Music

Bruno Mars is back in a big way. The 16-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter has announced his first solo studio album in nearly a decade, The Romantic, set to arrive February 27, 2026 via Atlantic Records — and he’s backing it with a sprawling global stadium tour across North America, Europe and the U.K.

The 2026 Governors Ball Music Festival has unveiled its headlining sets – embracing pop, hip-hop and K-pop power in one of the most culturally diverse lineups in the event’s history. BLACKPINK’s Jennie, Harlem native A$AP Rocky and global K-pop phenomenon Stray Kids are set to top the bill alongside fellow headliners Lorde for the three-day festival running June 5–7, 2026, at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York City.

Harry Styles has once again upended the usual rollout playbook. The global pop phenomenon dropped a surprise new song titled “Forever, Forever” early Friday, marking his first new music in nearly two years since his 2023 album Harry’s House. The unannounced release came in the form of a piano ballad, an unreleased music he performed during his 2023 tour’s final date in Italy.

After a three-year hiatus of military services and solo projects, the seven members of K-Pop boyband BTS have officially announced their full group return date in 2026. On New Year’s Eve, members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook went on a joint livestream and wrote a letter revealing March 20, 2026 as their comeback date — immediately setting social media alight. 

Mariah Carey’s perennial holiday anthem “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has officially etched its name into the record books as the longest-running No. 1 song in Billboard Hot 100 history, spending a cumulative 20 weeks atop the chart — a milestone no other track has ever achieved. 

Taylor Swift’s new Disney+ docuseries Taylor Swift: The End of an Era pulls back the curtain on one of the most extraordinary gestures of gratitude in concert history: the pop superstar’s distribution of $197 million in bonuses to her Eras Tour crew. The moment, captured in the second episode of the series, became an instant highlight and a viral talking point as staffers, dancers and technicians reacted with disbelief and emotion.

Reflecting on 2025’s biggest music triumphs, Billboard year-end charts are, to no one’s surprise, dominated by the industry’s most prominent names – led by Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, and Rosé.

Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny is once again king of the streaming world. According to Spotify’s 2025 Wrapped data, he was named the most-streamed artist globally, his fourth time claiming the crown, following earlier wins in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The tally: a staggering 19.8 billion streams this year.

K-Pop group Stray Kids have done what no artist has ever done before: their latest album DO IT debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, extending their perfect run to eight consecutive chart-topping albums. This landmark achievement cements them as the first act in the seven-decade history of the chart to debut their first eight entries at the summit.

One of the largest and oldest music festivals in the world, Rock in Rio, just announced its 2026 slate of headliners. The legendary festival – which was first held in 1985 – will feature an exciting lineup that includes British living legend Sir Elton John and K-Pop boy group sensation Stray Kids. The landmark music events are set to unfold over two weekends on September 4-7, 2026 and September 11-13, 2026.