Author: Rap Hooks

Olivia Rodrigo pulled double duty on Saturday Night Live on Saturday night (May 2).making her hosting debut while also serving as musical guest — debuting two tracks from her upcoming third studio album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, due June 12.

Rodrigo opened the show with a monologue that revisited her Disney Channel beginnings on Bizaardvark — including a jab at former co-star Jake Paul — and included a musical parody of her breakout hit “drivers license,” reworked into a story about getting a Real ID at the DMV.

For her first musical performance of the night, rock legend Debbie Harry of Blondie introduced Rodrigo’s energetic performance of “drop dead,” the lead single from You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, which was released April 17. The track has already become her fourth No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Then, Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie introduced Rodrigo’s second number — the mournful ballad “begged,” a previously unreleased track from the album. Rodrigo performed the song seated on a swing, a visual that mirrors the cover art for the new album, which features her upside-down on a swing.

The episode marks Rodrigo’s third overall appearance on SNL but her first time hosting. She previously appeared as musical guest in May 2021, performing songs from Sour, and again in December 2023 promoting Guts.

Rodrigo has also recently announced The Unraveled Tour, a new concert series taking her through the U.S., Canada and several European countries. She also made a surprise appearance at Coachella earlier this month, joining Addison Rae onstage to debut “drop dead” live for the first time.

Rodrigo first broke through in 2021 with debut album Sour, followed by 2023’s Guts, quickly becoming one of pop’s most commercially dominant young artists, earning three Grammy Awards and Album of the Year nominations for both records. “drivers license” spent eight weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release in 2021. You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love arrives June 12.

Earlier in the episode, Rodrigo performed “Drop Dead,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking her fourth chart-topper — all of which have opened at the summit.

Her appearance marked her third time on Saturday Night Live, and her first time serving as both host and musical guest in a single episode.

“Hit the Wall,” a new song from Gracie Abrams, is coming soon. The track is scheduled for release at 2 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Thursday, May 14, Abrams revealed in an announcement posted on social media at the start of the weekend.

“‘Hit the Wall,’” Abrams wrote on Instagram on Friday (May 1), disclosing its title. “My new song is out everywhere on May 14th at 5pm PST. I love it with everything I have. – DFH.”

The news was unveiled with single art that shows the singer-songwriter standing directly in front of wild flames. The fiery image obscures the artist, who’s mostly pictured as a shadowy silhouette.

“DFH” is presumed to be an acronym for Abrams’ next album, which would be her third full-length studio release. Her debut set, Good Riddance, was released on Interscope in 2023, followed by her sophomore album, 2024’s The Secret of Us. Abrams earned a top 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the first time with The Secret of Us, which debuted at No. 2.

Last month brought a new music snippet that cut off just as the pop singer’s vocals were about to begin. Abrams seemed to be teasing an upcoming project in the Instagram clip, though no details were given.

Prior to that there were in-studio snapshots with producer Aaron Dessner — plus pictures of a journal adorned with “DFH” stickers,” a “3” sticker and a sticker of a witch — on Instagram.

In Abrams’ cover story interview with Billboard last year, she said, “Aaron and I are catching each other in these little pockets between hectic times. Every day that I live with the music, things start to become a little clearer. There’s something we’re starting to crack that is making both of us feel energized.” She was on the road for her Secret of Us Tour through the end of the summer 2025.

See Abrams’ song promo for “Hit the Wall” below.

Charli xcx is not releasing a rock album any time soon, though it was assumed she was when it was reported she had rock music in the works in last month’s issue of British Vogue.

On Friday (May 1), Charli posted previously unseen studio footage on Instagram. The video contains a teaser of an unreleased song recorded in October 2025 at Rue Boyer Studios in Paris.

“It would be cool if we had a song that was called ‘Rock Music,’” she’s seen saying in a brainstorming session, which cuts to scenes of her recording vocals.

“a video of me making a song called ‘rock music’ that is not actually rock music which is funny because i never said i was making a rock album. love you xx,” she captioned the clip Friday on Instagram.

The song does feature guitar, but leans more hyper-pop in production. Lyrics on Charli’s notes app flash by at one point in the reel. They read: “Heritage/ Me, me and my friends/ We go out/ We take pictures/ We make stuff together/ We sometimes cry/ We kiss each other, incestuous vibes/ I knew you’d like that/ Yeah we’re so inspired/ Basically all of the time/ Never stop/ ‘Coz we’re on to the next/ I think the dancefloor is dead/ So now we’re making rock music.”

What Charli herself was actually quoted as saying in that British Vogue cover story, in regards to rock music, was: “What’s interesting for me is to bend the possibilities of what my perspective on that could be.”

She also noted then that rehashing the dance-world Brat built for her followup to the hit album “would have felt really hard, really sad.”

That article’s writer accompanied Charli in February to a West London studio — when her upcoming album was not yet finished, and where she held a listening session reported on for the story — to hear the song that is now known to be “Rock Music.” The only lyric of the song to make it to print: “I think the dance floor is dead, now we’re making rock music.”

At the time, Charli did comment on putting guitar on the album. “For me, it’s fun to flip the form,” she said. “We know there’s gonna be people who are bothered by it, but that’s fine.”

In that interview Charli also revealed that her upcoming album “is commenting on how I interact with the joint main love of my life outside of George [Daniel, her husband]” — her other love being creating art — “and what would happen if that was taken from me. How I would have no purpose, and how for good or bad, art does provide me with purpose in my life.”

Brat peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in 2024, marking Charli’s highest position on the all-genre album chart to date.

Since then, she’s worked on an album alongside Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation, which arrived in February. The soundtrack reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and debuted at No. 1 on the Soundtracks chart.

Catch a preview from Charli’s “Rock Music” studio session in her Instagram reel below.

Post Malone has pushed back the opening stretch of his Big Ass Stadium Tour with Jelly Roll, canceling the first several dates as he works to complete his upcoming album.

In a message shared with fans, Malone said the decision came after reassessing the timeline between his live schedule and recording commitments.

“Looking at the upcoming schedule… I came to the realization that what we’re trying to do, and what’s possible, isn’t really lining up,” he wrote, adding that he needed additional time to finish new music.

“The truth is, I promised y’all beautiful people new music, and I don’t have the time to finish it before tour starts. We ain’t ready for tour just yet, so I’m making the decision to push the tour back about 3 weeks to get this music done.”

The postponement affects the first six dates of the Live Nation-produced tour, which had been scheduled to begin May 13 in El Paso, Texas, with additional stops in Waco, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Tampa and Oxford, Mississippi. The tour is now expected to launch June 9 in Charlotte, North Carolina, following a roughly three-week delay.

The artist has been teasing a new project, reportedly titled The Eternal Buzz, though no release date has been confirmed. He indicated the album remains unfinished, despite earlier speculation that it was close to completion.

“That being said, I’m so sorry to the folks who were planning on coming to the few canceled shows. I was looking forward to going nuts with y’all. That THAT being said, we been making some badass s— for this double album… and I can’t wait to perform for y’all again.”

The delay comes as Malone looks to follow up a period of sustained commercial success. His 2023 album Austin debuted in the top 5 of the Billboard 200, while earlier releases such as Hollywood’s Bleeding produced multiple chart-topping singles, including “Circles,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Big Ass Stadium Tour marks a continuation of Malone’s recent pivot toward country and roots-influenced sounds, a direction that has broadened his audience in recent years. His collaboration with Jelly Roll — whose own rise has been driven by a blend of country, rock and hip-hop — reflects that crossover appeal.

His most recent album, F-1 Trillion, included the Country Airplay No. 1 “Pour Me a Drink” and the Billboard Hot 100-topping “I Had Some Help.” He has since teased a follow-up country project, telling Billboard last year that more music was in the works and more recently hinting at a possible title — The Eternal Buzz — on social media.

Barry Manilow has postponed his May Las Vegas residency dates as he continues to recover from lung cancer surgery, though the 82-year-old says he is making great progress and expects to return to the Westgate stage in July.

In an Instagram Story posted Friday (May 1), Manilow opened with, “Good news! I went to the doctor yesterday and he said I’m making great progress and look great! All the training and exercising I’ve put in is paying off. He did say, however, that I’m not quite ready for Vegas. This means I won’t be able to return for our May shows at Westgate Las Vegas.”

He also confirmed he will be ready for his June arena shows in the U.K. “The Westgate Las Vegas is my home away from home and I’ll see you all in July,” he said.

The May postponement is the latest in a series of delays since Manilow revealed his Stage 1 lung cancer diagnosis in December 2025. He underwent surgery to remove a cancerous spot from his left lung in late December and has not performed since.

The singer’s February Las Vegas residency dates were the first to be pushed back, followed by his arena tour launch dates from late February through March, and then his April arena shows — each time on his doctor’s advice that his body needed more time to recover.

Despite the setbacks, Manilow has remained determined to return to the stage. His Las Vegas residency at Westgate is scheduled to run through December 2026, and his farewell arena tour — billed as The Last Concerts — has rescheduled dates still on the books.

Named the No. 1 Adult Contemporary Artist of all time by Billboard, Manilow has sold more than 85 million albums worldwide and scored 13 No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart across a career spanning more than five decades. He is also a Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award winner and a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee.

In March, his new single “Once Before I Go” became a top 10 hit on the Adult Contemporary chart, making him the only artist in history to score an Adult Contemporary hit in six consecutive decades — a run stretching from the 1970s through the 2020s. His new album What a Time — his first of new material in nearly 15 years — is due June 5.

Vinyl releases from the likes of Taylor Swift, Pink Floyd and Bruno Mars were among the top-sellers from Record Store Day (RSD) 2026 in the United States, according to Luminate.

The yearly independent record store day celebration was held on April 18 and boasted a bevy of albums and singles (mostly vinyl titles) issued for RSD, and exclusively sold through indie record stores.

More than 350 album and single products were issued for RSD 2026, and the top-selling album was the four-LP clear vinyl release of Pink Floyd’s Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975. The project was also issued as a 2-CD set, and the CD edition was the No. 24 best-selling RSD 2026 album title.

Another two-fer on the list is the soundtrack to KPop Demon Hunters, which ranks at both Nos. 2 and 6, with two different iterations of the album on vinyl: a HUNTR/X edition and a Saja Boys edition, respectively.

Record Store Day 2026 Ambassador Bruno Mars had the No. 2-selling RSD 2026 album with Collaborations. The 11-track double vinyl compilation includes such teamings as the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits “Nothin’ On You” (B.o.B featuring Mars) “Uptown Funk” (Mark Ronson featuring Mars) and “Die With a Smile” (Lady Gaga and Mars).

“Independent record stores are so important because you get the chance to immerse and surround yourself with music and that’s why I’m so excited to be this year’s Record Store Day Ambassador,” Mars said in a statement upon the Ambassador announcement. “I love collecting vinyl because nothing is better than sitting on your couch, putting on a record and just listening to music like that. It feels like a lost art. To actually sit down, put a record on, and consume it is a very Romantic idea. Go out and support your local independent record store on Record Store Day this year.”

Mars follows such recent RSD Ambassadors as Post Malone (2025), Paramore (2024), Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires (2023), Swift (2022), Fred Armisen (2021), Brandi Carlile (2020) and Pearl Jam (2019).

Swift had the top-selling RSD 2026 single, with “Elizabeth Taylor.” The 7-inch was issued on “Cry My Eyes Violet Glitter Vinyl” and included two tracks: “Elizabeth Taylor” and “Elizabeth Taylor” (So Glamorous Cabaret Version).

Top-Selling Record Store Day 2026 Exclusive Albums at Independent Record Stores in the U.S.
Rank, Artist, Title
1. Pink Floyd, Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975 (clear-colored four vinyl set)
2. Bruno Mars, Collaborations (vinyl)
3. Soundtrack, KPop Demon Hunters (HUNTR/X edition special effect vinyl)
4. Jeff Buckley, Live a L’Olympia (double vinyl)
5. Laufey, A Matter of Time: Live at Madison Square Garden (big apple red-colored double vinyl)
6. Soundtrack, KPop Demon Hunters (Saja Boys edition special effect vinyl)
7. Fall Out Boy, So Much For (2our) Dust: Live From Madison Square Garden (triple vinyl)
8. Hilary Duff, (MINE) (silver-colored vinyl)
9. Paramore, All We Know Is Falling (double vinyl)
10. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Live at Paradise Rock Club, 1978 (180-gram pink and green translucent splatter-colored vinyl)
11. The Cure, Greatest Hits (silver-colored bio double vinyl)
12. Billy Strings, Tiny Desk (vinyl)
13. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande & Various Artists, Wicked: One Wonderful Night (Live) (splatter-color double vinyl)
14. The Cure, Acoustic Hits (silver-colored bio double vinyl)
15. Brandi Carlile, Live at Easy Street Records, Vol. II (vinyl)
16. Talking Heads, The CBS/Columbia Demos (double vinyl)
17. Megadeth, Hidden Treasures (color vinyl)
18. Ween, Europe “90” (triple vinyl)
19. Grateful Dead, Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA, June 11, 1976 (180-gram five vinyl set)
20. Ethel Cain, Inbred (vinyl)
21. Madonna, The Confessions Tour (starburst pink/purple splatter-colored double vinyl)
22. Ramones, Summer In the City: Live In San Francisco, 1979 (140-gram neon pink-colored double vinyl)
23. John Prine, BBC Sessions (140-gram black vinyl)
24. Pink Floyd, Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975 (2-CD)
25. TV Girl, Night In Question: French Exit Outtakes (vinyl)
Source: Luminate, for the week ending April 23, 2026

Top-Selling Record Store Day 2026 Exclusive Singles at Independent Record Stores in U.S.
Rank, Artist, Title
1. Taylor Swift, Elizabeth Taylor (Cry My Eyes Violet Glitter-colored 7-inch vinyl)
2. Olivia Dean, Live at the BBC (You’ve Got a Friend / Cool About It) (7-inch vinyl)
3. KATSEYE, Touch (logo-etched, pink-and-red-colored reversible 12-inch vinyl)
4. Charli xcx, Party 4 U (ultra clear-colored 7-inch vinyl)
5. Tyler Childers, Live From Dinosaur World (Bitin’ List / Dirty Ought Trill) (7-inch vinyl)
6. John Coltrane, The Tiberi Tapes: A Preview of the Mythic Recordings (Giant Steps / Satellite) (12-inch vinyl)
7. Sonic Youth, Diamond Seas (Diamond Season 1995 / Diamond Season 1996) (white-colored 12-inch vinyl)
8. Gigi Perez, Live From VEVO DSCVR (Fable / Sugar Water) (7-inch vinyl)
9. Sleep Token, Caramel (Caramel / Emergence) (liquid-filled 12-inch vinyl)
10. David Bowie, Hallo Spaceboy (fluorescent pink-colored 12-inch vinyl)
Source: Luminate, for the week ending April 23, 2026