Music

Cardi B is defending Tyla amidst the ongoing criticism she has faced from people on the internet. She addressed the topic during a recent X Spaces while discussing some of the “straight up disrespectful” comments she has received.

“Look at Tyla,” Cardi said. “People been dragging the s*** out of Tyla and it’s like, the girl don’t even f****** address or talk about nothing. I’m starting to feel that people just don’t like celebrities. It’s like the only way that people like celebrities [is] if you don’t f****** say nothing at all.”

Cardi said she doesn’t understand why Tyla has been targeted. 

“[What] I do know is every single time I scroll down on my TikTok, there’s a video of her and people are talking s*** and it’s like, godd***, what do you want her to f****** do, cut her f****** veins? Like, enough. Enough,” Cardi said.

Tyla has been on the receiving end of negative social media comments for reasons including her ethnic identity and her past refusal to discuss it on The Breakfast Club.

“Me choosing not to say anything, I’m happy that I didn’t,” Tyla told British Vogue. “I didn’t want to explain my culture and something that is really important to me on a platform that is just going to be purposefully misconstrued. I’ve explained it a lot of times before, but people took that and put words in my mouth. They said a whole bunch of things that I never said and ran with it.”

In other Cardi B news, she is set to release her new single, “Imaginary Players,” on Friday. She shared a preview of the song on Instagram Thursday, confirming it samples Jay-Z‘s homonymous song. The song previews her upcoming album, Am I the Drama?

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Country Music Hall of Famer Connie Smith will celebrate her 60th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry Aug. 20, with performances by her husband, Marty Stuart, plus Vince Gill, Chris Janson and more. Connie and the late Jean Shepard are the only female artists in history to mark the milestone.

Sesame Street stars Elmo and Abby Cadabby are set to make their Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday as part of the institution’s 100th birthday celebration.

Luke Bryan‘s 2015 album, Kill the Lights, will be available on special-edition light blue vinyl Nov. 14 to mark the milestone record’s 10th anniversary.

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T.I. gave fans a glimpse of his anniversary trip to Thailand celebrating 15 years of marriage to his wife, Tiny. He shared an Instagram Reel of their time in Phucket, where they overlooked the ocean, enjoyed a lobster dinner and swam.

“For 15 years we been vibin in holy matrimony, in love all over the world…To The Love of my Life. My BFF ta’death @majorgirl,” T.I. captioned the post. “Somehow Forever don’t seem long enough for us, but Phucket, Thailand seemed adequate for this anniversary, seeing as how you’ve been talking about going for so long… & Yessirski a time was had!!!” 

In her own post, Tiny praised her husband for the way he’s treated her over the years. “Baby u set the bar so high on just how hard u love me, protect me, take care of me & more importantly was willing to be the best man for me for us to make it where we are today,” she wrote. “Love really wins when both parties fight for each other thru the tough times.”

T.I. and Tiny started dating in 2001 and got married in 2010. They share three children, Clifford “King” Harris, Major Harris and Heiress Harris. T.I.’s children Messiah Harris, Domani Harris and Deyjah Harris are from previous relationships, as is Tiny’s daughter Zonnique Pullins.

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We’re not sure when Taylor Swift recorded the episode of New Heights that aired on Wednesday, but at the same time Swifties everywhere were glued to the podcast, she was stepping out in New York City.

Page Six reports that Taylor spent Wednesday night dining at Casa Cipriani in Manhattan, accompanied by her pal Ashley Avignone and actor Owen Thiele, star of Overcompensating. Eyewitnesses tell Page Six that Taylor wore a “black, romantic bodice dress” and had her hair in a messy low bun; she acted “friendly” and “chatty with staff.” One insider says she sat a few tables away from New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Casa Cipriani, a private, members-only club, became somewhat notorious in 2023 after Taylor went there with previous boyfriend Matty Healy and photos of them went viral. Membership was revoked for the members who sneaked the photos, Page Six reported. In September 2024, Taylor returned to the club with current beau Travis Kelce after they attended a wedding earlier in the evening.

When last we checked, Taylor’s Wednesday appearance with Travis and Jason Kelce on New Heights — during which she discussed her new album, her relationship with Travis, her parents, her hobbies and more — had racked up close to 11 million views on YouTube alone.

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Dream Theater has announced a graphic novel accompaniment to their latest album, Parasomnia.

The book, which will be published by Z2 Comics, brings the world of Parasomnia to the page as it “expands on the exploration of just how thin the line is between the waking world and the world of dreams.”

“It’s been so awesome getting to work with the Z2 Comics team on this epic collaboration,” says guitarist John Petrucci. “Having the opportunity to explore alternative interpretations of the songs on Parasomnia through the eyes of so many talented artists has been truly inspirational.”

“The unique storytelling talents of all the writers as well as the incredible artwork that reflects so many different styles of graphic artistry was just amazing to witness,” Petrucci continues. “I think fans of this media, our DT community and just anyone who appreciates stunning displays of human creativity will really enjoy this dark and sometimes twisted journey through the realm of Parasomnia!”

For more info, visit Z2Comics.com.

Parasomnia the album was released in February and marks Dream Theater’s first record with founding drummer Mike Portnoy since 2009. 

Dream Theater will be performing Parasomnia in full on their upcoming U.S. tour, kicking off in September.

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Old Dominion previewed their new album, Barbara, Wednesday afternoon at Odie’s in midtown Nashville — but not before they picked up a little extra bling. 

OD’s label started the party by revealing three new RIAA certifications for the CMA and ACM group of the year. “Memory Lane” is now double Platinum, while “Snapback” is triple Platinum. Meanwhile, “One Man Band” is nearing Diamond territory, having just hit eight-times Platinum. 

“What do I say now?” lead singer Matthew Ramsey asked from the stage, before going on to discuss the band’s sixth album.

“We’re very excited about this album. I think it’s the most united we’ve been as a band, from the writing, recording, to how we feel about the final product. We can’t wait to share it with you. It’s at least guaranteed to be the best album released on Aug. 22, 2025,” he joked.

Previews of the new album continue, as the new track “Late Great Heartbreak” drops Friday.

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The Beaches have shared a new song called “Lesbian of the Year,” a track off the band’s upcoming album, No Hard Feelings.

“‘Lesbian of the Year’ is about the shame I felt coming out later in life and the pressure of trying to live up to ‘Lesbian of the Year,’ a title given to me by my sweet fans,” says multi-instrumentalist Leandra Earl. “I feel regret for not knowing myself sooner, but this song is also about the journey of self discovery & sexual identity and accepting that everyone is on their own timeline and we’ll get there when we get there.”

No Hard Feelings, the follow-up to 2023’s Blame My Ex, is due out Aug. 29. It also includes the single “Last Girls at the Party.”

The Beaches will launch a U.S. tour in September.

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