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Kendrick Lamar has done it again. The Grammy-winning rap visionary surprised fans with the release of GNX, which made a No. 1 debut on the ARIA Albums Chart.
This latest achievement cements Kendrick’s reputation as a chart titan in Australia, marking his third No. 1 album Down Under, following the critically acclaimed To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) and Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (2022).
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The album’s arrival couldn’t have come with better timing—or sharper edges. Fresh off a public feud with Drake, Kendrick used GNX to double down on his artistry, showcasing a bold mix of sharp lyricism and genre-pushing production. Fans responded in droves, sending four tracks from the album—“Luther,” “Squabble Up,” “TV Off,” and “Wacced Out Murals”—straight into the top 20 of the ARIA Singles Chart, alongside six others breaking into the top 50.
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GNX also delivers a nostalgic nod to Lamar’s chart-topping history. His past hits like “Humble” and “All The Stars” have left a lasting impact in Australia, and GNX proves he’s still got the magic touch, blending vulnerability with the kind of braggadocio only K. Dot can pull off. And with his highly anticipated Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show performance just around the corner, the rap icon is only gaining momentum.
While Kendrick commands the spotlight, Rosé isn’t letting her reign slip away quietly on the ARIA Singles Chart, with her chart-topping collaboration with Bruno Mars, “APT.”, returning to No. 1 for a fourth non-consecutive week, while Rosé’s new single, ‘Number One Girl”, debuts at No. 61 this week. With her solo debut album, rosie, set to drop next week, fans are already bracing for another record-breaking chapter in her career.
Billie Eilish’s “Birds Of A Feather” climbed to No. 31, while Sabrina Carpenter saw multiple entries, including “Taste” at No. 4 and “Espresso” at No. 11.
Elsewhere on the ARIA Chart, Australian talent is making its mark. Sydney rockers RedHook broke into the top 20 with their sophomore effort “Mutation”, debuting at No. 15, while Alex the Astronaut’s “Rage and All Its Friends” landed at No. 19, marking a triumphant return to the charts.
My Chemical Romance have spoken out following the death of their former drummer, Bob Bryar, who died at the age of 44.
Bryar was found deceased in his Tennessee home on Nov. 26, with authorities confirming no foul play was suspected.
Sharing a post to Instagram, the band wrote, “It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Bob Bryar, our former bandmate and an important part of the history of My Chemical Romance. We send our deepest condolences to his friends and family at this time. May he rest in peace.”
Bryar joined My Chemical Romance in 2004, replacing founding drummer Matt Pelissier shortly after the release of the band’s sophomore album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. At the time, Bryar was working as a sound engineer for The Used when his path crossed with the New Jersey rockers. His arrival marked the beginning of a defining period for the band.
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Bryar became a cornerstone of My Chemical Romance’s evolution, contributing to their 2006 opus The Black Parade. Widely regarded as one of the most influential albums of the 2000s emo-punk movement, The Black Parade debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and included fan-favorite tracks like “Welcome to the Black Parade” and “Famous Last Words.”
He was also involved in the writing of the group’s 2010 release, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, but left the band before its release.
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In addition to his work on The Black Parade, Bryar contributed to the songwriting process for My Chemical Romance’s 2013 compilation album Conventional Weapons, even after he left the band in 2010.
His departure was described at the time as a difficult but mutual decision. “This was a painful decision for all of us to make and was not taken lightly,” guitarist Frank Iero wrote in a statement. “We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”
After departing from My Chemical Romance, Bryar retired from music and became a real estate agent, according to TMZ. He also devoted much of his time to dog rescue charities and sanctuaries.
My Chemical Romance recently announced a series of 2025 stadium shows where they will perform The Black Parade in full. Bryar was not scheduled to appear at any of the performances. The 10-city tour will launch on July 11, 2025, in Seattle.
One year on from their final live appearance, New York rock outfit Kiss have celebrated the anniversary of their split with a new video recap of their last show.
The final performance – which took place on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 – saw the veteran group return to New York City’s Madison Square Garden for the final date of their protracted End of the Road farewell tour.
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“One year ago, today – December 2, 2023 – The last KISS Tour ever reached The End Of The Road with one final epic performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City!” the group wrote on social medoa. “Re-live the magic of that night with this awesome MSG concert recap.”
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Across 23 tracks, the band waved goodbye to their legions of fans with a fitting set full of their famous hits and live favorites – complete with their trademark stage spectacle. The concert was also streamed live via PPV.COM, and now Kiss have shared a new video capturing footage of the band before the 20,000-strong crowd.
Notably, Kiss’ final show was accompanied by the news that the group intend to live on as digital avatars after their split. The band made the surprise announcement at the end of the show, with vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley telling fans “your love, your power, has made us immortal”.
“The new Kiss era stars now!” he added.
Kiss’ avatars were created by George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic, in partnership with Sweden’s Pophouse Entertainment Group, according to the Associated Press. The companies previously collaborated on the ABBA Voyage show in London, a virtual concert performed by the Swedish pop group.
“Kiss could have a concert in three cities in the same night across three different continents. That’s what you could do with this,” Pophouse CEO told the AP.
Though specifics were not made clear at the time, the band announced only weeks later that their digital appearances would kick off in Las Vegas 2027. ““It’s a must-see, go-to experience,” Stanley told Billboard’s Behind the Setlist podcast this year. “It’s beyond anything that anyone else has contemplated.”
“We’re creating something that’s not a concert,” he added. “The idea of a hologram — and it’s not a hologram, but that term seems to get thrown around a lot — but the idea a simulated concert is not what we want to do. Frankly, I would find that boring.”
The vocalist of Kentucky hardcore punk outfit Knocked Loose has responded to the viral criticism that arrived following the band’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
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Knocked Loose appeared on the late-night ABC program on Tuesday (Nov. 26), performing in support of their third album, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To. Despite the record achieving considerable success by topping the Top Hard Rock Albums chart and peaking at No. 23 on the Billboard 200, the band’s debut on the program attracted noted attention from critics in the aftermath.
Given the band’s status as arguably the heaviest band to appear on Kimmel, publications such as The Mirror claimed that some fans took to social media to criticize their performance – which included the likes of the Poppy-featuring “Suffocate”.
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“You know I was trying to enjoy the program,” one viral comment read. “I was sitting on the couch with my son who is an ADOLESCENT waiting to see the musical guest because we like the nice music the show usually books.
“By the third or fourth ‘JUNT’ from the guitars my son was in tears. He doesn’t like scary things and quite frankly I think the Kimmel show and its staff should make a formal apology.”
Having attracted ridicule from the punk community and the band’s fanbase, vocalist Bryan Garris has now responded to the group’s appearance, reflecting on the enormity of the experience and how the group have evolved to such a point.
“For a long time now our goal has been to see how far we could squeeze this band into places where we don’t fit and I think this may be the biggest one. National television,” Garris wrote. “It feels like the ceiling gets higher for EVERYONE, every single day. We celebrate this together. Thank you so much.
“Walking down the hallway as we were escorted to stage Im looking to my left and right and seeing photos of all the celebrities that have been on the show over the years,” he added. “Presidents, actors, musicians etc. I leaned over to [Isaac Hale, guitarist] and said ‘this started in your garage”’ He grabbed onto me and squeezed as hard as he could. That’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
Closing out his post, Garris offered a quick quip to those who had responded negatively to the band’s performance, simply adding, “PS if it scared you, good.”
Speaking to Billboard earlier this year, Garris admitted that the group’s continual and unexpected rise isn’t something Knocked Loose are taking for granted. “Every time we headline,” he mused, “it’s like, Where can we take it now? What’s the next step?”
The original Broadway cast recording of Wicked reaches the top 40 of the Billboard 200 albums chart for the first time, nearly 21 years after its release in December 2003. The set jumps 79-33 on the chart dated Dec. 7, following continued buzz generated by the recently released film adaptation of the long-running stage show.
The Broadway show, which opened in New York in October 2003, launched with Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in the lead roles of Glinda and Elphaba (played by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in the film).
Wicked is just the seventh musical cast album to reach the top 40 of the Billboard 200 in the last 25 years, following Bruce Springsteen’s solo show Springsteen on Broadway (2018) and the original Broadway cast recordings of Dear Evan Hansen (2017), Hamilton: An American Musical (2015), If/Then (2014), The Book of Mormon (2011) and Disney’s The Little Mermaid (2008).
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The new Wicked film opened in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22 and has earned more than $260 million at the U.S. and Canada box office. Its soundtrack debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, marking the highest debut for a soundtrack of a big-screen adaptation of a stage musical.
In the tracking week ending Nov. 28, as reflected on the Dec. 7-dated Billboard 200 chart, the Wicked Broadway cast recording earned 22,000 equivalent album units (up 60%) while the Wicked film soundtrack starts with 139,000 units.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Dec. 7, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
The original Broadway cast recording of Wicked had previously peaked at No. 66 on the Billboard 200 in March of 2014. Chenoweth and Menzel starred in the Broadway show from its opening through July 2004 and January 2005, respectively. Wicked has continued to play on Broadway since its premiere in 2003, and with more than 8,100 performances, it is the fourth-longest running show in Broadway history.
The original Broadway cast recording of Wicked also spends a 350th nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Cast Albums chart, which ranks the week’s top-selling musical stage show albums. Wicked has the second-most weeks at No. 1 on Cast Albums since the list began in January of 2006. The original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton: An American Musical leads the pack with 411 weeks at No. 1.
The Wicked cast album also debuts on the Top Streaming Albums chart at No. 38, where the Wicked movie soundtrack debuts at No. 4.
The National Hockey League revealed on Monday (Dec. 2) that its 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series has gotten even better, as Twenty One Pilots are set to take the stage for a special intermission performance. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The outdoor matchup […]
Kendrick Lamar may not be finished releasing new music — at least that’s according to West Coast spokesperson and SiriusXM radio host DJ Hed and Ab-Soul during a recent Instagram Live. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “You see what Dot doing,” DJ Hed began before Ab-Soul interjects […]
Daddy Yankee (real name: Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez) and his longtime wife Mireddys González are getting divorced. The Puerto Rican artist announced the news on Monday (Dec. 2).
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“With a heart full of respect and honesty, I want to share some important news about my personal life,” he said in a statement on his Instagram Stories. “After more than two decades of marriage and after many months of trying to save my marriage, which my wife and I share, today my lawyers respond to the divorce petition received by Mireddys.”
He continued to note that his faith in Christ was his refuge and constant guide as the couple — who were high school sweethearts and have two grown kids — tried to overcome their differences. “This is not an easy time, but I understand that it is part of my life process,” he shared. “It is time to accept and continue. Protect my stability, my children and everything built over so many years. I deeply thank those who have accompanied us during this journey and I ask that you respect our privacy in this process. I know that this news may surprise many.”
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In the letter, he expressed his respect for González’s decision and that he is “grateful for the time we shared, full of blessings and values, of love and with a beautiful family that will continue to be our priority.”
González was manager of the former reggeatón artist, and CEO of El Cartel Records, and is widely known to wield broad influence over her Yankee’s music career — which the artist previously said to Billboard: “She’s the boss. She has always been the boss.”
The surprising divorce news comes just two months after Billboard reported that indie music giant Concord acquired parts of the music publishing and recorded music catalog of the Puerto Rican superstar. The deal encompasses certain rights to Daddy Yankee songs including “Con Calma,” his rights as a featured artist on “Despacito” and “Gasolina.”
This year, Daddy Yankee has also been devoted to his faith and beliefs. He opened up about his new life chapter during his four back-to-back farewell concerts in Puerto Rico in late 2022.
“For many years I’ve tried filling a void in my life that no one could fill,” the global Latin urban star told fans at the time. “I tried finding a purpose — on many occasions it seemed as if I was happy, but something was missing for me to feel complete. I have to confess that those days are over, and someone was able to fill that void that I felt for a lot of time. I realized that for everyone I was someone, but I was no one without him.”
Village People founder Victor Willis is once again tackling two issues surrounding the disco band’s 1970s smash hit “Y.M.C.A.”: Donald Trump’s use of the track in his 2024 presidential campaign and the characterization of the song as a “gay anthem.”
In a lengthy Facebook post on Monday (Dec. 2), the 73-year-old singer-songwriter doubled down on why he chose to let the president-elect play “Y.M.C.A.” at rallies and events leading up to his win in November, with Willis saying he “didn’t have the heart” to block the usage — despite originally asking Trump to stop in 2020 — upon realizing that the politician seemed to “genuinely like” and was “having a lot of fun” with “Y.M.C.A.” Plus, as Willis noted, the dance tune has only “benefited greatly” in terms of chart placements and sales since the twice-impeached former POTUS incorporated it into his campaign.
“Therefore, I’m glad I allowed the President Elect’s continued use of Y.M.C.A.” the musician wrote. “And I thank him for choosing to use my song.”
Willis also pointed out that Trump had, according to him, obtained the necessary license from BMI to play the song. The artist previously noted that the billionaire was legally allowed to use “Y.M.C.A.” in an October press release, in which Willis also stated that — despite supporting Democratic opponent Kamala Harris in the 2024 election — he would not go through any channels to bar Trump from using the track as it would’ve been “stupid and just plain hateful” to do so.
Controversy surrounding Trump’s unauthorized use of artists’ music is nothing new, with Village People — prior to Willis’ change of heart — being just one of many acts since the polarizing president elect’s first White House bid in 2016 to ask that he stop playing their songs at campaign events without direct approval. This year alone, Beyoncé, Celine Dion, the Foo Fighters, Jack White and several others issued statements slamming Trump for doing so, while Isaac Hayes’ estate went as far as filing a lawsuit against the politician in August for using the late soul singer’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” at multiple rallies.
However, as Willis noted in his post, it can pay to be on Trump’s playlists. In November, “Y.M.C.A.” ascended to the top of Billboard‘s Top Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart more than four decades after its release, spending two weeks at No. 1. And according to the Village People star, the song “is estimated to gross several million dollars since the President Elect’s continued use of the song.”
As for another debacle that has “reached a fever pitch” amid Trump’s continued use of “Y.M.C.A.,” according to Willis, the singer wrote that any branding of the track as a “gay anthem” is “completely misguided” and “damaging to the song.” He also threatened legal action against “each and every news organization that falsely refers” to it as such starting in January 2025, although he personally doesn’t mind if “gays think of the song as their anthem.”
“This assumption is also based on the fact that the YMCA was apparently being used as some sort of gay hangout, and since one of the writers [Jacques Morali] was gay and some of the Village People are gay, the song must be a message to gay people,” Willis wrote. “To that I say, once again, get your minds out of the gutter. It is not … such notion is based solely on the song’s lyrics alluding to [illicit] activity for which it does not.”
“Y.M.C.A.” has indeed been widely adopted by the LGBTQ community over the years, with many interpreting the lyrics as references to the gym chain’s reputation as a popular cruising site back in the day — plus, the track comes from a 1978 album titled Cruisin’. Even so, Willis’ latest post is not the first time he’s sought to distance the track from the gay anthem label, writing in a 2020 Facebook post: “No one group can claim Y.M.C.A. as somehow belonging to them or somehow their anthem. I won’t allow my iconic song to be placed in a box like that.”
Clearly, Willis hasn’t budged on his stance in the four years since. “The true anthem is Y.M.C.A.’s appeal to people of all strips including President Elect Trump,” he concluded in his Monday post. “But the song is not really a gay anthem other than certain people falsely suggesting that it is.”
Flavor Flav is providing a different perspective on how Chappell Roan has handled fans who don’t respect her boundaries. During an appearance on TMZ‘s Merry Elfin’ Christmas special looking back at 2024, the Public Enemy star addressed Roan’s headline-making statements about her interactions with fans. “Honestly, I do think it’s one of the biggest mistakes she can […]
