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Swedish producer Alesso has opened up about his recent experiences with tinnitus and how it has been the cause of numerous canceled shows in recent months.
The 33-year-old musician (whose real name is Alessandro Lindblad) took to social media on Monday (Feb. 3) to discuss his recent spate of live cancellations. Following near nonstop touring throughout 2024, Alesso was forced to cancel shows throughout Australia and Saudi Arabia, before his entire world tour was axed, with “a recent health issue combined with overexertion” being cited as the reason.
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“I just wanted to be a little bit transparent on the situation,” the producer said in a video shared to Instagram. “So basically, two months ago, I woke up with the loudest ringing in my ears. I’m talking about 10 out of 10. I was in complete shock, and it was not after a show. I just woke up, and it was so intense.”
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Noting that such problems related to hearing were “super common in the music industry”, Alesso admitted he too had experienced similar issues in the past, though not to this level.
“But the good news is I’m getting better,” he continued. “I took this as a sign to slow down, to prioritise my health, be more careful. I’ve been doing this for 14 years now, and I’ve never taken a break. So I’ve just been kind of focusing on that.”
Currently, Alesso’s website lists tour dates for the next six months, with his return to the stage set to take place at Belly Up Aspen in Colorado on Feb. 14. As he concluded his video, Alesso explained he’s working towards big events such as Miami’s Ultra Festival on March 30, and offered advice to his followers as he moves forward.
“I will be doing shows, but maybe not as many, as you can understand,” he explains. “I just wish everyone health this year. I want everyone to To be careful, wear ear protection. Remember, we’re only humans.“
Alesso rose to fame throughout the 2010s, beginning his musical career with a series of remixes, singles, and collaborations ahead of his only studio album to date, 2015’s Forever. The record peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the Tove Lo-featuring single “Heroes (We Could Be)”. The track would become his biggest commercial success in the U.S., hitting No. 31 on the Hot 100.
After news broke of the death of Murder Inc. Records co-founder Irv Gotti on Wednesday (Feb. 5), tributes poured in from the hip-hop world, including from the label where he got his start, Def Jam. Gotti started out in A&R at the hip-hop label, before co-founding the culture-dominating Murder Inc. imprint with his brother, Chris […]
The ever-prolific Neil Young has assured fans that 2025 will feature a new album, with the Canadian veteran offering an update on his debut album with new band The Chrome Hearts.
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News of the upcoming record comes just weeks after Young shared “Big Change”, the first single to be released with his nascent band. The Chrome Hearts first debuted by Young back in September 2024, just months after an unspecified illness necessitated a “big unplanned break” from touring with longtime backing group Crazy Horse.
The Chrome Hearts, as Young himself describes, “reconfigures musicians he has worked with before”, with guitarist Micah Nelson, bassist Corey McCormick, drummer Anthony Logerfo, and organist Spooner Oldham comprising the lineup. While Nelson, McCormick, and Logerfo have performed with Young as members of Promise of the Real, Oldham has worked with Young for decades, appearing on records such as 1978’s Comes a Time and 1992’s Harvest Moon.
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Working with producers John Hanlon and his brother-in-law Lou Adler at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La studio in Malibu, Young explains that “Big Change” is the first taste of a forthcoming album from The Chrome Hearts, with the material being written throughout November and December.
“They feel fresh to me and I am very happy to have this all ready for you. It won’t be long now and it will be great to have new songs to play on the road this summer in Europe, the USA and Canada,” Young said via his website. “We are looking forward to that!”
Young added that the record is now in the mastering stage for vinyl, CD, and digital copies that are expected to be released in only a couple of months.
“I am very happy and relieved to have ths [sic] done in the short time it took,” he explained. “The album art has been completed and handed in with Jenice Heo. I am working on the lyric sheets now, hoping to hand-write the words and get them in, in time..
“It is a happy feeling I have today, knowing I have made an album I think people will enjoy. I hope it’s out in April. That would be pretty fast.”
Presuming the April release date is adhered to, it would make the as-yet-untitled record the second release from Young in 2025, with his “lost” 1977 album Oceanside Countryside set to drop on Feb. 14.
Young and The Chrome Hearts will also be performing at England’s Glastonbury Festival in June. Young’s inclusion on the lineup was marred by an “error in the information” which initially saw him distance himself from the event, labelling it a “corporate turn-off”.
The devastation left behind by the horrific wildfires in Los Angeles has drawn an outpouring of support, especially from the music community. Between the FireAid concerts at Inglewood, California’s Intuit Dome and Kia Forum (Jan. 30) — featuring a rainbow of stars from Billie Eilish to Stevie Wonder — and the Grammy telecast (Feb. 2), more than $100 million in relief funds has been raised.
Just as important, however, are the boots-on-the-ground efforts like that of local rap legend The Game, who recently visited Altadena, California, as Billboard News tagged along. Ravaged by the Hurst Fire that burned more than 500 acres, the generational community boasts a rich Black cultural legacy given that Altadena was one of the first L.A. areas that openly welcomed Black home ownership. Billboard News was there when The Game, a native of Compton, California, headed to Altadena to talk — and dole out hugs — to first responders, local high school coaches, federal credit union members and more about their survival stories.
“This is some serious … It’s serious business, man,” The Game says to a pair of firefighters while visiting their station house. “After this experience, now, when I hear a fire truck coming down the street, I’m pulling over and I’m not annoyed because usually it’s like ‘argh, I got to pull over.’ My hat’s on, but it’s off to you guys, man.”
The Game also spoke with coaches from several high schools — Maranatha, South Pasadena, Pasadena and John Muir — who shared moving stories about losses they suffered, as well as their students, while encouraging residents to rebuild and not leave. “This was a predominantly African-American neighborhood,” DeAnthony Langston tells The Game. “Just to see this is terrible, man; you coming out says a lot.”
Watch “Community Stories With The Game,” and to donate to Altadena’s wildfire relief fund, visit here.
Los Angeles Celtic punk band Flogging Molly have been forced to cancel all of their 2025 tour dates due to health issues faced by frontman Dave King.
The band shared the news on social media, alerting fans that Flogging Molly will be unable to headline their own Salty Dog Cruise, which launches on Feb. 17 as a five-night trip from Port of Miami to Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
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“Our fearless leader, the inimitable Dave King, is currently battling a very serious health condition,” the group wrote. “Dave and Bridget ask everyone to respect their privacy at this time, we will share as we can. Any good thoughts or prayers you can send Dave’s way, he and we would appreciate it.
“Unfortunately Flogging Molly will be unable to perform shows in 2025. With the Salty Dog Cruise 12 days away, the boat will sail as planned with 18 bands, and members of Flogging Molly, on board to celebrate the cruise, the community and our captain, Dave King.”
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Currently no further details in regard to King’s condition have been made available. Flogging Molly’s 2025 tour itinerary was expected to kick off in earnest on Feb. 24 following their cruise, with dates in the U.S. scheduled across February and March, and shows throughout Europe and Canada planned across June, July, and August.
The Irish-born King formed Flogging Molly in 1994 after years spent as a musician in the U.K. Rising to fame as the vocalist for Fastway alongside ex-Motörhead guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke, King briefly performed with former Krokus guitarist Mandy Meyer in Katmandu before navigating his way out of a record contract with Epic Records to found Flogging Molly in Los Angeles.
The band released their first album in 2000, with 2008’s Float becoming their most successful to date – peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The most recent studio album, Anthem, was released in 2022 and became the first in their career not chart.
Irv Gotti — who co-founded the hitmaking Murder Inc. Records label and helped make early 2000s superstars out of Ja Rule and Ashanti — has died after suffering a stroke, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed. He was 54 years old. Alongside brother Chris, Irv Gotti (born Domingo Lorenzo Jr.) launched Murder Inc. in 1998 as an […]
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Irv Gotti, legendary co-founder of the influential Hip-Hop label Murder Inc., has reportedly passed away at the age of 54. According to sources, Gotti was recently placed on a ventilator in the ICU after suffering another stroke earlier this week. The shocking news has sent waves through the music community, as Gotti’s contributions to the genre were immense.
Throughout his career, Gotti became one of the most prominent figures in the early 2000s hip-hop and R&B scenes. His label, Murder Inc., helped launch the careers of major stars like Ja Rule, Ashanti, and more. Gotti’s unmatched talent as a producer and executive made him a key player in shaping the sound of that era. He is best known for hits such as ‘Always On Time,’ ‘Mesmerize,’ and ‘Livin’ It Up.’
Irv Gotti wasn’t just a music producer—he was a boss in the entertainment and business world. He made moves that turned Murder Inc. into a top label, signing big stars like Ja Rule and Ashanti. On top of that, Gotti got into TV, even having his own reality show, Gotti’s Way.
Even though he had his fair share of legal problems and drama, Irv Gotti’s mark on hip-hop can’t be denied. He helped shape the sound of an entire generation and left a legacy that’s still felt today.
More news to come as the story develops.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. From Bud Light to Doritos, brands can’t get enough of Post Malone. Now, the “I Had Some Help” singer has partnered […]
Imagine Dragons fans will be on top of the world March 26 and 29 when Imagine Dragons: Live From the Hollywood Bowl (with the LA Film Orchestra) comes to theaters around the globe through Trafalgar Releasing. Filmed in October 2024, the nearly two-hour concert film captures the final night of the Grammy-winning rock group’s four-night […]
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Chicago representative G Herbo has been living the dream as he done went from the streets to the Hip-Hop limelight and while he continues to keep it thorough for his native city, the man is doing his best to stay on the straight and narrow (kinda) and avoid the pitfalls of being a famous rapper out on these cold streets.
Dropping off some new visuals for “Went Legit,” G Herbo gets iced out and smoked out to roll through the night in style with his people in tow before landing in the studio to get poured up and turnt up for the camera.
Down in Houston, Texas, Peso Peso pays homage to one of the greatest NBA players ever and in his visuals for “Olajuwon,” the Mexican rapper throws on a Hakeem Olajuwon throwback jersey and shows out in front of the Toyota Center with his crew like Hakeem “The Dream” was still an active player in 2025.
Props to Peso for bringing back the jorts and Timberland boots look. Talk about taking it back to the mid 90’s.
Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Rooga featuring King Louis, Young Nudy, and more.
G HERBO – “WENT LEGIT”
PESO PESO – “OLAJUWON”
ROOGA FT. KING LOUIE – “UH”
YOUNG NUDY – “THAT’S NOT GANGSTA”
FCG HEEM – “I LIKE ME”
ZILLIONAIRE DOE – “STILL CBFW”
BIG OPP & VONOFF1700 – “SEND THIS B*TCH UP”
CHICKEN P – “BUSS ONE 101 PT. 2”
TIVI GUNZ – “RIP CRACC”