Gracie Abrams & collaborators release anti-gun violence charity song

Gracie Abrams & collaborators release anti-gun violence charity song
Gracie Abrams & collaborators release anti-gun violence charity song
Aaron Dessner and Gracie Abrams perform at American Express Presents: An Evening with Gracie Abrams at Brooklyn Paramount, March 20, 2025 in New York City. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for American Express)

In the wake of several high-profile shootings this month, Gracie Abrams, her producer and co-writer Aaron Dessner of The National and Bon Iver have just released an anti-gun violence charity single.

It’s called “Sold Out” and it’s now available on Bandcamp for $5, with the money going to Everytown, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the U.S.  In a statement, the trio says, “We made this song last year in the wake of a school shooting. We were reminded of it this week as our hearts were broken yet again.”  Presumably, they were referring to the shootings at Brown University, M.I.T. and at Australia’s Bondi Beach.

“It’s a sad one to share during the holidays, but the world is hurting and we shouldn’t look away,” the statement continues. “We are proud to support Everytown, an organization dedicated to ending gun violence in America. We are releasing this song to raise awareness of their mission of reducing gun violence.”

“Please visit their website for more information on the unbelievable work they do. Sending so much love to you all.”

According to Rolling Stone, the song’s lyrics are, in part, “Hiding from a gun inside your high school/ Just another Tuesday, normal, old news/ Someone spilled their blood on Molly’s white shoes/ Someone called their mother from the bathroom.”

In another part, Gracie sings, “All the men in suit and ties/ And their empty words/ In their thoughts and prayers tonight/ While the country burns/ They collect a check in pride/ And the system works/ And we all stay terrified.”  You can hear a clip on her Instagram Story.

On his Instagram Story, Aaron wrote, “thank you @gracieabrams for finding a way to express our profound collective grief and create action.”

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Paul McCartney reveals 2025 highlight, teases new album and more

Paul McCartney reveals 2025 highlight, teases new album and more
Paul McCartney reveals 2025 highlight, teases new album and more
Paul McCartney performs on ‘SNL50’ on February 16, 2025 (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)

Paul McCartney had a busy 2025, so it wasn’t easy for him to nail down a highlight of the year.

In the final website Q&A for 2025, McCartney was asked to name his “professional highlight” of the year, and he couldn’t pick just one.

“The great thing is there’s so much suddenly happening,” he said. “It’s like a log jam, loads of things have just come in.”

He then mentioned things like his Wings book, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, and that High in the Clouds, an animated film based on his 2005 children’s book, “is finally getting made.”
 

McCartney also called his Got Back tour “spectacular,” noting, “the audiences were so warm and receptive.” He specifically mentioned shows like his Bowery Ballroom club gigs, and dates in Santa Barbara and Nashville, where phones were not allowed.

He said those “were really cool, because it’s a completely different type of show. People aren’t just holding up phones, so you really see the whites of their eyes. It’s lovely!”

“This idea of everything coming home to roost, all these projects I’ve done over the years, it’s very exciting,” he added. “But yeah, if I had to pick one I think the tour was probably the highlight of the year for me – it was so successful and enjoyable for everyone involved.”

McCartney also dropped some exciting news for fans when asked what he’s most looking forward to in 2026.

“My new album!” he said, adding, “We’re just starting to think about how to put that together.”

As for his New Year’s resolution, McCartney first joked, “To be a good boy!,” before adding, “I normally don’t have one, but what comes to mind is things like ‘to eat sensibly.’ That’s always a good one.”

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Drake teams with Stake to give fans 10% of his gambling winnings

Drake teams with Stake to give fans 10% of his gambling winnings
Drake teams with Stake to give fans 10% of his gambling winnings
Drake performs live on stage during day one of Wireless Festival 2025 at Finsbury Park on July 11, 2025, in London, England. Drake is headlining an unprecedented all three nights of Wireless Festival. (Photo by Simone Joyner/Getty Images for ABA)

Drake is giving fans a chance to win a portion of his gambling winnings just in time for the holidays. He’s announced he’s teamed with online betting company Stake for a three-night livestream on Kick, which comes to an end on Tuesday. 

Each stream ends with five lucky winners who will split 10% of the balance Drake has in his wallet.

“Can we end my roughest gambling year on a good note?? I want to MAXWIN and share 10% of it with you,” he wrote on Instagram. Details on how to enter the giveaway are on the Stake website.

Drake kicked off his the three-night stream on Kick Sunday, appearing alongside BenDaDonn and previewing some songs, including the previously leaked “National Treasure.”

“I know what you’re waiting on, trust me, we cheffin,'” Drake said of his upcoming album, Iceman. The project doesn’t have a release date.

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In 2025, LOCASH ‘Bet the Farm’ — and it paid off

In 2025, LOCASH ‘Bet the Farm’ — and it paid off
In 2025, LOCASH ‘Bet the Farm’ — and it paid off
LOCASH’s ‘Bet the Farm’ (Galaxy Label Group)

LOCASH finishes 2025 with one of the top five most successful songs of the year, as “Hometown Home” comes in at #4 on Country Aircheck‘s ranking of the year’s top 25. 

It’s an especially significant milestone, since the Bet the Farm track was the first release from their own company, Galaxy Label Group. The “Hot Mix” of the multi-week country #1 heads into 2026 as a top-20 hit on the Hot AC chart, as their follow-up, “Wrong Hearts,” is climbing the country ranking.

2025 also brought a year of collaborations between LOCASH and the popular Savannah Bananas, as Preston Brust and Chris Lucas played the first-ever halftime show in an NFL stadium in Tampa in March.

Their halftime gigs continued in November, as the duo kept the energy going when the New England Patriots took on the New York Jets on Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football

You can check out LOCASH’s original Christmas song, “Snow Angel,” and their cover of “O Holy Night,” which are both new for 2025.

They’re set to ring in 2026 Dec. 31 at Gilley’s in Park City, Kansas. 

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Lady Gaga’s ‘Harlequin’ concert film releasing Christmas Eve on YouTube

Lady Gaga’s ‘Harlequin’ concert film releasing Christmas Eve on YouTube
Lady Gaga’s ‘Harlequin’ concert film releasing Christmas Eve on YouTube
Lady Gaga ‘Harlequin Live: One Night Only’ (Courtesy Morningview Productions)

Merry Christmas, Little Monsters: Lady Gaga‘s Harlequin concert film will hit YouTube on Dec. 24.

Gaga announced the news on Instagram, writing, “Happy holidays to you and yours. Harlequin Live: One Night Only Coming Xmas Eve @ 4pm PT on my YouTube channel.”

The movie, recorded last September at LA’s Belasco Theatre, features Gaga performing all the songs from her Grammy-nominated Harlequin album, which she released as a companion to her film Joker: Folie à Deux.

Variety reports that during a recent screening of the film at the Grammy Museum, followed by a Q&A, Gaga explained why she’s putting out the film on Christmas Eve.

“I’m feeling like: Why not? We have this thing that’s so special to us, so we’re just really happy to share it with the fans,” she said. “It’s kind of a rebellious project. And, by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious.”

The Harlequin album, featuring Gaga performing standards from the Great American Songbook in her own style, is nominated for best traditional pop album, but she feels it’s closer to the jazz records she made with the late Tony Bennett.

According to Variety, Gaga said, “This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going.”

“And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough. Because even when I’m in my nineties, I will never have gone through every genre and figured it all out.”

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‘Fool (If You Think It’s Over)’ singer Chris Rea dies at 74

‘Fool (If You Think It’s Over)’ singer Chris Rea dies at 74
‘Fool (If You Think It’s Over)’ singer Chris Rea dies at 74
Chris Rea, English singer-songwriter and guitarist, portrait, in his studio in 2005. (Photo by Richard Ecclestone/Redferns)

British singer/songwriter Chris Rea, who had a hit in the ’70s with “Fool (If You Think it’s Over),” has passed away at the age of 74. His death was confirmed in a statement posted on his Facebook page.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Chris, who died peacefully earlier today following a short illness,” read the statement. “Chris’s music has created the soundtrack to many lives, and his legacy will live on through the songs he leaves behind.”

“Fool (If You Think It’s Over)” peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and went to #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts. The track was such a hit it earned Rea a best new artist Grammy nomination in 1978.

Rea’s other hits include 1989’s “Working on It,” which went to #1 on the Mainstream Rock charts, and 1988’s “Driving Home for Christmas,” which went to #1 in the U.K.

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Bruce Springsteen releases first-ever live performance of ‘Nebraska’

Bruce Springsteen releases first-ever live performance of ‘Nebraska’
Bruce Springsteen releases first-ever live performance of ‘Nebraska’
Artwork for Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska Live’ (Sony Music)

When Bruce Springsteen released the box set Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition in October, it included a present-day recording of The Boss performing his album Nebraska in its entirety at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey. Now, the rocker is giving fans who didn’t buy the box set a chance to experience it.

Springsteen has now made the performance available to rent or own via digital outlets.

Bruce has performed songs from Nebraska live over the years, but he never toured behind the album. This concert marks the first time he performed the record from start to finish.

Springsteen’s longtime collaborator Thom Zimny, directed the concert, which was shot in black and white without an audience. Springsteen is backed by only two musicians: Larry Campbell and Charlie Giordano.

According to the description posted to Instagram, the performance offers “fresh insight through the subtleties of his live performance, while remaining true to the spirit of the original recordings.” The performance is offered without narration or commentary, so, as Bruce notes, “Only the voices of the characters are heard.”

In addition to the concert, Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition includes a remastered version of the original album, along with previously unreleased material such as the long-rumored “Electric Nebraska.” It also features solo outtakes, including additional songs from Springsteen’s original Nebraska home recordings that didn’t make the album, as well as recordings from a 1982 solo studio session.

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Lola Young resurfaces: ‘Can’t wait to see you in 2026’

Lola Young resurfaces: ‘Can’t wait to see you in 2026’
Lola Young resurfaces: ‘Can’t wait to see you in 2026’
Lola Young seen out with Lily Allen and Olivia Rodrigo at Lily Allen’s Christmas Party at Stringfellows on December 19, 2025 in London, England. (Dave Benett/Getty Images for Stringfellows)

After collapsing at a festival back in September, Lola Young wrote to fans that she was “going away for a while” to “work on myself.” Now, she’s checking in with an update.

The “Messy” singer, who’s nominated for the best new artist Grammy, wrote on Instagram, “Hey, I just want to express gratitude to everyone who has given me time and space to gather myself and get my head in a better place.” She thanks fans for their “love and support,” adding, “…[It] has helped more than you will ever know.”

Lola then writes, “I hope to gradually get back to performing and continuing to pursue my dreams. Happy holidays to you all and can’t wait to see you in 2026.”

She sums up by sharing, “Life is a journey, nothing is perfect but today I am doing well. All my love always, Lola.”

Among the celebrities offering Lola support in the comments were Gigi Perez, Flavor Flav and SZA, who wrote, “Love you starfire angel !!!!! Your music is FULL of longevity and substance! We’re so grateful for you.”

Lola was also seen publicly on Dec. 19 attending a Christmas event with Olivia Rodrigo and Lily Allen.

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The Flaming Lips post comment on apparent Steven Drozd departure

The Flaming Lips post comment on apparent Steven Drozd departure
The Flaming Lips post comment on apparent Steven Drozd departure
Steven Drozd and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips at House of Vans on February 7, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)

The Flaming Lips have posted a statement regarding the apparent departure of longtime multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd.

Drozd, who joined the band in 1991 and was the longest-tenured Lips member aside from frontman Wayne Coyne, seemed to confirm he left the group in a since-deleted social media post. The post, captured by Stereogum, read, “They’re done with me.”

The Lips’ statement, written by drummer Matt Duckworth Kirksey, reads, “If you haven’t heard this newest iteration of the band, give us a shot. The music, and the show is better than ever.”

“And remember… NONE of this ever happens without Wayne,” Kirksey writes. “This idea that Steven was THE musical genius, and Wayne is just some weirdo artist… [it’s] just not true. Wayne pushes the creativity, the sound, and the show forward, like no artist I’ve ever been around.”

“Being in The Lips is hard,” Kirksey continues. “I remember before I was in the band, I would see them rehearsing for hours and hours and think… man… [that’s] brutal. But once you get to be part of that vision… [it’s] f****** exhilarating. [It’s] f****** FUN. [It’s] Wayne’s drive to be great that makes it all possible.”

The Flaming Lips will wrap up 2025 with a New Year’s Eve show in Washington, D.C.

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Barry Manilow announces cancer diagnosis, surgery forces postponement of shows

Barry Manilow announces cancer diagnosis, surgery forces postponement of shows
Barry Manilow announces cancer diagnosis, surgery forces postponement of shows
Barry Manilow performs during ‘Manilow: The Last Detroit Concert’ at Little Caesars Arena, June, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Scott Legato/Getty Images)

Barry Manilow has been forced to postpone his January concerts so he can undergo cancer surgery, the legendary singer announced on Monday.

In a statement on Instagram, Manilow writes that he’d recently suffered through weeks of bronchitis, so his doctor ordered an MRI to “make sure that everything was OK.” He goes on to say that the test “discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed.”

“It’s pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early,” the 82-year-old singer writes. “That’s the good news.”

The bad news? Manilow says he has to have surgery to have the spot removed.

“The doctors do not believe it has spread and I’m taking tests to confirm their diagnosis,” he explains. “So, that’s it. No chemo. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns.”

Since he’ll need a month to recover, Manilow will be rescheduling his January arena concerts for February, March and April. He lists the rescheduled dates in his message, noting that ticket holders can use their existing tickets for the new shows.

“I’m very sorry that you have to change your plans,” he writes. “Just like you, we were all looking forward to the January shows and hate having to move everything around.”

Manilow says he’s “counting the days” until he can get back to the Westgate Las Vegas, where he normally performs, for his Valentine’s weekend concerts on Feb. 12, 13 and 14, as well as the rest of his 2026 shows.  “Something tells me that February weekend is going to be one big party!” he writes.

Manilow signs off by saying, “I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. And remember, if you have even the slightest symptom … get tested!”

Manilow was treated for throat cancer in 2020.

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