Sabrina Carpenter‘s Coachella weekend two headlining set on Friday night became one of the festival’s most memorable moments in recent history, when Madonna crashed the stage for a show-stopping surprise appearance.

The Queen of Pop emerged during Carpenter’s performance of “Juno” — at the song’s iconic pose moment — as the track cut into Madonna’s “Vogue” medley, with the two pop stars performing the 1990 classic together to a frenzy from the crowd.

The pair then appeared to perform an unreleased track together, widely believed to be from Confessions II, Madonna’s long-awaited sequel to her 2005 dance landmark Confessions on a Dance Floor, due July 3 via Warner Records.

Before closing out with “Like a Prayer,” Madonna addressed the crowd directly, tying the moment to a personal Coachella milestone.

“20 years ago today I performed at Coachella — I was at the dance tent,” she said from the stage. “It was the first time I performed Confessions from the dancefloor. Same boots, same corsets… it’s like a full circle moment.”

She then noted the astrological significance of the evening: “I also want to point out it’s the new moon of Taurus. Seven planets lined up in Aries… avoid confrontations. In all circumstances — for the rest of the month — let’s try to get along, let’s try to be together, let’s try to avoid disagreements.” Carpenter, for her part, leaned into the moment: “She’s pointing to me because I’m a Taurus.”

Madonna’s 2006 Coachella performance served as a warm-up for the launch of her Confessions Tour, which went on to gross over $194 million from 60 shows and became the highest-grossing tour by a female artist at that time.

Her return to the same stage two decades later, performing the same era’s music ahead of its sequel, gave Friday night’s appearance a rare sense of full-circle weight that the crowd felt viscerally.

The appearance made for a considerably more musically star-studded set than Carpenter’s weekend one showing, where guest appearances were limited to actors Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell and Sam Elliott.

The surprise appearance comes after Madonna confirmed that Confessions II will bring the Queen of Pop back to the dance floor this summer, as well as the release of her first full taste of new music, “I Feel So Free.”

The weekend, Actress Geena Davis also joined for a spoken word monologue — mirroring Sarandon’s cameo from the prior weekend — while Terry Crews appeared mid-set to poke fun at his iconic role in White Chicks and lightly sing “A Thousand Miles.”

Carpenter’s Coachella headline run concludes her blockbuster run behind her 2024 album Short n’ Sweet, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and produced the top five Hot 100 hit “Espresso.” Madonna, meanwhile, heads toward the July release of Confessions II — one of the most anticipated pop albums of the year.

Nearly every person who’s succeeded in country music did so after leaving their hometown for an unknown future. Most who take the risk find it doesn’t work out, but some get lucky.

Chris Stapleton addressed the strength it takes to make a major change in “Starting Over,” appropriately rhyming the title with “four-leaf clover” in the chorus. He found his own good fortune when the single rose to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart dated April 17, 2021, 32 weeks after its Sept. 5, 2020, debut.

Stapleton wrote “Starting Over” with Mike Henderson, a former bandmate in the bluegrass group The SteelDrivers, over a folkie chord structure, portraying a couple making changes and taking chances.

Co-produced by Stapleton and Dave Cobb (Brandi Carlile, A Thousand Horses), the song was released as the lead single and title track for Stapleton’s Mercury Nashville album released on Nov. 13, 2020. He performed the track two days prior to the album’s release on the 54th annual Country Music Association Awards. Days later (Nov. 19), “Starting Over” emerged as the supporting music for a Ram Trucks commercial. Subsequently, the 14-track project debuted at the summit on the Top Country Albums list dated Nov. 28.

At the 55th annual CMA Awards on Nov. 10, 2021, “Starting Over” took single and song of the year, while Stapleton won male vocalist and the LP won top album honors.

Henderson died unexpectedly in his sleep in September 2023.

“Starting Over” was certified six-times platinum by the RIAA on Oct. 30, 2025.

For as long as It Ends With Us co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have been battling in court, Taylor Swift’s name has been linked to the case. Baldoni’s camp said Lively used her close friend Swift as a “dragon” to wrest control of the movie. Lively accused Baldoni of maliciously planting media stories about her relationship with the pop superstar.

The crux of the dispute is Lively’s allegation that Baldoni and his associates orchestrated a PR smear campaign in retaliation for her complaints that Baldoni, both the co-star and director of the August 2024 film, sexually harassed her on set. Baldoni initially countersued Lively for defamation, among other things, but all his claims were dismissed. Now fully in defense mode, Baldoni still maintains that there was zero harassment and that his media strategy was merely a response to Lively’s bad-faith efforts to seize creative control of the film and ruin his reputation.

The lawsuit is finally headed to trial next month for a New York jury to decide which version of events is true. This means that after more than a year of Swift’s name popping up in court filings and getting spun into endless tabloid fodder, we’re finally getting a sense of how big a role the singer will actually play in the trial.

Swift is not a witness, and she was never deposed (despite the Baldoni team’s efforts). Her name is, however, included on a long list of individuals who might come up during the testimony, along with dozens of others, including Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds, It Ends With Us supporting actress Jenny Slate and music mogul Scooter Braun, who has close ties to Baldoni’s lead publicist, Melissa Nathan.

The most concrete way Swift could be part of the evidence is via her text messages with Lively, which Baldoni’s team obtained from Lively after initially trying to subpoena the singer herself. Lively’s lawyers have indicated that they plan to object to this evidence as irrelevant, but the Baldoni camp will likely argue that the messages show that Lively tried to leverage her friendship with Swift against him.

These communications, included in the Baldoni exhibit list and posted to the court docket earlier this year, include Swift agreeing to talk up Lively’s version of a script rewrite to Baldoni (“I’ll do anything for you !!”) and celebrating the use of her hit Folklore track “My Tears Ricochet” in the movie’s trailer.

“If Justin was strategic he would be like no Taylor Swift in the trailer because that gives you more power over the film, that’s your ally not his,” Swift wrote to Lively in April 2024. Lively responded, “Get yourself a best friend who thinks like the actual Roman Empire.” Swift replied, “His misogyny runs so deep he thinks women are incapable of winning chess matches or making long game power plays.”

Other messages show Swift supporting Lively’s legal action against Baldoni. Before the case was filed, she wrote, “I think this b—- knows something is coming because he’s gotten out his tiny violin,” and, “He needs to be beaten by his OWN words…it’s the only way to beat liars and hypocrites.”

Lively’s camp has consistently maintained that Swift had no meaningful involvement in It Ends With Us and is only now being invoked by Baldoni for clout. Swift’s reps said the same when she was subpoenaed last year, writing in a statement that the maneuver was “designed to use Taylor Swift’s name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case.”

Lawyers for Lively say this is not a new strategy for Baldoni’s team. A key piece of evidence for them is a summer 2024 strategy document authored by Baldoni’s publicists, which recommends “planting stories about the weaponization of feminism and how people in BL’s circle, like Taylor Swift, have been accused of utilizing these tactics to ‘bully’ into getting what they want.”

Along these lines, Lively’s lawyers plan to bring up Swift’s name at trial in order to show that Baldoni’s team was really the one to leverage the singer’s superstardom for its own ends. In addition to the scenario planning document, their exhibit list includes a 2024 story in the Daily Mail titled, “How Blake Lively COPIED best friend Taylor Swift to promote It Ends With Us before turning to singer to help crisis manage backlash and Justin Baldoni drama,” as well as documents that trace the origin of this article.

According to Lively’s team, Baldoni’s publicists urged a Daily Mail reporter to run this story instead of a different article about human resources complaints during the filming of It Ends With Us. In one piece of evidence, the reporter was encouraged to write about how Lively was “emulating her best friend Taylor with the charm bracelets and s—.”

Finally, Swift and her music might come up in the trial as it pertains to the process of incorporating the “My Tears Ricochet” synch for the trailer of It Ends With Us. The messages on Baldoni’s witness list reference this; when discussing the synch with Lively in 2024, Swift wrote, “I fire off those texts to Austin” — presumably a reference to her brother, Austin Swift, who manages the singer’s licensing operations.

If Baldoni’s team argues in court that the “My Tears Ricochet” synch was part of Blake’s plot to weaponize her friendship with Swift, Lively’s lawyers might respond with evidence showing that the idea to use the song came from the movie’s producers and studio, not her. Lively has also obtained evidence showing that the trailer was viewed as a major success by everyone, drawing record viewership and raising the film’s profile.

Ice Spice was enjoying a late-night McDonald’s snack early Wednesday but ended up getting into another kind of beef.

The Bronx native was involved in a physical confrontation with another woman at the Hollywood fast-food restaurant, and footage of the viral altercation was posted by TMZ on Friday (April 17).

Unaccompanied by security, footage shows Ice Spice and a friend chatting in a McDonald’s booth over a meal when they were approached by another patron. The “Deli” rapper rejected the female fan’s advances for a conversation, which escalated the situation.

“Where you from?” the fan repeatedly asked. To which Ice hilariously responded: “I’m from McDonald’s.”

The woman became angry and slapped Ice Spice and a melee ensued, as Ice jumped across tables while shouting at the perpetrator. A separate group of individuals got involved, but the situation didn’t defuse and continued outside.

Ice and another male individual got into a separate heated argument. “Let me fight the bi—,” Ice insisted. “Let me fight her. On your momma, let me fight her. Let me fight the bi—. Why would you want to fight me? Are you a bi—? You’re 120 pounds, let’s get at it then! Y’all think because a bi— famous… F— you mean, what happened? Where she at?”

Footage shows the altercation getting physical once again with the male and female perpetrators against Ice Spice, who ended up on the ground. “He pushed her,” Ice’s friend claimed.

Ice Spice’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, relayed in a statement to Billboard on Friday that they will be exploring all avenues to “hold the perpetrators responsible for their actions.”

“The unprovoked attack on my client has been reported to the LAPD and we will be pursuing any and all criminal and civil avenues to hold the perpetrators responsible for their actions,” Cohen said. “We are also exploring holding the location responsible for their apparent lack of appropriate security.”

The powerhouse attorney continued: “Not to mention that the individuals involved obviously did not realize that we would get the video from inside the McDonald’s where the unprovoked attack occurred. They then turned their cameras on after the initial attack as if to set our client up, and as they say on the video to ‘go viral.’ The only thing that will be going viral for them is their mugshots.”

The female perpetrator, who identified herself as Vayah, spoke to TMZ following the altercation to give her side of the story. “Ice Spice was just being rude. She was like, ‘Why are you over here? You could leave,’” she said. “Then she calls me a bi—. So after she calls me a bi—, I hit her.”

Vayah claimed that Ice Spice picked up her friend’s phone and threw it, which resulted in a cracked screen. “She lost a fan, I can’t listen the same to her anymore,” she said.

On the music side, Ice hasn’t released any new singles in 2026. Back in December, she teamed up with TOKISCHA for “Thootie.”

Watch footage of the altercation below.

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Today, football fans and music fans are uniting with a capsule dropped by Mitchell & Ness inspired by the cultural impact of Mac Miller and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The capsule is small, with nine pieces total, but mighty, boasting everything from Miller-monogrammed jerseys to cozy cream-colored crewnecks. Pricing ranges from $65 to $160, depending on the item chosen. The collection is available to shop online now at Fanatics and Mitchell & Ness, and it’s selling out quickly thanks to the Miller tie-in.

Some of our favorites include the Legacy Jersey for $160, reading ” ’92 Til Infinity,” in reference to the year Miller was born. His name is also scrawled on the back, like a regular football jersey, reading like a player’s name. This will likely be a hot-ticket item, especially for Miller fans, because it almost serves as a collector’s piece.

Pittsburgh Steelers Mitchell & Ness x Mac Miller Legacy Jersey – White

$160

Buy Now at fanatics

Every good football collection needs an oversized jersey. This jersey subtly makes reference to Mac Miller with the ’92 on the front, in reference to his birth year 1992.

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Pittsburgh Steelers Mitchell & Ness x Mac Miller Blue Slide Park T-Shirt – White

$65

Buy Now at fanatics

Like the other Blue Slide Park-inspired pieces in this collection, this tee also features art from Mac Miller’s debut album of the same name on the front. This tee only comes in white.

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The Blue Slide Park Sweatshirt in white for $110 is another favorite of ours because it refers to the rapper’s 2011 debut album, Blue Slide Park, down to the Steelers’ logo on the front. Fun fact: this album was named after a playground in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park, a park close to where Miller lived. Behind the Steelers’ logo, you can see a geometric green, orange and blue print that was directly taken from Miller’s album art. It’s a thoughtful touch that we think Miller fans will appreciate in spades. As mentioned, all of these pieces are sure to sell out quickly because they pay homage to a musician whom many have nostalgia for and respect. Not to mention the Steelers call-out, which will have football fans flocking.

While the collaborative collection with the Steelers seems rather random at first glance, those who knew Miller will understand the significance. For some context, Miller was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Point Breeze to be exact. Miller was an immensely popular figure in Pittsburgh, repping the Pennsylvanian city through his music.

The rapper’s connection with the Steelers, beyond being a football team from his city, runs deep. He frequently expressed his love for the team, attended games, wore Steelers gear and even led the Terrible Towel twirl (a Steelers fan tradition meant to rally the team during playoffs) at Heinz Field, according to a piece published by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013. Safe to say, Miller had a connection to the football team that wasn’t just surface level.

Pittsburgh Steelers Mitchell & Ness x Mac Miller Til Infinity Hoodie – Black

$120

Buy Now at fanatics

This hoodie features a more subtle nod to Mac Miller and comes in a black colorway with colorful graphics. The graphic on the front refers to Miller’s hand tattoos, as seen through two fists wearing Super Bowl-esque rings.

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Pittsburgh Steelers Mitchell & Ness x Mac Miller Blue Slide Park Sweatshirt – White

$110

Buy Now at fanatics

This crewneck comes in both white and cream. The art seen behind the Steelers’ logo is directly pulled from Mac Miller’s debut album cover, Blue Slide Park.

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“More than just a hometown artist, Mac had a lasting impact on music and culture, helping shape a generation of independent hip-hop while building a deeply loyal global fan base through his honesty, creativity, and evolution as an artist,” said a statement from Mitchell & Ness. “His connection to Pittsburgh remained central throughout, consistently spotlighting the city and its influence on his work.”

Miller landed at the No. 9 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 alongside Ariana Grande on her 2013 track “The Way.” Miller received a Grammy nomination posthumously for best rap album for his 2018 album Swimming. Even after he died in 2018, Miller was still leaving a lasting impression on the world of music. The rapper’s debut album, Blue Slide Park, garnered widespread love, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart back in 2011. In the first week alone, the album sold 144,000, according to Luminate.