Kehlani performs on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ on November, 3, 2025. (Disney/Randy Holmes)
Kehlani is thanking her supporters with a special release: an uncut version of her self-titled album, complete with original a cappella and demo versions of its songs.
“This one is really just from me to you,” she wrote on Instagram. “I wanted to share something more personal—something that lets you hear these songs the way they first existed. Before the layers, before the final versions… just the feeling, the words, and the moment they were created.”
“These acapella and demo versions are a glimpse into my world. The early takes, the raw ideas that eventually became the records you know,” she continued. “There’s something really special about that stage to me—it’s where everything is the most honest. Some of them before the features with exclusive second verses.”
“This is my way of saying thank you. For listening, for growing with me, for holding these songs the way you do,” she added. “I hope you can feel where it all started.”
Kehlani arrived on April 24 and has been met with support from fans and fellow celebrities alike. She publicly thanked God for the response, noting it’s something she hasn’t experienced in a while.
“i’ve seen so many incredible things said, so many remarkable things written. thank you Jesus for the gift of endurance. for ability. for humility,” she wrote, in part. “thank you Jesus for every person you’ve put on my path to assist in this process. …thank you for every opportunity to be a student, and the courage to be a leader.”
Kehlani recently received the Impact Award at the Billboard Women in Music 2026. She is set to perform at the 2026 Essence Festival and Roots Picnic, among other shows.
Meghan Trainor is now an investor in Women’s Elite Rugby, the premier professional women’s rugby league in the U.S. She’ll be “championing the future of women’s sports,” according to an Instagram post. The league will use her song “Shimmer” before its games as part of the partnership. Meghan says in a statement, “It’s so exciting to be able to support this incredible group of women as they create a place for themselves in a typically male-dominated industry. I can’t wait for an incredible season!!”
Adam Lambert’s next era is starting. The singer has just announced a new single, “Eat U Alive.” There’s no release date yet, but you can sign up to be notified about his new music.
Maroon 5 has revealed the title of the new song they’re dropping Thursday night: “Heroine.” It arrives at midnight along with a lyric video. It’s not clear if it’s a standalone single, a track from an upcoming deluxe album or the first taste of a new album.
Olivia Rodrigo, who just announced her Unraveled World Tour, will appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Thursday night. She’ll be talking about the tour, as well as her upcoming appearance on Saturday Night Live, where she’ll host and serve as musical guest.
Drew Baldridge’s “Love Needs You” (BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville)
Drew Baldridge will launch his Farm Faith Family Tour June 11 in Omaha, Nebraska.
He’ll play a total of 14 shows before he wraps Oct. 18 in Newport Beach, California, with Alyssa Flaherty and Chase Right joining him on the run.
Meanwhile, fans can look forward to the arrival of his new song, “Love Needs You,” on Friday.
It was inspired by the beginnings of his romance with his wife, Katie Baldridge, in Patoka, Illinois.
“We’d drive the backroads past the farm, windows down, listening to country songs like Randy Travis’ ‘Deeper Than the Holler’ and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s ‘I Need You,’” Drew recalls. “This song feels like a perfect blend of those two influences. It was in those honest, unfiltered moments that the foundation of our life together was built.”
Drew’s latest radio single, “Rebel,” follows his top-10 “Tough People” and his #1 “She’s Somebody’s Daughter.”
In this photo illustration, a PolyMarket logo is seen displayed on a smartphone with stock market percentages on the background. (Photo Illustration by Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — One week after a special forces soldier was indicted on charges of using classified information to wager on the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the prediction market Polymarket announced it is increasing its internal monitoring of trades.
Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who prosecutors say helped plan and execute the raid on Maduro’s Caracas compound, allegedly made more than $400,000 on Polymarket by using insider knowledge to place 13 bets on the outcome of the operation.
On Thursday, Polymarket announced that it had tapped a blockchain data company to continually monitor the platform for suspicious trades.
Polymarket and analytics firm Chainalysis said they are working together on a “first-of-its-kind” system to enforce the Polymarket’s market integrity rules by monitoring transactions on-chain — referring to the platform’s public disclosure of transaction data.
“Polymarket was built on-chain because transparency matters, and our platform shows what markets can look like when trades are open, traceable, and accountable by design,” Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan said in a statement.
Through the partnership, the company is looking to confront the longstanding challenge of insider trading by leaning into a decentralized solution based on the public blockchain — essentially a distributed database — on which it can follow the tracks of every trade based on data that’s permanently stored and sealed with unique identifier.
Chainalysis says they will use their technology to quickly provide law enforcement with “blockchain-verified evidence” to proactively identify threats.
While Polymarket already had a monitoring system for insider trading, both companies say the new partnership will help them quickly identify patterns that suggest an trader with insider knowledge is placing bets.
“With this collaboration, on-chain markets have the potential to be the most trustworthy markets for understanding world events,” Chainalysis CEO Jonathan Levin.
Online sleuths have been successful in flagging suspicious trades such as the bet that prosecutors say Van Dyke placed on Maduro’s capture. Posts about the suspicious wager began appearing online within hours of the trade, and prosecutors then took about four months to build their case.
Van Dyke pleaded not guilty to all charges Tuesday in Manhattan federal court and was released on bond.
2026 is a banner year for One Direction fans: All four living members — Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and ZAYN — have either released or are releasing albums, and they’re all touring. Niall, whose album Dinner Party drops in June, says he can’t help but feel proud that all of the guys are still out there making music.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Niall talked about going to one of Harry’s shows a few years ago and making plans to attend one of Louis’ shows. “You feel a sense of pride watching the boys doing what they love to do, and the communities that they’re able to create,” he noted.
“It’s crazy watching the fans and watching how they’ve grown up, but still have that youthful energy, and what they bring to shows,” he added. “Hearing that roar when each of them come out onto the stage, it’s like, ‘Yeah, I understand that scream. I get it.’ It sounds like a rocket’s about to take off.”
His own tour doesn’t begin until September, but Niall’s ready.
“I’ve already basically made the set list, and we’re six months out from it even starting,” he said. “I have it all in my head. I know exactly what the stage looks like. Giving people value for their money is what I’m trying to do the most.”
Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, speaks during the 76th FIFA Congress on April 30, 2026, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Rich Lam – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Iran will be participating in the 2026 World Cup and will play in the United States, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in remarks Thursday.
“Of course Iran will play in the United States of America,” he said. “And the reason for that is very simple, dear friends, it’s because we have to unite.”
He added, “We have to bring people together. It is my responsibility, it is our responsibility. Football unites the world, FIFA unites the world, you unite the world, we unite the world.”
Iran said last month it would not participate in the global sporting event amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. A ceasefire has been in place since April 7.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The Opry NextStage Class of 2026 will get its moment to shine the week of CMA Fest, as members play a special show Wednesday, June 3, at Category 10 in downtown Nashville.
Jake Worthington, Carter Faith, Tyler Braden, Emily Ann Roberts, Graham Barham, Alexandra Kay and Willow Avalon will each deliver a solo performance as part of Opry NextStage Live. Look for the evening’s host and more performers to be announced later.
Since the Opry launched the initiative to promote up-and-coming artists in 2019, members have gone on to chart 43 #1 singles, with Opry NextStage alum Lainey Wilson becoming the first to go on to be a member of the Opry.
Guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta enforces the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports against M/T Stream after it attempted to sail to an Iranian port, April 26, 2026. (U.S. Central Command)
(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration is seeking the participation of other countries to form an international coalition to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to an internal cable sent this week by the State Department to posts around the world.
Dubbed the “Maritime Freedom Construct,” the coalition would help with coordinating diplomatic efforts, including aligning on sanctions and information sharing to help with safe transit through the waterway, according to a U.S. official.
The cable called on diplomats to announce the formation of the new coalition and “ask for partner participation” by Friday.
The Maritime Freedom Construct would take steps to ensure safe passage, including providing real-time information, safety guidance, and coordination to ensure vessels can transit the waters securely, the cable said.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the cable.
“The MFC’s efforts will enhance maritime domain awareness and support the safe passage of commercial operators and their crews,” a State Department official said.
The United Kingdom and France have already launched a multilateral effort involving 30+ nations toward securing the strait that could eventually involve deploying military assets if a peace deal is reached, according to those countries’ governments.
However, last week during a Pentagon press briefing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth mocked the European efforts, saying Europe might want to start having “less fancy conferences in Europe and get in a boat.”
He dismissed the U.K. and French effort aimed at ensuring the future security of the critical Gulf waterway as “silly.”
“Europe and Asia have benefited from our protection for decades, but the time for free-riding is over,” he said.
Shahram Irani, Iran’s Navy commander, called the U.S. blockade “piracy” and the U.S. as “maritime terrorists.”
“The Strait of Hormuz is closed from the Arabian Gulf, meaning they have no right of passage from there, and there is no entry. As soon as they come, operational and tactical action is taken against them,” he said.
He went on to call the blockade piracy and american actions as “maritime terrorists”
On Thursday, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned the consequences of continued disruptions to the global energy supply caused by the Iran war and the closure of the strait “grow worse with each passing hour.”
Guterres the worst-case scenario could be “the specter of a global recession” if disruptions to the strait continue through 2026. Even in the best case, if restrictions were relieved today, “supply chains will take months to recover” and warned that developing countries will be hit the hardest by economic instability.
According to the cable, the coalition will be led by the departments of State and Defense through U.S. Central Command.
The State-led component, based in Washington, D.C., will serve as the diplomatic operations hub, uniting partners and the commercial shipping industry. The Pentagon component operating out of CENTCOM headquarters in Florida would coordinate real-time maritime traffic and communicate directly with vessels transiting the Strait, the cable said.
“It will provide a platform to coordinate diplomatic actions and socialize and align economic measures designed to impose costs on Iran for disrupting maritime security,” the State official said.
ABC News’ Desiree Adib contributed to this report.
Jackson Browne performs onstage during the 38th Annual Tibet House US Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall on March 03, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images Tibet House US)
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jackson Browne and Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh are among the artists taking part in concerts featuring the music from director Wes Anderson’s movies.
The shows take place July 10, 11 and 12 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The sets will feature score and soundtrack selections from throughout Anderson’s filmography, which includes The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Others participating include Beck, Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Spoon’s Britt Daniel and actor Jeff Goldblum. The lineup of performers will vary over the three nights.
Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks onstage at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards, Jan. 31, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Michael Caulfield/WireImage)
As part of Taylor Swift’s inclusion in The New York TimesMagazine‘s 30 Greatest American Songwriters Alive list, the publication tapped someone to write a tribute to her who many feel should have been included on the list herself: Stevie Nicks.
However, Stevie doesn’t seem to feel it’s a slight. She posted a link to her tribute on her Instagram Story and wrote, “It’s always an honor to speak about my good friend Taylor Swift.”
In the tribute, she focuses on Taylor’s Midnights track “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” which she says is the song that “reconnected” her to Taylor. Stevie notes that the song helped her process the grief of losing her Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie in 2022.
“I feel that her song is generational. I think it’s all of her relationships written into one song — a little bit of this, a little bit of that — and dropped into my lap,” Stevie writes. “Over time, I have dropped in my own great loves to stand in her story, and it makes me cry for both of us — what we lost, what we learned and how we survived. That is how a great songwriter reaches into people’s hearts and connects with them.”
Speaking generally about Taylor, Stevie goes on to write, “All that beauty and tragedy and life’s lessons have led her down this path of unstoppable creativity; she just doesn’t stop, and that is what has turned her into this beautiful young woman who makes magic with everything she touches.”
Stevie also penned a little poem about Taylor and the song: “You ask about her brilliance. I can only say~ If only I had — written it … For me, this song will always live ~ In my heart.”
