Music News

27 Feb 2025

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sued for Sexual Assault by Male Escort

Sean “Diddy” Combs is the subject of yet another lawsuit, as a male escort has accused the disgraced Bad Boy Records mogul of sexual assault.

The victim, who filed in the Southern District of New York as John Doe on Wednesday (Feb. 26) through his attorneys at Eisenberg & Baum, claims Combs sexually assaulted him and then coerced him to remain quiet with a series of threats.

Doe says he met Combs in 2012 through his Florida-based male companion service and then traveled north to meet the hip-hop mogul in New York City, where he says Combs invited him to his suite at the Intercontinental Hotel. While there, he claims that Combs forced him to perform “oral and penetrative sex” on a woman who was also present. He also alleges that Combs had him drink from a water bottle and rubbed baby oil on him, “one or both of which” led him to “feel as if he had been drugged and not in complete control of his body.” During the same assault, Doe claims that Combs put his finger in his anus and “forcibly anally raped” him.

“You better not say a word to anybody about this. Did you hear me,” Doe recalls Combs saying to him following the assault. “I’m not f—ing playing with you. If I can get Pac hit, what the f— do you think can happen to you?”

Combs’ lawyers have continued to deny all of the sexual assault allegations against him.

“No matter how many lawsuits are filed — especially by individuals who refuse to put their own names behind their claims — it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor,” Combs’ attorneys said in a statement sent to Billboard on Thursday (Feb. 27).

They continued: “We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court.”

In addition to the dozens of sexual assault lawsuits that have been filed against him, Combs is currently detained at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center ahead of his criminal trial, which is slated to begin on May 5. The disgraced rapper and executive was arrested in September on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He faces life in prison if convicted on all charges.

27 Feb 2025

Amazon Partners With AI Music Company Suno for Alexa+ Integration

Amazon has partnered with AI music company Suno for a new integration with its voice assistant Alexa, allowing users to generate AI songs on command using voice prompts. This is part of a much larger rollout of new features for a “next generation” Alexa, dubbed Alexa+, powered by AI technology.

“Using Alexa’s integration with Suno, you can turn simple, creative requests into complete songs, including vocals, lyrics, and instrumentation. Looking to delight your partner with a personalized song for their birthday based on their love of cats, or surprise your kid by creating a rap using their favorite cartoon characters? Alexa+ has you covered,” says an Amazon blog post, posted Wednesday (Feb. 26).

Other new Alexa+ features include new voice filters, image generation, smart home operation, Uber booking and more. It also includes an integration with Ticketmaster to “find you the best tickets to an upcoming basketball game or to the concert you’ve been dying to go to,” according to the blog post.

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Suno is known to be one of the most powerful AI music models on the market, able to generate realistic lyrics, vocals and instrumentals at the click of a button. However, the company has come under scrutiny by the music business establishment for its training practices. Spearheaded by the RIAA, Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Warner Music Group came together last summer to sue Suno and its rival Udio, accusing the AI music company of copyright infringement “on an almost unimaginable scale.” At the time, neither AI company had admitted to training on copyrighted material.

In a later filing, Suno admitted that “it is no secret that the tens of millions of recordings that Suno’s model was trained on presumably included recordings whose rights are owned by the Plaintiffs in this case.” Its CEO, Mikey Shulman, added in a blog post that same day, “We see this as early but promising progress. Major record labels see this vision as a threat to their business. Each and every time there’s been innovation in music… the record labels have attempted to limit progress,” adding that Suno felt the lawsuit was “fundamentally flawed” and that “learning is not infringing.”

More recently, German collection society GEMA also took legal action against Suno in a case filed Jan. 21 in Munich Regional Court.

Still, a couple of music makers have sided with Suno. In October, Timbaland was announced as a strategic advisor for the AI music company, assisting in “creative direction” and “day-to-day product development.” Electronic artist and entrepreneur 3LAU has also been named as an advisor to the company.

News of Amazon’s deal with Suno comes just months after its streaming service, Amazon Music, was commended by the National Music Publishers’ Association for finding a way to add audiobooks to its “Unlimited” subscription tier in the U.S. without “decreas[ing] revenue for songwriters” — a contrast to Spotify, which decreased payments to U.S. publishers by about 40% when it added audiobooks to its premium tier.

27 Feb 2025

Kim Kardashian Says Daughter North Is ‘Obsessed’ With Her Again After Being ‘Mad’ at Her Post-Divorce

Kim Kardashian is healing through her relationship with her 11-year-old daughter North following her divorce from Kanye West.

In the newest episode of Hulu’s The Kardashians on Thursday (Feb. 27), Kim reveals a positive development to her sister, Kourtney Kardashian Barker. “The craziest thing happened. Tell me if this happened with Mason,” Kim says, referring to Kourtney’s 15-year-old son. “North is like obsessed with me now. And calls me with her friends like, ‘Mom I love you, you’re the best mom. I love you so much.’”

“Do you think you’ve changed?” Kourtney asks Kim, and the SKIMS founder replies,  “I mean possibly. It was a year of like mad at me.”

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“Well also you guys were getting a divorce,” Kourtney notes, and Kim agrees. “I think it was all the divorce. It’s insane the turnaround,” she says.

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Kardashian filed for divorce from West in February 2021 after six years of marriage. Both sides initially said that the split would be amicable, but the relationship between the two superstars has turned increasingly tense in the two years since.

Ye has also been especially controversial. Back in October 2022, Ye fired off a series of antisemitic rants, including the “Death Con 3” tweet, which led to companies such as Adidas, Def Jam, Balenciaga, Gap and more cutting ties with the rapper.

Earlier this year, the rapper went on a hate-filled X spree, in which he once again praised Nazis and Adolf Hitler, while insulting the LGBTQ community and people with disabilities with phrases such as “f–k ret-rds.”

“After further reflection I’ve come to the realization that I’m not a Nazi,” he later wrote, backtracking on his highly criticized comments.

Kardashian has previously opened up about navigating the divorce with her four children — in addition to North, she also shares Saint, Chicago and Psalm with Ye. “Ultimately, what matters is that kids feel loved and heard,” she said in a GQ cover feature. “You want to be sensitive because they’re just kids, and it’s hard to go through no matter what age. You have to make sure that you only go to a level that they can understand. It’s okay to show a vulnerable side. You never go to a negative side.”

“Just because I know how to manage my stress well doesn’t mean that I don’t feel the emotions. If I’m sad, of course I will cry and feel it,” she added.

27 Feb 2025

Ray J Regrets His Infamous ‘Breakfast Club’ Rant Aimed at Fabolous: ‘I Was Very Vulnerable’

Ray J regrets his infamous rant aimed at Fabolous from 2011 when he called into The Breakfast Club and threatened the Brooklyn rapper after Fab made fun of Ray J playing his song “One Wish” on the piano for Floyd Mayweather on an episode of HBO Sports docuseries 24/7.

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In a recent sitdown with VladTV, the singer was asked about his beef with Fabolous and said he regretted it. “It wasn’t OK, it wasn’t OK,” he told DJ Vlad. “I don’t know what the f—k I was going through. All I know is that the homie gave me too much … You know what I’m saying? Too much to handle. It was a time where I was very vulnerable. And really, nobody was there to save me. Everybody wanted me to crash. That’s when I realize nobody was my friend.”

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Ray J added that Vlad should’ve tried harder to settle him down during that time period. “But Vlad, you should’ve grabbed me and tackled me, bro,” he said. “If you cared about me, somebody should’ve grabbed me and tackled me and took me to the room. And it didn’t matter how it looked.”

He then revealed that he and Fabolous never sat down to talk about the situation, even after all these years. “I mean, I said what I said, I was tripping,” he continued. “But we never really sat down and talked about it. He had this other story about how it happened, and you know what? I’ma give it to Fab. Whatever story he said on The Breakfast Club, he can have that story ’cause I was wrong, so have it. But it wasn’t accurate.”

You can watch the clip below.

27 Feb 2025

PARTYNEXTDOOR Apologizes for Tory Lanez Diss Track: ‘I Was Wrong’

PARTYNEXTDOOR has walked back his Tory Lanez diss.

PND previewed a snippet on his Instagram Live of a song on Wednesday (Feb. 26), where he’s throwing shot at fellow Toronto artist Tory Lanez. “I’m not y’all n—as friend. What are you talkin’ about bro? Stop saying my name,” he could be heard saying before playing the track.

“F—k what Tory Lanez say, he knows the B, I’m runnin’ it,” Party says in his signature flow. “I did everything he did he’s just a running man … drama man … I’m the daddy let me slap you OK.”

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He later sings about Tory sounding like him and seems to refer to his guilty verdict in the Megan Thee Stallion case: “You said I sound like Young Thug, you know you sound like me,” he says. “Life is short, the lawyer’s cheap/ The people that love me, they love me/ Would’ve been back in the streets by Monday.”

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However, a few hours later, Party admitted that recording and teasing the song was a mistake. “I was told about what you said without hearing your video for myself,” he wrote in his Instagram Story. “You didn’t say anything that I wouldn’t say myself, now that I seen it I was wrong. City is stronger together.”

The video he’s referring to is the one that was posted to Tory Lanez’s Instagram on Feb. 19, where the currently incarcerated artist mentioned in a phone call from behind bars that Party, Drake, and The Weeknd‘s latest efforts have inspired him to record an album this year. “PARTYNEXTDOOR showed his best work of 2025, Drake showed his best work of 2025,” Lanez said. “The Weeknd showed his best work of 2025, now it’s time for me to come out.”

Many fans were confused by Party’s shots because Drake has shown support for Lanez a few times, most recently calling for his freedom during a Christmas giveaway on a stream with Adin Ross.

27 Feb 2025

Tate McRae Says Her LGBTQ+ Fans Are Her ‘Favorite’ and Reveals Her Dream Collaborator

Tate McRae has ticked a lot of career dreams off her vision board over the past few years. But that doesn’t mean the “Sports Car” singer is done searching for new challenges. In an interview with Pride about her deep connection to her LGBTQ+ day one fans and the star’s upcoming Miss Possessive tour in support of her So Close to What album, McRae didn’t hesitate when asked which one of her idols she’d like to hit the studio with.

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“My dream is to write with SZA. She’s one of the coolest and best writers ever,” McRae said of the “Luther” star who is gearing to to hit the road with her Super Bowl LIX halftime show compatriot Kendrick Lamar in April. “I love her. I think it’d be a mix of pop and R&B. I’d let her take the charge! I just want to always keep pushing my comfort zone. I never want to recycle and do the same things. As an artist, I want to be uncomfortable and shock myself sometimes.”

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While she’s manifesting things, the goal-driven McRae also said she “would die” to perform at the MTV VMAs. “That’s something I’ve watched all my idols do for so many years,” she said of the show that has been a launching pad and showcase for some of her obvious influences in the past, from Madonna to Britney Spears. “From some reason, that specific performances is something I’ve always wanted.”

She also had to give it up for her day-one queer fans, saying that they are her absolute “favorite. No one beats them. Nobody is better than them. My whole team is gay! That’s the only opinion I really want when I’m releasing music. I feel lucky that I have their opinion. We want to do the most and push the boundaries, but it’s also the most brutally honest advice.”

As an example, the 21-year-old noted her 2023 performance at the G-A-Y & Heaven Nightclub in London, which she called one of her all-time high points. “I ditched the mic and just started dancing,” she said. “There was only like 150 people in the room and it was some of the craziest, loudest energy I’ve ever felt. I just wanted to whip my hair, do a kick, and leave! That’s all I wanted to do.”

In a final shout-out to the audience that has always had her back, McRae added, “I love you guys so much. Y’all are my number ones. You know that as much as you guys ride for me, I ride for you. I feel very grateful to have you guys in my life and surrounding me.”

As she awaits the March 18 kick-off of her tour in Mexico City’s Pepsi Center WTC, McRae will appear as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live this weekend alongside host comedian Shane Gillis.

27 Feb 2025

Zendaya Enters the Swamp as Shrek & Fiona’s Daughter in Upcoming 5th Film: Watch the Teaser

All that glitters is gold when it comes to Dreamworks’ new film announcement, with the animation studio revealing Thursday (Feb. 27) that a fifth Shrek movie is in the works featuring Zendaya as the beloved ogre’s daughter.

In a teaser clip shared on YouTube, the Spiderman star (who has landed six songs on the Billboard Hot 100) makes her debut as her brand new swamp-inhabiting character while watching the Mike Myers-voiced titular character scrolling through videos on his magic mirror. When Shrek comes across an edited photo of himself looking unrealistically buff, Zendaya’s redheaded ogress retches and exclaims, “Ew, dad!”

“Ooh, mommy like,” Cameron Diaz’s Fiona says approvingly before Shrek asks, “Who’s making this stuff?”

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Also returning for Shrek 5 is Eddie Murphy, who voices Shrek’s famous four-legged sidekick, Donkey. According to Dreamworks, the latest chapter of the fairytale is coming to theaters Christmas 2026, following the original 2001 Shrek, 2004’s Shrek 2, 2007’s Shrek the Third and 2010’s Shrek Forever After.

The singer-actress’ latest gig comes after years of being a fan of the animated franchise, with Zendaya tweeting back in 2017, “I watch Shrek too often in my adulthood” — a screenshot of which the official Shrek Instagram account shared on the day of the fifth film’s announcement. “This aged well,” reads the caption.

Prior to joining Shrek 5, Zendaya earned critical acclaim — and a 2025 best actress Golden Globe nomination, which she ended up losing to The Substance‘s Demi Moore — for her performance as Tashi Duncan in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers. She’s also expected to return for a long-awaited third season of Euphoria, which started production this year.

Watch the Shrek 5 cast announcement above.

27 Feb 2025

Cardi B Hits the Studio With Ozuna, Sparking Collaboration Rumors: ‘A Movie Always’

Cardi B and Ozuna teamed up for “La Modelo” in 2017, and the pair have reconnected in the studio, which sparked collaboration rumors.

Cardi took to her Instagram Story early Thursday (Feb. 27) in the studio with the Puerto Rican artist, and the turn-up may have seen them join forces on a new track.

“A Movie always,” Cardi captioned the first clip of her dancing and singing along to a track, but the video was muted. Another clip finds her hanging with Ozuna and his crew, which she described as “Un vibe durisimoo (a very hard vibe).”

Fans were excited to see Ozuna and Cardi back together. “Their collabs never miss! So excited to hear this one,” one person wrote to X, while another excited fan chimed in: “Yessssss I been waiting on her and Ozuna to drop another banger it’s been so long I’m excited for this.”

Another added: “Cardi is about to bring old ozuna back!”

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“La Modelo” reached No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the dancehall-reggaeton blend topped the Latin Airplay chart. They also appeared on DJ Snake’s “Taki Taki” hit in 2018, which peaked at No. 11 on the Hot 100.

While Cardi B is expected to finally deliver her long-awaited sophomore album at some point this year, Ozuna is also working on new music. His most recent projects arrived in 2023 with Cosmo and Afro. He united with Kapo earlier this month for their “Mas Que Tu” collaboration. As for Cardi, she’s kept busy in February with an appearance on the Smurfs Movie Soundtrack cut “Higher Love” with DJ Khaled, and her Padison Fontaine “Toot It Up” reunion.

27 Feb 2025

Halsey Explores Kinks in Super NSFW, S&M-Themed ‘Safeword’ Video: Watch

Halsey dropped the definitely NSFW video for their new single, “safeword,” on Thursday (Feb. 27) after teasing a 13-second preview of the track earlier this week. As promised in the sneak peek, the S&M-themed video directed by provocative stylist and Sedition Magazine editor-in-chief Lana Jay Lackey opens with a close-up of the singer rocking black-and-silver studded thong underwear, a leather jacket, leather cap and knee-high, studded, stiletto boots.

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As the song’s distorted guitar and manic, galloping rhythm kicks in, Halsey dives into dominatrix mode, kicking a leather-masked man laying on the floor in his head as they sing in a riot grrrl-inflected yelp, “Pin me to the floor, swing me by the neck/ Locked behind a door, it is time yet, time yet?/ Don’t be such a bore, gimme respect/ Are you feeling sore? Are you wet yet, wet yet?”

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Soon enough, it’s Halsey who is on the other end, as someone ties a rope around their body, pinning it to a chair as she engages in puppy play and lays prone on a table while a leather-masked dom in a suit spanks their lingerie-clad bottom before menacingly chomping on an apple. The urgent, digital hardcore-edged song hurtles to the howled chorus, “Oh, can you take it, baby?/ Oh can you handle it?/ Don’t tell me what to do, I’m gonna stand it,” with Halsey making it clear “you’re not the boss of me.”

The singer strikes a series of provocative poses throughout the rest of the clip, hanging upside down by her ankles in a mesh bra top and matching leggings — her private parts covered by black stars and a merkin — and sipping from a shake perched on a tray held up by a latex-encased living coffee table. Little is left to the imagination in the video, which also includes scenes of simulated masturbation, light pony play as Halsey rides a ball-gagged human horse and a scene of the singer trussed up and wearing a lamp shade, as well as other envelope-pushing images that bring to mind Madonna’s 1992 Sex book.

The high-energy single comes just a few months after Halsey dropped her fifth studio album, The Great Impersonator, yet another artistic pivot from the singer in which she took on a variety of musical personas on the confessional, eclectic concept album that spotlighted a mix of pop, folk and rock. It was set up by a teaser campaign in which she paid homage to a number of the LP’s inspirations, including Dolly Parton, PJ Harvey, David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, Bruce Springsteen, Kate Bush, Cher and Britney Spears, among others.

Halsey also recently announced the dates for their upcoming spring/summer 2025 Halsey: For My Last Trick tour. The 32-city Live Nation-promoted trek in support of the singer’s Columbia Records debut is slated to kick off on May 10 at the Toyota Pavilion at Concord in Concord, CA, keeping them on the road through a July 6 show at the Yaamava’ Theater in Highland, CA.

Joining Halsey on their first headlining tour in three years will be:  Del Water Gap, The Warning, Evanescence, Alvvays, Hope Tala, Royel Otis, Sir Chloe, flowerlove, Magdalena Bay and Alemeda joining on select dates.

Watch the “safeword” video below.

27 Feb 2025

Iceland Airwaves Announce First Wave of Artists for 2025 Festival’s Lineup

The 2025 edition of Iceland Airwaves has unveiled its first wave of artists set to perform in Reykjavík, Iceland, in November.

The list sees a wealth of emerging names, such as Domino signees Fat Dog, Manchester’s Antony Szmierek, singer-songwriter Jasmine.4.t and experimental pop act Ratbag.

Other artists set to appear at the festival include Babymorocco, Deadletter, Jelena Ciric and The Orchestra (For Now), who appeared in Billboard U.K.’s Ones to Watch list for 2025. (You can view the full lineup on the festival’s website.)

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There will also be a strong presence of local talent, from Sunna Margrét to Milkywhale and Magnús Jóhann. A new pledge to support the future of Icelandic music will also see a handful of selected 2025 performing artists travel to Austin, Texas, in March to play at an exclusive SXSW showcase presented by Iceland Airwaves, Iceland Music, Business Iceland and Record in Iceland.

Weekend, single-day and conference passes are currently available through the festival’s official website, starting at 10.900 ISK ($78.55). There are also travel bundles available for those who would like to purchase flights and accommodation along with a festival ticket.

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Launched in 1999, Iceland Airwaves is a world-renowned music showcase. Over the years, the festival has welcomed the likes of Mac DeMarco, James Blake, Sufjan Stevens, Young Fathers, Sigrid and Florence + The Machine to Reykjavík.

Each November, global artists and industry converge in the Icelandic capital for three days of live performances, panels and workshops. The 2024 edition saw Shygirl, Bar Italia, Anish Kumar and Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul take to the stage, among others.

The festival is promoted and produced by the concert company Sena Live, with support by Iceland’s national airline and founding sponsor, Icelandair, and in cooperation with the City of Reykjavík.

See Iceland Airwaves’ lineup announcement of the first wave of artists below: