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My Chemical Romance, Deftones and Blink-182 will headline this year’s Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park on Sept. 19-21. They will be joined by an eclectic roster of rock and pop acts including Lenny Kravitz, Sublime, The Marias, Pixies, Cage the Elephant, The Black Keys, Public Enemy, Vampire Weekend, Alabama Shakes, Lucy Dacus and Devo, among many others.

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The 12th edition of the fest will move from its previous home in the city’s Central Park — and from its typical spring slot in May to the fall — with a pre-sale slated to kick off on Thursday (Feb. 27) at 10 a.m. ET, with a public on-sale to follow if tickets remain; ticket information is available here.

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This year’s line-up also includes: Idles, Spoon, Inhaler, Joey Valence & Brae and the Lambrini Girls on night one alongside the Deftones, with The Backseat Lovers, TV on the Radio, The All-American Rejects, Johny Marr, The Beaches, Mannequin Pussy, Bilmuri, Cmat, Scowl and Michigander warming up the stage for MCR on night two.

Night three will feature Wet Leg, the reunited 4 Non Blondes, Franz Ferdinand, Stereophonics, The Stews, Fleshwater, Murder By Death, Mdou Moctar and special guest “Weird Al” Yankovic performing before Blink.

Last year’s edition was top-lined by Noah Kahan, Weezer and Foo Fighters, as well as sets by Arcade Fire, Young the Giant, Interpol, Queens of the Stone Age, The Offspring, Royal Blood, Billy Idol, Portugal. The Man, Dinosaur Jr., Waxahatchee and many more.

Check out the Shaky Knees 2025 poster with full artist roster below.

Bonnaroo is building a brand new stage for its 2025 event.
Announced Tuesday (Feb. 25), the Infinity Stage will feature a collection of dance and electronic acts, including a b2b set from bass masters Of the Trees and Tape B, a DJ set from Big Gigantic, a DJ set from Rebecca Black, heavy hitter Mary Droppinz, indie dance producer Washed Out, Italian duo Parisi and a Friday stage takeover featuring artist’s from John Summit’s Experts Only label.

The Infinity Stage will be an open-air space composed of three domes, which together will form an immersive area being called “the world’s largest 360-degree spatial audio experience.” The stage is being produced in partnership with Polygon Live, which specializes in such immersive audio experiences, and which has previously hosted stages at festivals including Thailand’s Wonderfruit and MDLBEAST in Saudi Arabia.

“We want to keep it an intimate and truly engaging spatial experience for everybody, so we’re going the route of multiple circles moving forward,” Polygon Live’s David Lopez de Arenosa said at the Billboard Touring Summit in November, in terms of how the company’s multi-domed stage setups optimize sound.

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Elsewhere, the Bonnaroo 2025 lineup is heavy on dance acts, with headliners including Justice, Dom Dolla and John Summit, along with Sammy Virji, Green Velvet, RL Grime, Lszee, Barry Can’t Swim and many more. Outside of dance, 2025 headliners include Luke Combs, Tyler, the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, Glass Animals, Avril Lavigne, Queens of the Stone Age, Hozier and Vampire Weekend.

Bonnaroo 2025 happens in Manchester, Tenn., June 12-15.

See the complete Infinity Stage lineup below.

Chris Jasper — the award-winning Isley Brothers songwriter, producer and keyboardist — has died. He was 73 years old.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s family broke the news with a notice on Facebook posted Monday (Feb. 24), one day after Jasper’s death. “He will be deeply missed and his legacy will live on as an inspiration for generations,” it reads.

The message also noted that Jasper had been battling cancer following a diagnosis in December.

Born Dec. 30, 1951, and educated at the Juilliard School of Music, the Cincinnati native helped transform the Isley Brothers from vocal trio to full-fledged band when he joined the original lineup — comprised of brothers O’Kelly Jr., Rudolph and Ronald Isley — in 1973 alongside Ernie and Marvin Isley. During his decade with the group, they scored numerous entries on the Billboard Hot 100, including top 10 hits “That Lady (Part 1)” and “Fight the Power Part 1,” both of which Jasper helped write.

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The Isley Brothers also charted a dozen albums on the Billboard 200 during Jasper’s tenure, including 1975’s No. 1 LP The Heat Is On. 1973’s 3+3, 1976’s Harvest for the World, 1977’s Go for Your Guns, 1978’s Showdown and 1980’s Go All the Way also all reached the top 10.

After the group disbanded in 1984, the pianist formed Isley-Jasper-Isley with Ernie and Marvin, and recorded hits such as 1985’s “Caravan of Love.” He would later go on to pursue a solo music career, becoming known for tracks such as “Superbad” and “The First Time.” He released his final album, It Started With a Kiss, in 2023.

Jasper’s contributions to R&B and popular music were recognized with numerous major accolades over the years, including with his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with the rest of his Isley Brothers bandmates in 1992. In 2014, the Grammys honored the group with a Lifetime Achievement Award, eight years after which the Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted the members into its 2022 class.

The icon is survived by his wife, New York attorney and author Margie Jasper, as well as his three sons Michael, Nicholas and Christopher.

GloRilla has been in the gym fighting BBL allegations, and she’s feeling confident these days. The Memphis rapper shot her shot at popular streamer Duke Dennis at the end of her feature verse on Jorjana’s “ILBB2 (Remix),” in which she raps, “Like my n—as tall and brown (What else?) And mixed with a little bit […]

Legendary Mexican singer Marco Antonio Solís wowed audiences over the weekend when he integrated Kendrick Lamar‘s hit “Not Like Us,” which has topped the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Hot 100 charts, into his repertoire during a concert in Argentina. Known for his rich musical legacy with Los Bukis and impressive solo career, Solís incorporated […]

Coming off his legal victory representing A$AP Rocky in the rapper’s 2021 felony shooting case, where he was acquitted on all charges, attorney Joe Tacopina joined The Breakfast Club on Monday (Feb. 24).
Among the topics discussed throughout the interview were Diddy’s sex trafficking and racketeering case, and Tacopina revealed he was asked to look into Sean Combs’ case, but declined due to his ties to Roc Nation and Jay-Z.

“I represent Roc Nation; a lot of people in Roc I’m very close with,” he said. “Jay and [Roc Nation president] Desiree Perez, who’s the most amazing, like, bomb of a boss. Jay is amazing. You know, Jay Brown, all those people are just, like, they really are special, special people.”

Tacopina continued to claim that Diddy and Jay aren’t close these days. “That’s sort of family to me and I don’t think they see eye to eye with P. Diddy,” he added.

Host Charlamagne Tha God interrupted Tacopina to have him repeat his sentiments regarding the status of Combs and Hov’s relationship.

“Everyone wants a picture with P. Diddy, at one time or another when they went to a party,” he explained of the hip-hop moguls being photographed together over the years. “But when things got real, years and years ago.”

Billboard has reached out to reps for Diddy and Roc Nation for comment.

A civil lawsuit accusing Jay-Z of raping a 13-year-old girl alongside Diddy was voluntarily dismissed on Feb. 14 after being filed in New York federal court in December by attorney Tony Buzbee.

A Jane Doe plaintiff had accused Hov and Combs of drugging and assaulting her during an afterparty following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. Jay-Z called the case “extortionate” in his initial response to the filing.

“The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed,” Jay-Z wrote in a message posted to the Roc Nation Instagram account following the case’s dismissal. “This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone. The trauma that my wife, my children, my loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed.”

Combs was arrested in September and is currently being detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His lawyer Marc Agnifilo called it an “unjust prosecution” at the time, and added that the musician was cooperating with law enforcement and had moved to New York in anticipation of the charges. Said Agnifilo: “These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

The disgraced music mogul is currently awaiting trial, which is slated to start in May. Prosecutors allege Combs was running a criminal enterprise looking to satisfy his need for “sexual gratification.” Diddy has also been accused of using violence and intimidation tactics to keep his alleged victims from speaking out against him. If convicted on all charges, Combs faces life in prison.

Watch the full interview below. Talk of Diddy and Jay-Z starts shortly after the 47-minute mark.

Gracie Abrams is set to receive the Hal David Starlight Award at the 54th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 12, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
The award, created in 2004, is presented to “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs,” according to the announcement. The award was named after the late Oscar- and Grammy-winning lyricist and SHOF chairman emeritus, best-known for his long, hit-studded collaboration with Burt Bacharach.

Abrams, 25, has received Grammy nominations in each of the year two years. In 2024, she competed for best new artist. This year, she competed for best pop duo/group performance for “Us.” (featuring Taylor Swift, the 2010 recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award).

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Abrams’ sophomore album, The Secret of Us, reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It spawned a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, “I Love You, I’m Sorry.” The deluxe edition of the album spawned a top 10 hit, “That’s So True.”

Abrams, the daughter of celebrated filmmaker J.J. Abrams, is a Universal Music Publishing Group writer.

The Hal David Starlight Award is meant as a balance to the Johnny Mercer Award, the organization’s top award, which is a career-capping honor. This year’s Mercer recipient has not yet been announced. (This is a reversal from last year, when Diane Warren was announced as the Mercer recipient on Feb. 22, nearly two months before SZA was announced as the Hal David recipient.)

Previously announced 2025 SHOF inductees are George Clinton, Ashley Gorley, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, Mike Love, Tony Macaulay and three members of The Doobie Brothers (Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons).

Here’s the complete list of recipients of the Hal David Starlight Award:

2004: Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty)

2005: Alicia Keys

2006: John Mayer

2007: John Legend

2008: John Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls)

2009: Jason Mraz

2010: Taylor Swift

2011: Drake

2012: Ne-Yo

2013: Benny Blanco

2014: Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons)

2015: Nate Ruess (Fun.)

2016: Nick Jonas (Jonas Brothers)

2017: Ed Sheeran

2018: Sara Bareilles

2019: Halsey

2022: Lil Nas X

2023: Post Malone

2024: SZA

2025: Gracie Abrams

Sure, Lionel Messi is a soccer superstar, but he’s also a mainstay in the music world, often getting shout-outs in lyrics from artists across the globe.
In fact, Apple Music has a whole playlist of songs that mention him, separated by continent and featuring songs by Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Bad Bunny, Stormzy, Burna Boy and many more.

In new clips from his sit-down interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, shared exclusively via Billboard, the Argentine athlete revealed that he’s “flattered” to be mentioned so often in song lyrics. “My sons also enjoy it and they are surprised to hear my name in a song,” he added of 12-year-old Thiago, 9-year-old Mateo and 6-year-old Ciro. “It’s actually really nice to be part of music from that angle.”

Messi continued, “For me, that is very moving and I am grateful to those who did it because I know that in all the lyrics, they mention me with lots of affection, flattering me for some reason.”

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However, it’s not the music that makes him a “cool dad”; it’s his athletic achievements, from leading Argentina to the World Cup in 2022 to his Inter Miami squad winning the 2023 Leagues Cup after his MLS debut. “My thing is the field,” he says. “When things work out well, and we have a chance to celebrate a title as a group or individually and to be able to enjoy it with them is special for me. … To achieve in this sport and to enjoy it with them, for me, that is the best.”

Messi also discussed his general relationship with music and how much sports and music are intertwined. “We listen to music in our everyday lives or before the matches and after the matches as well. The football environment and the locker room has music constantly,” he shares. “Generally, music is present in everything we do.”

He continues, “I’ve always had that craze of listening to music going to games or listening to music before matches. During my whole career, it’s always been this way. Football and music coexist in a lot of these moments and places.”

Watch the exclusive clip below. Zane Lowe’s full interview with Lionel Messi will be available on Apple Music, YouTube and MLS Season Pass beginning Friday (Feb. 28). Fans can watch Inter Miami and all of Major League Soccer’s 2025 season exclusively on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

In less than a month, BRIT Award-winning U.K. R&B girl group FLO will embark on its latest headlining tour in support of the group’s Billboard-charting debut studio album Access All Areas — and the trio stopped by Billboard News to talk about how they’ve been preparing.
“We’re getting going on the vocals, which are sounding [good],” teased Stella Quaresma. “The songs are super fun to sing. We’re working with Amari [Marshall], who’s brought something [new] out of us. She’s just sucked out what we need. We haven’t started [choreography] yet, so that’s gonna be when we see it come to life properly.”

Marshall served as co-dance captain on Beyoncé‘s record-breaking Renaissance World Tour, marking her return to Queen Bey’s kingdom after appearing in the dancer lineup for the icon’s 2018 Coachella headlining performance. More recently, Marshall has performed in Rihanna‘s Super Bowl Halftime Show set and Beyoncé’s Netflix-assisted NFL Christmas Day Cowboy Carter halftime show.

In addition to taking notes from Marshall, the ladies of FLO also drew inspiration from their supporting stint on Kehlani‘s recent Crash World Tour. The trio played to packed arenas nearly every night of the tour’s North American leg, which ran from Sept. 4 to Dec. 8, 2024. Launched in support of Kehlani’s two 2024 releases — Crash and While We Wait 2 — the tour also gave way to two collaborations between the acts. Late last year, FLO guested on a remix of Kehlani’s “8,” and the Oakland star returned the favor by reimagining the group’s “IWH2BMX.”

“After supporting Kehlani on her tour and watching her perform every night and reinvent the show, we all felt super inspired,” gushed Jorja Douglas. “It was amazing! It looked so natural [and] effortless, and that’s really what we want to tap into for this tour. Obviously, she rehearsed, but it [didn’t] look like she rehearsed! It just looked like everyone all of a sudden just knew how to do the same thing all at once!”

The Access All Areas Tour will visit the U.K. and Europe in March, before heading across the pond for 27 shows throughout the U.S. and Canada. Launching on March 5 and concluding on May 22, the trio’s trek will feature three opening acts; Lola Moxom will play the U.K./European leg, while Chxrry22 and Jae Stephens will grace the North American leg.

On the chart dated Nov. 30, 2024, Access All Areas debuted at No. 163 on the Billboard 200, becoming the group’s first project to appear on the ranking. The album — which also hit No. 3 in the U.K. — featured collaborations with Memphis rap star GloRilla and award-winning Wicked actress and singer Cynthia Erivo.

“We’re all the way from London and you never know how well your music is going to be seen and taken in other markets,” says Renée Downer. “To come to New York and have two shows that are at 6,000-capacity venues is something we don’t take lightly.”

Watch FLO’s full interview with Billboard staff writer Kyle Denis above.

Nikki Glaser is constantly meeting celebrities, but there’s one person she says she’ll never approach: Taylor Swift, who also happens to be one of the comedian’s biggest idols.
While on Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard for an episode of the podcast posted Monday (Feb. 24), Glaser said that she didn’t say hi to the “Karma” singer at the 2025 Grammys — which both women attended earlier this year — and explained why she doesn’t plan on breaking that pattern at future events. “Taylor, she’s just — everyone wants a piece,” Glaser began.

“I will never be the one to be like, ‘Excuse me!’” she continued. “There’s no way that she’s dying for that on a night like this where everyone’s doing it. And of course, she would be so nice. I know exactly how it would go down, but I don’t wanna take someone’s energy away that I require their energy to be put into making great music.”

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“It’s almost rude what I do, when I’m in the same room as Taylor Swift, because I won’t even look her way,” Glaser added.

Neither star took home gold at this year’s Grammys Feb. 2. Glaser lost best comedy album to Dave Chappelle, while Swift was passed up for song, record and album of the year.

About a month prior, Glaser hosted the 2025 Golden Globes — which the “Fortnight” musician did not attend this year, despite being present the year prior when her Eras Tour concert film was up for cinematic and box office achievement (but lost to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie). After helming this year’s ceremony, Glaser joked with a fan on X who asked if she was “pissed” about missing Swift by a year, replying, “Oh you know I was!”

The Someday You’ll Die stand-up’s commitment to giving the pop star wide berth comes at the expense of her own fandom. Glaser has gushed about her love for Swift multiple times and revealed in December that she spent nearly $100,000 to see the musician on 22 Eras Tour shows in 2023 and 2024.

“She has no idea who I am, but I’m just the biggest fan,” she said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in July of being “addicted” to the Eras trek. “I want to just see it as much as possible, it’s the thing that makes me happiest in the world.”

Watch Glaser’s full interview on Armchair Expert below.