Events leading up the 61st ACMS (Academy of Country Music)
The list of stars headed to Vegas for the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards is growing.
Randy Houser, Lauren Alaina and Rodney Atkins are now set to play ACM Lifting Lives Country on the Green: Riley Green & Friends on Friday, May 15, taking the stage before the “Don’t Mind If I Do” hitmaker at Topgolf Las Vegas.
Tucker Wetmore joins ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash, playing the Saturday event at Mandalay Bay Beach that will now be hosted by Ashley Cooke and Dasha. Flatland Cavalry and Braxton Keith also join the lineup.
Members of the 2026 Opry NextStage class, namely Hudson Westbrook, Vincent Mason, Tyler Braden, Emily Ann Roberts, Alexandra Kay, Graham Barham and Willow Avalon, are the previously announced talent.
Stay tuned for more info about the 61st ACMs in the days to come. The show will stream live from MGM Grand Garden Arena on Prime Video on Sunday, May 17.
Charlie Puth, ‘Whatever’s Clever!’ (Atlantic); Meghan Trainor, ‘Toy With Me’ (Epic Records)
Back in 2015, Charlie Puth released his debut single, “Marvin Gaye,” featuring Meghan Trainor. On Tuesday, both artists dropped new videos. Charlie’s is another duet with a female artist, while Meghan’s is an all-girl extravaganza.
Charlie’s video is for “Sideways,” his duet with singer/actress Coco Jones from his new album, Whatever’s Clever! Both artists performed during the Super Bowl pregame show earlier this year: Coco sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” while Charlie sang the national anthem.
In the moody visual, Charlie and Coco sit in a room, together and separately, while their positions change from sitting on chairs, to lying on the floor, to sitting and lying on the ceiling. “Even if it goes sideways/ Even if we scream out enough’s enough/ I believe that we’ll always find a way to weather the storm,” Charlie sings.
Meghan’s video is from her upcoming album, Toy With Me; it’s for “Get in Girl,” which also inspired the name of her new tour. It starts with Meghan getting a call from a woman complaining that her man is obsessed with his car. “I’m in a throuple with a Maserati,” she wails. “Bring me that car,” Meghan commands.
When the woman drives up in the Maserati, Meghan and her girls spray-paint it in pink glitter and advise her to dump the guy: “I’ll pack up your bags/ I’ll send him your keys/ I’ll call him myself/ say, ‘Sir, you’re dead to me’/ He’s only a man, it ain’t that deep/ It’s time to leave and I’m on your street/ Get in, girl.”
At the end of the video, Meghan blows up a toy replica of the Maserati, and the guy freaks out when he sees that she and the girls have “bedazzled” the real thing.
Roboto (Kristen Wiig), Man At Arms (Idris Elba), Adam (Nicholas Galitzine), Teela (Camila Mendes) and Cringer in ‘Masters of the Universe.’ (Amazon MGM Studios)
Amazon MGM Studios released the full-length trailer for the upcoming live-action film based on Mattel’s franchise of the same name on Tuesday.
Travis Knight directs the movie, which stars Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man and Camila Mendes as Teela.
The trailer finds Galitzine’s He-Man reminiscing on his years away from his home world and living on Earth, where he was known by the name Adam Glenn.
“I know most of you don’t remember me, but I know all of you. Even though I was stuck light-years away on Earth, I never stopped trying to get back home,” He-Man says.
We also see Mendes’ Teela accompanying He-Man on his journey back home.
“Everything changed since you left,” she tells him as they fly above the war-torn landscape.
The trailer also shows off the villainous character of Skeletor, played by Jared Leto.
“The universe shall quake in my shadow,” Skeletor says. “You may have the power, but you’re too scared to use it.”
He-Man simply responds, “Trust me, I know how to use it.”
The Masters of the Universe cast is rounded out by Morena Baccarin, James Purefoy, Alison Brie, Charlotte Riley, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Idris Elba, Sam C. Wilson, Hafthor Bjornsson, Kojo Attah, Sasheer Zamata, Jon Xue Zhang and Christian Vunipola.
Masters of the Universe arrives in theaters on June 5.
Poster for Kali Uchi: For The Girls Tour (Live Nation)
Mariah the Scientist is “Burning Blue” and tour hopping, too.
The rapper was announced as the special guest on all dates of Kali Uchis’ newly announced Kali Uchis: For The Girls Tour, which runs from May 26 to Aug. 8 and features opener Laila! on select dates.
Cities on the trek include Albuquerque, Atlanta, Tampa, Phoenix, Houston and Las Vegas.
An artist presale for the tour is underway and will be followed by additional presales taking place throughout the week. Tickets then go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. local time to the general public.
Kali last went on tour in 2025 in support her album Sincerely. Mariah is currently on the road bringing to life her 2025 project, Hearts Sold Separately.
James Taylor at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony (Disney/Eric McCandless)
James Taylor, Van Morrison, Sting and Deep Purple are among the artists booked to play the 2026 Montreux Jazz Festival, taking place in Montreux, Switzerland, July 3-18.
All four artists are booked to play the festival’s Auditorium Stravinski, with Sting performing on July 4, Deep Purple confirmed for July 13, and Taylor and Morrison set for July 18.
Deep Purple, of course, has quite a connection to Montreux. The band’s iconic tune “Smoke on the Water” was inspired by the 1971 fire that burned down the Montreux Casino; the title’s a reference to smoke from the fire spreading over Lake Geneva. They last played the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2024.
Tickets go on sale Wednesday at noon local time.
This year marks the 60th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival. The festival is returning after a two-year hiatus.
(WASHINGTON) — In an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against Colorado’s ban on so-called “conversion therapy” for minors as a likely violation of counselors’ free speech rights under the First Amendment.
LGBTQ groups, who have hailed conversion therapy bans as critical to the mental health of minors figuring out their identities during adolescence, say the decision will mean more kids are “traumatized” going forward.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, in the court’s opinion, said the law — enacted in 2019 to protect minors from efforts by mental health providers to change their sexual orientation or gender identity — “censors speech based on viewpoint” and must be subjected to the highest form of legal scrutiny, which a lower court had not applied.
“Colorado may regard its policy as essential to public health and safety. Certainly, censorious governments throughout history have believed the same,” Gorsuch wrote.
“But the First Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country,” he continued. “It reflects instead a judgment that every American possesses an inalienable right to think and speak freely, and a faith in the free marketplace of ideas as the best means for discovering truth. However well-intentioned, any law that suppresses speech based on viewpoint represents an ‘egregious’ assault on both of those commitments.”
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the lone dissenter.
“Our precedents do not compel this conclusion,” Jackson wrote. “Speech uttered for purposes of providing medical treatment may be restricted incidentally when the state reasonably regulates the speaker’s provision of medical treatments to patients.”
A Christian licensed therapist from Colorado Springs, Kaley Chiles, brought the legal challenge, alleging the law violates her free speech rights and prevents her from openly talking with clients about their desire to rid themselves of same-sex attractions or better align with their biological sex.
“Colorado law does not just regulate the content of Ms. Chiles’ speech. It goes a step further,” Gorsuch wrote, “prescribing what views she may and may not express.”
The decision sends the case back to a lower court for further review of the law.
Colorado will likely no longer be able to forbid state licensed providers from attempting to change a patient’s orientation through talk therapy.
“States cannot silence voluntary conversations that help young people seeking to grow comfortable with their bodies,” said Jim Campell, the attorney for Chiles who argued the case before the court. “The decision today is a significant win for free speech, common sense, and families desperate to help their children.”
Conversion therapy has been widely discredited by major American mental health and medical organizations for decades. Half the states in the U.S. have outlawed the practice as ineffective and harmful to minors, often on a bipartisan basis. Those laws are now in question.
Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said that more kids will “suffer” as a result of this decision.
“Today’s reckless decision means more American kids will suffer. The Court has weaponized free-speech in order to prioritize anti-LGBTQ+ bias over the safety, health and wellbeing of children,” Robinson said in a statement.
Melissa Auf der Maur discusses her new book ‘Even the Good Girls Will Cry’ at Strand Bookstore on March 17, 2026 in New York City. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images) Olivia Rodrigo performs at 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Disney/Frank Micelotta)
Olivia Rodrigo has performed with The Cure’s Robert Smith and Weezer and covered The White Stripes at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, but in case you need any further proof of her alt cred, Melissa Auf der Maur can vouch for her.
The Hole bassist tells NME that she took her daughter to see Rodrigo live for a 13th birthday present, and the pop star invited them backstage.
“Olivia Rodrigo said to my daughter: ‘Without your mother, none of this would have happened,'” Auf der Maur says. “That’s when it locked in for me that there are direct correlations.”
Auf der Maur adds that she’s noticed a “’90s influence in both the songwriting and production” in Rodrigo’s music. She also points out that the cover of her SOUR Prom concert film is similar to the album artwork for Hole’s Live Through This, which actually drew a response from Courtney Love back in 2021.
“Having that said to my daughter in front of me was one of the proudest moments of my life,” Auf der Maur says.
Auf der Maur released a new memoir, Even the Good Girls Will Cry: A ’90s Rock Memoir, earlier in March.
Keyboard player Christopher North of Ambrosia performs onstage on May 23, 2015 in Bakersfield, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
Christopher North, keyboardist and founding member of the soft rock group Ambrosia, has passed away at the age of 75. The news was confirmed by the band in a post on Facebook.
“Fans of Ambrosia, we honor the legendary life and career of our dearest family member Christopher North, the ‘Hammond B3 King’ whose sonic architecture defined a generation of progressive and soft rock,” they write. “A founding member since 1970, he was a keyboard wizard who brought an unmatched intensity and emotional depth to every performance.”
“We will always remember ‘Northwind’ for his fiery, ‘intense’ stage presence—a legacy that began when he was first discovered playing in a dimly lit room, his organ topped with a bottle of wine,” they continue. “Even as he faced health challenges in recent years, including a brave and successful battle with throat cancer, his spirit remained tied to the music and the fans he loved.”
“Christopher North’s work did more than just fill airwaves; it created ‘aural landscapes’ that balanced virtuosity with soulful, radio-friendly hooks,” Ambrosia adds. “We celebrate a true craftsman of the classic rock era whose lush piano lines and soaring organ swells will remain timeless.”
They conclude, “He was truly one of a kind, and loved dearly by his fans and bandmates. RIP, Brother Chris, forever and ever in our hearts.”
Ambrosia formed in Los Angeles in 1970 and had a string of top-40 hits between 1975 and 1980, including “How Much I Feel” and “Biggest Part of Me,” which both hit the top five on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as “You’re The Only Woman (You & I)” and “Holdin’ On To Yesterday.”
‘Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?’ reissue artwork. (Island/UMe)
The Cranberries have announced a new reissue of the band’s 1993 debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, in honor of its 33rd anniversary.
The package, due out May 22, will include a new remaster of the original album as well as an updated stereo mix by producer Stephen Street. It also features various bonus recordings, such as live tracks and a remix of “Linger” by Iain Cook of CHVCRHES.
Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? spawned the singles “Dreams” and “Linger.” It propelled The Cranberries beyond their home country of Ireland into worldwide fame, earning five-times Platinum certification by the RIAA.
“We come from a small town in Ireland where things like that didn’t happen, so it was fairytale material,” says guitarist Noel Hogan in a statement.
The Cranberries released their final album, In the End, in 2019 following the 2018 death of frontwoman Dolores O’Riordan.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla bid farewell to President of Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu as they depart from Windsor Castle, March 19, 2026 in Windsor, England. (Aaron Chown/Wpa Pool/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — King Charles and Queen Camilla will make an official state visit to the U.S. this spring, Buckingham Palace announced Tuesday.
The British royals are embarking on the trip to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s independence and were invited by President Donald Trump, according to the palace.
In a social media post, Trump said the royal visit will take place April 27-30. It will include a banquet dinner at the White House on Tuesday, April 28, he noted.
After visiting the U.S., Charles will also visit Bermuda, a British overseas territory, making his first visit to the island as monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II made the last state visit to the U.S. in May 2007 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia.
Charles and Camilla‘s visit comes during a tense period amid the ongoing U.K. police inquiry into the Jeffrey Epstein files and the Iran war.
It is unclear if Charles will visit with his second son, Prince Harry, who lives in California with his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and their two children.
