Bret Michaels has been forced to cancel all his remaining 2026 solo band shows due to an extended recovery from two recent surgeries. In an Instagram post on Saturday (Aug. 22), Michaels, 63, posted a note explaining that after the singer tried to get on stage on Friday (Aug. 21) at a show in Sugar Hill, Ga. following the two procedures, after speaking to his physicians, he made the hard choice to cancel the rest of this year’s gigs.

“Following Bret Michaels’ comeback show at @thebowlatsugarhill, doctors and paramedics determined immediately after the show that he still needs additional rest and recovery from his recent surgeries. Bret will be taking the next several months off to heal and get back to 100%,” read the message.

Quoting his doctors, Dr. Abby Borhan and Dr. Patel, it read: “We will be pulling Bret off the road for the time being. He wanted to attempt this show, but we feel there is a much-needed period of rest and slow recovery ahead, especially considering the heat and humidity during the summer months and the effect it can have on his blood sugar levels.”

Michaels, who has Type 1 diabetes, recently had surgery to remove a kidney stone and to implant a ureteral stent and from the sound of the message from his doctors, the singer needs more time to heal from those procedures.

In his own note in the same post, Michaels thanked fans for their well-wishes and promised that he would be out there doing his thing again as soon as he is physically able. “There are not enough words to tell you how much your incredible messages mean to me,” he wrote. “In my nonstop spirit to go out & do what I love – which is to play music and to see all of you, all my family, friends and fans & meet everybody…it’s what I truly love – I may have just chosen to go sooner than I should have. We will come back better than ever. And I say this with much love and respect to everybody!”

Last month, the solo star and Poison singer told fans that he’d had surgery to remove a kidney stone, which required pausing his Live & Amplified world tour after experiencing kidney pain during several shows. The situation came to a head after a private show in Spokane, Wash. on July 18, which he finished, before being rushed to a hospital after trying, and failing, to pass the stone. It was at that point that Dr. Borhan said that Michaels was diagnosed with a “complicated obstructing kidney stone” that required immediate surgery and the placement of a ureteral stent.

At the time, Michaels’ medical team said he was restricted from performing for three or four weeks to properly heal. Before calling them off, Michaels had a run of North American shows scheduled from July 30 through Aug. 29 and his official website listed shows through a Nov. 14 gig in Harris, Mich.; he was slated to headline the Mountain Music Festival in Gatlinburg, Tenn. on Saturday (Aug. 22).

In addition to managing his Type 1 diabetes since childhood, Michaels has suffered a number of serious health issues over the years, including a life-threatening brain hemorrhage in 2010 and a related warning stroke before that, as well as surgery to repair a hole in his heart in 2011 and kidney surgery in 2014.

Foo Fighters paused their Take Cover Tour for a one-off performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday (Aug. 22), joining conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles for a 15-song set honoring Dudamel’s final season with the Phil.

It marked the band’s first time playing the venue in its more than three decades together. Backed by full orchestra and choir, the band moved through a set blending hits with several deep cuts rarely aired live.

The night opened with “Times Like These” before running through “All My Life,” “The Pretender,” “Walk,” “My Hero,” “Learn to Fly,” “The Sky Is a Neighborhood” and “Run.” The rarities came in a cluster: “I Should Have Known,” from 2011’s Wasting Light, got its first performance since 2012; “Razor,” from 2005’s In Your Honor, returned for the first time since 2006; and “Home,” from 2007’s Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, got its first live outing since 2007.

The band also revived “A320,” a deep cut from the 1998 Godzilla soundtrack that originally featured string arrangements, making it a natural fit for the orchestral setting. Frontman Dave Grohl dedicated “Aurora” to late drummer Taylor Hawkins before the band closed the night with “Best of You,” “Home” and, finally, “Everlong.”

The concert was part of “Celebrating Gustavo at the Bowl,” a four-night tribute marking Dudamel’s 17th and final season as the LA Philharmonic’s music and artistic director. Dudamel will take over as music director of the New York Philharmonic beginning with its 2026-27 season.

Frontman Dave Grohl had previously performed with Dudamel and the orchestra at Coachella 2025, joining for orchestral versions of “The Sky Is a Neighborhood” and “Everlong.”

The Hollywood Bowl date came in the middle of a busy stretch for Foo Fighters, who played Rock in Rio in Brazil and filled in for the Pretty Reckless on a one-off support slot for AC/DC in St. Louis before the Dudamel show. The band’s own Take Cover Tour, a stadium run marking Foo Fighters’ fourth decade together, resumes in mid-September with dates across North America.

Alex Warren canceled his Monday (Aug. 24) concert at Auckland’s Spark Arena just hours before showtime, citing sudden illness during his Finding Family on the Road World Tour stop in New Zealand.

“I never have to do this and it breaks my heart to even write this but I have to cancel tonight’s show,” Warren wrote on Instagram.

“I have tried everything to be able to make this show work and I’m sadly bedridden sick at the moment. I can barely talk let alone sing and it sadly isn’t possible to play tonight’s show.” He added: “I understand what it takes to be able to attend concerts and the fact so many of you travelled for this one has made this decision even more difficult. I love you so much and hope you understand.”

Promoter Frontier Touring confirmed the cancellation in a separate statement, saying Warren was unwell and unable to perform “following medical advice.”

“Alex is devastated to miss the show and has been looking forward to performing for his Auckland fans,” the statement read. “He sincerely thanks fans for their understanding and support.” Ticketholders will receive automatic refunds.

The Auckland date was the sole North Island stop on Warren’s New Zealand run, following two shows earlier in the week at Christchurch’s Wolfbrook Arena. It’s not the first time illness has forced Warren off the road: he scrapped Philadelphia and Montreal tour stops in 2025 after performing through bronchitis and laryngitis worsened his condition. Warren is next scheduled to perform Friday (Aug. 28) at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, continuing an Australian leg that runs through Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

The cancellation lands just before a major release for Warren. His sophomore album, Wildchild, arrives Friday via Atlantic Records — the same day as his Sydney show — following 2025’s breakout debut You’ll Be Alright, Kid. That album, anchored by the 10-week Hot 100 No. 1 “Ordinary,” earned Warren the MTV VMA for best new artist and Billboard’s best new artist of 2025.

Wildchild has been previewed by singles “Fever Dream,” “Fine Place to Die,” “Passenger” and “Rescuer,” and Warren has described the 13-track project as documenting a healing process following his father’s death, in contrast to the grief-driven tone of his debut.

Hilltop Hoods will headline Australia’s Castaway Festival across three cities this summer, extending a run for the Adelaide hip-hop trio that has made them the most decorated act in the history of the ARIA Albums Chart.

The group holds a record seven No. 1 albums on the chart — more than any other Australian act, surpassing AC/DC, Powderfinger, Cold Chisel and Silverchair — a streak that most recently extended with 2025’s Fall From the Light.

Castaway will run at Whitfords Nodes Park in Hillarys, Western Australia, on Saturday, Nov. 21; Mornington Racecourse in Victoria on Saturday, Dec. 12; and Wollongong, New South Wales, on Saturday, March 20, 2027. Joining Hilltop Hoods on the bill are Brisbane rock band Violent Soho and ARIA-winning singer-songwriter Amy Shark, alongside supporting acts Playlunch, Trials, Lyric and Birdland. General tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 28, with artist, promoter and Telstra Plus presales opening Wednesday, Aug. 26.

Hilltop Hoods have built one of the most substantial catalogs in Australian hip-hop over more than two decades. The trio — Suffa, MC Pressure and DJ Debris — have logged 23 entries on Triple J’s Hottest 100 countdown and have won 10 ARIA Awards. Their chart dominance dates to 2006’s The Hard Road and has continued through State of the Art (2009), Drinking From the Sun (2012), Walking Under Stars (2014), a 2016 remix compilation of those two albums, The Great Expanse (2019) and Fall From the Light (2025), which marked their sixth consecutive album to debut at No. 1 in Australia.

Violent Soho, known for anthemic festival sets and albums including WACO and Everything Is A-OK, have also topped the ARIA Albums Chart during their career. Amy Shark broke through with 2018’s Love Monster, which reached No. 1 in Australia and helped establish her as one of the country’s most recognizable pop songwriters. “I’m a huge fan of Hilltop Hoods and Violent Soho, I was more than happy to join the boys on the road!” Shark said in a statement announcing the festival. “I don’t think you could get a better lineup. Hip-hop, rock and pop — I can’t wait!”

The three-city run continues Castaway’s format of pairing major national headliners with rotating supporting bills across Australia’s west, southeast and east coasts.

The Wallflowers will play Australia for the first time, announcing a five-date tour presented by Love Police to mark the 30th anniversary of their breakthrough album, Bringing Down the Horse. The band will perform the album in full at every show.

The tour opens at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre on Friday, Dec. 4, followed by Thirroul’s Anita’s Theatre on Dec. 5, Sydney’s Liberty Hall on Dec. 6, Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on Dec. 8 and Adelaide’s Hindley Street Music Hall on Dec. 9. A promoter presale begins Wednesday, Aug. 26, with general tickets on sale Friday, Aug. 28.

Bringing Down the Horse, released May 21, 1996, peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and was certified quadruple platinum in the U.S.; in Australia it went gold and reached No. 9 on the ARIA chart. Lead single “One Headlight” became the band’s signature hit, topping Billboard’s Mainstream Rock, Modern Rock and Triple-A airplay charts simultaneously and winning two Grammy Awards in 1998 for best rock song and best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals. It later landed at No. 58 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 greatest pop songs. The album also produced “6th Avenue Heartache,” “The Difference” and “Three Marlenas.”

Each show will also feature a full performance of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 1982 album Long After Dark — a tribute the band says reflects a formative influence on frontman Jakob Dylan. Dylan inducted Petty into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

Dylan, the son of Bob Dylan, has led the Wallflowers for more than three decades. Beyond the band’s catalog, he starred in the 2018 documentary Echo in the Canyon, working alongside Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Beck, Cat Power, Norah Jones and Regina Spektor, and has placed songs in film and TV including the Wallflowers’ cover of “Heroes” for the 1998 Godzilla soundtrack. The band supported Eric Clapton on his 2025 U.S. tour, following earlier support runs with Clapton, the Who and the Rolling Stones.

“I loved this record when it hit the streets,” Love Police’s BT said in a statement announcing the tour. “It was 1996, lots of good things around that were starting to reignite the country, roots, early Americana scene… It’s an excellent live show and we get a Petty album too?! Unreal.”

The Wallflowers’ 2026 Australian tour dates:

Friday, Dec. 4 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Saturday, Dec. 5 — Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul
Sunday, Dec. 6 — Liberty Hall, Sydney
Tuesday, Dec. 8 — Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
Wednesday, Dec. 9 — Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide

ENHYPEN’s eighth mini album, THE SIN : BLISS, tops this week’s new music poll.

In a poll published Friday (Aug. 21) by Billboard, music fans selected the K-pop heavyweights’ second installment in the ongoing THE SIN series as their favorite new release of the week.

THE SIN : BLISS rose above a number of new releases this week from artists including Sam Smith, Weezer, Stella Lefty and Reba McEntire. At the poll’s closing time on Sunday, ENHYPEN’s new mini album had come out on top with nearly 73% of the vote.

THE SIN : BLISS marks ENHYPEN’s first release since HEESEUNG announced his departure from the group to pursue a solo career. Now a six-member act comprising Jake, Jay, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon and Ni-ki, the group recently completed the Latin American and U.S. legs of their BLOOD SAGA trek, their largest world tour to date.

In July, ENHYPEN took part in San Diego Comic-Con 2026, where they introduced global audiences to “DARK MOON,” HYBE’s original story inspired by ENHYPEN’s narrative universe.

Before the release of THE SIN : BLISS, the group had landed nine titles on the Billboard 200, including six top 10 appearances: MANIFESTO : DAY 1 (No. 6 in 2022), DARK BLOOD (No. 4, 2023), ORANGE BLOOD (No. 4, 2023), ROMANCE : UNTOLD (No. 2, 2024), DESIRE : UNLEASH (No. 3, 2025) and THE SIN : VANISH (No. 2, 2026).

Next up, ENHYPEN will take the BLOOD SAGA tour to the United Kingdom and Europe from February through March 2027.

Trailing ENHYPEN in Billboard’s poll this week was the “other” category with nearly 12% of the vote, followed by Sam Smith’s fifth album, Hazel Eyes, with 7%.

Check out the final results of this week’s poll below, and visit Billboard’s Friday Music Guide for more must-hear new releases.

Dr. Dre is sharing his thoughts on AI’s growing role in music.

In an interview with The New York Times alongside his longtime business partner Jimmy Iovine, the legendary rapper and producer called AI a “new tool for creativity” and said he doesn’t see it “as a threat.”

In the piece, published Sunday (Aug. 23), Dre compared resistance to AI with the skepticism that initially greeted drum machines and synthesizers.

“I had a discussion with a few people a few days ago,” Dre told the Times. “They were against AI and I’m like, ‘OK, you sound like the person that would have been against the drum machine when it came out.’ Or synthesizers, right? It’s a new tool for creativity. Some people are afraid of learning new things.”

Dre also acknowledged that he is using AI in his own music, explaining that he views the technology “as a tool to see what it would do with what I just did.”

“I’m embracing it. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen with this,” he added.

The N.W.A. alum also pushed back on the idea that AI is inherently a threat to musicians. “I think the only people that see it as a threat are the people who have trouble creating,” the superproducer said.

Iovine expressed a similarly optimistic view of AI’s potential in music. The veteran music executive said there are “a lot of closet AI producers out there,” prompting Dre to reply, “That’s a good way to put it. They’re using it, they just don’t want to admit it.”

“I’m very pro-AI in music creation,” Iovine said. “I don’t see the downside at all. There will be some crappy music. There’s crappy music now. In the studio, when gifted people have AI, they’re going to make better records.”

Dre and Iovine co-founded Beats Electronics and Beats Music before selling Beats to Apple for a reported $3 billion-plus in 2014.

Their comments come as the music industry continues to grapple with the rapid rise of generative AI and questions surrounding creativity, authenticity, copyright and artists’ rights.

Apple Music recently said that its AI Transparency Tags will become visible to listeners later this year as “Made With AI” labels. The platform will require content providers to disclose when AI has been used to create a material portion of content.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and other music-industry organizations announced a voluntary track-labeling program in July that distinguishes between “AI-Generated” and “AI-Assisted” recordings.

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Summer is rolling into fall and the sun is setting earlier at night, making it a little more dangerous if you’re used to going on an evening run.

Fortunately, we’ve spotted a new pair of headphones on Amazon that let you take your walk or run into the late nights while making sure you stay visible. These HAKII Light 2 headphones feature a light up headband that emits a bright green glow, making sure you’re well-lit, even in dark neighborhoods.

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The wrap around design means the entire back of your head is lit up, lending a halo-style effect to keep you fully in view. It’s more effective than running vests or armbands with reflective patches, which only show up when a light is pointed in their direction. These light-up headphones stay bright the entire time, making sure you’re visible to drivers, cyclists and other pedestrians.

Of course, these are headphones designed for music too, and the HAKII Light 2 features surprisingly powerful sound with big bass, to boost your running playlist. The adjustable headband features a comfortable over-ear design that helps the headphones stay in place even as you’re moving.

The wireless headphones are also rated IPX5 to be sweat and water-resistant — no need to worry if you’re caught in the rain as the music will keep playing. Wipe them down with a towel or cloth to dry.

The HAKII Light 2 portable headphones also use Bluetooth 6.0 technology, one of the latest Bluetooth standards for wireless pairing. What that means: connecting to your phone is super fast and less prone to breaking up.

Of course the light-up headband is why you’ll be buying these headphones, but there’s another safety feature you may not know about: the open-ear design means the earcups rest against your ears rather than covering them up entirely. That allows you to stay aware of your surroundings (say, if a car is approaching or someone is calling out for you) without losing track of your music.

Regularly $59.99, get the HAKII Light 2 headphones on sale for just $46.99 right now on Amazon. A bonus: for a limited time, you can apply an on-site coupon to bring the price down to just $32. We’ve purchased the above model with a neon green light, but you can also pick up a pair of headphones with a glowing orange headband here.

As with all Amazon deals, pricing could change at any time so we recommend adding to cart while the headphones are still in stock at the sale price.

Drake is continuing to show love to Ella Langley.

On Saturday (Aug. 22), Drizzy was spotted in the crowd at the country star’s concert at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Nearly a week after Drake made headlines for praising Langley’s songwriting abilities on social media, the 6 God was seen singing along to her smash hit “Choosin’ Texas” while standing alongside ERNEST, one of the openers on her Dandelion Tour.

Drake appeared fully immersed in the moment, even making his way onto the venue’s big screens as he sang and danced along to “Choosin’ Texas.” The hit recently logged its 18th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Langley the fourth-longest reign in the chart’s history.

Last Sunday (Aug. 16), Drake became a member of Ella’s Fellas after commenting on an Instagram post recapping her recent Texas shows. “Goated pen,” the superstar rapper wrote alongside a pen emoji. Drake also gave “Choosin’ Texas” a spin while DJing at a Houston club in July.

Drake’s appearance at Langley’s show has left some fans wondering whether a musical collaboration could be in the works. “WE NEED THAT COLLAB,” one person wrote on X alongside a raising hands emoji. Another observer speculated, “He’s gonna sample it I just gotta feeling.” A third added, “The collab we all never thought we needed. Send it!”

Drake’s admiration for Langley appears to be mutual. The Alabama native posted a TikTok video on Aug. 15 lip-syncing along to Drizzy and Lil Wayne’s 2011 hit “HYFR (Hell Ya F—king Right).” Langley rapped Weezy’s chorus bar-for-bar from the Grammy-nominated Take Care track.

In recent days, some Drake fans have also speculated that the Toronto MC could be preparing to release even more music. After dropping a trifecta of albums, the rapper posted a “FEAR OF MISSING OUT” CD case to Instagram on Aug. 21. The CD case features a black backdrop and white lettering, while Drizzy offered no context for the photo beyond a video camera emoji.

A full-on collaboration with a country artist would mark a first for Drake, who previously experimented with singing over acoustic guitar on HABIBTI’s opener “Rusty Intro.” Langley, meanwhile, has already dipped her toe into hip-hop, teaming up with BigXthaPlug for “Hell at Night” in 2025, which peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100.