Category: Music

Hours before turning 41 years old, J. Cole released a four-pack of new freestyles hosted by DJ Clue on Tuesday (Jan. 27). Packaged as the Birthday Blizzard ’26, the EP is available on Cole’s website for as little as $1.

The surprise drop includes the “Bronx Zoo Freestyle,” “Golden Goose,” “Winter Storm” and “99 Build Freestyle.”

One freestyle finds Cole effortlessly flowing over the classic Stevie J-produced instrumental to Diddy’s “Victory” featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes.

On another track, Cole appears to address his apology to Kendrick Lamar and bowing out of a feud in April 2024 with the Compton legend. The Dreamville rapper initially dissed K. Dot on “7 Minute Drill,” but ended up scrubbing the Might Delete Later mixtape cut from streaming services and apologized to Lamar onstage at his Dreamville Festival.

“I used to be top, see, the apology dropped me way out of the top three, no problem, I’m probably my best when they doubt me,” Cole raps. “The top ain’t really what I thought it would be, so I jumped off and landed back at the bottom and restarted at a level where I wasn’t regarded as much, just to climb past them again and tell them all to keep up.”

Birthday Blizzard ’26 serves as an appetizer for fans while setting the stage for Cole’s anticipated The Fall-Off album, which is set to arrive on Feb. 6.

When announcing the LP earlier in January, Cole released an accompanying “Disc 2 Track 2” single, which found him shrewdly rapping his life’s story in reverse.

J. Cole’s last album, The Off-Season, arrived in May 2021 and topped the Billboard 200 with 282,000 total album-equivalent units earned.

Conan Gray has signed with Brandon Creed‘s Good World Management.

The pop singer joins a superstar roster that includes Charli xcx, Troye Sivan, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Mark Ronson and most recently Role Model. The news was first reported by HITS.

Gray was previously managed by Colette Patnaude Nelson and Eddie Wintle of Expand Entertainment. The pair discovered Gray as a high schooler on YouTube. He signed a record deal with Republic in 2018.

Since then, he has grown into a chart-topping pop artist. He released his debut album, Kid Krow, in 2020, which spawned breakout hits “Heather” and “Maniac.” He worked on the project with super producer Dan Nigro (also known for collaborating with Conan’s close friend Olivia Rodrigo) who remains the go-to songwriter and producer partner for Gray today.

More music followed in 2022 (Superache) and 2024 (Found Heaven), but it was Gray’s 2025 album, Wishbone, that catapulted to the top of the charts. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200, becoming his highest-charting entry on the latter list. Gray told Billboard he was “smiling ear to ear” while writing lyrics for the album, saying he felt “so happy to get things off my chest…I felt immense freedom.”

Wishbone included the hit “Vodka Cranberry,” which became Gray’s highest-charting entry on Billboard‘s Pop Airplay chart, reaching No. 19.

Come February, Gray will embark on his Wishbone world tour.

Creed founded Good World in August 2023. At the top of 2025, he was named Billboard‘s Manager of the Year. He told Billboard at the time: “The goal is to continue doing what we’re doing.”

Zac Brown Band recently released the group’s eighth studio album Love & Fear and launched a limited engagement residency at Sphere Las Vegas, becoming the first country group to headline at the coveted venue. In 2026, they’ll follow those milestones with the upcoming 27-show Love & Fear Tour, presented by Margaritaville at Sea, which launches in July and runs though November.

The tour will include stops at Boston’s Fenway Park (on Aug. 2), New York’s Forest Hills Stadium (Aug. 27-28) and Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado (Oct. 19-20).

Openers for various shows on the tour are Grace Potter, Brothers Osborne, Fitz and the Tantrums and Old Crow Medicine Show. The tour launches July 17 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and wraps Nov. 21 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.

“I can’t wait to get this back on the road after an epic experience at Sphere,” the band’s lead singer Zac Brown said in a statement. “Every night we play is a chance to turn it up, mix things around, and share an unforgettable night with our incredible fans. The Love & Fear tour is all about big energy – our new album, entertaining covers, the hits you know and love, a few unexpected curveballs, and a whole lot of fun. We’re ready to bring it!”

Zamily Presale for the Love & Fear Tour starts Wednesday, Jan. 28, with the ZBB Community Presale launching Thursday, Jan. 29 and public on sale starting Friday, Jan. 30 at 10 a.m. local time.

The group’s Love & Fear album is marked by collaborations, including duets with Dolly Parton (“Butterfly”), Marcus King (“Hard Run”) and Snoop Dogg (“Let It Run”).

A full list of tour dates are available at zacbrownband.com.

July 17, 2026 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
July 18, 2026 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Arena
July 31, 2026 – Albany, NY – MVP Arena
Aug. 2, 2026 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park
Aug. 13, 2026 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Aug. 14, 2026 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
Aug. 15, 2026 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion
Aug. 27, 2026 – Forest Hills, NY – Forest Hills Stadium
Aug. 28, 2026 – Forest Hills, NY – Forest Hills Stadium
Aug. 29, 2026 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann
Sept. 10, 2026 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Sept. 11, 2026 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
Sept. 17, 2026 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium
Sept. 18, 2026 – Tampa, FL – Benchmark International Arena
Sept. 19, 2026 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Oct. 8, 2026 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
Oct. 9, 2026 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Oct. 10, 2026 – Greensboro, NC – First Horizon Coliseum
Oct. 19, 2026 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Oct. 20, 2026 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Oct. 23, 2026 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
Oct. 24, 2026 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
Nov. 5, 2026 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
Nov. 6, 2026 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Nov. 19, 2026 – Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena
Nov. 20, 2026 – Des Moines, IA – Casey’s Center
Nov. 21, 2026 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena -*

A former Marilyn Manson assistant has once again revived her sexual assault lawsuit against the controversial rock star.

Ashley Walters’ civil claims against Manson (born Brian Warner) have ping-ponged through the courts since being brought in 2021, later dismissed, reignited on appeal and then again dismissed as untimely this past December. The whiplash continued on Monday (Jan. 26), when Judge Steve Cochran reopened the case due to a new California law.

Assembly Bill 250, which went into effect Jan. 1, opens a two-year window for alleged victims of sexual abuse to file otherwise time-barred lawsuits against their perpetrators. Judge Cochran ruled that this new window allows Walters to bypass the two-year statute of limitations for her claims, which allege Manson subjected her to “sexual exploitation, manipulation and psychological abuse” from 2010 to 2011.

“The motion for reconsideration filed by Ashley Walters on Jan. 7, 2026, is granted,” reads a brief court order. “Statute revives the claim. The court orders the dismissal ordered on Dec. 16, 2025, as to the entire action set aside and vacated.”

In a statement on Monday, Walters’ attorney Kate McFarlane of the firm Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai said they’re “thrilled” with the judge’s decision.

“Mr. Warner has tried time and again to avoid accountability for his abuse against Ms. Walters,” said McFarlane. “But now, time is no longer an obstacle Ms. Walters will be forced to overcome. AB 250 has created a path forward for her and so many women like her to finally hold their abusers accountable. We look forward to continuing to fiercely advocate for Ms. Walters until Mr. Warner finally answers for his abuse.”

Meanwhile, Manson’s lawyer, Howard King of King Holmes Paterno & Soriano, told Billboard that they are not done fighting against the revival of Walters’ claims.

“While Ms. Walters made several now-irrelevant claims about so-called workplace harassment, she has no pending claims for sexual assault as defined in the penal code, as would be required under the new law, nor is she permitted under the ruling to add new claims,” said King. “The undeniable fact is that Mr. Warner never committed any sexual assault which undoubtedly is the reason the district attorney declined Ms. Walter’s request that Mr. Warner be criminally charged. Going forward, we will seek dismissal of the amended complaint on the grounds the allegations do not fall within the scope of the new statute.”

Walters is one of several women who have accused Manson of sexual abuse in recent years, beginning when his former fiancée, Evan Rachel Wood, came forward with claims of grooming and sexual abuse on Twitter in 2021.

Numerous women then sued Manson for sexual assault, including Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco and model Ashley Morgan Smithline. Manson has denied all of the allegations, and prosecutors closed a four-year criminal investigation last year without charges.

Manson settled with Bianco in 2023, and Smithline ended up dropping her claims. Manson sued Wood for defamation over her online accusations, though a judge dismissed much of that case in 2023, and the singer ultimately agreed to pay his ex-fiancée $327,000 in legal fees.

Walters’ lawsuit has had a more complicated path. The former assistant’s 2021 claims, which alleged that Manson whipped her, forced her to stay awake for 48 hours by feeding her cocaine and “offered” her sexually to friends and associates, were dismissed by Judge Cochran as untimely in 2022.

A California appeals court revived the lawsuit in 2023, saying it might be fair game under the so-called delayed discovery rule since Walters claimed the trauma of these incidents caused her to suppress the memories for many years.

The appellate court sent the case back down to Judge Cochran for more litigation to see whether there was actual evidence of Walters suppressing her memories. The judge was ultimately unconvinced, ruling this December that the delayed discovery rule was inapplicable.

Judge Cochran said Monday, however, that his previous ruling is now moot as a result of AB 250 temporarily doing away with the statute of limitations for sex abuse claims. Manson’s team plans to keep challenging this determination, and a follow-up court appearance is set for March.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused untold human misery, but it also inspired one of the best-received production ideas in Grammy Awards history: the best new artist segment where all eight nominees are given a chance to perform.

The Grammys rolled out the idea on last year’s show. It worked so well, they’re doing it again on this year’s show, which is set for Sunday, Feb. 1, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. There will be performances by Addison Rae, Alex Warren, KATSEYE, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, sombr and The Marías.

At a Zoom press conference on Monday (Jan. 26), the Grammy telecast’s executive producers, Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins, and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. were asked about the origin of the extended best new artist segment, among other topics.

“The idea came about from COVID,” Winston said, “because in the COVID Grammys, what happened was we turned the show, because we didn’t have an audience, we … went from one artist to the next, and it never stopped.”

Winston is referring to the 63rd annual Grammy Awards on March 14, 2001, which were held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center rather than at the nearby Crypto.com Arena, because it wouldn’t have been safe to have a large audience.

“And what was quite cool is that you’d see Billie Eilish watching Harry Styles and Post Malone watching Megan Thee Stallion. And it was a really beautiful moment where artists came together to watch each other and support each other. But it also gave us something that we don’t see very much on network television anymore, which is one song after the other after the other. The way we listen to an album, we listen to it in the car, we listen to it in a club, we listen to it in a bar. You don’t listen to one song for three and a half minutes and then stop for 12 [minutes] till you listen to the next piece of music, and that’s what happens on most awards shows.

“So, we loved the fluidity that the COVID Grammys gave us. So, when we were looking last year at the best new artist [nominees], and we saw we had Doechii and Teddy Swims and Benson Boone and RAYE and Shaboozey, we thought, ‘Wouldn’t this be cool if we just went one to the other to the other?’ It was obviously really well-received. I think Doechii and Benson would both say that [those were] big moments in their careers, and that’s what the Grammys should be doing – elevating young, new, brilliant artists.

“And so this year, we just thought, well, we have eight incredible, best new artists. We wouldn’t really want to pick two or three or one or four. So, we were like, ‘Why don’t we try and do what we did last year, but super-size it go all eight,’ and that’s what we’re doing. It’s gonna be one of the longest [segments] in Grammys history without going through a break. And we’re going to hit one after the next. They’re going to be dotted all over the arena, in different places, some backstage, some out front, some on the side. It’s going to be really exciting. It’s going to be a technical master class from Hamish Hamilton, our director, and Noah Mitz and our lighting team and John Esposito, our stage manager, to be able to pull it all off. So, it’s hugely ambitious, but we’re going for it, and we’re really excited to showcase best new artists, because the nominees deserve such a moment.”

Winston also revealed that show host Trevor Noah initially said he wanted to end his five-year run as host after last year’s show, but the team prevailed on him to do one more year. “I will let you into a secret,” Winston said. “After last year’s show, he said, he respectfully said, ‘Look, I’ve done a great five years. It’s time to hand the microphone off to somebody else and move on.’ And we were looking at it, and we had a few conversations with a few different people, and it got to December [2025], and we hadn’t found anybody that we absolutely loved. And I sent him a video, and I was literally, I was on my knees in this video, and I said, ‘Please look at this incredible lineup that we’ve got on the show. The only thing that’s missing is you. Come back and do one final year. It’s the last year on CBS. Let’s make it your last year too.’ And luckily, he texted back, ‘Sure, let’s do it. See you there. Can’t wait.’ But it was the longest I’ve ever waited for a text to come back!”

Winston, who has won 13 Primetime Emmys, spoke highly of Noah, who will become the first Grammy host since Andy Williams to host six or more consecutive Grammy telecasts. “I think he’s incredible. Trevor is super-smart. He’s unbelievably intelligent. He’s so funny. He’s incredible on live television because he’s getting so much information in his ear of ‘go longer,’ ‘go shorter,’ and you would never know it watching at home. But the main thing is, he’s a massive music fan. He’s as excited to be in the middle of that room as we all are to watch it, and I think that’s what makes him the perfect host.”

Mason interjected: “I’ll just add one more thing [about Trevor]: He’s been a big part of the evolution of our show, of our organization, to be honest, because he presents so well, the gravitas, the sensibility, the emotional intelligence that he has and interaction with the artists really has changed the tone and the tenor of our show. So, we’re extremely thankful for his five now going on six shows.”

In answer to another question, Winston said that he considers the Grammys the hardest show to produce. “Obviously, it’s got all the trappings of other awards shows, with nominees packages and giving out awards and all of those moments. But you also have 20 incredible music performances every year that need their own set, their own instruments, their own dance routines, their own costumes. So, you’re putting on a massive event. We only get into Crypto.com Arena on camera on Thursday evening, so you only have two days to rehearse it. You’d have more time if you were making a school play in the hall at school than you do the Grammys!

“So it’s kind of insane, but that’s what makes it exciting, that’s what makes it special. And it’s live TV, so anything can happen. And so often these days, things are so planned and so intricate and so exact. And what makes the Grammys special is that you’ve got 200 of the greatest artists in the world [sitting] in that room. You’ve got the best performers onstage, and anything can happen, because it’s live TV, and that’s what makes it exciting.”

A reporter from Rolling Stone Brazil asked about the increasing numbers of Latin artists on the show.

“It’s obviously a big deal,” Mason said. “You’ve seen the popularity and almost the ubiquity of, you know, Latin music. Twenty-five years ago, I won’t say it started on the Grammys, but there was a big moment on the Grammys that really generated some momentum.”

He was referring to the 41st annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 24, 1999, when Ricky Martin gave one of the most star-making performances in Grammy history with “La Copa de la Vida.” The following year, Santana tied Michael Jackson’s record of winning eight Grammys in one year. Santana also performed “Smooth” on the 2000 telecast in tandem with Rob Thomas.

“And ever since, we’ve seen the growth and the evolution of Latin music. So for us, Bad Bunny has had a massive year, as have other Latin creators, and we want to make sure that we’re honoring and celebrating music regardless of where it’s from, music that’s timely and relevant and moving the needle, and that is happening with Latin music right now. So hopefully we can do it justice on this year’s show. We’ve got some great moments planned.”