Recent articles
July 16, 2026
Ella Langley and Olivia Dean Dominate Luminate’s Mid-Year Songs Chart; Spanish-Language Music Soars in Popularity
The past year has minted a pair of new superstars as Ella Langley and Olivia Dean dominate the 2026 top songs chart from Luminate, Variety and Billboard’s official data partner, amid global trends ...
variety.com
July 15, 2026
Dave Kendall, Creator and Longtime Host of MTV’s 120 Minutes, Dies
Dave Kendall, creator and former host of MTV’s “120 Minutes,” has died, according to a post from his friend and latter-day host of the show, Matt Pinfield. No caused of death or age were cited, alt...
variety.com
July 14, 2026
Iron Maiden Sells Music Catalog, Name, Image and Likeness Rights to Pophouse
Pophouse Entertainment, the investment firm co-founded by ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus, has announced a partnership with legendary British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, acquiring a stake in the publishing ...
variety.com
July 13, 2026
Jay-Z’s Third Yankee Stadium Concert Plagued by Hours-Long Delay After Security Breach — ‘We Didn’t Want People to Get Trampled’
Jay-Z’s third and most hotly anticipated concert at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night was plagued by a nearly four-hour delay due to fans rushing the venue’s gates, with Jay finally taking the stage f...
variety.com
July 9, 2026
Music Industry Moves: T.I. Strikes Publishing Deal With Reservoir, Primary Wave Partners With Foreigner’s Mick Jones
Reservoir has struck a deal with veteran Atlanta rapper T.I. across his entire publishing catalog, spanning his back catalog and future works, including his new album, “Kill the King,” which debute...
variety.com
June 30, 2026
Music Industry Moves: Ashe Inks With Atlantic; Virgin Announces New Upper Management Structure, Post-Downtown Acquisition
Singer-songwriter Ashe has signed with Atlantic Records and has struck a publishing deal with Doomsday/ Universal Music Publishing Group. She will be on tour this summer supporting Benson Boone. La...
variety.com
June 29, 2026
Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and More Pay Moving Tribute at Clive Davis’ Funeral: ‘He Was Born to Run … Everything!’
The funeral of legendary music executive Clive Davis — who died last Monday at the age of 94 after a six-decade career — was every bit as dignified, flawlessly executed and deeply emotional as one ...
variety.com
June 25, 2026
Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Dionne Warwick and More to Participate in Clive Davis’ Funeral
Clive Davis — the legendary record executive who died Monday at the age of 94 — cast as long a shadow across the music world as any executive, and participants in his funeral will bear that out. So...
variety.com
June 25, 2026
Music Industry Moves: Xavi Signs With Universal Publishing; Ellie Goulding Returns to WME; UTA Inks Top Filipino Group SB19
Música mexicana star Xavi has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, the company announced Thursday. The signing follows the release of his sophomore a...
variety.com
June 25, 2026
Blood, Sweat & Tears Singer David Clayton-Thomas Dies at 84
David Clayton-Thomas, the Canadian singer and songwriter whose soulful voice was ubiquitous on American radio in the late 1960s and early ‘70s as lead singer of the brass-driven group Blood, Sweat ...
variety.com
June 25, 2026
Massive Joy Division Boxed Set of Concert Recordings Due in September
The career of Joy Division — the greatest band of the post-punk era of the late 1970s and early ‘80s — was tragically short, ended by the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis at the age of just 23: No...
variety.com
June 24, 2026
Max Martin and Shellback Sell Catalog Including Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande Songs to HarbourView Equity Partners (EXCLUSIVE)
Investment firm HarbourView Equity Partners has announced a strategic partnership with Wolf Cousins, the songwriting collective founded by Shellback and Max Martin, two of the most successful songw...
variety.com
June 24, 2026
Phoebe Bridgers Announces New Album, ‘Lost Weekend’
As expected, Phoebe Bridgers has announced her third full-length solo album, “Lost Weekend,” arriving August 14 on Dead Oceans. The announcement follows a series of concerts where the singer debute...
variety.com
June 23, 2026
Clive Davis Never Played a Note, but He Forever Changed the Music Industry: An Appreciation
When a public figure is prominent and dominant for as long as Clive Davis — the legendary music executive who died yesterday at 94 — it’s easy to take them for granted, especially when they’re as v...
variety.com
June 23, 2026
Buddy Guy 90th Birthday Concert, Starring Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Jon Batiste and More, Scheduled for October
Legendary bluesman Buddy Guy — who starred in Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning film “Sinners” and was honored at Variety’s Hitmakers event last year — will receive what may be his greatest honor to dat...
variety.com
June 22, 2026
Clive Davis Remembered by Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Carlos Santana and More: ‘The Visionary Who Transformed Dreams Into Reality’
There is little questions that Clive Davis, who died today at the age of 94, was one of the greatest music executives of all time. Over the course of his long career, he launched or oversaw key yea...
variety.com
June 18, 2026
Fat Joe, Mary J. Blige, Wu-Tang Clan and More Rock New York Knicks’ Victory Parade With Tag-Team Performance
Nothing says love more than climbing atop a New York City Department of Sanitation garbage truck with your friend and waiting three hours for the New York Knicks to arrive. Well, maybe the only thi...
variety.com
June 18, 2026
Tay Keith, Producer of Travis Scott’s ‘Sicko Mode’ and Drake’s ‘Nonstop,’ Dies at 29
Tay Keith (real name: Brytavious Chambers), the Grammy-nominated producer behind such hits as Travis Scott’s ‘Sicko Mode’ and Drake’s ‘Nonstop,’ was found dead Thursday in his Nashville apartment, ...
variety.com
June 18, 2026
Khruangbin and Alok Star in ‘The Art of Sound,’ a Video Series on the Body’s Reactions to Sound
“The Art of Sound,” the documentary series co-produced by L-Acoustics and Black Meteor, returns with its second episode — arriving in two parts and built on the series’ premise: that sound is not d...
variety.com
June 18, 2026
AI Needs Guardrails — the NO FAKES Act Can Create Them: Guest Post by Lyor Cohen and Harvey Mason Jr.
The “NO FAKES” Act of 2026 (“Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe”) would establish an intellectual property right by which individuals could authorize or block digital replic...
variety.com
June 16, 2026
‘I’ve Never Seen This Level of Unity’: Wu-Tang Clan, Fat Joe, Chuck D and More NYC Rappers Celebrate the Knicks’ Championship Win
It’s June 10, 2026, and RZA, the leader of the Wu-Tang Clan, is reading the room — a really big room. The Wu’s many members have once again joined forces to rock Madison Square Garden, but this is ...
variety.com
June 16, 2026
Baby’s All Right Co-Founder Billy Jones to Be Honored With Memorial Foundation Benefitting Young Music Professionals
The late Billy Jones, co-founder of the long-running Brooklyn venue Baby’s All Right, was one of the most familiar faces on New York City’s music scene, having worked as a musician, promoter, club ...
variety.com
June 15, 2026
Music Industry Moves: The Linda Lindas Sign With Reprise-Warner; Motown Announces HBCU Internship Program; Republic and Ziza Launch Label
Los Angeles quartet the Linda Lindas, who first captured national attention as teenagers (or pre-teenagers) in 2018, have signed with Reprise-Warner Records and celebrated by releasing the new sing...
variety.com
June 15, 2026
Cash Money and No Limit Records Team Up for Arena Tour: Master P, Birdman, Juvenile and More (EXCLUSIVE)
New Orleans icons Cash Money Records and No Limit Records — two of the most legendary labels in hip-hop history — are taking their Verzuz battle last year to arenas nationwide later this year with ...
variety.com
June 12, 2026
Sombr Covers Two Taylor Swift Songs as Steven Spielberg Compares Her to Lennon-McCartney at Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony
As we say every year, the annual Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony is a combination of an awards show and a family reunion — an annual gathering of superstars virtually everyone recognizes, iconic ...
variety.com
June 12, 2026
The Weeknd Tops 3 Million Tickets Sold in 2026 Alone as ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ Tour Kicks Off U.K. and European Legs
As the Weeknd kicked off the 2026 Europe and U.K. leg of his years-long “After Hours Til Dawn” stadium tour with a sold-out performance at Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Thursday night, he celebra...
variety.com
June 11, 2026
Sylvia Rhone to Receive ‘Ultimate Icon’ Award at BET Awards
Legendary music executive Sylvia Rhone — who was the first woman to lead a major music company — will receive the “Ultimate Icon” award at the BET Awards on Sunday, June 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The sho...
variety.com
June 11, 2026
Adore and Wesley Wang Team Up for ‘Feel It All Again’ Video, a.k.a. ‘Violet and Marlowe Rob a Bank’
The anonymous New York City-based band Adore have teamed up with director Wesley Wang to release the official music video for their single “Feel It All Again,” out now on Big Beat Records / Warner ...
variety.com
June 10, 2026
Donna Summer’s Music Catalog, Other Rights Acquired by Primary Wave (EXCLUSIVE)
Primary Wave Music has announced a partnership with the estate of legendary R&B singer Donna Summer, best known for such disco-era hits as “I Feel Love,” “Bad Girls,” “Hot Stuff” and many other...
variety.com
June 9, 2026
Music Industry Moves:͏ Interpol Signs With Partisan Records; Universal Music Publishing Unveils New Logo
Long-running New York City band Interpol have announced their first album in four years, “This Mirror Weighs a Ton,” which arrives Aug. 28 and also will be their first for Partisan Records, the Bro...
variety.com