Category: Music

Shaboozey’s Outlaws era is in full swing, with a new album out Friday (July 31) and a major tour getting underway in September.

Night owls just got a ride with “Cowgirl,” and a good look at Ciara Miller.

Shaboozey stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday evening to perform the lively song in a set dressed up like a faded Wild West saloon, and recreated from the official music video.

Miller, the star of Bravo’s Summer House, appeared in the promo, which was directed by Logan Meis and Shaboozey and dropped last month. For the late night spot, she reprises her “Cowgirl” role, and enjoys a dance with her leading man.

“Cowgirl” is the followup to the April release “Born To Die,” both lifted from Shaboozey’s forthcoming concept album The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales.

The collection is a Western portrait, a country tale told with Americana, hip-hop, and pop, recounting a “tragic, mythic story of vengeance, love, and transformation,” reads a statement. It’s said to unfold like a Western film, told in chapters with narration, skits, and cinematic transitions.

The main character is Cheri Lee, a woman shaped by violence and driven by loss. On her travels, she falls for an outlaw, which provides her with entry into the world that she’s trying to destroy. It’s complicated, and the story takes a bloody turn, leaving our hero with some big calls to make.

Released through EMPIRE, The Outlaw Cherie Lee is the successor to his breakout 2024 project Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going. Shaboozey is responsible for one of the biggest hits of the streaming era with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which set a new benchmark by spending more time at No. 1 on Billboard’s Radio Songs chart than any song before it and spending 19 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.

Shaboozey’s Outlaws Never Die Tour starts Sept. 8 at Arizona Financial Theatre.

Check out his late-night performance of “Cowgirl” below.

Australia’s Wildlands Festival will travel coast-to-coast at year’s end with a bill headlined by John Summit and Skepta.

They’re joined on the lineup by the likes of WORSHIP, in their Australian debut; DJ KI/KI; Disco Lines and many more.

The single-day electronic and dance-leaning show will get underway at Brisbane Showgrounds with a New Year’s Eve party on Thursday, Dec. 31, then crosses the country to Perth — a distance of about 2,700 miles – for a full show Saturday Jan. 2 at Arena Joondalup.

“Both Wildlands events will feature reimagined stage designs and updated site layout,” reads a statement from organizers Untitled Group.

The Sahara Stage returns as an open-air experience with production and a DJ setup built for the southern “summer sky,” the message reads, while the Summit Stage returns as a tented experience with live elements worked in. A new arrival, The Wilds Stage is meant to give concert-goers on-stage access alongside the DJs for “an intimate, up-close experience.”

Dance music festivals are the most numerous, and most popular in Australia’s contemporary festivals landscape, accounting for roughly one-quarter of Australia’s 500-plus fests.

Aussie audiences will get multiple chances to see the likes of Summit, KI/KI and Skepta next summer. They’re all performing at the Beyond the Valley (also produced by Untitled) in Barunah Plains in Victoria, and Lost Paradise (Finely Tuned), presented in Glenworth Valley, New South Wales.

Wildlands is supported by the federal government initiative, Revive Live. The official presale goes on sale Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 6pm local time, and the general on sale starts 24 hours later.

Wildlands:

Dec. 31, 2026 — Brisbane Showgrounds (Brisbane/Meanjin

Jan, 2, 2027 — Arena Joondalup (Perth/Boorloo)

Full lineup A-Z:

Anetha B2B SPFDJ

Benwal B2B Kyle Starkey

Dean Turnley

Disco Lines 

Ewan McVicar

Frost Children

Funk Tribu

Groove Junction (Perth)

Hamdi

Hannah Laing

John Summit

KI/KI

KT (Perth)

Layton Giordani

Lens

MPH

MYASWRLD (Brisbane)

Nia Archives

nikitasilly (Brisbane)

Oppidan

Overmono

Robert Baxter

Saint Ludo

Skepta

WORSHIP (Australian Exclusive)  

Yikes

Presented by Untitled Group, Beyond The Valley and triple j

The White House has gone on the offensive after Noah Kahan criticized president Donald Trump for using his music in social media propaganda.

The brewing beef stems from the administration’s videos and photos posted to TikTok and Instagram cued to Kahan’s song “American Cars” from his fourth studio album, the Billboard 200 No. 1 LP The Great Divide, all part of an exercise to celebrate Trump’s visit to a Michigan auto plant this week where the POTUS touted cars made in America.

The 29-year-old Vermont-bred singer and songwriter wasn’t thrilled by the situation. “Would never approve of my music being used in support of you or this administration,” the “Stick Season” artist wrote write in comments on Instagram, where the sound appears to have been disabled. Kahan’s comment on Monday’s (July 27) post has more than 53,500 likes, and upwards of 840 comments. 

Kahan’s frequent cowriter and the co-author of “American Cars,” guitarist Noah Levine, vented with his own comment on the Instagram post, writing, “You fat f— this song isn’t for you.” Levine’s comment has since been wiped, an action that was spotted my numerous users.

The song, however, continues to accompany the White House TikTok from the event, where it plays as Trump is signing a white Corvette while visiting the General Motors proving grounds in Milford, Mich.

Trump’s team isn’t holding back. Kaelan Dorr, who holds several titles with the Trump administration, including principal deputy communications director, retweeted Variety’s post on Kahan’s comments, and offering some of his own. “Symptoms of TDS,” a reference to Trump Derangement Syndrome, “apparently include having a northern attitude.”

It’s worth pointing out that Kahan’s recordings are available for use as part of the public Instagram library following a 2024 pact between the Universal Music Group and Meta (parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Horizon, Threads and WhatsApp).

Kahan is a member of a large, and growing roster of acts who have spoken out against Trump using their music in campaign and administration hype videos, a list that includes Beyoncé, Adele, Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Jack White/White Stripes, Kenny Loggins, Neil Young, Olivia Rodrigo, and Rihanna.

Surprise! Karol G has a new album ready to go, and it’s dropping next week.

The Latin superstar used the platform of her record-setting concert tonight July 29 at Rogers Stadium in Toronto to announce No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto (“I don’t regret feeling so much”), the followup to 2025’s Tropicoqueta.

The wait should be bearable; No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto will arrive next Friday, Aug, 7 at 12am ET, reps confirm to Billboard.

With her performance at Rogers Stadium, the Colombian singer became the first female solo artist to headline the venue. During the show, she surprised fans by revealing the album’s title and release date, and shared the official cover artwork for the first time on the stadium’s screens. See the cover art below.

“I have an announcement to share, Toronto, and after this, I have a gift for you, too. I’ve been working on a project for a couple of months,” she told onlookers. “I’ve been locked in for months making new music. For months, I’ve been preparing a segment that will form part of this tour. I want to announce that on August 7, my new album will come out. It’s an album that I can’t wait to sing with all of you. It’s called No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto.” 

The new collection was hiding in plain sight. Karol G released a new single, “Matadora,” on the opening night of her tour, July 24 at Soldier Field in Chicago. Although the tracklist hasn’t been announced, expect “Matadora” to appear on the new collection.

Produced by Live Nation, Karol is joined by Becky G, Greeicy, and Elena Rose on select dates of Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour, which comes in support of Tropicoqueta, which debuted at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums Chart and No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Also, all 20 songs from the set debuted on the Hot Latin Songs chart, becoming a first for the artist. 

Next stop: Northwest Stadium this Sunday night (Aug. 2) in Washington, D.C.

Dua Lipa has announced her curated lineup for the 2026 London Literature Festival, running from Oct. 20 to Nov. 1 at the Southbank Centre. The program marks the latest venture for her Service95 Book Club, which features monthly reading selections and an author-interview podcast series.

“Curating the line up for the London Literature Festival with my Service95 Book Club has been a true joy and I’m so proud of the program we have created,” Dua Lipa said in a statement. “We’ll be joined by icons as well as emerging voices from across the arts the world needs to know. You will recognize some as friends of the book club, and others may be your first introduction, but ultimately, I wanted to create a space that brings together some of the most exciting writers, poets and thinkers from around the globe. I’m looking forward to being both in conversation and taking my seat in the audience at this iconic venue.”

Dua will be in conversation with a number of authors and musicians during the event. On Oct. 24, She will speak with British author Zadie Smith about her award-winning 2000 debut novel, White Teeth, alongside separate discussions with Sudanese-Canadian poet Mustafa (Oct. 24) and punk-rock icon and author Patti Smith (Oct. 25).

Elsewhere during the festival, there’ll be a number of panels focused on translated fiction, and an appearance from British rapper and musician Kae Tempest. Malorie Blackman (Noughts & Crosses) and Hernan Diaz (Trust) will also be in attendance. Tickets for the event are on sale now from the Southbank Centre’s official website.

The guest curation is the latest move by the esteemed London venue in its 75th anniversary celebrations. In June, Harry Styles curated the annual Meltdown Festival and also performed a stripped-back, rarity-stuffed headline show as part of the program.

Dua’s Service95 Book Club launched in 2023, and its monthly reads have included both classics (One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez) and a number of contemporary favorites (Flesh by David Szalay).

London’s Ministry of Sound will mark its 35th birthday with a weekend-long party, Billboard U.K. can exclusively reveal.

Across the weekend of Oct. 2-3, Andy C, Kerri Chandler, Moodymann and Loco Dice will take over the famous club with a series of performances. Tickets are available for the event via Dice.fm.

Louder, MoS’ longest-running club night, will take over the Friday night, with drum-and-bass legend Andy C returning to the London venue for the first time in 10 years for an extended three-hour set.

The following day, influential label Hard Times will bring together two of house music’s most revered figures, with New York deep-house pioneer Kerri Chandler and Detroit icon Moodymann performing during the daytime event.

On the evening of Oct. 3, Urge, the Ministry’s flagship underground house and techno night, will be headlined by Tunisian-German DJ and producer Loco Dice. Additional names for the event series will be announced in the coming months.

Speaking on the program, club director Matt Long said, “Few venues get to celebrate 35 years at the heart of dance music. We wanted to mark this milestone with a lineup that reflects both our heritage and where our sound is today. It’s an honor to celebrate this anniversary with such incredible talent, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you all.”

It’s the latest celebration for the London institution’s 35th anniversary. The club recently released a new book, Ministry of Sound: Anthology, which tells the untold story of the London space, and launched Boxed In, a live-streamed talent competition for emerging DJs. They will return to Ibiza with a one-off party at 528, marking their first event on the island in more than a decade.

The club first opened in London’s Elephant & Castle in September 1991, and has played a key role in shaping the U.K.’s dance music scene. The Ministry of Sound Group has grown to include a record label, publishing arm and a private members club.