Photo of Cliff Burton, posed, in studio. (Fin Costello/Redferns)
The family of late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton has announced the details for the 2026 edition of Cliff Burton Day.
The celebration will take place on Burton’s birthday, Feb. 10, at the Chabot Theater in his hometown of Castro Valley, California. It will feature an appearance by Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin, as well as members of the road crew from Metallica’s Damage, Inc. tour in honor of its 40th anniversary.
Those who can’t attend in person can watch the event stream live on YouTube starting at 7 p.m. PT.
The Damage, Inc. tour supported Metallica’s 1986 album, Master of Puppets. Burton was killed in September 1986 in a bus accident during the European leg of the tour. He was 24.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and guest James Taylor during Thursday’s February 5, 2026 show. Photo: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
James Taylor was a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Thursday night, where the host got him to reveal his five favorite songs from his catalog.
The list included Taylor classics like “Sweet Baby James,” the title track from his 1970 sophomore album, and “Carolina in My Mind,” from his 1968 self-titled debut. He also chose three songs because they were liked by other rock stars.
He said that Paul McCartney told him the song “Mean Old Man” was the reason he bought Taylor’s 2002 album, October Road, so Taylor put that in the top five. He also included “Millworker,” from the 1979 album Flag, which was a track that Bruce Springsteen liked and performed. Rounding out the list was “The Frozen Man,” from 1991’s New Moon Shine, because Bob Dylan told him he liked the track.
Colbert also asked Taylor why there hasn’t been a biopic on his life yet, to which he responded, “It’s because God is merciful.”
He noted that he did an Audible memoir, which only covered his life to age 21, joking, “Nobody could really check it because there’s no proving or disproving any of it and most of the people involved are dead or don’t care anymore.”
Taylor added, “Once I get past 1970, basically, I start running into trouble … those people are still walking around.”
Taylor also performed on the show. Joined by his son Henry Taylor, he performed “You Can Close Your Eyes” from his 1971 album, Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. They also offered up a bonus performance of “Line ‘Em Up” from the 1997 album Hourglass.
James Taylor is set to hit the road starting April 26 in Highland, California. A complete list of dates can be found at JamesTaylor.com.
Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills performs during 2025 When We Were Young festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on October 18, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Tim Mosenfelder/WireImage)
Ice Nine Kills‘ Scream 7 song has a release date.
The track, which is called “Twisting the Knife,” will premiere on Feb. 19. It will feature Scream 7 cast member Mckenna Grace.
“Twisting the Knife” is available to presave, and you can check out a teaser video on YouTube.
Scream 7, the aptly titled seventh installment in the long-running slasher series, hits theaters Feb. 27.
Ice Nine Kills released a Scream-themed song called “Your Number’s Up” in 2019. Frontman Spencer Charnas also appeared in the video for Demi Lovato‘s 2023 Scream VI song “Still Alive,” which was co-written by Linkin Park‘s Mike Shinoda.
“this one’s for the lover girls,” Megan Moroneywrote on her socials as she prepared to drop “Cloud 9,” the title song and opening track of her upcoming album.
Megan’s also introducing the unique Songwriter’s Edition of the record.
“i’m floatin’ on air!!!” she posted. “This is the final variant & my personal favorite because all the songs are in the order in which they were written. all new packaging, handwritten lyrics & a deeper look into my heart.”
Even though she went home empty-handed, Sabrina Carpenter‘s performance of “Manchild” was a standout at Sunday’s Grammy Awards. In a recent interview, she revealed the inspiration behind it.
The production number featured Sabrina in a sexy version of an airline pilot’s outfit, dancing around a baggage claim area in an airport. But what does all that have to do with “Manchild”? As Sabrina explains to Rolling Stone, “Relationships come with lots of baggage, and the song tells the story of many relationships gone wrong. I also wanted to wear the captain hat.”
Sabrina’s chat with Rolling Stone was to promote her Super Bowl commercial for Pringles, in which she builds herself a boyfriend out of Pringles chips. “Listen,” she tells the magazine. “There’s plenty worse out there.”
At the end of the clip, Sabrina’s edible boyfriend, Pringleleo, gets knocked over and crushed, and she and some of her fans start eating him. So what kind of snack would she want her next boyfriend to be made of?
“Can I choose a liquid man? Yerba mate for sure,” she says. “Think of the energy he would have!”
Cover art for J. Cole’s ‘The Fall-Off’ (Dreamville Records/Interscope Records)
“The real is back. The Ville is back” with the release of J. Cole‘s long-awaited album, The Fall-Off.
The album, which was 10 years in the making, arrives as a double disc, with each side featuring 11 songs and a bonus track.
They serve as updates to his first release, The Come Up, on which he details his goal to “come up” as a rapper. That project also includes snippets of phone calls to his mother and friends as he traveled home to Fayetteville, North Carolina, for holiday breaks following his decision to “come up” to New York and pursue his dreams.
The first disc — Disc 29 — chronicles Cole’s mindset after returning to his hometown at 29 years old, when he found himself at a crossroads in his life. The second disc — Disc 39 — gives insight into his perspective upon his return at age 39 when he was at peace.
The album’s artwork also looks back on Cole’s humble beginnings as an artist, including a makeshift studio set up on his desk.
The Fall-Off marks Cole’s seventh studio album. He has suggested it will be his final one, though it remains unclear whether he will stick to that plan.
An early album standout is “What If,” in which he raps from the perspectives of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac during their feud, imagining a scenario in which they reconcile and resolve their differences.
The Fall-Off is now available on streaming services.
Brent Smith of Shinedown performs at Little Caesars Arena on July 25, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Scott Legato/Getty Images)
Shinedown has dropped off the bill for the Rock the Country festival.
The festival, which is headlined by Kid Rock and country star Jason Aldean, has garnered controversy due to its association with conservative and MAGA circles.
“Shinedown is everyone’s band,” the “Second Chance” outfit writes in a Facebook post. “We feel that we have been given a platform to bring all people together through the power of music and song.”
“We have one BOSS, and it is everyone in the audience,” the group continues. “Our band’s purpose is to unite, not divide. With that in mind, we have made the decision that we will not be playing the Rock the Country Festival.”
The post acknowledges that, “We know this decision will create differences of opinion.”
“But we do not wat to participate in something will believe will creature further division,” Shinedown says. “And to our fans, thank you for supporting and believing in us.”
Several other artists have already exited Rock the Country, including rapper Ludacris. Notably, Shinedown drummer Barry Kerch dubbed Ludacris a “coward” for the decision during a recent podcast interview.
“If he’s not tough enough to stick it out, that’s just silly,” Kerch said. “That’s him being a coward, in my opinion.”
When asked whether Shinedown would ever drop off a show due to negative feedback, Kerch replied, “I would hope not.”
“But it is a democracy,” Kerch continued. “There’s four of us to vote. My vote would be no, but if three of the other guys vote against it, then, again, it’s a democracy.”
Meanwhile, Kid Rock just announced a run of live dates dubbed the Freedom 250 tour, running from May 1 in Dallas to June 20 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. Tickets go on sale Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. local time.
The ad begins with unsuspecting customers being surprised by the Backstreet Boys, who sing a parody of their hit “I Want It That Way” all about T-Mobile’s qualities as a carrier.
At the end, the narrator says, “We also had a second surprise.” Cut to a curtain falling to reveal mgk rocking a guitar in a nearly empty store.
“Where’s the Backstreet Boys?” a disappointed girl asks.
“Tell me why,” mgk sighs.
Super Bowl 60 kicks off Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Green Day will perform during the game’s opening ceremony, airing at 6 p.m. ET.
Cover of Paul McCartney’s ‘Man on the Run – Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack’ (Capitol Records/MPL Communications/UMG )
A documentary about Paul McCartney will naturally have plenty of music, and now it’s been announced that his upcoming film, Man on the Run, will have an accompanying soundtrack.
Man on the Run – Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack will feature classics from the Paul McCartney and Wings catalog, including “Silly Love Songs,” “Band on the Run” and “Coming Up.”
The soundtrack will also include bonus material, such as three previously unreleased tracks: a rough mix of “Arrow Through Me” from sessions for the 1979 album Back to the Egg; a live version of “Live and Let Die” from the 1980 concert film Rockshow; and “Gotta Sing Gotta Dance” from the 1973 TV program The James Paul McCartney TV Special.
Man on the Run – Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack will be released Feb. 27, the same day the documentary premieres on Prime Video. It will be released on a variety of formats, including CD, black vinyl and digitally, which are available for preorder now. The soundtrack will also be released on limited-edition New York taxi yellow vinyl via Jack White‘s Third Man Pressing plant and limited-edition tangerine peel orange vinyl through Amazon.
Directed by Morgan Neville, Man on the Run chronicles McCartney’s life after the breakup of The Beatles, including the formation of his band Wings. The film will premiere in theaters for one day only on Feb. 19. Tickets are on sale now.
Dee Snider of Twisted Sister performs at the Bret Michaels Parti-Gras 2024 at PNC Bank Arts Center on August 30, 2024 in Holmdel, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)
Twisted Sister has canceled their planned 50th anniversary reunion tour.
The trek, featuring original members Dee Snider, Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda, was supposed to begin in April but has been called off due to Snider’s health.
“Due to the sudden and unexpected resignation of Twisted Sister’s lead singer Dee Snider brought on by a series of health challenges, the band has been forced to cancel all shows,” Jay Jay and Eddie said in a statement. noting cancelations included the planned opening show April 25 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, as well as all summer dates. “The future of Twisted Sister will be determined in the next several weeks.”
“A lifetime of legendarily aggressive performing has taken its toll on Dee Snider’s body and soul,” it read. “Unbeknownst to the public (until now) Snider (70) suffers from degenerative arthritis and has had several surgeries over the years just to keep going, able to only perform a few songs at a time in pain.”
“Adding insult to injury, Dee has recently found out the level of intensity he has dedicated to his life’s work has taken its toll on his heart as well,” the statement continued. “He can no longer push the boundaries of rock ‘n’ roll fury like he has done for decades.”
“I don’t know of any other way to rock,” Snider said, according to the statement. “The idea of slowing down is unacceptable to me. I’d rather walk away than be a shadow of my former self.”
“In the immortal words of Dirty Harry, ‘A man’s got to know his limitations.’ Sadly, Dee Snider now knows his,” the statement concluded.
The trek would have marked the first time Twisted Sister toured together since 2016.
