Rock legend Patti Smith was giddy and almost at a loss for words when she met Friday (July 31) with Pope Leo XIV.
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“Hi,” she said softly as she sat down across from Leo at his desk in the Apostolic Palace.
Post-meeting, on Instagram, she had a bit more to say: “This is a moment that shall forever produce a smile,” she wrote of the encounter.
Wearing a crucifix necklace and hair in her trademark braids, Smith has become an increasingly visible presence at the Vatican thanks to her friendship with the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary in the Vatican’s culture ministry.
She has said that while she is not Catholic, she was drawn in particular to Pope Francis and his “gentle, open, and steadfast sense of humanity.”
She also had a thing for Pope John Paul I: Her 1979 tune “Wave” is about a make-believe conversation with the pope who had just died after a 33-day papacy. It begins “Hi. Hi,” uttered in the same breathy voice Smith used with Leo on Friday.
The pope clearly was familiar with the tune. “That was marvelous,” he said.
Earlier this year, Smith performed during the inauguration of the Holy See’s Pavilion at the Venice Biennale contemporary art fair. The occasion, May 8, was the anniversary of Leo’s election.
Spadaro, who joined Smith at Friday’s audience, said the encounter between the two Chicago natives was around 40 minutes long. In a text message, he said it “felt more like a conversation between two people discovering they were old friends, sharing memories woven from words and music, dreams, visions, and hopes — both from yesterday and for today.”
He said at the end, Smith said “Bye. Bye.”
Smith met Francis in 2013 and sang for him in 2014. When he died, on April 21, 2025, she wrote a poem on social media, comparing Francis to a dandelion, “humble yet strong.”
“Nature and poetry and the suffering shall miss their champion,” she wrote.
It was Leo’s second encounter with a music legend this week. On Wednesday, Leo attended a concert in his honor by tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Parker McCollum and his wife, Hallie Ray McCollum, have welcomed their second child together.
The country star announced Saturday (Aug. 1) that the couple’s new baby boy was born on July 30. They shared the news in a joint Instagram post featuring a gallery of family photos from the hospital.
“Rocker Tommy Light McCollum! born on July 30th / 8 pounds 7 oz!” the couple wrote. “THANK YOU JESUS for another healthy baby boy! we are so in love with our little fam! mom & dad x 2 here we gooooooo!”
The photo gallery included sweet moments of the family’s first days as a quartet, with McCollum and Hallie Ray posing alongside their newborn while their older son, Major Yancey, looked on.
The announcement drew congratulations from friends, fans and fellow artists. Miranda Lambert was among those celebrating the news, commenting, “Congrats yall,” alongside two blue heart emojis.
The arrival comes just days after McCollum revealed he would postpone tour dates to be present for the birth of his second son.
“Hey everyone. Wanted to share some good news with you all,” he wrote in a Facebook post on July 29. “My beautiful wife is blessing our family with our second baby and it’s looking like he’ll be here tomorrow! I couldn’t be more excited to become a dad for the second time.”
The singer also announced he would reschedule shows in Kansas City, Missouri, and Omaha, Nebraska, explaining his decision to put family first.
“Once I step off the stage at Red Rocks, I’m headed straight home to be with the family. Hate having to make that call, but family comes first,” he wrote.
The Omaha concert has been rescheduled for Sept. 10, while the Kansas City show will now take place Sept. 12. Previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new dates.
“Thanks for understanding and for all the love. Can’t wait to see ya’ll soon,” McCollum concluded.
McCollum is currently touring in support of his 2025 self-titled album, with dates scheduled through the end of November.
McCollum first announced Hallie Ray’s pregnancy in December 2025, sharing festive family photos on Instagram. “McCollum party of 4 next Christmas!!!!” he captioned the Instagram post.
The couple married in March 2022 and welcomed their first son, Major Yancey, in August 2024.
Harry Styles kicked off the Mexico City residency of his celebrated Together, Together Tour at the GNP Seguros Stadium on Friday (July 31), where the British pop superstar captivated a crowd of over 68,000 people (according to Ocesa) with an experimental, fresh, universal and impactful show that reaffirms his privileged place in the contemporary music scene.
The performance marked the first of six nights at the iconic stadium in the Mexican capital. Styles turned 120 minutes into an enthusiastic mass dance party with a setlist that blended major hits like “As It Was,” “Watermelon Sugar” and “Sign of the Times,” with tracks from his latest album, Kiss All The Time. The Disco, Occasionally, resulting in a virtuosic display of everything there is to love about pop music.
The residency in Mexico — which continues on Aug. 1, 4, 7, 8 and 10 — kicked off impressively, with Styles reciprocating the love he received from the Latin American country by thanking fans for their warmth and hospitality.
“I’ve had the privilege of being able to come here over the years in my lifetime,” Styles said. “Thank you so much to the people of Mexico for the warm welcome… They are beautiful, beautiful people!”
Styles’ fondness for Mexico City led him to explore its streets earlier this week, go for a run in the touristy Chapultepec Forest, and even enjoy a stroll accompanied by his girlfriend, actress Zoë Kravitz, according to viral videos shared on social media.
Throughout the show, he spoke a few phrases in Spanish, waved a Mexican flag and even led the audience to sing “Las Mañanitas” for a band member’s birthday, further solidifying his deep connection to Mexico, a country he has visited three times: twice as a solo artist and once with One Direction.
The Together, Together residency in Mexico has generated such anticipation that the Mexico City Chamber of Commerce (Canaco) has estimated the six concerts could bring an economic benefit of between $145 and $171 million to the capital city, according to a statement from the commercial organization.
Mexico City is one of seven cities worldwide chosen by Styles to perform in during 2026 — the second Latin American city included in the tour after São Paulo, Brazil — and the one hosting the largest number of concerts in the region, according to promoter Ocesa. For this leg of the tour, British singer-songwriter Jorja Smith is Styles’ opening act.
Below are five of the best moments from the first night of Harry Styles’ Together, Together residency in Mexico City.
The family of Glen Hansard has announced details of the Irish singer-songwriter’s public memorial and funeral following his death.
A public wake for Hansard will be held at the Baroque Chapel at IMMA, Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin on Monday (Aug. 3) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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“Glen will lie in repose for those wishing to pay their respects,” Hansard’s family wrote in a statement released Friday (July 31).
Hansard’s funeral service will take place at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday (Aug. 4). The service will be open to the public, though access inside the cathedral will be “extremely limited” due to the large number of mourners expected.
The funeral will also be broadcast live on Irish news outlets RTE News and RIP.IE.
“Music at the funeral will be provided by Glen’s friends and family,” the statement added.
Hansard’s family also asked well-wishers to forgo flowers and gifts in favor of donations to Dublin’s Simon Community, which provides services to people experiencing homelessness, or Ukrainian Action.
“The family kindly asks that the privacy of Glen’s family and friends be respected at this time,” the statement says.
Hansard, the Oscar-winning singer-songwriter and Once star who fronted The Frames and was one half of the duo The Swell Season, died on July 29 following a motorcycle crash near his home in Dublin. He was 56.
Following his death, the beloved Irish troubadour was remembered by dozens of fellow artists, including U2’s Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Billie Eilish, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“Sometimes I would wonder if Glen Hansard really existed…. Seriously, he was such an angelic presence… not otherworldly…in fact, very present this presence… A smiling rascal if you needed him to be… this most musical and mischievous archangel of Ballymun… no airs, plenty of graces,” Bono wrote on X.
Modest Mouse has announced that guitarist Simon O’Connor will not join the band’s upcoming North American tour following allegations that he sent inappropriate social media messages to a minor.
In an Instagram post shared Friday (July 31) and captioned “Upcoming tour update,” the indie rock band revealed that O’Connor will be replaced on the trek by Les Savy Fav guitarist Seth Jabour.
“Simon O’Conner will not be joining us on the upcoming tour,” Modest Mouse wrote in the statement. “The good news is that Seth Jabour of Les Savy Fav will be jumping in to play guitar. We look forward to being out there with you all.”
The band did not provide further details about O’Connor’s status beyond the upcoming tour or indicate whether he remains a member of Modest Mouse. Billboard has reached out to the band’s representatives for comment.
The announcement comes as Modest Mouse prepares to tour in support of its eighth studio album, An Eraser and a Maze, released in June. The North American run begins Aug. 4 at Libbey Bowl in Ojai, California, and wraps Oct. 24 in Sacramento.
O’Connor, who joined Modest Mouse in 2021, was accused in late July by a Reddit user who said they were 17 years old of sending them “an erotic image” and commenting on their “bikini pics.” The user alleged they were 16 years old when the photos referenced were taken.
The guitarist later responded to the allegations in a Reddit post, writing that he “unequivocally” opposes “any sexual behavior towards minors.” He also claimed he mistakenly believed the Reddit user was someone who had repeatedly created fake social media accounts to troll him.
“Throughout my adult life, there has been a person who has popped up from time to time with the intention of, for lack of a better term, messing with me,” O’Connor wrote. “This person creates multiple social media accounts and deletes them… but always posts similar photos that I often recognize from previous accounts.”
He continued, “I assumed that this was the same person I had dealt with before and, with poor judgement, I decided to reach out with a tasteless meme, a sticker that read ‘Simon calls your bluff,’ and an attempt to indicate that I recognized the ‘barrage of likes’ and similar photo content from the previous profiles…. Almost a ‘gotcha.’ After a few minutes, I realized that I had made a mistake and this was not the person who I had dealt with before. I unsent the messages and immediately ceased communication.”
See Modest Mouse’s Instagram post below.
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The road to WWE SummerSlam leads to Minnesota. The company’s epic two-night summer spectacle has wrestling fans, celebrities and musicians flocking to witness a jam-packed wrestling cards and the resolution of shocking storylines.
The lineups for SummerSlam are split between two nights. For night one, there are six matches, headlined with Liv Morgan defending her Women’s World Championship title against Iyo Sky. And for night two, there’s six matches scheduled Roman Reigns defending his World Heavyweight Championship title belt against Seth Rollins.
When and Where Is WWE SummerSlam 2026?
SummerSlam kicks off on Saturday (Aug. 1) and Sunday (Aug. 2), beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT each night. The two-night event takes place at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Who’s Performing During WWE SummerSlam 2026?
While there’s no word on who will perform for night one, Grammy Award-winner Darius Rucker, who is a longtime WWE fan, is set to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” to open SummerSlam on night two.
How to Watch WWE SummerSlam 2026 Online?
For 2026, both nights of SummerSlam are available to watch on ESPN+ via ESPN Unlimited. It’s not a pay-per-view event, but rather you’d need access to ESPN Unlimited to watch all of the WWE action. Although the sports streaming service doesn’t have a free trial to watch SummerSlam for free, you can sign up for a five-day free trial to DirecTV, which comes with access to ESPN Unlimited.
A subscription to DirecTV gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels at $59.99 for the first month of service ($89.99 per month afterward). In fact, the “Entertainment” package comes with access to ESPN Unlimited to watch SummerSlam, as well as Disney+ and Hulu at no extra cost. The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks, such as NBC, CBS and FOX, while you can watch many cable networks too, including FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, Cartoon Network, ESPN, FS1, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, Lifetime, CNBC, BET, MTV, Paramount Network and many others.
ESPN Unlimited is the official streaming platform for ESPN+ for SummerSlam. A subscription includes instant access for $29.99 per month. However, you can save almost 17% off by purchasing an annual subscription for $299.99 per year. It features every ESPN network, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, SEC Network+ and ACC Network Extra — all in one streaming service.
In addition to live sports, ESPN Unlimited has original programming to stream on demand. While the service doesn’t offer a free trial, you can still watch ESPN Unlimited with a clever workaround to watch online for free. Learn more about how to get a free trial to access ESPN Unlimited here.
What’s the Match Card for WWE SummerSlam 2026?
Over two nights, there are 12 matches (six matches each night) for SummerSlam. The main event for night one is Liv Morgan vs. Iyo Sky, while the main event for night two is Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins.
Night 1 Match Card (Saturday, Aug. 1, 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT):
- Women’s World Championship: Liv Morgan (champion) vs. Iyo Sky
- Hell in a Cell: Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi
- Undisputed WWE Championship: CM Punk (champion) vs. Cody Rhodes
- Six-Man Tag Team: LA Knight, Royce Keys, and Solo Sikoa vs. The Bloodline
- Gunther vs. Nick Aldis
- Six-Woman Tag Team: The Bella Twins and Paige vs. Fatal Influence
Night 2 Match Card (Sunday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT):
- World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns (champion) vs. Seth Rollins
- WWE Intercontinental Championship: Penta (champion) vs. Chad Gable
- Interim WWE Women’s Championship (Ladder Match): Charlotte Flair vs. Chelsea Green vs. Jade Cargill vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Giulia (or Lash Legend)
- Danhausen vs. Dominik Mysterio
- Finn Bálor vs. Sami Zayn
- WWE United States Championship: Trick Williams (champion) vs. Baron Corbin
You can also pick up official SummerSlam merch online at Fanatics.com, which has T-shirts, baseball caps, accessories and memorabilia for the big event.
OFFICIAL MERCH
SummerSlam 2026 All Logos T-Shirt
This vintage-inspired T-shirt features all the logos from previous SummerSlam events while paying tribute to this year’s event in Minnesota.
The 100% cotton tee is selling quickly with the larger sizes already out of stock. Sizes small to XL are still available as of this writing. This is officially-licensed merch from the WWE and Fanatics.
BLIND BOX PULL
WWE Championship Title Slap Bands
And Walmart has these official WWE championship belt slap bands, which boast a metallic style buckle, just like the real thing.
Each bracelet measures approximately 8.6 inches long. There are nine slap bands to collect in total and each pack contains one random bracelet.
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