Music News
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Ed Sheeran has launched a new Instagram account to celebrate his upcoming single “Old Phone.”
The account @teddysoldphone is a nostalgic look back through the Suffolk-born songwriter’s mobile phone that he retired in 2015. The account features a number of never-before-seen pictures, texts, lyric notes and more, and arrives ahead of the release of his new single at 11 a.m. ET Thursday (April 29), the four-time Grammy winner confirmed in one post.
Sheeran was inspired to write the new song when revisiting his old phone during the copyright lawsuit around his 2014 single “Thinking Out Loud.” It was alleged by the estate of Marvin Gaye that he had copied elements of Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” during the song’s production, but in November 2024, Sheeran was cleared by a jury and found to have created the song independently of the Motown classic.
“It felt like a time capsule, a time of life that I was in, and living at that time in 2015,” the musician captioned one post on his new account. “Turning it on really spun me out, I found myself scrolling messages and conversations with people who are no longer here. … I found old photos of me with people I was so close to then, but we’ve lost touch since. The whole experience was such an emotional journey.”
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The new Insta account features a number of intimate moments from Sheeran’s life and career. He shares memories between himself wife Cherry in their early stages of dating, a selfie with Harry Styles at the London Olympics in 2012 and a touching message from his father following a performance with Stevie Wonder.
Also included are behind-the-scenes snaps with Taylor Swift, Calvin Harris and One Direction at the Billboard Music Awards in 2015, touching moments with his late friends and collaborators Mac Miller and Jamal Edwards (creator of SBTV) and an insight into the songwriting process for hit songs like “Bloodstream” and “Love Yourself” See a selection of treasure trove below.
“Old Phone” will be the second single from Sheeran’s upcoming album, which he recently confirmed to be called Play. It follows “Azizam” — which translates to “my dear” in Farsi — which was inspired by producer Illya Salmanzadeh’s Persian heritage. The song peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Sheeran also shared how his upcoming song came about in one of the posts on his new account. “I wrote the song Old Phone on my own at 2am whilst jet lagged in India finishing the album, and recorded it that morning. It feels like a song that should’ve been on my debut album, but also a song I couldn’t have written until I experienced real life things happening to me,” he explained. “It makes me emotional to sing, I hope it finds some emotion in you too. Maybe it makes you switch on your old phone and have a look at where you were a decade ago too. Whatever it does, I’m glad I wrote it.”
He also built a bespoke pop-up British pub called The Old Phone at this year’s Coachella festival, where he performed the song live for the first time.
All three of the Carter girls made their Cowboy Carter Tour debuts Monday night (April 28), with Blue Ivy and Rumi both joining Beyoncé on stage for an emotional performance of “Protector” during the trek’s opening night at SoFi Stadium.
In clips taken by fans in Inglewood, Calif., both of the superstar’s daughters accompany her about a third of the way through the show for the tear-jerking Cowboy Carter ballad about motherhood, which samples Rumi’s voice in the recording. As the 7-year-old sits next to Bey on a set of stairs flanked by backup dancers, 13-year-old Blue crouches behind them, wrapping her arms around both her younger sister and their mom.
“Born to be your protector,” Bey sings before standing up, taking Rumi’s hand and walking with her downstage. “Even though I know someday you’re gonna shine on your own, I will be your projector.”
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At one point, the little girl turns around and gives her mom a big hug, at which point Bey can’t help but stop singing and giggle. “Give it up for Rumi, y’all!” the Destiny’s Child alum then says proudly as the crowd cheers, while Rumi excitedly waves.
Though Monday’s kickoff marked Rumi’s first time ever joining her mom on stage, Blue has long been working with her mom as a backup dancer. The teenager first started dancing on Bey’s Renaissance Tour in 2023, and on Christmas Day 2024, Blue was on the field with the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer for the star’s NFL Halftime Show.
Blue also had a couple shining moments to herself during the Cowboy Carter show, showing off synchronized choreography with her mom during “America Has a Problem.” She also had her own dance solo set to Bey’s “Deja Vu,” commanding a line of other dancers in a brown leathery fit as fans went wild.
Performing tracks from past albums as well as a bulk of the songs from her Grammy-winning, Billboard 200-topping album Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé kicked off about three months of touring with her show at SoFi. The vocalist will stay at the stadium for four more nights before embarking on a run of performances across the United States and Europe this summer.
Cardi B has never been one to pull punches when it comes to her love life. And on Sunday (April 27) the “Bongos” rapper took to Twitter Spaces to lay it all out about the new man she said is rocking her world. While Cardi did not name names, she did give the gentleman props […]
At age 26, Laufey has already reached the pinnacle of her industry. Now, she’s looking to help other young musicians realize their dreams, too.
On Tuesday (April 29), the Grammy-winning artist, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist announced the launch of The Laufey Foundation, which will strive to make music education, specifically youth orchestra programs, accessible to young people from all different backgrounds. Laufey got her start in youth orchestra programs before receiving a Presidential Scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music.
“The support and scholarships I received as a child have directly led to the career I have now,” Laufey said in a statement. “It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to provide the next generation with the same support and opportunities. I can’t wait to connect with the young musician community!”
The foundation will award inaugural grants to the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, LA Phil’s YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) program, The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, and two of Carnegie Hall’s national youth ensembles (NYO2 and NYO Jazz). It plans to extend grants to additional orchestras globally in the years to come.
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Along with Laufey’s personal contribution to the foundation’s launch, AWAL, AEG Presents, and Steinway & Sons were announced as founding partners, while Warner Chappell, Catbird, and Gibson have come aboard as benefactor partners. Laufey will also donate a portion of the proceeds of every Mei Mei the Bunny plushie sold to the foundation.
This isn’t Laufey’s first charitable endeavor. Last year, she founded the Laufey Scholarship for Graduate Students at Syracuse University’s Bandier Music Business Master’s Program, which will provide $100,000 to international students in need of financial aid over the next 10 years. Earlier this year, she also donated to several organizations — including World Central Kitchen, Pasadena Humane Society, Altadena Girls and L.A. Regional Food Bank — that supported Los Angeles residents in the aftermath of the L.A. wildfires.
Donald Trump hosted the 2025 Super Bowl LIX champs the Philadelphia Eagles at the White House on Monday (April 28), where he took the opportunity to once again lash out at Taylor Swift. The President took his latest swipe at the pop star during the visit when he lauded the Eagles for their commanding 40-22 win in February over the Kansas City Chiefs.
“It was an incredible game. A little surprising, but right from the beginning of the first quarter of the big game, which I was there I watched in person,” said Trump before adding a diss aimed at the billionaire pop superstar who is, of course, dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. “I was there along with Taylor Swift, how did that work out? How did that one work out?”
Trump, the first sitting President to attend the NFL championship game, has made a habit of lashing out at world-beating pop star, including on the night of the Super Bowl, when he wrote, “The only one who had a tougher night than the Kansas City Chiefs was Taylor Swift. She got BOOED out of the Stadium. MAGA is very unforgiving.”
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While Swift was met with some audible boos from the crowd when she was shown on the jumbotron that night, Trump’s latest comments come on the eve of the 100-day mark of his second term in office at a time when, according to a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll 45% of those polled gave him an “F” for how he’s handled things so far, compared to just 23% giving him an “A.”
Trump’s overall approval rating is 42%, which stands as the second-worst approval rating for any president at the 100-day mark in the past 80 years, bested only by the 41% lodged by Trump during his first term; in a different Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll, his approval rating was ahistoricallylow 39%. And while Trump promised to fix the economy on day one and lower the nation’s debt by slashing government agencies, his onerous across-the-board tariffs and DOGE-led mass firings have resulted in a 39% approval rating to date on his handling of the economy, a new low for Trump.
As is his wont, Trump lashed out in all-caps at the dismal poll numbers, decrying them as “FAKE POLLS FROM FAKE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS” and saying that they should be “investigated for ELECTION FRAUD!”
The White House visit is a tradition for some championship teams, but a number of prominent players skipped Monday’s event, including QB Jalen Hurts, as well as star players A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Brandon Graham and six others; the Eagles turned down a visit to the White House after winning their first Super Bowl in 2018 during Trump’s first term.
Beyoncé launched her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin Circuit world tour on Monday night (April 28) with the first of five shows at SoFi Stadium in L.A. And, as usual, it was a high-energy, high-fashion feast for the eyes and ears that lasted nearly three-hours. After opening with the Cowboy Carter track “Ameriican Requiem” […]
Dave Grohl popped into a benefit show at for L.A.’s Oakwood School at Avalon Hollywood over the weekend for a surprise set of covers of some of his favorite songs from LCD Soundsystem, The Knack and David Bowie. Accompanied by Foo Fighters bandmate keyboardist Rami Jaffee, as well as Studio 606 engineer and drummer John […]
Six contestants were eliminated during The Voice Season 27 Playoffs on Monday night (April 28), as Team Adam and Team Kelsea faced off in a night filled with standout performances, tough decisions, and no second chances.
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Team Kelsea lost Jaelen Johnston, Darius J, and Tinika Wyatt, while Team Adam eliminated Britton Moore, Conor James, and Ethan Eckenroad.
Each coach began the night with five artists but was tasked with narrowing their rosters down to just two singers each to advance to the Live Shows. The Playoffs featured no Steals or Saves, and all elimination decisions were made solely by the coaches.
Kelsea Ballerini’s team was mentored by Sheryl Crow, while Adam Levine’s artists were guided by LeAnn Rimes. From Team Kelsea, Iris Herrera secured her spot in the Live Shows with a powerful performance of Chris Stapleton’s “White Horse.”
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“Iris, you just did everything that makes you you. You did the best you’ve ever done. You know you’re supposed to be here, and that is such a superpower to have as an artist and as a woman. But you know you belong here.” Ballerini praised.
Alanna Lynise also advanced with her emotional rendition of SZA’s “Nobody Gets Me.” Ballerini said, “Everything she’s shown is top tier, top shelf.”
On Team Adam, Lucia Flores-Wiseman impressed the coaches with her version of The Beatles’ “In My Life.” Adam Levine told her, “Man, Lucia, I’ve never heard anyone like you. All of it is so refreshingly yours. It’s been a beautiful experience working with you. There is just something about Lucia that is singular and on its own level.”
Kolby Cordell also moved forward with his high-energy take on Bruno Mars’ “Finesse.” Levine applauded him, saying, “You’ve just shot up as… the biggest and best on the show.”
John Legend and Michael Bublé’s teams are set to compete in next week’s episode as The Voice Playoffs continue.
Bowen Yang made a surprise appearance as Role Model’s “Sally” during the singer’s performance of “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday night (April 28).
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Marking Role Model’s debut on the late-night talk show, the 27-year-old pop singer-songwriter, whose real name is Tucker Pillsbury, was joined by the Saturday Night Live star for a playful rendition of his viral fan-favorite, fully embracing the role and sending the audience into cheers.
Yang’s appearance on Monday night came just after he was spotted enjoying Charli XCX’s set at Coachella the previous weekend, in another fan-captured viral moment..
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Role Model has made it a tradition throughout his “No Place Like Tour” to invite a fan or special guest onstage to portray “Sally” during live performances of the track. What started as a spontaneous idea has since seen celebrities like Dylan Minnette and Jake Shane (the very first “Sally” at a Dallas show on Feb. 28, 2025) take part in the fun.
The rising star recently told Triple J of the hit, “For me, dance-y songs are probably the hardest things to write. I can’t do it. And that was like my one goal. I was like, I have to do this, even if it takes me an extra year. And I think we did it.”
“We had no plans to do this whole ‘Sally’ thing,” Role Model also recently told Teen Vogue. “I knew right before the tour started that Jake Shane was going to be in Dallas at the same time doing the show, so we were like, ‘Oh, we should bring him out.’”
Earlier this month, Role Model surprised fans with a guest appearance from Reneé Rapp during a show in Los Angeles, during which the singer walked out and began dancing. “Aw, s—, here we go again, I’m falling headfirst/ Ankles hit the two-step, Sally makes my head hurt/ Heard through the grapevine, she can be a diva/ Cold like Minnesota, hotter than a fever,” the audience sang the bridge as the duo hugged it out and danced together.
Watch Role Model’s Tonight Show performance featuring Bowen Yang below.
Northern Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap have shared a new statement following mounting criticism over resurfaced footage of alleged on-stage comments.
On Monday (Apr. 28), London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed that a clip of the group allegedly calling for the death of British MPs (members of parliament) is being assessed by anti-terror police in the U.K.
Filmed at a London gig in November 2023, it appears to show one member of the band saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” At the time, the Conservative Party – also known as the Tories – were in government with a large majority.
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It followed the news that last week that a video of the band expressing support for Hamas and Hezbollah – both of which are ascribed terror group status by the U.K. government – was also being assessed by the Met. Under anti-terror laws in the country, it is an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 to “invite support for a proscribed organisation.”
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On Sunday, (Apr. 27), a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “We were made aware of a video on 22 April, believed to be from an event in November 2024, and it has been referred to the counter-terrorism internet referral unit for assessment and to determine whether any further police investigation may be required. We have also been made aware of another video believed to be from an event in November 2023.” The group are yet to be charged with any offence.
In response, Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead David Taylor and Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney have made public calls for the removal of Kneecap from several summer festival performances, including Glastonbury and TRNSMT in Glasgow.
Now, Kneecap – made up of rappers Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh and Naoise Ó Cairealláin and beat-maker JJ Ó Dochartaigh – have responded with a statement posted to their Instagram page, addressing their alleged support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and promoting violence against British MPs.
“Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay,” it read. “We know this more than anyone, given our nation’s history. We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever. An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action.”
The trio continued, in part: “We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever. An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action.”
Elsewhere in the post, Kneecap went on to apologise to the families of Labour MP Jo Cox and Conservative MP Sir David Amess, who recently condemned the band of “inciting violence.” Both MPs were murdered in 2016 and 2021 respectively.“To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies, we never intended to cause you hurt,” Kneecap said.
Doubling down on their stance, they concluded: “Kneecap’s message has always been – and remains – one of love, inclusion, and hope. This is why our music resonates across generations, countries, classes and cultures and has brought hundreds of thousands of people to our gigs. No smear campaign will change that.” Read the full statement below.
The new statement comes in the wake of the fall-out following the band’s sets at Coachella earlier this month. During their performance, Kneecap displayed a message stating, “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F–k Israel; free Palestine.”
On Friday (Apr. 25), meanwhile, it emerged that the group had split with their U.S. booking agent, IAG, and there have been calls for the group’s U.S. work visas to be revoked. Kneecap are currently scheduled to perform a headline tour in North America this October.
KNEECAP STATEMENT: They want you to believe words are more harmful than genocide.Establishment figures, desperate to silence us, have combed through hundreds of hours of footage and interviews, extracting a handful of words from months or years ago to manufacture moral… pic.twitter.com/qZht5532Zf— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 28, 2025