Category: News

UPROXX Studios’ Chief Visionary Officer will.i.am is pushing the limits of what it means to innovate – in culture and in the tech industry. Building on his recent work at UPROXX, where he helped fuse next-gen digital platforms with bold and impactful storytelling, the multi-platinum artist and founder of FYI.AI is taking his mission of AI education global, launching a pioneering course at Arizona State University and spearheading a UN–Google initiative that trains students in Africa. His goal? To show that creativity and AI aren’t just compatible – together, they’re unstoppable.

At ASU, he assumes the role of Professor of Practice at The GAME School, where he designs and teaches “The Agentic Self,” a 15-week course that aims to equip students not only with technical skills but also with creative agency in an AI-driven world. Using his FYI.AI platform and NVIDIA’s AI tools, students will build personalized AI companions, or “Agentic Selves,” designed to grow with them throughout their academic and professional lives.

“This professorship marks a new chapter in my life,” will.i.am said, adding that The Agentic Self “represents a solution to AI replacing human jobs.” The class promises a rare combination: rigorous technical training, ethical grounding, and a hands-on creative approach that reflects will.i.am’s own experience as a technologist and entrepreneur.

Across the globe, he is doubling down on that ethos. In partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Google, will.i.am is bringing AI and robotics education to underserved students in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. The program prioritizes inclusion, aiming to give girls and other marginalized youth access to tools and training that will prepare them to shape the AI-driven economy.

“In our global tech-driven economy, it’s urgent that we help bring young people in critically underserved areas up to speed so they can participate,” will.i.am said. Google Senior VP James Manyika added, “To take full advantage of the opportunities presented by AI, we must democratize access, making it available to everyone, everywhere.”

The thread connecting all of this is clear: will.i.am is the bridge – not just between music and tech, but also between creativity and engineering, local impact and global ambition. From UPROXX Studios to FYI.AI, he has consistently turned ideas into platforms and platforms into movements. With the ASU course and the UN–Google initiative, he’s teaching students how to lead, create, and innovate in a world where technology shapes every part of our lives. In short, will.i.am isn’t just participating in the future of AI, he’s building it – and making sure everyone has a seat at the table.

AI bands are here. Some of them have garnered attention, but for every one that does, there are a thousand that are just filling streaming platforms with slop. Deezer recently reported that nearly a third of all songs uploaded to their platform are AI-generated now.

Spotify is also dealing with AI and in a news post about it, they share a pretty stunning number: Over the past 12 months, 75 million “spammy” songs have been removed from the platform.

Spotify also notes that on the AI front, their current focuses are “improved enforcement of impersonation violations,” “a new spam filtering system,” and “AI disclosures for music with industry-standard credits.”

They’ve unveiled a new impersonation policy designed to prevent songs that use an unauthorized copy of an artist’s voice, saying that “vocal impersonation is only allowed in music on Spotify when the impersonated artist has authorized the usage.” This fall, they’ll also start rolling out a new spam filter, “a system that will identify uploaders and tracks engaging in these tactics, tag them, and stop recommending them.” Finally, they also announced they’re “helping develop and will support” a new standard for AI disclosures in music credits.

The post gets into more granular detail, so check it out here.

Since 2022, Fred Again.. has been in the middle of releasing USB, a continually evolving album that periodically gets new songs. The project is about to enter a busy stretch, as today (September 25), Fred announced that ten songs will be added.

In an announcement video shared on social media today, Fred stands in front of a large building as somebody off camera instructs Fred to hold the big button he’s holding in the air and press it after a brief countdown. When Fred hits the button, a banner unfurls and drapes over the side of the building behind him. It reads, “USB002, 10 weeks, 10 songs, 10 cities.” Fred also captioned the post, “this is us for the next 77 days.”

Per a press release, the location of each of those shows will only be revealed the weekend before. The first show is set to be announced soon, on September 28.

The release also says Fred has been teasing some of the new songs lately, including during his recent performance on a fan’s roof, which took place right after a more traditional concert. Fred explained, “After a show i never quite know what to do. like you go from being filled with the most adreneline ever, to suddenly being like alone or basically alone. Often I just play songs im working on and jam on my keyboard to try ideas out to try n calm down and stuff, cos i cant really be social often. So when i saw fedde commenting on a post that he had a rooftop that overlooked the show i thought wow this could be like my dream afters.”

Coachella unveiled its 2026 lineup last week, and now, Goldenvoice’s country counterpart festival is readying for next year, too. Today (September 25), the lineup for Stagecoach 2026 — which runs from April 24 to 26 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California — was announced.

Some of the more notable names include Post Malone, BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman, Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, and Teddy Swims.

Elsewhere on the poster are Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters, Brooks & Dunn, Bush, Counting Crows, Diplo, Hootie & The Blowfish, Journey, Ludacris, Noah Cyrus, Pitbull, Third Eye Blind, and The Wallflowers.

Passes go on sale beginning October 2 at 11 a.m. PT via the festival website.

Check out the full lineup in alphabetical order below.

Stagecoach 2026 Lineup

Adrien Nunez
Amos Lee
Avery Anna
Bailey Zimmerman
Bayker Blankenship
Benjamin Tod
BigXthaPlug
Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters
Brandon Wisham
Braxton Keith
Brett Young
Brooks & Dunn
Bush
Cameron Whitcomb
Charles Wesley Godwin
Chase Matthew
Chase Rice
Cody Johnson
Corey Kent
Counting Crows
Diplo
Eli Young Band
Elizabeth Nichols
Ella Langley
Gabriella Rose
Gavin Adcock
Guy Fieri
Hannah McFarland
Hootie & the Blowfish
Hudson Westbrook
Ink
Jake Worthington
Josh Ross
Journey
Julia Cole
Kameron Marlowe
Kevin Smiley
Lainey Wilson
Lane Pittman
Larkin Poe
Little Big Town
Ludacris
Lyle Lovett
Marcus King Band
Max McNown
Michael Marcagi
Nate Smith
Neon Union
Noah Cyrus
Noah Rinker
Ole 60
Pitbull
Post Malone
Redferrin
Red Clay Strays
Riley Green
Ryan Hurd
S.G. Goodman
Sam Barber
Something Out West
Tayler Holder
Teddy Swims
The Road
The Wallflowers
Third Eye Blind
Treaty Oak Revival
Tyler Braden
Ty Myers
Warren Zeiders
Willow Avalon
Wyatt Flores
Wynonna Judd
Zach John King

Check out Bailey Zimmerman’s Sound Check episode below:

Check out BigXthaPlug’s VISIONARIES performance below:

When Cardi B name-checks Latto on her Am I The Drama? standout “Errtime,” she perfectly tees up a guest appearance that never materializes. It’s a disappointing omission, but as always, Cardi had another trick up her sleeve. On Wednesday, she announced a revamped release of her second album, the “Errtime Edition,” adding her “Put It On Da Floor” collaborator for a knockout verse that elevates the club fight song to a new plateau of electrifying excitement.

“G lock in my hip, I walk around with a switch / I know this ho ain’t talking sh*t with broke n**** on her lips,” Latto taunt. “Like, how you let a rapper hit that ain’t even got no hits? / Man, my thick ass went to fashion week, them dresses couldn’t even zip.”

The verse is Latto’s second surprise collaboration of the year after she hooked up with former rival Ice Spice on “Gyatt,” officially putting their feud to rest and giving fans a glimpse of her potential follow-up project to 2024’s Sugar Honey Iced Tea. Meanwhile, Am I The Drama? finds Cardi reuniting with other past collaborators, such as Kehlani, on songs like “Safe.”

You can listen to Cardi B’s remix of “Errtime” featuring Latto above.

Am I The Drama? is out now via Atlantic Records. You can find more info here.

For one weekend every summer, the Primavera Sound festival makes Barcelona the center of the music world. Now, next year’s fest is coming into focus. Today (September 25), organizers have announced the 2026 lineup.

The biggest names on the poster (literally, in terms of font size) are The Cure, Doja Cat, The xx, Gorillaz, Massive Attack, Addison Rae, My Bloody Valentine, PinkPantheress, Skrillex, and Peggy Gou.

Also included among the 150 names revealed today are Lola Young, Mac DeMarco, Little Simz, Big Thief, Ethel Cain, Dijon, Role Model, Wet Leg, Jade, 2hollis, Alex G, Amaarae, Ashnikko, Blood Orange, Father John Misty, Men I Trust, Ravyn Lenae, Rilo Kiley, Cameron Winter, Cara Delevingne, Fcukers, Geese, Panda Bear, Touché Amoré, and Water From Your Eyes.

Furthermore, the festival is set to reveal a “parallel programme” that will extend the festival to a full week.

The festival is going down from June 3 to 7. As for tickets, registration for the fan sale is open now until September 28 at 11:59 p.m. CEST. The sale will then be active for 24 hours, or until tickets sell out, beginning September 29 at 11 a.m. CEST. The general on-sale will follow on September 30 at 11 a.m. CEST. More information is available on the Primavera Sound website.

ASAP Rocky has been in press a bit lately, as he promotes his movies, Highest 2 Lowest and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, while his partner (possibly wife?) Rihanna also popped up in the Smurfs movie earlier this year. While fans’ have been champing at the bit to get albums from both, they’ve got a different announcement today: Their third child, Rocki, has arrived.

Rihanna shared a loving photo of herself with Rocki on Instagram, alongside a caption revealing her full name (Rocki Irish Myers) and birthdate (she was technically born about a week ago, on September 13). A second slide captures an adorable, tiny pair of pink boxing gloves tied with ribbons; it sounds like this one is a fighter.

The couple first revealed their third pregnancy just ahead of the Met Gala in May, telling reporters at the event they were “tired” of keeping it a secret. “It feels amazing,” Rocky said on the blue carpet. “We were tired of holding that, and it was time to show the people what we was cooking up. I’m glad everybody’s happy for us, because we’re definitely happy.”

Meanwhile, at the same event, Rihanna told reporters that the pregnancy would not delay her long-awaited ninth studio album, saying, “I can still sing.” Now that the baby has arrived, though, it looks like any further announcements may have to wait as they dote on the newborn.

Coco Jones chooses between hits from rappers like Doechii and Doja Cat, alt bands, and more in this week’s episode of Sound Check With Jeremy Hecht. While we’ve had some R&B singers before, even longtime fans of the actress-turned-hitmaker might be surprised by some of her choices. While Coco is best known for songs like “Other Side Of Love” and “Toxic,” her tastes run the gamut of genres, proving she has the range.

Here’s how it works: Jeremy plays two songs for the guest artist, who has to choose one and explain their choice, giving Jeremy a chance to learn their musical taste. Jeremy then has to guess the artist’s life anthem, the song they’d take to a desert island, which the guest wrote down earlier on a piece of paper. Our production team has also given him a decoy song, and Jeremy has to guess which is correct based on what he’s learned in the previous rounds.

When it comes to R&B, Coco’s more of a Jazmine Sullivan “Pick Up Your Feelings” girly than a SZA “Kill Bill.” Meanwhile, her pop palate runs more Justin Bieber than it does One Direction, and hey, when it comes to Doechii vs. Doja, she’s got a little more Swamp Princess in her than Tarzana troublemaker.

Watch Coco Jones take on the Sound Check challenge above. New episodes of Sound Check drop every Wednesday at noon ET/9 a.m. PT on Uproxx’s YouTube.

Everybody Scream, the first Florence + The Machine album since 2022’s Dance Fever, is set to come out next month, on October 31.

So far, we’ve heard the title track, and today (September 24), Florence Welch offers “One Of The Greats,” an epic rocker made with Aaron Dessner and Idles’ Mark Bowen.

In a statement, Welch says of the song:

“I don’t really know how to explain myself with this one, it was sort of a long poem about the cost of greatness. Who gets to decide what that is? Why do I even want it? Why am I never satisfied?

I feel like I die a little bit every time I make a record, and kind of literally nearly died on the last tour. Yet I always dig myself up to try again, always trying to please that one person who doesn’t like it, or finally feel like I made something perfect and I can rest.

Early in my career, I was consistently ridiculed and derided for the bigness of my expression. I was thrust into the spotlight but also told again and again I didn’t deserve it, or that because it wasn’t to their taste it wasn’t good. So maybe this is a 15-year outpouring of frustration. But also, a lot of the lines I just left in because I thought they were funny.

Me and Bowen from IDLES wrote it in one take. He played the guitar and I just sang it straight from the page. We meant to re-record it but the first take just had this amazing energy.

Then Aaron Dessner helped us take it to a truly transcendent place. I wanted it to feel like you were disintegrating into nothing at the end. Which is sometimes what the creative process feels to me. Death and resurrection over and over.”

Listen to “One Of The Greats” above and check out the Everybody Scream cover art below.

Florence + The Machine’s Everybody Scream Album Cover Artwork

Everybody Scream is out 10/31 via Polydor. Find more information here.

The All Things Go festival is celebrating a decade with All Things Go: 10 Years, a benefit compilation benefiting Jack Antonoff’s charity the Ally Coalition. Bartees Strange is doing his part by contributing a new song, “DCWDTTY.”

The track is inspired by DC post-hardcore icons Smart Went Crazy, specifically their song “DC Will Do That To You.” It’s not a cover, though, but a new song Bartees made with Antonoff. In a statement, Bartees explains:

“One of my favorite songs from people in this part of the world is ‘DC Will Do That To You’ by Smart Went Crazy. Content-wise, this song doesn’t have much to do with theirs, other than I feel like a big part of who I am is because of DC and what I feel like it did to and for me. This song is just me, wandering through the DMV — things seen and heard in a uniquely lovely and upside down place.”

Listen to “DCWDTTY” above and find Bartees’ upcoming tour dates below.

Bartees Strange’s 2025 Tour Dates

09/27 — Columbia, MD @ All Things Go
09/28 — Saugerties, NY @ AutoCamp Catskills
11/10 — Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
11/12 — San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
11/15 — West Hollywood, CA @ The Peppermint Club
11/18 — Grand Rapids, MI @ St. Cecilia Music Center