Category: Trending

Michelle Zauner made her big Japanese Breakfast return last week when she shared “Orlando In Love,” the lead single from her upcoming album For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women). The song initially got a simple lyric video, but now Zauner has given the track a full-blown, high-effort music video.

Zauner says of the video:

“‘Orlando in Love’ is made up of a hodgepodge of odd references. The title comes from an epic poem by Matteo Maria Boiardo called Orlando Innamorato, which ends abruptly at 68.5 cantos because Italy was invaded by French troops, and that’s as far as he got before he had to flee. I fell in love with the title and envisioned a sort of whimsical, foolish male protagonist who lives by the sea in a Winneabeago RV and is seduced by a siren. After writing it, it felt like the perfect thesis statement for an album that is largely about people, often men, who find themselves seduced by temptation and are duly punished for it.

Somewhere along the way I came across Eduard von Grützner’s painting ‘The Connoisseur’ and I started to picture Orlando as a daydreaming friar who can’t help but tipple of the Abbey’s brews. He dreams of his siren and despite the dream’s foreboding imagery, decides he must run and find her. The siren is played by my dear friend Jungle, whom I spent most of my time with in Korea this year. The friars are played by Missy Dabice from Mannequin Pussy, making her return to the Jbrekkie Cinecanon, and Molly Germer. We filmed half of the video in Korea with Peter Ash Lee, who shot the cover of Jubilee, and half of it at my alma mater, Bryn Mawr College, with my longtime collaborator and DP, Adam Kolodny.”

On top of the video, Japanese Breakfast also added additional dates to the tour announced last week.

Watch the video above and find the upcoming tour dates below.

Japanese Breakfast’s 2025 Tour Dates: The Melancholy Tour

04/12 & 19 — Indio, CA @ Coachella Music and Arts Festival
04/23 — Austin, TX @ Moody Theater (ACL Live) *
04/24 — Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom *
04/26 — Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle *
04/27 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore *
04/28 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium *
05/02 — Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed *
05/03 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore *
05/05 — Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall *
05/06 — Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall *
05/07 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway *
05/09 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount *
05/10 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount *
05/11 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount *
05/15 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia Presented by Highmark *
05/16 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia Presented by Highmark *
06/21 — Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
06/24 — Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller
06/25 — Stockholm, SE @ Filadelfia
06/26 — Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA
06/29 — Manchester, UK @ Academy 1
06/30 — Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland
07/03 — London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton
07/04-06 — Ewijk, NL @ Down The Rabbit Hole 2025
07/08 — Paris, FR @ Le Trianon
07/10-12 — Bilbao, ES @ Bilbao BBK Live
08/23 — Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl *
08/27 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic *
08/28 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic *
08/30 — Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater *
09/01 — Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theater *
09/06 — Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom *
09/09 — St Paul, MN @ The Palace Theater *

* with Ginger Root

For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) is out 3/21 via Dead Ocean Records. Find more information here.

Paramore’s Hayley Williams is hoping to “finally” play some solo shows this year. Meanwhile, her grandfather went ahead and made a whole dang album (with her help, of course).

Grand Man is the debut studio album from Hayley’s 78-year-old grandfather, Rusty Williams. According to a press bio, he “began writing songs as a child, sang in a church choir, joined a band, wrote jingles for local businesses, and eventually recorded an album in the 70’s – his life’s work.”

Hayley and her bandmates, including Zac Farro (who is releasing Grand Man on his Congrats Records label), didn’t believe the album existed until it was unearthed by Rusty’s old production partner.

“So many people our age are mining these albums for tones and things you can’t even replicate,” Hayley said. “And Grandat has a way of cutting to the core of a feeling, and not overcomplicating it. Which we tend to do, because the world is hard. It’s nice when you can hear something plain and simple and know that it is true.”

Rusty added, “I don’t expect anything, and I’m too old to be famous. But I just want to know someone liked what I did, and to be touched by whatever the hell they are listening to. I want people to see how it felt when things were real.”

Listen to the smooth first single (that sax solo!) “Knocking (At Your Door)” above.

Rusty Williams’ Grand Man Album Cover Artwork

Rusty Williams’ Grand Man Tracklist

1. “Knocking (At Your Door)”
2. “Can’t Stay Away”
3. “Angel Eyes”
4. “Wanted”
5. “Fade Away”
6. “If Only For A While”
7. “Never Gonna Stop”
8. “Lovers Only Come And Go”
9. “Every Time I’m High”
10. “The Only Way For Me To Say I Love You”
11. “Riverboat Gambler”
12. “Someone Who Happened To Me”
13. “Take Me Around The World”

Grand Man is out 2/14 via Congrats Records. Find more information here.

For the past few months now, indie favorite Bartees Strange has been pushing his forthcoming album, Horror, with compelling singles like “Sober” and “Too Much.” Now, he’s added another one to the pot, as he shared “Wants Needs” today.

Bartees says of the song:

“I realized a couple years ago that if music is really going to work out long-term, I want/need more fans. Of course — it’s a timing and numbers game — but race is a powerful component too. I don’t see a lot of people like me in the indie space making long term livings on their records. I worry people may have a hard time connecting to me because I don’t look/sound like them. That I’m fun to root for, but not actually supported. This song is about how much that worries me — fully understanding that a lot of these neurosis are of my own making.”

He previously said of the album, “In a way I think I made this record to reach out to people who may feel afraid of things in their lives too. For me it’s love, locations, cosmic bad luck, or that feeling of doom that I’ve struggled with for as long as I can remember. I think that it’s easier to navigate the horrors and strangeness of life once you realize that everyone around you feels the same. This album is just me trying to connect. I’m trying to shrink the size of the world. I’m trying to feel close — so I’m less afraid.”

Listen to “Wants Needs” above.

Horror is out 2/14 via 4AD. Find more information here.

Apple TV+ has been in overdrive with newer sci-fi hits (like Silo and Dark Matter) since Severance‘s first season left the Lumon building, but three years later, it’s time to check in on Mark, Helly, Irving, and Dylan as they return to their dystopian workplace with harsh lighting and occasional dance parties.

The second season is as unsettling as the first, and the stakes are higher after the core four’s Innies (well, three of them) made contact with the Outie world. Milchick is as close to being out for blood as he could possibly be in this antiseptic environment, and countless fans are ready to settle in, possibly for a bingewatch, if the release schedule allows it upon the season premiere of January 17, 2024.

Will Severance Season 2 Be Released All At Once?

Nope, this season will drop one episode at a time. This is a departure from many Apple TV+ series that initially drop three episodes followed by a weekly entry, but Lumon apparently wants to be savored. As a result, the second season will have a total of ten weekly drops until the March 21 season finale.

This might not appeal to those who prefer to bingewatch, much like what happened with The Boys‘ third season. Yet after an initial uprising by a vocal group who were upset about a lack of instant gratification, that Prime Video/Amazon show settled into an episodic groove, and the potential for water-cooler-type TV discussions was reborn.

Also and having watched the first handful of Severance second season episodes, I can attest that the “stricter” weekly approach of episode drops does this show a favor by making it even more conversational with tons to absorb and discuss with each hour. And with a season that lasts longer (referring to air dates), the wait between seasons will feel at least slightly shorter. Maybe? Give it a chance.

Sean “Diddy” Combs is accused of drugging and raping a 16-year-old girl in the latest lawsuit against him, according to TMZ. The new lawsuit was filed by a woman who wishes to remain anonymous who claims she met the mogul in 2000 when he offered to drive her home from work in Manhattan with two other men.

Combs allegedly gave her a drink “to calm her down,” which she says made her groggy — after which, she was taken to another location, where he allegedly raped her. She says she was later dropped off at home. The woman is suing for an unspecified amount for “serious emotional distress,” physical injury, and financial damages.

The anonymous woman is just one of dozens of lawsuits that have been brought against him since November 2023, when he was first sued by his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who claimed he’d abused her for nearly the entire decade they dated, including instances of sexual assault. Though he settled that lawsuit a day later, within weeks, he’d been sued again by multiple women with similar allegations.

He was also indicted for sex trafficking in September 2024 after a federal investigation, which has superseded the lawsuits against him. He’s currently awaiting trial in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center after being denied bail three times.

Bad Bunny‘s WWE orientation involved getting scars all over his body and hurting his back. But he’s ready for more.

While promoting his new album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Bad Bunny told Rolling Stone that he’s ready to step back in the ring.

“I want to do it one more time. I want to put my life at risk in the ring. I felt like I didn’t risk it enough in the ring, and I want to do it. I want to scare my mother,” he said. “When? I don’t know. We stay in contact with the people at WWE, we’re always paying attention to what’s going on. But when, I don’t know. I hope there’s a time where I can really get ready, like I did the last few times. And I’d love to take more time to get ready physically.” He added, “I’m going to go full time and be a heel… I was always a fan of the villains more than the good guys.”

Speaking of heels, Logan Paul has volunteered his services. “Then get in the ring with me,” the social media star-turned-wrestler wrote on Instagram.

The pair have never faced each other in a wrestling match, but in 2022, Paul called out Bad Bunny for being “a Puerto Rican living in Puerto Rico who is privately taking advantage of the same tax program that he is publicly condemning… While I love Bad Bunny, I cannot personally support the hypocritical nature of his exploitation.”

Why is Logan Paul commenting on Puerto Rican tax policies? Good question! There’s only one way to settle the feud: by smashing fluorescent light tubes on each other’s heads.

With his first album of 2025, WHAM (Who Hard As Me), topping the Billboard 200 a week after its release, Lil Baby has assigned a release date to its follow-up, Dominique — and it’s sooner than you might have thought.

In a post celebrating the success of his new album, the Atlanta rapper revealed that he’s planning on dropping the next one in February. While he didn’t reveal an exact date, he did caption his Instagram post, “See yall Again in a couple weeks ‘Dominique’ The Album 2-?-25.”

Lil Baby first revealed his plan to release two albums back-to-back in December in an interview with his Quality Control labelmate Lil Yachty. Appearing on Boat’s podcast, A Safe Space, Baby said, “At first, I was telling people I was going to drop a double album. Now, I’m dropping the WHAM album and Dominique album.”

He elaborated on why he decided to split the projects, explaining, “WHAM is more me on some young n**** sh*t — fast cars, girls, jewelry, money. You know, the turnt lifestyle. And Dominique is more the serious me, more personal. That’s a part of the new journey I’m on. I hate the word vulnerable, but I’m gonna be more open to my fans and my audience.”

He wouldn’t be the first rapper from Atlanta to release multiple albums in a short span. Future famously released Future and HNDRXX within two weeks of each other in 2017, and last year, dropped We Still Don’t Trust You a month after We Don’t Trust You with Metro Boomin.

Incidentally, both Baby and Future may have another album coming out this year; Baby teased a joint project between the two ATLiens is in the works, and it may also include Young Thug, who has worked extensively with both.

Following the release of 2023’s Honey, Samia toured with Boygenius and Bleachers and appeared on Paul Mescal’s All Of Us Strangers playlist, alongside other indie favorites like The National and Mitski. Now she’s back with a new album, Bloodless, and its first single, “Bovine Excision.”

Bloodless, which was made with co-producers Caleb Wright and Jake Luppen as well as songwriters Christian Lee Hutson (an I Think You Should Leave favorite) and Raffaela, was inspired by unsolved mysteries. “I noticed a pattern in my life of wanting to live up to the person I became in someone’s head; you become a lot bigger with distance,” Samia explained.

As for “Bovine Excision,” Samia says she was “drawn to the phenomenon of bloodless cattle mutilation as a metaphor for self-extraction — this clinical pursuit of emptiness. The song begins sparse before tumbling into a cathartic release as she feels “drained, drained bloodless.” It’s effectively haunting.

You can watch the Sarah Ritter-directed video above.

Samia’s Bloodless Album Cover Artwork

Samia’s Bloodless Tracklist

1. “Biscuits Intro”
2. “Bovine Excision”
3. “Hole In A Frame”
4. “Lizard”
5. “Dare”
6. “Fair Game”
7. “Spine Oil”
8. “Craziest Person”
9. “Sacred”
10. Carousel”
11. Proof”
12. North Poles”
13. Pants”

Bloodless is out 4/25 via Grand Jury Music. Find more information here.

It’s only mid-January, but the days are starting to get longer, which means that if you squint and look over the horizon, you can see summer coming. If you’re a planner, some news that might shape what your summer looks like just dropped: Today (January 14), the lineup for the 2025 edition of the Governors Ball festival was just announced, and it’s led by Tyler The Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, and Hozier.

The lineup also features Benson Boone, Feid, Glass Animals, Mk.gee, T-Pain, Tyla, Jpegmafia, Mannequin Pussy, Matt Champion, Jean Dawson, Conan Gray, Marina, Mariah The Scientist, Car Seat Headrest, Mt. Joy, Clairo, Royel Otis, The Japanese House, Amaarae, Key Glock, Militarie Gun, and more.

The fest is going down at New York City’s Flushing Meadows Corona Park from June 6 to 8. As for tickets, there’s an SMS pre-sale for which fans can sign up now (here), and it runs from January 16 from 10 to 11 a.m. ET. Prices will then increase when the public on-sale begins the same day at 11 a.m. ET.

In a statement, Sue Donoghue, NYC Parks Commissioner, said, “Summer in New York City is not complete without the sound of music playing in our parks. Holding the Governor’s Ball in our iconic Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens is the perfect way to celebrate the arts and bring people together. We look forward to seeing New Yorkers and visitors alike join us in Queens for this thrilling kick off to summer in one of our most storied parks.”

Snoop Dogg is a Los Angeles icon, so given that the city is dealing with the LA wildfires at the moment, he wants to use his influence and do what he can to help. For Snoop, that could take the form of a charity concert, as he suggested on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night (January 13).

He said:

“There was talks about concerts to raise money for the victims and the people that have lost in this situation, so I think that’s more of the angle that I would be leaning towards — to do a concert and not, you know, be paid, and take my proceeds and the proceeds from the tickets and make sure that the people got something.”

Elsewhere during the interview, he spoke about the togetherness he’s seen in response to the fires, saying, “California, this is like our first time dealing with [an environmental tragedy], and the way the world is helping us — that’s the important thing, is that people aren’t looking at differences; they’re just looking at trying to make a difference.”

He also gave props to the firefighters working to put out the blaze, saying, “I feel like they have the toughest job and they don’t never get no credit, and they always show up and they do what’s best. And when the job is over with, it’s like they’re forgotten about. But we need to give them a lot of praise right now, I give them a lot.”

Check out the full interview above.