On Thursday (May 29), Clipse announced on Instagram that they will finally be releasing their long-awaited fourth studio album, Let God Sort Em Out, on July 11. The album is produced entirely by Pharrell Williams, and marks the first release from the Virginia rap duo – featuring brothers Malice and Pusha T – in 16 years, following their 2009 album, Til The Casket Drops. Clipse signed to Def Jam last year, but the album will now be distributed and marketed by Roc Nation. The group also shared the album art for their new project, which was designed by KAWS, who also did the art for Clipse’s last release. The album announcement follows the reveal of the lead single, "Ace Trumpets," which was released at midnight on Friday (May 30). The duo has previously hinted that the album was delayed while they waited for a verse from an unnamed guest artist, with fans speculating that it could be Kendrick Lamar or Jay-Z. (Rolling Stone)

On Thursday (May 29), Shawn Mendes announced details of his 2025 On the Road Again Tour, which will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his chart-topping debut album, Handwritten. Following a hiatus to focus on his mental health, Mendes is set to make a triumphant return to the stage. “I feel like time away has allowed me to come back and recognize and remember how unbelievably special it is to get to play live shows,” Mendes wrote on X. “It’s an honour and i’m just beyond grateful that you guys keep showing up after 10 years with so much love. I almost forgot i have one of the best jobs in this world.” The tour launches in Europe in August, with the North American leg kicking off on September 25 in Boston, and finishing on October 17 in Los Angeles. Support acts for the tour are Eddie Benjamin, Maro, and Lubiana at select dates. General on-sale begins on June 6, with pre-sales starting on June 4. (Rolling Stone)

Smokey Robinson has filed a $500 million cross-complaint against his four former housekeepers, alleging defamation and elder abuse after they sued him for sexual harassment and rape. The 85-year-old Motown legend claims the women, who had previously received substantial gifts and were treated as family during their employment, conspired with their lawyer to fabricate their claims for extortion. “The only sinister acts that occurred here were those of plaintiffs and their counsel by slandering the Robinsons’ good names and reputations,” the new cross-complaint states. The lawsuit by the housekeepers, seeking $50 million in damages, alleges instances of rape and sexual assault, with some citing fear of job loss and immigration-related consequences as reasons for not reporting the abuse earlier. Robinson’s lawyer, Christopher Frost, has previously stated that the housekeepers’ lawsuit was based on “vile, false allegations.” (Rolling Stone)

On Wednesday (May 28), Lorde took to social media to share the 11-song tracklist on her upcoming album, Virgin, which is set to be released on June 27. Along with the project’s lead single, "What Was That," the record also includes the just released track, "Man of the Year,”  with Lorde also sharing a Grant Singer-directed music video for the song as well. The rest of the highly-anticipated new record from the two-time Grammy winner features the lead off track, “Hammer,” followed by “What Was That,” “Shapeshifter,” “Man of the Year,” “Favorite Daughter,” and “Current Affairs.” The second half of the record includes “Clearblue,” “GRWM,” “Broken Glass,” “If She Could See Me Now,” and album closer “David.” “From me to you” Lorde adds in the caption following the tracklist reveal, with the Insta photo including a different view of the x-ray cover art, with the song titles written along the length of her spine. (Rolling Stone)

During her rain-soaked Cowboy Carter Tour stop in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Wednesday night (May 28), Beyoncé surprised an expecting couple in the crowd by taking part in their gender reveal. In a heartwarming moment during the show, Beyoncé spotted the fans holding an envelope in the crowd requesting that the 35-time Grammy winner reveal the gender of their baby from the stage. Bey assured the couple that “I will come back, I promise,” before continuing on with the performance. True to her word, after she finished “16 Carriages,” Beyoncé returned to the couple and had them pass her the envelope. “My hands are sticky,” the singer joked as she struggled to get it open in the rain. Pulling the envelope apart, Bey smiled as she held up a piece of paper saying “cowboy.” “It’s a boy! God bless you. Congratulations! Thank you so much for letting me be a part of it,” Beyoncé affectionately said to the couple, before holding up the ripped envelope and announcing, “I’m keeping this.” (Billboard)

During an appearance on a new episode of the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast, Reneé Rapp credits her mom for manifesting her music career by purposefully giving her a memorable name. “My mom chose my first and last name to both have R’s,” Rapp told Poehler. “She was like, ‘Alliteration, just in case she wants to be a pop star.’ Rapp admits that her mom’s decision was “conceited,” but adds, “I’m obsessed with the way she did it.” Poehler replied, “She gave you a pop star name just in case, because Reneé Rapp is a huge pop star name,” with Rapp agreeing, “It’s a really good one!” Rapp also proudly discussed her decision to come out as a lesbian on a recent episode of Saturday Night Live. On Monday (May 26), the singer debuted her new song, “Leave Me Alone,” at the American Music Awards, which is from Rapp's upcoming album, Bite Me, coming out on August 1. (Rolling Stone)

SEVENTEEN faces significant changes over the next few years, as most of its 13 members prepare to enlist in the South Korean military. Despite these new responsibilities, the K-pop group remains focused on their continual musical evolution, releasing a new album, Happy Burstday, on Monday (May 26), which features a solo song performed by each member, in addition to three full-group tracks. In a new feature in The Hollywood Reporter, the members of SEVENTEEN also revealed plans for a series of upcoming solo projects, and a big group comeback post-service.

“This is something that has been inevitable for us all along,” Hoshi told the publication about the group's enlistments. “We have been prepared. We have a lot of projects that we have discussed with [Hybe] very thoroughly up until now.” In additional SEVENTEEN news, the group is the top K-Pop act on Billboard's midyear Boxscore charts, ranked No. 3 overall with $120.9 million earned and 842,000 tickets sold between Oct. 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025. SEVENTEEN becomes the highest-ranking Korean act ever on the all-genre midyear list, surpassing BTS’ No. 4 rank in 2022. (Billboard)

Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, Kirk Franklin, and Jamie Foxx will all receive the Ultimate Icon Award at the 2025 BET Awards. The live event will take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Monday, June 9, and it will feature special performances from Carey, Snoop, and Franklin (with Foxx also on hand to receive his award), alongside Lil Wayne, Teyana Taylor, GloRilla, Playboi Carti, and Leon Thomas. “Thank you @bet this is an honor 🙏🏾,” Franklin wrote on X on Wednesday (May 28). This year’s Ultimate Icon recipients will be celebrated for their contributions to entertainment, music, advocacy, and community impact, with the event also paying tribute to the 25th anniversary of 106 & Park, featuring a star-studded lineup of former hosts and performers. “We’re setting the tone for a night that celebrates 25 years of impact, creativity, and Black culture,” Connie Orlando, EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET, said in a statement. “BET Awards 2025 will be a can’t-miss celebration of everything the culture represents.” (Rolling Stone)

During a private performance for fans at the Chateau Marmont on Tuesday (May 27), Miley Cyrus hinted at her future musical direction while treating the audience to intimate performances from her forthcoming album, Something Beautiful, due out Friday (May 30). “My next album is about to be extremely experimental, so have fun with that,” the Grammy-winning singer announced to the small crowd. Cyrus was joined by pianist Michal Pollack, drummer Maxx Morando, and guitarist Jonathan Radowhile during her 45-minute set, which featured new tracks, “More to Lose,” “End of the World,” and “Easy Lover,” along with renditions of “The Climb,” from her 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie, and her Record of the Year-winning hit, “Flowers.” Ahead of her album release, Cyrus is currently promoting her new single "Easy Lover" with a series of behind-the-scenes clips on her Instagram Story, which showcases her dance choreography rehearsal and costume fittings. (Rolling Stone)

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani's appearances at the American Music Awards on Monday (May 26) drew criticism from fans who felt "lied to" after discovering that their performances were pre-recorded. During the telecast, Shelton performed his new single, “Stay Country or Die Tryin,” and later “returned” to introduce his wife, Stefani, who performed a medley including her hits “The Sweet Escape” and “Hollaback Girl,” along with the recent single, “Swallow My Tears.” Despite being shown videos of the couple's performances during the live event, attendees revealed in a series of TikTok videos that the artists were not physically present on stage, sparking disappointment among fans. While some fans voiced their expectations to see all previously announced artists perform live, it's not unusual for televised awards shows to include pre-taped segments. While Stefani wasn’t physically at the awards show, she appeared to be “live-tweeting” several of the performances. Representatives for Shelton and Stefani did not immediately respond to the controversy, and the AMAs declined to comment on the issue. (Rolling Stone)

Teddy Swims’ monumental hit, “Lose Control,” has set a new record with its unprecedented 92nd week on the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing Glass Animals’ 91-week run on the chart with “Heat Waves.” “Lose Control” originally debuted at No. 99 back in August 2023, with the song eventually reaching No. 1 for only one week in March 2024. The track also spent a record-breaking 63 total weeks in the Top 10. “Lose Control” has even outlasted the chart trajectory of Teddy Swims’ two subsequent follow-up singles, with “The Door” reaching a Hot 100 peak of No. 24 last October, and “Bad Dreams” climbing to No. 30 earlier this May, with both songs also reaching the Top 10 on Adult Pop Airplay and Pop Airplay charts. Another of Teddy Swims’ hit singles, “Are You Even Real,” with Giveon, reached No. 1 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart in April. (Billboard)

Sabrina Carpenter has teamed up with Fortnite for the new ‘Dance With Sabrina’ interactive music experience, which will run from May 30 to June 16. The gameplay allows players to dance along with the pop superstar while she takes over the Festival Jam Stage, and match her moves to the beat of her hit singles, “Bad Chem” and “Espresso,” in what the game is calling a “first-of-its-kind dance party.” This new collaboration follows Carpenter’s success in Fortnite Festival season eight. “When Sabrina came to Fortnite, we saw seas of Sabrina Carpenter Outfits populate matches and perform synchronized Dance Emotes,” said Emily Levy, Director of Music, Talent & Influencer at Epic Games, in a statement. “So we knew we had to celebrate this season with an epic dance party inspired by our players and their incredible energy.” Alongside the immersive experience, Fortnite will also release a “Bad Chem” Bundle featuring exclusive offerings of Carpenter’s music and emotes on Thursday (May 29). (Billboard)

Fresh off of hosting the American Music Awards on Monday night (May 26), Jennifer Lopez took to Instagram to announce the dates and details of her new Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The upcoming run of shows is titled, Jennifer Lopez: Up All Night Live in Las Vegas, and the residency will feature four performances starting the week of New Year’s Eve – on December 30-31 and January 2-3 – with eight additional shows scheduled throughout March 2026. “SURPRISE JLOVERS! We’re back!” Lopez wrote. “I’m doing a residency in Las Vegas! Join me for Up All Night Live In Las Vegas At The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.” Lopez previously had a successful Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino dubbed, Jennifer Lopez: All I Have, which ran for 120 shows from 2016 to 2018, and grossed over $100 million. A variety of pre-sale offers run from June 2-5, with general on-sale starting on Friday, June 6. (Variety)

Morgan Wallen’s new collaboration with Tate McRae, “What I Want,” debuts at No. 1 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track is lifted from Wallen’s new album, I’m the Problem, which also claims the No. 1 spot on the current Billboard 200 chart. “What I Want” is Wallen’s fourth Hot 100 chart-topper, and is McRae’s first. Wallen currently holds the top three spots on the Hot 100, and six places on the Top 10. “Just in Case” vaults up nine spots to reach No. 2, and “I’m the Problem” moves up a slot to No. 3, with Wallen becoming the first country music artist to claim the top three songs in a single week over the chart’s 66-year history. He also joins The Beatles, Taylor Swift, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Ariana Grande as the only artists to ever achieve the rare chart-topping triple. Wallen's other three songs in the Top 10 include “I Got Better,” which debuts at No. 7, “Superman” jumps eight spots to reach No. 8, and “Love Somebody” vaults up eight spots to reach No. 10. This marks a total of nine Top 10 hits from I’m the Problem, with only Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department and Midnights (10 top 10s each) yielding more.

Rounding out the Top 10, Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” drops two places to No. 4, Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” falls to No. 5 after spending 13 consecutive weeks at No. 1, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” slides down three spots to No. 6, and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” drops five slots to No. 9. (Billboard)

In an Instagram post on Friday night (May 23), D’Angelo announced that he had to cancel his highly anticipated comeback performance at the 2025 Roots Picnic in Philadelphia, citing an unforeseen medical issue related to surgery earlier in the year. This would have marked the four-time Grammy-winning R&B star’s first major performance since 2016. “I’ve been advised by my team of specialists that the performance this weekend could further complicate matters,” he wrote. D’Angelo expressed gratitude towards his fans for their continued support, and revealed that he has new music in the works. “I’m currently in the Lab, and can’t wait to serve up what’s in the pot!” he shared. The Roots Picnic is set to take place in Philadelphia from May 31 through June 1, and will now feature a headlining set from Maxwell as a replacement for D’Angelo, joining a lineup featuring Lenny Kravitz, GloRilla, Miguel, Meek Mill, Kaytranda, Pusha T, 2 Chainz, and more. (Consequence of Sound)

The 70th Ivor Novello Awards ceremony took place on Thursday (May 22) in London, with U2 receiving the organization's highest honor, the Ivors Academy Fellowship, becoming the first Irish recipients of the prestigious distinction. Charli XCX was named Songwriter of the Year for her breakthrough album, Brat, admitting in her acceptance speech, “I’m sure you’ll agree, I’m hardly Bob Dylan. But one thing I certainly do is commit to the bit.” “Messy” hitmaker Lola Young was recognized as Rising Star, performing that number as well as a stirring cover of “With or Without You,” which was a request from U2 themselves.

Bruce Springsteen took a break from his ongoing European tour to present the Special International Award to Brandon Flowers of The Killers, with The Boss quipping, “Most bands end up in Las Vegas. They don’t come from there.” Self Esteem received the Visionary Award, Bloc Party was recognized for Outstanding Song Collection, while Robbie Williams was honored with the Icon Award. Ed Sheeran presented U2 with their honor, with all four members of the legendary group giving personal speeches. The band performed a stripped-down rendition of "Sunday Bloody Sunday," and a ceremony-closing rendition of “Angel of Harlem,” which they renamed “Angels of Harlesden,” to pay tribute to their early North London fanbase. (Variety)

Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the third chart-topper of the country superstar’s career, following 2023’s One Thing at a Time and 2021’s Dangerous: The Double Album. The release claims the year’s biggest week with 493,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States, while also landing the largest streaming week for any album in 2025. In addition, One Thing at a Time remains at No. 4 on this week’s chart, making Wallen the only act with two concurrent albums in the Top Five in 2025.

Elsewhere in the Top 10, Jin makes an impressive debut at No. 3 with his new album, Echo, as the BTS singer notches his highest-charting effort of his career. The rest of the Billboard 200 Top 10 is rounded out by SZA’s SOS rising one spot to No. 2, Kendrick Lamar’s GNX jumps two slots to No. 5, Sleep Token’s Even in Arcadia falls five spots to No. 6 after debuting at No. 1 last week, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet moves up one spot to No. 7, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U drops three places to No. 8, Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos climbs up one spot to No. 9, and Fuerza Regida’s 111XPANTIA falls four spots to No. 10. (Billboard)

On Friday (May 23), Billy Joel announced the cancellation of all 17 of his upcoming concerts after receiving a diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a brain disorder causing hearing, vision, and balance issues. “This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance,” reads a statement from Joel’s team. “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.” The 76-year-old Joel adds in his own statement, “I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding.”

Joel had initially planned to resume touring in July after a medical condition necessitated surgery and therapy, but he will now focus on recovery. All tickets for the canceled shows will be refunded. Joel’s wife, Alexis Roderick Joel, shared a personal update on Instagram on Monday, writing: “Thank you for the outpouring of love and support. We are so grateful for the wonderful care and swift diagnosis we received. We are hopeful for his recovery. We look forward to seeing you all in the future.” Joel and Christie Brinkley’s 39-year-old daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, took to Instagram on Saturday to pay tribute to her dad, writing “My Dad is the strongest and most resilient man I’ve ever known… and he’s entirely committed to making a full recovery.” NPH affects thinking, memory, and movement, and resembles dementia, but it can be reversible if diagnosed and treated early. (Rolling Stone)

The 2025 American Music Awards returned on Monday (May 26) after taking a two-year hiatus, with the ceremony for the “biggest fan-voted awards show in the world” taking place at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Billie Eilish was the night’s big winner, taking home Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Hit Me Hard and Soft, and Song of the Year for “Birds of a Feather,” along with Favorite Female Pop Artist, Favorite Touring Artist, and Favorite Pop Album and Song. Jennifer Lopez served as the host, and she opened the festivities with a six-minute dance routine set to 23 of the year’s biggest hits. Janet Jackson was presented with the Icon Award, and she also delivered her first live TV performance in seven years. Rod Stewart was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by five of his children, who truly surprised Sir Rod. The 80-year-old singer closed down the show with a spirited rendition of his classic hit, “Forever Young.” With the award ceremony taking place on Memorial Day, there were tributes to military members throughout the show, with hundreds of service members in the crowd.

The night’s other winners included Gracie Abrams who took home New Artist of the Year, Bruno Mars won Favorite Male Pop Artist, as well as Collaboration of the Year and Favorite Music Video for his chart-topping collab with Lady Gaga, “Die With A Smile,” with Gaga taking home Favorite Dance/Electronic Artist. Beyoncé won Favorite Country Album for Cowboy Carter and also was awarded Favorite Female Country Artist, while Post Malone won Favorite Male Country Artist, and his collaboration with Morgan Wallen, “I Had Some Help,” took home Favorite Country Song. Eminem won Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist and his The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) took home Favorite Hip-Hop Album, while Megan Thee Stallion won Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist. Kendrick Lamar was the night’s most nominated artist with 10 nods, though he only won one award as “Not Like Us” took home Favorite Hip-Hop Song. Kendrick’s Grand National Tour-mate SZA won Favorite Female R&B Artist and her “Saturn” won Favorite R&B song, while The Weeknd won Favorite Male R&B Artist and his Hurry Up Tomorrow took home Favorite R&B Album.

Latin music icon Gloria Estefan returned to the AMA stage for the first time in over 30 years to perform a medley of her hits, while Becky G was named Favorite Female Latin Artist and also performed, while Bad Bunny won Favorite Male Latin Artist and his DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS won Favorite Latin Album. Twenty One Pilots won Favorite Rock Artist and Favorite Rock Album for Clancy. RM won Favorite K-pop Artist, while Tyla took home Favorite Afrobeats Artist.

As for the rest of the performances, Alex Warren performed his Billboard Global 200 No. 1 hit, “Ordinary,” and Lainey Wilson delivered the debut performance of her new single, “Somewhere Over Laredo.” Gwen Stefani celebrated the 20th anniversary of her first AMAs by performing a medley of her hits, while her husband, Blake Shelton, performed at the ceremony for the first time. Benson Boone performed his new song, “Mystical Magical,” while Reneé Rapp delivered her new single, “Leave Me Alone,” from her forthcoming album, Bite Me, which is due out August 1. (Variety)

On Wednesday (May 21), during the first night in Los Angeles on her co-headlining Grand National stadium tour with Kendrick Lamar, SZA surprised the audience by bringing out Lizzo for a special performance of “Special.” The duo previously collaborated on the remix of the title track of Lizzo’s Grammy-nominated 2022 album, Special, and the besties took the SoFi Stadium stage together in matching black outfits to deliver a powerful rendition of the track together. Lizzo later shared a video of the performance on Instagram, excitedly captioning the post, “BABYS FIRST STADIUM PERFORMANCE— I love u @sza u r THEE DIVA!” SZA and Lamar continue their Grand National Tour with two more L.A. shows on May 23-24, with the duo currently riding a record-setting 13-week streak atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart with their hit single, “Luther.” Lizzo, meanwhile, is prepping the release of her upcoming fifth album, Love in Real Life, and recently performed on Saturday Night Live on April 12. (Rolling Stone)