Bruno Mars has just become the first artist ever to surpass the 150 million monthly listeners milestone on Spotify. Those impressive numbers are aided by the breakout success of Mars’ hit collaboration with Lady Gaga, “Die With a Smile,” which is the current No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and has compiled nearly 1.7 billion Spotify streams since its release back in August of 2024. “Die With a Smile” is the ninth chart-topping single of Mars’ illustrious career, and he and Gaga are nominated for Song of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their collaboration at the 2025 Grammy Awards. The 15-time Grammy winner also has another wildly successful current collaboration with Blackpink’s Rosé, which has already amassed over one billion Spotify streams and peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100. On Friday (January 24), Mars dropped his new collab with St. Louis rapper Sexyy Red, “Fat Juicy & Wet,” with Gaga and Rosé making cameos in the music video for the R-rated track. (Variety) 

On Monday (January 27), Katy Perry announced the dates and details for her upcoming The Lifetimes Tour, which marks the first time that the pop superstar has hit the road in over seven years. Following a series of shows in Mexico in late April, Perry’s 25-date U.S. arena tour gets underway on May 7 in Houston, and hits major music markets throughout the country before winding down on August 23 in Miami. Perry last went on a full-scale tour in 2017 in support of  her fourth studio album, Witness, and performed an 80-date Play residency in Las Vegas between 2021 and 2023. “I have a responsibility to the audience to give them that singalong, to create that moment, and bring out some nostalgia,” Perry said of her forthcoming tour. “We’re giving BPM. We’re giving celebration. We’re giving unity. We’re giving dance. It will be like Disneyland on Wheels, as it always is. A feast for the eyes and the ears.” Ticket pre-sales begin on January 28, with general on-sale starting on January 31. (Rolling Stone)

After years of rumors about her long-awaited ‘LG7,’ on Monday (January 27) Lady Gaga finally shared the official title and release date for her seventh studio album, Mayhem, which will drop on March 7. Following a days-long countdown clock on Gaga’s website, she shared the striking album art for Mayhem – featuring the singer sporting a black shag haircut behind a pane of cracked glass – along with pre-order links for the record and a new merch line. Gaga also revealed that the third single from her new 15-track record will be released on February 2, with a music video airing during a commercial break on the Grammy Awards broadcast. “The album started as me facing my fear of returning to the pop music my earliest fans loved,” said Gaga in a statement. She explained that creating Mayhem was like “reassembling a shattered mirror: even if you can’t put the pieces back together perfectly, you can create something beautiful and whole in its own new way.” (Rolling Stone)

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ hit collaboration, “Die With a Smile,” spends a fourth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. This marks Gaga’s second-longest run at No. 1 in her career, following her six week rule in 2011 with “Born This Way.” This is Mars’ 38th career week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, moving past Michael Jackson for the eighth-most time spent at the top of the charts. Mariah Carey leads the pack with 97 career weeks at No. 1. Elsewhere in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10, Bad Bunny’s “DtMF” sticks at No. 2 while his “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” drops six spots to No. 9, ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” jumps up two places to No. 3, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” remains at No. 4, Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” moves up a slot to No. 5, Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” jumps up one spot to No. 6, Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” moves up two places to reach No. 7 – becoming only the seventh single ever to spend at least 75 weeks on the Hot 100 – Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True” slides up two places to No. 8, and Morgan Wallen’s “Love Somebody” jumps up four spots to No. 10. (Billboard)

On Monday night (January 27), NBC aired Questlove’s new documentary, Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music. The 3-hour program started with a brilliantly edited montage of hosts and musical guests throughout Saturday Night Live’s iconic 50-year history. The doc featured clips of memorable live performances from throughout the show’s 5-decade run, including the very first musical guest, Billy Preston, back in October 11, 1975, along with snippets from legendary SNL performances by Beyoncé, Prince, Taylor Swift, Nirvana, Olivia Rodrigo, Paul Simon, Kendrick Lamar, the White Stripes, OutKast, Dua Lipa, and many more.

The doc recounted the time when a mostly unknown Adele performed on SNL in 2008, and by the time her plane landed back in London, her album was No. 1 in the U.S. The documentary also touched on the hilarious musical performances by cast members like John Belushi, Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy, Andy Samberg, and Fred Armisen, and the comical sketches featuring music superstars like Mick Jagger, Madonna, and Justin Timberlake. The film also highlighted the controversial music moments over the years, from Fear, Sinéad O'Connor, Rage Against The Machine, Ashlee Simpson, Kanye West, and Morgan Wallen. 

“SNL is always the biggest thing,” said Billie Eilish, about hosting and performing on the show. “Every part of it was so cool. I felt like a part of a big family.” Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music is streaming now on Peacock.

Gracie Abrams recently announced that Dora Jar will be the opening act on her upcoming Secret Of Us European tour. One particular fan, using the pseudonym Dexter Morgan, wasn’t pleased with that pairing, and started an online petition on Change.org to replace Jar as the opener. “Many fans, including myself, are baffled by the recent announcement,” they wrote. “For a memorable concert experience, an opening act should set the mood and get the crowd excited, but Dora’s slow tempo songs may not achieve this goal.” Jar – who previously served as opener on Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever Tour – responded on X, writing, “Don’t worry this doesn’t bum me out! an overwhelming amount of fans have been so kind & excited ❤️” Abrams blasted the petition on Instagram, calling it, “so wildly uncool and bizarre and also just does not remotely add up. I couldn’t be luckier or prouder to share a stage with this talented wonder.” (Billboard)

Details of Sinéad O’Connor’s final will has been revealed by the U.K. tabloid newspaper, The Sun. The Irish singer, who died at the age of 56 in July 2023, is survived by three children, and she wants her fortune to be split equally between them. O’Connor’s ex-husband John Reynolds was named as executor of her estate, which is worth £ 1.4 million ($ 1.75 million). O’Connor also requested that all of her albums – which have sold 6.2 million copies globally – be reissued to financially benefit her kids. “I direct that after my death, and at the discretion of any of my children who are then over 18, my albums are to be released to 'milk it for what it’s worth,'" O’Connor wrote in her 2013 signed will. The singer added that, “My children can dispense my ashes as they see fit.” (People)

The soundtrack to Robbie Williams’ recent biopic, Better Man, has just reached No. 1 on the  U.K. albums chart. With his new chart-topping record, Williams achieved a significant milestone by tying the Beatles for the most all-time No. 1 albums in the history of the U.K. The Better Man Soundtrack compiles updated versions of Williams’ classic hits, including “Angels,” “Rock DJ,” “Feel,” and “She’s the One,” which were all re-recorded and arranged especially for the movie. It marks the fourth compilation of Williams’ career to reach No. 1 on the chart, following his Greatest Hits (2004), In and Out of Consciousness (2010), and XXV (2022). Every studio album by the Beatles reached the top of the U.K. charts except 1967’s Magical Mystery Tour, with the Fab Four last hitting No. 1 in 2000 with 1, which compiled all their chart-topping singles. The Rolling Stones are now alone in second place with a total of 14 U.K. No. 1 albums in their storied career. (Billboard) 

Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos is No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the second straight week. Bad Bunny has had four chart-topping albums in his career, and his new record is the second to spend multiple weeks at No. 1, joining 2022’s, Un Verano Sin Ti, which spent 13 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart. Also of note in this week’s chart, Mac Miller’s vault release, Balloonerism, debuts at No. 3, becoming the eighth Top 10 album from the late rapper, who died in 2018. The rest of the Billboard 200 Top 10 is rounded out by SZA’s SOS moving up a spot to No. 2, Kendrick Lamar’s GNX remains at No. 4, Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us jumps up five places to No. 5 following the release of multiple deluxe versions, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet holds at No. 6, Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time moves up a slot to No. 8, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft drops two spots to No. 9, and Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department moves up two slots to No. 10. (Billboard) 

On Friday (January 24), the Recording Academy announced the first round of live performances scheduled to take place at the 2025 Grammy Awards ceremony on February 2. Pop superstars Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Charli XCX – who are all multiple nominees on the night – top the initial lineup of performers. The Grammys will also feature live performances by fellow nominees Benson Boone, Doechii, Raye, Shakira, and Teddy Swims, who will all take the stage at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena. “The 67th GRAMMY Awards won’t just be about celebrating and honoring the best in music this year, it will also show how the power of music can help rebuild, uplift and support those in need,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. “We are thrilled that so many artists in our community are banding together at this time to show support for their fellow music makers and others impacted by the recent wildfires.” (Variety)

Chari XCX continues her recent musical supremacy by topping the list of nominees at the UK’s prestigious BRIT Awards. Charli received a total of five nominations overall, getting nods for Artist of the Year, Best Pop Act, Best Dance Act, Album of the Year for Brat, and Song of the Year for “Guess,” her collaboration with Billie Eilish, who is nominated for International Artist of the Year alongside Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Chappell Roan, Kendrick Lamar, and Sabrina Carpenter. Dua Lipa, the Last Dinner Party, and Ezra Collective received four nominations each, while goth rock legends the Cure scored their first BRIT nominations since 1993, receiving three nods for Album of the Year, Group of the Year, and Best Alternative/Rock Act. Coldplay got two nominations, bringing their all-time tally to 30. The 2025 BRIT Awards are set to take place on Saturday, March 1, at The O2 Arena in London, with comedian Jack Whitehall hosting the ceremony. (Billboard) 

On Thursday (January 22), the first trailer arrived for the new documentary, Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, ahead of its premiere on NBC on January 27. The three-hour film, directed by Academy Award-winner Questlove, captures the memorable musical performances on Saturday Night Live over the past 50 years, from Billie Eilish, Adele, Prince, Kendrick Lamar, Bob Dylan, Charli XCX, Nirvana, and more. Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Mick Jagger, and Jack White are among the artists interviewed about their experiences performing on the legendary sketch comedy show. “You don’t know what’s going to happen until 11:30 p.m.,” reflects Lipa, while Cyrus adds: “It’s the tightrope walk. They want to see you dangle. They don’t want to see you fall.” The documentary touches on the groundbreaking performances as well as the controversial music moments that took place on the show, including Ashlee Simpson’s lip-synching debacle and Sinéad O'Connor defiantly ripping up a picture of the pope. 50 Years of SNL Music airs on NBC at 7 p.m. on January 27, and streams on Peacock the next day. (Rolling Stone)

On Thursday (January 22), Kid Cudi shared a personal statement on his Instagram Story and X about a bizarre break-in that took place at the rapper’s Los Angeles home earlier this month. Cudi heard that people were making jokes about the incident, so he took to social media to set the record straight. “The person that broke into my house was a crazed fan that has been stalking me for years without me knowing,” Cudi wrote. “There is nothing funny about this. My privacy was violated, and now I have to protect myself. I don't feel safe now.” The Grammy-winning musician described the intruder as “an unhinged 34 year old man” who “rummaged through personal things, my fiance's stuff, took a shower and ate” after invading his home, with Cudi vowing, “I'm gonna take some serious security measures to make sure this doesn't happen again.” (Billboard)

A realtor for Adele’s former West Sussex mansion is having a hard time selling the property due to the singer’s past claims that the home is haunted. The current owner of the English estate, Nicholas Sutton, said that Adele’s comments "negatively impacted future marketing efforts and continues to affect the property’s reputation to this day.” According to Sutton, the 16-time Grammy-winner rented the 10-bedroom mansion for six months back in 2012. Adele told Anderson Cooper in an interview that her time at the estate – known as the Lock House – was "all quite scary, really," and she hired a female bodyguard to stay in the home after hearing unexplained noises. Sutton only had one serious offer on the property in the 14 years it has been on the market, but it was rescinded "after learning about the property’s supposed haunted status, which was publicly mentioned by Adele during her tenancy." (People)

On Thursday (January 23), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the 2025 Oscars won’t feature the standard live performances of the Best Original Songs nominees. A statement from Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang said the ceremony will instead “honor Los Angeles as a city of dreams, showcasing its beauty and resilience” following the devastating wildfires that have ravaged the city, “while highlighting the strength, creativity, and optimism” of Hollywood. The Oscar nominated songwriters will still be recognized during the ceremony through “personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life,” with the statement assuring that “all of this, and more, will uncover the stories and inspiration behind this year’s nominees.” This marks the first Oscars since 2012 – and only the fourth ceremony overall – where there won’t be live performances of the Best Original Songs nominees. The Oscars are scheduled for March 2nd, with Conan O’Brien serving as host. (Consequence of Sound)

On Tuesday (January 21), Record Store Day event organizers announced that Post Malone is the official 2025 Record Store Day Ambassador. Posty’s Billboard No. 1 album, F-1 Trillion, was a big seller in record stores since it was released back in August, with the breakout country star also making a guest appearance on “Fortnight,” the lead single from the best-selling album of 2024, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department. Malone hasn’t announced a special release for this year’s Record Store Day – which is set to take place on April 12th – but in the past he has released limited edition RSD versions of his compilation, The Diamond Collection, and singles like “White Iverson” and “Circles.” “What an honor, I can’t believe I was chosen to be Record Store Day’s Ambassador for 2025,” Posty said in a statement. “Record Store Day is so important, and I really hope to do my part to keep it alive. We love hitting local shops when we’re on the road. The whole energy in a record store is just super inspiring. I feel at home.” (Consequence of Sound)

On Wednesday (January 22), the Songwriters Hall of Fame revealed their inductee class of 2025. This year’s distinguished inductees feature the leader of Parliament/Funkadelic, George Clinton; award-winning country music songwriter, Ashley Gorley; Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga collaborator, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins; Beach Boys vocalist and songwriter, Mike Love; nine time Ivor Novello Award-winning British songwriter, Tony Macaulay; and three members of the beloved rock and soul band, the Doobie Brothers – Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, and Patrick Simmons. In order to receive a nomination for the SHOF, a songwriter with a catalog of notable hits qualifies for induction 20 years after their first significant commercial release of a song. Notably, this is the first Songwriters Hall of Fame class to not include any women inductees since 2017. Four women were included in this year’s list of nominees – Franne Golde, Sheryl Crow, Janet Jackson, and Alanis Morissette – but none received enough votes to be inducted. The Songwriters Hall of Fame 2025 Induction and Awards Gala will take place on Thursday, June 12 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. (Billboard)

Seventeen has teamed up with Pharrell Williams on their new collaborative track, “Bad Influence.” The vibrant tune initially made its premiere on Tuesday (January 21) during the Paris runway show for Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection, where Williams serves as creative director. Williams wrote and produced “Bad Influence,” which features vocals by Seventeen members S.Coups, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, The8, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino. “We are happy and honored to collaborate with Pharrell Williams, whom we have deeply admired for a long time,” Seventeen said in a joint statement. “We truly enjoyed the creative process which showcases a new side of ourselves. We hope to connect with more listeners worldwide through this collaboration.” In addition to “Bad Influence,” Williams’ soundtrack for Louis Vuitton’s fashion show also included Don Toliver and J-Hope’s “LV Bag,” and the Weeknd featuring Playboi Carti’s “Timeless.” (Rolling Stone)

Jennie from Blackpink has revealed that she will release her first solo album, Ruby, on March 7. The record is being released by Jennie’s own record label Odd Atelier and Columbia Records. Ruby features a series of high-profile collaborations with music superstars like Dua Lipa, Childish Gambino, Doechii, Dominic Fike, FKJ, and Kali Uchis. The 15-track collection will also feature Jennie’s recent Billboard Global No. 3 hit single, “Mantra,” which was released back in October. In a recent interview with Billboard, Jennie revealed that she has been plotting her solo album since 2023. “While I was on my last Blackpink tour, I couldn’t stop myself from starting to plan ahead,” she said. “I’m just like that. I listed out the things that I want in my life and started pinpointing, or prioritizing, what’s my very next step. And instantly, I was like, ‘I still haven’t accomplished the dream of releasing a solo album.’ I wanted to satisfy myself by achieving that goal.” (Rolling Stone)

Bruno Mars took to Instagram on Tuesday (January 20) to celebrate his hit collaboration with Lady Gaga, “Die With a Smile,” spending its third consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The achievement clearly had Mars in a party mood, as the 15-time Grammy-winning musician playfully captioned a post featuring a screenshot of the current singles chart: “THANK YOU ALL! 🥂 I’m headed to the studio right now to make a strip club anthem so I can celebrate and properly act up this weekend. Someone please help me get in touch with Sexyy Red!!🙏“ “Die With A Smile” is Mars’ fifth Hot 100 chart-topper to reign for three or more weeks, joining his smash hit collaboration with Mark Ronson, “Uptown Funk!” (14 weeks at No. 1 in 2015) and his own singles, “Locked Out of Heaven” (six weeks at No. 1 in 2012-13), “Grenade” (four, 2011) and “Just the Way You Are” (four, 2010). (Billboard)

On Tuesday (January 21), Ed Sheeran posted an Instagram Story to discredit an inflammatory article from The Sun that falsely claimed that the singer attended a New Year's Eve party at J.K. Rowling's Scottish home. In Sheeran’s post, he shared a screenshot from X by British journalist India Willoughby, where she wrote, "Ed Sheeran reportedly went to JK Rowling's New Year's Eve party, too," over the top of a previous headline about the singer. "Respectfully, India Willoughby, and any other journalist who has reported both these stories, neither are true," Sheeran wrote. "I spent new year with my family and friends." For her part, Willoughby was relieved to hear the clarification, writing a retraction on X, “Hi @edsheeran - this is great to hear 👍. I note the Daily Express has now removed their made-up story. Delighted I can still be an @edsheeran fan 😊✌️❤️🏳️‍⚧️” (People)

In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday (January 21) in Los Angeles Superior Court, Chris Brown is suing Warner Bros. Discovery for $500 million. The musician accuses the company and its producers of making defamatory and libelous claims against him in the recent documentary, Chris Brown: A History of Violence. The film, which was released in October, examines the numerous assault accusations against Brown throughout his career, including a lawsuit filed by Jane Doe against the R&B singer, alleging that he drugged and assaulted her during a 2020 yacht party hosted by disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. Brown’s suit accuses Warner Bros. Discovery and the production company Ample Entertainment of “promoting and publishing false information in their pursuit of likes, clicks, downloads and dollars and to the detriment” of Brown, despite “knowing that it was full of lies and deception and violating basic journalistic principles.” “To put it simply, this case is about the media putting their own profits over the truth,” the suit claims. (Variety)

In a new interview with Variety during the recent Girls Just Wanna Weekend annual music festival outside of Cancun, Shania Twain and Brandi Carlile opened up about how important it is for women to support women in the music industry and everywhere else. The 6th annual iGirls Just Wanna Weekend took place from January 16-20, featuring multiple sets from the Grammy-winning Carlile, as well as performances from Twain, Maren Morris, Muna, Brandy Clark, Lucius, Brittney Spencer, Jensen McRae, and other talented women musicians. “Everybody is united here and it’s very peaceful,” Twain said of the festival. “Girls Just Wanna is one of those places that you can feel really free and good and fun.” Carlile was appreciative of Twain’s involvement in her festival. “I’m not sure I could really overstate how much you’ve changed the course of the festival by being here,” she said to Shania. “That kind of validation for these people was just huge for us.” (Variety)

On Monday (January 20), Travis Scott performed a live debut of his new song, “4x4,” from atop Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium during the halftime show of the College Football Playoff National Championship game. The new track represents Scott’s first solo release since 2023’s Billboard No. 1 album, Utopia, giving fans a taste of what is on the way from the chart-topping rapper in the new year. “4x4” is officially set to be released on Friday (January 24), and the project will also feature a fundraising initiative to benefit victims of the L.A. wildfires. Scott revealed that he will be donating 100% of the net proceeds from the sales of a special line of merchandise – including a shirt and hoodie honoring Los Angeles’ first responders – to benefit Direct Relief’s California Wildfire Response Fund. Sales of an exclusive CD single for “4×4” will also contribute to the same cause. You can order the merch and music directly at shop.travisscott.com. (Billboard)

Over the weekend, Lady Gaga added a tantalizing countdown clock on her website that is ticking down to Monday, January  27. The move has caused anticipation to build that the pop superstar is finally ready to announce details of the long-awaited new album that Gaga and her Little Monsters have taken to calling ‘LG7.’ It’s been five years since Gaga released her chart-topping last studio album, Chromatica, and she has teased the progress of her forthcoming record for months now. On January 27, the long wait should finally be over, with a source disclosing to Rolling Stone that Gaga is planning to reveal details about the highly-anticipated new project at the end of the countdown, not actually release the LP. 2025 is shaping up to be a big year for Gaga, with the 13-time Grammy winner set to headline both weekends of Coachella in April in addition to releasing a new album. (Rolling Stone)