Author: Rap Hooks

Burna Boy will be cooking at the 2026 NFL Paris Game.

The Nigerian Afrobeats star will headline the halftime show as NFL comes to Stade de France on Sunday, Oct. 25, when the New Orleans Saints face the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With a knack for combining reggae and dancehall with Afro-fusion melodies, Burna Boy (real name: Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu) is no stranger to prime time.

To date, he has landed nine tracks on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Dai Dai,” his FIFA World Cup 2026 collaboration with Shakira, which topped Billboard’s Global Charts and recently passed one billion views on YouTube. In 2021, he won the Grammy Award for best global music album with Twice As Tall.

France, and its national stadium, holds a special place in Burna Boy’s heart. It’s his third most popular market for streams, behind the United States and the United Kingdom. 

And on April 18, 2025, he made history as the first African artist to headline a solo concert at Stade de France, performing to a sold-out audience numbering more than 80,000.

“Paris gave me one of the biggest nights of my career, and to walk back into Stade de France for a moment like this means everything,” he comments in a statement. “The NFL is bringing something to France that has never happened here before, and I get to stand in the middle of it representing African music and I intend to give the people a show they will not forget.”

The 2026 NFL Paris Game will air in that market on France Télévisions and on beIN Sports, with L’Équipe broadcasting the event later the same evening.

The NFL is in full swing with its global expansion. The league will play a record nine games internationally this season, with Paris one of three cities hosting its first regular-season game (the others are Melbourne, Australia and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

“The first NFL game in France deserves a halftime moment that matches the occasion, and there is no artist better suited to it than Burna Boy,” enthuses Tim Tubito, senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment at the NFL. “Paris is one of the great cultural capitals of the world, and African music sits right at the heart of what the city listens to. Burna Boy has already made history in this stadium, and bringing him back to perform in front of a global audience gives us the chance to create something genuinely memorable.”

Kick off for the NFL Paris Game is Sunday, Oct. 25 at 9:30 a.m. ET (2:30 p.m. CEST).

Three weeks after her death at 80 following a brief battle with cancer, Dolly Parton made a surprise posthumous appearance at Wednesday night’s (Sept. 16) 2026 Americana Awards and Honors at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Before her passing on Aug. 25, Parton recorded a pre-taped message accepting the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

The segment was introduced by Emmylou Harris, who talked about the “unthinkable” death of her friend, who she called a “a tiny, extraordinary woman” who made the world a “better, brighter and kinder place.” Harris recalled one of Parton’s many pearls of wisdom (the famously glam country icon, fittingly, actually called them “rhinestones of wisdom”), delivered as a four-part motto: “dream more, learn more, care more, be more.”

Harris said that, through her songs and her example as a humanitarian and philanthropist, “she showed so many musicians, artists and everyday folks” how to follow another one of her mottos: “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”

“And, in truly Dolly fashion, when she learned she would be receiving this honor, she didn’t wait for the spotlight to find her. She stepped right into it, recording this message with the same warmth, joy and sparkle she so generously shared with us throughout her life.”

Parton’s message was classic Dolly, with the singer sitting next to a bouquet of fresh flowers and dressed in a golden top with fringe and sparkling accents, her signature upbeat attitude fully on display. “It’s Dolly. I’m honored to be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association,” she said in the video. “Roots music, or what is now called Americana music, is what I grew up playing back in the Smoky Mountains. It’s that same music that drew me back to East Tennessee in 1997 to write and record my album, Hungry Again. And that project really opened the door to a series of bluegrass and acoustic albums that changed the course of my career in so many ways.”

Parton talked about how those albums helped new fans discover her music, as well as new communities in the Americana genre that embraced them. “Now, looking back at it all, I see this era of my career as a musical renaissance of sorts. I want to thank everyone at the AMA for recognizing me with this award. It’s a great honor truly, and just know that I will always love you.” The video drew a huge ovation from the packed house, with several attendees wiping tears from their eyes as they watched one of the last statements from the beloved country superstar.

Brandi Carlile then took the stage, saying, “we will always love you too Dolly,” before performing a moving version of Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors” backed by Americana trio I’m With Her.

The show that also featured performances from Boy Golden, Crowe Boys, Flatland Cavalry, Jesse Welles, Kathleen Edwards, Margo Price, Molly Tuttle and many more opened with the first performance by the Heartbreakers since Tom Petty’s death in 2017, with Chris Stapleton filling in on vocals for a spirited run through “American Girl.”

Check out Harris’ tribute and Parton’s message below.

Ahead of the hugely anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI, Atlantic Records and Rockstar Games have today (Sept. 17) announced Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album.

The album will feature 34 new songs, with the complete project dropping Nov. 19, the same day as the game’s release.

Ahead of that drop, six of the album’s songs are streaming now. These songs include a mega-watt array of genre-spanning artists, with Yung Lean ft. Future and Metro Boomin contributing a song titled “That’s It,” a song called “RHYNO” performed by Travis Scott and produced by Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, PinkPantheress, Fred again.. and Étienne de Crécy together contributing a song called “Sexy Magic.” The final three newly released songs are “The Last Thing You Need” by Morgan Wallen, “Macacoa 2000” by Rauw Alejandro and “Bright Lights, Big City” by Keith Richards.

Songs from the album are designed to capture the energy of Vice City and Leonida, the fictional world the game is set inside of. This music is intended to continue the Grand Theft Auto series’ penchant for introducing new music and musical subcultures to a global audience.

Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album will arrive alongside the next iteration of the game’s in-game radio stations, score, and other musical touchpoints that define the series. Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album is available for pre-order now and will launch with multiple vinyl and CD offerings, including three Atlantic Records exclusives: a limited-edition liquid-filled vinyl, a splatter edition vinyl, and a CD jewel case – each featuring exclusive new artwork and packaging designs that echo the signature style of Grand Theft Auto VI.

There will also be various retail exclusives for Blood Records, Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Urban Outfitters, and Indie record stores, each coming with a unique vinyl pressing design and poster.

Listen below.

Grammy-nominated singer Duncan Sheik is hospitalized in critical condition while battling an undisclosed ailment, according to a statement posted by his family on Instagram on Wednesday (Sept. 16).

“We would like to share an update with Duncan’s fans and the public,” read the statement. “Duncan is currently receiving medical care and remains in critical but stable condition. Out of respect for Duncan and our family, we will not be sharing any further medical details at this time. We kindly ask for privacy during this incredibly difficult time and will provide updates when appropriate. Thank you for the continued love and support.”

At press time it was unknown why Sheik was in the hospital, but on Sept. 6 the 56-year-old singer posted a selfie on Instagram, reporting, “Sorry for the selfies. But I’m still bored in hospital. Do you like (good) magazines?” It appears as if “Barely Breathing” singer has been in a hospital for nearly a month judging by an Aug. 20 post of Sheik in a medical gown with the caption, “I would prefer to be home making music. But a bit of reflection is not too bad … boring hospital stays have their benefits (outside the obvious.)”

Subsequent posts from Aug. 23 and appeared to show the view from inside a hospital room of a sunrise and, on Aug. 26, a TV mounted on a wall. On Sept. 7 he posted yet another selfie, writing, “out of here in 60 hours.”

A number of fellow musicians sent their best wishes in comments on Wednesday’s post, including Lisa Loeb (“Sending love”), Matt Nathanson (“sending big love”), Broadway star Tyce Green (“Buddy you’ve got this. You’ve got this. !!!!!”) and Lizzo.

At press time a spokesperson for Sheik could not be reached for comment on his condition, but the latest news comes just before the opening of the manga novel adaptation Memoirs of Amorous Gentleman, a musical for which Sheik wrote the score; the off-Broadway show is slated to open on Oct. 15 at the Night Egg at the Culture Club.

Sheik is best known for his Grammy-nominated 1996 Billboard Hot 100 No. 16 debut single, “Barely Breathing,” as well as his Tony Award for best original score and best orchestration for the 2006 coming-of-age rock musical Spring Awakening. In the years since, he wrote the music for Alice By Heart, the 2013 musical adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis horror novel American Psycho as well as the 2013 musical adaptation of Because of Winn-Dixie. His most recent album was 2022’s Claptrap.

Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean knows exactly which way he wants it on his lusty new solo single, “Into Your Heart.” While the title of the song that dropped on Wednesday morning (Sept. 16) has the kind of romantic vibe the group’s longtime fans have come to expect from the boy-to-man band, McLean has some seriously adult considerations on his mind on the hip-hop-inspired tune.

“You walk in, whole room leaves/ Lip gloss shine, all eyes freeze/ You look once, I lose speech/ My boys laugh, ‘Shoot your shot at least,’” he sings over a spare, slinky beat. “Heart racing like a spotlight/ Sparking like you know I/ If I get one chance tonight/ I’m f–king my way into your life.”

The chorus leaves even less to the imagination, as McLean promises, “F–k my way into your heart/ Say my name, we gon’ light this floor apart/ Tell your friends you ain’t leaving yet/ Tell your ex you can feel this sweat/ F–k my way into your heart.”

McLean, who goes by his full name as a solo act, Alexander James McLean, is gearing up to release his sophomore solo album on Nov. 27, Sex, Love & Music, the follow-up to January’s debut solo LP, My Name is Alexander James. The new single was accompanied by a dance-heavy video that pays homage to the classic 1979 gang drama The Warriors, with dance crews dubbed The Baseball Lockers, The AllStar Lizzies, The Lovers and The Hip-Hop Riffs facing off in a choreo battle on a city set at night.

“This one just felt good from the second we made it,” said McLean in a statement about the song. “There’s an energy to ‘Into Your Heart’ that I love. The visual is a total vibe, dance has always been such a huge part of who I am as a performer, I wanted to make a video where I could really lean into that. One of the best parts of this chapter is having the freedom to follow the music wherever it takes me. Right now, this is where I’m at.”

After more than three decades with BSB — which also includes Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell — McLean broke out solo for the first time in November of 2025 with his Hi My Name is Alex EP. McLean will hit the road for his first-ever North American solo tour under his full given name on his The Better Man outing, slated to kick off on Oct. 19 at Brooklyn Bowl in New York and run through a Jan. 15 gig at the Craterian Theater in Medford, Ore.

Watch the “Into Your Heart” video below.