Author: Rap Hooks

Nerves are underestimated, and misunderstood. For a performing artist, harnessing that chaotic nervous energy can create pure dynamite. Brook Lynn did that during the Auditions of America’s Got Talent 2026.

The 23-year-old hopeful stepped onto the AGT stage on Tuesday night (June 23) with a bundle of nerves, a dream and a stack of talent. Several minutes later, she had converted the room — and millions more watching on at home — into supporters, and believers.  

Hailing from the Netherlands, Lynn addressed her anxiety from the very start. “I’m a little nervous but so excited,” she explained, doing so to “the biggest crowd I’ve ever stood before.”

She continued, “I always loved singing but I didn’t think it was something I could pursue because I deal with a lot of anxiety through my life. My parents didn’t even know that I could sing. And one day, my dad just heard me sing from another room. And when I came out he just sat in his chair with tears, and was, like, so proud. He really encouraged me to pursue singing.”

Her dad sure could spot talent.

When it was time to roll, Lynn shut her eyes and converted those nerves into the right stuff, hitting a powerful rendition of Billie Eilish’s “The Greatest.” It was a performance that was touching and tender, strong and subtle. The Dutchwoman turned anxiety into a singing superpower.

“I loved it. I love you. I love your song. I love your feeling that you were putting into it. You have a beautiful voice,” enthused Sofía Vergara. “You have it all.”

Mel B remarked that Lynn’s vocals “sounded like you were in your happy place. And you sounded so, so beautiful.”

The performance was “haunting,” noted Howie Mandel. “You’ve travelled all this way to a whole other country and to be open about your mental health…it’s tough enough even if you haven’t had those issues, just to walk out on that stage. When you start singing, you’re like a flower. You bloom. And it was just open, and warm and beautiful. Good job.”

As he so often does, Simon Cowell spoke last: “I really hope this boosts your confidence because you really have great range, fantastic presence on stage,” the Brit commented.

Then, the bombshell. Lynn revealed her father passed away some years ago, an emotional detail that audibly swept through the crowd.

“Your father, he would have been very proud of you I think tonight,” Cowell explained. “It was a great audition.”

Each of the four judges gave an enthusiastic “yes,” which sees Lynn progress in this 21st series of NBC’s AGT. Watch the performance below.

Thanks to the outpouring of love for You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love, Olivia Rodrigo is enjoying the happiest week, ever. Her words.

The American pop phenomenon dropped in for a chat Wednesday, June 24 with Australia’s Nova network on her hit new album, how she surrounds herself with supportive people, and more.

After powering to No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic, and around the globe, including Australia, the love for You Seem Pretty Sad has put a smile on Rodrigo’s face.

“I’ve had the happiest week ever. It feels so amazing to have this record out in the world,” she tells Nova 96.9’s Ricki-Lee & Tim. “I’ve been living with it, and you know, finessing it for about two years now, and so it feels kind of surreal that now the songs are in other people’s hands, and to watch them kind of resonate with them the way that they are, and you know, apply them to their own personal lives, is just, it’s just so beautiful, and a total dream come true.”

You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love bows at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 485,000 units shifted, for Rodrigo’s career best week. She’s now a perfect three-from-three on the all-genres albums chart, and the rumor mill is now grinding away on whether Rodrigo can win her first album of the year trophy at the Grammy Awards next February.

The secret to her success? Working with the right people. Just like the rest of us, Rodrigo admits she’s “navigating my way through this crazy old world,” but she insists on “finding people who really support you and truly love you for who you are is just the name of the game. I think if I am sane at all, it’s only because of my wonderful friends who have always supported me and like brought me back down to earth.”

If she had to dish out advice, she’d suggest being “really careful who you spend your time with.”

Currently, Rodrigo doesn’t have any Australian tour dates scheduled for her 65-date world tour in support of Sad, though she isn’t ruling it out. “I am so on album mode. I like literally cannot see five feet in front of [me],” she told the Sydney Breakfast radio show hosts. Rodrigo last visited these parts in October 2024 when her GUTS World Tour looped into Sydney and Melbourne. “I love going to Australia,” she added, “and I hope to be back very soon.”

The love goes both ways. You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love (via Geffen/Universal) opened its account at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart last Friday, while “Stupid Song” started atop the national singles tally, giving Rodrigo a rare chart double. All 13 tracks from the new collection impact the ARIA top 30.

Like in the United States, all three of her studio albums have topped the national chart. Her debut album Sour logged eight weeks at No. 1 in 2021, and her sophomore collection Guts led the tally for two weeks in 2023. Rodrigo just missed out on the top 10 with her 2025 release Live From Glastonbury (A BBC Recording), which peaked at No. 11.

Stream her interview with Nova here and below.

After almost 60 years, Daryl Braithwaite is calling time on performing live.

In a social post on Tuesday, June 23, the ARIA Hall of Fame inducted singer and former Sherbet frontman says years-long battles with his own body are taking a toll.

“I would like to share this news with you all,” he writes on Instagram. “After much thought and consideration, I have made the difficult and sad decision to step back from performing live gigs. For some time now it has been increasingly physically challenging for me to sing comfortably and as a result it has taken the joy out of performing, which has always been so important to me.”

The iconic Australian singer doesn’t close the door on studio work or future recordings, although he leaves little wiggle room for one-off shows or events.

“I have loved the 58 years of being a part of the music industry,” he continues. “I sincerely want to thank all of the dedicated and loyal supporters and all of the people and organisations that I have been associated with who have been such a significant part of my singing life. With much love and I thank you. Daryl.”

Braithwaite’s last promoted solo show was presented March 13 at The Cooly Hotel in Queensland. Prior to that, he embarked on the 2024 Red Hot Summer series, a national tour of open-air venues headlined by Simple Minds and ICEHOUSE.

As frontman with glam-era pop outfit Sherbet, Braithwaite landed a string of hits in the ’70s with “Summer Love,” “Howzat,” “Cassandra” and others. The Sherbs, as they’re affectionately known down under, enjoyed a taste of international success.

Back in 1976, their Aussie chart-topping hit “Howzat” reached No. No. 4 in the United Kingdom and No. 61 in the United States. And they crossed into French Touch territory when Daft Punk sampled their early ‘80s track “We Ride Tonight” for the now-disbanded duo’s song “Contact,” from 2013’s Random Access Memories.

Braithwaite’s interpretation of Rickie Lee Jones’ “The Horses” is now regarded as a classic Down Under and is a staple at house parties across the country. When triple j counted down its inaugural Hottest 100 of Australian Songs in July 2025, Braithwaite’s “The Horses” came in at No. 30 – the highest-ranked cover in the poll.

The Aussie singer, how aged 77, is one of a small handful of artists twice elevated into the ARIA Hall of Fame. He got his dues with Sherbet in 1990, in just the third year of the annual celebration. And again in 2017, as a solo artist.

You can’t have failed to notice that these are high times for British and Irish music. After a rocky period marked by industry uncertainty and a relative lull in global breakthroughs, the past 18 months have seen a new wave of talent firmly restore the region’s chart and cultural clout.

The numbers tell part of the story. In December 2025, the BPI reported that the U.K. recorded music sector surged both domestically and internationally last year, powered by breakout stars including Lola Young, whose viral smash “Messy” became the year’s biggest British single. Olivia Dean, meanwhile, cemented her transatlantic rise by becoming a Billboard Hot 100 darling, with top 10 entries for “Man I Need” (No. 2) and “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” (No. 5). 

Elsewhere, Mercury Prize nominee CMAT has continued her ascent, while Sienna Spiro, Skye Newman and Scouse rapper EsDeeKid have forged their own unique paths into the mainstream. The momentum has lifted sterling albums from established stars, too: Charli xcx’s Brat and Sam Fender’s People Watching both notched platinum-selling status in the U.K. There is, unmistakably, a renewed sense of possibility in the air.

For Andy Sloan-Vincent, who recently stepped into his new role as managing director at Spotify (U.K., Ireland, and Netherlands) after 11 years at the streaming platform, this resurgence has been “the culmination of a long-term strategy from a lot of labels developing artists.” The region, he argues, has always possessed the foundations required to develop world-class artists, pointing to how Young and Dean are success stories of the free-to-attend BRIT School in Croydon, south London.

“The U.K. has always been a hotbed for nurturing talent,” he tells Billboard U.K. over video call. “We have places like the BRIT School that form part of our cultural identity; we have TV moments throughout the year where artists are put at the forefront. We’ve always been a musical nation.”

According to the most recent Loud and Clear report, which shares data behind Spotify’s royalty payments, U.K. artists generated over £860 million ($1.138 billion) in revenue from the streaming platform in 2025, representing a 6% increase year-on-year. In 2026, 75% of all royalties generated by British artists on Spotify came from listeners outside the U.K., with recorded growth in key markets including Germany, Australia, Brazil and Mexico, while the U.S. remains the region’s biggest export partner.

From Sloan-Vincent’s position, those figures represent not just a U.K. music ecosystem that “has reached a level of maturity and confidence,” but Spotify’s role in amplifying that reach. As he looks towards his first year in the new role, the London-based executive — who featured on Billboard‘s 2026 U.K. Power Players list — is focused on how the platform can further support artists at every stage of their careers, pointing to the upcoming initiatives such as Reserved, Spotify’s new, fan-focused ticketing offering, as evidence of that ambition.

“We want to keep growing and become bigger, but we’re also a mature and profitable business,” Sloan-Vincent explains. “We want to continue building on that success while growing into the next chapter.”

2025 was a breakthrough year for British artists — such as Olivia Dean, Lola Young, and Sam Fender — globally. What have you seen in Spotify’s data that has perhaps helped to explain that resurgence?

The U.K. has always been a strong export business. We’ve always been quite powerful in that regard, and a kind of cultural leader. Last year was perhaps the culmination of a long-term strategy from a lot of labels developing artists. The artists you reference have been signed for five, 10-plus years, and then we’ve hit this world at Spotify where we’re paying out £860 million [in streaming royalties] in the U.K..

Those two things map neatly together, in the sense that the industry has now reached a level of maturity and confidence where we’re really breaking artists through again. I think you can see with the industry itself fishing for British artists from labels all over the world. It’s confidence in British music that’s coming through.

To what extent do you believe this huge, new level of success for U.K. artists is being driven by international audiences?

We have a huge export success story with Spotify. We have this £860 million figure, but 75% of those royalties come from outside the U.K., so listeners from other markets are pretty significant for us. The U.K. would previously export to Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand, and now we’re seeing our artists bubbling in places like Mexico and Brazil. There’s always been a handful of British acts that can go out and play those monster shows at football stadiums all over the world, but now that number is going up.

I’ve been with Spotify for 11 and a half years, during which we have launched our Radar, Equal, and Glow programs, supporting emerging artists, female artists, and then LGBTQ+ artists. A big focus for me and for the company has always been taking people from early days and carrying them through to a career arc. Part of it comes from finding artists early and thinking, “This could be a generational act, let’s build something here.”

We shot some live performance with Skye Newman at Hackney Church a week ago, for a one-night-only show. Skye is a Radar artist in the U.K., which means we’ve made the commitment to develop her. She has an incredible voice; when you go into the room with her, everyone wants her to win. I think the reason we want to get behind artists like that is because we want the artist to win. That’s our outlook on things.

How do the headlines from the U.K. and European findings in this year’s Loud & Clear report compare with the wider global picture?

We’re one of four net exporters, so the U.K. has been very, very strong in that regard. I think globally we have seen our payments go up pretty considerably. Europe was obviously a bit of a powerhouse in terms of the amount of money that gets driven to the industry. From a U.K. and a European perspective, we’re seeing growth in the independent sector. So, 45% of royalties in the U.K. are generated by independent artists. I would say that those are kind of the core things: independent sector growth, export growth, and overall revenue going up.

When you speak to newer or independent artists, what concerns about streaming economics do you hear most often? And how do you respond?

The first and main kind of myth that’s important to dispel is the ‘per stream’ rate. It’s not a thing; most, if not all, streaming platforms work in exactly the same way, by paying a certain percentage out on a flat revenue model, and the way that an artist then gets paid is by their percent of the overall revenue pie. I think it’s important for artists to understand that that’s how it works: there are fluctuations in that revenue and the way it comes in. 

I’d also say that it’s very important to understand that Spotify and other streaming platforms pay out to rights holders, so we aren’t paying the artists directly, it goes to the rights holder. The rights holder then has their jurisdiction, and they work out how it then goes on to the artists. It’s important to understand that you’re not going to get [the name] Spotify on your bank statement, you’ll probably get your distributor or record label.

On Substack earlier this year, you wrote that “there’s so much to be optimistic about” across the U.K. music industry in 2026. Who, or what, is inspiring you at the moment?

It’s really nice to talk about the Olivia Deans, the Lola Youngs, the Sienna Spiros of the world who are blowing up. My remit also takes me to Ireland, and we’ve recently announced some statistics around an artist called F3mii and how they’ve blown up recently. But we’ve also been committed early to artists like Florence Road and Kingfishr.

The thing I love is that it never ends, in the sense that there’s always something new to discover. We’re not like a fashion department, and I think that’s kind of a strange statement to make, but we’re focused on building sustainable, lifelong careers where artists can make a living. We’re not playing an overnight, snap-numbers game. It’s about who’s out there doing the work, building a fan base, playing the shows, being someone who is inspiring to new fans, and how we can help them and develop them. For us as a platform, that’s always been our focus.

It’s that discovery, that love that comes when people sit and really listen. I think we’ve made product innovations in that space to help open up those doors. We’re consistently trying to get fans closer to their artists, and I think giving artists control is a really important part of that.

The live touring market has become an increasingly contentious topic throughout 2026 with conversations around pricing and access. How do you see Reserved improving the fan experience?

There’s this sense that the secondary market is quite chaotic at best, and it has been for a long time. I explicitly remember going to shows and trying to find a ticket from a guy outside the Tube station. Technology has essentially given that guy outside the Tube station the ability to bot and buy up all the tickets to a show, and then sell them at an increasingly crazy markup.

I think the reason Reserved works, and the reason our partners want to get involved with it, is that it helps drive that artist-fan relationship, cuts through some of that chaos, and puts tickets in the right hands. I love it from a fan perspective, too. Speaking personally, it’s about being able to get tickets for the things I genuinely want to go and see.

I think, first and foremost for me, it’s that responsibility element. As a business, we are number one in each of the markets I look after, and I think it’s important for us to remember that comes with a level of responsibility to the music industry and the wider creative industries in the countries we’re operating in. A big focus for us is making sure we’re still helping artists, podcasters, and authors find new audiences. That’s a huge part of what we do.

Keith Richards has suggested that The Rolling Stones may shift away from traditional touring in favour of residencies, revealing that the physical demands of travel have become the biggest obstacle to the band performing live.

“I don’t know if tours are possible,” Richards told Uncut Magazine. “It’s the travelling that takes it out of you. But I do see the possibility of us doing residency somewhere. Wherever it is, London, New York, Paris, anywhere. I’ll play Rome! But I don’t see why they shouldn’t be able to throw some shows together in a new format.”

The comments build on remarks Mick Jagger made recently on BBC Radio 2, where the frontman said he “can’t wait” to get back on the road and is hoping to tour again “as soon as possible” — though he acknowledged it would not happen this year. The band scrapped plans for a U.K. and European stadium tour in 2026 after Richards was unable to commit to the run.

Despite the logistical questions, Richards was clear that the desire to play has not diminished. “It’ll be exciting until something inside me says, ‘That’s that,’” he said. “I love working with the guys. I mean, what am I gonna do?”

The Stones are preparing to release their 25th studio album Foreign Tongues on July 10 via Polydor/Universal Music. Recorded in less than a month at Metropolis Studios in West London with producer Andrew Watt, the album features guest appearances from Paul McCartney, The Cure’s Robert Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and Steve Winwood, alongside a special appearance by late drummer Charlie Watts recorded during one of his final creative sessions with the band before his death in 2021.

The album includes previously released tracks “Rough and Twisted” and “In the Stars,” as well as a cover of Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good.”

Richards reflected on the recording process in the album’s announcement. “The Foreign Tongues album has a continuity from Hackney Diamonds, and it was great to be working in London again, and to have that London vibe around us,” he said. “It was a month of concentrated punch.”

Hackney Diamonds, the Stones’ first album of original material in 18 years, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and produced “Angry,” which became the band’s first U.K. top 40 hit since 2005.

UPDATE (June 22): If you won’t be in Washington, D.C. on Sunday (June 28) when Bill Maher receives the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, fear not: Netflix will premiere the program on July 21. The streamer has been the exclusive broadcast partner of the Mark Twain Prize since 2024.

John Mellencamp is set to appear at the gala, along with Louis C.K., Whitney Cummings, Woody Harrelson, Arianna Huffington, Jay Leno, Stephen A. Smith and others. Grammy-winning producer and composer Cheche Alara will serve as music director.

The show will be held at the John F. Kennedy for the Performing Arts. Donald J. Trump’s name was officially part of the name of the building when Maher’s award was announced in April, but it was ordered removed by a federal judge on May 29.

PREVIOUSLY (April 6): Bill Maher is set to receive the 2026 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at a June 28 gala in the concert hall of The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, the official name (at least for now) of the cultural landmark in Washington, D.C.

Maher will be the 27th recipient of the award; the first since board voted on Dec. 18 to adopt the new name. The program will stream exclusively on Netflix for the third consecutive year on a date to be announced.

“Thank you to the Mark Twain people: I just had the award explained to me, and apparently it’s like an Emmy, except I win,” Maher said in a statement. “I’d just like to say that it is indeed humbling to get anything named for a man who’s been thrown out of as many school libraries as Mark Twain.”

As his quip implies, Maher has indeed lost dozens of times at the Primetime Emmys. He has received 42 nominations over the years but has won just once – as an executive producer of the HBO series Vice. He lost 11 times for his breakout series Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher and an astounding 19 times for the subsequent Real Time With Bill Maher.

In addition to his 42 Primetime Emmy nods, Maher has received two Grammy nods, both for the audiobooks of two of his best-selling books. He was nominated for best spoken word album for When You Ride Alone You Ride With Bin Laden in 2004 and New Rules – Polite Musings From a Timid Observer in 2007. He lost both times.

Maher, 70, will be the oldest recipient of the Mark Twain Prize since David Letterman, who was also 70 when he was honored in 2017. The oldest-ever recipient was Carol Burnett, who was 80 when she was honored in 2013.

The June 28 event is being held more than three months later in the calendar year than last year’s presentation to Conan O’Brien, which was held on March 23, 2025. The event will be held in the same venue – only the name has been changed.

The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recognizes individuals who have had an impact on American society in ways similar to the 19th-century novelist and essayist Samuel Clemens, colloquially known as Mark Twain. Previous recipients are Richard Pryor (1998), Jonathan Winters (1999), Carl Reiner (2000), Whoopi Goldberg (2001), Bob Newhart (2002), Lily Tomlin (2003), Lorne Michaels (2004), Steve Martin (2005), Neil Simon (2006), Billy Crystal (2007), George Carlin (2008), Bill Cosby (2009; rescinded in 2018), Tina Fey (2010), Will Ferrell (2011), Ellen DeGeneres (2012), Carol Burnett (2013), Jay Leno (2014), Eddie Murphy (2015), Bill Murray (2016), David Letterman (2017), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2018), Dave Chappelle (2019), Jon Stewart (2022), Adam Sandler (2023), Kevin Hart (2024), and Conan O’Brien (2025). The event was created by Bob Kaminsky, Peter Kaminsky, Mark Krantz, and John Schreiber. 

Maher was born in New York City and raised in River Vale, N.J. He launched his career as a stand-up comedian in 1979. In 2022, Maher launched a new podcast, Club Random With Bill Maher. He has done 13 solo specials for HBO including last year’s Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This? The special was nominated for a Golden Globe for best performance in stand-up comedy on television, but (as per usual for Maher at award shows), it lost.

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