Madonna, ‘Confessions on a Dance Floor’ (Warner Bros. Records)
In 2024, Madonna told fans she was back in the studio with Stuart Price, who produced her 2005 album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. In September of last year, she confirmed that she was working on a sequel to that album, writing on Instagram, “Back to music, Back to the Dance Floor Back to where it all began! COADF- P. 2 2026.” That stands for Confessions on a Dance Floor Pt. 2. Now it appears to be imminent.
The Queen of Pop has wiped her Instagram and a line in her bio reads, “Time goes by so slowly…,” which is the opening line of “Hung Up,” from the original Confessions album. The critically acclaimed release sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and won a Grammy for best electronic/dance album.
If you visit her official website, flashing words read, “Confessions on a Dance Floor” and “CONFESSIONS 2.” You also hear some synth music, and there’s a photo of a silver speaker between a pair of legs clad in fishnet tights and knee-high silver boots. It’s similar to a look that Madonna wore during the original Confessions era.
Madonna released a 20th anniversary expanded edition of the original album in November.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell has new music to share.
The rocker and his band The Dirty Knobs — guitarist/keyboardist Chris Holt, bassist Lance Morrison and drummer Steve Ferrone — have announced that their fourth studio album, Mission of Mercy, will be dropping June 12. It will feature guest appearances by The B-52s’ Kate Pierson and Morgane Stapleton.
As a preview of the record, the band has released the album’s first single, “I Remember,” to digital outlets.
“‘I Remember’ is a song written on the piano instead of the guitar,” says Campbell. “The Dirty Knobs turned my demo into a great rock track that has an ethereal, jam-like quality to it, which I really like. I can see it being a great song to play live.”
Following the release of the album, Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs are set to hit the road on a summer tour, which launches July 7 in Minneapolis. Campbell is also booked for a special concert on Sept. 12 in Atlanta, where he’ll pay Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers hits backed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Campbell and The Dirty Knobs will also open for Chris Stapleton on Oct. 2 in Bristow, Virginia.
Here is the track list for Mission of Mercy: “No Regrets” “Let Me Back In My Dream” “My Mama Told Me” “I Remember” “More Than Gold” (feat. Morgane Stapleton) “Mission of Mercy” “Bongo Mania” (feat. Kate Pierson) “Wrecking Ball” “Done To Me” “Armageddon” “Vicious Hangover” “Vagrant”
Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria performs at The Greek Theatre on September 18, 2025 in Berkeley, California. (Steve Jennings/Getty Images)
Coheed and Cambria has announced their own festival.
The inaugural Neverender Festival will take place Oct. 3-4 in Santa Ana, California. Coheed will headline alongside Circa Survive, and the lineup will also feature Sunny Day Real Estate, Turnover, Pup, Thursday and La Dispute, among others.
Additionally, Coheed has announced a one-off concert dubbed Neverender Rocks, taking place Sept. 29 at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado.
Tickets for both the Neverender Festival and Neverender Rocks go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time.
Jennifer Hudson performs at 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Disney/Frank Micelotta)
Jennifer Hudson is set to return to the show that introduced her to the world. She will appear on American Idol’s Disney Night episode, serving as guest judge and mentor for the nine finalists who will take the stage to perform iconic Disney songs.
Her appearance marks her first time back on the show in a decade. She was a finalist on season 3 in 2004 and last appeared in 2015, when she performed “Trouble” with Iggy Azalea.
JHud has come a long way since her Idol days, achieving EGOT status and now hosting The Jennifer Hudson Show. Her most recent album, The Gift of Love, was released in October, and she recently voiced a character in the animated film Goat.
Jennifer has also recently joined the production team for the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, after previously starring in and winning an Academy Award for her role in the 2006 film adaptation. She is set to go on tour with Josh Groban in June.
Disney Night on season 24 of American Idol will air April 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and stream on Disney+, with episodes available the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.
Near-Earth asteroid Apophis is a potentially hazardous asteroid that will safely pass close to Earth on April 13, 2029. It will come about 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) from our planet’s surface — closer than the distance of many satellites in geosynchronous orbit (about 22,236 miles, or 36,000 kilometers, in altitude). (NASA)
(NEW YORK) — A rare asteroid will soon be visible to the naked eye in a rare celestial event, according to astronomers.
Asteroid 99942 Apophis – named after the Egyptian deity of chaos, darkness and fire – is expected to safely pass close to Earth on April 13, 2029, according to NASA.
The asteroid will pass within roughly 20,000 miles of Earth – nearly 12 times closer than the moon’s average distance from Earth, and closer than many satellites in geosynchronous orbit – making it one one of the closest approaches ever recorded for an object if its size and a “very rare event,” according to NASA.
The approach will be visible to observers on the ground in the Eastern Hemisphere, weather permitting, according to NASA. It will be close enough that sky-watchers won’t need a telescope or binoculars to see it, astronomers say.
When Apophis was first discovered in 2004, it was labeled a potentially hazardous asteroid because of the possibility that it could impact Earth in 2029, 2036 or 2068, according to NASA.
After closely tracking the asteroid and its orbit using optical telescopes and ground-based radar, astronomers are now confident that there is no risk of Apophis impacting Earth for at least 100 years.
The Earth’s gravitational pull could change the asteroid’s orbit around the sun as it passes in 2029, making the orbit slightly larger or the orbital period slightly longer, but the risk of impact with Earth will remain the same, NASA says. Its close passage will also afford astronomers around the world the opportunity to learn more about the asteroid.
Apophis is the Greek name for the Egyptian god known as Apep. The name was proposed by the astronomers who discovered the asteroid: Roy Tucker, David Tholen and Fabrizio Bernardi of the Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona.
The asteroid is a relic of the early solar system from about 4.6 billion years ago, made of leftover raw material that was never part of a planet or moon, according to NASA. Though its exact size and shape is unknown, it has a mean diameter of about 1,115 feet and a long axis of at least 1,480 feet.
Apophis’ surface is weathered due to eons of exposure to space weather, including solar wind and cosmic rays, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Observatories around the world and in space will observe the asteroid’s historic approach to Earth in order to better understand its physical properties.
NASA has redirected a spacecraft to rendezvous with Apophis shortly after its close approach in 2029, while the European Space Agency is sending a spacecraft to study it.
When the April 2029 flyby occurs, Apophis will become a member of the “Apollo” group, the family of asteroids that cross Earth’s orbit but that themselves have orbits around the sun that are wider than the Earth’s, according to the ESA.
His most recent chart-topper, “Back in the Saddle,” spent two weeks at the top in November. Both tunes come from The Way I Am, which debuted at #1 on the Top Country Albums chart earlier in April.
Luke is now tied for the 10th most number ones since the beginning of the Country Airplay chart in 1990, putting him on the level with Brooks & Dunn, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley and Morgan Wallen.
The North Carolina native claimed his first #1 with his debut single, “Hurricane,” in 2017.
Kenny Chesney has the most number ones on the chart, with 33.
Luke’s already on track to up his numbers, with “Days Like These” at #6 and “Be by You” just beginning its climb at #48.
Clem Burke’s ‘The Other Side of the Dream (My Life In and Out of Blondie)’ (HarperCollins)
Blondie drummer Clem Burke passed away in 2025, but his life story is about to be told in a posthumous memoir, The Other Side of the Dream (My Life In and Out of Blondie).
According to the description, Burke began writing his memoir over 20 years ago, but had often put it aside due to his commitments to Blondie. “When cancer treatment and illness forced his retirement, completing the book became a priority, which he did shortly before he died,” the description reads.
The book, with a foreword by comedian Fred Armisen, follows Burke from the streets of New York to stardom in Blondie. The book explores “the explosive punk scene that gave rise to Blondie, the creative partnerships that defined their music and the challenges of navigating fame in a constantly evolving industry.
The description notes, “This is Clem’s story, in his own words.”
The Other Side of the Dream (My Life In and Out of Blondie) will be released in the U.S. on Sept. 8. It available for preorder now.
Burke joined Blondie in 1975, shortly after they formed in New York City. He appeared on all of their records, the last one being 2017’s Pollinator. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Blondie in 2006.
Burke passed away April 6, 2025, at the age of 70.
Masaki Takahashi, Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya and Tatsuji Nojima, winners of the best visual effects award for ‘Godzilla Minus One,’ at the 96th annual Academy Awards on March 10, 2024, in Hollywood, California. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images)
The trailer for Godzilla Minus Zero has arrived.
The first trailer for the direct sequel to the 2023 Japanese film Godzilla Minus One was revealed during CinemaCon, the annual convention for movie theater owners, in Las Vegas on Tuesday. It is set to make its debut online later the same day.
Godzilla Minus One was a surprise international hit and eventually won the Oscar for best visual effects. It eared $116 million worldwide at the box office, making it the highest-grossing Japanese Godzilla film.
This new film takes place two years after the events of the previous one, continuing the story of the survivors from the kaiju’s last attack, according to Variety.
The last moments of the trailer find Godzilla stomping toward the Statue of Liberty on his way to New York City.
Godzilla Minus Zero is written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. It releases in the U.S. on Nov. 6 and in Japan on Nov. 3.
Parker McCollum’s debut single, “Pretty Heart,” has just been certified quadruple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The Texas native co-wrote the song from 2021’s Gold Chain Cowboy that went on to become his first #1.
“Man…all I have to say is thank you! The amount of support you all have shown me over these years means more to me than you’ll know,” Parker says in a statement. “All I’ve wanted to do is make music that connects with people and that I can be proud of. I’m just grateful that y’all are playing my songs.”
Parker’s self-titled current project includes his latest hit, “Killin’ Me,” and is nominated for album of the year at May’s 61st ACM Awards.
Earth, Wind & Fire (photo credit from HBO: Michael Ochs Archives)
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s documentary about R&B legends Earth, Wind & Fire is set to open the 25th anniversary Tribeca Festival in New York City.
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial VS That’s the Weight of the World) will have its world premiere on June 3 at the Beacon Theatre, followed by a live performance by Earth, Wind & Fire and The Roots.
“It is an absolute honor to bring this project to the Tribeca Festival,” says Questlove. “The past two years of deep research and creative magic surrounding Earth, Wind & Fire have been nothing short of transformative. They remain one of the most culturally significant bands in history, and this project finally illustrates exactly why their legacy is so vital.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Questlove to the Festival to premiere a film that represents everything Tribeca stands for: creative pioneers at the top of their game in front of and behind the camera, showcasing the joy and community that great art manifests,” Cara Cusumano, Tribeca Festival director and SVP of programming, adds. “Paired with a rare live performance from Earth, Wind & Fire and The Roots, Opening Night will be a once-in-a-lifetime New York event that reflects the energy, creativity, and communal experience that has defined Tribeca for 25 years.”
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial VS That’s the Weight of the World) is expected to debut on HBO and HBO Max in 2026.
The Tribeca Festival runs from June 3 to June 14. More info can be found at TribecaFilm.com.
