Music
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As the clock strikes 10 on a chilly January night in Atlanta, Travis Scott, the King of Rage, is preparing to unleash a performance that will take his career to new heights — literally. Scott has already notched a dizzying number of accomplishments for a modern hip-hop star: four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo rap act, the first rapper to sell out Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium. But tonight, perched on the roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and not much more than 10 feet from its edge, he’s dreaming even bigger.
As his latest song, “4X4” — which became his fifth Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 when it debuted atop the chart in early February — pulsates through the speakers, La Flame rubs his hands together before launching into the pretape of his halftime performance for the College Football Playoff National Championship. At the cue of video director Gibson Hazard, rap’s ultimate daredevil bounces around fearlessly, savoring the thrill and danger of the moment.
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The 33-year-old native Houstonian, who was once a ball boy for the NBA’s Houston Rockets, has love for his hometown’s sports culture — and its accompanying theatrics — that runs as deep as his passion for its unique strain of Southern hip-hop. As a teen sitting in his grandfather’s kitchen, he watched the nail-biter 14-inning game-three battle between his beloved Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox in the 2005 World Series from his grandfather’s kitchen (the Astros lost that game, and the series in four). He recalls witnessing Rockets legend Tracy McGrady’s jaw-dropping 13 points in 33 seconds against the San Antonio Spurs in 2004. Scott’s own unyielding spirit for captivating audiences on the biggest stages was born in these historic sports moments. “I was a ball boy for the Rockets when T-Mac was about to leave [the team in the late 2000s] and he was kind of fizzling out,” Scott remembers as he scarfs down a Domino’s pizza slice the day after recording his fiery performance. “I always wanted him to win.”
While Scott may no longer be chasing rebounds inside Houston’s Toyota Center, his bond with sports is stronger than ever, fueled by his competitive streak and relentless drive to be as legendary as his superstar athlete friends Tom Brady and James Harden. “12 is one of my favorites,” Scott says, referencing Brady’s former jersey number. “I go to him when it comes to achieving the highest level of greatness. I have a couple of people I can name [when I need advice], but 12 is somebody I can turn to when it comes to that because time and time again, when it comes to having to go and get it, I’ve seen him do it.”
Over the last couple of years, Scott has mounted the type of high-stakes comeback that might make a Hall of Fame athlete take notice. In October 2021, a deadly crowd surge killed 10 people at his Astroworld Festival in Houston, throwing the decorated rapper’s career into jeopardy. After numerous lawsuits were filed against Scott, a grand jury declined to indict him on criminal charges; the families of the 10 victims reached settlements with him and Live Nation. But in 2023, as a dark cloud still loomed over him, Scott returned. His album Utopia, delivered that July, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with an impressive 496,000 album-equivalent units, according to Luminate, and landed 19 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. And the star-laden album featuring Beyoncé, Drake, SZA and The Weeknd wasn’t just a blockbuster hit — it catalyzed Scott’s post-Astroworld comeback.
Martine Rose top, jacket and pants; Oakley boots.
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That October, Scott launched his Circus Maximus Tour, an interactive spectacle where he let his imagination run free. He created an amusement park-like atmosphere where he invited fans onstage to get on actual rides (“Amusement parks, to me, are the illest things ever,” he says), and his fire-breathing performances showcased the same audacity that made him the poster child for rage rap when he first rose to fame in the mid-2010s.
It wasn’t just the biggest tour of Scott’s career: With $209.3 million grossed from 1.7 million tickets sold, according to Billboard Boxscore, the 76-date trek became the highest-selling outing ever by a solo rapper. Stateside, Scott played mostly arenas — save New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium and his history-making SoFi Stadium gig — but his overseas fan base propelled him to stadiums in South America, Oceania and Europe, where he performed massive shows in cities including London, Milan and Cologne, Germany, selling more than 71,000 tickets at the lattermost. Scott and his longtime manager, David Stromberg, say they want to conquer the Asian touring market next.
“It’s always a challenge to create a new chapter of what the live shows look like,” says Stromberg, who has worked with Scott for over 10 years. “We thought that the [2018-19] Astroworld Tour was our highest peak. We were in arenas and now we’re in stadiums.” In April, Scott — who was slated to headline Coachella in April 2020 before the pandemic forced the festival’s cancellation — will appear for a performance there billed as “designing the desert.” And, Stromberg says, “With Coachella coming up, we need to figure out a new chapter.”
While Scott’s disruptive spirit has propelled him to chart and touring glory, his savvy on the branding front has drawn attention from a variety of major companies. Brands such as Nike, McDonald’s, Audemars Piguet and Epic Games have launched significant partnerships with Cactus Jack, Scott’s label and lifestyle boutique. Athletes like Aaron Judge, Jayson Tatum and Jayden Daniels have sported Scott’s Nike sneaker line. And last July, Scott got the ultimate sports co-sign when Michael Jordan wore a pair of unreleased Travis Scott x Air Jordan sneakers to the beach. After watching Cactus Jack flourish, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin partnered with Scott, popular retro sports brand Mitchell & Ness and Lids to launch a merch line called Jack Goes Back to College featuring a range of college-themed apparel and accessories.
“Normally, someone will come to work with us, give feedback and we’ll do all the work,” Rubin says. “With Travis, it’s 100% driven by him, and that’s because he knows his fans and the market, and he has such a strong feel for what the market wants. [When we collaborated], he completely designed the products 100% on his own. He has such great vision and product skills that I’ve never seen before.
“I’ve seen so many people in this world, but the fandom and loyalty he has from his fans is truly extraordinary,” Rubin continues. “Someone could offer him a billion dollars, and if it’s not brand-right and he doesn’t feel it’s right for his customers, he will not do it. That’s why he’s so careful about everything that he does. He wants to make sure it’s the right product and the right vision. Travis may be the most authentic person I know. He’ll never sell out.”
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Scott and Rubin promoted the Jack Goes Back to College line with a 36-hour college campus tour, making stops at Louisiana State University, the University of Southern California and the University of Texas, where they spoke to the schools’ athletic teams and even worked behind campus bookstore registers to sell their products. Throughout, Scott was everywhere — giving motivational speeches, showing up for an impromptu performance (at LSU local bar Friends) and joining football practice at UT, where he even helped with punt returns. And he’s eager to do all that again and more.
“When I was talking to Trav at the National Championship game [this year], he was like, ‘All right, what four schools are we doing next year? We’re out. We did three last year; we’re doing four next year,’ ” Rubin says.
His passion goes beyond the gridiron: Two decades after watching the Astros in the World Series, he’ll host current Astros players — and a slew of other current and former baseball and football greats, along with music stars like Metro Boomin, Teyana Taylor and Swae Lee — at the Cactus Jack Foundation’s HBCU Celebrity Softball Classic in Houston on Feb. 13.
Though Scott was largely consumed with touring and further building Cactus Jack over the past year, he returned his focus to music last August, when he released his acclaimed second mixtape, 2014’s Days Before Rodeo, to streaming platforms. Initially a free download — and a steppingstone in Scott’s career — the project bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 361,000 album-equivalent units, falling 1,000 units short of Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet. A month later, Days Before Rodeo rocketed to No. 1 after Scott offered vinyl editions of the project online, securing him the fourth No. 1 album of his career.
“When I was coming up, people always looked at me [strangely],” Scott says. “I don’t know. I’d always hear a little s–t of ‘Is it rap? Is it this? Is it just a vibe?’ I’m pushing hip-hop. It’s 50 years old but still has time to stretch. I feel like, ‘OK, I’m leading the new charge of what the next 50 years of this s–t is going to be like.’ ”
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Like sports, music is ultracompetitive. How do you stay at the top of your game?
A lot of people say I’m at the top of my game all the time, but I’m still striving to get to that point. I could see it in spurts or moments like, “Oh, this is ill!” It’s like a full 360 universe I’m trying to connect, but I’m always inspired, and I think that’s what keeps me motivated — not just content. I’m always working toward the next thing. It’s not like in a bad way where you don’t sit and enjoy, but I always want to push the limits. I feel like there’s always been random lulls that come my way that try to suppress the sound, and I feel like I’ve always been trying to take one foot forward every day to break down those barriers.
I feel like you’re the Stephen Curry of rap because you revolutionized hip-hop and broke boundaries for the new generation, sort of like how Steph changed the game with the three-point shot. Can you see that?
Yeah. I probably wouldn’t have said it out loud or anything like that. I like to believe the things I’m doing are pushing music and where things can go. With Steph, he changed the game in a wild way. Whether it’s good or bad, everyone’s shooting from half-court and s–t, which is dope as f–k. It’s just revolutionizing the game and showing there’s no limits to what you can do as a player. Having the lines, literally, lines saying this is the limit and [saying], “Nah, f–k it. I’m shooting from [half-court]. I’m going to do what I have to do to get this W.” And not being content — you see, he works on his craft every day. I don’t think anyone’s ever going to catch [his] three-point record, and he’s still working on his craft. “How can I evolve? How can I get better as I’m getting older?” It’s dope.
You partnered with the WWE and escorted Jey Uso at L.A.’s Intuit Dome during Monday Night Raw on Netflix. What was that experience like?
The energy out there was crazy. I was telling [Superstar] Triple H, “This s–t is wild.” For my shows, I try to create that maximum energy level and have [the audience] feel like they could reach their highest level of ecstasy — the feeling of being happy and free. Not to sound so trippy, just see that enjoyment. When I’m performing, it’s the energy of what a hardcore match can be. [Popular WWE-style match] Money in the Bank — ladders, tables and chairs — anything. It’s like, “Ah, this s–t is ill.” I can’t wait for this year [to get in the ring]. I’m training to get ready for this. It’s going to be some dope s–t.
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If you do get in the ring, who’s your first opponent?
I’m going to leave that under wraps right now. I’m a little bit more of a mystery. I might pop up and start tearing s–t up. I’m more of a “Let me get into that hardcore s–t [type of guy].” It’s heavy. [WWE Superstar] Mick Foley-type heavy. You never know where you about to go lay some smack on a motherf–ker. I might pop out and start some s–t.
How has your brand, Cactus Jack, become so dominant?
We try to be ourselves and be organic. I’m still a fan of fandom. [I have] that sort of understanding [that] it’s not just me — got my guys Don [Toliver], Sheck [Wes], Bizzle [Chase B]. You know, all of us who make it a whole family. Organically, just being us and creating those experiences, that’s what I love to do. Whether I’m collaborating with someone or working with someone and trying to push design, it goes hand in hand, [whether we’re] tailoring beats or tailoring clothes.
On your college tour, you visited three different campuses in 36 hours. What is it about the college energy that you enjoy the most?
When I was in college [at the University of Texas at San Antonio], it was lit, and it’s still lit. I feel like every kid should go to college whether you’re trying to do the books or not, just for the experience: the [socializing], community and just riding for something [is great]. School pride is amazing. You go to these games and see 100,000 people in the same color cheering loud for the people that’s repping. It’s just lit.
You’ve said you want to go to Harvard University and possibly study architecture. Is that still something you hope to pursue?
It’s crazy. The construction game is the most frustrating thing in the world. Me traveling, seeing modernism, different houses, structures and things, when you go to different countries and see how people create a structural design with literally nothing, people can put up structural places in shorter times than we do in the U.S. And even just creating things from scratch, the engineering and planning of things takes forever. I just got a true passion for it and I always want to create, so I need to learn this s–t. I’ve always wanted to learn just the engineering part and technical aspects of it. I can draw ideas and create 3D renderings all day, but how do I physically get this to work and put it together? It’s a tedious process.
You and Michael Rubin have a good relationship. How has he helped you push the Cactus Jack brand forward?
I watch how he runs a multibillion-dollar empire and try to be hands-on as much as possible. Just be active. The call-and-response. Get to it on an everyday basis. To be able to run something on that level, you have to go hard at it, through the good and the bad. You could have problems, but it’s how you respond — just trying to stay connected. You could be the higher-up, disconnected and have people run it for you. Try to be as hands-on as you can and as multifaceted as you can. I apply that to what I got going on.
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How do you maintain high intensity and inspiration as you spread that energy into different areas, like music and merch?
It all goes hand in hand. Since day one, I’ve had that mindset. The key to it all is having a solid team and people understanding what you’re trying to achieve. They connect with you and have that same drive. Every day is a new day, but as you get through it, you learn so many things. I’ve been in this for a minute and think as we grow, we learn so much s–t. I try to stay firm on it. Remind people what we’re trying to work toward and this is what we have to achieve. It’s not easy. If I can be up early, we all can. Just having that discipline. I just got a good support system. [Without them], I’d be f–king drowning out here.
Your 7-year-old daughter Stormi’s favorite song is Days Before Rodeo’s “Mamacita.” How does it feel to see not only her but also younger fans appreciate your older work like that and your debut mixtape, 2013’s Owl Pharaoh?
I love it, man. F–k! I still listen to that album, too. It just reassures me that I’m not f–king crazy. This s–t hard. That’s how I know that Stormi’s turnt. Out of all the songs, that song’s turnt and she loves it. Her new favorite song is now “Thank God.” I don’t know if it’s because she’s on it. She didn’t know she was on it until she heard the album. She’s like, “That’s me!” She knows every word. It’s cool to see even the youth is tapped in on that level. It’s ill. It gives me a reason to wake up.
Your debut album, Rodeo, turns 10 this year. Do you have special memories from that era?
I do. I got a lot. Rodeo is lit. The only thing I wish from that album, and I probably should do for the 10-year anniversary, is that the action figure would come out on a USB and not a CD. That’s the main thing and it never happened. That album creation was everything for me: touring, working on the album and being at Mike Dean’s crib all day. Rest in peace, Meeboob [Dean’s late dog]. Man, we love that dog. It was lit, man.
What has been your own biggest championship moment in your career?
When I was walking through SoFi and had my little ones with me, they got on the stage. I remember my [3-year-old] son, [Aire] — he can talk — he was like, “Yo, who’s performing here?” My daughter was like, “Daddy!” My son was like, “All these people.” I’m like, “Yeah, it’s going to be kind of turnt.” He’s like, “For real?” Stormi’s like, “Yeah.” She’s like describing the show. There’s all this pyro and people are going crazy. I was like, “Yeah, this is tight.” I always wanted to do stadiums, and it was kind of cool to have the little ones understand and know what I’m doing. They were amped for the show. So that was lit.
How do you define greatness at this point in your career?
I think it’s the ability to wake up and still go hard at this. Still have the drive to go hard and not give up on what you set out to do from the beginning. That’s greatness for me. Achieving that level no matter how many times you could be shunned from a Grammy or whatever the f–k could happen. It’s waking up every day to be like, “There’s still somebody out there listening and somebody that cares.” Let’s go hard for that and yourself. I really care about that — it keeps me going.
You had your Super Bowl moment in 2019, performing with Maroon 5 at halftime, but that wasn’t a full-fledged Travis Scott production. Is that still on your bucket list?
Hell yeah, man. Yeah, tell the [NFL] to hit me up. They know who to call. Word.
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Where are you heading musically on your next album?
I want to say the title right now, but people aren’t going to understand it. I have some more tweaking to do.
Fair. But where are you going sonically?
I feel like for Utopia, I was striving to push things to a high level. I’m still reaching for that. I’ve been having so much fun with music and s–t that I think it’s cool to be artistic and have fun with it. I’ve been producing more, making a lot of the album, and going in on that level is making it more exciting. I can’t wait, actually.
At this point in your career, is there anyone left that you want to get into the studio with?
Yeah, it’s this band called Khruangbin I want to work with. This might be crazy, but I would love to get Taylor Swift or Sabrina Carpenter on a hook.
Why Taylor or Sabrina?
Because I have some ill ideas.
You and Carpenter were going head-to-head last year on the charts when her album beat Days Before Rodeo in its opening week.
Charts, shmarts, man. Who measures that? Her album’s cool. Days Before Rodeo is 10 years old. It all works.
With everything you’ve been through over the last few years to now having the biggest tour ever for a solo rap artist, do you feel vindicated that your fans still support you?
I love the fans and I’m appreciative, but I’m still striving to prove what I’m here to do, what I mean and what I stand for, especially when it comes to performing. To the fans, I feel like a lot of times, because I don’t do a lot of interviews or talk a lot, Travis Scott can be misunderstood. What I care for can get misunderstood. But every day, I’m going to strive to show that greatness.
This story appears in the Feb. 8, 2025, issue of Billboard.
As the clock strikes 10 on a chilly January night in Atlanta, Travis Scott, the King of Rage, is preparing to unleash a performance that will take his career to new heights — literally. Scott has already notched a dizzying number of accomplishments for a modern hip-hop star: four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, the […]
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Ticketmaster has begun cancelling thousands of tickets for Oasis’ upcoming reunion tour in a crackdown on bots.
Passes for the shows in the U.K. and Ireland went on sale in August 2024, but the on-sale process was marred by long delays and the use of dynamic pricing model, which meant that ticket prices were higher for some fans than expected.
Reports said that over 50,000 tickets ended up on resale sites, despite efforts to restrict touts re-selling tickets at inflated prices.
A statement issued by promoters Live Nation and SJM Concerts at the time read: “Ticket resale is permitted at no more than the price you paid (face value + booking fees). Please only use the official resale partners Twickets and Ticketmaster. Selling tickets through unauthorised resale platforms will breach these T&Cs and those tickets may be cancelled”.
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Now, Ticketmaster have been contacting some ticket holders to inform them that their tickets have been refunded as “it has been identified that bots were used to make this purchase,” meaning they “violate the tour’s terms and conditions.”
“These terms were specifically established to limit resale of tickets on unauthorised ticketing platforms for profit,” the message says. “Fans have been strongly advised by all parties not to purchase tickets from unauthorised resale sites, to protect them from fraud or refunding.”
However some Oasis fans have reported on social media that their tickets have been wrongly cancelled in the efforts, despite abiding the rules of the on-sale process. “If 2025 could actually get any worse – now I don’t even have this to look forward to any more,” wrote one fan on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday (February 7) showing a message from Ticketmaster saying that their tickets had been cancelled.
Another wrote: “So what’s this complete sh-tshow? Sat on my laptop for hours on general sale day to secure just TWO tickets for ONE gig and you’re telling me I’m a bot and a tout!” The post is accompanied by pictures of his ticket buying set-up which includes one device but with multiple tabs.
Reports in the BBC and The Guardian have identified fans who have also had their tickets cancelled, with one telling the former that “it just feels like my dreams have been completely crushed.”
Billboard UK has approached Ticketmaster for comment. On the Oasis Refunds FAQ page, a message reads: “For ticket purchasers who believe they have had tickets refunded in error, refer to the email sent by the relevant agent when informed.”
Following the original on sale, the band responded to the news that tickets had been on-sale on resale sites for upwards of £10,000 ($12,412)
“We have noticed people attempting to sell tickets on the secondary market since the start of the pre-sale. Please note, tickets can ONLY be resold, at face value, via Ticketmaster and Twickets.
“Tickets sold in breach of the terms and conditions will be cancelled by the promoters.” Twickets shared Oasis’s statement and added their own: “Don’t buy tickets over face value. Official resale will be available on our website/app at face value only.”
Oasis’ reunion tour will kick off at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales on July 4, before heading to Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin across the 19 dates. The tour will then head to North America, Latin America, Australia and Asia later this year.
Before becoming a Billboard Hot 100-topping singer/songwriter, Teddy Swims was dominating in a different arena: the football field. But just like Zac Efron’s High School Musical character before him, Swims had to take a break from sports to follow his musical dreams.
On the next episode of Mythical Kitchen’s Last Meals web series, premiering Tuesday at 6 a.m. ET, Swims sits down with host Josh Scherer to eat their way through some of the musician’s all-time favorite foods and talk about his life story. When Scherer compared Swims’ teen days growing up in Conyers, Georgia, to High School Musical — in which Efron’s Troy Bolton is the basketball star who harbors secret musical aspirations — Swims immediately related to the Disney analogy.
“I call myself the fat Troy Bolton, you know?” Swims laughed. “I wanted to quit football to do music, focus on theater. I remember my mom was so bummed out about it. She had [saved] all my stuff, all my trophies … since 6 years old. She was like, ‘Baby, we’re a football team. We’re a football family. Why would you do this to us? We’ve always done football!’ She was so confused. I just told her, ‘I want to do music. I really like music.’”
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His mom’s mind changed when she saw him onstage for the very first time. “I remember her coming to my first performance. We did this show called Damn Yankees, and I had, like, all of two lines in it. As soon as it got done, I remember her coming to me and saying, ‘Baby, I’m so sorry. This is where you belong. You’re a superstar.’ It just flipped. Just watching me onstage, it just flipped it upside down for her.”
Last month, Swims shared the news via Instagram that he’s expecting his first child with his partner, fellow musician Raiche Wright, and he sees fatherhood as an opportunity to revisit the world of sports.
“We’re gonna get back on that field,” he tells Scherer. “I just want to be the coach of something. Hopefully I’m gonna have a son and I can coach a football team. I want to do the Snoop Dogg, like, youth league Netflix series. That’s what I’m trying to do eventually: Teddy Swims little league, and like coach my son. Hopefully I get that opportunity. Maybe a daughter wants to play football, or maybe I’ll do the Teddy Swims cheerleading league … chess league. Whatever they’re into, I’m into.”
Teddy Swims released his second studio album, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2), on Jan. 24 — debuting atop Billboard‘s Top Album Sales chart and at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 — ahead of his Feb. 2 performance at the 2025 Grammy Awards, where he was nominated for best new artist.
Father John Misty had a timely reaction to Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show performance on Feb. 9, which happened to coincide with the 10th anniversary of his second studio album I Love You, Honeybear.
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The singer-songwriter, born Josh Tillman, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Feb. 9 to acknowledge the moment with a dry, understated jab. “Had to do his super bowl performance today of all days nice,” he wrote, referencing Lamar’s blockbuster set.
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The timing of Lamar’s high-profile performance was particularly on brand for Tillman, who has joked about his albums frequently dropping in the same years as Lamar’s.
In response to a fan pointing out the pattern, he previously noted, “It’s okay only other times it’s happened was 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2022.”
The playful back-and-forth between the two artists resurfaced in November when Lamar surprise-released GNX on the same day as Tillman’s Mahashmashana. Misty responded by posting a mock “diss track” titled “God’s Trash” on Instagram, featuring parody cover art inspired by Lamar’s recent diss records aimed at Drake.
The I Love You, Honeybear anniversary wasn’t just marked by social media quips. The album, originally released in 2015, was praised upon arrival for its satirical, deeply personal take on love and existentialism. It debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and became a defining release of the indie-folk singer’s career. To celebrate its milestone, Misty recently announced a remastered reissue, set for release on Feb. 14.
Meanwhile, Lamar’s Super Bowl set was widely discussed for its inclusion of his Grammy Award-winning “Not Like Us,” the Mustard-produced track that became a viral cultural moment in 2024.
His halftime performance also made headlines when Serena Williams joined him onstage, dancing to the song’s most cutting lyrics—fueling further speculation about the ongoing tensions between Lamar and Drake, who is currently in Australia for his Anita Max Win Tour.
Misty and Lamar both remain booked and busy this year. The former Fleet Foxes drummer will hit the road for a UK and Ireland tour in June and August, making stops in Liverpool, Nottingham, Leeds, Glasgow, and Dublin. Lamar, on the other hand, is gearing up for a North American tour with SZA, set to take place this spring.
Canadian rocker Bryan Adams’ sold-out show at Perth, Australia‘s RAC Arena was unexpectedly canceled on Sunday night (Feb. 9) after a massive fatberg—an accumulation of fat, grease, and rags—caused a significant blockage in the city’s sewer system.
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The unforeseen issue led to water overflow near the venue, making it unsafe for concertgoers to attend.
Fans were left waiting outside the venue for hours as updates trickled in. Initially, the delay was attributed to a leak in the septic tanks, but at around 9 p.m.—the time Adams was scheduled to take the stage—officials confirmed the show’s postponement.
“Last night’s concert could not proceed due to an external Perth Water Corporation issue, which was unable to be fixed in time. The issue, which impacted all of Wellington Street, meant that it was deemed unsafe for patrons to enter RAC Arena,” Frontier Touring said in a statement. “Tickets will be automatically refunded in full (including refundable ticket purchase, if relevant) to the original payment method used for purchase and patrons do not need to take any action.”
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“Patrons should allow approximately 30 business days for the refund to appear in their account. (Please do not contact Ticketek regarding your refund.)”
“The cancellation of show is bitterly disappointing, and we thank fans for their understanding that while every effort was made for the show to proceed, this matter was outside of the control of Bryan Adams, Frontier Touring and RAC Arena.”
The Water Corporation, which manages Perth’s water and sewage systems, confirmed the blockage was due to a fatberg. CEO Pat Donovan explained the situation to 6PR on Monday morning: “I assure you that our people worked really hard to clear a large blockage, which is called a fatberg, in one of our key water mains under Wellington Street.”
He added that while alternative solutions, such as transporting the wastewater away, were explored, officials ultimately concluded they would not be able to keep up with the needs of 16,000 attendees inside the venue.
Adams, who is in Australia as part of his So Happy It Hurts tour, is set to continue with scheduled performances in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne later this week.
While Adams himself has yet to publicly comment on the incident, the unexpected cancellation will undoubtedly go down as one of the most bizarre reasons for a postponed arena show in recent memory.
Drake’s Anita Max Win Tour in Australia continues to generate headlines Down Under, and his first Melbourne show at Rod Laver Arena on Feb. 9 was no exception.
Midway through the set at Rod Laver Arena on Feb. 9, the Canadian rapper surprised two audience members with a combined $50,000 in cash gifts during his performance. The moment, which was caught on video that has since circulated on social media, occurred when Drake spotted a sign in the crowd that read “Adonis for President,” a reference to his seven-year-old son.
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“You’re showing a lot of love to my son,” he told her. “On behalf of me and Adonis … we’re going to give you 25 grand for your family.”
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To another fan whose sign read “Kiss me, it’s my birthday”, the rapper said, “I can’t really see you from here… It’s a tough read on the kiss, but what I am gonna do is I’m gonna give you 20 grand and I’m gonna pay for a birthday dinner for you and all your friends.|
“And if you want, you can come back to the show again. Both of y’all, if y’all want, we’ll get you tickets,” he told both lucky fans.
“Australia, I love y’all. Melbourne, this is real love,” Drizzy added.
Later in the show, the “Energy” hitmaker told fans: “It really touches my heart that—through all of that, you still take your hard-earned money, and you spend some of that money on tickets to this show to see this kid from Canada get up here and talk s–t. I really appreciate you. I would be nothing without you.”
These moments follow similar instances earlier in the tour. At his Perth show, Drake handed out another $40,000 to fans in the crowd.
“Put the light on this family right here… For both of y’all, I’m gonna give you $20,000 each to go wherever you want in the world because that’s what we do out here in Perth,” he said as per The Music. “You gotta show love… You see, it’s nights like these that we can never take for granted; it’s 14,000 people inside one building, and we all got here safe.”
He continued, “I pray to God that you’re healthy; I pray to God that you’re happy, but I promise you that everybody in this room is not happy. There’s a lot of people in here that might be going through some shit, you know, it might be a f—d up time for you.
“Maybe you don’t get treated right by your parents or your boss, or maybe you don’t have that many friends. Maybe your boyfriend is f—-d up; maybe your girlfriend is a little toxic; you never know what the next person is going through, so this is what I want you to do… I want you to turn to somebody that you don’t know, and I just want you to give them a hug [and] say something nice to them.”
Prior to his first official concert in Perth, he also made an appearance at Melbourne’s Maison Batard’s Le Club, performing a surprise 90-minute set featuring deep cuts such as More Life’s “Do Not Disturb.”
Musically, the Anita Max Win Tour showcases a broad range of Drake’s catalog, blending chart-topping hits with fan-favorite deep cuts. His Melbourne setlist included tracks such as “Hotline Bling,” “Rich Baby Daddy,” and “Jimmy Cooks,” alongside earlier classics like “Marvins Room” and “Over.”
The production features an expansive floating catwalk stage that spans the arena, allowing for an immersive experience. His entrance at the Perth show, where he walked through a cloud of smoke wearing a hoodie adorned with bullet hole graphics, immediately sparked speculation among fans regarding its intended symbolism.
Drake’s Melbourne performance took place one day before Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, during which the Grammy-winner performed “Not Like Us,” the viral Mustard-produced track widely believed to be a diss toward Drake. The moment, which featured guest appearances from SZA, Serena Williams, and Samuel L. Jackson, quickly became a focal point of online discussion.
Despite the ongoing discourse surrounding Lamar’s performance, Drake remains focused on his tour, with upcoming Anita Max Win Tour dates in Sydney and Brisbane through March. Beyond his Australian tour, Drake’s upcoming collaborative album with PARTYNEXTDOOR, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, is set for release on Valentine’s Day.
Over the weekend, he teased a new track, “Crying In Chanel,” sharing a clip of PARTYNEXTDOOR in front of a wedding chapel while the song played. “Shorty right here crying in the middle of Chanel,” Drake sings in the snippet. “Are those tears of joy? I can’t tell.”
$ome $exy $ongs 4 U marks another chapter in Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s decade-long musical partnership, which began with 2013’s “Over Here” and through hits like “Recognize” and “Loyal.”
02/10/2025
From the superstar’s most fleet-footed moment to an unexpected stage crasher, these in-stadium moments were missed by the millions of TV viewers.
02/10/2025