Category: Music

Lewis Capaldi is already thinking about his next album. The Scottish singer-songwriter closed out TRNSMT Festival in Glasgow on Sunday night (June 21), using the headlining moment to tell fans that more music is on the way.

Capaldi told the crowd that after his remaining summer shows, he plans to step away from the road again to focus on writing. “After this summer,” he said, “I’m gonna go away for a bit and make an album.”

The update came during an emotional set at Glasgow Green, where Capaldi also spoke candidly about the difficult period that followed his last TRNSMT appearance in 2022. The singer released his second album, Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent, the following year, but later stepped back from touring and public performance after struggling with his mental and physical health.

“My mental health took a beating,” Capaldi told the TRNSMT crowd, adding that he is now “back” and “feeling better.”

Capaldi’s return has carried added weight for fans. In 2023, he cut short his Glastonbury Pyramid Stage performance while dealing with tics caused by Tourette’s syndrome, with the crowd famously helping him through “Someone You Loved.” He later announced that he would be taking an extended break to focus on his health.

Since then, Capaldi has eased back into public life and live performance, including a surprise Glastonbury appearance last year and the release of “Survive,” his first new music since Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent.

His comeback comes after a major commercial run. “Someone You Loved” spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019, earned a Grammy nomination for song of the year and helped push his debut album, Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, into global breakthrough territory.

Capaldi is scheduled for additional summer dates, including major outdoor shows at BST Hyde Park and Roundhay Festival in July, as well as performances in Liverpool, Newcastle and at Sziget Festival. While he has not yet announced a title, release date or tracklist for his next album, his TRNSMT comments mark one of the clearest signals yet that a new full-length project is officially on his radar.

Goose has paid tribute to a fan who died after falling from an elevated section during the band’s concert at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night (June 20).

According to the New York Police Department, 51-year-old Paul Kueker of Niantic, Conn., fell from an elevated position inside the venue shortly before 10 p.m. local time. Officers responding to a 911 call found Kueker unconscious and unresponsive with injuries indicating a fall from an “elevated position,” police said.

Authorities said Kueker was in Section 300 of the arena. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police do not suspect foul play, and the investigation remains ongoing. Kueker was attending the concert with his wife, according to police.

Following the concert, Goose shared a statement on Instagram mourning the loss.

“We are deeply saddened and heartbroken to learn of the tragic event that occurred at tonight’s show,” the band wrote. “We extend our deepest sympathy to everyone affected. Thank you to the emergency personnel and venue staff who stepped in with care and support.”

Madison Square Garden also addressed the incident in a statement.

“While we await the police report on the tragedy at last night’s Goose concert, we are deeply saddened by the loss of a fan’s life at Madison Square Garden,” the venue said. “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the concertgoer.”

The Connecticut-based rock band proceeded with their scheduled SummerStage performance in New York City’s Central Park on Sunday evening. Before the show, Goose said they had considered whether to go ahead with the concert, but decided to move forward as a way to bring fans together.

“We considered whether or not we were going to play and came to the decision that the best thing we can do right now is bring our community together, lean on one another, and offer a space for healing,” they said. “So let’s be kind to each other tonight and remember our friend.”

The band also said proceeds from the SummerStage show would go toward a charitable fund providing support and resources for their fans.

At the start of Sunday’s performance, multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach addressed the crowd and led a moment of silence for Kueker.

“We just wanted to take a moment to address some of the tragic events that happened at last night’s show, and extend our deepest condolences to Paul, his family, his friends and everybody who was affected by what happened,” Anspach said.

“In moments like this, you realize life is so fragile, we’re so lucky to have an incredible community here around us,” he continued. “Everybody, if you’re struggling with something, please don’t be afraid to reach out to somebody in your life or send us a message. You know, please.

“We got to help each other out. That’s why we’re here. People are meant to talk and be with people, so thank you everybody for coming tonight, and we really appreciate you guys so much. We love you.”

The Madison Square Garden concert was part of a two-night New York run for Goose, who have built a devoted following through extensive touring and improvisation-heavy live shows.

At the time of publication, authorities had not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the fall.

On Monday (June 22) a worldwide coalition of artists, songwriters and managers’ groups gathered together to release a letter aimed at record labels and publishers forming AI music licensing deals: “Stop the misuse of [our] rights in AI deals,” a press release announcing the letter said, adding “this is hypocrisy and an injustice which needs to stop now. Labels and publishers rightly argue that AI companies need permission to train on their music catalogue, but will not grant artists and songwriters the same rights.”

The letter follows a number of noteworthy licensing deals inked between publishers, labels and AI music companies — like Suno, Udio, ElevenLabs and others — in the past year. This includes Warner Music Group’s licensing deals with Suno, Klay, Udio and others; Universal Music Group’s deals with Udio, Spotify, Klay and others; Sony Music’s deal with Klay; Merlin and Kobalt’s deals with Udio and ElevenLabs and more.

In April, reporting from Billboard revealed that multiple top talent attorneys have been made aware that labels and publishers could feasibly use common contract language in U.S. record deals, related to blanket licensing and exploitation, to opt in artists’ works to train their AI partners’ models without seeking individual artist approval. “Some of the labels have already taken the position that they technically don’t need special approvals to train,” said Jason Boyarski, founding partner at Boyarski Fritz, at the time.

While many of the announcements about deals between AI firms and music companies note that artists can have the option to choose whether or not their name, image or likeness is used in relation to AI outputs, AI training is a different area of this licensing process that is never mentioned. “We’re seeing a differentiation between the way training — or inputs — and outputs are treated,” Audrey Benoualid, partner at Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light, told Billboard in April.

“We are increasingly concerned that artists and songwriters in existing recording and publishing agreements are receiving letters from major labels and publishers informing them that they will be opted in to AI-related uses by default, with little actual choice offered,” notes the letter, which was signed by Music Artists Coalition, Songwriters of North America, the Ivors Academy, Black Music Action Coalition, Artists Rights Alliance and more.

“At the same time, artists and songwriters signing new agreements are being presented with AI rights clauses as a standard condition of signing,” the letter says. Billboard has previously reported some of this new language added to signing agreements, specifically clauses from BMG, Sony and Believe, including a provision that allowed the “unlimited, exclusive rights” for Sony-owned dance label B1 Recordings to “use the recording in models and systems of generative artificial intelligence and applications based thereon, including generative AI, including [but] not limited to the analysis of the Recording for the purpose of extracting information on patterns, trends and correlations (AI training).”

“The result is a serious imbalance: artists and songwriters are being asked to give permission without sufficient information, clear terms or guaranteed remuneration,” the letter says.

The musicians’ note also includes three core principles that they want recorded music companies, publishers, policy makers, AI companies, digital platforms and more to respect: “consent and control” for artists and songwriters, “fair compensation” and “clarity and transparency.”

It also asks these companies to make “clear and public commitment” to the following guidelines in AI licensing deals: “no default opt-ins, no forced AI clauses and no use of artists’ work, voice, performance, likeness or creative identity without meaningful consent, fair remuneration and full transparency.” “The future of music must be built with artists, songwriters and their representatives, not imposed on them,” the letter concludes.

Read the full letter below:

Artists and Songwriters Must Not Be Pressure into AI Deals Without Meaningful Consent

Across the global music industry, record companies and publishers are negotiating AI deals that could shape the future of music. Yet the artists and songwriters whose works, voices, performances, likenesses and creative identities make those deals valuable are not being meaningfully consulted.

Artists and songwriters remain the primary holders of many of the rights at stake, including moral, neighbouring, image and personality rights. These rights are not label or publishers assets to be licensed without clear authority, consent and accountability. This means that artists and songwriters should be (where applicable, through their managers) the primary parties approached by AI companies to discuss such rights.

We are increasingly concerned that artists and songwriters in existing recording and publishing agreements are receiving letters from major labels and publishers informing them that they will be opted in to AI-related uses by default, with little actual choice offered. At the same time, artists and songwriters signing new agreements are being presented with AI rights clauses as a standard condition of signing.

The result is a serious imbalance: artists and songwriters are being asked to give permission without sufficient information, clear terms or guaranteed remuneration. We support innovation and recognise that AI can create new opportunities for music. However artists are not simply catalogue assets, and innovation cannot be used to override artists’ rights.

We therefore call on record companies, publishers, policy makers, AI companies, digital platforms and all industry partners to respect and consider three core principles:

Consent & Control 

Artists and songwriters must actively and specifically consent before their works, voice, performance, likeness or creative identity is used in connection with AI. There must be clarity around what they are being asked to approve, and they must have control over how it will be used. It cannot be buried in broad catch-all contract language or include rights in perpetuity. Consent cannot be imposed through default opt-ins and it should not be a condition of signing a new deal. Artists and songwriters must be able to say no without fear of penalization.

Fair Compensation 

Where artists and songwriters choose to participate in AI-related uses, they must receive fair and meaningful remuneration. They must share in the value created by their works, and it cannot be considered a general label asset. Artists and songwriters must be consulted and it must be clear which percentage of revenue goes to the creator, to the label and to the AI company.

Clarity & Transparency 

Requests must be purpose-specific. Artists, songwriters and managers must be given clear, timely and understandable information about any AI-related deal or proposal affecting their rights in order to make informed decisions. The information must encompass which rights it includes, what uses are permitted, the safeguards in place, duration of permission and how consent can be withdrawn.

We call on all companies entering into AI music deals to make a clear and public commitment: 

No default opt-ins. 

No forced AI clauses. 

No use of artists’ work, voice, performance, likeness or creative identity without meaningful consent, fair remuneration and full transparency. 

At a time when policymakers are reviewing copyright rules in response to AI, the protection of artists’ and songwriters’ rights, voices and remuneration is not negotiable. The structures being created now will shape the music ecosystem for years to come. The future of music must be built with artists, songwriters and their representatives, not imposed on them. 

Signed, 

European Music Managers Alliance, European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA), Music Artists Coalition, Songwriters of North America (SONA), National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), International Artists Organization (IAO), Artists Rights Alliance (ARA), Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC), Association of Artist Managers (Australia), Music Managers Forum Aotearoa (New Zealand), Music Managers Forum (Canada), Featured Artists’ Coalition, The Ivors Academy.

EMMA members who have signed also directly: 

Music Managers Forum UK, Union des Manageuses et Managers de la musique (UMAN). Music Managers Forum Netherlands, Norwegian Entertainment Managers and Agents Association (NEMAA), Polish Artists Chamber of Commerce (IGMAP), Interessenverband Musikmanager & Consultants (IMUC) Music Managers Forum Sweden, AIM Ireland, Music Managers Federation (MMaF) Music Managers Forum Finland, Hungarian Managers Forum (ZEME) Music Estonia Managers, Danske Artist Managers, Music Managers Forum Ukraine, Music Managers Forum Iceland, Music Managers Forum Suisse, Foro de Mánagers (FORMA), Fédération des Bookers et Managers Unies.

Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett took an unplanned trip into the crowd during the band’s show at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Friday (June 19), slipping off the stage as the group launched into “Seek & Destroy” in front of approximately 40,000 fans.

The 63-year-old lost his footing on the stage edge and tumbled into the audience, missing only a few notes before being helped back onto the platform and continuing the performance without further incident. Confirmation that Hammett was uninjured came a few hours later when he shared fan-captured video of the fall on his Instagram Stories, captioning it “Slip & Destroy.”

The moment quickly went viral across social media, with multiple fan-shot clips circulating on YouTube and X. Hammett’s self-deprecating response drew praise from fans who noted the guitarist’s ability to laugh off what could have been a serious accident.

The Dublin date was part of Metallica’s ongoing European tour, which continues with shows at Glasgow’s Hampden Park (June 25), Cardiff’s Principality Stadium (June 28) and two nights at London Stadium (July 3 and 5). After the European run wraps, the band will embark on one of the most ambitious residencies in rock history — a 24-date run at the Las Vegas Sphere beginning Oct. 1, with dates stretching through March 2027.

One of the most commercially dominant acts in rock history, Metallica have sold more than 150 million albums worldwide and scored six No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 — Metallica (1991), Load (1996), Reload (1997), St. Anger (2003), Death Magnetic (2008) and Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (2016).

Their most recent album 72 Seasons (2023) debuted at No. 2, their first album since 1988’s …And Justice for All not to open at No. 1. The band have won eight Grammy Awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. “Seek & Destroy” — the song Hammett was launching into when he fell — is from the band’s 1983 debut Kill ‘Em All and has been a staple of their live set for more than four decades.

Gina Ortiz Jones, the mayor of San Antonio, Texas, is pushing for the cancellation of Kanye West’s Fourth of July concert at the Alamodome. Ye announced the show last week, and tickets are currently available via Ticketmaster at prices ranging from $127.50 for a standard admission, upper-level seat to $1,461.25 for the “YE – Front Row Experience,” a row-one seat in the lower level of the stadium closest to the floor.

On Saturday night (June 20), the San Antonio Democrat, a U.S. Air Force veteran, shared her stance on Ye’s scheduled event in the south-central Texan city, citing the musician’s history of hate speech and antisemitic remarks as reason for the Alamodome — which can accommodate a crowd of more than 70,000 with an in-the-round concert layout like that of Ye’s globe-shaped stage — to pull the plug on the Independence Day booking.

“I support canceling the @kanyewest concert,” she wrote in a post on X.

“Military City USA should not host someone with a record of hate speech and antisemitic comments in a city-funded facility like our Alamodome—not ever, and certainly not on July 4th, our Nation’s 250th birthday,” Ortiz Jones said.

The San Antonio mayor added, “Standing up to antisemitism is exactly what it takes to achieve a more perfect Union.”

Ye’s July 4 San Antonio date lands in the middle of concerts in Tampa, Florida (June 26, 28), and Tirana, Albania (July 11). The rapper’s summer mini tour — as it stands right now — then brings him to Madrid, Spain (July 30), and Algarve, Portugal (Aug. 7), before routing back to the U.S. for a pair of homecoming shows in Chicago, Illinois (Sept. 3-4). He hasn’t had an official full-scale tour in this decade.

Though West has successfully put on his show this year in Mexico City and Los Angeles, and in cities in Turkey, the Netherlands and Georgia, he’s also had shows pulled in England, Poland and France.

Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida recently called for Ye’s performances to be called off in Tampa.

Scott wrote in a statement on June 4, “Kanye West’s consistent antisemitic attacks are an affront to the values of the people of the Hillsborough community. He has openly praised Nazis, called himself one, and slandered Jews across the world. Kanye West also funded a Superbowl ad in 2025 that directed viewers to purchase merchandise featuring swastikas.”

“West’s remarks are vile and a slap in the face to our state’s Jewish community,” said the senator. “It is troubling that a stadium supported by taxpayer dollars would openly subsidize an event led by an artist known for pushing this dangerous, hateful rhetoric, especially with Florida having one of the largest Jewish populations in our country.”

On Friday, Ye released a deluxe edition of his latest album, Bully, featuring updated mixes of its original tracks and new songs “OK” (featuring Don Toliver) and “Mission Control.”

Bebe Rexha isn’t interested in turning female artists into competitors.

The singer recently pushed back after a social media user attempted to compare her commercial success to Olivia Rodrigo’s, whose third studio album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and shattered streaming records.

The exchange began after Rexha shared a heartfelt tribute to late artist Oliver Tree on social media, revealing that the pair had recorded a song together for her latest album, Dirty Blonde, that ultimately didn’t make the final tracklist.

“I’m in shock. I was in the middle of my cd signing in nyc when I found the news of Oliver tree. I can’t believe it,” she wrote. “We recorded a record together to be on dirty blonde. He was so smart. Passionate. Talented. Kind. I’m so sad. May he rest in peace.”

But the conversation quickly veered off course when one commenter replied: “Olivia outsold u btw.”

Rather than taking the bait, Rexha answered: “I’m actually happy for her. No need to put women against each other. Stream DIRTY BLONDE for women empowerment. Livies X Rexhars.”

The response was widely praised by fans, with many applauding the singer for rejecting the increasingly common trend of framing women in pop as rivals.

The “I’m Good (Blue)” singer also made headlines last year after publicly criticising former collaborator G-Eazy, with whom she scored a major hit on 2015’s “Me, Myself & I.”

“I have been UNDERMINED. I’ve been so quiet for the longest time,” she wrote on social media at the time. “I haven’t seen the signs even though people constantly are bringing them up and they have been SO OBVIOUS. And when I have spoken up I’ve been silence and PUNISHED by this industry Things must change or I’m telling ALL of my truths. The good the bad and the ugly. (sic)”

The pop star later removed the post and added: “Someone from my team had me take down my Instagram Story,” she explained.

For now, however, Rexha seems focused on celebrating fellow female artists rather than competing with them.