Calgary has its sights set on becoming Canada’s next major music hub.

That’s the ambition Alberta Premier Danielle Smith laid out following a recent trip to Nashville, where she met with Tennessee chamber of commerce and tourism industry leaders to learn more about the growth of Music City. Smith sees Nashville as a model Calgary could follow, arguing that the foundations that helped turn the Tennessee city into a music powerhouse already exist at home.

“There are a number of changes that they made 25 years ago in order to become what they are today,” Smith said in a recent news conference. “I want to find out a little bit about what that is and see if we can develop some excellent partnerships with the music industry so that we can do a transfer of talent and transfer of expertise.”

Calgary’s music industry continues to grow yearly with major events like the Calgary Stampede and Cowboys Music Festival, which draw around 1.4 million and 165,000 fans respectively, and Smith believes that its estimated $2.3 billion value can reach Nashville’s own $28.3 billion impact by taking the right steps.

Calgary is already scaling its musical infrastructure, notably with the addition of Scotia Place, a new arena and home for the Calgary Flames, which is currently being built and set to open in fall 2027, and will also host concerts. The province is also looking to expand on existing infrastructure, with Stampede Park aiming to become a year-round entertainment destination as part of its 20-year plan, which aligns with the premier’s vision for the province.

Read more here. — Stefano Rebuli

The Beaches Score Their First Gold-Certified Single in the U.S. With ‘Blame Brett’: ‘Beyond Humbled’

The Beaches have secured their first-ever gold-certified single in the U.S.

The Toronto rock act’s song “Blame Brett” received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). While the 2023 track officially went gold back in April this year, it wasn’t until over the weekend that the band — comprised of sisters Jordan and Kylie Miller, Leandra Earl and Eliza Enman-McDaniel — shared the news on social media.

“Thank you everyone, we’ll forever be blaming Brett,” read the caption, accompanied by a video of Earl holding up the band’s RIAA plaque.

Released on their sophomore album, 2023’s Blame My Ex, “Blame Brett” has served as a breakthrough moment for the band. The punchy breakup song became a fan favourite and evidently reached listeners beyond their home country.

Much of its success is credited to a viral moment on TikTok, which helped the group land some major radio placements in the U.S.— their first charting song in the country.

On the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, it reached No. 27, remaining on the ranking for 20 weeks, while it peaked at No. 17 on the Alternative Airplay chart, spending 23 weeks there. On Pop Airplay, “Blame Brett” reached No. 33 with 10 weeks on the chart. Over three years later, the track is reaching another major music industry milestone.

Not to mention, its success brought The Beaches to bigger venues and higher placements on festival lineups.

Read more here. — Stefano Rebuli

Vancouver’s Reliant Music Signs Global Distribution Deal With Warner Music Group’s ADA Benelux

Vancouver-based A&R and song management company Reliant Music has embarked on a global partnership with ADA Benelux, the Western Europe distribution and artist services initiative of Warner Music Group.

Known for producing dance music tracks Reliant’s global distribution deal will focus on expanding its international presence in a region where the genre is quite popular.

ADA Benelux is WMG’s independent distribution division for the Benelux region, including Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg — the major music label expanded into the Western European market in 2020.

Recently, Reliant has worked with major acts like Armin van Buuren, Timmy Trumpet, Hardwell, Nicky Romero and Fedde Le Grand, among others.

Founded in 2012, Reliant creates “fire toplines for global DJs and electronic music artists,” per their website. Headquartered on the Canadian west coast, the company has a second office in Toronto, and A&R is led by John Dexter and Adrian Lock across North America. To foster local growth, the company newly opened a creative hub at Vancouver’s Armoury Studios.

Nearly a decade after its launch, Reliant expanded to Europe in 2021, hiring Mischa Daniëls, who leads A&R in Europe. Currently, they have two Europeans offices in Amsterdam and Berlin.

Read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

After a very controversial 12-13 win in the very last second of the home opener against the Western Michigan Broncos, Michigan tries to grow in the ranks of NCAA College Football. The team’s new challenge is against a dominate Oklahoma team that completely decimated the University of Texas at El Paso with a final score of 0-51 in the Sooners’ home opening game

For week two of the season, the No. 11-ranked Oklahoma Sooners (1-0) takes on the unranked Michigan Wolverines (1-0) at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

How to Watch Oklahoma Sooners vs. Michigan Wolverine Online, at a Glance:

When Does Oklahoma Sooners vs. Michigan Wolverine Start?

Oklahoma vs. Michigan broadcasts on Saturday (Sept. 12) with kickoff at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT. The college football game airs live on FOX.

Who Is Performing During Oklahoma Sooners vs. Michigan Wolverine?

Since it’s a college football game, the halftime show won’t feature a popular recording artist. But, it features both schools’ marching bands performing for attendees and viewers watching at home.

However, there may be a few celebrity sightings at the game. Michigan celebrity fans and alumni who attended past games, like Tom Brady, Eminem, Dave Portnoy, Michael Phelps and others.

Where to Watch Oklahoma Sooners vs. Michigan Wolverine Online for Free

For cord-cutters, there are a few ways to watch the college football game, if you don’t have cable, especially if you want to watch for free. DirecTV has a five-day free trial, while other streaming services, such as Fubo and Hulu + Live TV, also offer free trials, so you can watch for free.

For the Oklahoma-Michigan game, a subscription to DirecTV gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, including FOX, at $59.99 for the first month of service ($89.99 per month afterward). The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now. It comes with access to ESPN Unlimited too for even more access to college football games.

Sling TV offers the Blue plan, which comes with FOX for the Oklahoma-Michigan game. With more than 40 channels, the streaming plan goes for $54.99 per month. For games on ACC Network, Big Ten Network and SEC Network, you’d have to add Sling Sports Extra starting at an additional $11 per month. All plans come with a free cloud DVR and an extra 600 or so free channels too. Please note: Pricing and channel availability vary from market-to-market.

Fubo starts at $63.99 for the first month ($88.99 per month afterward) with more than 230 channels, including local and cable, like FOX for the Oklahoma-Michigan game, that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers. And with a five-day free trial, you can watch for free, if you act fast and sign up now.

The broadcast network FOX for the Oklahoma-Michigan game is available to watch with Hulu + Live TV. Prices for the cable alternative start at $89.99 per month for more than 100 live channels, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited at no additional cost. Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one package.

With prices starting at $19.99 per month, FOX One is your one-stop app for everything FOX has to offer, including streaming access to NCAA College Football games on FOX, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network. It also includes FOX News, FOX Business, FOX Nation, FOX Weather, FOX Deportes and your local FOX broadcasting affiliate.

Prime Video has a three-day free trial available for Amazon Prime members, so you watch FOX One as an add-on to Amazon’s streaming service. Learn more about Prime Video and FOX One here.

Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video, Prime Gaming and Amazon Photos; fast free shipping in less than two days with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market; access to exclusive shopping events and deals — such as Black Friday in November — and other perks. Learn more about Amazon Prime and its benefits here.

Starting on Saturday (Sept. 12), the Oklahoma vs. Michigan game broadcasts on FOX. One of the best ways to watch live is with DirecTV.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Darryl Worley drove the backroads in Tennessee on his way home and was impressed at the public outpouring.

Just hours after terrorists flew into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a substantial number of flags and other outdoor expressions of patriotism were already on display at numerous houses. America’s unification didn’t last long; fifteen months later, as he returned from performing for American soldiers in the Middle East, he drove the same streets. The flags were mostly gone, and so — he lamented — was the unification. A few weeks later, he co-wrote “Have You Forgotten?” with Wynn Varble (“Waitin’ on a Woman,” “A Little More Country Than That”), crafting one of the handful of country hits that documented the nation’s attitudes about the attack and the wars that were launched in retaliation.

As Americans observe the 25th anniversary of that September day, Worley has released a new recording of the song. It sounds, intentionally, quite similar to the original version, though it has a different feeling, because the nation itself feels different. The central question of “Have You Forgotten?” has an easy answer for anyone who saw the twin towers fall on TV or heard live newscasts about the heroism of the passengers on Flight 93, the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.

“I don’t think anyone’s forgotten,” says Will Kaufman, author of the forthcoming book American Song and Struggle from World War II to MAGA: A Cultural History (Nov. 19, Cambridge University Press).

True. But a whole generation of emerging creatives and executive staff in the early stages of their careers in music have heard the stories — and many of the songs — but don’t actually remember. They were too young to have experienced it or hadn’t yet been born. Their world is a different place than the one their parents experienced, in part because of 9/11, and adults are left to explain how the wars in the Middle East affected the kids’ lives. It’s the renewal of a regrettable tradition that most age groups unfortunately inherit. Baby boomers, for example, similarly heard tales from their parents about how World War II had shaped the culture into which they were born.

“I think about it all the time,” Worley says. The 9/11 attacks, he notes, “must feel to [kids] like Pearl Harbor did to us.”

One major way in which 9/11 influenced the culture came with country music’s reaction. A bundle of songs reflected the attitudes about war and patriotism that followed the attack. Among them: Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” and “American Soldier,” Aaron Tippin’s “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly,” Brooks & Dunn’s “Only in America,” Lonestar’s “I’m Already There,” David Ball’s “Riding with Private Malone,” Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.,” The Chicks’ “Travelin’ Soldier” and Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).”

That happens with most wars. World War II inspired such country songs as Elton Britt’s “There’s a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere,” Red Foley’s “Smoke on the Water,” Gene Autry’s “At Mail Call Today,” Bob Wills’ “Stars and Stripes on Iwa Jima” and Carson Robison’s “Mussolini’s Letter to Hitler.”

The genre likewise scored a few successful singles related to the Korean War and cranked out a bundle during the Vietnam War — such as Sgt. Barry Sadler’s “The Ballad of the Green Berets” and Johnny Wright’s “Hello Vietnam” — until the public mood turned sour. At that point, Johnny Cash’s “What is Truth” gave credence to young people’s opposition, and pro-war fare mostly dried up.

The 9/11 songs have inarguably held up better than country’s previous war songs. Some of these songs can still be heard on classic country stations 25 years after the terrorist attacks. By comparison, the World War II titles weren’t in circulation much 25 years after Pearl Harbor.

“There’s a good reason for that,” Kaufman maintains. “World War II eventually ended.”

The wars in Iran and Afghanistan, he explains, dragged on, and they can be considered continuations of the early-90s War in the Gulf, which was built on leftover antagonisms from the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979 and ’80. The president has on numerous occasions connected the current faceoff to 1979, thus many of the war songs that worked in those earlier eras still have similar meanings in 2026. The songs typically convey some level of patriotism, and, Kaufman suggests, that makes them useful to the American psyche. And to forces who might want to influence that psyche.

“I think these songs are so popular,” he says, “because they’re part of the arsenal.”

That’s not necessarily why they’re created. Worley wanted “Have You Forgotten?” to unify people — to make them remember that the country’s enemies are hostile players from other shores, not the members of a rival political party.

Having seen the men and women on the front lines who risk their lives and sacrifice time with their families, he valued the sense of service that motivated them.

“Being in the war zone and spending that time with the troops was very, very motivating as far as coming home, wanting to do something that would honor them,” he says.

Worley maintains his own sense of service with “Have You Forgotten?” He was scheduled to perform it Sept. 10 during a commemorative event at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and again on Sept. 11 during a memorial in New York City.

Still, support for the people who do the grunt work of wars doesn’t necessarily equate to support for the war itself. Public support for a war, it could be argued, correlates with the volume of country music’s commercially successful songs about it. If any country songs have been written to back the current campaign in Iran, they haven’t caught on commercially. Polls suggest the public is not behind it. The war certainly hasn’t inspired Worley.

“The whole thing is bothersome,” he says. “It’s bothersome that it can’t be what we thought it was going to be: over and done with. I just feel like it’s taken on the similarities of other conflicts we’ve gotten into, that could drag on for who knows how long.”

Younger creatives may not be writing new material about the Strait of Hormuz, but those who were alive during 9/11, and old enough to be aware of it, have not forgotten that war. They are, in fact, acutely aware of the ways it affected their generation.

“The global war on terror was obviously ongoing for a long time,” says songwriter Andy Sheridan (“Gonna Love You,” “Indigo”), who was in eighth grade in 2001. “I had friends that joined the Army after they graduated high school. They went and served in the military, and then came back and were not the same. So it is personal. This is a dark thing that happened in our history, and obviously the ripples of war stretch out far, far, far beyond the initial event.”

Sheridan, who is a history buff, has a 12-year-old son, and is trying to make him aware of the facts around 9/11, though he is reticent to influence his son’s beliefs.

“He’ll form his own opinions about it at some point when he’s older, when he maybe understands a little bit more of the world,” Sheridan says.

Country’s war-on-terror songs might help that understanding better than some of the genre’s predecessors because of the way that they were written. Focused mostly on loss of life, loss of innocence and family separation, the 9/11-era songs are typically less jingoistic than those from previous eras’ wars. Instead of grabbing their narratives from headlines, even the pro-military titles — including “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” and “Have You Forgotten?” — were crafted around first-hand experiences with soldiers.

The songwriters, one might suggest, learned from the earlier battles. Some politicians, unfortunately, have not. The ICE incarcerations and anti-Muslim rhetoric of 2026 are the same sort of atrocities, Kaufman notes, as World War II’s “yellow peril,” in which Asian-Americans were rounded up and incarcerated. Polls show Americans generally agree that that was wrong.

“I don’t think these things can be can be disconnected,” Kaufman says.

“Have You Forgotten?” reminds the nation indirectly that its military should be deployed wisely, risking soldiers’ lives only when the sacrifice makes sense. But a new live version of Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” re-released in conjunction with the 25th anniversary, addresses all of war’s suffering by referencing a Biblical passage: “Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us/And the greatest is love.”

That, too, is worth remembering in every generation.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

After earning nine 2026 CMA Awards nominations, including for entertainer of the year, single of the year, album of the year and others, Ella Langley is one of the hottest voices in country music. Right now, the singer/songwriter is on The Dandelion Tour, which heads across the United States with dates in Charleston, Knoxville, Tulsa, Los Angeles and other cities. It ends at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, MN on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Meanwhile, the tour is in support of her latest album, Dandelion, which was released in April. Additionally, there’s a rotating lineup of recording artists who are set to support, including ERNEST, Gabriella Rose, Kameron Marlowe and Laci Kaye Booth.

Tickets to the tour first went on sale through Live Nation and Ticketmaster, while the retailer’s Face Value Exchange program is an option for fans to resell tickets.

However, many of the dates have either sold out, or are very close to selling out, so one of the best ways to find last-minute Ella Langley tickets online is through third-party sites, such as StubHub, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, TicketNetwork, Gametime, Event Tickets Center and others. All online retailers guarantee authentic tickets in time for your concert. Prices may be above or below face value at times.

Where to Find Ella Langley The Dandelion Tour 2026 Tickets Online

StubHub has all-in pricing, so all fees are listed upfront. The site’s “FanProtect Guarantee” ensures that tickets are valid and delivered in time for the concert. If not, you’ll get your money back. Additionally, if the concert is canceled and not rescheduled, you’ll receive 120% credit, or be offered a full refund without the extra credit. At the time of publishing, Ella Langley tickets start at $98.

Vivid Seats lets you search by type of seat, such as suite, standing room, front of section or the VIP section, while the retailer prioritizes “Super Sellers” who are “experienced, highly-rated sellers.” With Vivid Seats, your purchase is protected with the company’s “100% Buyer Guarantee,” which ensures that you receive legitimate tickets in time for your concert, or your money back.

Meanwhile, you can save an additional 10% off your first purchase when you sign up for the company’s email list. As a bonus, you can use our exclusive promo code BB30 to take $30 off your first purchase. And as of this publication date, tickets start at $95.

Tickets are delivered digitally via email, so they’re available on your phone before you go through security. And prices are surprisingly reasonable, even for the hottest tickets. For example, SeatGeek has cheap Ella Langley tickets online from $97. Use our discount code BILLBOARD10 to save an additional $10 at checkout.

Don’t forget TicketNetwork. The retailer has ticket packages, which include parking passes, VIP access, meet and greets and other great experiences. It has tickets to Ella Langley’s concerts with all-in pricing that lets you see exactly what you’ll pay up front (fees included). Tickets start at $105, as of this writing. You can use our exclusive code BILLBOARD150 to save $150 off purchases over $500, or BILLBOARD300 to save $300 off orders of $1000 and up.

And since TicketNetwork is a resale site, the company says that pricing may sometimes be below face value because tickets aren’t held to a specific price point. It guarantees that the tickets you receive are the ones you purchased, and sometimes, even better than expected.

Gametime is a stellar third-party retailer for fans looking for affordable tickets. Tickets for in-demand concerts like Ella Langley start at $100. It guarantees the lowest prices, event cancellation protection and on-time ticket delivery for a smooth ticket buying experience.

Ella Langley 2026 The Dandelion Tour Dates

UPDATE (Sept. 11): Iconic Vanguard Performances, the first of two primetime specials leading up to the 2026 MTV VMAs, is set to air on Sunday, Sept. 13 (9:30 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. PT) on CBS, and streaming on Paramount+ (Premium). Hosted by Donnie Wahlberg, the special celebrates the artists who have received the Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs, from David Bowie, The Beatles and film director Richard Lester (the first recipients in 1984) to Mariah Carey (who received the honor in 2025).

Watch the exclusive clip above.

PREVIOUSLY (Sept. 3): CBS will air two new primetime specials to build anticipation for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, which the network is carrying for the second year in a row. Donnie Wahlberg will host Best of VMAs: Iconic Vanguard Performances on Sunday, Sept. 13. Former MTV VJ Vanessa Lachey will host Best of VMAs: Unforgettable Moments on Sunday, Sept. 20.

Both specials seem sure to include Madonna, who is the leading nominee for the 2026 VMAs, with 11 nods.

Best of VMAs: Iconic Vanguard Performances airs Sunday, Sept. 13 (9:30 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT) on CBS, streaming on Paramount+ (Premium). The special celebrates trailblazers who redefined the visual landscape of music. The Video Vanguard honorees’ performances stand as some of the most iconic, career-defining moments in MTV history.

The Vanguard Award, sometimes known as the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, has been presented since 1984, but it has been given more time and attention on the telecast in recent years. Since 2013, recipients have been invited to perform a medley of songs leading up to their acceptance speech. The recipients in time span, who will presumably make up the bulk of the special, are Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Ye (formerly Kanye West), Rihanna, Pink, Jennifer Lopez, Missy Elliott, Nicki Minaj, Shakira, Katy Perry and Mariah Carey. 

Best of VMAs: Unforgettable Moments airs Sunday, Sept. 20 (9 p.m. ET/PT) on CBS, streaming on Paramount+ (Premium). This will be a retrospective of the most unpredictable VMAs moments — from bold fashion choices and game-changing collaborations to performances that transformed rising stars to celebrated icons. The best example of that may be Madonna, whose jaw-dropping performance of “Like a Virgin” on the very first VMAs in September 1984 stole the show and set her on her path to becoming an icon.

“VMA Countdown” specials are produced by Gunpowder & Sky. Van Toffler serves as producer. Alex Castino serves as executive producer alongside Barry Barclay and Floris Bauer. Rebecca Terán serves as senior producer.

The 2026 VMAs on Sept. 27 are also produced by Gunpowder & Sky. Toffler serves as producer for the second year in a row. Jesse Ignjatovic of Den of Thieves, Barbara Bialkowski and Bruce Gillmer serve as executive producers, alongside Barry Barclay and Floris Bauer. Melanie Block serves as co-executive producer and Gary Lanvy as co-producer.

The 2026 VMAs air live coast-to-coast from the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 27 (7:30-9:30 p.m., ET/4:30-6:30 p.m., PT) on CBS, simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+ (Premium) in the U.S. The show will also be available globally the next day on Paramount+ and MTV.

Goldenvoice’s inaugural Ocean Way festival in California has been canceled.

With just two weeks until the festival on the beach, the Los Angeles Times was the first to report that ticketholders were sent messages from ticketing service AXS that the event was canceled “due to the impacts of Hurricane Marie.”

The message explains that “storm surf and runoff has caused significant beach erosion and the festival can no longer be safely held as planned.” The hurricane swept through Southern California earlier this week, causing extensive damage and erosion to coastal areas.

“We were so excited to spend a weekend together on The Beach, but can share that plans are already underway to bring the festival to Santa Monica in 2027!” organizers wrote on social media.

The debut Ocean Way festival was set to take place Sept. 26-27 on the beach in Santa Monica, California, with headliners The Killers, Olivia Dean, Jack White and Khruangbin. Southern California favorites Sublime and Durand Jones and the Indications were also set to perform at the festival put on by the same promoters as Coachella and Stagecoach. Alvvays, SG Lewis, 54 Ultra, Hiatus Kaiyote, BLOND:ISH, Poolside and a Hot Chip DJ set were also listed on the lineup that was announced in July.

“Santa Monica has an incredible music history, and Goldenvoice has been fortunate to be part of that story. From legendary shows at the Civic Auditorium to the origins of Ocean Way Recording just steps from the beach, there’s a creative legacy here that’s unlike anywhere else,” said Goldenvoice VP of regional festivals Nic Adler in a statement back in July. “Ocean Way Festival is our opportunity to celebrate that history while building something that feels authentically Santa Monica for years to come.”

The message from AXS says fans will be refunded for the price of their tickets that ranged from single day four packs for $189 to premium weekend passes for more than $700. Organizers state refunds will be delivered in a few business days.

Whether you’re on the Westside like Jhené Aiko or in Rome like Dove Cameron — or perhaps somewhere on the road like Eric Church — this week’s batch of new music releases has something for everyone.

Aiko kicks things off with her first album in six years, Westside Whimsy, which features an impressive 20 tracks as well as big-name collaborators such as Kendrick Lamar and Tyga. Meanwhile, Cameron is just getting started in terms of introducing fans to a new album era, dropping “When in Rome” — a lovey-dovey ode to fiancé Damiano David of Måneskin — as the lead single ahead of her debut full-length coming this year.

Also new this week is Church’s new single, “On the Road,” a reflective look back at his experiences on tour that helps chauffeur even more fresh tracks from the likes of Slayyyter — who keeps the momentum of her ascendant star’s rise going with grunge-pop single “Crank 2” — and the Jack Antonoff-led Bleachers, which unveils its Practical Magic 2 track “Caught Myself Believing” amid a five-night stint at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. Plus, Rachel Chinouriri, Rema, Cage the Elephant, Shygirl, Wampi, Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter are out with new tracks, while LAGOS drops 11-track LP Las Cosas Que Solo Se Hacen En La Noche and Bonobo returns with Distance in Static.

There’s a lot to get through, but after taking a listen through the week’s finds, Billboard wants you to declare which new music release is best. Tell us your favorite by casting your vote in the poll below.