrote on Instagram, “This one hits hard. Jill Sobule was an amazing, generous artist. She ALWAYS showed up and showed out.” Recent tourmates The Fixx also paid tribute to Sobule, writing on Facebook: "We are absolutely devastated and shocked to hear the news of Jill Sobule's untimely passing. Jill just finished a tour with us days ago...and was so full of life and talent. Our hearts are broken. We will always miss her."

In addition to her notable other work, Sobule's popular track, "Supermodel" was featured prominently on the Clueless movie soundtrack, adding to the groundbreaking musician’s lasting legacy. (People)

During a recent Instagram Live session, Cardi B expressed her frustration over the delays surrounding her long-awaited new album. The Grammy winner sympathized with her impatient fans who have been waiting years for the follow-up to Cardi’s chart-topping 2018 debut record, Invasion of Privacy, with the New York rapper blaming the delay on unfinished contributions from the album’s special guests. “I really need these fu**ing features,” Cardi said. “I’m not really trying to press or go crazy on these artists because I love them down. But it’s like come on now, I need that. I need that right now. Y’all don’t want to miss this opportunity.” While the highly-anticipated album doesn’t have an official release date or title, Cardi remains confident that the project will be worth the wait, even if she has to finish it on her own. “I’ll sing this sh*t myself,” Cardi said. “But I really need y’all to hurry up and I love y’all. I feel like nobody want to miss being on this album.” (Rolling Stone)

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are set to release a deluxe edition of their collaborative album, I Said I Love You First, on May 2. The expanded version – titled I Said I Love You First…And You Said It Back –  will include guest appearances by GloRilla, Cigarettes After Sex, and DJ Sliink, though what tracks they will be featured on have not yet been revealed. “There are some new songs, some favorites you might recognize, and reimagined songs from the original album,” Gomez wrote on Instagram on Wednesday (April 30). “Can’t wait for you to hear them! Thank you to @glorillapimp, @cigsaftersex, @djsliink and of course, benny 🖤.” In addition to the deluxe album announcement, Gomez also shared exciting news about another new project on the way. “Oh, and don’t forget to pick out your prom outfit…Talk video out tomorrow night at 9pm PT!!,” she added. Gomez and Blanco recently went on a “Prom Date” together, with the engaged couple taking a stretch limo to the mall to take some adorable prom photos together. (Rolling Stone)

On Thursday (May 1), Ed Sheeran revealed details about his upcoming eighth album, Play, a 13-track record that is set to be released on September 12 through Gingerbread Records/Atlantic Records. Along with the album announcement, Sheeran also dropped his new single, "Old Phone," a nostalgic track co-produced by Ilya Salmanzadeh and Blake Slatkin. In an Instagram post announcing his new album and single, Sheeran shared some insight into the making of his new record, which he calls “a real rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish.” “Play was an album that was made as a direct response to the darkest period of my life,” he shared. “Coming out of all of that I just wanted to create joy and technicolour, and explore cultures in the countries I was touring. I made this record all over the world, finished it in Goa, India, and had some of the most fun, explorative creative days of my life.” (Variety)

In a new interview with BBC Radio 1, Lorde credits Charli XCX's recent album, Brat, for inspiring her to elevate her own creativity on her upcoming record, Virgin, which is due out on June 27. “Brat coming out really gave me a kick in a lot of ways,” Lorde admitted. “It forced me to further define what I was doing, because Charli had so masterfully defined everything about Brat, and I knew that what I was doing was very distinct to that. It’s an amazing thing when a peer throws the gauntlet down like that, you’re like, ‘OK, I’ve got to pick it up.’” Lorde also acknowledged the impact the duo’s collaboration on the remix of "Girl, So Confusing" had on her approach to her unguarded new material. “Doing the remix together and meeting her in that place of rugged vulnerability and kind of cracking open the thing …,” she added. “[When] people responded really well to that, I was like, ‘OK, cool, this is a good thing to be doing.'” (Billboard)

In a new interview with Variety for their Power of Women Nashville issue, Sheryl Crow reflected on the evolving landscape of women in music, while celebrating the rise of young and talented female musicians. “The caliber of writing is just so good with Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, and Phoebe Bridgers, and these women are not just in the studio throwing in a lyric — they play,” Crow said. “If you want to take a course in great songwriting, go study at the college of Taylor Swift. There’s Brandi [Carlile] and Courtney Barnett. For a long time, there was a dearth of women who were playing and singing and rocking, and now I’m tickled.” Crow also was inspired by being around so many incredible women during Ringo Starr’s recent country album celebration at Ryman Auditorium. Crow was blown away “being onstage with Molly Tuttle, Sarah Jarosz, and Larkin Poe. I remember having a conversation with people on the Grammys board 15 years ago, saying, ’What are you guys going to do to get instruments into young women’s hands?’ Lo and behold, some of the greatest musicianship right now is young and female.” (Variety)

Charli XCX is teaming up with Japanese horror director Takashi Miike for an as-yet-untitled film, the second under her new Studio365 banner. While the plot is currently unknown, the collaboration with Miike hints at a possible horror-themed film, given his reputation for violent works like 1999’s Audition and 2001’s Ichi the Killer. Charli has been busy juggling music and acting as of late, producing and starring in director Aidan Zamiri’s upcoming A24 film, The Moment, which is based on an original idea from the Grammy-winning pop superstar. Charli is also set to appear in the upcoming movie projects 100 Nights of Hero, I Want Your Sex, and Erupcja. In addition to her acting roles, Charli will finish her Brat U.S. Arena Tour with a three-night stand in Brooklyn on May 1-4, and is slated to perform at several high-profile music festivals this summer, including Primavera Sound Porto and Lido Festival. (Variety)

Barbra Streisand’s upcoming album, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two, features duets with Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Sting, Hozier, Laufey, Sam Smith, Tim McGraw, Josh Groban, Seal, and a track featuring both Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande. The star-studded collection is set for release on June 27, and Streisand has just released the project’s first single, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” featuring Hozier. The album also includes the first ever collaboration between music icons Streisand and Dylan, who duet on the Thirties pop standard, “The Very Thought of You.” “I’ve always loved singing duets with gifted artists,” Streisand says in a statement. “They inspire me in unique and different ways. I hope that you’ll enjoy listening to our collaborations as much as I enjoyed recording with all of my wonderful partners.” The album was produced by Walter Afanasieff and Peter Asher, and recorded at the Streisand Scoring Stage in Culver City, California, and at the legendary Abbey Road Studios with the London Symphony Orchestra. (Rolling Stone)

On Wednesday (April 30) Lorde revealed details of her highly-anticipated fourth album, Virgin, which is set to be released on June 27. The Grammy-winning pop superstar co-produced the record – her first since 2021’s Solar Power – along with Jim-E Stack, and the project features collaborations with Dev Hynes, Daniel Nigro, Fabiana Palladino, Andrew Aged, and Buddy Ross. The album cover features an x-ray image of a pelvis with a visible belt buckle and IUD in a blue tint.

In an all-caps message Lorde sent out to fans, she shared personal insight into the album: “THE LANGUAGE IS PLAIN AND UNSENTIMENTAL. THE SOUNDS ARE THE SAME WHEREVER POSSIBLE. I WAS TRYING TO SEE MYSELF, ALL THE WAY THROUGH. I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A DOCUMENT THAT REFLECTED MY FEMININITY. I’M PROUD AND SCARED OF THIS ALBUM. THERE’S NOWHERE TO HIDE. I BELIEVE THAT PUTTING THE DEEPEST PARTS OF OURSELVES TO MUSIC IS WHAT SETS US FREE.” Lorde shared the album’s lead single, “What Was That,” last week, and it quickly rose to the top of Spotify’s U.S. chart, her first song to achieve that feat since "Royals" in 2012. Pre-orders are available on Lorde’s webstore. (Rolling Stone)

In his first major interview since undergoing emergency surgery to remove a glioblastoma tumor over a year ago, 72-year-old singer Michael Bolton spoke with People about his ongoing fight against brain cancer, expressing his determination to continue living fully and remaining hopeful. Following the tumor removal and subsequent radiation and chemotherapy treatments, MRIs show no return of the cancer. Bolton is managing the effects on his memory, speech, and mobility through golf, meditation, family time, exercise, vocal lessons, and voice therapy. “You’re reaching into your resources and your resolve in a way that you never would have thought,” Bolton said. “Succumbing to the challenge is not an option. You’re really quickly drawn into a duel. I guess that’s the way you find out what you’re made of.” Bolton is remaining resolute and choosing to focus on hope rather than his prognosis, while emphasizing the importance of making the most out of life and being a cheerleader for oneself in challenging situations. (People)

In a new interview with Variety for her Power of Women Nashville cover story, Kelsea Ballerini recalled the challenge of establishing her own identity separate from her idol, Taylor Swift, in order to make a mark in the music industry. She recalls an interaction with a record label executive who dismissed her early on by saying, “There’s already a Taylor Swift.” The country star now admits that “he was right,” while adding, “There weren’t a lot of young female singer-songwriter girls in country music to look up to. I had to grow into my own identity as an artist and a songwriter and learn to differentiate myself.” The Tennessee native released her debut EP in 2014, which earned the singer her first Billboard Hot 100 entry with “Love Me Like You Mean It,”, while even receiving recognition from her idol, with Swift tweeting in 2015, “Driving around with the @KelseaBallerini EP on repeat.. SO lovely:)” (Billboard)