LATEST NEWS
Billy Joel Shuffles Onstage in Florida, Sings Two Hits, Keeps It in the Family
Billy Joel reemerges unannounced on a Florida stage, following a period of absence linked to a brain disorder diagnosis. In an unexpected yet low-key moment, he performs just two songs, opting for familiarity—likely “Piano Man” and “You May Be Right”—flanked by members of his family rather than long-time bandmates.
Video footage also shows a brief stumble onstage, an incident noted without drama but inevitably replayed across screens. The appearance marks Joel’s first public performance since reports of his health surfaced.
Source: Music Industry News – Published on January 4, 2026
Billy Joel Joins Florida Cover Band, Skips Spotlight in Low-Key Two-Song Return
Emerging unexpectedly from the quietude following his 2025 diagnosis with a brain disorder, Billy Joel resurfaces onstage in a Florida village, where—rather than take center spotlight—he sidles up with a local cover band to deliver a brief, two-song set. The anniversary event serves up a modest backdrop for a decidedly unceremonious return.
Far from a grand reentrance, the outing feels more akin to an impromptu nod to routine than a career milestone, a casual drop-in rather than a full-throated comeback.
Source: Music – Rolling Stone – Published on January 3, 2026
Lennon Hits Pause on Ego, Strums Up Team Spirit at Imagine Sessions Jam
John Lennon, in a moment that proves he isn't always sarcastic or elusive behind those signature glasses, extends an unexpectedly generous gesture to a fellow musician during the Imagine sessions. Amid spontaneous strumming and instrumental ad-lib, his openness invites collaboration, not competition.
With George Harrison lending guitar lines and the atmosphere leaning more jam session than ego parade, the record momentarily pivots from iconography to camaraderie. It’s less about legacy, more about letting the music run its course.
Source: Music Industry News – Published on January 3, 2026
Critic calls Bowie a “f***ing disgrace” for shapeshifting past and “tasteful” tunes
David Bowie once found himself eviscerated by music critic Jon Wilde, who labeled the shape-shifting performer a “f***ing disgrace.” The tirade appeared to take aim at Bowie’s mercurial identity changes, from glam alien to Berlin minimalist, moves some construed as dilettantism more than innovation.
At one point, Bowie’s attempts to rewrite musical conventions were ridiculed by peers and press alike. Wilde accused him of crafting “tasteful but boring music,” fit less for revolution than for the aspirations of property agents.
Source: Music Industry News – Published on January 3, 2026
Vernon Reid calls “Cult of Personality” a mirror, not a crystal ball
On the Music Buzzz Podcast, Vernon Reid reflects on “Cult of Personality” and its eerie, ongoing relevance. He asserts that the track doesn't flatter or moralize but rather dissects the allure of charismatic authority through raw, unblinking observation.
Reid contends the song lays bare collective complicity, not just political theater. Its lyrical bluntness, he says, isn't prophecy—it’s a mirror firmly pointed at who people consistently choose to follow.
Source: BLABBERMOUTH.NET RSS Feed – Published on January 3, 2026
FKA Twigs spins pain and poise on ‘Eusexua,’ post-lawsuit, no pity required
FKA Twigs parses the interplay of joy and damage with the composure of someone who has aged into clarity. Speaking to ELLE UK, she reflects on reaching a stage where beauty and brutality no longer cancel each other out—they coexist, like a raspberry that’s both tart and sweet.
Months after settling her lawsuit against Shia LaBeouf, she navigates the memory of a violent past while channeling it into her experimental album ‘Eusexua,’ earning critical nods without chasing absolution or sentimentality.
Source: News | NME – Published on January 3, 2026
Natalie Merchant gives Mother Goose a theatrical remix in “Cabinet of Wonder”
Natalie Merchant reframes the world of nursery rhymes with “Cabinet of Wonder,” turning staid verses like Mother Goose into unexpected musical vignettes stitched with play and didactic flair. She layers each piece with tailored instrumentation and curated visuals that lean more toward theatrical pageant than lullaby hour.
Structured as an introduction to music for younger audiences, the project offers professionally produced recordings and stylized videos that channel educational ambition through tonal experimentation and visual design.
Source: Music Industry News – Published on January 3, 2026
Olivia Dean double dips at No. 1—charts call it love, charts call it need
Olivia Dean opens 2026 straddling both ARIA charts, with The Art of Loving returning to No. 1 for a fifth week and “Man I Need” stretching its run atop the singles chart to seven weeks. The track now trails only Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” and Kate Bush’s Stranger Things-boosted resurrection for shortest reigns by a female solo act.
Elsewhere, “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” falls to No. 7, while “Nice To Each Other” holds at No. 9. This October, Dean plays six east coast arenas across Australia and New Zealand.
Source: Billboard – Published on January 2, 2026
Swapping textbooks for tracks, Davido fine-tunes fame into foreign policy
Trading academic ambition for studio sessions, Davido redirects his trajectory toward music with a resolve that skirts hesitation.
He garners accolades like the MTV Africa Music Awards and engages heads of state with a presence crossing entertainment and diplomacy alike.
When not on stage or in a recording booth, he’s immersed in philanthropic gestures orbiting this same devotion to sound and storytelling.
Expectations circle his next move with quiet insistence as he continues to thread rhythm into influence.
Source: Music Industry News – Published on January 2, 2026
Linda Perry asks what’s going on—again—on New Year’s Eve with 4 Non Blondes
Linda Perry resurfaces with 4 Non Blondes to deliver their 1993 staple “What’s Up?” on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, folding three decades of collective angst into a four-minute burst of melodic catharsis. The crowd, caught somewhere between nostalgia and novelty, echoes every word as Perry leans into the chorus with theatrical exasperation.
A televised ritual veers into earnest revival as the track's plaintive wail once again demands to know “what’s going on”—a question that hangs in the air with no expectation of answer.
Source: Music – Rolling Stone – Published on January 1, 2026
Post Malone tiptoes into country, borrowing Vince Gill without breaking the china
Post Malone slips into the world of country with surprising ease, taking on Vince Gill’s 1990s track and pulling it into the present with a performance that’s less reinvention, more reverent immersion. Though only entering the genre officially in 2024, he sidesteps gimmickry and channels a respect for its tradition.
Making his presence known during New Year’s Eve festivities, he nods to the genre’s own midnight rituals. His performance doesn't remake the genre; it simply adds his voice to its long-running conversation.
Source: Music Industry News – Published on January 1, 2026
Alice Cooper Guitarist Swaps Guitar Picks for Baby Pics—Strauss Shares Ultrasound
Nita Strauss, guitarist for the Alice Cooper band, takes to Instagram with her husband and manager, Josh Villalta, to confirm their growing entourage—sans pyrotechnics but not without drama: a sonogram and ultrasound photo as featured evidence.
This marks the couple's first child, shared on a Thursday that doubles as the first day of the new year, giving celebratory champagne a side of prenatal vitamins.
Source: BLABBERMOUTH.NET RSS Feed – Published on January 1, 2026
Sequins, mirror balls, and Diana Ross—New Year's gets flipped "Upside Down"
Ushering 2025 in sequins and sequins alone, Diana Ross steps onto the ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ stage and lets loose with “I’m Coming Out,” an anthem that echoes louder every January 1st than it does any Pride Month playlist.
She follows with “Upside Down,” flipping through disco rhythms as if time hadn't passed and mirror balls never went out of style. No balloon drop necessary—Ross provides the glitter herself.
Source: Music – Rolling Stone – Published on January 1, 2026
Foals tease 'Year of The Fire Horse' with scribbled notes and studio snaps
Foals break their silence since 2022’s ‘Life Is Yours’ with a cryptic Instagram post declaring “2026…The Year of The Fire Horse.” A board scrawled with studio notes and a snapshot of recording gear accompany their announcement, implying that the Oxford trio's next chapter is actively underway.
Yannis Philippakis recently suggested in Rolling Stone UK they’ve been scheming during an Icelandic retreat, while also juggling projects with Yannis & The Yaw and scoring for London’s National Theatre.
Source: News | NME – Published on January 1, 2026
Tyler, The Creator swaps sleigh bells for stadium bars on surprise “Sag Harbor” drop
Tyler, The Creator marks Christmas with “Sag Harbor,” a sharp-edged surprise freestyle pairing breezy production with bars delivered like pressure-release confessions. The track glances back at his year—his fourth straight Billboard 200 No. 1 with Don’t Tap the Glass and a global tour behind him.
He raps about moving on from arenas to stadiums, brushing off critics with a smirk. A screen message signs off: “What an incredible year, thank you for all the eyes and ears.”
Source: Billboard – Published on December 31, 2025
Sketching riffs, not retirement plans: Tony Iommi plots solo album for 2026
Interpolating Sabbathian legacy with quiet insistence, Tony Iommi dispatches a year-end video wrapped in understated flair. At 77, the guitarist—who faced early-stage lymphoma over a decade ago—appears more occupied than leisurely.
He affirms his long-teased solo album will “definitely, definitely” arrive in 2026, perhaps shrugging at the concept of urgency while sketching out projects that have filled his calendar across the last twelve months.
Source: BLABBERMOUTH.NET RSS Feed – Published on December 31, 2025
Beyoncé logs into billionaire status, Forbes crunches the Knowles-Carter math
Beyoncé steps onto the billionaire ledger, as Forbes tallies her fortune at just over $1 billion, positioning her as only the fifth musician to land in this exclusive net-worth bracket.
The magazine—best known for its obsessive arithmetic of celebrity assets—counts her earnings across music, fashion, and film ventures, indicating that the house of Knowles-Carter is not merely built on vocals but diversified investments.
Source: TMZ.com – Published on December 29, 2025
Chappell Roan posts Bardot tribute—then deletes it after reading the fine print
Chappell Roan pays homage to Brigitte Bardot on Instagram after news breaks of the French actress’s passing. But the gesture evaporates almost instantly when the singer uncovers what she calls “insane” details about Bardot’s past.
The post, initially filled with admiration, disappears without a trace after Roan digs into Bardot’s controversial legacy. A soft tribute morphs into a swift digital retraction, without public elaboration.
Source: TMZ.com – Published on December 29, 2025
Lewis Capaldi skips songwriting, books 2026 tour instead—therapy hits repeat
Lewis Capaldi, sidelined by a “creative rut” since March, confesses he hasn’t touched a guitar or penned new lyrics for months. His recent EP ‘Survive’—his first release since his 2023 album—offered a momentary return, but real studio work resumes in January.
Following a tense yet successful Glastonbury set, Capaldi credits therapy for enabling his comeback. For 2026, he promises live shows across the UK and Ireland, including Liverpool, Newcastle, BST Hyde Park and Sziget.
Source: News | NME – Published on December 29, 2025
Bad Bunny Gets Hands-On at Mexican Museum, Officials Not Amused
Bad Bunny finds himself on shaky ground after physically interacting with a protected exhibit in a Mexican museum—an act that didn’t go unnoticed by officials. He documents the encounter himself, posting photos that directly contradict museum policy.
Having wrapped up a residency in Puerto Rico, he takes a side trip that blurs the boundaries between admiration and irreverence. The museum's reaction is swift and distinctly unamused.
Source: TMZ.com – Published on December 29, 2025