Rob Base, one-half of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, who was best known for the hit “It Takes Two,” has died. He was 59. The rapper, who celebrated his 59th birthday just four days ago, died on May 22 while surrounded by family after a private battle with cancer. “Rob’s music, energy, and legacy […]

Michael Jackson’s biopic might have left some critics cold, but it’s a runaway success by every other measure. Antoine Fuqua’s “Michael” just passed $700 million at the global box office, while renewed interest in the late superstar’s catalog has sent classics like “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” back to […]

When Mya began conceptualizing what would become her ninth album “Retrospect,” she knew she needed to subsume herself in a sound that both played to her performance strengths and spoke to where she’s at in life. “I wanted to turn it up a notch,” she tells Variety of the funk-powered record that arrived last Friday. […]

Drake is already making history following the release of his trio of albums — “Iceman,” “Habibti” and “Maid of Honour” — as he’s smashed three Spotify records in under a day. As of Friday afternoon, Drake became the most-streamed artist in a single day on Spotify in 2026, while “Iceman” became the most-streamed album in a […]

While streaming the fourth episode of his “Iceman” series on Thursday night, Drake essentially premiered the entire album before its release at midnight ET. But he had two more tricks up his sleeve: the Toronto rapper surprise-dropped a pair of additional albums — “Habibti” and “Maid of Honour” — making for a trio of records amounting […]

Toward the beginning of his new song “Janice STFU,” Drake conducts one of his customary exercises in emo theater: “You say what my work means to me will one day be the death of me / They tried to kill me once, but, darling, you just resurrected me.” It feels melodramatic, but this time, it’s […]

At the end of her “Mayhem Ball” tour, Lady Gaga performs “Bad Romance” as the opera house behind her ignites, the set piece roaring with flames. It’s a commentary, or at least it appeared to be, on the ephemeral nature of pop music: Gaga spends the entire performance celebrating the genre’s artifice by leaning into […]

Lady Gaga has announced that her long-awaited “Apple Music Live: Lady Gaga Mayhem Requiem” will be released on Apple Music on Thursday at 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET, and will also debut at the same time during one-night-only screenings at 15 AMC Theaters in select cities. Directed and produced by Morningview, “Apple Music Live: Lady […]