Zach Bryan is opening up about his sobriety journey in a new interview with Matthew McConaughey.

The 30-year-old country star sat down with the Oscar-winning actor for a two-hour conversation, reflecting on his relationship with alcohol and the experience that ultimately led him to quit drinking.

“I always thought sobriety was a joke because it’s people who couldn’t control themselves celebrating not being able to control themselves,” Bryan told McConaughey. “When I was drinking a lot, I thought, ‘Why can’t you control yourself?’ I never realized I had a problem.”

The interview arrives following the release of Bryan’s new eight-song EP, Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs, which dropped Friday (Oct. 16) through Warner Records.

In the conversation, uploaded to Bryan’s YouTube channel Friday, the singer-songwriter recounted a month-long motorcycle trip he planned to take with friends from New York City to Los Angeles. When his friends couldn’t make it, he decided to hit the road alone.

“One night I was drinking at the Grisly, this bar in the West Village and I was like, ‘I’m leaving tomorrow’ … I wake up, get on my motorcycle and I stayed at all these national parks,” Bryan said.

Although the trip included memorable experiences, such as dining with veterans and skydiving from vintage planes, Bryan said he spent much of his time drinking at local bars.

“I was stopping at all these bars and drinking myself to sleep,” the musician said. “Waking up every morning, getting on my motorcycle thinking I was on some sort of soul journey.”

The trip took a turn when Bryan arrived in Seattle. After weeks on the road, he found himself sitting outside a truck stop with a beer, questioning what the experience had actually given him.

“After all this beautiful scenery, all these nights, all these bars I’ve been to, all this s—t that I’ve done, I was at this Pilot truck stop right outside of Seattle. I’ll never forget this for as long as I live,” he said. “I go into this Pilot and I grab a 40 Budweiser and I’m sitting on the curb with my motorcycle in front of me. I’m drinking [the beer] and I’m thinking ‘What the hell was all that worth? Why did I do any of that? I feel emptier than when I left.’”

Bryan said he felt he had “wasted 30 days” chasing a defining moment, prompting him to confront his drinking habits.

“It was just me in a f—king truck stop parking lot. And that’s when I said, ‘Why am I drinking right now? What am I celebrating?’ That’s when I kind of looked in the mirror,” he said. “I’m not the f—king sober type either.”

Despite once believing sobriety wasn’t for him, Bryan said giving up alcohol has left him happier and more creatively fulfilled.

“Quitting drinking has been really great. I’ve had a lot of fun,” he said. “I enjoy writing again, I haven’t felt [like this] since I was 17. I feel like a kid again. I wake up and I’m ready to go, I want to jump in the pond. I want to play with the dog. I want to do everything.”

Bryan’s Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs features collaborations with Lana Del Rey (“Lies”) and Turnpike Troubadours (“Plainsman”), along with tracks including “Robot Killed the Working Man” and “Backwards.” The EP marks his first new music since his sixth studio album, With Heaven On Top, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in January.

Watch Bryan’s full interview with McConaughey below.

Bette Midler sang her updated version of Woody Guthrie’s 1940s protest classic “All You Fascists (Bound to Lose)” as she accepted the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Friday (Oct. 16). Just so no one missed the message, she wore a T-shirt embossed with the blunt song title.

“Justice doesn’t always come from the courthouse,” Midler said in accepting the award. “Sometimes the law is late, overdressed, and on the wrong side. Justice comes from a beat-up guitar instead… So, when I wanted to say something about what I was seeing going on today, I took his [Woody’s] song, and I put new words in its mouth, because the old fights came back in new suits. They always do.”

She continued, “Thank you for accepting me, and for letting me rewrite the song, that became my small contribution to the Resistance. We’re having a knife fight in a phone booth. These are hard and terrible times. A war is being waged against us, and we are all being drafted. Whether the letter arrives or not. Thank you for noticing that I showed up for duty.”

Midler released her spirited version of Guthrie’s song on YouTube in April, accompanied by this message: “You know I’ve been around a long time, but I have never lived through what we are living through now. The great Woody Guthrie wrote this song many years ago. I changed some of the words to fit our times, and I hope you’ll sing it when you are marching. Because sometimes people, sometimes you just gotta SING OUT!”

Midler had teamed with Eric Kornfeld to write her derivative of Guthrie’s protest classic. She also executive produced the video, which was directed by Toni Basil and Seanne Farmer. The video featured cameos by such celebrities as Barbara Hershey, Midler’s co-star in Beaches, and David Hyde Pierce, her co-star in the Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!

“She [Midler] woke up our neighborhood this year with her powerful rendition of ‘All You Fascists (Bound To Lose),’” Guthrie’s granddaughter, Anna Canoni, said at the event. “She brought Woody back to the fight, back to the protest, the rallies, the ongoing struggle for democracy, and humanity. We are absolutely honored that she has joined our remarkable community of artists who have also carried Woody’s words and music to the fight.”

Cady Shaw, senior director of the Woody Guthrie Center (which hosts the annual award presentation), added: “Because beneath the glamour, the spectacular voice, and that sharp sense of humor is a woman who understands something Woody knew all along. That we all have a responsibility to leave this world a little better than we found it. And that is precisely what the Woody Guthrie Prize celebrates. It recognizes artists whose contributions extend far beyond their creative achievements, individuals who have demonstrated the courage to speak up, and the determination to turn their convictions into meaningful action. Bette Midler embodies that spirit beautifully.”

Preceding the presentation, Midler was interviewed onstage by music journalist Rona Elliot.

A silent auction featured a signed ukulele from Midler’s personal collection, along with other items from her archive; a signed lithograph by Bob Dylan; rare prints of Dylan and related artists; a premium ticket package from the Oklahoma City Thunder; and tickets to one of Garth Brooks’ upcoming Tulsa shows.

Rising country artist Bryan Andrews performed a selection of original songs including “Yeehaw,” as well as leading an audience sing-along of Guthrie’s most famous song, “This Land Is Your Land.”

The event served as a fundraiser to support the center’s educational programs, public concerts, and exhibitions. 

The Woody Guthrie Prize seeks to recognize artists who reflect Guthrie’s belief that music can be a force for social justice and change. Guthrie died in 1967 at age 55.

Midler, 80, has won three Grammys, three Primetime Emmys and a Tony (plus a non-competitive Tony). She has received two Oscar nominations. She would likely have received the Kennedy Center Honors by now, but President Trump has said that he struck potential honorees who were, in his words, “too woke.”

Here’s a complete list of recipients of the Woody Guthrie Prize:

Iron Maiden will return to North America in 2027 for the third and final leg of its Run for Your Lives tour.

The heavy metal legends announced the 2027 dates Friday (Oct. 16), extending their 50th-anniversary trek after previously planning to take a break from live performances next year.

“As many of our fans know, Maiden were planning on taking a break from live performances in 2027,” Maiden bassist Steve Harris said in a statement. “But we’ve been enjoying this last leg in the USA and Canada so much that we all had a chat and decided we should take the show to parts we missed, particularly the North West and South East. It just seems fair to our many fans there who have given us tremendous support for so many years.”

The Live Nation-promoted tour begins April 14, 2027, at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, and concludes May 11, 2027, at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York.

Bullet For My Valentine and The Raven Age will join the trek as special guests, marking the first time since 1983 that Iron Maiden has toured with two other British bands on the bill.

After the North American run, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees will perform at two U.S. music festivals: Sonic Temple in Columbus, Ohio, on May 14 and Boardwalk Rock in Ocean City, Maryland, on May 16.

The 2027 dates “will definitely be the last” of Maiden’s Run for Your Lives tour, according to a press release. The trek will have played 107 shows by the time it concludes.

“We can’t get everywhere but we can try!” Harris continued in his statement. “Also, we have always enjoyed playing the many great festivals that are in Europe and wanted to experience a couple more in the USA which we will do at the end of the tour in Columbus and Maryland. At festivals you are not just playing to your own fans so it’s always a challenge and we all love a challenge!”

Tickets go on sale to the general public Oct. 23, following an artist presale beginning Monday (Oct. 19). Additional presales will take place throughout the week.

See Iron Maiden’s Run for Your Lives North American tour dates below:

April 14: Tacoma Dome (Tacoma, Wash.)
April 16: Rogers Arena (Vancouver, British Columbia)
April 18: Moda Center (Portland, Ore.)
April 20: Toyota Amphitheatre (Wheatland, Calif.)
April 22: North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre (Chula Vista, Calif.)
April 24: Glen Helen Amphitheater (San Bernardino, Calif.)
April 26: Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre (Phoenix)
April 28: Dos Equis Pavilion (Dallas)

May 1: Benchmark International Arena (Tampa, Fla.)
May 2: iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
May 5: Lakewood Amphitheatre (Atlanta)
May 7: Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek (Raleigh, N.C.)
May 9: The Meadows Music Theatre (Hartford, Conn.)
May 11: UBS Arena (Belmont Park, N.Y.)

From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

Becky G Opens Up About Identity and Mental Health at Project Healthy Minds Event

Becky G brought Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Festival to a powerful close on Saturday (Oct. 10) in New York with an intimate conversation on identity, creativity and mental health. Moderated by NBC News correspondent Morgan Radford, the panel gave the Mexican American star space to reflect on growing up in the public eye, protecting her peace and learning to tell her story on her own terms.

“The whole concept of being a role model is to model this idea of perfection, and I don’t think that is real at all,” Becky G said. “Instead of being a role model, I’ve always felt the responsibility to be a real model, which means I’m not going to have all the answers. I’m not going to get it right every single time.”

She also spoke candidly about therapy, family and her healing journey, saying: “I had to become the person that I needed most, and that’s when Becky G came to be.” The conversation arrives just days before she is scheduled to join Billboard’s Latin Music Week for a Superstar Q&A this Wednesday (Oct. 21).

BMI Creates Space for Women Songwriters in Música Mexicana

“Música mexicana has historically been a male-dominated field, making it more important than ever to champion the women creatives who are shaping its future,” said Lilibeth Patron, BMI’s associate director of creative for Latin, in a statement. “Las Compositoras+ is about fostering community and creating space for connection and collaboration.”

Led by singer-songwriter Erika Vidrio, the camp began at the Fender offices before moving to a Bel Air house, where the participants spent several days developing new music together. Held in Los Angeles earlier this month and announced Sept. 30, the four-day retreat brought together Damaris Bojor, Lorena Cabral, Tania Dominguez, Poe Leos, MXKA, Marián Oviedo, Jacqie Rivera and Adriana Ríos to collaborate and write new songs for potential placements.

Lin-Manuel Miranda to Receive iHeartRadio’s Corazón Latino Award

Lin-Manuel Miranda will receive the 2026 iHeartRadio Corazón Latino Award during iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina on Saturday (Oct. 17) at Miami’s Kaseya Center. Hosted by Enrique Santos and Dayanara Torres, the concert event will feature performances by Anuel AA, Myke Towers, Farruko, Manuel Turizo, Eladio Carrión, FloyyMenor, Greeicy, Alleh and Rey Tony y Helabusador “Los Titi.”

The award recognizes Miranda’s lasting contributions to Latin music and culture, while the event will also bring together artists and presenters from across entertainment. A free kickoff party will take place Oct. 15 at Miami Design District, featuring Tony Succar’s “Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson” with special guests including Anthony Ramos, Leslie Grace and Howie D of the Backstreet Boys. The main event will broadcast across iHeartRadio’s Latin stations nationwide.

Latin Recording Academy Announces 2026 Leading Ladies of Entertainment

The Latin Recording Academy announced its 2026 Leading Ladies of Entertainment honorees on Oct. 6, recognizing four women whose work has shaped Latin music and the broader entertainment industry: María Fernández, Sandra Jiménez, Salomé Limón and María Rosa García “Niña Pastori.”

The 10th anniversary class represents executive leadership, digital innovation, music production and artistry. Fernández is chief operating officer of Sony Music Entertainment Latin Iberia; Jiménez is YouTube’s regional director and head of music for Latin America and U.S. Latin; Limón is a five-time Latin Grammy-winning producer, composer and engineer; and Niña Pastori is a six-time Latin Grammy winner and Grammy nominee.

The honorees will be celebrated during Latin Grammy Week in Las Vegas, with Amazon Music returning as presenting sponsor for the third consecutive year. They will also be invited to mentor the next generation of women through the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation’s Leading Ladies of Entertainment Mentorship Program.