Variety
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Glen Hansard, Irish Musician and ‘Once’ Star Who Won Oscar for Best Song, Dies at 56
Glen Hansard, the Irish musician who starred in the 2007 film “Once” and won the best original song Oscar for “Falling Slowly,” died on Wednesday in a motorcycle crash. He was 56. According to the BBC, Hansard was killed in a single-vehicle crash in his home city of Dublin on Wed

Kavinsky, French Producer and DJ Behind ‘Drive’ Opening Song ‘Nightcall,’ Dies at 50
Kavinsky, the French electro music producer and DJ whose hypnotic anthem “Nightcall” became a cult classic after opening Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 film “Drive,” died on Tuesday. He was 50. The artist was found dead at his Paris home on Tuesday evening. Authorities have opened a

Jared Leto Accused of Criminal Sexual Conduct by Four Women in BBC Documentary
Jared Leto has been accused of criminal sexual conduct by four women, who claim the offenses occurred when they were teenagers. In a new BBC documentary “Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret” — airing Wednesday — a total of 10 women come forward with allegations against the actor

Nick Hakim’s ‘I Can See’ Is a Hazy Alt-R&B Masterpiece: Album Review
“Stoner R&B” is not an insult: It’s the opposite, a loose term to describe a sprawling genre of music that includes everything from Dijon and Frank Ocean to Brent Faiyaz and Jhene Aiko. It’s R&B that has smoked a strong blunt, with languid grooves, heavy bass, psychedelicized pro

India’s Paid Music Subscribers Could Hit 30 Million by 2028, EY-IMI Report Finds
India’s paid music streaming subscriber base could grow to between 28 million and 30 million by 2028, up from an estimated 14 million as of December 2025, according to the EY and the Indian Music Industry (IMI) “How India Listens, Streams and Pays for Music” report, released Frid

Jon Bon Jovi Ends Madison Square Garden Show Early Due to Sinus Infection: ‘We’ll Figure Out How to Reschedule’
Bon Jovi’s penultimate show of their Madison Square Garden residency came to an early end on Thursday night after frontman Jon Bon Jovi revealed he was suffering from a sinus infection. About 90 minutes into the set, Bon Jovi told the crowd that he would have to stop the show as

‘Mexodus’ Review: The Underground Railroad Runs South to Mexico in a Pasadena Playhouse Musical That Feels as Spirited as a Two-Man ‘Hamilton’
To paraphrase Aaliyah: Cast size ain’t nothing but a number. In the realm of the theater, no one exactly equates the number of headshots on a Playbill page with the ultimate fulfillment a stage show provides. Still, a question may arise: How few people can you have in a musical a

‘Saiyaara’ Stars Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda Mark Film’s First Year With Collector’s Edition Vinyl LP Launch at Wembley Stadium (EXCLUSIVE)
Bollywood stars Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda visited London’s Wembley Stadium to celebrate the first anniversary of “Saiyaara,” unveiling a collector’s edition vinyl LP of the Yash Raj Films blockbuster – a package built to give fans and music enthusiasts a definitive way to revi

Girls’ Generation Star Tiffany Young Sets Debut Album ‘Edge of Calm,’ Asia Tour
Tiffany Young, the Los Angeles-born K-pop veteran who rose to prominence as a member of Girls’ Generation, will release her debut solo studio album, “Edge of Calm,” on Aug. 20 through Pacific Music Group and its flagship label, Pacific Records, alongside an eight-city Asia tour l

Jay-Z Closes Yankee Stadium Residency With Epic Late Night Show Featuring Beyoncé, Rihanna, Usher, Teyana Taylor and More
“We’re going to go until like 5 a.m., so don’t be scared,” said Jay-Z not long after he started the third and final show of his Yankee Stadium residency on Sunday night, the concluding chapter to a weekend that paid homage to the 25th and 30th anniversaries of his seminal albums

Jay-Z’s Third Yankee Stadium Concert Plagued by Hours-Long Delay After Security Breach — ‘We Didn’t Want People to Get Trampled’
Jay-Z’s third and most hotly anticipated concert at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night was plagued by a nearly four-hour delay due to fans rushing the venue’s gates, with Jay finally taking the stage four hours after the concert’s listed start time (and around three hours after the p

Jay-Z Celebrates ‘The Blueprint’ 25th Anniversary With Eminem, Pharrell Williams and Slick Rick at Yankee Stadium
Jay-Z was almost entirely truthful to the source material for his 25th anniversary Yankee Stadium show on Saturday to celebrate “The Blueprint,” setting guests artists to high wattage but low frequency as he trotted out Eminem, Pharrell Williams and Slick Rick for a curtailed 90-

Jack White Keeps Rock ‘n’ Roll on the Front Burner in ‘Frozen Charlotte,’ His Heavy and Blazingly Worthy ‘No Name’ Followup: Album Review
The first question most Jack White fans are looking to have answered to when it comes to his new album, “Frozen Charlotte”: Is it effectively a “No Name 2.0”? Nearly everyone is hoping for a “yes,” on that one. In his solo career, White spent a few years notably bouncing around,

Jay-Z Brings Out Beyoncé, Blue Ivy Carter, Nas, Alicia Keys and More for ‘Reasonable Doubt’ 30th Anniversary Show at Yankee Stadium
Jay-Z did appear to promise far in advance that his “Reasonable Doubt” 30th anniversary show would, in fact, be a celebration of the debut album that he dropped back in June 1996. That didn’t stop him from pulling out all the stops — well, most of them, at least — during the firs

Jack White Offers Opening Slot to ‘Satanic’ Band Twin Temple — ‘Get in Front of Me, Satan!’ — as Charley Crockett Defends Decision to Dump Them
“Not today, Satan”… or “Hell yeah, Beelzebub”? A split is taking place in the polarizing realm of devil-rock, as practiced by self-styled “Satanic” duo Twin Temple. On Friday, country singer Charley Crockett took to social media to defend his decision to drop the act from his tou

Bonnie Tyler, ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ and ‘Holding Out for a Hero’ Singer, Dies at 75
Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh pop-rock singer behind ’80s hits like “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” died on Wednesday. She was 75. “Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as

Jay-Z Adds London Date to ‘Jay-Z 30’ Concert Series
Jay-Z has added a London date to his string of “Jay-Z 30” shows, celebrating his three-decade career in music. The rapper will play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sept. 4. The concert will mark his only U.K. stop of the year and joins previously announced performances in Paris o

AI Music Start-Up Suno Hires Atlantic Records, YouTube Alums to Lead Marketing and Music Business Development (EXCLUSIVE)
Suno, the controversial AI music generation company eager to partner with the music industry, has tapped two executives with longstanding ties to the business in VP roles. The company has hired former Atlantic Records executive Grace James as vice president and head of artist mar

Madonna’s Dance Floor-Dominating ‘Confessions II’ Is Her Best Album in Decades: Album Review
“Sometimes I like to just hide in the shadows,” mutters Madonna at the start of “I Feel So Free,” the opening track on her 15th album “Confessions II.” “Create a new persona. A different identity. I can be whoever I want to be.” As hard as it may be to picture Madonna hiding in t

How Jolin Tsai’s ‘Pleasure’ Finally Came Together, According to the British Producer Who Made It
The secret to Jolin Tsai’s most celebrated albums, according to British producer Richard Craker, has less to do with technique than with trust – and a willingness to sit with uncertainty until the music finds its shape. The final conference of the 2026 Golden Melody Festival in T

Rosalía’s Brilliant ‘Lux’ Tour Brings Cross-Disciplinary Delight and Splendor to L.A.’s Kia Forum: Concert Review
Do you want to know how good Rosalía’s Monday night show at the Kia Forum was? Here is how good Rosalía’s Monday night show at the Forum was… Midway through the set, as is the custom on her “Lux” tour, the Spanish singer-songwriter took time out to have a candid dialogue with a g

Victor Willis, Village People Founding Lead Singer and ‘YMCA’ Co-Writer, Dies at 74
Victor Willis, the founding lead singer of Village People and co-writer of “YMCA,” “Macho Man” and “In the Navy,” died on Tuesday. He was 74. “We are profoundly sad to announce the death of Victor Willis, lead singer of Village People. Victor passed on Monday June 30, 2026 of a s

Jury Says Chris Brown Owes Housekeeper $13 Million for Disfigurement in Dog Mauling Attack
Chris Brown was found liable by a Los Angeles jury on Tuesday for $13 million in the gruesome case of a dog that mauled and disfigured his housekeeper at his home in 2020. At the end of a two-week trial, the verdict went strongly in favor of Maria Avila, who was viciously attacke

Sony Music Indonesia, Sun Eater Group Launch Joint-Venture Label Lunar
Sony Music Indonesia and Sun Eater Group have unveiled Lunar, a joint-venture record label aimed at developing and distributing Indonesian artists with global ambitions. The new imprint, formally incorporated as PT Lunar Musik Indonesia, launches with three artists on its initial

Jolin Tsai and Chang Chen-yue Lead the Pack at Golden Melody Awards
Taipei Arena erupted on Saturday night as the 37th Golden Melody Awards – the Grammys of the Mandarin pop world – delivered one of its most memorable ceremonies, with pop titan Jolin Tsai walking away with the evening’s ultimate prize. The Golden Melody Awards have long served as

Vanilla Ice’s Freedom 250 Concert in D.C. Canceled Due to ‘Inclement Weather’ That Doesn’t Materialize
There was no measurable rain in Washington, D.C. Friday night, but even a threat of scattered showers was enough to melt Vanilla Ice’s planned performance on the National Lawn as part of the Freedom 250 events, as the free show was called off hours before it was set to occur due

ACM Honors Event Sets Kacey Musgraves, Ella Langley, Leslie Fram and Other Country Heavyweights for Special Awards
The lineup of country music heavyweights due to receive special awards from the Academy of Country Music this summer has been set, with Kacey Musgraves, Ella Langley and Eric Church among the stars being feted at the 19th annual ACM Honors program. It will take place Aug. 19 at t

Taylor Swift Sings ‘Love Story’ With Lainey Wilson in Surprise Performance at Travis Kelce’s Tight End University
Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance at fiancé Travis Kelce’s Tight Ends & Friends concert on Tuesday night to sing her hit “Love Story” with Lainey Wilson. The event, presented by Sports Illustrated and Reese’s, took place as part of Kelce’s Tight End University in Nashville,

Buddy Guy 90th Birthday Concert, Starring Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Jon Batiste and More, Scheduled for October
Legendary bluesman Buddy Guy — who starred in Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning film “Sinners” and was honored at Variety’s Hitmakers event last year — will receive what may be his greatest honor to date on Oct. 1 at New York’s Radio City Music Hall: “Buddy’s Got the Blues: A 90th Bir

Oprah Winfrey Says Whitney Houston Once Fell Off Stage During ‘Oprah Show’ Performance and She ‘Begged’ Audience Not to Leak It to the Press: ‘I Knew She Would Be Destroyed by That’
Oprah Winfrey turned her Cannes Lions appearance into a call for creators to use their platforms for good, talking with festival chair Phil Thomas about philanthropy, legacy and her improbable path from rural Mississippi to becoming one of the most powerful self-made figures in m
