Category: Music

Composer Mark Smythe, who was nominated in 2023 for a Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL) Award and World Soundtrack Award for scoring The Reef: Stalked, died May 9 after collapsing while hiking on Mt. Wilson in Los Angeles. He was 53.

Smythe was a beloved member of the film and TV composing community and in addition to his work as a musician, he served as the Society of Composers and Lyricists’ chief operating officer from 2018-2021, after a stint as Los Angeles administrator.

“To say that his loss comes as a profound shock to our community, especially to his students, collaborators, and friends, is an understatement,” said SCL president Ashley Irwin.

Smythe was born in New Zealand, then moved to Australia before coming to Los Angeles in 2013. In addition to the SCL and World Soundtrack nominations, he received three Hollywood Music in Media Award nominations for scoring films Unfallen, Flying South and The Things She Did. His score for Daddy’s Little Girl earned him the Australian Screen Industry Network award for best composer in 2012.

“Beyond his professional accomplishments, people genuinely enjoyed Mark’s company, as evidenced by the current outpouring of love for him on social media,” said SCL president Ashley Irwin. “He had a wry sense of humor and an infectious laugh that could light up a room. Exceptionally generous with his time and energy, he had a way of making everyone feel welcome, whether they were longtime SCL members or attending their initial event. For many, Mark was the first friend they made at the SCL. Those who knew Mark will never forget being greeted with his favorite line: ‘I’m all the better for seeing your smiling face.’”

Australian music rights management organization APRA AMCOS also paid tribute to Smythe on its Instagram page. Smythe “became an APRA member in 2004 and was also a beloved colleague to many in our Melbourne office, where he worked as client and legal liaison for four years in the early 2000s before heading to Los Angeles to pursue film and concert composing full-time,” posted the organization.”

APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston added, “Mark’s passing is a great loss to the screen composing world and to the musical communities he was such a meaningful part of. He is remembered very fondly by his former APRA AMCOS colleagues for the positive spirit he brought to work every day – both at the office and in his music.

In addition to composing, at the time of his death, Smythe was teaching media composition at California State University, Northridge, as well as Department Head of Composing for Visual Media at the Los Angeles College of Music.

“Many composers in our community had the privilege of learning from Mark, and remember him not only as a great teacher, but as someone who believed in them personally,” Irwin said.

Smythe was also composing choral works and had collaborated with the LA Choral Lab on several projects.

Among the survivors are Smythe’s sister, Kate Ward-Smythe.

The highly anticipated return of the Irish band U2 to Mexico City this week to film the music video for their single “Street of Dreams” has resulted in an official invitation from the capital’s head of government, Clara Brugada, for the group to perform at the iconic Zócalo, the country’s main public square.

On Tuesday (May 13), Brugada met with the members of the famous quartet during the filming of their music video in the streets of the city’s Historic Center. There, the official handed the band a document, as shown in a video posted on her social media. The letter was received by Bono, vocalist and leader of the renowned group.

“This is an invitation for you to play in our wonderful square, which is the Zócalo,” Brugada said in Spanish, as shown in the video. “You are welcome, and we would love it very much.”

Previously, Bono had expressed to Brugada his desire to kick off their next world tour in Mexico City, a place that holds a special place in the hearts of the quartet, which also includes The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.

“We’re working on that,” the singer said in English. “In our dreams, we could begin our tour here.”

He added: “We love the city.”

The Zócalo is considered an emblematic location of great significance — a plaza filled with symbolism where politics, social movements, culture and religion converge. It is the second-largest public square in the world, only behind Tiananmen Square in Beijing. In March, Colombian superstar Shakira set a new record for the largest audience ever gathered for a free concert at the Plaza de la Constitución (the Zócalo’s official name), drawing 400,000 attendees.

The meeting between Brugada and U2 took place at the Casino Metropolitano in the Historic Center of the capital, a spokesperson for the city government confirmed to Billboard Español. During the meeting, the official presented each member of the band with a figure of an axolotl, an amphibian species native to central Mexico, as seen in the video.

Later, Brugada shared a message on her social media accounts with photos alongside the band. “Welcoming U2 to our capital is a celebration of music, connection and the excitement that is felt in every corner of this city,” she wrote in her post. “We are a city open to the world, vibrant and full of stories that are shared from the stage to the streets.”

The band participated on Wednesday in the second day of filming for the “Street of Dreams” music video, a song that will be part of their upcoming album, set to be released later this year.

The day before, performing atop the roof of a school bus decorated with graffiti by artist Chavis Mármol, the quartet played their new song — featuring choruses in Spanish — surrounded by a large crowd in the city’s Historic Center. The occasion also marked the first appearance of drummer Larry Mullen Jr. alongside his bandmates after years offstage recovering from neck and back surgeries.

Mexico holds a special place in the hearts of U2’s members, as it’s where they’ve delivered some of their most celebrated performances, including the concert captured in the video Popmart: Live From Mexico City, recorded in 1997 during the Popmart Tour.

The last time U2 performed in Mexico City was during the 30th-anniversary tour of their iconic album The Joshua Tree in October 2017, just three weeks after the powerful earthquake that struck central Mexico.

Madonna, Shakira and BTS will perform during halftime of the World Cup final game, Global Citizen announced first thing Thursday (May 14).

The Sunday, July 19, match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will mark the first time the FIFA World Cup final has ever featured a halftime show. Billboard understands that the show will clock in at 11 minutes.

The news was announced in a social video starring Coldplay’s Chris Martin alongside Sesame Street‘s Elmo and Cookie Monster, as well as Kermit, Miss Piggie and more from The Muppets. The unlikely crew even calls up BTS on FaceTime in the video — watch below.

Shakira’s name had already been linked to this year’s World Cup – hosted in North America, with tournament games across the United States, Canada and Mexico – with the announcement of “Dai Dai,” her official 2026 World Cup song with Burna Boy. It will be Shak’s second official FIFA World Cup song following “Waka, Waka (This Time for Africa)” recorded for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The Colombian superstar kicks off her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour 2026 dates in June, with July 14 and July 20 in New Jersey and New York, respectively, surrounding the World Cup final at MetLife.

Madonna is also gearing up for a busy July, with the Queen of Pop’s Confessions II album – the sequel to her 2005 classic Confessions on a Dance Floor – arriving July 3. She’s so far released lead single “Bring Your Love,” her duet with Sabrina Carpenter, which they live-debuted during weekend 2 of Coachella last month, as well as “I Feel So Free.”

BTS made a major return to music earlier this year with the March 20 release of their sixth studio album ARIRANG, the South Korean group’s first project since they went on hiatus for each member to complete their military service. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 and stayed there for three straight weeks – their first multi-week No. 1 on the chart. Last month, they kicked off their ARIRANG WORLD TOUR in Goyang, South Korea, before bringing the trek to the U.S. on April 25. They have international dates scheduled through next March.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show is being curated by Global Citizen along with Coldplay’s Martin, with plans to raise money for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is working to raise $100 million to expand access to education and football for children worldwide. The fund has already raised more than $30 million, with $1 from every ticket sold to World Cup matches being donated throughout the tournament. The advocacy organization and Martin similarly teamed up for last year’s Club World Cup final halftime show, which was headlined by Doja Cat, J Balvin and Tems.

Last week, FIFA announced that Katy Perry, Future, Tyla, LISA and Anitta are slated to perform during the 2026 World Cup opening ceremonies set for the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Perry will headline the opening ceremony in Los Angeles ahead of the U.S. men’s national team’s first game against Paraguay on June 12. Future will also take the SoFi Stadium stage for a performance along with DJ Sanjoy.

While this marks the first time the World Cup final has had a halftime show, two of the July performers have previously headlined the Super Bowl halftime show; Madonna took center field at the 2012 Super Bowl, while Shakira co-headlined with Jennifer Lopez in 2020.

The late, disgraced Australian entertainer Rolf Harris is the subject of a new two-part documentary, commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The film, Rolf Harris: Primetime Predator, will debut Tuesday, June 9, and will feature interviews with survivors who’ve never before spoken publicly of his crimes. The series is said to capture the full story of Harris’ double life, charting his rise from suburban Perth, Australia to the heights of fame and influence in the United Kingdom, while revealing the pattern of abuse that unfolded behind the scenes for decades.

Prior to his downfall, Harris was a popular figure on TV, the airwaves, and charts across the U.K., the U.S. (“Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963) and his homeland, Australia. In the mid-2000s, he was once commissioned to paint Queen Elizabeth II, a sitting that was turned into a documentary.

His U.K. chart hits included “Two Little Boys” (Columbia), which has the distinction of being the very last No. 1 in that market in the 1960s. “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” reached No. 9 in the U.K. back in 1960, and he had a No. 3 hit with “Sun Arise” in 1962. Decades later, in 1993, he enjoyed another U.K. top 10 appearance, when his cover of “Stairway to Heaven,” a spin-off from the Australian TV show Money or the Gun, reached No. 7.

Harris’ spectacular fall from grace began in 2013, when he was questioned and arrested police under Operation Yewtree, the investigation into sexual abuse among members of the English media elite, including the late Jimmy Savile. Following a trial in 2014, Harris was found guilty of various indecent assaults on women and young girls between 1968 and 1986, and was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison. He was released in 2017, but denied any wrongdoing and never issued an apology to his victims.

He died in 2023 at the age of 93. “In the years since, the silence that once protected him has begun to lift,” reads a statement from the ABC, announcing the new series, which “gives voice to those who were previously unable to, as they share their experience on their own terms.” Harris’ death “has finally lifted a veil of fear once cast by this powerful figure, and survivors who long feared retribution are at last able to speak.”

Prior to the Yewtree investigation, Harris moved within the highest circles in Britain, his adopted home. Along the way, he was named as Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

It was a similar scenario in his country of his birth, where Harris was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. ARIA has since scratched his name from the record books.

Rolf Harris: Primetime Predator will air 8.30pm AEST on ABC TV, with both episodes available to stream on ABC iView.

BRISBANE, Australia — GYRO.Group gears up for its next phase of growth with several leadership appointments, led by experienced digital distribution executive Henry Compton.

Announced Wednesday, May 13, Compton joins as head of APAC for DistroDirect, GYRO.Group’s white-label distribution platform.

Compton boasts more than two decades’ experience across business development, marketing and client relations, most recently serving in senior roles at The Orchard and FUGA, where he spearheaded business development, go-to-market strategy and client acquisition and retention across its Australia and New Zealand activities.

According to the Brisbane-based group, DistroDirect continues to expand its footprint across South-East Asia, having recently signed a number of leading independent music businesses in the Philippines.

Compton is “exactly the caliber of executive we’ve been building towards bringing into the DistroDirect fold,” comments group chief commercial officer Matthew Rogers. “His track record of building and scaling operations in this market is second to none. Having Henry lead that charge in APAC gives us enormous confidence about what’s ahead — both for the partners we serve in those markets and for the Australian artists we want to bring with us.”

In addition, several executives are promoted from within the business. Adrian Burke adds duties as executive vice president of artist services and A&R, having led GYRO.Group’s artist services arm GROUP SPEED since its inception, and working closely with the likes of Dom Dolla, Mariah Carey and Swedish House Mafia.

Meanwhile, Alison Bremner moves into the post of general manager – marketing, with strategic leadership of brand development across the full GYRO.Group portfolio globally; Harry Young is named head of A&R for AU/NZ, after joining in late 2025; Alexandria Thomson is elevated to artist marketing lead for Australasia; Claire Hirayama-Kaarsberg rises to a partner relations manager role within DistroDirect; Alyssa d’Artenay shifts into pitching and artist services management; and Kriza Canzon takes on the expanded role as artist support and compliance.

“The wider team changes,” explains Vivienne Mellish, CMO and co-founder of GYRO.Group, “are a reflection of the growth and ambition of the people in our corner and we couldn’t be prouder to have them with us on the journey.”

With the arrival of Compton, GYRO.Group’s global team numbers more than 70. This year, the label services and digital distribution specialist has bagged five ARIA No. 1 albums, including Keli Holiday’s Capital Fiction and Tom Busby’s Rockhampton Hangover.

“We are doubling down on our investment in Australian artists and in the people and platforms it takes to get them heard globally,” comments Andy Irvine, CEO and co-founder of GYRO.Group. “Our goal is to be the biggest net exporter of Australian music, and every decision we are making right now — who we hire, where we expand, what technology we build — is pointed directly at that.”

The changes closely follow the opening of GYRO.Group’s Latin American office, in Brazil, which opened Friday, March 27, and is led by Samuel Fernandes.

Last year, the group tapped veteran independent music executive Matthew Rogers as CCO, with responsibility for DistroDirect globally. Also last year, a rebranding that saw GYRO.Group gather its music distribution and artist services brands including G.Y.R.O., DistroDirect, GROUP SPEED, Soothe Sounds, and more.

U2 is back on the streets, this time in Mexico City where the legendary Irish rock band is shooting a new music video.

Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. were snapped in the Mexican capital where they’re shooting a music video for the new track, “Street of Dreams,” lifted from their yet-to-be announced next studio album, due for release later in 2026.

The Rock Hall-inducted band was spotted Tuesday, May 12, rocking out on top of a school bus, graffitied by local artist Chavis Mármol, with hundreds of fans gathered for the special event.

It’s not the first time U2 has brought the streets to a standstill. In the late ’80s, the group famously recaptured the spirit of the Beatles’ “Get Back” with a performance on a rooftop in downtown Los Angeles, footage of which appears in Meiert Avis’ music video for “Where the Streets Have No Name.” The clip went on to win the Grammy Award for best performance music video at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards, and its parent album, 1987’s The Joshua Tree, was a monster, confirming U2 as a hitmaker, a stadium act and, without argument, the biggest band of its time.

This week also sees Mexico City host the 2026 Street Child World Cup, with 30 teams from across the globe in town for this year’s tournament that kicked off May 6, and wraps up this Thursday, May 14. “It’s a little NGO with a big kick for kids with all of the talent and none of the access,” chimes in U2 drummer Mullen. “Our band are proud supporters.”

U2’s next album is the followup to 2023’s Songs of Surrender, which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart.

The group has been notably active of late, and with the release in April of the Easter Lily EP, Bono shared an update on that next record. “We are in the studio, still working towards a noisy, messy, ‘unreasonably colourful’ album to play LIVE… which is where U2 lives. We still look to vivid rock n roll as an act of resistance against all this awfulness on our small screens. These are for sure ‘wilderness years’ for so many of us looking at the mayhem out there in the world,” the singer explained in a written statement.

The Dublin fourpiece “will attempt hoopla and fanfare at a later date to remind the rest of the world we exist but in the meantime,” Bono continued, “this is between you and us.”

U2 has landed 34 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including two leaders, along with eight No. 1s on the Billboard 200 chart. Induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame came in 2005. U2 had the honors of being the first band to play the Sphere in Las Vegas, which they inaugurated in September 2023 with the residency, U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere.