That’s according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents the recorded music industry business around the world. The IFPI also notes that this marks the sixth time Taylor’s won the title: as many times as all other artists combined over the past 10 years.
In 2025, Taylor dominated the streaming, physical and digital music formats thanks to her album The Life of a Showgirl and her Disney+ documentary The End of an Era.
“Taylor Swift’s sixth IFPI Global Artist of the Year award is a truly historic achievement,” IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley said in a statement.
Other artists among IFPI’s top-10 biggest global artists of 2025 include Bad Bunny, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga, who was in the top 10 for the first time since 2020.
Further down the list were Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber. Ed’s back on the list for the first time since 2023, while Justin made it for the first time since 2021.
DJ Khaled attends Reserve Cup Miami 2026 at Reserve Miami Seaplane on January 23, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Reserve Padel)
DJ Khaled has been tapped to headline the official afterparty for the Big 12 Conference, a premier NCAA Division I athletic conference. He’ll perform at the KC Live! stage in Kansas City, Missouri. Fans must follow the Big 12‘s social media for more information on how to get access to tickets for the free show.
“The Big 12 Tournament is one of the biggest and best. I’m looking forward to bringing that energy to the Tournament After Party with a performance and connecting with the fans,” Khaled said in a statement. “Young world, the world is yours—you are now and you are the future! Keep going! WE THE BEST!”
“We are continually investing in ways to elevate the Big 12 Basketball Tournaments and deliver an unforgettable experience for our fans,” added Big 12 chief brand and business officer Tyrel Kirkham. “DJ Khaled is an incredible performer and we know he will put on a high-energy show.”
The Big 12 basketball tournament afterparty takes place on March 14.
Darius Rucker’s stepping out with a symphony in his hometown.
The country star and Hootie & the Blowfish frontman will play the Darius Rucker Big Band Gala April 7 at the Gaillard Center in Charleston. He’ll be joined by the Robert Lewis Orchestra.
“These big band shows are some of my favorite nights as it’s the only time I get to perform so many of the standards we all grew up listening to with the backing of such an incredible orchestra,” Darius says. “It’s all to benefit incredible non-profit work locally.”
Proceeds go to fund music education in Charleston County Schools through the CMA Foundation, and to the Carolyn G. Rucker Nursing Scholarship at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, which honors Darius’ mother.
Cover of U2 EP ‘U2-Days of Ash’ (Interscope Records)
U2 has surprised fans with some new music.
The Irish rockers just released a new six-track EP, U2 – Days of Ash. It features five new songs and a poem, with a guest appearance by Ed Sheeran and Ukrainian musician-turned-soldier Taras Topolia.
The EP is described in a press release as “an immediate response to current events and inspired by the many extraordinary and courageous people fighting on the frontlines of freedom.” It comes ahead of a new U2 record, expected in late 2026.
“It’s been a thrill having the four of us back together in the studio over the last year … the songs on Days of Ash are very different in mood and theme to the ones we’re going to put on our album later in the year,” Bono said in a statement. “These EP tracks couldn’t wait; these songs were impatient to be out in the world. They are songs of defiance and dismay, of lamentation.”
“I believe these new songs stand up to our best work,” Larry Mullen Jr. added, with Adam Clayton offering, “I’m excited about these new songs, it feels like they’re arriving at the right time.”
Songs on the EP include “American Obituary,” written in response to the death of Minneapolis resident Renee Good at the hands of federal agents, and “Yours Eternally,” which features Sheeran and Topolia. The latter song will be accompanied by a documentary, directed by Ukrainian cinematographer and filmmaker Ilya Mikhaylus. It will be released Feb. 24 to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
U2 – Days of Ash is available now via digital outlets, with lyric videos for all the songs on YouTube. Here is the track list: “American Obituary” “The Tears of Things” “Song of the Future” “Wildpeace” – by Yehuda Amichai, read by Adeola, with music by U2 and Jacknife Lee “One Life At a Time” “Yours Eternally” (ft. Ed Sheeran & Taras Topolia)
The key art for season 4 of ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.’ (Disney)
The official trailer for season 4 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has arrived.
In addition to the brand-new trailer, Hulu has released the key art for the upcoming season — and it’s missing a Mormon wife. Despite being listed as part of the main cast, Demi Engemann is absent from the newly released season 4 key art photos.
This new season of the show finds the women of #MomTok more famous than ever. It follows Taylor Frankie Paul as she is announced to star as the lead in a new season of The Bachelorette. It also takes place during the same time that Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt were competing against each other on Dancing with the Stars.
That competition “creates chaos, temptations arise, and tradition turns upside down,” according to the official season 4 synopsis. “Up against unraveling marriages, personal demons and family secrets — they must choose to lean on each other or face their fates untethered and alone on the world’s stage. Will the women remain loyal to their sisterhood to save it? Or will #MomTok shatter forever?”
The two-minute trailer sets up exactly what the Mormon wives have been up to since the season 3 reunion. Paul says it has been a year since she broke up with her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, and that she’s ready to get back out there.
“I’m not good at dating,” the soon-to-be Bachelorette Paul says, which prompts Maci Neeley to say in return, “You’re about to date 30 people at one time!”
In addition to Paul, Affleck, Leavitt, Enegmann and Neeley, season 4 stars Jessi Draper, Layla Taylor, Mikayla Matthews and Miranda Hope.
Cars make their way to Hobby Airport in Houston on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
(HOUSTON) — A man has been detained by police after allegedly exhibiting “unruly and unlawful behavior towards other customers” that caused a flight to return to Houston shortly after taking off, according to Delta Airlines and law enforcement.
The flight, departing from William P. Hobby Airport, was headed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
“The safety of our customers and crew is paramount, and Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior. We apologize to our customers for this experience and delay in their travels,” Delta said in a statement on Wednesday.
After taking off, it landed at the William P. Hobby Airport in Houston around 5:40 a.m. local time, according to the FAA. The flight was only in the air for about 15 minutes.
Earlier reports and air traffic controller audio alleged the man was attempting to breach the cockpit of a Delta Airlines flight but Delta said he “did not make contact with or attempt to access the flight deck,” in a statement to ABC News.
A call reporting that “apparently an individual tried to gain entry into a cockpit” was made at around 5:35 a.m., according to the Houston Police Department. Police officers were dispatched to Gate 32 at the airport, where multiple police cars surrounded the aircraft, according to KTRK.
On air traffic controller audio, one of the pilots can be heard telling controllers, “we had a passenger get up and try to access the cockpit,” and that “he assaulted another passenger,” who the pilot said they wanted to get checked out.
Video reviewed and verified by ABC News shows a passenger whose hands are bound being escorted off a Delta flight 2557 on Wednesday morning in Houston.
The FAA said the flight “returned safely” to Hobby “after the crew reported a passenger disturbance.” The FAA said it will investigate the incident.
There were 85 passengers and five crew on board the plane. The flight re-departed and arrived in Atlanta, about 90 minutes behind schedule, Delta said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Mark Zuckerberg (R), CEO of Meta testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 31, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Mark Zuckerberg took the stand on Wednesday in a landmark Los Angeles trial alleging that major social media platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive for children and teens.
The case, which began last Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, centers on claims against Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — and YouTube, which is owned by Google. Plaintiffs argue the companies knowingly built features that encouraged compulsive use among young users, contributing to long-term mental health harm.
The lawsuit was brought by a now-20-year-old woman identified as “Kaley” and her mother, who allege she was exposed to addictive design features as a child. Her lawyers claim she got hooked on social media apps starting as young as age 6. She says features like auto-scrolling got her addicted to the platforms — ultimately leading to anxiety, depression and body image issues.
In opening statements, the plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Lanier told the jury the case was “as easy as ABC,” which he said stood for “addicting the brains of children.”
The case is the first of more than 1,500 similar lawsuits nationwide to go before a jury, potentially setting a precedent for how tech companies are held liable for product design.
Zuckerberg has appeared before Congress multiple times to address concerns over youth safety and online harms, but Wednesday marks the first time he will testify before a jury on these claims.
Several parents of children who died by suicide or accidental harm linked to online trends are expected to attend the proceedings. Some previously watched Zuckerberg apologize during a 2024 Capitol Hill hearing, where he acknowledged families who said social media contributed to their children’s deaths.
The companies deny the allegations, arguing that mental health outcomes are shaped by a range of factors beyond social media use. They say they have implemented safeguards aimed at protecting young users, including parental controls and accounts designed specifically for teens.
In a statement to ABC News at the start of the trial, a Meta spokesperson said, “We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”
Meta said that the company has made “meaningful changes” to its services, such as introducing accounts specifically for teenage users.
Zuckerberg’s appearance follows testimony last week from Instagram head Adam Mosseri, who disputed characterizing Instagram use as an “addiction,” while acknowledging what he described as “problematic use.”
Mosseri testified that there’s always a tradeoff between “safety and speech,” saying users don’t like it when they remove options from Instagram.
The Los Angeles trial is part of a broader wave of litigation targeting social media companies. Meta is also facing a separate child safety lawsuit in New Mexico, while lawsuits brought by school districts — modeled after tobacco litigation in the 1990s — are expected to head to trial later this year.
Social platforms Snapchat and TikTok were previously named in the lawsuit but reached settlements with the plaintiffs last month.
A 31-page report on the White House ballroom submitted to the panels reviewing the project show the proposed addition to the White House from additional angles and features new renderings of the project. Commission of Fine Arts
(WASHINGTON) — More renderings of President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom were made available in a 31-page report submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts, which is set to meet on Thursday.
The report showed the proposed 90,000-square-foot addition in the location of the demolished East Wing from several new angles, including the view from Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Commission of Fine Arts was formed by Congress as an independent agency to weigh in on major capital-area building projects.
Thursday’s meeting, which will take place via videoconference, will feature new members recently appointed by Trump after the president dismissed all six of its members last fall.
The new members include James McCrery, the architect who previously led the ballroom project before being replaced; Roger Kimball, a critic and conservative columnist for The Spectator who has written favorably about the president; and Chamberlain Harris, a 26-year-old White House Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations who worked in the first Trump White House.
In a statement to ABC News, the White House called Harris a “loyal, trusted, and highly respected advisor to President Trump” who will be “a tremendous asset to the Commission of Fine Arts.”
“She understands the President’s vision and appreciation of the arts like very few others, and brings a unique perspective that will serve the Commission well,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in the statement.
The commission wrote on its website that “upon the completion of President Donald J. Trump’s first term, [Harris] continued her work in Florida at the Office of the 45th President, managing President Trump’s Presidential Portrait Project in conjunction with the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution and the White House Historical Association.”
The Commission of Fine Arts is one of two panels tasked with reviewing projects in Washington. The report was also submitted with the National Capital Planning Commission ahead of its March meeting.
The administration has faced legal pressure to submit the plans to both panels for review after the initial demolition of the East Wing.
The White House first announced the ballroom construction project, a longtime goal of Trump, last July.
Trump at first said the project would not interfere with the existing White House structure. But then in October, the entire East Wing was razed to make way for the ballroom, which Trump said would cost $400 million.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued to stop the project. The judge in the case has expressed skepticism of the government’s arguments that the president has the power to build a ballroom with private donations and without express authorization from Congress, and said he hoped to issue a decision this month.
Cover art for J. Cole’s ‘The Fall-Off’ (Dreamville Records/Interscope Records)
Demand is high for J. Cole’s The Fall-Off World Tour, so much so that he’s added dates in select cities.
After more than 1 million people joined the queues for the presales for tickets for the East Coast and Midwest shows, according to his manager Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad, Cole announced second dates in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Toronto, Brooklyn, Boston, Chicago, Oakland, Inglewood, Houston and Dallas. Following presales taking place throughout the week, all tickets will go on sale to the general public Friday.
J. Cole’s The Fall-Off World Tour will support his latest album, The Fall-Off. It will kick off its North American leg on July 11 in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the run ending with Sept. 23 in his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina. The European/U.K. leg runs from Oct. 7 to Nov. 12 and will be followed by five dates in Australia. Cole’s final show will then take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, marking his first time in the region in 10 years.
The Fall-Off was released on Feb. 6 and has since topped the Billboard 200, with more than 20 songs from the double disc now on the Billboard Hot 100. J. Cole now has 111 entries, making him the 22nd act to have 100 titles on the chart. Thirteen of them have reached top-10 status.
Cover art for J. Cole’s ‘The Fall-Off’ (Dreamville Records/Interscope Records)
Demand is high for J. Cole’s The Fall-Off World Tour, so much so that he’s added dates in select cities.
After more than 1 million people joined the queues for the presales for tickets for the East Coast and Midwest shows, according to his manager Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad, Cole announced second dates in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Toronto, Brooklyn, Boston, Chicago, Oakland, Inglewood, Houston and Dallas. Following presales taking place throughout the week, all tickets will go on sale to the general public Friday.
J. Cole’s The Fall-Off World Tour will support his latest album, The Fall-Off. It will kick off its North American leg on July 11 in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the run ending with Sept. 23 in his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina. The European/U.K. leg runs from Oct. 7 to Nov. 12 and will be followed by five dates in Australia. Cole’s final show will then take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, marking his first time in the region in 10 years.
The Fall-Off was released on Feb. 6 and has since topped the Billboard 200, with more than 20 songs from the double disc now on the Billboard Hot 100. J. Cole now has 111 entries, making him the 22nd act to have 100 titles on the chart. Thirteen of them have reached top-10 status.
