Author: Rap Hooks

Massive Attack will return to Australia for their first headline shows since 2010, with three arena dates confirmed for August in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

The Bristol collective — led by Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall — will play Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Aug. 6, Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Aug. 9 and Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Aug. 11.

The shows are presented by Frontier Touring and mark the band’s first Australian dates in 16 years. Frontier Members presale opens Thursday, June 4 at 2 p.m. local time, with general on sale from Friday, June 5 at 3 p.m. local time via frontiertouring.com/massiveattack.

The announcement arrives alongside a newly released collaboration with Tom Waits, “Boots on the Ground,” the first new Massive Attack material in some time and a clear signal that the group remains artistically active more than three decades after forming as part of Bristol’s Wild Bunch sound system collective.

Few bands carry Massive Attack’s weight of influence. Their 1991 debut Blue Lines — frequently cited as the record that invented trip-hop — peaked at No. 13 on the UK Albums Chart and has since been named one of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Their third album Mezzanine (1998) topped the UK Albums Chart and produced “Teardrop,” which later became globally recognisable as the theme for the American television drama House, and “Angel,” both now considered landmark recordings of the era. Mezzanine peaked at No. 60 on the Billboard 200 — their strongest U.S. chart showing — and has sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide.

Their fourth album 100th Window (2003) also topped the UK Albums Chart, giving the collective two U.K. No. 1 albums. Heligoland, their fifth and most recent studio album, followed in 2010 — the same year as their last Australian visit — and debuted at No. 2 on the U.K. Albums Chart.

Massive Attack’s live shows have long been considered some of the most visually and sonically immersive experiences in music, incorporating large-scale political messaging, bespoke audio-visual systems and collaborations with artists including Adam Curtis, United Visual Artists and Robert Del Naja’s own visual art practice.

Massive Attack — Australia 2026

Aug. 6 — Brisbane, QLD — Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Aug. 9 — Sydney, NSW — Qudos Bank Arena

Aug. 11 — Melbourne, VIC — Rod Laver Arena

“Hate That I Made You Love Me,” Ariana Grande‘s new single, tops this week’s best new music poll.

Listeners voted in a poll published Friday (May 29) on Billboard, choosing the star’s highly-anticipated return to music as their favorite release this week.

“Hate That I Made You Love Me” ascended to the top of the poll in a week that also delivered new music from Latto, aespa and more. When the poll closed on Sunday, Grande held a steady lead, bringing in more than 50% of the vote.

“Hate That I Made You Love Me” is the first taste of Grande’s eighth studio album, Petal (arriving on July 31), and her first new music release — outside of her film career — since 2024’s Eternal Sunshine, which was a No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Petal is set to be released via Grande’s BabyDoll Music imprint label, licensed to Republic Records.

“I hate that I made you love me/ Sorry if I made me your type/ Yeah, I, I hate that I made you love me/ ‘Cause I barely tried,” she sings in the chorus.

The song was released Friday, with an official music video still on the way Monday morning (June 1).

And timed just after the “Hate That I Made You Love Me” reveal is the June 8 launch of Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour in Oakland, Calif. (See her current list of tour dates here.)

Among the new releases trailing behind “Hate That I Made You Love Me” this week are Latto’s Big Mama album, with 26% of the vote, and aespa’s LEMONADE – The 2nd Album, with 14% of the vote.

See the final results of this week’s poll below.

Kanye West reportedly drew a crowd of 118,000 to Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium on Saturday (May 30), with the rapper claiming that it was the largest stadium performance in history.

“I just want to tell y’all, we just broke the record, 118,000, largest stadium performance of all time,” West told the audience, according to Türkiye Today.

The show — which began at 9 p.m. local time and evolved into an all-night festival-style event featuring DJ sets, laser and light shows, pre- and after-party gatherings and performances by Turkish artists including Yener Cevik, Mavi, Sena Sener, Pera and Motive — drew fans from across Turkey and abroad, with attendees travelling from Russia, Kazakhstan, the U.K., Germany, the U.S. and Poland.

Organisers opened stadium gates at 3 p.m. to manage the anticipated influx, with crowds quickly filling metro platforms and corridors across the city as showtime neared. Travis Scott also joined West on stage during the show.

The Istanbul date marked the opening night of West’s first European tour in 11 years — and it came after a summer of closures across the continent. In April, the U.K. government denied West entry, ruling his presence “would not be conducive to the public good,” leading to the cancellation of his Wireless Festival headline slot, which had already lost major sponsors including PepsiCo and Diageo.

A Marseille show was postponed after French officials attempted to block it, and concerts in Poland and Switzerland were also cancelled. On the same day as the Istanbul concert, Italian authorities banned West and Travis Scott from performing at a July show at the 103,000-seat RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, citing security concerns following requests from consumer group CODACONS and Jewish communities in Modena and Reggio Emilia.

West has attributed his past antisemitic statements — which included comments praising Adolf Hitler, the release of content using Nazi imagery and the release of a song titled “Heil Hitler” — to manic episodes caused by untreated bipolar disorder. He published a full-page apology in the Wall Street Journal in January 2026. Despite the European bans, several countries have permitted him to perform. His remaining confirmed tour dates include shows in the Netherlands on June 6 and 8, Tirana, Albania on July 11, and Georgia and Spain later in the summer.

West’s commercial run ahead of the tour has been significant. His latest studio album Bully debuted at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart upon its release earlier this year. His catalogue includes 24 Grammy Awards and 10 Billboard 200 No. 1 albums, making him one of the most decorated artists in chart history.

Macy Gray is returning to Australia for her most expansive tour of the region to date, announcing 21 dates across metropolitan and regional cities this spring.

The Encore Tour — Back by Popular Demand kicks off at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on Sept. 11 and winds through South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia before closing at Ocean’s Winery in Margaret River on Oct. 24.

The run includes cities Gray has not previously visited in Australia, among them Shepparton, Albury, Thirroul, Tamworth, Erina, Shoal Bay, Rockhampton, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie. Pre-sale tickets are available from June 1 at 9 a.m. local time for venue and ticket outlet database members, with general sale opening June 3 at 9 a.m. local time via macygraylive.com.au.

The tour follows a sold-out Australian run in 2024. “Australia! The band and I have always had a ball down under, and we can’t wait to see you all again,” Gray said in a statement.

“This time, I’m heading to places I’ve never been before and will get to see so much more of your beautiful country. We’re going to be performing all the songs you want to hear, plus a few from my new album — The Trouble with the Truth. Australia will be the first audiences to hear tracks from the new album live so get your dancing shoes ready and come along and party with us at a show near you!”

Gray broke through internationally in 1999 with “I Try,” which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, hit No. 1 in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, and won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2001 Grammy Awards — where it was also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Her debut album On How Life Is sold more than seven million copies worldwide. She has since released ten studio albums, won one Grammy from five nominations, and sold more than 25 million records worldwide. In addition to her music career, Gray has appeared in films including Training Day and Spider-Man.

Macy Gray — The Encore Tour: Australia 2026

Sept. 11 — Melbourne, VIC — Hamer Hall
Sept. 12 — Adelaide, SA — Hindley Street Music Hall
Sept. 13 — Shepparton, VIC — Shepparton Entertainment Centre
Sept. 14 — Albury, VIC — Albury Entertainment Centre
Sept. 16 — Thirroul, NSW — Anita’s Theatre
Sept. 18 — Hobart, TAS — Wrest Point
Sept. 19 — Newcastle, NSW — The Station
Sept. 20 — Tamworth, NSW — Tamworth Town Hall
Sept. 24 — Rooty Hill, NSW — Coliseum Theatre
Sept. 25 — Sydney, NSW — Enmore Theatre
Sept. 26 — Erina, NSW — Woodport Hotel
Sept. 27 — Shoal Bay, NSW — Shoal Bay Country Club
Sept. 30 — Canberra, ACT — Southern Cross Club
Oct. 2 — Townsville, QLD — Townsville Civic Theatre
Oct. 3 — Cairns, QLD — CPAC
Oct. 7 — Rockhampton, QLD — Pilbeam Theatre
Oct. 8 — Byron Bay, NSW — Beach Road Hotel
Oct. 9 — Brisbane, QLD — QPAC
Oct. 10 — Coffs Harbour, NSW — CX Club
Oct. 11 — Port Macquarie, NSW — Glasshouse
Oct. 24 — Margaret River, WA — Ocean’s Winery

Bad Bunny kicked off his 10-date Madrid residency at a completely sold-out Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Saturday (May 30) with a journey through Debí Tirar Más Fotos and some of the biggest hits in his catalog. Over more than two-and-a-half hours, the Puerto Rican superstar alternated among celebratory moments, cultural references and expressions of gratitude to a crowd that accompanied him song after song.

“It feels good to be here in Madrid,” he said during the first moments of the show. “Tonight, we’re going to sing a lot of songs we haven’t sung before. I hope you’re ready.” The statement set the tone for a night in which Bad Bunny allowed himself to reflect on different stages of his career, while the audience turned practically every chorus into a massive sing-along. The setlist included hits like “La Mudanza,” “Callaíta,” “Turista,” “Tití Me Preguntó,” “Me Porto Bonito,” “Yonaguni” and “Dákiti,” with the crowd maintaining their energy throughout the entire evening.

During several moments of the show, the star reminded the audience that it had been almost 10 years since he last performed in Madrid. His previous concert in Spain’s capital city was on July 14, 2018, at what was then the WiZink Center. The artist took the opportunity to thank those who have supported him since the beginning of his career.

“Coming back to Madrid and performing like this fills my heart,” he said before dedicating a few words to the fans who believed in him “from day one.” Later on, he insisted: “I will always remember this night as the night I came back to Madrid. Thank you for waiting for me for so long.”

One of the most special moments came during his segment in “La Casita” (his famous second stage built like a Puerto Rican house), where he spent several minutes interacting with fans in the front rows. The artist chatted with attendees, listened to their stories and took photos while the rest of the stadium watched every exchange attentively. Five fans were selected to join him after repeating the now-iconic phrase “Acho, PR es otra cosa” (“Puerto Rico is something else”), a ritual that has become one of the most recognizable parts of the show. Among the guests who passed through La Casita were actresses Esther Expósito and María León, as well as Italian entrepreneur and influencer Chiara Ferragni.

Another highly anticipated moment came with “Adivino,” the show’s traditional “exclusive song.” The surprise was revealed when Myke Towers appeared on stage to perform the track alongside Bad Bunny, sparking one of the night’s biggest ovations. Towers remained onstage for several more minutes and treated the crowd to a medley of hits, including “Diosa,” “Si Se Da,” “Lala” and “La Falda.”

Puerto Rico was ever-present throughout the night, from the participation of Los Pleneros de la Cresta to the artist’s constant references to his island. The audience was filled with pavas (traditional Puerto Rican hats), scarves, cayenne flowers and flags from various Latin American countries. “Just for today, we are all Puerto Ricans,” Benito said during one of the most celebrated moments of the concert.

“I’m ready to spend the next three weeks here,” he added later. The Madrid residency is part of the first leg of the Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, which began on November 21-22 in Santo Domingo, Domican Republic. According to Billboard Boxscore data, the tour has already surpassed $200 million in revenue and is among the most successful of the year.

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons will no longer be touring this year due to the singer’s health.

Valli, who turned 92 in May, canceled all remaining tour dates for 2026 in an announcement that went out heading into the weekend.

“I’m so sorry to disappoint the folks who have purchased tickets to my shows, but I have decided to take the rest of the year off from touring to focus on my health,” Valli wrote in a statement published on the group’s Instagram account on Friday (May 29).

“I’m looking forward to getting healthy and seeing you all again soon,” he added in his statement. “Thank you for all your good wishes.”

Valli did not provide further details about the unspecified health concerns.

But he has kept busy performing throughout the past few years on The Last Encores Tour, the group’s farewell run that started in 2023 and had most recently been extended through late 2026. He was expected to appear in select U.S. markets in June and July, followed by a string of dates in September through November.

In an interview with Tucson, Arizona’s 94.9 MIX FM radio station in February, he explained why he heads out on the road still, many decades into his career: “Be loyal to what you’re doing and love what you’re doing. If you’re doing it out of fame or with the hope of becoming famous. it’s really the wrong approach. You should be doing it out of the fact that you love and it and it’s the most important thing in your life. If I had not become successful I’d probably still be working in some little bar. I love music that much.”

Last year, Valli was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards, though he’d never won a Grammy — and despite charting five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with The Four Seasons, dating back to 1962 with “Sherry,” which launched at the top after Dick Clark introduced it on American Bandstand, and two as a solo performer, including the 1978 title track for Grease. “This has been an incredible evening,” he said at the ceremony, quipping, “I don’t know what took so long, but that’s the way it goes.”

See Valli’s announcement about his 2026 tour cancellation on Instagram.