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.

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.

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.

ZZ Top has returned to the stage following the death of longtime drummer Frank Beard.

On Saturday (Aug. 22), the legendary Texas blues-rock band played its first show since Beard’s death earlier in the week at Austin’s Moody Theater, “one of Frank’s favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him,” according to a previous press statement.

Following Beard’s death at age 77 on Monday (Aug. 17), ZZ Top canceled two tour dates in Salt Lake City on Aug. 18 and Colorado Springs on Aug. 19. The band previously announced that it would resume its current The Big One! Tour with back-to-back shows this weekend at Austin City Limits.

During Saturday’s show, drummer Michael Monahan stepped in behind the kit. Both Monahan and longtime drum tech John Douglas had been filling in for Beard as he dealt with health issues in recent years.

ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons addressed his bandmate’s death once during the performance, during the group’s introductions after the first song, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.

“I guess some of you probably know there’s a new man in town,” Gibbons said of Monahan. “In fact, it all started a little while back. [Bassist Elwood Francis] and I got an unexpected call from our dear Frank Beard, our dear drummer for 50 years. I’ve never heard him admit, he said, ‘My bass drum foot’s a little weak. Can you get my man [Monahan] to take over?’ I said, ‘Oh yeah, yeah, he’s been doing pretty good.’ Frank said, ‘Yeah, that’s what worries me.’”

Gibbons then shifted his tone to a more upbeat one, telling the audience, “We’re all here for a celebration, you know what’s going on. So we’re gonna have a good time.”

ZZ Top similarly returned to the stage quickly following the death of the band’s longtime bassist Dusty Hill in 2021. At the time, Francis, the group’s guitar tech of 20 years, filled in for Hill on bass just days after the band announced Hill’s death at age 72.

ZZ Top will remain on the road through October as part of the band’s The Big One! Tour. The group will then travel to South America for additional shows in November. The band hasn’t yet announced whether Monahan will remain behind the kit for those performances.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard brought out Max Weinberg as a surprise guest during their Friday (Aug. 21) show at Queens’ Forest Hills Stadium, with the E Street Band drummer filling in for his son, longtime band collaborator Jay Weinberg.

Guitarist Joey Walker explained the swap to the crowd mid-set. “In continuing with the tradition that we started over the last year or so, where we get our friend Jay Weinberg to come out and play a song with us — it’d be rude not to. But Jay’s busy, he’s down in Nashville, so Jay made a call: ‘Alright, I’m going to call dad.’”

Max Weinberg then joined the band onstage as a second drummer, playing alongside regular drummer Michael Cavanagh on an extended rendition of “Hot Water.”

The elder Weinberg’s cameo continues a running bit between the Australian psych-rock band and Jay Weinberg, the former Slipknot drummer who has guested with King Gizzard periodically since first sitting in during a 2024 Nashville show.

He appeared again just a week earlier at the band’s Field of Vision II festival in Colorado, playing on “Hell” and hosting a solo drum clinic.

The guest spot came during the second of three King Gizzard shows at Forest Hills Stadium, part of a run marking the band’s fourth consecutive year at the venue and its first time playing three nights there. The Aug. 20 and 21 dates were billed as rock shows, while the run closed Saturday (Aug. 22) with an all-electronic rave set.

The band then heads to Brooklyn’s Under the K Bridge Park on Sunday (Aug. 23) for another rave show, before continuing to a run of Australian dates in October, including a stop at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion.

King Gizzard’s Forest Hills stand comes amid a characteristically prolific stretch for the band, which released its latest album, Alien Metal, its 28th studio release, earlier this year.

Olivia Rodrigo is dropping new music ahead of her upcoming Daisy Chain Fields festival.

On Friday (Aug. 21), the 23-year-old singer-songwriter surprise-released her new song “Serena Joy” as a limited-edition CD available exclusively at Analog Music Shop in Tustin, California.

The store is located about eight miles from Irvine’s Great Park, where Daisy Chain Fields will take place on Aug. 29.

Analog Music Shop announced on Instagram Friday that Rodrigo had supplied the retailer with 500 copies of the Handmaid’s Tale-inspired track. The store later shared another post announcing that all copies had sold out.

“When we heard that Olivia Rodrigo was bringing an all-women music festival to Orange County, we were honestly just excited to see something this special happening right here in our hometown,” Analog Music Shop wrote. “As one of the closest record stores in the area, we wanted to find a way to support Daisy Chain Fields.”

The store said it was especially grateful to have been chosen to exclusively sell physical copies of “Serena Joy” three days before the song’s wider release, noting Rodrigo’s history of supporting independent record stores.

“More than anything, we’re grateful for what this represents: An artist building a stage for women in music and raising funds for women and girls,” the shop wrote. “An artist willing to support a local independent record store. And a hometown getting to be part of something really special. That means a lot to us.”

“Serena Joy” was recorded for Rodrigo’s third album, You Look Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in June, but ultimately didn’t make the final tracklist.

“I actually really love [‘Serena Joy’]. It didn’t fit on the album,” Rodrigo told Etalk. “The record was very much a chronicle of a relationship — beginning, middle and end. But I hope that it’ll be a part of something else down the line.”

Rodrigo hadn’t commented on the CD single release of “Serena Joy” at press time, but Analog Music Shop seemingly teased that the song will receive a wider release on Monday (Aug. 24).

Rodrigo will headline the all-women Daisy Chain Fields festival on Aug. 29. Other performers include Chappell Roan, Garbage, Doechii, The Breeders, Mitski, Bikini Kill, KATSEYE and others, along with “special guests” Karen O, Sarah McLachlan and Stevie Nicks.

BigXthaPlug has had another run-in with the law.

Exactly one year after his previous arrest on similar charges, the 28-year-old rapper was arrested again in Texas on Friday (Aug. 21).

The Dallas native, whose real name is Xavier Landum, was arrested by the Allen Police Department and booked into Collin County Jail on charges of driving while intoxicated, possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to Dallas’ KDFW.

On Aug. 21, 2025, BigXthaPlug was arrested in North Texas on marijuana and weapon possession charges. He was out on bail for those charges when he was arrested Friday.

The rapper was scheduled to perform at the Country Rising Festival in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but was forced to cancel his appearance.

Organizers wrote in a statement on X that they understood the “disappointment and frustrated felt by those in attendance.” In another statement on Instagram, the festival wrote that BigXthaPlug wouldn’t be appearing “due to a personal emergency.”

The rapper is still slated to perform at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand on Saturday (Aug. 22). “We are aware of reports regarding BigXthaPlug. We are in communication with his agent and at this time, we have been told he will still be performing,” organizers there told KCCI in Des Moines.

In February 2025, BigXthaPlug was arrested on a marijuana possession charge in Arlington, Texas.

Last September, BigXthaPlug earned his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart with “All the Way,” featuring Bailey Zimmerman. Its parent album, I Hope You’re Happy, debuted in the top two on both the Top Rap Albums and Top Country Albums charts.