Wearing a Spurs jersey, Texas native Mickey Guyton sang the U.S. national anthem at game five of the 2026 NBA Finals Saturday night (June 13). The game had the San Antonio Spurs in their hometown, playing the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center.

The country singer — a four-time Grammy nominee who’s no stranger to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” having notably performed it at the Super Bowl a few years ago — put her natural twang into a powerful vocal delivery that had her hitting a triumphant high note on “free” in the last line of the national anthem.

Born in Arlington, Texas, Guyton’s personal connection to the national anthem runs deep — it was a mesmerizing performance by a very young LeAnn Rimes at a Texas Rangers game, when both Guyton and Rimes were just kids, that inspired her to pursue a music career. “Our church had drove from Waco to Arlington to see a Texas Rangers game,” she recalled to Billboard in an interview back in 2015. “I’ll never forget it. We were all the way in the nosebleed section, and I wasn’t more than 8 or 9 years old. The announcer came on the PA and said, ‘Here is 10-year-old LeAnn Rimes performing the national anthem.’ I thought, ’10? She’s 10?’ Then, she starts singing, and she sounds like a grown woman. It was so bittersweet because I wanted to do that. I was so envious of her.”

Guyton’s latest album release is her sophomore full-length studio set, 2024’s House on Fire, which was led by the single “Nothing Compares to You” featuring Kane Brown.

She recently performed at the 51st annual Gracies Awards Gala, presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF). The May event, held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., honored actress Andie MacDowell and was hosted by Yvette Nicole Brown.

Watch Guyton’s performance of the national anthem at Saturday’s Spurs vs. Knicks game below.

On the final day (June 13) of an eventful Tribeca Festival, Bono, Patti Smith and Tribeca co-founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal gathered in lower Manhattan to honor Bruce Springsteen with the Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award.

“I’m a little embarrassed to get this award,” Springsteen, who dedicated the award to the people of Minneapolis, Portland and Los Angeles for standing “against the federal invasion of their cities this year,” admitted during a lengthy sit-down conversation with Bono. “I’m just a concerned citizen.”

Much like Springsteen’s recent Land of Hopes & Dreams Tour, the main topic of concern at this Tribeca Storytellers event was the erosion of democracy in America and President Trump’s federal overreach. Prior to the conversation, De Niro and Rosenthal introduced the Boss and explained why he was receiving the award.

“This is a man who knows how to use his voice,” explained the Oscar-winning actor. “He uses it to give voice to the powerless and he uses it to lead the resistance. He is fearless and direct. He knows what the problem is and he names it: Donald Trump. Donald J. Trump and his feckless enablers. That’s so important because this isn’t about reasonable disputes on policy: this is about the corruption and megalomania of one person. Bruce Springsteen puts a face on it, and he does it with the words of a poet.”

Though a peer and a self-professed “fan masquerading as a friend,” Bono asked thoughtful and even tough questions of Springsteen during their chat.

Speaking about a rock star’s ability (or inability) to connect with the working class, which both Bono and Springsteen came from, the U2 frontman said, “I fear sometimes we on the left lost a little bit of it and that the accusations of elitism that are out there for people like me are not inaccurate.”

“Has it cost you?” Bono asked Springsteen. “Do you feel torn at all thinking there’s people in this town that used to come see my shows who don’t now? Or have you made peace with that?”

“I’m not sure,” Springsteen candidly answered. “You have to do two things. There’s the classic folk song, “Which Side Are You On?”: you have to make your stand and follow your beliefs and you have to have the faith in them that they will be explicable and understandable by your fellow citizens. And you have to believe that America is a sacred argument and a compromise.”

Elsewhere in the chat, Springsteen pointed out that no one should have shown up to his recent tour – the most explicitly political one he’s done in a career marked by socio-political concerns – expecting anything different from what they got. “I warned everybody what the tour was gonna be like so they didn’t waste their money before they came,” Springsteen said with a chuckle. “I figured I did my job and it was every man for himself after that.”

Despite his consistent activism, Springsteen chooses his battles carefully. Bono shared that in the past he’s asked the Boss to sign various petitions and has been politely but firmly turned down. Bono recalled asking Springsteen to license his 2007 song “Girls In Their Summer Clothes” for a Gap commercial when Bono joined up with the clothing brand for the (PRODUCT) RED campaign, which raised money to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. Springsteen’s response? No.

“That was a big mistake, too,” Springsteen cut in, seemingly to Bono’s surprise. “I should have said yes.” Explaining it was one of his favorite songs even if it wasn’t a hit, Springsteen admitted, “I should have f–king done it. I have to apologize.”

After standing up and hugging it out, the two welcomed a third Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Patti Smith, to the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center stage. With Tony Shanahan on keys, she performed a soft plea for peace, “Peaceable Kingdom,” which was inspired by Rachel Corrie, who was killed by an Israeli military bulldozer in 2003 while protesting the demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza Strip.

Smith then performed a live favorite of hers, “People Have the Power,” a rousing call-to-activism. Springsteen and Shanahan backed her on acoustic guitar, and though Bono left the stage, Bruce called him back out to contribute backup vocals (which he also did).

Nothing on the advance program promised a live performance from Springsteen, but everyone in the crowd was quietly hoping for a little something (key word: quietly, unlike the extremely vocal fans at Miley Cyrus’ Tribeca Q&A last year who heckled until she sang something, though her event never promised music). Springsteen did, in fact, perform, offering up an utterly mesmerizing solo version of “Land of Hope and Dreams.”

Before leaving the stage amid a standing ovation, Springsteen offered up one more important thought to the New York City audience: “Go Knicks.”

The curtain may have come down for President Donald Trump at the Kennedy Center, but the tarp stays up for now.

Matt Floca, executive director and chief operating officer of the performing arts venue, told a federal court Saturday (June 13) that the institution had complied with an order to remove Trump’s name from the facade. In a filing, Floca said the board of trustees and the center had removed “all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds, including the front portico, that purports to rename the Kennedy Center after President Trump.”

But for onlookers who have gathered on the plaza in front of the center over the past day hoping to witness a dramatic moment symbolizing the limits of Trump’s power, it was virtually impossible to see whether the signage was gone. A tarp hung over the scaffolding constructed for workers to perform that task. It was unclear when the tarp might be removed to reveal the original lettering that had endured for decades: “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”

A reporter was able to peer through a slight opening in the tarp, which was pulled tightly against the wall, and saw that the letters for Trump’s name were no longer affixed to the building.

By the end, the Kennedy Center’s leadership had dug in against a federal judge’s order to erase Trump’s name from the building. Two courts rejected the institution’s last-minute request to keep retain Trump’s name pending an appeal. After severe thunderstorms raked Washington on Friday evening, the Kennedy Center sought one more extension before complying with a noon Saturday deadline.

Those who pushed for the scrubbing of Trump’s name were in a celebratory mood. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex officio member of the board who sued to remove references to the president from the building and the center’s operations, was spotted in the plaza late Friday and Saturday morning. She posted a video to social media that purported to show her performing the “Trump dance” in one of the Kennedy Center’s great halls.

“Today’s victory is the beginning of returning the Kennedy Center to the American people,” Beatty said in a statement. “The rule of law prevailed, and that is worth celebrating.”

Leo Bartholomaus, a recent graduate of Syracuse University who lives in Virginia, said he was walking by the Kennedy Center on Friday afternoon after visiting the National Mall to see events related to this weekend’s UFC match at the White House. He said he was not happy that Trump added his name to the building.

“My grandmother had a big love of the arts,” he said. “I’ve been here to see The Lion King. I wasn’t a fan of Donald Trump putting his name on it. I thought it was better as the Kennedy Center.”

The removal of Trump’s name closes one of the more unusual chapters in the history of the Kennedy Center, which began construction in 1964 and was dedicated to the memory of the slain president, Democrat John F. Kennedy. At what is typically one of the few relatively nonpartisan spaces in Washington, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his second term.

Though he rarely discussed the Kennedy Center during his 2024 campaign, Trump moved quickly to oust the institution’s leadership when he returned to office in January 2025 and replaced it with a board of trustees that named him chairman. His name was quickly added to the building.

While the removal of his name marks a setback for Trump, he is moving forward with plans to reshape the physical landscape of the nation’s capital in ways that have few modern parallels.

He demolished the East Wing of the White House and is building a controversial ballroom in its place. He remodeled the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and plans extensive renovations of a golf course in East Potomac Park, moves that could significantly reduce the public’s access to running and biking paths. He is also moving forward with a triumphal arch that will sit near Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River in Virginia.

Indeed as Trump’s name was being removed from the Kennedy Center, the South Lawn of the White House has been transformed into a venue for a UFC match intended to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence but also coinciding with Trump’s birthday on Sunday.

Back at the Kennedy Center, there are many questions about the institution’s future. The same May court decision that ordered Trump’s name to be removed from the building also blocked a planned two-year closure for renovations that was set to begin next month.

The Kennedy Center’s calendar for the weeks ahead include performances of Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Bluey’s Big Play. Comedian Bill Maher is to be awarded the Mark Twain Award for American Humor during a ceremony on June 28.

But little is scheduled for the stages beyond that and, after substantially reducing staff, it is unclear how quickly the Kennedy Center could build out a robust performance list. Trump, angered by the court’s order to remove his name, has said he would turn the Kennedy Center over to Congress and has suggested it might simply shutter because of public safety concerns.

In its unsuccessful appeal on Friday seeking a pause on the order removing Trump’s name, the Kennedy Center’s leadership argued, in terms that seemed similar to the president’s speech patterns, that the lower court was interfering with needed renovations.

“The District Court is not allowing us to close in order to properly fix up and repair the Building, including potentially life threatening structural damage like beams and parking garage ceilings that are rusted, and in serious danger of falling onto people below,” according to the appeal. “Indeed, total collapse!”

The institution also suggested that the president’s name could return to the building if the Kennedy Center later wins its appeal.

If the court denied the venue’s request for a pause, the Kennedy Center argued it would “be forced to squander time and money — by both removing the signage and then potentially returning it after appeal.”

Back in 2016, former Hot 97 host Ebro Darden challenged Lil Uzi Vert about having longevity in the rap game and believed they could be struggling years down the line.

A decade later, Uzi’s outlasted plenty of his peers and continues to solidify their rockstar status with performances like they had headlining Friday night (June 12) at Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash 2026 in Bridgeview, Illinois.

The Philly native hit the Summer Smash festival main stage outside Seatgeek Stadium around 10:25 p.m. CT and apologized for being tardy. “Sorry I’m late, I had to jump off the jet,” they told the 50,000 fans chanting his name.

The always fashionable Uzi popped out in a white Gucci longsleeve top with the signature green and red stripes across his chest and a backpack to match. He nearly went with the full Gucci manakin, but opted for Prada sneakers and a furry fox tail accessory hanging from his belt. “But you know, Gucci almost to the toe, down to the Prada,” they said of the outfit. “Nowadays Gucci the same thing as Balenciaga.”

Their entrance felt like a WWE wrestler gearing up to enter the ring at WrestleMania, with plenty of fireworks and love from the crowd. Between the damp Jheri curl and Uzi’s jubilant child-like energy, they were moving with the aura of Michael Jackson crossed with the je ne sais quoi of Lil Wayne.

Uzi kicked off the set with an unreleased track before running through “POP,” “444+222” and “Aye.” They channeled back to the nostalgia of early fan-favorites like “Do What I Want” and “Money Longer.” The 30-year-old claimed to hear some requests from the crowd and mixed the poignant “The Way Life Goes” into the set.

At one point, Lil Uzi took note of a fan rocking their spiked hair and pink American flag jacket look from The Pink Tape cover art, and essentially demanded that they come on stage. The fan, who went by Mars, raged with Uzi on stage and was even on a receiving end of a headbutt from the Philadelphia native. It’s like Uzi found their own version of Burberry Erry for a few minutes.

Lil Uzi brought out the styrofoam cup for “XO TOUR Llif3” and poured some out for the homies no longer with us. They gave a shout-out to North West, who was watching nearby, as fans went bar-for-bar with Uzi on the emotional Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit.

This launched into a heater for Uzi, who showed off the dance moves for “Just Wanna Rock” and 2025’s Jersey club-infused “What You Saying,” which reached No. 12 on the Hot 100. They briefly paused the show ahead of “New Patek” when a frustrated Uzi saw a few fans either sitting down or laying on the ground.

“Hold on! Can y’all get y’all a—s up off the floor, please? What the f—k is wrong with y’all? F—k you tryna get your face stepped on? Get up,” he instructed.

With the clock inching past 11, Uzi still wasn’t ready to call it a night. After undergoing a wardrobe change, they launched into Playboi Carti’s “Shoota” and then left fans with the tease of the weekend, a new album on the way, which will be their first since 2024’s Eternal Atake 2.

“Thank y’all so much, Lil Uzi Vert. New album on the way. I gotta get home and take care of my baby monkey,” they explained.

The surprises didn’t stop there. Lil Uzi’s been leaning on their European influences and the set’s outro found Uzi putting on a British accent for a portion of an upcoming song. It seems LUV is trading Philly cheesesteaks for tea and crumpets these days.

Olivia Rodrigo’s newly released You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love is off to a record-breaking start.

The 23-year-old pop star’s third studio album, released Friday (June 12) through Geffen Records, is already shattering streaming records across major platforms.

On Friday, Spotify announced on X that the 13-track set became the most-streamed album in a single day in 2026 so far by a female artist.

The album also set a major milestone on Amazon Music, delivering the platform’s biggest first 24-hour streaming debut globally of any album Amazon Music in 2026, the streaming service revealed through its Instagram Stories on Friday.

You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love arrives three years after Rodrigo’s last full-length release. Her previous album, Guts, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2023.po

The new project follows Rodrigo’s Billions Club Live performance in Barcelona in May. The one-night-only event brought together 1,500 of the singer’s most dedicated Spanish fans at the outdoor venue Teatre Grec. During the set, she performed eight of her nine Spotify Billions Club tracks, alongside fan favorites from her first two albums and her recent single “Drop Dead.” Spotify later released a concert film of the show on May 27.

In late April, Spotify unveiled a list of the most-streamed artists, songs, albums, podcasts and audiobooks in the platform’s history. Rodrigo’s 2021 debut album, Sour, ranked No. 4 among the streaming giant’s most-streamed albums of all time.

Rodrigo is also one of the youngest artists with multiple songs in Spotify’s Billions Club. Sour ranks second among albums with the most tracks surpassing 1 billion streams on the platform, with seven songs reaching the milestone. Only Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti has more, with eight Billions Club entries.

Alanis Morissette, Michael Bublé and others helped kick off the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada.

The star-studded opening ceremony took place Friday (June 12) at Toronto Stadium ahead of team Canada’s tournament opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Alessia Cara launched the festivities with a spirited performance of her 2016 song “Wild Things,” singing from inside a giant gold-outlined soccer ball. The opening number also featured numerous dancers waving flags and carrying artwork inspired by Canadian wildlife.

From there, singer Nora Fatehi, DJ Sanjoy and rapper Vegedream took the stage to perform “Siir,” a track from the official FIFA World Cup 2026 album. Elyanna and Jessie Reyez later teamed up for a performance of another song from the project, “Illuminate.”

Morissette then delivered a stirring rendition of the Canadian national anthem, “O Canada,” while violinist Aleksandar Gajić performed the national anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bublé closed out the ceremony alongside the Sole Power Choir with a rendition of Sam Cooke’s “Bring It on Home to Me.”

“The opening ceremony in Toronto will be a powerful reflection of Canada’s identity and the energy surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2026,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

“Through music, culture and unforgettable performances, we will welcome the world with a celebration that is uniquely Canadian while also connected to a larger story unfolding across Mexico and the United States. It will be a moment of pride, unity and anticipation as Canada takes its place on football’s biggest stage.”

Later on Friday, Katy Perry, LISA, Anitta, Tyla, Rema, Future, Dan + Shay and more headlined the 2026 FIFA World Cup USA Opening Ceremony in Los Angeles.

One day earlier, Shakira and Burna Boy performed their World Cup anthem “Dai Dai” at Estadio Ciudad de México. Maná, J Balvin, Belinda, Danny Ocean, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules and Tyla were also part of the spectacular show.

North West reached a new milestone in her budding music career, delivering her first solo set at a music festival.

On Friday (June 12), the 12-year-old daughter of Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Kim Kardashian took the stage at Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash 2026 in Chicago.

Dressed in a black Balenciaga ensemble, dark sunglasses, spiky jewelry and long blue pigtails, North performed her 2024 collaboration with Ye, “TALKING,” from his album Vultures 1.

The young rapper-producer’s proud parents both celebrated the moment on social media. Ye reposted a clip of the early evening performance on his Instagram Stories.

“The crowd was jumping for North West at Summer Smash when she played ‘TALKING,’” read a caption over a video showing North performing the track for an energized festival crowd.

Kardashian also gave an inside look at Summer Smash 2026, sharing a photo of backstage passes featuring North’s face on her Instagram Stories. The SKIMS founder posted another a clip of her daughter running onto the festival stage, writing over the video, “North West just arrived at her first ever festival performance.”

North’s debut solo music festival performance arrives on the heels of her debut EP, N0rth4evr, which dropped in early May.

She previously tested the waters in music and made waves appearing on Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures, as well as FKA twigs’ EUSEXUA album. North released her “Piercing on My Hand” single in February and also made an appearance at Ye’s SoFi Stadium shows in Los Angeles in April.

Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash 2026 features Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti and Baby Keem as headliners for the three-night event. The festival runs June 12–14 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois.