Music

2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spinderella will soon be part of another of Hall of Fame class. They are set to be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for “individuals or groups who have been pioneers in their respective fields and whose influence continues to shape their industry for generations,” according to a press release.

“As pioneers of hip-hop, Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spinderella rewrote the rules and boldly claimed space in a genre that forever changed because of their voices, style, and undeniable talent,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson in a statement. “Inducting them into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame is a celebration of more than an iconic career – it’s a tribute to trailblazers who opened doors, and inspired generations in a way that still resonates today.”

Connie Orlando, executive vice president of specials, music programming & music strategy at BET, added that “Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spinderella have built a legacy defined by confidence, authenticity, and cultural influence.”

“They reshaped how women are seen and heard in music, creating space for bold self-expression and empowerment,” she continued. “Inducting them into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame honors a career that continues to strengthen community, elevate culture, and connect generations.”

The 57th NAACP Image Awards, hosted by Deon Cole, will air live on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and CBS. Halle Bailey, Regina Hall, Ryan Coogler, Sterling K. Brown and Delroy Lindo are among those helping to present the awards.

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Toadies have premiered a new song called “The Charmer,” the title track off the “Possum Kingdom” band’s upcoming album.

“The Charmer” personifies frontman Vaden Lewis’ long struggle with low self-esteem.

“I was afraid that if I lose that part of me that has such self-loathing that I won’t be able to write
music anymore,” Lewis says in a statement. “I decided to take that apart and make it a character, The Charmer.”

The album The Charmer is due out May 1. It was recorded with late engineer Steve Albini, who died in 2024.

In other ’90s band news, Blues Traveler has announced a run of tour dates, beginning May 1 in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The newly scheduled shows also include a July 4 performance at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado.

Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit BluesTraveler.com.

You can also catch Blues Traveler on their tour with Gin Blossoms and Spin Doctors, kicking off in July.

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Is Carly Pearce getting ready to announce her much-anticipated fifth studio album? 

She scrubbed her Instagram account Monday, save for a lone picture of her sitting on the edge of a bed wearing a negligee, staring off into the distance. 

On Tuesday, she announced a benefit via X that promises both her hits and music from her upcoming album. 

The April 6 show at City Winery Nashville will feature an intimate acoustic performance with her full band. Presales start Wednesday for the concert to help Pet Community Center Nashville, which provides affordable vet care and lifesaving services for local pets. 

Of course, Carly fans are familiar with how much she loves her two shih tzus, Johnny and June.

So far she’s released “Church Girl” and her current single, “Dream Come True,” from her upcoming project. 

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RAYE is about to drop a new song on Friday, but you can hear a snippet of it now.

RAYE posted a TikTok video of herself lip-synching to the ballad while wearing a strapless black dress and a veil. She captioned it, “The 2nd song from my 2nd album,” adding #NightingaleLane. According to Setlist.fm, she’s been performing a new song of that title since she kicked off her tour in January.

“Somebody loved me once, and someday/ Somebody will again,” she sings. “Like the way you loved me/ on Nightingale Lane.”

The song will appear on RAYE’s upcoming album, This Music May Contain Hope, which is coming out March 27.

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With the Oscars less than three weeks away, actress Teyana Taylor is feeling mixed emotions.

“Oh, my God, my stomach is in my booty. It’s that feeling you can’t even describe,” Taylor said on Good Morning America Tuesday morning.

Taylor is nominated for an Oscar for the first time as an actress in a supporting role for her portrayal of Perfidia in the drama/thriller One Battle After Another, which also stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall and Chase Infiniti.

“No matter the outcome, I am blessed,” Taylor continued. “I’m just filled with so much gratitude to be a part of this moment and of this journey and of this chapter and of the conversation. So I’m very, very happy, nervous, but very happy.”

For Taylor, one of the highlights of One Battle After Another was getting to act alongside veteran actor DiCaprio, an experience the 35-year-old likened to attending a “super master class.”

“He’s been a great mentor and I really admire his leadership because he’s a legend, he’s an icon,” Taylor said. “So I’m really honored that I get to share scenes with him.”

In her prep to play Perfidia, Taylor said she followed an acting method she used previously for the role of Inez in the 2023 crime film, A Thousand and One.

“I identified her layers and then I color-coordinated those layers. So coming into Perfidia, seeing that she was even more [of a] complex character, I wanted to do the same thing,” said Taylor.

“If I feel like, OK, I’m in a moment of feeling vulnerable, maybe that color is pink … if I’m feeling rage, that moment is highlighted in red. So I literally color-coordinate [Perfidia’s] emotions,” she explained.

One Battle After Another, which is nominated for 13 Oscars, including best picture, was first released in September 2025. It is still in theaters and also available to stream.

The 98th Oscars will air on Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and Hulu.

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC and Hulu.

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In 2024, a company that owns a portion of the rights to Bruno Mars’ song “When I Was Your Man” sued Miley Cyrus, claiming her song “Flowers” ripped off Bruno’s hit. Her legal team is now asking for the case to be dismissed.

In the Monday court filing, obtained by ABC News, Miley’s team asked to be granted a summary judgment, meaning the case gets rejected without having to go to a jury. Their argument is that the music and lyrics of the two songs are not similar enough to count as copyright infringement. Plus, they argue any similarities that do exist are covered under the fair use doctrine.

“Fair use” means that if you use elements from copyrighted material to comment on an original work — like making an “answer record” — it’s allowed under the law. As the case notes, “‘Flowers’ can reasonably be perceived as transformative commentary or criticism on [‘When I Was Your Man’].”

“‘Flowers’ is a wholly original song, and its songwriters strenuously deny copying [Bruno’s song] or any portion of it intending to comment on [it],” Miley’s lawyers write. “But that is irrelevant to fair use, which instead considers whether a reasonable observer could interpret ‘Flowers’ as commenting on [‘When I Was Your Man’].” 

Since “Flowers” was released, many fans have felt that it was indeed a sort of answer record to “When I Was Your Man,” which Miley’s lawyers cover in the filing. They write, “Even Plaintiff acknowledges that ‘Flowers’’ upbeat lyrics have been perceived as responding to ‘Man”s despondent lyrics.”

Their final argument, though, is this: Because “Flowers” came out nearly a decade after “When I Was Your Man,” it “did not negatively affect the market or potential market” for Bruno’s song. In fact, the lawyers note that streams of Bruno’s song increased 20% after the release of “Flowers.”

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Kehlani, Mariah the Scientist and Teyana Taylor are not only singers, they’re now honorees at Billboard‘s Women in Music 2026. 

Kehlani is set to receive the Impact Award “for her artistry, advocacy and influence on culture and community,” according to a press release, while Mariah will be honored with the Rising Star Award, which celebrates “her rapid ascent, dynamic songwriting and distinctive voice.”

As for Teyana, she will be recognized for her “boundless creativity and cultural impact across music, film, fashion, and choreography,” the press release notes, as she’s named the recipient of the Visionary Award.

The 2026 Billboard Women in Music event will take place April 29 at the Hollywood Palladium in LA, with Keke Palmer on hosting duties. Ella Langley, Laufey, Tate McRae, Thalia and Zara Larsson are also set to be honored that night.

“From breakthrough voices to enduring icons, each of these women is pushing the industry forward in powerful ways,” Jason Lipshutz, Billboard‘s co-chief content officer, says in a statement.

Fellow co-chief content officer Leila Cobo adds, “The 2026 Billboard Women in Music presented by Sonesta International Hotels honors artists who are not only shaping the sound of today, but defining the culture of tomorrow. This year’s honorees represent bold creativity, global influence, and artistic excellence across genres.”

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Ella Langley will be center stage at Billboard‘s annual Women in Music event April 29 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. 

“Country music standout Ella Langley will be honored with the Powerhouse Award for her commanding voice, bold storytelling, and chart success,” the esteemed music magazine announced in a news release.

Earlier this month, Ella became the first woman ever to top the Billboard 100, Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts at the same time with “Choosin’ Texas.”

Tate McRae, who also hit #1 on the Hot 100 with “What I Want” with Morgan Wallen, will receive the Hitmaker Award at the gala, which will be hosted by Keke Palmer.

Look for Billboard to announce its prestigious 2026 Woman of the Year in the weeks to come.

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Queens of the Stone Age have added five additional dates to their U.S. Catacombs tour.

The outing, described as a “very limited run,” will make stops in Joshua Tree, California, on April 24; Rancho Mirage, California, on April 25; Portland, Oregon, on April 27; Seattle on April 29; and Lincoln, California, on May 1.

Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. PT. For more info, visit QotSA.com.

The Catacombs tour, which first launched in fall 2025, features special arrangements of Queens songs inspired by their Alive in the Catacombs concert film. The set was recorded in the famed Catacombs of Paris.

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