Category: Music

Duffy is set to return to the stage for the first time in over 15 years.

The Welsh singer announced via Instagram on Friday (June 6) that she will perform a “secret intimate gig” in London on July 5, debuting new music as part of her tentative return to public life following years of withdrawal from the industry.

“I’m doing a secret intimate gig in London on the 5th July, next month, and I would love nothing more than for some of you to attend,” Duffy wrote on Instagram Stories. “It’s only small capacity so we can only select a few, but really looking forward to it. I will sing some new songs.” The show will be ballot-only, with fans invited to apply via her social channels.

The performance marks one of the most significant moments in Duffy’s gradual reemergence. Last month, the singer shared a black-and-white image from a recording studio with the caption: “If only I could find the right words to explain how much I’ve missed you all. Working on coming back to you.”

Earlier this year, Disney+ announced an upcoming Hulu Original documentary in which Duffy will tell her full story in her own words for the first time — covering her upbringing in Wales, her early 2000s breakthrough, her decade-long retreat and the harrowing assault that prompted it.

Born Aimée Anne Duffy in Bangor, Wales, the singer rose to global fame in 2008 with her debut album Rockferry, which became the UK’s best-selling album of that year and earned her three BRIT Awards, a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, and an Ivor Novello Award.

Lead single “Mercy” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2008 and reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, where it spent five consecutive weeks at the top. Rockferry itself peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and remains certified five-times platinum in the UK. She released her second album Endlessly in 2010 before stepping out of the public eye, with only two new songs released since — the 2020 ballad “River in the Sky” and radio-only single “Something Beautiful.”

In 2020, Duffy broke her silence on the reason for her decade-long absence, revealing in an Instagram post and a longer personal essay that she had been drugged at a restaurant while celebrating her birthday, then transported to a foreign country where she was held captive and raped by an unnamed assailant.

She has said the ordeal left her suicidal and that “utterly no-one” knew what had happened until she chose to share her story. To date, no arrests have been made public in connection with the case.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rainn.org.

Electric Callboy have released their new single “Let the Good Times Roll,” featuring The Offspring‘s Dexter Holland — the latest preview of their forthcoming album TANZNEID, due August 7.

The track pairs Electric Callboy’s genre-blurring electronicore — metalcore breakdowns colliding with glowstick-ready techno drops and grin-inducing pop hooks — with Holland’s unmistakable tenor, the kind of voice behind “Come Out and Play,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1994, and “Self Esteem,” which peaked at No. 4 on the same chart.

The collaboration marks a full-circle moment for the German band, who cite The Offspring as a foundational influence. “The Offspring have been one of the bands that shaped us from the very beginning,” Electric Callboy said in a statement. “Their music was part of our lives long before Electric Callboy even existed, so having Dexter on this song honestly feels surreal.”

Holland was equally enthusiastic about the pairing. “When Electric Callboy sent us the track, it immediately put a grin on our faces,” he said.

“It’s energetic, unpredictable and doesn’t take itself too seriously — exactly the kind of spirit we’ve always loved about punk and rock music. I had a blast being part of ‘Let the Good Times Roll.’”

The single arrives as Electric Callboy kick off their European festival season, with major appearances at Rock am Ring and Rock im Park this week. The TANZNEID World Tour also includes an Australian leg in September, presented by Destroy All Lines, with Ice Nine Kills and Coldrain as special guests.

The run opens at RAC Arena in Perth on Sept. 4, followed by AEC Arena in Adelaide on Sept. 6, Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Sept. 8, Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Sept. 10, and Riverstage in Brisbane on Sept. 12 and 13 — with the Sept. 12 date already sold out. Tickets are on sale now via destroyalllines.com.

Formed in Germany in 2010, Electric Callboy have grown into one of heavy music’s most genre-defying global acts on the strength of viral hits including “Hypa Hypa,” “We Got the Moves” and “RATATATA” featuring BABYMETAL. Their 2022 album TEKKNO amassed hundreds of millions of streams worldwide. TANZNEID is pre-order available now.

Watch the video for “Let The Good Times Roll” below.

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.