Category: Music

Nine years after Lorde last played the Governor’s Ball in New York City, the New Zealand native returned Friday (June 5) to close out night one of the 2026 festival. And with the time she had on the main stage, she chose to deliver a powerful set that both expanded her Virgin universe and, more importantly, reminded her fans just how much they’re worth in her eyes.

Ever the unorthodox pop star, Lorde kicked off the program by seemingly debuting a snippet of an unreleased song. While manning a scratchy synth board to the side of the stage, she sang, “Don’t look for me now that I’m gone/ Don’t look for me, I’m gone.”

With that self-possessed energy locked in, she went on to play some of the boldest tracks in her discography back to back, starting with Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Royals” and Virgin lead single “What Was That.” Her latest headlining performance comes just a few weeks shy of the one-year anniversary of Virgin, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 last summer — but while she’s spent the past several months on the Ultrasound World Tour in support of the project, this marked the first time she’s played a revamped festival version of the show.

“This is the most nervous I’ve been for a show in a while,” she confessed to the crowd midway through. “Partly because we’ve never done this show before, and partly because I’m obsessed with you, and I can’t even pretend that isn’t the case.”

The overall unvarnished, techy, raw-materials aesthetic of the show was still very much Virgin-coded, but all four of her albums got their moments throughout the night. Solar Power was the least represented, with Lorde playing only “Oceanic Feeling” from the project after running her hands through a drinking-water fountain. Live footage of her singing from creative angles captured by hidden and handheld cameras all over her stage projected on the big screens behind her during Pure Heroine classics such as “Buzzcut Season” and “Team” and Melodrama fan-favorites “Perfect Places,” “The Louvre” and “Liability.”

“Don’t you feel like so much has changed in the last nine years?” Lorde told the crowd before diving into the latter, reflecting on how she last played Gov Ball when she was promoting Melodrama. “To me, the world is unrecognizable compared to where we were in 2017 … There’s a loss of dignity that I feel. Our world feels increasingly unjust. And it feels harder and harder to arrive at your own definitions of beauty and truth and what is real. But I really feel this is real, all of us in this field.”

At that point, she urged fans to “show yourself” to the world, or in other words, let their real personalities “hang out.” “If we show ourselves — all the broken bits, all the jagged edges, all the filth — I really believe we will start f–king going somewhere,” she added earnestly.

Possibly the best two-song run of the set was “Man of the Year” followed by “Girl, So Confusing,” the 2024 Charli xcx remix that reunited the two pop savants after personal tensions divided them. (No, Charli did not make a cameo in NYC, with Lorde flying solo on their duet.) While the first track delves into Lorde’s embrace of masculinity, the second — which Lorde did not perform on the main Ultrasound trek — is all about her complicated relationship with femininity, making the pairing a perfect juxtaposition.

But by the end, Lorde made sure to turn the focus back on her audience. Her penultimate number was “David,” which she dedicated to “anyone who knows what it’s like to be under a boot.” As she sang, an enormous banner unfurled over the crowd for fans to hold onto together, literally unified under the mantra: “I don’t belong to anyone,” which big-screen footage from birds-eye cameras in the sky revealed to be printed on the fabric.

To close out the show, Lorde traveled to a B-stage deep in the crowd to belt out “Ribs,” far enough away from the stage for her to be able to turn around and watch her own fireworks go off in the background. “Look after each other,” she urged the audience in her final message of the night. “Let’s go Knicks.”

The musician will presumably continue playing the revamped show on her upcoming festival stops this summer, including All Things Go in Toronto on Sunday (June 7) and Mad Cool Festival in Spain, NOS Alive in Portugal and Festival de Nîmes in France in July. The first night of Gov Ball also featured sets from Baby Keem, KATSEYE and Pierce the Veil, with Stray Kids and A$AP Rocky set to headline Saturday and Sunday.

See Lorde’s setlist at the 2026 Governor’s Ball below.

The Black Crowes‘ Chris Robinson has spoken out following controversy sparked by comments he made during the band’s May 31 performance at Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre as part of their Southern Hospitality tour.

The incident occurred when, following the band’s performance of “Soul Singing,” a portion of the crowd broke into chants of “U-S-A!” — reportedly prompted by the appearance of the band’s Black Crowes mascot dressed in Uncle Sam garb on the screen behind them.

Robinson responded from the stage: “Thanks for the geography lesson. I don’t know what you’re so proud of right now.” He continued: “Some of us have real faith. For those of you f—–g booing us, some of us are not afraid. And we most assuredly are not f—–g ignorant.”

The exchange resulted in numerous crowd members walking out on the show, according to a video shared by the outlet on X.

Speaking to Ultimate Classic Rock this week, Robinson sought to provide context. “I think the whole thing was, of course, blown out of context so people can get clicks and people can stir up the animosity,” he said.

“But be most assured — in a week, something else will come up that stirs up the hornets’ nest.” He was also careful to draw a distinction between his broader outlook and any perceived slight toward the military. “No matter what I ever would say or do or feel about things, there’s no way I would disrespect our veterans,” Robinson said.

“For the people who’ve put their lives on the line and made that sacrifice and dedication, I wouldn’t do that. But I have to speak my mind. I don’t have an agenda or anything — I’m just trying to make a soulful connection with people.”

The comments drew added scrutiny given the performance took place just days after Memorial Day. Robinson has previously stated he is “not interested in politics,” telling Mojo in March: “I’m more interested in poetry and art and people and experience. But a song doesn’t have to be like an overt political statement. I know what’s right and wrong — and this s–t going on right now is wrong.”

The Black Crowes released their new album A Pound of Feathers in March, shortly after receiving a nomination for the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — though the band was ultimately not selected for induction. The Southern Hospitality tour continues with upcoming dates in Augusta, Ga., and Charlotte, N.C.

Lizzo returned Friday (June ) with her first album in four years, BITCH, hitting streaming services. Shortly after the project’s arrival, the Detroit native shared an alternate edition of the LP’s title track, which seemingly finds her taking aim at Nicki Minaj.

Lizzo reposted a screenshot of Minaj’s tweet from Feb. 1, which saw the Queens rapper mocking Lizzo’s weight loss and upcoming album.

“Fat Lizzo lost 300 lbs just to sell 300 albums,” Minaj wrote at the time alongside a photo of a Chucky doll. “So now she has loose skin AND a flop album, AND a weird charge. Sheesh.”

Lizzo put the audio of the remixed version of the album’s title track over the screenshot of Minaj’s tweet with the caption, “Since I’m blocked.”

“Used to be the biggest fan, then I lost weight/ Wait, wait, let me fixate,” she raps. “Paid to keep the peace, I don’t even like beef/ Crazy thing is you knew me you would like/ I’m praying for our sisters, I want to see us all in our bag.”

As of press time, the “Super Bass” rapper is yet to respond to Lizzo.

Lizzo’s BITCH is her first album since 2022’s Special, which contained the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “About Damn Time.”

“Reclaiming the word ‘bi—’ is power. It’s taking a label once used to diminish women and turning it into a declaration of confidence and unapologetic self-love,” the “Truth Hurts” artist said in a statement. “So many incredible women in music have used the word for positivity like Meredith Brooks and Missy Elliott. It was only fitting to name my album BITCH because it has become my favorite word when using it on my own terms, and because I am 100% that bi—!”

Billboard has reached out to reps for Minaj for comment.

Evanescence was brought to life back the early 2000s. Now the alternative rock outfit is six albums deep, with the release of Sanctuary.

The new collection dropped at the stroke of midnight, and houses “Who Will You Follow,” which last month hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs ranking, the rockers’ first leader on the chart since its inception in 2020.

To celebrate the new release, Evanescence extends their world tour with a lap down under in the early stages of 2027. Produced by Live Nation, Evanescence’s arena tour of Australia and New Zealand gets going Friday, March 5 at Perth’s RAC Arena, then heads east for dates in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and wraps up March 20 at Auckland’s Spark Arena. The general onsale starts next Friday, June 12.

Evanescence last toured Australia in late 2025 as special guests on Metallica’s M72 World Tour. Aside from those stadium shows, Amy Lee and Co. played several intimate sideshows. Before that, they celebrated 20 years of their breakthrough debut album Fallen with a tour in August 2023. 

As previously reported, the band’s world tour is slated to kick off on June 11 at the iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Fla., before moving on to Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Ontario, Quebec, Indiana, Missouri, Arizona, California, Utah, Ohio and Michigan. The trek will then leap over to the United Kingdom and Europe for summertime gigs in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and London, as well as shows in Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Later, in 2027, the group will rock audiences across Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America.

Since they burst onto the airwaves more than two decades ago, Evanescence has landed two leaders on the Billboard 200: 2006’s The Open Door and 2011’s Evanescence. Also, they’ve placed five titles on the Billboard Hot 100, including three top 10 appearances, led by their signature song from 2003, “Bring Me To Life,” which peaked at No. 5.

Stream Sanctuary and check out Evanescence’s ANZ dates below.

Evanescence 2027 Tour of Australia and New Zealand:

March 5 — RAC Arena, Perth

March 7 — AEC Arena, Adelaide

March 9 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

March 12 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney

March 16 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre

March 20 — Spark Arena, Auckland

For complete tour and ticket information visit livenation.com.au and livenation.co.nz and evanescence.com.

Boards of Canada drought-busting album Inferno (via Warp/Inertia) has been warmly received in Australia, where it opens its account at No. 3 on the ARIA Chart for the week’s top debut.

That podium finish is the Scottish electronic duo’s career best position and first top 10 appearance, easily eclipsing the No. 24 peak of their last album, Tomorrow’s Harvest, released back in 2013, some 13 years ago. Inferno is this week’s best-seller on wax, taking out top spot on the ARIA Vinyl Chart.

Boards of Canada, brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin, were in a two-way joust on the midweek U.K. chart with Paul McCartney’s The Boys of Dungeon Lane (Capitol/Universal). On the latest all-genres ARIA Chart, published late Friday, June 5, McCartney’s new album bows at No. 5 on the Albums Chart. It’s one of McCartney’s 18 top 10 appearances on Australia’s albums chart, ARIA reports, two of which went all the way to No. 1: Wings’ Red Rose Speedway and Band On The Run, both in 1973. As part of the Beatles, the two-time Rock Hall-inducted legend has scooped more than a dozen ARIA No. 1 albums.

Also new to the chart is Florida rock band Shinedown, with EI8HT (Atlantic/Warner), their eighth studio collection. It’s new at No. 7.

The top new homegrown release belongs to Amber Lawrence, whose Suburban Cowgirl (ABC/Orchard) starts at No. 18. Lawrence, the reigning female artist of the year at the Country Music Awards of Australia, one of her six Golden Guitar Awards, peaked at No. 5 with her last album, 2022’s Living for the Highlights.

South Korean girl group Aespa enjoys a career best result with Lemonade (Virgin/Universal), their second studio album. It’s new at No. 24. Until now, Aespa’s best result had been No. 55 with 2022’s Girls. Further down the list, Aussie singer Chloe Parche bags a top 40 appearance her latest EP Sitting Next To Nellie (AWAL), new at No. 34, and Devin Townsend is close behind with The Moth (Century Media/Sony), new at No. 36.

At the top of the leaderboard, meanwhile, is Drake’s Iceman (Republic/Universal), which bounces 2-1 for its second non-consecutive reign.

The ARIA Singles Chart has some country flair as Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” (Sony) bags the No. 1 spot for its third non-consecutive week. “Choosin’ Texas” lifts 2-1.

The top new debut belongs to Ariana Grande with “Hate That I Made You Love Me” (Republic/Universal), arriving at No. 2. “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” the first track from her forthcoming eighth studio album, Petal, becomes Grande’s 31st top 20 single. All up, her career tally includes four ARIA No. 1 singles: “No Tears Left To Cry” (2018), “Thank U, Next” (2018), “7 Rings” (2019) and “Positions” (2020).

“Hate That I Made You Love Me” is the only debutant on the latest frame, one that features two Australian made tracks: Tame Impala’s platinum-certified “Dracula” (down 6-7 via Columbia/Sony) and G Flip’s “Bed on Fire” (up 48-33, a new peak, via AWAL).