Jimmy Jam attends the Songwriters Hall of Fame 55th Annual Induction and Awards Gala at Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 11, 2026, in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Michael Jackson’s music has seen a resurgence thanks to renewed interest generated by the Michael biopic, and Jimmy Jam is thrilled about it. Speaking to ABC Audio on the red carpet of the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony, he shared his excitement about seeing MJ’s music return to the Billboard charts.
“Great music has no expiration date,” he says, noting Michael worked with “a dream team of great collaborators,” including Quincy Jones, Benjamin Wright and Rod Temperton.
“It was just the best musicians, the best arrangers, the best producer all coming together for some musical moments that we’ll never forget,” he adds. “I’m happy that young people are embracing it and realizing almost what they’re not hearing in music is exactly what existed on those albums.”
Michael’s Thriller currently sits at #6 on the Billboard 200, followed by his Number Ones compilation at #7.
Brad Paisley & Miranda Lambert’s “Someone Else’s Arms” (MCA)
It’s been a month since Brad Paisley launched his new Tacklebox project, and it’s time for an update: His latest addition, “Someone Else’s Arms,” is out now and features Miranda Lambert.
He’s added six tracks so far, drawing from his vast catalog of unreleased and unrecorded songs: “Fallin’,” “This Town Ain’t Small Enough,” “Without You,” “Hi Ho Silverado (featuring David Lee Murphy),” “Overnight Low” and “Helen Back.”
Look for more new additions in the weeks to come.
Brad’s currently touring Europe, before he returns to the States to play Provo, Utah, July 4 and resume his U.S. tour.
Ariana Grande attends the AFI Awards Luncheon at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 9, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
Thanks to Ariana Grande, there will soon be brighter days ahead for some organizations that support vulnerable communities.
Ari has launched The Brighter Days Ahead Foundation, which comprises four core funds: Protect & Defend, focused on LGBTQ+ rights, civil rights and reproductive justice; Heal & Dream, which expands access to mental health care and community support; Seen & Celebrated, which ensures LGBTQ+ voices and stories are heard and shared; and Emergency Support, which provides “rapid support and relief during times of collective need,” according to a press release.
Ari says in a statement, “I am beyond excited to finally announce the brighter days ahead foundation. Our mission is to support, protect, and provide resources for our vulnerable friends in need.”
She adds that the foundation will be “supporting handfuls of incredible organizations that provide the safe space and care that is desperately needed by so many right now.”
“It has been my privilege to be able to support these causes on my own over the years, and I’m grateful to now be able to expand that reach and amplify the life-saving work that these organizations do,” she concludes.
In more lighthearted Ariana news, her brother, Frankie Grande, appeared onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday. He told Jimmy that he met Céline Dion soon after Ariana had done one of her famous Céline Dion impressions on his show.
“And so I was there in Vegas and Céline comes literally running up to me and she’s like, ‘Oh my God, Frankie, you have to tell your sister when she did me on Jimmy Fallon I peed!’” Frankie related, doing his own impression of the Canadian diva. “She goes, ‘I was laughing so hard I peed myself! I peed!’”
Taylor Swift, ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’ from ‘Toy Story 5’ (Walt Disney Records)
Taylor Swift’s new Toy Story 5 song “I Knew It, I Knew You” has scored the first of what will likely be multiple chart milestones.
The song has debuted at #1 on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart; it’s her seventh charttopper across the pond. She is tied with Michael Jackson, George Michael and U2 in terms of artists who’ve all scored seven #1 singles on that chart.
Taylor is also now the first non-British artist to score two U.K. #1 hits in 2026; in February, she topped the chart with “Opalite.” The only other artist who’s had two U.K. #1 hits in 2026 is Harry Styles, with “Aperture” and “American Girls.”
Taylor wrote the song after the artist who’s most associated with Toy Story, Randy Newman, said it was OK for her to do so. Newman wrote and performed the franchise’s signature tune, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” plus several other songs for the movie series.
In ABC’s new 20/20 special Toy Story: 30 Years and Beyond, which airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu, Taylor says that Newman has been “amazing and supportive and encouraging” in welcoming her to the franchise.
“Knowing I had his blessing to enter this world was really special for me and kind of helped ease what might have been a stressful situation, if I didn’t know that he was good with it,” she says.
“He’s got a way of just writing such intricate, yet beautifully pure, simple lyrics about how you feel that get to the heart of it,” she says of Newman’s songs. “They’re so complex. They’re exactly how you feel, and they’re so universal.”
Disney is the parent company of ABC, ABC News and Hulu.
Singer Joe Elliott of Def Leppard performs at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on February 03, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Live Nation Las Vegas)
Def Leppard wrapped their Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace back in February, and now they are giving fans who didn’t make it to Sin City a little taste of what went down.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just dropped a performance video of their latest single, “Rejoice,” which was shot during their Vegas stint. The clip shows the band being introduced to the audience and then rising from below the stage to perform the song.
Def Leppard released “Rejoice” back in January, ahead of the residency’s Feb. 3 launch. It was their first new single since dropping “Just Like 73,” featuring Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, in 2024.
The band is set to kick off a new European/U.K. tour on Saturday in Rättvik, Sweden. A complete list of dates can be found at DefLeppard.com.
Nipsey Hussle, Bino Rideaux ‘PROLIFIC’ album cover (All Money In/Out The Blue/Atlantic Records)
PROLIFIC, a collaborative album between Nipsey Hussle and Bino Rideaux, now has a release date. It’s set to arrive on Aug. 14, a day before what would’ve been Hussle’s 41st birthday.
“We’re proud to present PROLIFIC, the collaborative project Nipsey created with Bino and brought to life sonically by Mixed By Ali,” Hussle’s brother, Samiel “Blacc Sam” Asghedom, says in a statement. “We are honored to be able to release the PROLIFIC album in the exact way my brother envisioned it. This isn’t something that our team compiled together, this is the body of work Nipsey created with Bino top to bottom. He was very proud of this project and we feel blessed to finally be able to share it with the world.”
Recorded nine years ago, the 15-track project was recently led by the single “Reckless.” Coinciding with the release date announcement is the premiere of “Sacrifices,” released with a music video directed by Norberto Garcia.
“Sacrifices was a masterclass of creative energy,” says Bino in a statement. “Minimum conversation, all hands on deck, and the unpredictable genius of James Fauntleroy. Constant flow of vibes and gems on and off record.”
PROLIFIC is available for preorder and presave in multiple physical variants. Exclusive merch is available for preorder.
‘Break the Cycle (25th Anniversary Live)’ album artwork. (BMG/Alchemy Recordings)
Staind has announced a new live album celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band’s 2001 breakout album, Break the Cycle.
The set collects live recordings of each of the 13 songs off the original Break the Cycle track list. It’s due out Aug. 21.
You can watch the video for the live version of the single “It’s Been Awhile” streaming now on YouTube.
Break the Cycle marked Staind’s third album and spawned the singles “It’s Been Awhile,” “Fade,” “Outside,” “For You” and “Epiphany.” It’s been certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA.
Staind will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Break the Cycle with a U.S. tour launching in September.
In other 25th anniversary celebration news, Alien Ant Farm is putting out their 2001 effort ANThology, which includes the single “Movies” and their hit cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” on vinyl for the first time on July 31.
Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander of Cheap Trick perform at Ascend Amphitheater on August 14, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Cheap Trick has been forced to cancel or postpone several shows on their current tour.
According to a post on social media, the tour changes are “due to circumstances beyond our control,” and refunds will be given to ticket holders for canceled dates. Tickets for postponed dates will be valid for the new shows.
In total, the band has canceled four shows — June 12 in Catoosa, Oklahoma; June 13 in Norman, Oklahoma; June 20 in Standish, Michigan; and June 27 in Prior Lake, Minnesota. They’ve also postponed three dates — the June 25 show in Aurora, Illinois, is rescheduled for Sept. 10; the June 21 gig in Paw Paw, Michigan, is now scheduled for Sept. 11; and the June 28 concert in Madison, Wisconsin, is recheduled for Nov. 8.
The band’s next scheduled show is June 24 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A complete list of dates can be found at CheapTrick.com.
Cheap Trick released their latest studio album, All Washed Up, in November.
Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, on CBS and Paramount+. (Todd Williamson/CBS via Getty Images)
You need to calm down: Spurs fan Selena Gomez was not insulting Taylor Swift over Taylor’s Knicks fandom.
As per E! Online, on Thursday Selena commented “lol” on an MTV Instagram post that shared photos of celebrities at Game 4 of the NBA finals, including shots of Taylor with Mariska Hargitay. On Friday, she posted an Instagram Story that read, “Woke up and was sent so many texts. I would never insult my friends, nor was it an insult. The comment was a reaction to the first slide on the page.”
Selena went on to explain a now-deleted Instagram Story that she’d posted after the game, which was captured and posted on X. In it, she’d captioned a report of the Knicks’ stunning victory over her hometown team, the San Antonio Spurs, “Mad respect for the game!! Congrats to the peeps that represent. What a comeback. So funny how some are all the sudden fans though lol.”
People online interpreted this as criticism of Taylor, who has been accused by some — including an ESPN commentator — of not being a “real” Knicks fans. In fact, she’s a longtime fan of the team. But as Selena explained in her Friday post, that’s not what she was referring to at all.
“Second, I bet my friends on the game. The friends in the text chain I posted. I lost but was poking at my opponents, my friends,” she wrote. “Believe it or not I do have other friends in my life. But quickly forget that most assume otherwise.”
Mgk’s been on a collaborative streak lately, releasing the song “FIX UR FACE” with Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst and the blog era boyz EP with Wiz Khalifa.
Mgk is currently touring the U.S. in support of his latest album, 2025’s lost americana. He performed a cover of Nickelback’s “Rockstar” during a recent show in Pittsburgh.
