Music News

05 May 2025

J Balvin Looks Dapper in Pink Vintage Suit at Met Gala 2025

J Balvin looked dapper in a salmon-pink vintage suit at the 2025 Met Gala on Monday (May 5). The Colombian superstar stepped out with partner Valentina Ferrer, who looked stunning in a ’70s-inspired structured black and brown polka-dot dress.

It’s not the first time that the reggaetón hitmaker has attended the Met Gala. He made his debut in 2021, where he wore a bold, showstopping Moschino design. He returned in 2022 where he opted for a more classic tuxedo by Ralph Lauren. J Balvin is currently on his Back to the Rayo Tour in the United States with remaining stops in Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland.

Balvin’s interpretation of this year’s Met Gala theme was spot on. Held at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday, this year’s Met Gala celebrated the theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. The official dress code is “Tailored for You,” a nod to the spring 2025 exhibition’s focus on menswear and is “purposefully designed to provide guidance and invite creative interpretation,” according to Vogue.

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Pharrell Williams, A$AP Rocky, Colman Domingo and Lewis Hamilton served as co-chairs, while LeBron James served as honorary chair. Tyla, Doechii, André 3000, Usher, Janelle Monáe and more also served as members of the costume institute benefit host committee. Other artists who attended the Met Gala 2025 were Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, LISA, Diana Ross, JENNIE and Dua Lipa.

J Balvin

J Balvin attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

05 May 2025

Doechii Gets Louis Vuitton Stamp of Approval for Her Met Gala Debut

Doechii stamped the Louis Vuitton logo on her face for her debut at the 2025 Met Gala on Monday (May 5).

She was literally head-to-toe in LV, from the monogram-printed logo blazer and vest to the tailored shorts with the brand’s checkerboard Damier print to the mini speedy bag.

She told Vogue livestream co-hosts Teyana Taylor and Ego Nwodim that she worked with Pharrell Williams, one of this year’s co-chairs and men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton, on her dapper look, which was “heavily inspired by” Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity; the book inspired this year’s Met Gala theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”

“We studied a little bit on this character Julius Soubise, who really stood out to me,” Doechii said. “I’m a little nervous, but it feels really good. This is one of the biggest nights in fashion, and for it to be so Black, I’m present. I’m here.”

Nwodim gassed up the 26-year-old MC for becoming the third woman to win the Grammy for best rap album this year, when she took him the trophy for her 2024 critically acclaimed mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal. “I felt inspired by the theme of ‘student of hip-hop,’ and I feel like that’s very dandy, very inspired by tonight’s theme,” said the “Denial Is a River” rapper.

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Pharrell, A$AP Rocky, Colman Domingo and Lewis Hamilton served as co-chairs, while LeBron James served as honorary chair. (James announced on X he had to cancel his appearance due to a knee injury he sustained at the end of the season.) Doechii served as one of the members of the costume institute benefit host committee, alongside Tyla, André 3000, Usher, Janelle Monáe and more.

Doechii

Doechii attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City.

Theo Wargo/FilmMagic

05 May 2025

Sabrina Carpenter Heats Up 2025 Met Gala Red Carpet in Espresso-Brown Bodysuit

Sabrina Carpenter channeled her signature hit “Espresso” on the 2025 Met Gala red carpet, wearing a coffee-brown bodysuit and a matching tuxedo coat with tails.

During her interview on the Vogue livestream with La La Anthony, Carpenter revealed that her look was from Louis Vuitton by way of men’s creative director Pharrell Williams — who also served as a co-chair of Monday’s event.

“I’m a massive fan of Pharrell and have been to the [Louis Vuitton] show, and I was just like, ‘If I could go this year with him, that would be my dream.’ And it came true!” Carpenter revealed, then quipped: “And he was like, ‘You’re quite short, so no pants for you.’ So here we are!”

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Anthony also pointed out Carpenter’s sky-high shoes, which the pop star says are “like a staple for me in my life.” But then after nearly tumbling into the host, she added: “Almost fell into you! … Living life on the edge tonight.”

When asked what she was most looking forward to from the night, Carpenter had another tongue-in-cheek answer. “This is my third Met — never been to the bathroom once, because I’ve never been able to use it in my outfit. So tonight might be the night. We’ll see. … I’m just gonna let everybody know what it looks like. I’m sure it’s just a normal museum bathroom, but I’m excited to find out.”

The 2025 Met Gala theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” which also inspired the Costume Institute’s spring 2025 exhibition of the same name and explores the history of Black dandyism.

05 May 2025

LISA Dazzles in Pantsless Louis Vuitton Look for Met Gala Debut

LISA ditched pants for a dazzling Louis Vuitton bodysuit for her debut at the 2025 Met Gala on Monday (May 5).

The “Rockstar” artist turned heads at the blue carpeted steps of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art with her chic updo and sparkly black LV blazer, bodysuit, tights and statement purse with pearl details. Her BLACKPINK bandmate JENNIE told red carpet host La La Anthony about the girl group’s upcoming reunion tour, which kicks off in July. “It’s BLACKPINK in your area, back again!” JENNIE exclaimed. “It’s gonna be good, and we all can’t wait to meet our fans.”

Outside of her Met Gala debut, LISA made her acting debut on The White Lotus this year and dropped her debut solo album Alter Ego too. Alter Ego reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200.

Lisa

Lisa attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

This year’s Met Gala celebrated the theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. The official dress code is “Tailored for You,” a nod to the spring 2025 exhibition’s focus on menswear and is “purposefully designed to provide guidance and invite creative interpretation,” according to Vogue.

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Pharrell Williams, A$AP Rocky, Colman Domingo and Lewis Hamilton served as co-chairs, while LeBron James served as honorary chair. James announced on X he had to cancel his appearance due to a knee injury he sustained at the end of the season. Tyla, Doechii, André 3000, Usher, Janelle Monáe and more also served as members of the costume institute benefit host committee.

05 May 2025

Brooklyn Mirage Opening Indefinitely Delayed by Construction Permit Problems 

The Brooklyn Mirage remains closed after building inspectors declined to grant the recently renovated facility a permit to open on Friday (May 2) for the first of two back-to-back concerts by Sara Landry.

Sources monitoring the situation say Mirage officials were given a list of fixes that needed to be completed for the club to open following an extensive renovation at the venue complex Avant Garner, which includes the 80,000-square-foot, 6,000-capacity Williamsburg nightclub. Widely recognized as one of the top stops in New York for electronic and dance acts, the Mirage had operated for years with the support of New York Mayor Eric Adams, whose office has intervened on Avant Gardner’s behalf as part of an ongoing legal fight with New York’s State Liquor Authority (SLA). An Avant Gardner representative declined to comment on the proposed fixes.

The SLA threatened to revoke the Brooklyn Mirage’s liquor license several times in the past and convened a meeting that included representatives from the governor’s office to settle the dispute. Such high-placed help has been absent during this latest debacle, which has left the Mirage unable to open and facing the possibility of further cancellations as soon as Friday (May 9), when Loud Luxury is scheduled to perform at the facility.

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“We are doing everything in our power to get back on track — safely and in full compliance — as soon as possible,” reads a statement from Avant Gardener on the Brooklyn Mirage website.

At issue are new design elements at the Mirage, which is said to be one of the largest prefabricated timber structures ever built, at 65 feet high. The venue includes a wraparound LED wall with more than 3,000 LED panels; a fully kinetic shutter system; an L-Acoustics sound system with more than 100 speakers and subwoofers; a 90-foot stage; and 20,000 tons of rigging capacity. Crews have also expanded the space by adding three VIP mezzanines and two general admission dance floors.

“We want to be clear: the venue is show ready and the New Mirage has been built to exacting safety, structural, mechanical and technical specifications,” wrote Mirage officials in an Instagram post. “However, we were not able to meet the final inspection deadline.”

“This isn’t about construction, but compliance,” the post continued. “We’re working closely with city officials and will continue to be transparent throughout this process.”

The Mirage closed months ago with Avant Gardner’s new CEO, Josh Wyatt, promising to reopen the club on Thursday (May 1) after expanding its dance floor from a 5,500-person capacity to 6,250. As the opening date approached, videos and pictures of the renovation project started appearing online, with many fans openly questioning whether the venue would meet its deadline.

Wyatt took over as CEO last fall, and, in an open letter released a few months later, he promised to revive the Brooklyn Mirage as a “world class music and dance experience underpinned by extraordinary design and hospitality.”

05 May 2025

Rihanna Reveals She’s Pregnant With Baby No. 3 at 2025 Met Gala

Rihanna revealed she’s expecting her third baby with A$AP Rocky at the 2025 Met Gala on Monday (May 5).

While she’s yet to hit the blue carpet at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, photographer Miles Diggs shared the good news on his Instagram with the caption “Chance of Showers,” as the “Umbrella” hitmaker hit the streets with her umbrella and her baby bump popping out of her baby blue ensemble.

Rihanna and Rocky share two sons together, RZA Athelston Mayers, who turns three years old this month, and 1-year-old Riot Rose Mayers.

Her partner A$AP Rocky is serving as one of the co-chairs of this year’s Met Gala, alongside Pharrell Williams, Colman Domingo and Lewis Hamilton, while LeBron (James served as honorary chair. James announced on X he had to cancel his appearance due to a knee injury he sustained at the end of the season.)

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This year’s Met Gala celebrated the theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. “This is probably one of my favorite themes of all of them,” Rihanna previously told Access Hollywood. “I’ve had tons of incredible themes with the Met Ball that I’ve enjoyed, but this one it just made me respect it so much more…. It’s a celebration of culture. It’s also a celebration of history. It’s just bringing it to the forefront on a platform where we’ve been kind of hidden and it’s just accepting it.”

Rihanna

Rihanna at The Carlyle Hotel before the 2025 Met Gala: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2025 in New York, New York.

Steve Eichner

05 May 2025

Bad Bunny Dons Traditional Puerto Rican Pava Hat at Met Gala 2025

Fresh off announcing his massive Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, Bad Bunny stunned at the 2025 Met Gala on Monday (May 5), where he once again honored his Puerto Rican roots.

The Grammy-winning superstar stunned in a chocolate brown Prada suit and a matching pava (straw) hat emblematic of the jíbaro (a Puerto Rican from the countryside). While Bad Bunny’s take on the pava is a more chic, modern one, the dapper outfit beams with Puerto Rican pride, and it’s a nod to the promotional photos from his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos, where he also wore the traditional pava hat.

“We worked on this look for a couple months,” Bad Bunny told Vogue on the red carpet. “Some pieces are inspired in the Puerto Rican culture, like the sombrero and the tie because it’s the same fabric. We did something special. I feel good. I hope people think I’m looking good.”

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Earlier Monday, Bad Bunny unveiled his 23-date global stadium tour set to kick off November in the Dominican Republic. The Live Nation-produced stint marks his return to Europe for the first time since 2019, and to Latin America for the first time since his World’s Hottest Tour. It’ll be his first time performing in Australia, Brazil and Japan.

Held at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday, this year’s Met Gala celebrated the theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. The official dress code is “Tailored for You,” a nod to the spring 2025 exhibition’s focus on menswear and is “purposefully designed to provide guidance and invite creative interpretation,” according to Vogue.

Pharrell Williams, A$AP Rocky, Colman Domingo and Lewis Hamilton served as co-chairs, while LeBron James served as honorary chair. Tyla, Doechii, André 3000, Usher, Janelle Monáe and more also served as members of the costume institute benefit host committee.

05 May 2025

Diana Ross Brings Showstopping White Train to 2025 Met Gala Red Carpet

Diana Ross brought the 2025 Met Gala red carpet to a halt on Monday night (May 5), wearing an epic jacket with a seemingly endless train that spread almost the entire width of the iconic steps leading into the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Ross revealed to Vogue livestream host La La Anthony that she was persuaded to attend Monday night’s Met Gala by her son, Evan Ross, after not coming to the event since 2003. She also revealed an Easter egg hiding beneath her train: she had the names of her five children and eight grandchildren stitched into the garment. Diana was joined by Evan for her Vogue interview, and daughter Tracee Ellis Ross was also in the building for the Met Gala.

Beyond the jacket, Ross also wore a low-cut silver-sequined gown and a wide-brimmed white hat adorned with white feathers that matched the feathers lining her showstopping coat.

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When Ross last attended the Met Costume Institute Gala in 2003, she was a vision in red, wearing a satin gown with delicate detailing at the neckline and a matching red satin shawl.

The 2025 Met Gala theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” which also inspired the Costume Institute’s spring 2025 exhibition of the same name and explores the history of Black dandyism.

Ross is a musical legend, scoring 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 throughout her career, including six No. 1s: “Endless Love” with Lionel Richie (nine weeks at No. 1), “Upside Down” (four weeks), “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (three weeks), “Love Hangover” (two weeks), “Touch Me in the Morning” and “Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To).”

You can see Ross’ dress in action below:

05 May 2025

Drake Was Working on New Music During ‘Nokia’ Video Shoot

Seems like Drake is making good on his statement that he’s working on new material that will address this past year.

A clip has surfaced on social media of OVO artist Smiley speaking on Drake being locked in and concentrating on making new music, saying that the Toronto rapper has been working on new material during parties and even on the set of the “Nokia” video.

“Brother, I’m telling you, I seen him the other day,” he said. “We’re at a party and he was in the other room by himself eating pasta with wired headphones writing music while we have a whole f—ing party going on. He’s on a different mode right now.”

He added, “Even at the ‘Nokia’ video shoot, during breaks, he had a bunch of producers and he was just recording. So he’s in that crazy mode, right now.”

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Back in February, during his Anita Max Win tour in Australia and New Zealand, he told the crowd that he was “gonna have a one-on-one talk” with them “when the time is right.” Then in April, he thanked fans for streaming $ome $exy $ongs 4 U with PartyNextDoor and said that he was working on a new album and that “it’s a slap” while streaming with Adin Ross.

Drake reposted the clip of Smiley talking about him being in the lab on his Instagram Story, so there must be some credence to what he’s saying.

The Take Care rapper hasn’t released a solo album since For All the Dogs in 2023.

05 May 2025

Kehlani’s Central Park Pride Concert Canceled Over ‘Safety Issues’ Raised by NYC Mayor

In light of the controversy surrounding Kehlani‘s recently canceled performance at Cornell University, SummerStage has now pulled the plug on the singer’s scheduled performance in Central Park, under advisement from New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ office.

On Monday (May 5), the festival announced that its Pride With Kehlani benefit show — which had been slated for June 26 as part of the city’s annual summer concert series — would no longer be part of this year’s programming. “We have been notified by the Mayor’s Office that they have concerns for security and safety issues,” reads a statement on SummerStage’s Instagram. “Those concerns are due to the controversy surrounding Cornell University’s decision to cancel Kehlani’s concert at the University, as well as security demands in Central Park and throughout the City for other Pride events during that same period.

“We strongly and emphatically believe in artistic expression of all kinds,” the post continues. “However, the safety and security of our guests and artists is of the utmost importance … While artists may choose to express their opinions, their views may not necessarily be representative of the festival.”

At press time, Pride With Kehlani is still listed on Central Park’s online SummerStage schedule.

The move to cancel comes just over a week after Cornell announced that it had rescinded its invitation for Kehlani to headline this year’s Slope Day, the school’s annual event for students celebrating the last day of classes. In an email from university President Michael I. Kotlikoff obtained by The New York Times, he wrote that the decision had been made after learning that the “Gangsta” singer had “espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos and on social media.”

Shortly afterward, Kehlani posted a video clarifying “for the millionth time, that I am not antisemitic nor anti-Jew.”

“I am anti-genocide, I am anti- the actions of the Israeli government, I am anti- an extermination of an entire people, I am anti- the bombing of innocent children, men, women — that’s what I’m anti,” they continued at the time.

In response to the SummerStage cancellation, Kehlani reposted the festival’s statement on Instagram Stories and wrote “lol.” The musician also snapped a selfie and revealed, “I just found that one out on instagram by the way.”

“I’m so deeply grounded in my purpose, my mission, my art, my contribution,” the “After Hours” artist added in another post on Stories. “Back to this album. See you this weekend LA!”

Kehlani has been vocal in their pro-Palestine stance throughout Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas, which began immediately after the terrorist group killed 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 others at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7, 2023. Since then, more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to CNN, which cites the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

In their 2024 “Next 2 U” visual, Kehlani wore kaffiyehs and featured dancers waving Palestinian flags. Before that, they were one of several musicians who signed the 2023 Artists Against Apartheid letter.

See the SummerStage statement below.