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Duran Duran are officially back in the lab with one of their most legendary collaborators.
On Saturday (June 1), the iconic U.K. band teased new material via Instagram, sharing a snapshot from Abbey Road Studios with the caption, âWorking with our good friend Nile at Abbey Road Studios this weekend. Stay tunedâŚâ
Nile Rodgers, whoâs been behind some of the bandâs biggest hits, also shared the moment on his socials, writing, âWe had as much fun working yesterday as ever!â The reunion marks the first time Rodgers and Duran Duran have worked together in nearly a decade, following their last collaboration on 2015âs Paper Gods, which featured the funk-infused single âPressure Offâ with Janelle MonĂĄe and cracked the Top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic.
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Rodgersâ relationship with the band stretches back more than 40 years. He remixed their first Billboard No. 1 single âThe Reflexâ in 1984, produced the fan-favorite âThe Wild Boys,â and went on to helm their fourth studio album Notorious (1986). His signature grooves helped shape Duran Duranâs post-new wave sound during a critical period of their evolution.
The super-producer later reunited with them for 2004âs Astronaut, marking the return of the original five-piece lineup.
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The news arrives just days before Duran Duran kick off their European and U.K. tour with Rodgers and CHIC joining as special guests. The tour begins June 3 in Finland and includes major stops in Amsterdam, Rome, Dublin and the U.K., wrapping in early July.
While the band hasnât confirmed whether the Abbey Road sessions are for a new album or standalone release, this marks the first major studio move since their Halloween-themed album Danse Macabre, released in 2023.
Duran Duran have sold over 100 million records worldwide and earned two Grammy Awards. Their latest chart appearance came with Future Past in 2021, which debuted at No. 28 on the Billboard 200. Rodgers, meanwhile, remains one of musicâs most decorated producers, with credits spanning David Bowie, Madonna, Daft Punk and more.
Following the launch of Iron Maidenâs Run for Your Lives World Tour, manager Rod Smallwood has shared a new plea for fans to put their phones away at the bandâs shows.
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The British heavy metal veteransâ recently-launched tour takes place as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations, with the group kicking things off with a pair of sold-out dates in Budapest, Hungary last week.
Prior to the tourâs launch, Smallwood took to Iron Maidenâs website to request that fans put their phones back into their pockets and witness the show as itâs supposed to be seen.
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âWe really want fans to enjoy the shows first hand, rather than on their small screens,â Smallwood wrote. âThe amount of phone use nowadays diminishes enjoyment, particularly for the band who are on stage looking out at rows of phones, but also for other concertgoers.Â
âWe feel that the passion and involvement of our fans at shows really makes them special, but the phone obsession has now got so out of hand that it has become unnecessarily distracting especially to the band. I hope fans understand this and will be sensible in severely limiting the use of their phone cameras out of respect for the band and their fellow fans.â
In the wake of the bandâs first few shows of their latest tour, Smallwood shared a reflective post on social media over the weekend, thanking fans for their support of new drummer Simon Dawson, and applauding those who heeded his request for limited phone usage during the gigs.
âA huge thank you to every one of you who kept your phones down, respected the band and your fellow fans, and embraced the show the way itâs meant to be experienced â in the room with us,â Smallwood said. âThat was a great boost for us and the band appreciated it greatly. It is so much better when they can see you unencumbered and that drives them on without that distraction. For the selfish few that didnât and just had to keep videoing⌠I wish you nothing but a very sore arm!
âBut they were few, and we do hope this support from fans, especially in the floor area in front of the sound desk, continues in Prague tomorrow and beyond,â he added. âAs I said before, by all means take the odd quick pic as a memento of a great night, but otherwise please keep your phone in your pocket.â
Iron Maidenâs current Run for Your Lives World Tour marks their performances since wrapping the The Future Past Tour in SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil in December. That tour was the last to feature drummer Nicko McBrain, who announced his âdecision to take a step back from the grind of the extensive touring lifestyle.â
Daniel Seavey has been forced to postpone more tour dates, axing his performances in Australia and New Zealand as he continues to recover from ongoing vocal issues.
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Seavey, whose global tour in support of debut album Second Wind launched in March, alerted fans to his troubles last month when he postponed the final six dates of his European run.Â
âMy doctors made it clear that my vocal cords are completely unusable right now, and that any attempt at forcing them to work will result in permanent and irreversible damage,â he told fans on social media on May 13.
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However, despite âtaking the next few weeks to get to the bottom of these issues and resolve themâ ahead of his shows in Australia and New Zealand, Seaveyâs vocal issues have persisted, necessitating the postponement of these dates as well.
âHey guys I got some pretty tough news yesterday,â Seavey wrote on social media over the weekend. âMy doctor has ordered me to go on another 3 weeks of vocal rest to ensure that this problem completely resolves and never returns, which means I have to push back my shows in Australia a couple weeks.
âI am so beyond devastated by the outcome of all of this and am so terribly sorry to everyone I am letting down.â
Seaveyâs Australian trek was scheduled to begin in Perth on Saturday (June 7), before visiting Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, and then venturing over to New Zealand for a single date in Auckland.Â
New dates have already been announced, with Seavey set to instead visit Auckland on Aug. 2, and Australian dates to occur in the following days. His European dates are currently in the works, with Seavey telling fans âMy team and I are working as fast as we can to get those to you.â
Seavey rose to fame in 2015 after placing in the top nine of the 14th season of American Idol. He later served as a member of Why Donât We, whose two studio albums both charted in the top ten of the Billboard 200.Â
Why Donât We went on hiatus amidst a lengthy legal battle in 2022, and eventually disbanded officially in February 2025, with Seavey releasing his debut album on March 7.
Daniel Seavey â 2025 Tour Dates
Aug. 2 â The Powerstation, Auckland, New ZealandAug. 5 â The Forum, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaAug. 6 â Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaAug. 8 â Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaAug. 10 â AEC Theatre, Adelaide, SA, AustraliaAug. 12 â Rechabite, Perth, WA, Australia
Patti LuPone has issued an apology after hundreds of members of the Broadway community condemned her recent remarks disparaging fellow actresses Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald.
âFor as long as I have worked in the theatre, I have spoken my mind and never apologized. That is changing today,â LuPone wrote in the opening of a statement released via Instagram on Saturday (May 31).
âI am deeply sorry for the words I used during The New Yorker interview, particularly about Kecia Lewis, which were demeaning and disrespectful. I regret my flippant and emotional responses during this interview, which were inappropriate, and I am devastated that my behavior has offended others and has run counter to what we hold dear in this community. I hope to have the chance to speak to Audra and Kecia personally to offer my sincere apologies,â said LuPone.
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LuPoneâs response arrived the day after after an open letter directed at her â and signed by more than 500 individuals in the Broadway world â was published in outcry to comments from the actress perceived to be âdegrading and misogynistic,â as well as a âblatant act of racialized disrespect.â The letter was also aimed at âa culture, a patternâ in the Broadway industry: âa persistent failure to hold people accountable for violent, disrespectful, or harmful behavior â especially when they are powerful or well-known.â
In Saturdayâs statement, LuPone acknowledged the message of the letter and expressed regret over what she said about her peers.
âI wholeheartedly agree with everything that was written in the open letter shared yesterday,â she wrote. âFrom middle school drama clubs to professional stages, theatre has always been about lifting each other up and welcoming those who feel they donât belong anywhere else. I made a mistake, I take full responsibility for it, and I am committed to making this right. Our entire theatre community deserves better.â
The New Yorker ran a profile on LuPone earlier this week that quoted hercalling Lewis â whoâs in the Alicia Keys-created Broadway musical Hellâs Kitchen, which was performed next door to the LuPone-starring The Roommate in 2024 â a âbâ-â for considering herself a stage âveteran.â
The piece had LuPone recounting complaints sheâd made to Shubert Organization head Robert Wankel that sound from Lewisâ Hellâs Kitchen could be heard during her stage time in The Roommate. (Lewis had responded to LuPoneâs complaints on Instagram at the time, and deemed them âbullying,â âracially microaggressiveâ and ârooted in privilegeâ for calling âa Black show loud.â)
âShe calls herself a veteran?â LuPone said in The New Yorker article dated May 26. âLetâs find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesnât know what the fâ sheâs talking about. Donât call yourself a vet, bâ-.â
LuPone also remarked that she had a âriftâ with McDonald, whoâd shown support for Lewis: âThatâs typical of Audra. Sheâs not a friend,â LuPone told The New Yorker; McDonald later said she was unaware of the rift.
LuPone, a three-time Tony Award and two-time Grammy Award winner, in 2024 starred as Robyn opposite Mia Farrowâs Sharon in The Roommate for the dark comedyâs four-month engagement on Broadway at the Booth Theatre. She just wrapped a series of concert dates that ran across select U.S. cities from late January through late May, with a couple festival appearances slated for this summer.
Lewis won her first Tony, for best featured actress in a musical, for her work as Miss Liza Jane in Hellâs Kitchen, the Broadway production whose performers were also awarded the Grammy for best musical theater album in 2024. Hellâs Kitchen is presently still on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre.
Ava Maxâs âLovin Myselfâ tops this weekâs new music poll. In a poll published Friday (May 30) on Billboard, music fans chose the pop singerâs latest single as their favorite new release of the past week. âLovin Myselfâ brought in 57% of the vote, beating out new releases from artists like Tate McRae (âJust Keep […]
Morgan Wallenâs Iâm the Problem notches a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart (dated June 7), after debuting in the pole position a week ago with the yearâs biggest week for an album. In its second week, Iâm the Problem earned 286,000 equivalent album units (in the tracking week ending May 29) in the United States according to Luminate. A week ago, the set arrived at No. 1 with 493,000 units.
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With a relatively scant 42% second-week decline in units earned, Iâm the Problem tallies the smallest second-week percentage drop for a No. 1-debuting album in more than a year. The last No. 1-debuting set to see a smaller sophomore frame fall, by percentage decline, was 21 Savageâs American Dream on the March 3, 2024-dated chart. It fell 41% in its second week (from 133,000 to 78,000).
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Plus, Wallen has three albums in the top 10 at the same time for the first time ever, as Iâm the Problem is joined by his former No. 1s One Thing at a Time (No. 4) and Dangerous: The Double Album (No. 10).
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new June 7, 2025-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboardâs website on June 3. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of Iâm the Problemâs 286,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending May 29, SEA units comprise 256,000 (down 28%, equaling 332.89 million on-demand official streams of the setâs songs â it leads Top Streaming Albums for a second week), album sales comprise 28,000 (down 79% â itâs No. 1 on Top Album Sales for a second week) and TEA units comprise 2,000 (down 39%).
Nos. 2-8 on the Billboard 200 are all former No. 1s. SZAâs SOS is a non-mover at No. 2 (47,000 equivalent album units earned; up 2%); Kendrick Lamarâs GNX climbs 5-3 (42,000; up 1%); Wallenâs One Thing at a Time is steady at No. 4 (nearly 42,000; down 1%); Playboi Cartiâs MUSIC motors 18-5 (41,000; up 57% after a range of deluxe boxed set editions, sold through his webstore, were fulfilled to customers); Sabrina Carpenterâs Short nâ Sweet steps 7-6 (36,000; down 3%); PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drakeâs $ome $exy $ongs 4 U is up 8-7 (nearly 36,000; down 4%); and Bad Bunnyâs DebĂ Tirar MĂĄs Fotos rises 9-8 (35,000; down 3%).
Billie Eilishâs Hit Me Hard and Soft is back in the top 10, moving 11-9, with 31,000 equivalent album units earned (though down 2%).
Wallenâs chart-topping Dangerous: The Double Album rises 12-10 with 30,000 equivalent album units earned (down less than 1%). Wallen has three albums in the top 10 concurrently for the first time ever, as Dangerous joins Iâm the Problem (No. 1) and One Thing at a Time (No. 4). Wallen is the second act to log at least three albums in the top 10 at the same time in 2025, following Lamar after his Super Bowl LIX halftime show performance on Feb. 9. On the Feb. 22-dated chart, Lamar was at Nos. 1, 9 and 10 with GNX, DAMN. and good kid, m.A.A.d city, respectively.
Wallen and Lamar are the only living male artists to have had at least three albums in the top 10 at the same time since Herb Alpert on the Dec. 24, 1966-dated chart (when he, along with the Tijuana Brass, had three titles in the top 10). The most recent act, overall, with at least three albums in the top 10 was Taylor Swift on the March 2, 2024, chart, when she had three in the region â she has held at least three albums concurrently in the top 10 of the chart 22 times.
Before Lamar, the last male artist â or anyone aside from Swift â to have at least three albums in the top 10 at the same time was Prince, following his death, in 2016. That year, on the May 14 chart, he logged five titles in the region; and on the May 7 chart, he had three in the top 10. Prince died on April 21, 2016.
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
The performance this week by Nigerian star TEMS is one eagerly awaited moment at the inaugural SXSW London, which opens Monday (June 2) and runs through Saturday (June 7), building on the four-decade legacy of the South By Southwest music, arts, film and tech conference and festival launched by four young colleagues in Austin, Texas, in 1987.
TEMS will headline The Stage at SXSW London on Thursday (June 5) in an exclusive concert presented by Billboard at Londonâs iconic music venue Troxy. She was featured on the cover of the magazineâs May 17 issue.
London is some 4,900 air miles from Austin where, in the mid 1980s, the idea of a conference and festival, initially focused on music, was hatched by the co-founders of SXSW: Roland Swenson, Louis Jay Meyers, Louis Black and Nick Barbaro. At the first event, held in March 1987, an expected 150 registrants reached 700 on the opening day.Â
In 2021, following the challenges of the pandemic, SXSW gained an investment partner in Penske Media Corporation (which also owns Billboard) and the film and production company MRC. Two years later, Penske took majority ownership of SXSW.
Under its new owners, SXSW has gone global. The third SXSW Sydney will take place in Australiaâs largest city from Oct. 13-19.
This first SXSW London takes place at a time when the creative industries of the United Kingdom are more vital than ever, with the music business finding global success with superstars like Dua Lipa, Charli xcx, Coldplay and others. The event also follows the publication by Billboard of its annual Global Power Players list and its first U.K. Power Players list, whose honorees will be recognized at an invitation-only gathering.
Here are seven highlights to watch for at SXSW London.
By the Numbers
Source: Getty Images / Indiana Pacers / New York Knicks
Itâs no longer orange and blue skies after the NBAâs âmost overrated player,â Tyrese Haliburton, and the Indiana Pacers once again sent New York Knicks, Ben Stiller, Timothee Chalamet, Spike Lee, and the rest of the diehard Knickerbocker fans on summer break.
The New York Knicks and their fans thought their 52-year championship drought was coming to an end, but unfortunately, the Indiana Pacers had other plans.
Last night, in a game that started close, the Pacers eventually cruised to a 125-108 Game 6 win over the Knicks, punching their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, where they hope they can win the franchiseâs first NBA title.
Out of the gate, the Knicks didnât let the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd affect them, keeping the contest close, trailing by only four points at halftime. But it was clear they couldnât keep pace with the Pacers, who turned it on in the second half, ending the third quarter with an 11-point lead that the Knicks couldnât overcome.
It didnât help that the Knicksâ offense was stifled by the Pacersâ defense in the second half. The clutch player of the year and Knicksâ top offensive weapon, Jalen Brunson, was held to just 19 points and shot 4/10 at the half because Andrew Nembhard locked him down.
In Games 1-5, Andrew Nembhard defended Jalen Brunson for 49 match-ups, allowing 51.0 player points per 100 match-ups
In Game 6, Nembhard defended Brunson for 55 match-ups, giving up just 9.1 player points per 100 match-ups
He was sensational. pic.twitter.com/VQNoJSo22x
â Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) June 1, 2025
Turnovers Killed The Knicksâ Chances
The Pacers also forced 18 Knicks turnovers, scoring 25 fastbreak points, a recipe for disaster for any team trying to win an Eastern Conference Finals series.
After being stifled in Game 5, Tyrese Haliburton returned to form, scoring 21 points and dishing out 13 assists. However, it was Pascal Siakamâs 31-point performance that helped put the Knicks away for good, earning him the series MVP award, which also provided a classic meme moment.
Tyrese Haliburton thought that Larry Bird ECF MVP trophy was hisđ¤Ł#NBA #Pacers pic.twitter.com/59eF189mNI
â Caleb Nixon (@calebnixonmedia) June 1, 2025
Jalen Brunson Still Has Confidence In This Knicks Team
Despite solid offensive efforts from OG Anunoby, who led all Knicks scorers with 24 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns with 22, it just wasnât enough.
It didnât help that Josh Hart, who has been reliable all season, didnât leave his mark on the game, scoring only 4 points.
Following the game, Brunson says he still believes in this Knicks team as it is constructed, telling reporters he has âThe most confidence, overconfident, seriously,â Brunson said. âThereâs not an ounce of any type of doubt that Iâm confident with this group.â
Jalen Brunson was asked if he has confidence that Tom Thibodeau is the right coach for the Knicks moving forward:
“Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe if he’s the right guy. Yes.” pic.twitter.com/FRjCO8genL
â Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) June 1, 2025
A Magical Season Comes To A Bitter End
Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks looked like they were on the verge of a special season after two big playoff series wins, including knocking off the defending champion Boston Celtics.
But it would turn out their biggest test would be the franchiseâs longtime rivals, the Indiana Pacers, who have played boogeyman to the Knicks franchise for many years.
Coming into the series, the Knicks had all the momentum, especially after pulling off one of the biggest comebacks in playoff history en route to denying the Celtics the opportunity to defend their 2023-24 NBA championship.
It would turn out that the Knicks would get a taste of their own medicine after they dramatically blew a significant lead in game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, which led to an insane Tyrese Haliburton buzzer-beater to force overtime, where the Knicks came up short, and eventually would go on to lose the series.
TYRESE HALIBURTON BUZZER BEATER FORCES OT đ¤Żđ¤Żđ¤Ż
AND HE DID THE CHOKE SIGN TO THE KNICKS!!! pic.twitter.com/0jufr6naNl
â Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 22, 2025
As you can imagine, Knicks fansâ emotions are all over the place. Some are proud of their Knickerbockers, while others feel a change is needed, calling for the firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau, whose rotations and refusal to use his bench were once again the subject of discussion.
Tom Thibodeau is just Doc Rivers but plays his stars 48 minutes a game. pic.twitter.com/d2fVTya9Cj
â chickenfriedđ (@realzachbrown) May 26, 2025
Welp, thereâs always next year.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. A proud Knicks fan
I donât care Iâm damn proud of this team.A season full of memoriesTwo All Star startersBack to back 50 win seasonsGreat series win vs DetroitAn upset for the ages vs BostonFirst ECF in 25 yearsIt was an amazing season pic.twitter.com/JWJipMcEsqâ KNICKS BEAST (@KnicksBeast) June 1, 2025
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Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen are officially husband and wife.
The singer-actress, 28, and Buffalo Bills quarterback, 29, were photographed walking down the aisle during a stunning wedding ceremony in Southern California on Saturday (May 31), according to People.
Neither Steinfeld nor Allen had shared photos of their oceanside nuptials on social media at press time.
The couple announced their engagement in November 2024 with a breathtaking Instagram post. In the snapshot, the NFL star is seen down on one knee atop a grassy ridge overlooking the water, surrounded by candles and framed by a large, flower-covered arch.
The Sinners actress and Allen were first linked romantically in spring 2023, after being spotted dining together in New York City. Months later, Allen confirmed the relationship but asked The Associated Press not to mention Steinfeld by name in an attempt to maintain privacy.
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Earlier this year, Steinfeld opened up about the engagement during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Speaking about her new life in Buffalo, N.Y., the âStarvingâ singer said with a smile, âI have been given a very warm welcome.â She added, âThe people are incredible, itâs such a wonderful, wonderful place.â
Allenâs Buffalo Bills had an impressive season, making it to the AFC Championship before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the Super Bowl. Steinfeld has become a vocal supporter of her new husbandâs team. In a February interview with Who What Wear, she playfully shaded the Chiefs when asked to name the four AFC teams.
âYou got the Buffalo Bills and the Billsâ three sons,â she replied pointedly.
Still, Steinfeld managed to find a few kind words for the Chiefs in a Hot Ones Versus episode released the day before her Fallon appearance in early April. When challenged to compliment the team or eat a spicy wing, Steinfeld gave it her best shot while facing off against her Sinners co-star Michael B. Jordan.
âYellow and red really complement them all pretty well,â she said to avoid eating a spicy wing, struggling to think of more things to say as Jordan laughed at her. âThey are very loud ⌠itâs great you want that from a fanbase. And third, they go hard for their team.â
BTS has shared new details about its upcoming 2025 FESTA, marking the K-pop groupâs 12th anniversary. This yearâs offline celebration is set for June 13â14 at KINTEX Exhibition Center 2 in Goyang, South Korea. The event will be open to the public and feature interactive activities, including a FESTA-themed game zone, DIY photo card stations, […]