Music

Brandy isn’t just sitting up in her room, she appears to be booked and busy. The singer has announced that her memoir will be released on March 31. Phases, co-written by Gerrick Kennedy, will bring fans through her journey from growing up in McComb, Mississippi, to the start of her music career at 14 years old. It will also feature stories about her time on Moesha and starring in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, as well as some other highs and lows. 

“This project has been such a personal journey for me, and seeing it come to fruition like this feels surreal,” Brandy wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of the book cover. “Life has taken me through so many highs and lows, twists and turns, and each phase has shaped who I am today. I hope my story resonates with you, reminding us all that even in the toughest times, there’s light on the other side. Let’s embrace every phase together!”

Brandy’s book update coincides with the release of her cover of Kehlani‘s viral song “Folded.” Kehlani celebrated the moment on Instagram, sharing screenshots of her text messages with Brandy, who praised her talent while expressing gratitude for the many times Kehlani has given her her flowers.

“yall have no idea. this is my MUVA of ALLL muvas. this is the reason i know how to use my voice this is still who i study, who i reference, who i consider to be my absolute #1,” Kehlani wrote. “With the highest most deep respect and honor for all you have given me, us, the world… i LOVE you Ms Brandy Norwood thank you a million billion times over and they not gon know what hit em.”

Brandy is set to hit the road with Monica in October for The Boy is Mine tour. Suits are the recommended dress code.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Brandy isn’t just sitting up in her room, she appears to be booked and busy. The singer has announced that her memoir will be released on March 31. Phases, co-written by Gerrick Kennedy, will bring fans through her journey from growing up in McComb, Mississippi, to the start of her music career at 14 years old. It will also feature stories about her time on Moesha and starring in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, as well as some other highs and lows. 

“This project has been such a personal journey for me, and seeing it come to fruition like this feels surreal,” Brandy wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of the book cover. “Life has taken me through so many highs and lows, twists and turns, and each phase has shaped who I am today. I hope my story resonates with you, reminding us all that even in the toughest times, there’s light on the other side. Let’s embrace every phase together!”

Brandy’s book update coincides with the release of her cover of Kehlani‘s viral song “Folded.” Kehlani celebrated the moment on Instagram, sharing screenshots of her text messages with Brandy, who praised her talent while expressing gratitude for the many times Kehlani has given her her flowers.

“yall have no idea. this is my MUVA of ALLL muvas. this is the reason i know how to use my voice this is still who i study, who i reference, who i consider to be my absolute #1,” Kehlani wrote. “With the highest most deep respect and honor for all you have given me, us, the world… i LOVE you Ms Brandy Norwood thank you a million billion times over and they not gon know what hit em.”

Brandy is set to hit the road with Monica in October for The Boy is Mine tour. Suits are the recommended dress code.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

All the work that Ed Sheeran‘s been doing for months to promote his new album, Play, has paid off in his native U.K.

Play has debuted at #1 on the U.K.’s official album chart, giving him his ninth chart-topper back home. He now has had more #1 albums on that chart than Oasis, Led Zeppelin, George Michael, Pink Floyd or Phil Collins. Ed’s first #1 album came in 2011 with Plus.

Ed wrote on Instagram, “9th UK number one album. 15 years into my career this isn’t a given at all, I’m so so grateful for all the love and support from my fanbase. Thank you, for always x.”

We’ll find out on Sunday whether Play does the same on the Billboard 200 album chart — he’ll have to get past the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack to do it.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

All the work that Ed Sheeran‘s been doing for months to promote his new album, Play, has paid off in his native U.K.

Play has debuted at #1 on the U.K.’s official album chart, giving him his ninth chart-topper back home. He now has had more #1 albums on that chart than Oasis, Led Zeppelin, George Michael, Pink Floyd or Phil Collins. Ed’s first #1 album came in 2011 with Plus.

Ed wrote on Instagram, “9th UK number one album. 15 years into my career this isn’t a given at all, I’m so so grateful for all the love and support from my fanbase. Thank you, for always x.”

We’ll find out on Sunday whether Play does the same on the Billboard 200 album chart — he’ll have to get past the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack to do it.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Trisha Yearwood doesn’t kick off her next tour until December, but on Saturday she’ll headline the Rock for First Responders benefit in the Golden State.

All the performers have donated their time for Saturday’s show, which takes place at Kevin Costner‘s Field of Dreams at his oceanside estate in Carpinteria, California.

Rock bands Good Charlotte and The Fray are also part of the lineup, as well as Alan Parsons, Steppenwolf‘s John Kay, The Cars‘ Elliott Easton and more.

Tickets are available online, though they aren’t cheap. General admission is $300, but $250 of that is tax deductible, since the money goes to mental wellness programs for first responders in Santa Barbara County.

Trisha’s next show is Dec. 2, when she starts her holiday tour at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Her new album, Christmastime, arrives Nov. 7. 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Trisha Yearwood doesn’t kick off her next tour until December, but on Saturday she’ll headline the Rock for First Responders benefit in the Golden State.

All the performers have donated their time for Saturday’s show, which takes place at Kevin Costner‘s Field of Dreams at his oceanside estate in Carpinteria, California.

Rock bands Good Charlotte and The Fray are also part of the lineup, as well as Alan Parsons, Steppenwolf‘s John Kay, The Cars‘ Elliott Easton and more.

Tickets are available online, though they aren’t cheap. General admission is $300, but $250 of that is tax deductible, since the money goes to mental wellness programs for first responders in Santa Barbara County.

Trisha’s next show is Dec. 2, when she starts her holiday tour at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Her new album, Christmastime, arrives Nov. 7. 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Lumineers are currently on tour in support of their latest album, Automatic, but the band’s Jeremiah Fraites is also celebrating his side project: He wrote the score for the movie The Long Walk, in theaters now.

Back in 2013, The Lumineers contributed a track called “Gale Song” to the soundtrack of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Fraites tells ABC Audio that connection inspired him to immediately say yes to The Long Walk, from the same director, Francis Lawrence.

The other thing that made him say yes? The Long Walk is based on a Stephen King novel. The story concerns a deadly contest in a dystopian America in which 100 young men start walking and are executed if their speed falls below a certain number of miles per hour. The last man standing is the winner.

Fraites chose to use piano and strings for the score because he needed to depict the young men’s horrific situation, but also the close relationship that develops between them.

“Piano and strings can be very beautiful-sounding instruments. They can also be very terrifying-sounding instruments,” he tells ABC Audio.

He adds, “I wanted to service the sort of dark aspects of what you’d expect in a Stephen King-type novel. But Francis said there’s gonna be … these intimate relationships being formed in this very cruel dystopian universe that they’re living in.”

Fraites says it was “a very emotional experience” to see the completed film, and he can’t wait to do more.

“I’m totally hooked. I mean, honestly, it was one of the most just thrilling and really unique things that I’d ever done creatively,” he says. “I’m 39. I’ve been wanting to score films since I was 17. … I think this late into my life creatively, I think it was the right time.” 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Lumineers are currently on tour in support of their latest album, Automatic, but the band’s Jeremiah Fraites is also celebrating his side project: He wrote the score for the movie The Long Walk, in theaters now.

Back in 2013, The Lumineers contributed a track called “Gale Song” to the soundtrack of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Fraites tells ABC Audio that connection inspired him to immediately say yes to The Long Walk, from the same director, Francis Lawrence.

The other thing that made him say yes? The Long Walk is based on a Stephen King novel. The story concerns a deadly contest in a dystopian America in which 100 young men start walking and are executed if their speed falls below a certain number of miles per hour. The last man standing is the winner.

Fraites chose to use piano and strings for the score because he needed to depict the young men’s horrific situation, but also the close relationship that develops between them.

“Piano and strings can be very beautiful-sounding instruments. They can also be very terrifying-sounding instruments,” he tells ABC Audio.

He adds, “I wanted to service the sort of dark aspects of what you’d expect in a Stephen King-type novel. But Francis said there’s gonna be … these intimate relationships being formed in this very cruel dystopian universe that they’re living in.”

Fraites says it was “a very emotional experience” to see the completed film, and he can’t wait to do more.

“I’m totally hooked. I mean, honestly, it was one of the most just thrilling and really unique things that I’d ever done creatively,” he says. “I’m 39. I’ve been wanting to score films since I was 17. … I think this late into my life creatively, I think it was the right time.” 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Beatles are sharing a preview of their upcoming Anthology reissue.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have shared a new take on their classic track “Helter Skelter,” which appeared on 1968’s The Beatles aka the White Album. The clip, titled “Helter Skelter (Second Version – Take 17),” features snippets of the band working through the song in the studio.

“’Helter Skelter’ is this track we did in total madness and hysterics in the studio,” Ringo Starr shares in a clip posted to Instagram. 

Paul McCartney adds, “We just tried to get it louder. Guitars, can we have them sound louder? The drums. Louder! We did it like that, because I like noise.” 

The Beatles will release the Anthology Collection box set on Nov. 21, featuring the original three Anthology albums, plus a new fourth installment, Anthology 4. It will be released digitally and as a 12-LP or eight-CD collection.

Anthology 4 will also be released on its own, as a three-LP or two-CD set, featuring 36 tracks, including 13 previously unreleased demos and session recordings, and other rare recordings.

All formats are available for preorder now.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Cardi B asks Am I the Drama? on her long-awaited sophomore album, officially out now. The album is her first in seven years and finds her addressing topics that have come up over the past few years.

Cardi raps about her ex Offset, and the feelings she experienced throughout their marriage and subsequent breakup, in songs including “Man of Your Word,” “Shower Tears” featuring Summer Walker and “What’s Goin On?” featuring Lizzo, which samples 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up.”

The album also features braggadocio on songs like “Imaginary Playerz” and “Better Than You,” with the diss tracks “Magnet” shading JT and “Pretty & Petty” targeting rapper Bia, with whom she’s been feuding for some time. The beef stemmed from Bia’s claims that Cardi copied her style on the “Like What (Freestyle)” and included shots at Cardi’s daughter Kulture Kiari Cephus. 

With a new love in her life, Am I the Drama? isn’t without its love songs. Cardi tapped Tyla on a song about a “Nice Guy” and raps about feeling “Safe” in her latest song with Kehlani, out now with an accompanying music video.

There’s a bit of R&B, hip-hop and Latin vibes on the project. Additional features include Selena Gomez, Cash Cobain, Lourdiz and Janet Jackson, whose song “The Pleasure Principle” is sampled on “Principal.”

Cardi talked to Apple Music’s Ebro Darden ahead of the release of her album Thursday night and explained the title.

“I always feel like I’m always in some s***, and I been in some s*** since middle school,” she said. “It’s always been like that my whole life. … Even now, it’s like damn, do drama follow me, or I’m just the drama?”

She also performed a few of the songs live, including “Hello,” “Outside” and “Bodega Baddie.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.