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Jin sat down with a group of playful puppies for a new interview released Monday (June 10), in which the BTS vocalist opened up about his new solo album Echo, his dream collaboration, and what fans can expect from his first-ever solo tour.
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In a new episode of BuzzFeed’s The Puppy Interview, BTS’ Jin answered fan questions while playing with a group of adorable pups, offering insight into his solo career, musical influences and tour ambitions.
“I’ve only met him in passing, but I’d love to collab with Bruno Mars one day. It’d be a lot of fun, I’m a huge fan of him,” Jin said, adding, “I often practised my vocals by singing ‘Just The Way You Are’ before debut, it’s one of my favourite songs.”
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On May 16, the K-pop star unveiled the project featuring seven tracks: “Don’t Say You Love Me,” “Nothing Without Your Love,” “Loser” featuring YENA, “Rope It,” “With the Clouds,” “Background” and “To Me, Today.” JIN first announced the mini-album about a month before its release, with a statement describing Echo as offering the musician’s “perspective on universal life experiences, capturing everyday emotions with warmth and sincerity.”
The new EP arrived about a year after JIN became the first member of BTS to be discharged from the South Korean militaryEcho follows the November release of Jin’s debut solo EP Happy, which reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The project featured single “Running Wild,” which marked Jin’s second Billboard Hot 100 entry separate from his mega-famous boy band, following 2022’s “The Astronaut”; the two tracks reached Nos. 53 and 51 on the chart, respectively.
“Built on dynamic band sounds, the album showcases his versatile vocals across a spectrum of moods and styles,” the description continued at the time. “It reflects a deeper layer of vocal maturity and personal storytelling that underscores Jin’s evolving artistry.”
Watch Jin’s full BuzzFeed Puppy Interview here.
One of two irreplaceable instruments stolen from the band Heart at a New Jersey venue two weeks ago has been retrieved. According to the Associated Press, on Tuesday (June 10), police in Atlantic City said they had recovered the purple baritone Telecaster guitar with ah hand-painted headstock belonging to guitarist Nancy Wilson from a woman […]
Over the past week, Pitbull has embarked on a run of arena shows in the U.K. and Ireland, but he may be experiencing a sense of déjà vu. Fans have thrown themselves into a viral fancy dress trend for his shows, donning black suits, bald caps and sunglasses and meeting up for flash mobs outside of the venues.
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Pitbull, real name Armando Christian Pérez, has now responded to the long-running trend in an interview with the BBC, calling it “priceless” to see fans replicate his look at his shows.
“Every time I’m at a show, I let them know that when you put on a bald cap, I hope you’re ready to have the time of your lives – it feels deeper than just music,” he said. “It’s the ultimate trophy to be able to go on stage and see all the hard work that you put into the music. I’ve been in the game for 25 years and to see every demographic, everybody [dressing up] at the shows is priceless.”
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On recent tours, fans, male and female, have adopted the Pitbull attire for the evening and meeting up outside the venue. The rapper and singer toured the U.K. and Ireland earlier this year in February, and has returned for an extended European run with two shows at London’s O2 Arena (June 9, 10) and concluding in Stockholm, Sweden on June 29.
Speaking to the BBC, Pitbull expanded on his continued popularity on a global scale. “There’s an irony as I’m kind of an anomaly in the music business,” he said. “In the Latin world they said I was too English, and in the English world I was too Latin, so to bring it together now, when it all really started around 2010, feels really good.”
Pitbull, who performs in both English and Spanish, has had a number of hits both in the U.K. and U.S. throughout his career, including two No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 (2011’s “Give Me Everything” and 2013’s “Timber”). He released his most recent LP, Trackhouse, in 2023 and over his career has collected nine Billboard Latin Music Awards.
Noel Gallagher has teamed up with Mantra of the Cosmos, a supergroup composed of Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder and Bez, Ride’s Andy Bell and former The Who drummer Zak Starkey, for a new song “Domino Bones (Gets Dangerous).”
The song was first teased earlier this year and released on a limited vinyl run, and is now available to listen to on streaming services. Speaking to The Times in January, Gallagher described the psych-rock song: “It’s Dylan, Dali, Ginsberg and a bit of cosmic jibber-jabber. Add in Bez, who dances on the tunes like Zak plays the drums and Andy Bell plays all things stringed, and you have it.”
The band celebrated the limited vinyl release back in January with a show at Liverpool’s Cavern Club, where Starkey’s father Ringo Starr played early shows with The Beatles beginning in 1962.
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In a matter of weeks, Gallagher will kick off the Oasis reunion tour in Cardiff, Wales on July 4, with a run of shows in the U.K. and Ireland, North America, Asia and beyond. Bell is reported to join the Oasis lineup on bass, reprising a role he held between 1999 and 2009, appearing on three of their studio LPs. Starkey, who played in Oasis’ lineup from 2004 and 2008, appears to not be in the reunion tour, with Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) set to take on the drummer role.
Recently Starkey has been embroiled in an ongoing saga regarding his position as drummer of The Who. Starkey joined the band in 1996 and accompanied the Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend-led band on a number of global tours.
Following a gig in March, however, Starkey was seemingly axed by the band over his performance, particularly on the show’s final track “The Song Is Over.” Following reports of his sacking, The Who blamed “communication issues” which “had been happily aired” and that Starkey was, indeed, back in the band.
Weeks later in late May, Starkey’s tenure in the band seemingly came to an abrupt end, and he claimed on his Instagram that Daltrey had asked him to “retire” from the band. Speaking on BBC 6 Music on Monday (June. 9), Starkey claimed that the issue arose from “two dropped beats” in the performance, but that “I’ve watched the gig over and over again on YouTube and I can’t find them.”
The Who will embark on their final North American tour this summer, kicking off in Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL on Aug. 16.
Listen to “Domino Bones” below.
Billie Eilish brought an emotional moment to fans at her Paris concert on Monday night (June 10), delivering a stripped-down cover of Paramore’s Brand New Eyes ballad “The Only Exception.” Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Performing the first of two nights at Accor Arena, Eilish paused […]
English progressive rock icons Yes have announced a new fall tour which will see them play their 1971 album Fragile in full.
Officially dubbed The Fragile Tour 2025, The Album Series, the newly-announced run of shows will launch on Oct. 1 and sees the band performing a total of 31 dates until Nov. 16. Per a press release, the tour setlist will include Fragile full along with a number of other “classic cuts.”
Released in November 1971, Fragile was the fourth album from the group, and their third to be released in a 16-month span. It also became their most successful release up to that point. Expanding upon the initial chart success that The Yes Album brought earlier in the year (reaching No. 40 on the Billboard 200), Fragile would peak at No. 4, only being bested by one position thanks to Close to the Edge the following year.
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The album’s lone single, “Roundabout,” would be issued in January 1972 and would reach No. 13 on the Hot 100. It remained their highest-charting single until “Owner of a Lonely Heart” hit No. 1 in 1983.
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Fragile would also be supported by a 115-date album tour, with the group returning to the U.S. in November 1971 – mere months after wrapping up their debut visit to the country. As a press release for the new run of dates explains, the record’s initial tour was a vital part of the band’s history, and marked the moment when Yes “became a headline act in the US.”
“All the band’s albums had a unique feel and approach,” explained guitarist Steve Howe. “After The Yes Album, so many things came together, with [co-producer] Eddie Offord steering the proceedings.
“While the band focused on only four main songs with full arrangements, each of us wrote and designed a solo piece, which was Bill [Bruford]’s great idea. It’s fairly ‘odd-ball,’ but we were at the height of our creativity, determined for success.
“It gave us confidence, further than our own in-stock belief, we’d crafted this unusual but noticeable musical twist to rock and what later became prog,” he added.
Of the original lineup which recorded Fragile in 1971, only Howe remains an active member. Drummer Bill Bruford would depart the group in 1992, while both vocalist Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman would depart in 2004. Bassist Chris Squire would remain with the band through all iterations until his passing in 2015.
Yes – The Fragile Tour 2025, The Album Series
Oct. 1 – Toyota Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, CTOct. 2 – Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown, NJOct. 4 – Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, Atlantic City, NJOct. 5 – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NYOct. 7 – The Paramount, Huntington, NYOct. 8 – Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PAOct. 9 – Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PAOct. 11 – Appell Center for the Performing Arts, York, PAOct. 12 – Penn’s Peak, Jim Thorpe, PAOct. 14 – Warner Theatre, Washington, D.C.Oct. 16 – Carolina Theatre, Durham, NCOct. 18 – Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FLOct. 19 – Broward Center, Au-Rene Theater, Ft Lauderdale, FLOct. 21 – Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center, The Villages, FLOct. 22 – Charleston Music Hall, Charleston, SCOct. 24 – Coca-Cola Roxy, Atlanta, GAOct. 25 – Graceland Soundstage, Memphis, TNOct. 27 – The Louisville Palace, Louisville, KYOct. 28 – Taft Theatre, Cincinnati, OHOct. 30 – Murat Theatre at Old National Centre, Indianapolis, INOct. 31 – Des Plaines Theatre, Des Plaines, ILNov. 1 – The Arcada Theatre, St. Charles, ILNov. 3 – The Orpheum Theater, Madison, WINov. 4 – The Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, WINov. 6 – Stifel Theatre, St. Louis, MONov. 7 – Steelhouse Omaha, Omaha, NENov. 9 – Paramount Theatre, Denver, CONov. 11 – Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZNov. 13 – YouTube Theater, Inglewood, CANov. 14 – Viejas Casino, Alpine, CANov. 16 – Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort, Reno, NV
Benjamin Hightower has channeled Chappell Roan for his America’s Got Talent audition, going from Tennessee to Los Angeles to receive a standing ovation from judges for his performance of “Pink Pony Club.”
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Appearing on Tuesday (June 10) night’s episode of America’s Got Talent, Hightower told judges how he ended seven years of active duty in the Air Force to pursue his dreams of stardom. “I made the really scary choice to get out of the military and take a chance on myself because I believe in my ability to be a performer,” he explained.
Dressed in a white shirt and ripped jeans, the unassuming musician sat behind a keyboard as he launched into a triumphant rendition of Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.” Originally released in 2020, the single gained renewed attention following Roan’s 2025 Grammy Awards performance, and hit No. 4 on the Hot 100, tying with “Good Luck, Babe!” as her highest-charting single to date.
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Receiving a rapturous reception from the audience (which included his own mother), Hightower explained that it was a more than fitting track given his roots in Tennessee. Though Roan grew up in Missouri, the lyrics to “Pink Pony Club” describe the singer’s desire to leave Tennessee in hopes of acceptance on the west coast.
“That song is great, but I think that also could be a hit; your rendition of her song,” enthused judge Howie Mandel. “It was beautiful, it was great.”
“The perfect audition, this is what you’re supposed to be doing,” added Sofia Vergara. “I think America’s going to love you.”
The biggest response, however, came from Simon Cowell, who expressed his certainty that Hightower’s performance could become a viral hit. “I really like you. I really do,” he told the singer.
“When I saw the keyboard I thought, ‘Oh God, it’s going to be something like “Stand By Me,” or something we’ve heard a billion times.’ And it wasn’t,” he added. “When you do somebody else’s song and you make it your version, that’s smart. I love that song, I love your version, and I don’t know, there’s something about you I really like.”
Hightower’s overwhelmingly positive reception was echoed in his own response to the acclaim, with the visibly emotional performer telling host Terry Crews that the moment has been a long time coming.
“If the little kid who grew up in Tennessee could see me now, he would be so proud,” he explained.
Watch Hightower’s full performance below:
It’s a Young Money reunion and the remix, baby. After Nicki Minaj was noticeably absent from Tha Carter VI, the Queen reunited with Lil Wayne for the “Banned From NO (Remix)” on Wednesday (June 11).
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Fans were disappointed after a rumored C6 collaboration didn’t come to fruition, but the latest chapter in the Nicki-Wayne lyrical marriage arrived less than a week later, while Minaj emptied the clip with a fiery verse on “Banned From NO (Remix).”
Nicki crafts a delectable chorus with short-stopping bars, using NBA teams as double entendres for the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers.
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The Queens icon then dives head-first into her bristling verse, which finds her sniping at NFL player-turned-podcast host Shannon Sharpe, who has been critical of Minaj in the past.
“If I send a pic of Shannon you ain’t that Sharpe/ Cause you still can’t spell Prague and that’s horrible,” she raps.
Minaj then salutes a classic Wayne bar from the Pharrell-produced “Yes.” “Weezy F Baby and the F is for Phenomenal,” she mimics.
Before leaving the burning booth, Nicki wasn’t done and she sent a shot at the NFL about their choices for the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which overlooked Wayne in his hometown earlier this year. “NFL, fire some n—s and then call us,” she spews in defense of the Young Money boss.
Tha Carter VI arrived on Friday (June 6) filled with 19 tracks and features from Kodak Black, MGK, Bono, BigXthaPlug, Jelly Roll and Big Sean. The “Banned From NO (Remix)” marks the first Weezy-Minaj collaboration since 2023’s “RNB” from Pink Friday 2.
Listen to the “Banned From NO (Remix)” below.
Kendrick Lamar will be making his grand return to Australia this year, with the rapper announcing new dates for his ongoing Grand National Tour.
Lamar announced on Wednesday (June 11) that he will be performing two headline dates while in Australia this December, with stadium shows set for Melbourne’s AAMI Park on Dec. 3 and Sydney’s Allianz Stadium on Dec. 10.
The newly-announced headline shows follow on from Lamar’s inclusion on the Spilt Milk Festival lineup which arrived in early May. Also featuring Doechii, Sara Landry, Dominic Fike and Schoolboy Q as headliners, the festival will take place across Ballarat, Perth, Canberra and the Gold Coast between December 6-14.
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The forthcoming shows will be Lamar’s first visit to Australia since The Big Steppers Tour in 2022, though unlike his current run of North American dates, they will feature Lamar in solo mode as opposed to his co-headlining status with SZA.
Lamar’s nascent tour dates also arrive in the wake of his latest batch of honors, this time coming from the BET Awards on Monday (June 9).
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Having been nominated for a total of ten awards across six categories, Lamar ended the evening as the most awarded artist, with the ceremony at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater resulting in five trophies going his way, including album of the year, video of the year, best collaboration (with SZA), best male hip hop artist, and video director of the year (with Dave Free).
Additionally, in February 2025, in the wake of Lamar’s Grammy Awards success, his 2024 single “Not Like Us” re-entered the Australian ARIA charts and gave the rapper his first No. 1 single in the country.
Kendrick Lamar – 2025 Australian Tour Dates
Dec. 3 – AAMI Park, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaDec. 6 – Spilt Milk Festival, Ballarat, VIC, AustraliaDec. 7 – Spilt Milk Festival, Perth, WA, AustraliaDec. 10 – Allianz Stadium, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaDec. 13 – Spilt Milk Festival, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaDec. 14 – Spilt Milk Festival, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
YEONCHEON, South Korea — Jimin and Jung Kook of BTS were officially discharged from South Korea’s mandatory military service on Wednesday (June 11), marking a major step forward in the group’s long-awaited reunion.
With their discharge, six of the seven BTS members have now completed their service obligations, with only SUGA currently fulfilling his alternative service as a social worker. His discharge is expected later this month.
On Tuesday morning, fans and media began gathering near Yeoncheon Public Stadium in Gyeonggi Province to welcome the two stars. Jimin and Jung Kook appeared with bright smiles, offering brief greetings and expressing their sincere gratitude to supporters who had waited for their return.
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“Thank you to the fans and reporters who came to see us,” Jimin said. “It’s been a long time, from the pandemic to military service. Now that we’re back, we’ll work hard to show you what we’ve prepared.”
“There were a lot of unforgettable moments,” Jung Kook added. “Thanks to everyone who served with us and supported us along the way.” Jimin also hinted at what’s to come: “Now that I’m discharged, I think it’s time we continue drawing the picture we had in mind. We’ll prepare well and share it with you soon.” He concluded: “Military life wasn’t easy, but I’m grateful for the memories. If you see a soldier on the street, a warm gesture can mean a lot.”
Jimin and Jung Kook of BTS appear in Yeoncheon, South Korea, after being discharged from mandatory military service on June 11, 2025.
Billboard Korea
The two enlisted together in late 2023, completing basic training at the same boot camp before being assigned to separate units. Jimin served with the military band under the 5th Infantry Division, while Jung Kook completed his service with the Baekma Division.
During their time in uniform, both BTS members continued to make waves in the music world. Jimin made history as the first Korean solo artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 with his single “Like Crazy” from the album FACE, while Jung Kook’s solo debut GOLDEN peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and earned international acclaim across global charts.
BTS has been on hiatus from group activities since 2023 as members fulfilled their enlistment obligations but with Jin and j-hope, as well as RM and V as of Tuesday and now Jimin and Jung Kook discharged, the group’s full return is right around the corner, only awaiting SUGA’s return.
Their highly anticipated first public reunion is set at the upcoming 2025 BTS FESTA, taking place June 13-14 at KINTEX in Goyang, South Korea. The event promises to be a powerful homecoming celebration for fans worldwide and the start of BTS’ next chapter.
Jimin and Jung Kook of BTS appear in Yeoncheon, South Korea, after being discharged from mandatory military service on June 11, 2025.
Billboard Korea
