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Lewis Capaldi is already thinking about his next album. The Scottish singer-songwriter closed out TRNSMT Festival in Glasgow on Sunday night (June 21), using the headlining moment to tell fans that more music is on the way.

Capaldi told the crowd that after his remaining summer shows, he plans to step away from the road again to focus on writing. “After this summer,” he said, “I’m gonna go away for a bit and make an album.”

The update came during an emotional set at Glasgow Green, where Capaldi also spoke candidly about the difficult period that followed his last TRNSMT appearance in 2022. The singer released his second album, Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent, the following year, but later stepped back from touring and public performance after struggling with his mental and physical health.

“My mental health took a beating,” Capaldi told the TRNSMT crowd, adding that he is now “back” and “feeling better.”

Capaldi’s return has carried added weight for fans. In 2023, he cut short his Glastonbury Pyramid Stage performance while dealing with tics caused by Tourette’s syndrome, with the crowd famously helping him through “Someone You Loved.” He later announced that he would be taking an extended break to focus on his health.

Since then, Capaldi has eased back into public life and live performance, including a surprise Glastonbury appearance last year and the release of “Survive,” his first new music since Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent.

His comeback comes after a major commercial run. “Someone You Loved” spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019, earned a Grammy nomination for song of the year and helped push his debut album, Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, into global breakthrough territory.

Capaldi is scheduled for additional summer dates, including major outdoor shows at BST Hyde Park and Roundhay Festival in July, as well as performances in Liverpool, Newcastle and at Sziget Festival. While he has not yet announced a title, release date or tracklist for his next album, his TRNSMT comments mark one of the clearest signals yet that a new full-length project is officially on his radar.

On Monday (June 22) a worldwide coalition of artists, songwriters and managers’ groups gathered together to release a letter aimed at record labels and publishers forming AI music licensing deals: “Stop the misuse of [our] rights in AI deals,” a press release announcing the letter said, adding “this is hypocrisy and an injustice which needs to stop now. Labels and publishers rightly argue that AI companies need permission to train on their music catalogue, but will not grant artists and songwriters the same rights.”

The letter follows a number of noteworthy licensing deals inked between publishers, labels and AI music companies — like Suno, Udio, ElevenLabs and others — in the past year. This includes Warner Music Group’s licensing deals with Suno, Klay, Udio and others; Universal Music Group’s deals with Udio, Spotify, Klay and others; Sony Music’s deal with Klay; Merlin and Kobalt’s deals with Udio and ElevenLabs and more.

In April, reporting from Billboard revealed that multiple top talent attorneys have been made aware that labels and publishers could feasibly use common contract language in U.S. record deals, related to blanket licensing and exploitation, to opt in artists’ works to train their AI partners’ models without seeking individual artist approval. “Some of the labels have already taken the position that they technically don’t need special approvals to train,” said Jason Boyarski, founding partner at Boyarski Fritz, at the time.

While many of the announcements about deals between AI firms and music companies note that artists can have the option to choose whether or not their name, image or likeness is used in relation to AI outputs, AI training is a different area of this licensing process that is never mentioned. “We’re seeing a differentiation between the way training — or inputs — and outputs are treated,” Audrey Benoualid, partner at Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light, told Billboard in April.

“We are increasingly concerned that artists and songwriters in existing recording and publishing agreements are receiving letters from major labels and publishers informing them that they will be opted in to AI-related uses by default, with little actual choice offered,” notes the letter, which was signed by Music Artists Coalition, Songwriters of North America, the Ivors Academy, Black Music Action Coalition, Artists Rights Alliance and more.

“At the same time, artists and songwriters signing new agreements are being presented with AI rights clauses as a standard condition of signing,” the letter says. Billboard has previously reported some of this new language added to signing agreements, specifically clauses from BMG, Sony and Believe, including a provision that allowed the “unlimited, exclusive rights” for Sony-owned dance label B1 Recordings to “use the recording in models and systems of generative artificial intelligence and applications based thereon, including generative AI, including [but] not limited to the analysis of the Recording for the purpose of extracting information on patterns, trends and correlations (AI training).”

“The result is a serious imbalance: artists and songwriters are being asked to give permission without sufficient information, clear terms or guaranteed remuneration,” the letter says.

The musicians’ note also includes three core principles that they want recorded music companies, publishers, policy makers, AI companies, digital platforms and more to respect: “consent and control” for artists and songwriters, “fair compensation” and “clarity and transparency.”

It also asks these companies to make “clear and public commitment” to the following guidelines in AI licensing deals: “no default opt-ins, no forced AI clauses and no use of artists’ work, voice, performance, likeness or creative identity without meaningful consent, fair remuneration and full transparency.” “The future of music must be built with artists, songwriters and their representatives, not imposed on them,” the letter concludes.

Read the full letter below:

Artists and Songwriters Must Not Be Pressure into AI Deals Without Meaningful Consent

Across the global music industry, record companies and publishers are negotiating AI deals that could shape the future of music. Yet the artists and songwriters whose works, voices, performances, likenesses and creative identities make those deals valuable are not being meaningfully consulted.

Artists and songwriters remain the primary holders of many of the rights at stake, including moral, neighbouring, image and personality rights. These rights are not label or publishers assets to be licensed without clear authority, consent and accountability. This means that artists and songwriters should be (where applicable, through their managers) the primary parties approached by AI companies to discuss such rights.

We are increasingly concerned that artists and songwriters in existing recording and publishing agreements are receiving letters from major labels and publishers informing them that they will be opted in to AI-related uses by default, with little actual choice offered. At the same time, artists and songwriters signing new agreements are being presented with AI rights clauses as a standard condition of signing.

The result is a serious imbalance: artists and songwriters are being asked to give permission without sufficient information, clear terms or guaranteed remuneration. We support innovation and recognise that AI can create new opportunities for music. However artists are not simply catalogue assets, and innovation cannot be used to override artists’ rights.

We therefore call on record companies, publishers, policy makers, AI companies, digital platforms and all industry partners to respect and consider three core principles:

Consent & Control 

Artists and songwriters must actively and specifically consent before their works, voice, performance, likeness or creative identity is used in connection with AI. There must be clarity around what they are being asked to approve, and they must have control over how it will be used. It cannot be buried in broad catch-all contract language or include rights in perpetuity. Consent cannot be imposed through default opt-ins and it should not be a condition of signing a new deal. Artists and songwriters must be able to say no without fear of penalization.

Fair Compensation 

Where artists and songwriters choose to participate in AI-related uses, they must receive fair and meaningful remuneration. They must share in the value created by their works, and it cannot be considered a general label asset. Artists and songwriters must be consulted and it must be clear which percentage of revenue goes to the creator, to the label and to the AI company.

Clarity & Transparency 

Requests must be purpose-specific. Artists, songwriters and managers must be given clear, timely and understandable information about any AI-related deal or proposal affecting their rights in order to make informed decisions. The information must encompass which rights it includes, what uses are permitted, the safeguards in place, duration of permission and how consent can be withdrawn.

We call on all companies entering into AI music deals to make a clear and public commitment: 

No default opt-ins. 

No forced AI clauses. 

No use of artists’ work, voice, performance, likeness or creative identity without meaningful consent, fair remuneration and full transparency. 

At a time when policymakers are reviewing copyright rules in response to AI, the protection of artists’ and songwriters’ rights, voices and remuneration is not negotiable. The structures being created now will shape the music ecosystem for years to come. The future of music must be built with artists, songwriters and their representatives, not imposed on them. 

Signed, 

European Music Managers Alliance, European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA), Music Artists Coalition, Songwriters of North America (SONA), National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), International Artists Organization (IAO), Artists Rights Alliance (ARA), Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC), Association of Artist Managers (Australia), Music Managers Forum Aotearoa (New Zealand), Music Managers Forum (Canada), Featured Artists’ Coalition, The Ivors Academy.

EMMA members who have signed also directly: 

Music Managers Forum UK, Union des Manageuses et Managers de la musique (UMAN). Music Managers Forum Netherlands, Norwegian Entertainment Managers and Agents Association (NEMAA), Polish Artists Chamber of Commerce (IGMAP), Interessenverband Musikmanager & Consultants (IMUC) Music Managers Forum Sweden, AIM Ireland, Music Managers Federation (MMaF) Music Managers Forum Finland, Hungarian Managers Forum (ZEME) Music Estonia Managers, Danske Artist Managers, Music Managers Forum Ukraine, Music Managers Forum Iceland, Music Managers Forum Suisse, Foro de Mánagers (FORMA), Fédération des Bookers et Managers Unies.


Musicians Pen Letter, Warning About AI Music Deals: ‘Innovation Cannot Be Used to Override Artists’ Rights’

Goose has paid tribute to a fan who died after falling from an elevated section during the band’s concert at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night (June 20).

According to the New York Police Department, 51-year-old Paul Kueker of Niantic, Conn., fell from an elevated position inside the venue shortly before 10 p.m. local time. Officers responding to a 911 call found Kueker unconscious and unresponsive with injuries indicating a fall from an “elevated position,” police said.

Authorities said Kueker was in Section 300 of the arena. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police do not suspect foul play, and the investigation remains ongoing. Kueker was attending the concert with his wife, according to police.

Following the concert, Goose shared a statement on Instagram mourning the loss.

“We are deeply saddened and heartbroken to learn of the tragic event that occurred at tonight’s show,” the band wrote. “We extend our deepest sympathy to everyone affected. Thank you to the emergency personnel and venue staff who stepped in with care and support.”

Madison Square Garden also addressed the incident in a statement.

“While we await the police report on the tragedy at last night’s Goose concert, we are deeply saddened by the loss of a fan’s life at Madison Square Garden,” the venue said. “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the concertgoer.”

The Connecticut-based rock band proceeded with their scheduled SummerStage performance in New York City’s Central Park on Sunday evening. Before the show, Goose said they had considered whether to go ahead with the concert, but decided to move forward as a way to bring fans together.

“We considered whether or not we were going to play and came to the decision that the best thing we can do right now is bring our community together, lean on one another, and offer a space for healing,” they said. “So let’s be kind to each other tonight and remember our friend.”

The band also said proceeds from the SummerStage show would go toward a charitable fund providing support and resources for their fans.

At the start of Sunday’s performance, multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach addressed the crowd and led a moment of silence for Kueker.

“We just wanted to take a moment to address some of the tragic events that happened at last night’s show, and extend our deepest condolences to Paul, his family, his friends and everybody who was affected by what happened,” Anspach said.

“In moments like this, you realize life is so fragile, we’re so lucky to have an incredible community here around us,” he continued. “Everybody, if you’re struggling with something, please don’t be afraid to reach out to somebody in your life or send us a message. You know, please.

“We got to help each other out. That’s why we’re here. People are meant to talk and be with people, so thank you everybody for coming tonight, and we really appreciate you guys so much. We love you.”

The Madison Square Garden concert was part of a two-night New York run for Goose, who have built a devoted following through extensive touring and improvisation-heavy live shows.

At the time of publication, authorities had not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the fall.

Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett took an unplanned trip into the crowd during the band’s show at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Friday (June 19), slipping off the stage as the group launched into “Seek & Destroy” in front of approximately 40,000 fans.

The 63-year-old lost his footing on the stage edge and tumbled into the audience, missing only a few notes before being helped back onto the platform and continuing the performance without further incident. Confirmation that Hammett was uninjured came a few hours later when he shared fan-captured video of the fall on his Instagram Stories, captioning it “Slip & Destroy.”

The moment quickly went viral across social media, with multiple fan-shot clips circulating on YouTube and X. Hammett’s self-deprecating response drew praise from fans who noted the guitarist’s ability to laugh off what could have been a serious accident.

The Dublin date was part of Metallica’s ongoing European tour, which continues with shows at Glasgow’s Hampden Park (June 25), Cardiff’s Principality Stadium (June 28) and two nights at London Stadium (July 3 and 5). After the European run wraps, the band will embark on one of the most ambitious residencies in rock history — a 24-date run at the Las Vegas Sphere beginning Oct. 1, with dates stretching through March 2027.

One of the most commercially dominant acts in rock history, Metallica have sold more than 150 million albums worldwide and scored six No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 — Metallica (1991), Load (1996), Reload (1997), St. Anger (2003), Death Magnetic (2008) and Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (2016).

Their most recent album 72 Seasons (2023) debuted at No. 2, their first album since 1988’s …And Justice for All not to open at No. 1. The band have won eight Grammy Awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. “Seek & Destroy” — the song Hammett was launching into when he fell — is from the band’s 1983 debut Kill ‘Em All and has been a staple of their live set for more than four decades.

Gina Ortiz Jones, the mayor of San Antonio, Texas, is pushing for the cancellation of Kanye West’s Fourth of July concert at the Alamodome. Ye announced the show last week, and tickets are currently available via Ticketmaster at prices ranging from $127.50 for a standard admission, upper-level seat to $1,461.25 for the “YE – Front Row Experience,” a row-one seat in the lower level of the stadium closest to the floor.

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On Saturday night (June 20), the San Antonio Democrat, a U.S. Air Force veteran, shared her stance on Ye’s scheduled event in the south-central Texan city, citing the musician’s history of hate speech and antisemitic remarks as reason for the Alamodome — which can accommodate a crowd of more than 70,000 with an in-the-round concert layout like that of Ye’s globe-shaped stage — to pull the plug on the Independence Day booking.

“I support canceling the @kanyewest concert,” she wrote in a post on X.

“Military City USA should not host someone with a record of hate speech and antisemitic comments in a city-funded facility like our Alamodome—not ever, and certainly not on July 4th, our Nation’s 250th birthday,” Ortiz Jones said.

The San Antonio mayor added, “Standing up to antisemitism is exactly what it takes to achieve a more perfect Union.”

Ye’s July 4 San Antonio date lands in the middle of concerts in Tampa, Florida (June 26, 28), and Tirana, Albania (July 11). The rapper’s summer mini tour — as it stands right now — then brings him to Madrid, Spain (July 30), and Algarve, Portugal (Aug. 7), before routing back to the U.S. for a pair of homecoming shows in Chicago, Illinois (Sept. 3-4). He hasn’t had an official full-scale tour in this decade.

Though West has successfully put on his show this year in Mexico City and Los Angeles, and in cities in Turkey, the Netherlands and Georgia, he’s also had shows pulled in England, Poland and France.

Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida recently called for Ye’s performances to be called off in Tampa.

Scott wrote in a statement on June 4, “Kanye West’s consistent antisemitic attacks are an affront to the values of the people of the Hillsborough community. He has openly praised Nazis, called himself one, and slandered Jews across the world. Kanye West also funded a Superbowl ad in 2025 that directed viewers to purchase merchandise featuring swastikas.”

“West’s remarks are vile and a slap in the face to our state’s Jewish community,” said the senator. “It is troubling that a stadium supported by taxpayer dollars would openly subsidize an event led by an artist known for pushing this dangerous, hateful rhetoric, especially with Florida having one of the largest Jewish populations in our country.”

On Friday, Ye released a deluxe edition of his latest album, Bully, featuring updated mixes of its original tracks and new songs “OK” (featuring Don Toliver) and “Mission Control.”


Musicians Pen Letter, Warning About AI Music Deals: ‘Innovation Cannot Be Used to Override Artists’ Rights’

Rod Stewart was forced to pause his concert in Utah after nearly fainting onstage and requiring an oxygen tank.

During his show at Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre in West Valley City on Friday (June 19), the 81-year-old rock legend appeared visibly unwell and was seen doubling over in discomfort before using an oxygen tank to assist with his breathing, according to TMZ.

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After struggling to finish his hit “Young Turks” — which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981 — Stewart appeared less mobile than usual and leaned against stage equipment before members of his team brought out an oxygen tank, as seen in video footage published by the outlet.

The “Maggie May” singer later told the crowd that he had nearly fainted but insisted that the “show must go on.” He then jokingly asked, “Would you mind if I sat down for this one?” before continuing the performance.

Stewart ultimately finished Friday’s concert while seated in a chair. West Valley City sits at approximately 4,300 feet above sea level, which may have contributed to the incident, TMZ reported.

In late May, Stewart suggested that his current One Last Time farewell tour could mark the end of his large-scale touring career.

“I’ve got 40-odd shows this year and that’s not really a lot,” Stewart said on the TalkSport soccer chat show in the U.K. “And I’m touring the U.K. next year and doing the O2 and that will probably be it, I think. I’ll have to do something new … come on your show more often.”

The iconic singer-songwriter added that after his remaining dates this year and a planned U.K. run in 2027, he may step away from major touring commitments.

Stewart recently faced criticism after canceling a June 12 concert at San Diego’s North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre less than an hour before showtime due to health issues. Hours later, however, he made an appearance at the Scotland World Cup match in Boston.

“He traveled to the venue and made every effort to perform, but on the advice of his doctors, and following a diagnosis of an acute upper respiratory infection that has resulted in laryngitis, he is unable to take the stage this evening,” a statement posted to the venue’s Instagram read at the time.

Stewart currently has numerous U.S. dates scheduled throughout July and August as part of his One Last Time tour. The trek is set to conclude with a show in St. Louis on Aug. 15. He’ll then head to Las Vegas for a handful of residency dates.


Musicians Pen Letter, Warning About AI Music Deals: ‘Innovation Cannot Be Used to Override Artists’ Rights’

The Michael Jackson biopic Michael has pulled further ahead of the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody as the top-grossing musician biopic of all time. As of Sunday (June 21), Michael has grossed $959.6 million. Bohemian Rhapsody has grossed $911 million.

Michael is probably just a week away from becoming the top-grossing biopic (not just the top-grossing musician biopic) of all time: Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s 2023 biopic of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who helped develop the first nuclear weapons during World War II, has grossed $975.8 million worldwide.

According to Box Office Mojo figures, international ticket sales account for 61.7% of Michael’s worldwide boxoffice total to date. (The remainder is from the U.S. and Canada.) By way of comparison, international ticket sales accounted for 76.2% of Bohemian Rhapsody’s worldwide boxoffice total.

Jackson has a long history of ranking No. 1 on lists, dating back to The Jackson 5 landing their first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Want You Back” in January 1970.

Jackson and Mercury have much in common. Both rose to fame in groups, The Jackson 5 and Queen, respectively. Both are widely seen as two of the greatest showmen of all time. And both died years before their time. Mercury died in 1991 at age 45 of complications from AIDS. Jackson died in 2009 at age 50 of cardiac arrest caused by acute propofol intoxication.

The two superstars crossed paths in the early 1980s, when Jackson attended Queen concerts in Los Angeles. They occasionally met for dinner and even recorded three demo tracks together that went unfinished.

Another common bond: There were successful theatrical productions based on both artists’ music. The Queen musical, We Will Rock You, opened on London’s West End in 2002. MJ: The Musical has been a fixture on Broadway since Dec. 6, 2021.

Also: Graham King, who co-produced Michael with longtime Jackson associates John Branca and John McClain (who died on May 26 at age 71), also co-produced Bohemian Rhapsody and a third music biopic on Billboard’s list of music biopics, Jersey Boys, the story of the Four Seasons.

Here is that list – the highest-grossing biopics of musicians in terms of worldwide box office. We didn’t include a few high-grossing films about real-life music personalities because the subjects are not well-known music stars in their own right. These include The Sound of Music (which tells the story of Maria von Trapp and the Trapp Family Singers); Green Book (which deals with a road trip taken by pianist and composer Don Shirley); Florence Foster Jenkins (about an heiress and hopelessly untalented soprano by that name); and Music of the Heart (about violinist and music educator Roberta Guaspari). Meryl Streep starred in the latter two films.

Here are the 25 biopics of music stars with the highest worldwide grosses.

 

Toy Story still has a friend in moviegoers.

The fifth installment in the Pixar series debuted with $160 million in domestic ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday (June 21), easily setting a new franchise record and notching the biggest opening weekend of the year.

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Launching 31 years after the original Toy Story first landed in theaters, Toy Story 5 far surpassed the previous series-best debut: $120 million for Toy Story 4 in 2019. Internationally, it was just as successful, with $152 million in opening-weekend sales, for a worldwide haul of $312 million.

The Toy Story franchise is one of the most profitable for The Walt Disney Co. Before Toy Story 5 launched, the movies had collectively grossed more than $3 billion, while also pulling in billions from merchandising.

Though the series seemed to reach a conclusion with 2010’s Toy Story 3, the decision to revive the franchise almost a decade later — while controversial — has been extremely lucrative. Toy Story 4 exceeded $1 billion in ticket sales, and Toy Story 5 is all but certain to as well.

Among animated films, only 2018’s Incredibles 2 had a bigger opening weekend ($182.7 million) than Toy Story 5.

Keeping the Toy Story movies going has gotten more expensive, though. The fifth movie cost $250 million to make, not including marketing. It returns a voice cast led by Tom Hanks (as Woody), Tim Allen (as Buzz Lightyear) and Joan Cusack (as Jessie).

In the sequel, the toys are pushed aside when Bonnie gets a new tablet. It’s directed by Andrew Stanton, the Pixar veteran who helmed Finding Nemo (2003) and WALL-E (2008). Toy Story 5 also features a new song by Taylor Swift, “I Knew It, I Knew You.”

Reviews have been very good and audiences gave Toy Story 5 an “A” CinemaScore, suggesting it should remain a force in theaters for weeks.

After its chart-topping debut, Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day slipped to second place with $17 million in its second weekend. That’s not the hold that Universal Pictures was hoping for. Dropping 61% from its first weekend suggests Disclosure Day might not find the legs Spielberg’s sci-fi thriller needs to break out this summer.

Still, the $115 million budgeted movie, starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor and Colman Domingo, has grossed $160.4 million globally in two weeks. Disclosure Day stands a good chance of remaining the top adult-oriented option in theaters in the coming weeks.

Toy Story 5 faced little competition from newcomers.

A24’s The Death of Robin Hood, a violent revisionist approach to the old legend, flopped with $2.6 million on 1,762 screens. The film, starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Michael Sarnoski, was modestly budgeted at $20 million. But after finding mixed reviews, audiences didn’t go for the movie, either. It earned a “C+” CinemaScore.

Neon’s Leviticus came out just ahead of The Death of Robin Hood, with $2.7 million from 1,076 theaters. Written and directed by Adrian Chiarella, the buzzy low-budget horror film is about two teen boys who meet at conversion therapy. It’s a fine start for an indie with a small budget of $3.5 million and good word-of-mouth. But Leviticus also faced unusually strong competition in the still-potent horror hits Obsession and Backrooms.

The top horror choice remained Obsession, the microbudget phenomenon by 26-year-old Curry Barker. In its sixth weekend, it nearly equaled its $17 million opening weekend from mid-May. The Focus Features release, which cost less than $1 million to make, added $14.2 million to bring its domestic total to $215.8 million and its global haul to $333.3 million.

With Toy Story 5 and Obsession driving sales, the summer box office is up 15% from the 2025 summer, according to Rentrak. More impressively, summer ticket sales are nearly equal to the 2019 summer at the same point, not accounting for inflation. The summer to date is just 1.9% down from that year.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, expects that Hollywood is heading for its best summer since before the pandemic. And the success is coming from both expected and unexpected places.

“To me, this is a hybrid summer and this could be the new blueprint for how you build the perfect summer box-office beast,” Dergarabedian says. “You throw in a mix of very eclectic films and not just the usual suspects — the big franchise films, the known brands — but also films like Backrooms and Obsession and original films like Disclosure Day.”


Musicians Pen Letter, Warning About AI Music Deals: ‘Innovation Cannot Be Used to Override Artists’ Rights’

Olivia Rodrigo achieves her third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as her third studio release, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, launches atop the list dated June 27. The set bows with 485,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the week ending June 18, according to Luminate — marking Rodrigo’s biggest week ever by units, and the largest week of 2026 for any album by a soloist.

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Rodrigo also topped the Billboard 200 with her two previous studio albums, GUTS (in 2023) and SOUR (2021).

The new album was preceded by a pair of top five-charted singles on the Billboard Hot 100: its lead-off track “drop dead” (No. 1 in May) and “the cure” (No. 5 in June).

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 2,500 ad-supported or 1,000 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new June 27, 2026-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on June 23. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X and Instagram.

Of you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love’s 485,000 equivalent album units earned in the latest tracking week, album sales comprise 273,000 (Rodrigo’s best sales week and the largest sales week for a woman in 2026; it debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 211,000 (equaling 218.41 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks, the largest streaming week of 2026 by a woman; it debuts at No. 1 on Top Streaming Albums) and TEA units comprise 1,000.

The album’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across more than 15 physical variants (including two signed editions). Of the album’s opening-week sales, vinyl purchases comprised 164,000 — Rodrigo’s biggest week on vinyl and the largest week of 2026 by a woman.

Rodrigo will embark on The Unraveled Tour beginning on Sept. 25 in Hartford, Conn., and continuing through at least May 10, 2027, in London.

Rodrigo’s new album is the only debut in the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200. Drake’s ICEMAN cedes the No. 1 slot after spending its first four weeks atop the Billboard 200, as the set dips 1-2 in its fifth week on the list (105,000 equivalent album units earned, down 21%). Four former No. 1s follow ICEMAN, as Ella Langley’s Dandelion falls 2-3 (84,000, down 4%), Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem is down 3-4 (78,000, down 2%), Noah Kahan’s The Great Divide slips 4-5 (71,000, up 5%) and Michael Jackson’s Thriller is a non-mover at No. 6 (53,000, down 4%).

Jackson’s Number Ones rises a spot to No. 7 on the Billboard 200 (49,000 equivalent album units earned, down 4%), Wallen’s former leader One Thing at a Time climbs 9-8 (39,000, down 4%), Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving is up a spot to No. 9 (35,000, down 1%) and BTS’ chart-topping ARIRANG ascends 11-10 (34,000, down less than 1%).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.


Musicians Pen Letter, Warning About AI Music Deals: ‘Innovation Cannot Be Used to Override Artists’ Rights’

Ed Sheeran brought both solid songs and plenty of spectacle to his Saturday night (June 20) headlining show at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium. Spearheading his Loop Tour, the solo stadium show featured Sheeran building each song live using a loop pedal, highlighting both Sheeran’s energetic, entertaining showmanship and musical precision. A folk-pop star known for writing his own material, the approach also allowed him to give fans a glimpse into the process of how he constructs his slate of hits.

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Instead of launching the show from the main stage, he walked through the crowd, shaking hands with audience members before holding court at a smaller b-stage in the middle of the stadium. He launched into “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You” and “Sapphire.” Though he was commandeering the show solo, the set also offered plenty of visual extravaganza. By the second song, he had fireworks brushing the sky in shades of pink and dark blue, while fiery pyros were utilized throughout the evening. A retractable bridge that stretched over the audience allowed Sheeran to move back and forth from the main stage to the smaller b-stage multiple times throughout the show.

He sailed through a setlist that included over 30 songs, including renditions of “Shape of You,” “Thinking Out Loud,” “Perfect” and “The A Team,” but also left room for improvisation, allowing fans to text in song requests, and obliging on songs such as “Dive” and “A Little More.”

During the set, Sheeran called Nashville “my favorite city in America,” and talked about several previous times he’s played Music City venues including Nissan Stadium and the Ryman Auditorium, and even lived in Nashville for brief stretches of time over the past decade or so. His Nashville ties include working with artists over the years, ranging from Luke Combs and Megan Moroney to Taylor Swift, and he’s regularly popped up at shows in more intimate Nashville venues, including The Bluebird Cafe, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, and even playing a show with Noah Kahan at Santa’s Pub just last year.

His show featured everything from guest artists, to quiet moments of reflection, love-struck ballads and songs with infectious grooves that got fans jumping, cheering, dancing and singing loudly along. Below, Billboard highlights five best moments from Sheeran’s Nissan Stadium show.