Did you know that of the 100 most-streamed songs on Spotify, only three were released in the 1990s? The complete list: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana (2.4 billion), “Wonderwall” by Oasis (2.3 billion), and “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls (2.3 billion). That’s it!
“It was pretty interesting, because that was the first time I had ever written a song for a film specifically,” Goo Goo Dolls lyricist John Rzeznik told the Grammys about the origin of the band’s biggest hit. “I had a guitar [that] had four strings on it because I broke two. I just wandered into this weird tuning, and I went back to my hotel room, and thought about it.” He added, “I never expected that song to do so well. I just wanted to be on a soundtrack U2, Peter Gabriel, and Alanis Morissette were on.”
On her upcoming Ultrasound world tour, Lorde is playing major venues like New York’s Madison Square Garden and Inglewood’s Kia Forum. Lorde seems to admit, though, that she was hesitant to go for giant rooms like these following her underwhelming Melodrama tour in 2017 and 2018.
In an email sent to newsletter subscribers yesterday (May 13), Lorde wrote:
“I am in legitimate shock about your excitement for this tour. It’s beyond what I could have dreamed. Deciding to book a bigger tour was something I agonised over (Melo arena tour…if you know……) but in the spirit of having the gd stones I decided that this music wants to be played in big rooms and that a lot of us should be there. To have that met with this is so beautiful. Thank you for your faith in me. I am not f*cking around with it.”
In 2018, The Guardian said the Melodrama tour “flopped,” and reported that at a Milwaukee concert, only 6,000 fans showed up to the 18,000-capacity arena, and that Ticketmaster significantly slashed ticket prices for other tour stops amid low sales.
Find Lorde’s tour dates below.
Lorde’s 2025 Tour Dates: Ultrasound
09/17 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center !*
09/19 — Chicago, IL @ United Center !*
09/20 — Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle !*
09/23 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center !*
09/24 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena !*
09/26 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden =!
09/27 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre =!
09/30 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center =!
10/01 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden !*
10/03 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Petersen Events Center !*
10/04 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem !*
10/07 — Duluth, GA @ Gas South Arena !^
10/09 — St. Louis, MO @ Chaifetz Arena !^
10/10 — Milwaukee, WI @ UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena !^
10/11 — Minneapolis, MN @ Armory !^
10/14 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre =!
10/17 — Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena =!
10/18 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum =!^
10/19 — Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre !^
10/21 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center !^
10/22 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena !^
11/09 — Luxembourg @ Rockhal $
11/10 — Paris, France @ Zénith de Paris @ La Villette %
11/15 — Manchester, UK @ AO Arena =%
11/16 — London, UK @ O2 Arena &%
11/19 — Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro &%
11/20 — Birmingham, UK @ Utilitia Arena &%
11/22 — Dublin, IE @ RDS Simmonscourt &%
11/24 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ AFAS Live &
11/27 — Brussels, Belgium @ Forest National !
11/29 — Bologna, Italy @ Unipol Arena !
11/30 — Zurich, Switzerland @ Halle 622 !
12/01 — Munich, Germany @ Zenith !
12/03 — Cologne, Germany @ Palladium !
12/05 — Berlin, Germany @ Max-Schmeling-Halle !
12/06 — Lodz, Poland @ Atlas Arena !
12/08 — Copenhagen, Denmark @ K.B. Hallen !
12/09 — Stockholm, Sweden @ Annexet !
= with Blood Orange
! with The Japanese House
& with Nilüfer Yanya
* with Chanel Beads
^ with Empress Of
% with Jim-E Stack
$ with Oklou
Virgin is out 6/27 via Republic Records. Find more information here.
But Joey Badass had something besides bars to hand out. He also had a few origin stories to share. During a sit-down with Red Bull, Joey spoke about his early days in the underground Brooklyn rap scene and how his path eventually crossed with fellow BK native Jay-Z.
According to Joey Badass, he nearly inked a management deal with Roc Nation. Unfortunate for him, it slipped through his fingers.
When asked about remaining steadfast to the independent route, Joey made the shocking confession.
“I didn’t necessarily opt to go the indie route,” he said.
“It was a chain of communication that I didn’t have any part in,” he continued referring to the failed partnership. “You gotta understand, at that point I’m a 17-year-old kid from Brooklyn, that was the dream, the highest honor you can have.”
Joey then chimed: “Jay is my favorite rapper, even to this day, and within a year of being in the game he wanted to sign me. But he didn’t want to sign me as an artist, he wanted to manage me. I had a manager at the time and I always wonder if that’s how it got botched.”
Eventually, the pair would attempt to connect for another venture, Western film The Harder They Fall (produced by Jay-Z and directed by Jeymes Samuel). Joey Badass was supposedly approached to joining the movie’s cast but ultimately had to decline as he had recently committed to his role in 50 Cent’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan.
If only for a sense of Brooklyn unity, fans hope to see Jay-Z and Joey Badass work together at some point.
The Beyhive is frantically running out to lock down a Western look for the Cowboy Carter Tour. Just in the nick of time, Beyoncé has swooped in with a simple yet fashionable suggestion.
In a limited-edition t-shirt drop, supporters can purchase Beyoncé’s reimagination of the company’s logo to mirror the double “i” used throughout Cowboy Carter. Fans can currently grab a tee in white with red trim or all black for $45 on Beyoncé’s official online store.
Beginning on May 16, the logo shirt will b made available global with the retailer, by way of their website Levi.com, the Levi’s clothing app, and in select Levi’s stores.
Beyoncé and Levi launched their collaboration with a series of teaser and two commercials (“Chapter 1: Launderette” and “Chapter 2: Pool Hall“) emphasizing the brand’s rich denim legacy. Now, their new t-shirt collaboration shows off another staple in Levi’s longline of causal goodies.
The Beyoncé X Levi’s Graphic Essential Sporty Ringer tees are available now. Find more information here.
Reneé Rapp has kept a pretty low profile this year. Outside of a few commercials reprising her Mean Girls role, the “Not My Fault” singer’s professional plans have been kept tightly under wraps–until today (May 13).
Over on Instagram, Reneé Rapp confirmed her musical hiatus will soon come to an end. In a teaser clip (viewable here), Rapp announced her forthcoming single, “Bite Me.”
“MAY 21,” she captioned the risqué video.
Rapp let it all hang out (literally) as she ditched a shirt and bra opting only for cap with the song’s title, and a pair of gray sweatpants barely covering her animal print panties.
The topless visual set the mood for what’s to come as Rapp’s singes the lines, “I’m a real bad girl, but a real good kisser / Leave me alone b*tch I wanna have fun.”
Following news of Oasis’ live performance schedule, whispers of a comeback album began to circulate online. In September 2024, Liam Gallagher seemingly confirmed that band had in fact finished recording a new body of work.
“Yep it’s already finished,” chimed Liam in response to a fan’s probe on X (formerly Twitter).
However, it appears circumstance have changed. During an interview with Music Week, Oasis’ co-manager Alec McKinlay put an end to claim.
When asked if Oasis’ new album would be released on Big Brother Recordings, just in time for the label’s 25th anniversary Mckinley firmly said a project is not coming at all.
“This is very much the last time around, as Noel’s made clear in the press,” he said. “It’s a chance for fans who haven’t seen the band to see them, or at least for some of them to. But no, there’s no plan for any new music.”
Oasis’ last studio album, Dig Out Your Soul, was released in 2008. After that the band dropped a live recording (Knebworth 1996) in 2021, which was originally recorded in August 1996 at the Knebworth Festival in England.
Move over, Netflix? Paramount Plus is proving itself as a streaming force to be reckoned with, not only as the home of Taylor Sheridan’s countless shows but also hits like The Chi, MobLand, and the many lives of Dexter and frenemies. Then there’s Criminal Minds, which is currently continuing as Criminal Minds: Evolution with Matthew Gray Gubler finally reprising Dr. Spencer Reid during the current season, albeit only for one episode.
For his day job, Gubler has moved onto another procedural, in which he will portray Albert Einstein’s slacker great grandson, Lew Einstein, who has been coasting as a tenured professor and misguided genius. Via CBS, he will finally find purpose in “using his gift to help solve homicides.” That will happen after “his bad-boy antics land him in trouble with the law and he is pressed into service helping a local police detective.” For this series, Einstein, CBS recently unleashed this doozy of an image (dem feet):
CBS/Paramount
Does Einstein Have A Release Date Yet?
No precise date exists yet, but the show has been pushed back to the 2026-27 TV season by CBS.
CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach describes this as a strategic move that positions Einstein for long-term success as reported by Deadline:
“We felt like Einstein could really benefit from this path, even if it means changing course. We are not afraid to do that when it means that we are setting the show up for its best chances of success.”
The scheduling switch-up also “result[ed] in the departure of female lead Rosa Salazar,” who was set to portray Maddie Paris, a New Jersey State Police detective inspector. CBS provided no further elaboration on who will replace Salazar, but Reisenbach did stress that Einstein will contain a “really high mix of comedy and procedure.” And that description sounds perfectly suited to the generally quirky Matthew Gray Gubler’s talents and what his fans want.
Godzilla’s longevity streak has endured since the 1950s with no signs of him fading into the ocean for good. Lately, G-fans have been feasting and can look forward to a sequel for Toho’s Godzilla Minus One and a followup for last year’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire from Legendary’s Monsterverse. The nuclear lizard’s fanbase has also been devouring Legendary and Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters, which showcased Kurt and Wyatt Russell as the same character, the older version of which likely kicked the bucket in the first season finale.
The Apple TV+ series didn’t take time to (potentially) mourn, though. The tech giant announced multiple spin offs, but let’s get down to business on what’s to come in Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters‘ second season.
Cast
Apple TV+
Well, Wyatt Russell will return as Lee Shaw (as we will discuss below), but nobody is saying jack about whether Kurt Russell’s version survived and/or will return. Consider that a mystery.
An Apple TV+ wrap image has revealed Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons, and Takehiro Hira on Skull Island, and we can assume that there will be so much Kong in addition to Godzilla. Presumably, Anna Sawai will also be back as Cate Randa as more is revealed about her family legacy.
Joining the cast this season? Prey‘s Amber Midthunder will portray Isabel, “an intelligent and powerful businesswoman,” according to Variety.
Plot
First thing’s first. The 1950s version of Lee Shaw will definitely be back, as Wyatt Russell acknowledged while speaking with Collider to promote Thunderbolts*. However, the generation-spanning series had a ball with ambiguity in the first season regarding Kurt Russell’s older version of Shaw, who probably (?) did not survive that portal entry, and Kurt previously suggested that a baton passing was likely. However, we didn’t see a body, so hang tight for further clues there. Perhaps older Shaw will pop up in a spin off. No matter what, though, there will be more Shaw from Wyatt, who cautiously acknowledged to Collider that although “I haven’t been briefed on what I can tease and what I can’t,” he can promise “more monsters”:
“I can say that the mystery deepens. There are more monsters that arrive that are really fun to explore in the story. We wanted to level it up, I guess you could say, and in the Monarch way, ratchet up the stakes of the relationships as well. I can tease that the relationships really get ratcheted up.”
Those monsters will surely still include Godzilla because otherwise, viewers would riot. Also, expect to see this dude:
Legendary/Apple TV+
Yup, Apple TV+ hasn’t been subtle in throwing signs that this season will heavily feature Skull Island, which translates into Kong action.
Legendary/Apple TV+
While chatting with Gold Derby, series co-creator Chris Black (who wrote the second season scripts) stressed that more Kong is obviously on the table, but also, do not sleep on the human story:
“Where we left the season gave us so much fertile territory for storytelling. We want to continue to tell the human story. But there also was a hunger for more spectacle, for more monsters. So how do we make it bigger and better? We revealed Kong at the end of the first season. So there’s going to be an expectation you’re going to see more of Kong and we want to deliver on that. It’s the blessing and the curse of making a hit show: On the one hand, you’re like ‘Oh, we made a hit show’ Then you also, ‘Oh crap we made a hit show.’”
This newer image also shows Skull Island again, but what of the other Kaiji menaces that Wyatt Russell has teased? All lips appear to be zipped.
Release Date
Nada yet. The first season did arrive in November 2023, so it’s realistic to expect at least two years to pass between seasons with such heavy effects. Bet on late 2025 or early 2026.
Trailer
Apple TV+ is keeping second season footage under lock and key at the moment, but it’s worth revisiting the moment when Lee Shaw realizes that what doesn’t kill the nuclear lizard only makes him stronger.
It’s the next best thing to attending the Anime Awards with Megan Thee Stallion.
On Tuesday (May 13), Airbnb launched Airbnb Originals, which is described as “extraordinary experiences hosted by the world’s most interesting people.” The music-based opportunities include a day of “glam, dancing, and espresso” with Sabrina Carpenter; hanging out on a rooftop in Colombia with Karol G; and celebrating “a decade of memories” with Seventeen. There’s also an “Otaku Hottie Quest” with anime fan Megan Thee Stallion. Here’s more:
“Welcome to the Otakuverse, a dimension I created where your Otaku Hottie journey officially begins. Everyone starts with an empty quest bracelet. If you bring the right energy and serve the best looks, you’ll collect charms along the way.
I’ll be your senpai and official hype-hottie, awarding special charms needed to level up your Otaku Hottie-status — like a stallion charm awarded for strength or a booty charm earned for dancing. My trusty butler, a.k.a. my right-hand woman, will be running the show behind the scenes, ensuring everything is up to THEE highest standards.”
The Airbnb Originals experiences are free, but there’s limited availability on a “first-come, first-serve basis” to users who sign up. You can find out more here.
For a little while now, Abel Tesfaye has teased that he intends to retire his The Weeknd stage name. But, now he appears to be leaving the door open on continuing with his pseudonym.
“It feels like it. I mean, I’ve kind of toyed with the idea in the past with albums. But it could also just be a rebirth. Who knows?”
This is a shift in tone from a January interview in which he spoke more definitively, saying, “It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for. I feel like it comes with so much… You have a persona, but then you have the competition of it all. It becomes this rat race: more accolades, more success, more shows, more albums, more awards and more No. 1s. It never ends until you end it.”
He also said, “Everything needs to feel like a challenge. And for me right now, The Weeknd, whatever that is, it’s been mastered. No one’s gonna do the Weeknd better than me, and I’m not gonna do it better than what it is right now. I think I’ve overcome every challenge as this persona, and that’s why I’m really excited about this film, because I love this challenge. But I just want to know what comes after. I want to know what tomorrow looks like.”
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