Ariana Grande Eternal Sunshine tour image (Katia Temkin)
Talk about a full-circle moment: Ariana Grande just headlined the first of three sold-out shows at the same venue where she first sang publicly as a little girl.
The venue is Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. As the Miami Herald reports, in 2002 it was known as the Office Depot Center when an 8-year-old Ariana sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of a Florida Panthers game. Ariana brought her Eternal Sunshine tour there on Tuesday night.
The Panthers and the venue teamed up on Instagram to share photos and video of that original performance. Despite her youth, little Ariana Grande-Butera, as she was known then, shows off some impressive pipes during the anthem. “Back where it all began,” they captioned the post.
For her part, Ariana wrote on her Instagram Story, “florida, i love you with all my heart forever. thank you for a most beautiful night one.” Ari was born in Boca Raton, Florida, which is about 25 miles away from Sunrise.
She’s also scheduled to play Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday and Friday.
Mary J. Blige, Brad Paisley & NE-YO (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images | Catherine Powell/Getty Images | Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Brad Paisley, Mary J. Blige and NE-YO will headline a celebration in Times Square on Friday to count down to the Fourth of July and America’s 250th anniversary.
The superstars will perform at the Giving 4th Broadcast Benefit Show hosted by Jim Gaffigan on July 3, according to America250, the nonpartisan organization charged by Congress to lead the celebration of America’s 250th year.
The show is scheduled to take place at One Times Square in New York City and will stream live at America250.org starting at 9 p.m. ET on July 3, according to the organization.
The celebration in Times Square will also include a ball drop at 12 a.m. ET to ring in July Fourth.
For the first time, the ball will drop in Times Square eight times to mark midnight in every American time zone, according to America250.org.
The ball used for the ball drop will be a new “Constellation Ball” that is 12 1/2 feet in diameter, features handcrafted Waterford crystals and LED lights, and weighs 12,350 pounds, according to One Times Square, which designed the new ball.
The Times Square celebration is one of several celebrations happening across the country this weekend as the United States marks its 250th anniversary.
On the night of July Fourth, ABC will host the “Star-Spangled Bash” in Nashville, featuring performances from artists including Reba McEntire, Nick Jonas, Boyz II Men, Tim McGraw, Brothers Osborne and Lauren Daigle.
The special, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, will air at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, Disney+, the ESPN App, Freeform, FX, Hulu and NatGeo.
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News.
Young M.A. made her return to music when she released Kween at the end of May. After a nearly five-year hiatus, she said she came back because the timing felt right.
“It was just time for me to speak out. A lot of stuff [was] just floating around, and nobody really understood my POV, and one thing about me, I’m going to put [it] in the music,” she told People.
She also credited the release to those who had been asking for new music.
“To be honest, with my supporters, they was looking forward to me [releasing a new project]. They was wondering what was going on, and it was silent for a minute,” she said. “A lot of things was out there that I just had to clarify and bring it into the music, so I explained it to them.”
Among the topics discussed on the project are the trials, tribulations and growth Young M.A. experienced during her time out of the spotlight.
“I had to make sure I was able to say everything that needed to be said,” she told People. “And not overdo it neither, at the same time, [and] still try to keep a balance with music that felt good still, but also being vulnerable to what happened … and then let you know I’m good, though.”
She added that she’s grateful to be in a place where she feels comfortable opening up about her past “because a lot of people don’t get out of that dark hole.”
Now that Kween is out, Young M.A.’s focus is on giving it the attention it deserves.
“This album needs a little more attention, recognition,” she says. “It needs to be heard more.”
Pop Legend David Bowie In Concert, At The Hammersmith Appollo, In London, Pic Shows: David Bowie (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Items from the David Bowie archive went on display in September at the David Bowie Center, part of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Now the V&A has announced that highlights from that exhibit are going on tour in the U.K.
David Bowie: On Tour will feature more than 100 items from the V&A’s Bowie archive, including costumes, instruments and photos. It will mark the first time Bowie’s archive has been on display outside of London.
According to a press release, the tour will offer fans a look into the late rocker’s “creative process and how he shaped his iconic image, music, video, TV and film work.” It will be broken down into four sections, “each offering a different lens on Bowie’s creative life.”
“David Bowie’s archive reveals an artist in constant motion — a restless, forward-looking mind at work beyond the music and images we know,” says Harriet Reed, curator of contemporary performance at the V&A. “It’s a rare chance to step inside Bowie’s imagination and experience the curiosity and daring that defined his life’s work.”
The U.K. tour is set to launch at the V&A Dundee in Dundee, Scotland, in November. More info can be found at VAM.ac.uk.
Despite her four top-10 hits and five entries in the Spotify Billions club, these days Bebe Rexha seems to be synonymous with the concept of the Khia Asylum. It’s a term used to describe a female pop star who seems to be underperforming. But thanks to the success of her album Dirty Blonde and its singles “New Religion” and “Sad Girl,” she seems to have escaped — though she’s hesitant to confirm that.
Asked by Paper magazine if she feels as though she’s “broken out” of the metaphorical asylum, Bebe says, “I’m the type of person who just likes to create music. I’m such a Virgo – I’m trying to celebrate that the album went number one on the dance chart, but I’m the type of person who is like, ‘Oh my god, I could still write better songs. I could do more.’ More, more, more.”
She continues, “Every day, I don’t wake up being like, ‘Did I break out of The Khia Asylum?’ I’m doing my thing. Once I hit a stride, I’ll know and it will feel good, but I still feel like I’m in the building stages of what I’m trying to build.”
That being said, she posted her Paper cover image on Instagram and captioned it, “I never wanna hear the words Khia Asylum again.”
Bebe is far from alone in the Asylum, though: Until recently, Charli XCX and Zara Larsson were right there with her.
“It’s extremely inspiring,” Bebe says of their success. She notes, “People always want to count women out, say ‘They’ve already had their chance.’ … What I’ve seen with Charli and Zara is they’re work horses. They never stopped. To see them do what they’re doing is f****** awesome.”
Apple Music’s cueing up a second volume of Nashville Sessions: Toby Keith Covered, this time with live performances by Tyler Hubbard, Jackson Dean, Kameron Marlowe and Emily Ann Roberts.
“I love that he not only was an incredible songwriter himself,” Tyler says, “but poured into the Nashville songwriting community and the writers around him and the people. I think he understood the value of a song and the value of the songwriter. So, really a lot of respect and love for him for that for sure.”
The Florida Georgia Line hitmaker picked one of Toby’s hits from 2003.
“’I Love This Bar’ had not been done. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, how has this song not been done yet?’ So, yeah, pretty quickly I was like, ‘Yep, I want that song. That’ll be a blast,'” Tyler explains. “I’ve sung it for years anyways.”
Jackson tackles “I Wanna Talk About Me,” Kameron does “How Do You Like Me Now” and Emily adds “Red Solo Cup” to the collection.
The previous volume featured Ashley McBryde, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum, Riley Green and Tucker Wetmore.
“Cue the Sun / Alba Del Orate” single artwork. (InsideOutMusic)
The Mars Volta has announced a new live album called Lucro Sucio; Unfinished Business.
The set is due out Sept. 4 on digital outlets and Oct. 16 on physical formats. It includes live renditions of songs off The Mars Volta’s latest studio effort, 2025’s Lucro sucio; Los ojos del vacio.
“We’ve taken an experimental approach with this record, combining live performances from our recent tour into a high-fidelity, multi-layered reimagining of Lucro Sucio,” The Mars Volta says.
Specific recordings included on Unfinished Business were chosen by fans who voted on The Mars Volta’s website ahead of the album announcement.
Melissa McCarthy attends the Fashion Trust U.S. 2026 Awards at Nya Studios on April 8, 2026, in LA. (Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Fashion Trust US)
The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey has found a home at Netflix.
This already completed series was formerly known as Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey. Paramount+ opted not to proceed with it in late 2025. Netflix has announced it picked the limited series up and will release it as a global original title this winter.
Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen star as Patsy Ramsey and John Bennett Ramsey in the series. According to its official synopsis, the show centers “on one of the most infamous unsolved murder cases in American history, and the devastating personal and public reckoning that followed the death of JonBenet Ramsey on Christmas night in 1996.”
Richard LaGravenese serves as the series’ showrunner, writer and executive producer. Presumed Innocent‘s director Anne Sewitsky helms and serves as an executive producer alongside the show’s co-writers, Harrison Query and Tommy Wallach. McCarthy also executive produces.
Also starring are Emily Mitchell as JonBenét Ramsey, Garrett Hedlund as Det. Steve Thomas, Alison Pill as Det. Linda Arndt, Shea Whigham as Alex Hunter, Owen Teague as Shane Edwards, Clifton Collins Jr. as Det. Tom Trujillo, Angus Caldwell as Burke Ramsey and Jaime Ray Newman as Amelia Hunt.
Recurring in the series are Rory Cochrane as John Eller, Chris Bauer as Chief Tom Koby, Will Patton as Lou Smit, Jeremy Bobb as Pete Hofstrom, John Billingsley as Santa Bill McReynolds and Josh Stamberg as Reed Hunt. Additionally, Margo Martindale will guest as Nedra Paugh and Tzi Ma will guest as Dr. Henry Lee.
Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John O. Brennan is seen on October 24, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Former CIA Director John Brennan on Wednesday sued President Donald Trump and his top law enforcement officials to force them to preserve records related to investigations into Brennan.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The Empire State building and the skyline of Manhattan is viewed on January 21, 2015 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — A daredevil couple climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and unfurled a banner on top of its spire Wednesday afternoon, taking their love to new heights.
Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, who have gained an online following for their death-defying skyscraper climbs around the world, stayed on top of the skyscraper for several minutes as cameras rolled on the action before coming down on the spire, police sources told ABC News.
Beerkus then appeared to propose to his longtime girlfriend before they were taken into custody.
The black banner appeared to reference a Jimi Hendrix quote and said in white letters, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”
The banner has been recovered, police said.
An NYPD helicopter was sent and the building’s observation deck was cleared of visitors as police arrived. The observation deck was reopened later in the afternoon.
The top of the building’s spire is 1,454 feet above the ground.
It was not immediately clear how the couple got into position to free climb the metal structure that services the spire, broadcast antenna and red anti-collision beacon atop the building.
A spokesperson for the Empire State Building said in a statement to ABC News that there was at no time danger to the building’s tenants or visitors.
“It is to be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck, atop the World’s Most Famous Building in the center of New York City, does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals,” the spokesman said in a statement.
The Empire State Building’s rules prohibit masks and costumes.
The observation deck was reopened later in the afternoon on Wednesday.
They were featured in a 2024 Netflix documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story.” The film showcased the couple’s climb of Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, the world’s second tallest building at 2,227 feet.
The Russian couple have frequently posted photos of their stunts on their social media pages. In many of their posts, they are seen standing and posing at the edge of buildings from extreme heights.
Some of their posts show them hugging and kissing while on top of buildings.
Nikolau and Beerkus appeared to chronicle their climb up the Empire State Building on social media Wednesday and posted close-up images of the proposal from the spire along closeups of the engagement ring.
