Category: Music

Doja Cat is pulling out of Austin City Limits, but on the bright side, The Killers are stepping in to take over her headlining slot.

In a candid message on her Instagram Story on Friday (Aug. 29), the rapper announced that she would no longer be closing out the festival on back-to-back Sundays in October as she needs more time to focus on the rollout for her upcoming album Vie. “When I made the commitment I didn’t know exactly when Vie would be released,” she began.

“I’ve been working on finalizing the album, making videos, taking the time to put together an album campaign that I am really excited about, and it’s become clear to me that I cannot give you guys the show you deserve within this time frame,” she continued. “Thank you to the ACL team for their support and I hope to see you all again soon when the time is right. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity.”

Shortly after Doja announced her departure, ACL posted word that the Killers would be filling in for her at the main stage on Oct. 5 and 12. “Please welcome @thekillers to the stage,” the Texas festival wrote on Instagram, sharing a video of one of the band’s past performances. “Your new headliners will perform both Sundays of ACL Fest!”

The news comes about a month ahead of the release of Vie, which is set to drop on Sept. 26. So far, Doja has shared one song from the album: “Jealous Type.”

And while fans won’t get to see Doja perform at ACL this year, its lineup is still full of big names performing both weekends. Sabrina Carpenter and Hozier are headlining the other dates, while sets from Luke Combs, Cage the Elephant, Doechii, The Strokes, John Summit and more will take place throughout the festival.

Lawyers for Megan Thee Stallion say a close ally of Tory Lanez should be punished for “utterly disrespectful, uncivil and antagonistic” conduct during a recent deposition.

The request comes in a Thursday (Aug. 28) court motion as part of the defamation lawsuit brought in Florida federal court by the Houston rapper (Megan Pete) against Milagro Gramz (Milagro Cooper), a gossip blogger who’s allegedly been spreading falsehoods about Lanez’s conviction for shooting Megan in 2020.

Megan’s attorneys claim Lanez (Daystar Peterson), who is serving a 10-year prison sentence for the shooting, is funneling directives to Gramz through his friend Ceasar McDowell. McDowell is the CEO of legal organization Unite the People, which is representing Lanez on appeal and has made dubious public statements about supposed new evidence that should exonerate the rapper.

McDowell was deposed in the Gramz lawsuit in July, and it didn’t go very well. Megan’s lawyers say McDowell answered nearly every question with “I don’t remember” or “I don’t know” and engaged in “immature and childlike conduct” — including rolling and smoking what appeared to be a “marijuana cigarette” during the deposition, lawyers say, calling one of the attorneys a “b—-” and even walking out mid-questioning.

“His conduct shocked the conscience and made a mockery of this court’s authority,” write the attorneys from powerhouse litigation firm Quinn Emanuel. “Because of his egregious behavior, the court should sanction Mr. McDowell.”

Megan’s legal team says McDowell’s behavior echoed that of Lanez himself, who was recently held in contempt for similarly evasive and disruptive conduct during his jailhouse deposition for the Gramz lawsuit.

The blogger DJ Akademiks (Livingston Allen), who has also spread misinformation about Lanez’s conviction, allegedly engaged in the same type of obstructive behavior at his own deposition too.

“All three men — Messrs. Peterson, McDowell and Allen — used the same strategy of systematic evasion when discovery threatened to expose their coordination,” write Megan’s attorneys. “Their synchronized obstruction reveals a coordinated effort to shield their defamation campaign from scrutiny and prevent Ms. Pete from obtaining evidence of the damages it caused.”

Judge Lisette M. Reid seems to agree that McDowell’s deposition was inadequate, and she initially issued an order on Friday (Aug. 29) requiring him to be re-deposed under court supervision and appear for a hearing on possible sanctions. But the Florida judge withdrew that order later the same day upon realizing that McDowell is a California resident and was deposed in Los Angeles, saying Megan’s lawyers must re-file their motion on the west coast to comply with jurisdictional rules.

McDowell did not immediately return a request for comment.

Lanez was found guilty of three felony charges in 2022 for shooting Megan in the foot during a drunken argument after Kylie Jenner‘s pool party in 2022. The Canadian rapper maintains his innocence and has repeatedly sought to overturn the conviction.

An appellate court has already rejected two of Lanez’s challenges, unconvinced by his argument that the gun supposedly used in the crime went “missing.” Lanez’s attorneys argued against another one of his appeal efforts last week.

Meanwhile, Megan sued Gramz in 2024 for allegedly spreading falsehoods about the case online, including Lanez’s claim about the missing gun, as part of a “coordinated campaign” to undermine the guilty verdict and ruin Megan’s reputation.

Gramz denies any wrongdoing and says all of her social media activity is First Amendment-protected free speech. But a judge is allowing the case to move forward, and a trial is currently scheduled to be held in Miami this November.

This story was updated on Aug. 29 at 6:03 p.m. ET to reflect that the judge withdrew her original order to show cause.

KPop Demon Hunters fever reaches Billboard’s Top Movie Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), with Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Golden” topping the July 2025-dated ranking.

Rankings for the Top Movie Songs chart are based on song and film data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of July 2025. The ranking includes newly released films from the preceding three months.

Though it was released on June 20 on Netflix, KPop Demon Hunters music did not make enough of an impact to reach the June 2025-dated ranking, which was led by Tate McRae’s “Just Keep Watching” from F1: The Movie. Not so on the July tally, which has eight of the chart’s 10 positions claimed by KPop Demon Hunters tracks, including the entire top seven. That’s the most at once since the ranking’s inception last September.

HUNTR/X’s “Golden,” which concurrently tops the Hot 100 (dated Aug. 30) for a second week, enters at No. 1 on Top Movie Songs. In July, the song earned 108.9 million official on-demand streams and sold 17,000 downloads in the United States, according to Luminate.

Saja Boys’ “Your Idol” follows at No. 2 (83.7 million streams, 9,000 sold) and HUNTR/X’s “What It Sounds Like” rounds out the top three (53.7 million streams, 10,000 sold).

What’s significant about KPop Demon Hunters’ July 2025 dominance is that it comes at the expense of a pair of songs from Superman, whose metrics might normally allow them to challenge for the chart’s uppermost reaches. The superhero film, released July 11, fills out the chart’s other two positions, with Teddybears’ Iggy Pop-featuring “Punkrocker” at No. 8 (10.2 million streams, 7,000 sold) and Noah and the Whale’s “5 Years Time” at No. 10 (4.2 million streams, 2,000 sold).

Like KPop Demon Hunters’ soundtrack, “Punkrocker” has had a presence on the weekly Billboard charts since the release of its corresponding movie. The 2006 song hit No. 20 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ranking dated this Aug. 2 and led the Alternative Digital Song Sales ranking for two weeks after the movie’s premiere; it ranks at No. 2 on the Aug. 30-dated list.

See the full top 10 below.

Rank, Song, Artist, Movie
1. “Golden,” HUNTR/X, KPop Demon Hunters
2. “Your Idol,” Saja Boys, KPop Demon Hunters
3. “What It Sounds Like,” HUNTR/X, KPop Demon Hunters
4. “Soda Pop,” Saja Boys, KPop Demon Hunters
5. “Free,” EJAE & Andrew Choi, KPop Demon Hunters
6. “How It’s Done,” HUNTR/X, KPop Demon Hunters
7. “Takedown,” HUNTR/X, KPop Demon Hunters
8. “Punkrocker,” Teddybears feat. Iggy Pop, Superman
9. “Takedown,” TWICE, KPop Demon Hunters
10. “5 Years Time,” Noah and the Whale, Superman

The U.S. division of global entertainment lifestyle platform company HYBE, HYBE AMERICA, has named Jenni Pfaff as the new chief people and transformation officer. Pfaff, who is based in the company’s Los Angeles office, will report directly to HYBE AMERICA CEO and chairman Isaac Lee.  

“A strong company culture is a top priority as we continue to build HYBE AMERICA,” said Lee in a release. “Attracting and retaining top talent and providing them with a fulfilling work environment will help us succeed as a company. I believe in a collaborative environment and am always mindful of the impact our business has on various audiences. Given Jenni’s strong background, I’m confident we will be good partners in building a company that is a magnet for artists, employees, and partners.” 

In her new role, Pfaff will oversee all human resources functions, including recruiting and hiring, training and development, employee relations, performance management, feedback and coaching, and related initiatives. She will also lead internal corporate communications efforts. In conjunction with Lee, Pfaff will focus on further developing HYBE AMERICA’s creative and collaborative company culture built on trust, transparency, and empowerment, according to the company.  

“I’ve always been a builder,” said Pfaff in a release. “Leading through compassion and creating the best possible work environment is a priority for me. One of the things that attracted me to HYBE AMERICA was the chance to be part of one of the most exciting and fastest-growing parts of the music and entertainment business.” 

Prior to joining HYBE, Pfaff served as executive vp of strategy, integration and operations at Warner Chappell Music since 2019. She oversaw the Business Intelligence division, enabling data-driven decision-making to better serve the company’s songwriters, and worked closely with Warner Music’s technology department and senior leadership to enhance the company’s technology portfolio. 

Earlier in her career, Pfaff held positions at PwC, Activision Blizzard and Northrop Grumman. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and a master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology, and is a certified executive coach.  

Rock music from the 1980s doesn’t get a lot of respect, with much of the focus going to such dated style elements as big hair and heavy eyeliner. The curators at Grammy Museum Mississippi have decided, in the immortal words of Twisted Sister, “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”

In their new exhibit “’80s Rock: The Wildest Decade in Music,” Grammy Museum Mississippi tells the story of what it calls “one of the most under-appreciated eras in rock history.” The exhibit will explore how hair metal and glam metal became so popular and why their fans remain loyal to this day.

The exhibit will open to the public on Friday, Sept. 26, and will be on display through 2026. It will feature artifacts and memorabilia from bands who made a huge splash during the ’80s, including Mötley Crüe, Poison, Skid Row, Warrant, Ratt, Guns N’ Roses, Cinderella, Def Leppard, Lita Ford and Vixen.

Fans will also have the opportunity to have their photo taken in front of a large backdrop depicting the exterior of the iconic Sunset Strip venue Whisky a Go Go.

“We couldn’t be more excited to debut our new special exhibit ‘’80s Rock: The Wildest Decade in Music’,” Emily Havens, executive director of Grammy Museum Mississippi, said in a statement. “Not only is this genre of music one of my personal favorites, but the bands who were launching their careers on the Sunset Strip during this decade made an impact on young people that has lasted for generations. We’re here to give the bands of hair metal and glam metal their due credit and tell the story of one of the most under-appreciated genres of music in rock history.”

An exclusive pre-opening event will be held Thursday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m., featuring a reception and program with stories and conversation from members of Twisted Sister. This event is reserved for exhibit sponsors and Grammy Museum Mississippi members. Tickets for members are available at the museum’s website.

The exhibit will feature artifacts, instruments and memorabilia from bands of the ’80s hair and glam metal scene, and bands from the pre-glam ’70s scene, including:

Grammy Museum Mississippi, in Cleveland, Mississippi, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays. Tickets can be purchased in person at the box office, or by visiting the museum’s website.

Singer Katy Perry has sold 1.1 million tickets on The Lifetimes tour and grossed more than $80 million in sales, according to figures provided by her management.

The Live Nation backed tour officially launched April 23 in Mexico City, and is scheduled to run through Dec. 7, wrapping up in Abu Dhabi. The Lifetimes Tour, which is themed around Perry saving the world by rescuing a motif-heavy kaleidoscope of butterflies meant to represent her various musical eras, is a true world tour making stops in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America across 91 shows.

The U.S. leg of the tour kicked off May 7 in Houston and wrapped up Aug. 23 in Miami, hitting over 20 cities including Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Atlanta and more. In Canada, Perry’s tour played Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Quebec City before heading to Australia with 13 shows from June 9 through 30.

After North America, Perry heads to Latin America for the first time in her career where she will be performing three stadium shows before beginning the European leg of her tour in October, with shows across the U.K. (Glasgow, Manchester and London) as well as Belgium, Germany, Denmark, France, Spain, Italy and more.

So far, she has added additional shows due to demand, with two more concerts added in Paris, five more in Australia and one extra show in China. Perry’s six shows in China – two in Hangzhou, three in Shanghai and one in Haikou — sold out one minute after going on sale, according to Perry’s management.