Month: September 2025

I’ve written a bunch about the crossovers between hip-hop and comics books, from Stan Lee’s influence on rap to the comics lines created by stars like Lisa and Metro Boomin.

At New York Comic Con next week, Marvel and Mass Appeal will carry on that tradition (heh), with Legend Has It…, a new comics series inspired by Mass Appeal’s ongoing album initiative starring rap icons such as Big L, De La Soul, Ghostface Killah, Mobb Deep, Nas, Raekwon, and Slick Rick. Written by Brandon Thomas and illustrated by Sanford Greene, the series will be formally launched on October 10 at NYCC, with issue #1 available at Whatnot’s live shopping stage, Whatnot House, from 5:30–7:00 PM ET, with an exclusive variant cover following the “Comics and Hip-Hop: A Marvel x Mass Appeal Conversation” panel.

There might be no better partner to explore the intersections between rap and comics than Marvel, as the publisher already has a rich history of working with rap titans through its 2015 variant covers turning books starring the likes of Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, and ThorMidnight Marauders, 50 Cent’s Get Rich Or Die Trying, ASAP Rocky’s Long.Live.A$AP, and MF Doom and Madlib’s Madvillainy.

In a press release, Mass Appeal’s founder Nas said, “Working with Marvel on this comic is a celebration of Hip Hop and its legacy. There’s a story we tell through our music, and watching that energy come to life in these pages is a tribute to the culture that shaped us and continues to inspire generations.”

With his Forever Yung Tour kicking off this week, Swedish rapper Yung Lean has revealed his tour openers. According to a press release, he’s bringing a quartet of artists along with him that includes Niontay, Xaviersobased, Taxidermists, and ear.

ear is an elusive duo of electronic producers who will play dates in Canada. Meanwhile, rappers Niontay and Xaviersobased, both from the US, will trade off dates on the first half of the tour. Meanwhile, the final three US dates will feature Massachusetts-based rock duo Taxidermists. You’ll be able to see details below.

After completing the tour, Yung Lean is set to perform alongside Psykos collaborator Bladee to start 2026, and it looks like they could be positioning themselves for a follow-up, as well.

Yung Lean Forever Yung Tour Dates

10/4 – Detroit, MI @ Russell Industrial Center*
10/7 – Chicago, IL @ Fairgrounds at Salt Shed*
10/9 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium^
10/11 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater^
10/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium^
10/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Brooklyn Mirage^
10/16 – Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues Boston+
10/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia+
10/19 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem+
10/20 – Toronto, ON @ HISTORY~
10/21 – Montreal, QB @ MTELUS~
11/09 – Prague, CZ @ Forum Karlin
11/10 – Vienna, AT @ Gasometer
11/12 – Berlin, DE @ Uber Eats Music Hall
11/13 – Warsaw, PL @ COS Torwar Hall
11/15 – Milan, IT @ Fabrique Milano
11/17 – Barcelona, ES @ Hivernacle
11/19 – Tilburg, NL @ 013 Poppodium
11/20 – Offenbach am Main, DE @ Stadthalle Offenbach
11/22 – London, UK @ OVO Arena Wembley
11/24 – Paris, FR @ Zénith Paris – La Villette
11/26 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester

* support from Niontay
^ support from Xaviersobased
+ support from Taxidermists
~ support from ear

While performing at the All Things Go Festival in New York this weekend, Lola Young had a scary incident: Suddenly, she collapsed on stage and fell to the floor. She later shared a message online, saying, “Hi, for anyone who saw my set at All Things Go today, I am doing OK now. Thank you for all of your support, Lola.”

As for where Young stands now, she’ll be taking some time to herself: Today (September 30), she shared a post on Instagram, announcing that she is cancelling “everything for the foreseeable future” and “going away for a while.”

The post reads in full:

“I’m going away for a while. It pains me to say I have to cancel everything for the foreseeable future.

Thank you for all the love and support. I’m so sorry to let anyone down who has bought a ticket to see me, it hurts me more than you know. Obviously you will be entitled to a full refund.

I really hope you’ll give me a second chance once I’ve had some time to work on myself and come back stronger.

Love you all,
Lola x”

Young’s website currently lists a bunch of upcoming tour dates and festival appearances between October 2025 and June 2026, but presumably, at least some of those will be officially cancelled.

When I first hit play on Joey Badass‘s new album Lonely At The Top, “Supaflee” jumped out at me as the notoriously nostalgic rapper’s nod to the mid-2000s mixtape era. It sounds kinda like it was produced by prime The Neptunes, and Joey’s flow has never resembled fellow Brooklynite Fabolous’ distinctive delivery more than it does here.

Apparently, Joey feels the same way, as the “Supaflee” video winds up being nearly a straight-up remake of Fab’s 2001 video for “Young’n (Holla Back),” which was produced by The Neptunes in full 2000s phasers-on-high mode. Here, see for yourself:

While it’s not a shot-for-shot rehash of the video, Joey’s vid hits most of the same beats: rapping in a subway, random New Yorkers doing the Harlem Shake (the real one, not whatever that nonsense was that y’all were doing twelve years ago as part of a “meme”), and a third-minute location change to a studio backdrop performance. Joey’s is black-and-white versus Fab’s colorful switch-up, but it’s fun to see him paying homage while updating the formula.

Joey has also released one other video from Lonely At The Top: “Still” with Ab-Soul and Rapsody. They will also join him on his Dark Aura Tour, which you can find more info about here.

You can watch the “Supaflee” video above.

Lonely At The Top is out now via Columbia Records. You can find more info here.

Budding Icelandic superstar Laufey isn’t a household name. Her music is household music, but if you drove to Coachella this year, billboards clued attendees in to exactly why her name isn’t instantly known: most people just pronounce it wrong. Once you figure out how to say “Laufey” out loud (“Lay-vay” is the easiest approximation), you realize that there might not be a singer rising faster in all of music.

And, for her part, Laufey is well aware at just how fast this is all happening. During the second of two sold-out concerts at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, the artist reflected on the three-year journey that saw her leveling up from The Troubadour in West Hollywood to this massive downtown venue. Laufey noted that performing in front of maybe 500 people a few years earlier felt like a worthwhile peak at the time, and that if it all ended there, it would be enough. She also noted that she didn’t have a proper chance to reflect at the time. Now, in front of an arena audience, she’s not making that mistake again.

There’s plenty about Laufey’s success that might feel surprising. As a Berklee-trained musician, she can play cello, piano, and guitar. Her style incorporates jazz and classical elements, while everything from bossa nova to Aaron Dessner-produced acoustic-pop is on the table in her catalog. This year, she made a surprise appearance at Coachella, not guesting with a big tent DJ, but being accompanied by the LA Philharmonic. Even when introducing the tender ballad “Let You Break My Heart Again,” she acknowledged how her music could seem hard to relate to for people of her age group, making the massive resonance her music is finding feel like a miracle.

Because looking around the audience on Saturday night, it was obvious that something was bringing people together from all demographics and age ranges. The crowd was definitely teen-heavy, with plenty of parental chaperones there. But there were also people of her own age, wearing their Oddli crowns and sporting their just-purchased Laufey merch. Many even did Laufey cosplay, which led to a portion of the show where Mei Mei, her bunny mascot/alterego, looked for the best-dressed fan at the concert. This night’s winner was a child who looked like a Laufey mini-me, complete with both princess and flapper dresses to combine Laufey’s biggest style inspos.

Laufey was just revealed to have a major slot at next year’s Coachella, where she’ll reach another career milestone and bring her old-timey sounds to even more of her peers. And some might see this as a fad, as part of the never-ending trend where old becomes new again. But that discounts the obvious talent of the songwriter, her genius ways of engaging young audiences through social media (she won multiple Webbys in 2024), and just how engaging and addictive her music is. “Castle In Hollywood” could easily fit in a Gracie Abrams set as a propulsive bit of confessional indie-pop, while “From The Start” evokes Caetano Veloso more than it does any of her contemporaries, to the tune of nearly a billion plays on Spotify.

It’s all very heartening, that young people remain open to music that might surprise the powers that be. Sometimes, quality indeed rises to the top, especially when it is made by savvy creators who know how to capture the attention of their own generation.

The Oasis reunion tour is over. It seems possible it’ll be back, but at least for now, it’s done. There’s something Oasis fans can get their hands on to remember it, though: Oasis Live ’25 Opus, a new commemorative book made in partnership with Opus.

The announcement notes the project “will be a celebration of the band’s live legacy, captured by the very best with unprecedented and unique access plus collaboration from both Liam and Noel.”

The Limited Marquee Edition will be limited to just 100 copies globally. Measuring a whopping 62 by 45 centimeters, it includes 400 pages “printed in ultra-high-definition on luxury heavyweight 200gsm silk paper and then hand-bound by master binders,” “presented in a silk covered clamshell case.” Other editions include the “Midi” and “Retail” editions. Those who get the Marquee and Midi editions will receive a “special certification ‘tombstone’,” which looks like a commemorative ticket encased in acrylic. More information about the different versions will be available in the future and a sign-up form to “register your interest” can be found here.

Photographer Simon Emmett said in a statement:

“Being chosen to photograph the top-secret Oasis reunion portraits was a real honour. As the only photographer to document it from the very start through to the end of the tour, it’s been a truly unique and privileged experience and insight. The extraordinary mania and positivity has been intoxicating. Much more than a band reunion, it’s been a real cultural movement.”

Learn more here.

As much as some sources would love to discount or ignore it, the fact remains: The biggest breakout in music in 2025 is the soundtrack for Kpop Demon Hunters, the runaway hit Netflix film from Sony Animation. Huntrix (stylized as HUNTR/X), the titular K-pop trio that also hunts demons, has held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for well over a month; their rival group in the movie, Saja Boys, holds two more spots in the top five.

Now, the vocalists behind Huntrix — Audrey Nuna, EJAE, and Rei Ami — have announced their debut television performance, setting off waves of anticipation among fans of the film and K-pop in general, and cementing the film’s success as the real-world phenomenon it has always been. In a social media video announcement, Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon is visited by the film’s characters Derpy and Sussie (a smiling tiger and a sarcastic magpie) in their usual roles as messengers, delivering a letter revealing that the Kpop Demon Hunters crew will be performing live on Tuesday, October 7.

In addition to being the “group’s” television debut, it’ll also be the first time Audrey, EJAE, and Rei have ever performed together live.

The film’s runaway success caught much of the establishment unawares; as the soundtrack debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200 and the movie shot to the top of Netflix’s own charts, there was still no merch created, and little marketing. However, word of mouth — or maybe song of mouth — spread like wildfire in the spaces frequented by K-pop fans. At the same time, lovers of Sony Animation standouts like the Spider-Verse series and The Mitchells Vs. The Machines were likely equally excited to check out the stylishly unique-looking movie. Powered by its hilariously catchy soundtrack — “Golden” is a banger, but “Soda Pop” and “Takedown” are inescapable bops — Kpop Demon Hunters not only made the most of its goofy premise, but it’s also put the genre on an even bigger stage, beyond its core fans and into the living rooms of seemingly the entire nation.

You can find out what the hype is all about yourself on October 7 on The Tonight Show.

Alabama Shakes are back and they just gave fans their fill of live music, as they just wrapped up a tour. To mark the occasion, they have shared a video from their Red Rocks Amphitheatre concert, of their performance of “Another Life.”

Howard previously said of the song:

“When I wrote Another Life, I was thinking about all the lives we carry. The ones we’re living right now, the ones that slipped away because of different choices, the what ifs, the what wasn’t meant to be, the goodbyes, and the chance encounters that feel divine. This song is about those threads and how they stretch across time and space, connecting every version of who we are. It’s about letting them come together, letting them harmonize, and realizing that goodbye isn’t really goodbye. It’s more like I’ll see you later. A collective story that never stops unfolding. I’m glad we opened this door into this reality of us making music together again.”

Watch the “Another Life” performance above. Below, find the band’s upcoming tour dates, along with their tour setlist.

Alabama Shakes’ 2025 Tour Dates

11/15 — Mexico City, MX @ Corona Capital Festival

Alabama Shakes’ 2025 Tour Setlist

1. “Intro”
2. “Future People”
3. “Don’t Wanna Fight”
4. “I Ain’t The Same”
5. “I Found You”
6. “Guess Who”
7. “Hang Loose”
8. “Hold On”
9. “This Feeling”
10. “Dunes”
11. “Another Life”
12. “Gimme All Your Love”
13. “Over My Head”
14. “Rise To The Sun”
15. “Shoegaze”
16. “Drive By Baby”
17. “Be Mine”
18. “American Dream”
19. “Gemini”
20. “Sound & Color” (encore)
21. “Someday” (encore)
22. “Always Alright” (encore)

Doja Cat learns all the dangers of falling in love — literally — in the new video for “Stranger” from her new album, Vie.

The Dave Meyers-directed video opens with Doja jumping out of a plane in a wedding dress. Of course, she’s wearing a parachute, which leads to the stark image from her controversial album cover. Then, she dodges another plane as it buzzes dangerously close overhead, catches a ride with a passing motorcyclist, falls off and gets dragged by the train of her dress, and ends up stranded at an old mission. The video cryptically ends with a “To Be Continued…” title card, but anyone who lived through the aughts could tell you that don’t mean much.

“Stranger” follows “Gorgeous” and “Jealous Type” as the third music video released from Vie, Doja’s fifth studio album. Like the rest of the songs on the new project, it borrows elements of ’80s R&B and New Wave, pairing them with Doja’s witty wordplay. If you’re a sucker for sax, it’s an album you’ll probably have on repeat for the rest of the year — and probably well into 2026, as Doja launches her Tour Ma Vie World Tour this November and takes it all over the globe, wrapping up the US leg just before the holidays.

Watch Doja Cat’s “Stranger” video above.

Vie is out now via RCA Records. You can find more info here.

Daniel Ek co-founded Spotify in 2006 and has long been the public face of the company. Things are about to change, as it was just announced that he is stepping down as CEO. Instead, Gustav Söderström (currently the co-president and chief product and technology officer) and Alex Norström (co-president and chief business officer) will take over as Spotify’s co-CEOs, while Ek will move into the role of Executive Chairman.

Per Spotify, Ek’s new role “will more closely reflect a European Chairman setup, where he will determine capital allocation, map the long term future of Spotify and continue to provide support and guidance to its senior team.”

Notably, this comes after artists like King Gizzard And The Wizard Lizard, Hotline TNT, and Massive Attack removed their music from Spotify, in protest of Ek’s venture capital firm Prima Materia investing millions of dollars in the military AI company Helsing. Per Spotify, though, it doesn’t appear the change is in response to this: Their post notes that the shift “formalizes how Spotify has successfully operated since 2023 with the co-presidents largely leading strategic development and operational execution of Spotify.”

Ek said in a statement:

“I always believed that Spotify could play an important role in revolutionizing listening around the world, and with more than 700 million users, we’ve truly charted a new course bringing creativity to every corner of the globe. Over the last few years, I’ve turned over a large part of the day-to-day management and strategic direction of Spotify to Alex and Gustav — who have shaped the company from our earliest days and are now more than ready to guide our next phase. This change simply matches titles to how we already operate. In my role as Executive Chairman, I will focus on the long arc of the company and keep the Board and our co-CEOs deeply connected through my engagement.”

Find the full news release here.