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The Year in Music 2025: Abracadabra! Lady Gaga conjures hits, tour and more

December 30, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Lady Gaga had a magical 2025.

–She started the year off right when her Bruno Mars duet “Die With a Smile,” which had been on the chart since August 2024, reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in January. It made Gaga only the third artist to have scored multiple number ones on the Hot 100 in three distinct decades — only Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson had done it before. The song ended up being one of 2025’s biggest songs on streaming platforms globally.

–On Jan. 27, Gaga announced that her long-awaited new album, Mayhem, would arrive on March 7. The night of the Grammys on Feb. 2, she premiered the single and video for “Abracadabra,” the album’s second single. Though it never reached the top 10, it was hailed as an instant classic and ended up at #1 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the best songs of the year. Also that night, she and Bruno won the Grammy for best pop/duo performance.

–Mayhem, featuring songs co-written by Gaga’s fiancé, Michael Polansky, debuted at #1 upon its release. She promoted it by, among other things, hosting and performing on Saturday Night Live and singing at Netflix’s Tudum fan event. That appearance teased her upcoming cameo as Rosaline Rotwood in the new season of Netflix’s Wednesday, which arrived in September, along with a new song she recorded especially for the show, “The Dead Dance.”

–Fans got their first glimpse of Gaga’s Mayhem Ball tour when she headlined Coachella in April, followed by a promotional tour of Mexico, Brazil and Singapore. Her concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro drew an estimated 2.5 million people, making it the biggest concert in history by a female artist.

The Mayhem Ball proper launched in July to rave reviews; it’s set to wrap up in April 2026. The first North American leg was the highest-grossing run of her career.

–In November, Gaga scored seven Grammy nominations for both Mayhem and Harlequin, which she’d released in the fall of 2024 as a companion album to her movie Joker: Folie à Deux.

So what’s next for Gaga? Polansky told Rolling Stone that they plan to marry during her tour or “just after,” followed, Gaga hopes, by children. “Being a mom is the thing I want the most,” she said.

Rick Springfield on returning to New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: ‘I’m very excited about it’

December 30, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Rick Springfield will help ring in the new year with a performance on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026, and the experience certainly isn’t new to the singer.

In fact, Springfield told ABC’s On the Red Carpet during rehearsals for the show that performing on Rockin’ Eve was “one of the first things I did when ‘Jessie’s Girl’ first broke,” referring to his #1 hit from 1981.

“So this is great. I’m very excited about it,” he added. “You know, when I saw it come in I said, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna do this.'”

With the year coming to a close, a lot of people probably already have their New Year’s resolutions in mind, but Springfield says he isn’t one of them.

“I’m a very goal-oriented person, and I don’t wait for New Year’s to make goals,” he said. “It’s kind of a cop-out.”

“I mean, I get it. It’s a good kind of point for someone to start, if they’re having a hard time starting,” he noted. “But I don’t really make the resolutions on the New Year’s thing. I just go for it all the time.”

As for what Springfield has planned for 2026, he joked that he’ll be “sleeping a lot” and also plans to visit his granddaughter a lot. There’s also plenty of music in store.

“I have a record coming out with a band I have called The Locusts that’s a double album coming out,” he said, “and I’ll also be recording a new album that I’m really excited about it.”

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026 kicks off on ABC Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET, with the show featuring countdowns from New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Puerto Rico and more.

Zara Larsson will bring the ‘glitter and the sparkles and the fun’ to ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’

December 30, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Zara Larsson is one of more than a dozen artists who’ll be performing on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, airing on ABC Dec. 31. Unlike most of the artists who’ll be appearing, Zara didn’t grow up watching the show, but she has an excuse — she’s not American.

“I am Swedish, so we have different [New Year’s] shows,” Zara told ABC’s On the Red Carpet during New Year’s Rockin’ Eve rehearsals. However, she was aware of the iconic show.

“I feel like the existence of the show and all the clips and the moments and all of that have just always been around,” she said. “I mean, I’ve watched it on YouTube, I’ve watched it online. So I feel like, no matter if you watch it live or later, the fact that I’m a part of it is really big.“

As for what we can expect from her performance, which will come as part of the West Coast party segment of the show, Zara promised “a lot of glitter,” dancers and “full energy.”

“It’s like I’m bringing summer back, basically, in the middle of the winter,” she added. “But it’s the only right thing to do. I’m a summer girl. And we can just close our eyes and pretend that the light is the sun.”

But most of all, said Zara, “It’s all about the glitter and the sparkles and the fun.”

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest will also feature a set from Diana Ross in New York’s Times Square, as well as performances from Mariah Carey, Chappell Roan, Charlie Puth, Demi Lovato, KPop Demon Hunters’ HUNTR/X and more. It airs from 8 p.m. ET to 4 a.m. ET on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.

The Year in Music 2025: The Who fires drummer, says farewell to North America

December 30, 2025 by WDNY Radio

The Who celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2025, which ended with what will likely be their last North American tour, much to the disappointment of many fans.

-The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers kicked off the year by announcing they were headlining two shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March to benefit Teenage Cancer Trust.

-During the shows, Pete Townshend revealed that he had just had hip replacement surgery, while Roger Daltrey, who is known to have hearing issues, also revealed that he was having problems with his eyesight.

-During one of the shows, Daltrey seemed upset with their longtime drummer Zak Starkey, complaining onstage and pausing the show’s final song.

-In April they announced that they were parting ways with Starkey, son of The Beatles‘ Ringo Starr, who had been playing with them since 1996. But just three days later, The Who reversed course, with Townshend saying Starkey wasn’t being asked to step down.

-Weeks later The Who then changed their mind again and let Starkey go, announcing that Scott Devours would be his replacement.

-During all the back-and-forth with Starkey in May, Townshend and Daltrey announced at a London press conference they were going to tour North America one last time, revealing dates for The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour.

-The tour kicked off in August in Tampa, Florida, with The Who treating fans to a set filled with hits. They also played “Going Mobile,” a song they had never played live before.

-The Who wrapped the tour on Oct. 1 in Palm Springs, California. “I suppose, you know, it’s goodbye,” Townshend said during their final bows. “That’s what it is. To what we know as The Who, it’s goodbye.” Daltrey went on to thank fans “for all the years showing up for us.” They have not said whether they are bringing the tour to the rest of the world.

Other highlights of The Who’s year include:

-Townshend released Pete Townshend The Studio Albums, a box set featuring newly remastered versions of his seven solo albums.

-Townshend celebrated his 80th birthday in May.

-It was announced in June that Daltrey was selected for knighthood by King Charles for his contributions to music and his charity work, including raising funds for causes like Teenage Cancer Trust. He was officially knighted in December.

-Townshend’s Quadrophenia: A Rock Ballet, featuring an orchestral version of The Who’s 1973 album, Quadrophenia, by Townshend’s wife, Rachel Fuller, debuted in the U.K. in May and then came to New York in November.

Backstreet Boys will do New Year’s Eve their way at Sphere Las Vegas

December 30, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Backstreet Boys will be spending New Year’s Eve onstage at Sphere Las Vegas, performing their Into the Millennium residency show for a crowd of 20,000 fans. The songs in the concert are synced to the custom, immersive video projected on the venue’s giant screens, but Backstreet’s AJ McLean says they’re going to try to change things up when the clock strikes midnight.

“We’ve already pushed the start time back to, now, 10:30. So we will be onstage when the ball drops,” he told ABC Audio. “So [we’re] trying to figure out if there’s a way to, like, somehow get a ball to drop on the screen. I don’t know if that’s gonna happen, but hopefully we can figure something out that doesn’t cost a gazillion dollars.”

He laughs, “Worst case, I’ll hold a disco ball in my hand and just slowly drop it with a fishing line.”

But ball or not, AJ said, “It’s gonna be really cool to bring in the new year with 20,000 people at the coolest venue that there is.”

Backstreet Boys’ Sphere residency, which began in August, has been extended through Feb. 15. AJ will release his solo album Hi, My Name Is Alexander James on Jan. 9, which also happens to be his birthday. In September, the group will launch a residency at an arena in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The Year in Music 2025: Kendrick Lamar dominates with Grammys sweep, record tour and chart reign

December 30, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Kendrick Lamar took control of his narrative and remained “Humble” while doing so for another year. His 2025 kept him in the headlines, beginning with a sweep at the 67th annual Grammy Awards, where he won all five categories he was nominated for — including song and record of the year.

Exactly one week later, Kendrick returned to another massive stage, headlining the Super Bowl halftime show alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Serena Williams and special guest SZA. The performance also included a bit of a pointed shade toward Drake, who had filed a lawsuit over their 2024 feud.

The show previewed the chemistry to come on his Grand National Tour with the SOS singer, which ran from April 19 to June 18 and has since become the highest-grossing co-headlining tour in history.

Though Kendrick kept his releases light in 2025, appearing on Playboi Carti’s Music album and on Clipse’s “Chains and Whips,” his prolific 2024 run was more than enough to keep him at the center of the cultural conversation.

He was the top winner at the BET Awards, taking home five trophies. Those included album of the year for GNX, video of the year for “Not Like Us,” best male hip-hop artist and best collaboration for “Luther” featuring SZA. He added VMA and NAACP Image Award wins for “Not Like Us,” while his Super Bowl performance helped him secure a Primetime Emmy Award.

Kendrick closes out 2025 atop several year-end lists, including Billboard’s top rapper, #1 Hot 100 songwriter of the year and top R&B/hip-hop artist of the year.

His hit “Luther,” which became the longest-running #1 in the history of Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, also finishes the year leading both the hot rap songs and hot R&B/hip-hop songs year-end rankings.

Following Linda Perry ‘premonition,’ 4 Non Blondes wrap up comeback year on ’NYRE 2026′

December 30, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Who had a 4 Non Blondes comeback on their 2025 bingo card? Well, frontwoman Linda Perry, for one.

“The top of the year, I had a premonition, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m gonna put the band back together,'” Perry told ABC’s On the Red Carpet during rehearsals for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026, during which 4 Non Blondes will be performing.

“When I got that energy, all this stuff started happening,” she added.

Said stuff included the first extended run of 4 Non Blondes live shows in over 30 years, as well as a viral TikTok trend featuring a mash-up of the 4NB hit “What’s Up?” and the Nicki Minaj track “Beez in the Trap.” Celebrities including Madonna, Jennifer Lopez and Paramore‘s Hayley Williams have taken part in the trend.

“I mean, it’s still going,” Perry said of the trend. “Martin Scorsese did one, alright?”

For Perry, performing on NYRE is a fitting way to cap such an eventful year.

“It’s just been a really wonderful experience because, you know, it’s been 30 years, and we had a momentum like this 30 years ago,” Perry said. “So it’s really kinda fun to be 30 years later and to have that same feeling, that same momentum, and the drive and the love.”

“The song just doesn’t go away,” she adds of “What’s Up?” “It’s one of those songs, it’s iconic, and I’m so blessed to have written that song.”

4 Non Blondes will look to continue that momentum into 2026 with the release of their first album since their 1992 debut.

Until then, you can watch NRYE 2026 Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Other performers include AJR and The All-American Rejects.

Watch Anthrax’s Scott Ian play ‘The Trooper’ on signature Dave Murray guitar

December 30, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Anthrax‘s Scott Ian embodied the spirit of metalheads everywhere upon obtaining Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray‘s signature Fender Stratocaster.

As seen in a video posted to his Instagram, Ian broke in his new guitar by shredding the riff from the Maiden classic “The Trooper.”

“Got the new Dave Murray Strat … and of course this is the first riff I played (too fast) on it,” Ian writes in the caption. “The guitar is SWEET!!!”

Ian will have a chance to show off his Maiden playing skills to Murray when Anthrax opens for the English metallers on select dates of their 2026 U.S. tour starting in September.

Anthrax’s other 2026 plans include the release of their long-awaited new album, the follow-up to 2016’s For All Kings.

Jack White gives new Christmas gift seal of approval

December 29, 2025 by WDNY Radio

A seven nation army couldn’t hold Jack White back from enjoying his new Christmas gift.

The White Stripes rocker shares in an Instagram post that his wife, Olivia Jean, got him a wax seal kit for the holidays. Naturally, he used it to recreate his III logo.

“Such a wonderful Christmas present from Olivia Jean,” White writes in the caption.

Jean previously gifted White his very first cellphone in July for his 50th birthday.

Meanwhile, you can catch White on the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony special, airing New Year’s Day on ABC. White attended and gave a speech, though his White Stripes bandmate Meg White was not present.

Diddy’s sons to speak about his trial in upcoming Zeus Network docuseries

December 29, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Diddy‘s sons Justin Combs and Christian “King” Combs are opening up about their father’s trial, sentencing, and the media attention surrounding the case in an upcoming docuseries on Zeus Network.

A trailer teasing the untitled series dropped Sunday. It shows Justin and Christian seated in a home theater as they watch coverage from Diddy’s arrest and trial, while headlines of new articles flash across the screen. The two then receive a phone call from Diddy, before the clip cuts to a title card announcing the docuseries will be released in 2026.

“To be clear, this documentary is about giving Justin and Christian the opportunity to share their personal story,” Zeus Network CEO Lemuel Plummer wrote in the comments. “We’re not here to endorse Diddy or anyone else. As a network, we believe in giving individuals a platform to tell their own experiences, just like any network that enters the documentary space.”

“We’re simply allowing these stories to be told, and that’s the essence of what we’re doing here,” he continued. “Thanks for understanding and for letting us bring these narratives to light.”

The announcement has already drawn a response from 50 Cent, who executive produced the Netflix documentary Sean Combs: The Reckoning, about Diddy’s downfall.

“Wow I want to see this show, I’m not sure this was a good idea,” he wrote on Instagram Monday.

The news comes days after Justin reportedly caught up with his dad during a Christmas visit.

Diddy is currently serving a 50-month sentence after being found guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution. He is appealing the conviction and seeking either an immediate release or a lighter sentence.

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