Music

A$AP Rocky is setting the tone for his Don’t Be Dumb era with the release of the album’s lead single, “Punk Rocky.”

The indie, subversive track arrives with a music video directed by The Three Musketeers made up of Rocky, Folkert Verdoorn and Simon Becks. In the visual, Rocky, sporting pink hair rollers, rehearses in a garage with his punk rock band before police interrupt, slamming the group against a car and checking their pockets, before letting them go. Rocky ends up with a black eye, which becomes a character of its own, as it sings throughout the video.

As the band resumes rehearsing, they spark mixed reactions from their neighbors. One neighbor, played by Winona Ryder, embraces the noise, dancing along and even bringing them a treat, while another is visibly upset, triggering a fight that lands the band in jail.

After taking mugshots, the group turns up inside their cell before eventually being released on bail. They later  perform a concert on the roof of a house, where Ryder’s character is spotted in the crowd.

As Rocky tries to reduce the swelling of his eye, he’s interrupted by a man crashing through his window. Rocky escapes through another window, fires his gun and is arrested once again. While handcuffed in the back of a police car, he attempts to light his lighter, and the video ends in what appears to be a crash or explosion.

Now available on YouTube, the “Punk Rocky” video brings the Don’t Be Dumb artwork to life, featuring several of Rocky’s alter egos, specifically five of the six depicted. It also features cameos from Danny Elfman, Thundercat, A$AP Nast and more.

Don’t Be Dumb is Rocky’s first studio album following 2018’s Testing; it’s set to arrive on Jan. 16.

(Video contains uncensored profanity).

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

In the battle between Ophelia and the Anti-Hero, Ophelia was fated to come out on top.

Taylor Swift‘s single “The Fate of Ophelia” has notched a ninth week at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the longest-leading chart-topper of her career. It was previously tied with “Anti-Hero,” which spent eight weeks on top starting in November of 2022.

“The Fate of Ophelia” is Taylor’s 13th #1 hit — her lucky number. All in all, Taylor has spent 27 weeks at #1 in the 2020s, more than any other artist this decade. And with “Ophelia” being on top in 2026, she’s now scored at least one #1 hit in 11 different years. The only artist who’s been number one in more individual years is Mariah Carey, with 22 years, mostly thanks to the ongoing success of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

Meanwhile, Taylor’s album The Life of a Showgirl has notched a 12th week at #1.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Marilyn Manson guitarist Tyler Bates will no longer be touring with the band.

“I have decided to conclude my time touring with Marilyn Manson to focus on my artist, film, and television projects,” Bates writes in an Instagram post.

Bates is also known as a prolific film composer and has worked on movies including 300, Watchmen, Guardians of the Galaxy and the John Wick franchise.

Bates started working with Manson in 2014 and produced and played on their respective 2015 and 2017 albums, The Pale Emperor and Heaven Upside Down. He also worked on Manson’s 2024 album, One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1, which marked Manson’s first since he was accused of abuse by his ex, Evan Rachel Wood.

While he’s stepping away from the live band, Bates will still be “actively supporting” Manson’s upcoming Chapter 2 album, which he says “is our finest work together”

“I wish M, the band, and the crew the best of success and good times moving forward,” Bates writes. “Thank you, the fans, for your loyalty and support of our new music and performances. I wish you all the very best for a fantastic and peaceful 2026.”

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

They’re “Choosin’ Texas” all over the place these days. This week, Ella Langley‘s latest hit becomes her first top 10 on Billboard‘s all-genre Hot 100 ranking. 

Just how hot is Ella’s song, which was co-written and co-produced and Miranda Lambert? It surges from #48 to #5, where it’s just a few spots away from another country cousin: Taylor Swift reigns at #1 for the ninth week with “The Fate of Ophelia.” 

The lead single from Ella’s forthcoming sophomore album is also #1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart. 

There’s no doubt the Alabama native’s a hot commodity these days. So far, she has five CMA trophies, four ACMs, a coveted spot on the 2026 New Faces show, and recently topped the chart with “Don’t Mind If I Do,” her second #1 with Riley Green.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Livies, get ready — for something.

Olivia Rodrigo‘s website has been locked, and the only thing you can see is a fake form designed to look like a drivers license renewal application. A box marked “I’ll be renewing online” has been checked off, and the “appointment time” is listed as “January 8” at “9 a.m. PST.”

The drivers license number on the form is listed as 05212021, which is the day that her debut album SOUR came out, and notably, Jan. 8, 2021 was the day she released her career-making single “drivers license.” That means whatever is coming on Jan. 8 will arrive on the fifth anniversary of the release of that song.

Fans have been speculating for months about Olivia’s new album, and attempting to guess what four-letter word she’s chosen for the title, assuming she’ll follow the same naming convention as her albums SOUR and GUTS.

Olivia’s GUTS world tour wrapped up July 1, 2025. Her most recent “official” single was 2024’s “Obsessed.”

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Bruno Mars was all over the charts in 2025, with his #1 Lady Gaga duet “Die With a Smile,” which won a Grammy, and his collaboration with Rosé, “APT.,” which was a massive global hit and is now Grammy-nominated. But it seems as though we might get something new from Bruno — and ONLY Bruno — in 2026.

On Monday, Jan. 5, Bruno wrote on X, “My album is done.” He also shared the message on his Instagram Story.

Believe it or not, Bruno’s last solo album, the Grammy-winning 24K Magic, came out way back in 2016. Since then, the only other album he’s put out has been 2021’s An Evening With Silk Sonic, but that was as part of the duo Silk Sonic with Anderson .Paak.

And while he hasn’t been making records, Bruno has been playing live over the past 10 years, both overseas and as part of his long-running residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas.  He also opened up a nightclub in Vegas called The Pinky Ring.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

It seems safe to say that Wet Leg avoided the sophomore slump.

After breaking out with their 2022 self-titled debut album, the “Chaise Longue” outfit returned in 2025 with their second record, moisturizer. The album spawned the successful singles “catch these fists” and “mangetout,” and has earned three Grammy nominations.

“It’s just crazy to see your band’s name next to legitimate artists who’ve been in the industry a long time and who’ve maybe inspired you to make music,” frontwoman Rhian Teasdale tells People. 

The recognition is especially meaningful for Teasdale since she wasn’t sure the success the first album brought Wet Leg would continue.

“We were very much prepared for, ‘The first album was just this mad, freak incident,'” Teasdale says. “We weren’t really expecting that for album two, so it’s just really nice.”

The 2026 Grammys take place Feb. 1. Moisturizer is nominated for best alternative music album and best album cover, while “mangetout” is up for best alternative music performance.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

It’s been nearly eight years, but Daniel Caesar is back on NPR’s Tiny Desk. Accompanied by an upright piano, a guitar and a 12-piece choir, he sang songs from his album Son of Spergy, which was released in late October.

Daniel kicked off with “Rain Down,” before getting into the track “Emily’s Song.” The set also featured performances of “Who Knows” as well as the Bon Iver assisted songs, “Moon” and “Sins of the Father.”

The video is now available to stream on YouTube.

Daniel last appeared on Tiny Desk in 2018, performing songs from 2017’s Freudian. NPR says that performance is among the top 15 most-viewed Tiny Desk concerts on the platform.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Just like Fred Flintstone, Luke Bryan‘s face is now on a bottle of vitamins. 

The new product makes its first appearance in a new social media video as someone tosses it to Luke as he’s pouring himself a cup of coffee on his tour bus. 

“Farm Tour‑themed One A Day multivitamins?” he asks in the accompanying post, adding “Thanks @oneaday_us and @bayerus! Something special is coming your way later this year. Stay tuned y’all.”

Luke wrapped his 16th Farm Tour in September, playing the special dates in both spring and fall for the first time in 2025. Since 2009, the trek has raised enough money to send 90 kids from farming families to college. 

Bayer’s been a Farm Tour sponsor for the past decade.

Next up for Luke is an annual event where he may need a multivitamin: The notoriously hard-partying Crash My Playa kicks off in Cancun Jan. 15. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.