Billboard Hot 100: Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” just hit a new record with 23 weeks at No. 1, topping Mariah Carey’s long-running holiday smash. Pop Releases: Taylor Swift is expanding “The Life of a Showgirl” with “The Encore,” adding four new songs and rolling out “Patient Zero” as part of the package. Tour News: Hilary Duff announced a 2027 North American Lucky Me Tour run with 19 U.S. dates, starting Oct. 1 in Sunrise and ending Nov. 20 in Anaheim. Metal Spotlight: Quiet Riot named 23-year-old Long Islander John Torra as its new lead singer after an open audition. Health + Music: Michael Kiwanuka revealed he’s recovering from a severe stroke while announcing his new album “Fudge.” Local Scene: The OneUps bring 25 years of video game music to the Momentary in Bentonville. Hardcore: Combust, Blow Your Brains Out, and Imposter team up on the “United Nations” EP split.
AGP Executive Report
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Billboard Record: Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” just topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a record 23 weeks, beating Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” and she says the win is “changing my life” and the lives of the songwriters. Taylor Swift Rollout: Taylor Swift confirmed her next single, “Patient Zero,” arriving Sept. 25, after a cryptic countdown and “zero” Easter eggs on her socials; fans are already linking the title to Travis Kelce and her “Encore” hints. Pop Crossover: Madonna and Charli xcx team up for “Danceteria Afterhours,” a new version of Madonna’s Danceteria, dropping Sept. 24. Band Comeback: Chvrches return with politically-tinged single “Roses,” plus October shows in Glasgow and London. Music Biz/Industry: Punch Records and Rich Castillo launched an inaugural A&R Academy cohort, selecting 12 emerging talent from hundreds of applicants. Live/Tech: Apple Music is opening a 600-capacity London venue at Battersea Power Station, while Radio X launched ad-free “Radio X Plus.” AI & Rules: New EU AI rules require clearer labeling of AI-made or altered content, including deepfakes and AI-generated news.
Taylor Swift: Swift just dropped the countdown and confirmed her new single “Patient Zero,” arriving Friday, Sept. 25, with 24-hour collector’s edition CD pre-orders (standard, acoustic, and piano) after fans spotted “0” clues online. Billboard Hot 100: Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” keeps climbing—now the longest-running No. 1 in Hot 100 history at 23 weeks, topping Mariah Carey’s record. Music Law: Suno’s new AI model is getting hit with fresh legal fire—UMG and Sony argue Suno’s training practices are “wholesale theft,” expanding their copyright case. Live Music Tech: Apple Music is opening “Apple Music Hall” at Battersea Power Station in London (600 capacity), with filmed, online-streamed one-off shows. New Releases: Gilbert O’Sullivan returns with “It’s Me,” the lead track from his upcoming album “On The Record.” Local Scene: New Orleans’ Hi-Ho Lounge is back on St. Claude Ave under independent ownership starting Sept. 25.
Apple Music Hall (London): Apple is opening a new 600-capacity Apple Music Hall under Battersea Power Station, built for “intimate” live sets with a reconfigurable 38ft stage and a 48-speaker spatial sound system, with no lineup announced yet. Live-music industry pressure: A new analysis says the arena boom is reshaping the UK map—while big venues thrive, grassroots spaces are still closing fast, leaving many towns cut off from regular touring. K-pop momentum: Seventeen’s Joshua drops solo digital single “Baby Come Home” (Chinese + English versions), while Rescene’s viral surge keeps climbing and the group announces mini album “Pulse” for Nov 3. New releases: The Calling frontman Alex Band says he self-funded his long-awaited album “Before The World Turns To Dust,” dropping Sept 25; Tulsi Kumar releases Afro-pop track “Raanjha Ve.” Music + culture: Salzburg opens “Sound of Music Salzburg,” a new museum in Hellbrunn Palace celebrating the von Trapp story. Awards spotlight: Taylor Swift will receive MTV’s inaugural Artist-Director Award at the 2026 VMAs.
Legal Drama: Independent vocalist Sargam Vaish says Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia’s film The Vvan used his song “Aigiri Nandini” in the trailer for 25 seconds without permission, escalating a new music-rights dispute. Live Music: Seattle’s Lumen Field and WAMU Theater repeat as “Best Live Music Venue in the PNW,” with WAMU touting a record 58 shows in 2025. Pop Crossover: Carrie Underwood is reportedly working on rock music with Axl Rose, after joining Guns N’ Roses onstage. New Releases: Greta Van Fleet drop “Tear It Down” ahead of PALACE FOR THE PEOPLE (Oct. 9), while Yeat returns with COCOON and Drake collab “MISS MY DAWG.” Big Honors: Taylor Swift will receive the inaugural Artist Director Honors at the 2026 MTV VMAs. Music & Community: Key Chorale of Sarasota uses choirs to support seniors in memory care programs. Tech for Music Fans: iOS 27.2 beta hints at Apple Music live release countdowns and more CarPlay features.
New Music Drops: Inigo Pascual teases “Pagdating ng Panahon,” a love-story single featuring BINI’s Mikha in a video partly directed by Piolo Pascual. K-pop Roadmap: RIIZE confirms an Oct. 26 digital single “October Prologue,” leading into a spring 2027 full album “EMOTIION.” Global Pop Buzz: The Weeknd debuts unreleased “Tokyo,” sampling “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” with Yoko Takahashi at the start of his Asia run. Live/Video Releases: Underoath shares a new live clip for “Damn Excuses,” while Archspire drops “Limb Of Leviticus” live video. Industry & Tech: Warner Music Group partners with Suno to train AI models on licensed catalog. Big Loss: New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert dies at 45 after cancer battle, prompting tributes from peers including Mark Hoppus. Music Policy: Sri Lanka moves to require licenses for playing music at events and even in venues like banks and supermarkets.
Rock News: New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert has died at 45, with the band citing rare adrenal cancer and saying he passed peacefully in his sleep on Sept. 20. Album/Single Buzz: Kate Nash announces her sixth studio album Cailín for Jan. 22, 2027, sharing lead single “Spilt Milk,” plus a CCMA weekend spotlight for country’s big names and Masego’s Salt Lake City stop on his Fix Your Face tour. Pop Culture + Music: Mariah Carey confirms a new Las Vegas Celebration of Mimi residency (Apr. 12–27), while Offset drops “Something I Need.” Music Tech/Streaming: Winamp plans a 2027 return with a new subscription streaming model (plus local files). Local Music Life: Luther Preparatory School breaks ground on a $16M music center, and Antigua & Barbuda launches an ABFC Music Production & Artist Development Department to grow local talent. Throwback/Legacy: Willie Nelson’s 1989 No. 1 “Nothing I Can Do About It Now” gets a spotlight.
New Music & Releases: Amon Amarth previewed their Oct. 2 album “The Allfather Awakens,” tying most tracks to Odin and Viking-era conflict and sacrifice. K-pop Live Buzz: aespa kicked off the U.S. leg of SYNK : COMPLæXITY at UBS Arena with a 23-song set built around their biggest singles and fresh solo tracks. Pop Culture & Tours: BTS returned to iHeartRadio Music Festival after six years, while Le Sserafim made history as the first K-pop girl group to play the event. New Singles: AR Rahman unveiled “Nee Valle,” the first song from Telugu film “Sangeeth,” starring Nikhil Vijayendra Simha and Teju Ashwini. Metal/Thriller Spotlight: Vishwak Sen’s action thriller “Cult” lands Oct. 30 with a 45-minute promo. Local Music Scene: Skruffy Records announced a new label launch gig at Haverhub, featuring Old Habits, The Monarchs, and headliners The Ides of Sedition. Music in Real Life: Ed Sheeran addressed the Macklemore tour fallout during a Philadelphia show, calling Gaza “catastrophic” and “unjustifiable.” Community & Culture: Erie’s New American Jamboree closed Welcoming Week with food, music, and youth awards.
New Music Releases: 2Baba marks his 51st birthday with “Mental” featuring Fave, plus a Lagos listening party and Jollof launch. Big Catalog Moment: Taylor Swift’s full set of 58 official music videos is now on Spotify Premium, letting fans switch between audio and video. Rock/Metal Drop: Falling in Reverse releases “Joseph,” featuring Corey Taylor and Serj Tankian, with a new video. Music + Mentorship: Soundscapes pairs students with working musicians through its Luminary program, spotlighting local mentorship and performance chances. Community Music Access: Dickinson’s Music Enrichment Center keeps offering free lessons and a “family” vibe for young players. Music Industry Policy: California’s Motion Picture Editors Guild hails new post-production tax credits aimed at bringing more work back to the state. Live/Stage Spotlight: Tiffany brings her 1987 hit “I Think We’re Alone Now” to Off-Broadway in “Spandex the Musical.” Culture Through Song: A Vietnam program called “Music and Heritage” spotlights traditional performing arts for younger audiences.
AI Music Legal War: UMG and Sony Music escalated their fight with Suno over its new AI model, arguing it still violates copyright and expanding the scope beyond earlier claims. New Music Releases: MNEK returns with debut album-era energy on BULLDOZER!!, while Graveyard drops the “Tongue Tied” video ahead of Fever and A Skylit Drive signs to Vaux Records for “Half Hearted.” Label/Publishing Moves: Position Music signs Hellhills to a global label and publishing deal, and Ninja Tune’s Just Isn’t Music adds producer DJ Mason to its roster. Pop & Touring Updates: Charlie Puth cancels Australian/NZ arena dates; BTS brought new ARIRANG tracks to night one of the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Vegas. Live Music & Culture: Westgate Las Vegas announces 2027 dates for Barry Manilow’s residency, and the UK’s RHS Garden Bridgewater opens the Yangzhou Scholars’ Garden with music and arts pavilions. Local Scene: Nairobi plans a 10,000-seat indoor arena for concerts and sports, and a new Port Jefferson Country Music Festival returns with a Sunday date shift.
Split-Screen Punk: Rise Against and Alkaline Trio kick off a joint fall tour with a two-song split cover record—each band tackling the other’s tracks. Solo Pop Spotlight: Rosé (BLACKPINK) drops “new trick,” a grunge-leaning pop-rock single with an iPhone-shot video, leaning into big hook energy. New Music Friday Buzz: Miley Cyrus releases Bass Persuades, while Carly Rae Jepsen, Freya Skye, Miranda Lambert, Riley Green, and AZ Chike all land fresh drops to soundtrack your weekend. Big-Label Legal Clash: UMG and Sony sue Suno again, arguing its latest AI model is still “fruit of the same poisoned tree,” adding tens of thousands of songs to the fight. Local Music & Community: Edinburg, Texas rolls out fall guitar classes at the ACE Center, and Louisville’s Whirling Tiger announces a move to a bigger venue next spring. Industry/Legacy Watch: Peter Frampton shares a new unreleased track from Foreigner archives, and a new Sondheim podcast resurfaces “lost” early songs from his Williams College years.
Manchester Music History: Former Fall drummer Simon Wolstencroft is turning “Madchester” memories into sell-out “FunkySi” walking tours, sparked by his COVID-era videos and now expanding fast. Streaming & Pop Culture: Spotify adds Taylor Swift’s full official music video catalog (58 videos), letting Premium users switch between songs and videos without restarting playback. New Releases: Miley Cyrus drops album Bass Persuades with “Let’s Get Married” video, while Rosé (BLACKPINK) releases punk-leaning single “New Trick,” filmed entirely on iPhone 18 Pro for Apple’s campaign. Touring & Community: First City Music Festival returns Sept. 24–26 in Vincennes with a big bluegrass/Americana lineup, and Folk Machine expands its “Wild Women” concert Oct. 2 with plans for a future community “FMShop.” Music Tech/Industry: ABOSS pitches a single system for live-music booking and production, aiming to replace spreadsheet-and-email chaos. Local Music Education: Guam educator Max Ronquillo earns a Fulbright Teachers award to bring global classroom ideas back home.
Latin Grammys: Omara Portuondo’s album “Eternamente Omara” lands a 2026 Latin Grammy nomination in Best Traditional Tropical Album, adding to her Buena Vista Social Club legacy. UK Music Funding: Youth Music hits a £1M milestone with its NextGen Fund, backing 18–25 (and up to 30 for deaf/disabled/neurodivergent creatives) and already supporting hundreds of tracks, EPs, videos and events. New Releases & Tours: Kingdom Of Giants set “Usurper” for Nov. 13 and shared the “Reign” video; Téada drops “Orchestrating 25,” a live orchestral album recorded at Dublin’s National Concert Hall. Big Pop Moments: Dolly Parton posthumously accepts the Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in a pre-recorded video. Streaming Event: iHeartRadio Music Festival 2026 streams live on Disney+ and Hulu (Sept. 18–19) with BTS, Cardi B, LE SSERAFIM, Snoop Dogg, Weezer and more. Local Scene: Clare FM names BRIARS, River Jensen, Genevieve and Jennifer Stratton as A New Local Hero finalists; Sultans of String bring their genre-mix to Grand Bend on Oct. 2. Music + Community: Wye Marsh’s “Music for the Marsh” runs Sept. 19 with daytime performances across the marsh and an evening concert.
Nationalism & Sport: India’s “Vande Mataram” was sung before the India–Afghanistan T20 in New Delhi for the first time in an international match in India, sparking a fresh debate over nationalism and religion. K-Indie Spotlight: The K-INDIE ON Festival 2026 brings indie acts Catch The Young, Bongjeingan, Kim Seung-joo and Chang Ki-ha to Berlin to prove Korean music goes way beyond K-pop. Collab Origins: Jorja Smith says her Wizkid feature “Alive” started as a Wizkid record, with his verse shaping her contribution. Tour Fallout: An Irish radio station pulled Ed Sheeran’s music from its playlist after Macklemore’s Gaza/West Bank comments during Sheeran’s Loop tour. New Music Video: Dimapur metal band VERSION2 released “Empty Vessels,” previewing its upcoming debut album. Industry Power Moves: Country Radio Broadcasters named its 2026–2027 board, with Spotify, Apple Music and major label reps joining. Local Live Scene: Leeds International Concert Season unveiled its 2026/27 line-up, including brass and chamber series across the city.
New Music & Tours: Saskatchewan singer-songwriter Belle Plaine is opening for Terri Clark in Estevan on Sept. 18, with Plaine’s new album The Weather landing the same day. Pop Comeback: Carmen Electra is back in the studio working on new music, years after Prince mentored her. Charts & Virality: Malcolm Todd’s “Earrings” jumps to No. 1 on the Top Gabb Music Songs chart for August, fueled by renewed short-form attention. New Releases: Kate Nash announces album Cailín for Jan. 22, 2027, plus the single “Spilt Milk”; Trivium drops “Dead Inside Of Me” as the lead single for an upcoming album; VERSION2 releases the video “Empty Vessels.” Industry Watch: UMG sues DistroKid over alleged copyright infringement and AI-generated “slop,” while Suno/Believe/TuneCore insist artists must opt in before any training use. Streaming/Media: Amazon Music expands video podcast access internationally and adds monetization for video ads. Local Scene: Gravenhurst’s Band Together Fest runs Sept. 18–20 with 20+ alternative acts.
Anime Buzz: Bandai Namco Filmworks dropped a full promo video for Witch and Mercenary, adding new cast and staff and setting an April 2027 premiere. Film Spotlight: Sandakari finally gets a trailer for its long-delayed September 18 theatrical run, mixing workplace romance, comedy, and family drama. Music Industry & Tech: Meta says it’ll roll out a new in-house AI chip in data centers in the first half of next year, aiming for better performance per watt. Streaming Controls: Spotify is letting parents exclude kids’ music from recommendations and even from taste-profile impacts like Wrapped. New Releases: Mark Lee starts a fresh solo chapter with “My Friend,” while DJ Face and Just Percy team up for worship single “Mutsvene.” Health + Music: New Order keyboardist Gillian Gilbert says she’s living with cancer, asking for privacy as she continues treatment. Big Live Moment: Oasis announced a huge 2027 world tour—but Noel Gallagher shut down hopes for new music. Local Scene: Feral Family’s “The Razor” got played at Elland Road at half-time, and a new Birmingham bar, Bonnie Rogues, opens Sept. 25 with live music six nights a week.
Streaming Wars: Universal Music Group sued DistroKid, accusing it of flooding platforms with “AI-generated slop” and deceptive practices that harm real artists. Tech x Music: Heineken rolled out a QR-driven “Personalised Draught” system that blends one of 135 preset beer outcomes based on your preferences. Chart Watch: Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” keeps dominating the Hot 100, tying Mariah Carey’s record with a 22nd week at No. 1. New Releases: Calla announced De Facto and shared “Paralyzed,” while Bodywash previewed Laughing At Noise with “Lapsang.” Pop Comeback: SexBomb Girls returned after nearly two decades with “Mama Mama,” teaming up in the video with younger P-pop acts. Live Music: Oasis confirmed a massive 2027 world tour—but Noel Gallagher says there won’t be new music. Local Scene: FCCTC launched a new media arts program with studio, podcasting, and video production gear.
New Music Drops: Quavo is back with solo album “Qrömelife” (Oct. 2), executive produced by Pharrell Williams, plus the single “Backwards” featuring T.I. Cover Watch: Jeff Tweedy shared a new cover of Twisted Teens’ “Wild Connection”, ahead of the duo’s The Holy Cross Tigers (Nov. 6). Album/Collab Buzz: Erykah Badu and The Alchemist finally release “Before The World Blows” after a long, twisty rollout. Big Screen-to-Soundtrack: Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana kicks off its music campaign with “Jai Jai Ram” (AR Rahman, Arijit Singh, Shreya Ghoshal) for Ganesh Chaturthi. Industry/Tech: Universal Music Group’s opt-in AI deal with ElevenLabs signals a shift from bans to negotiated access. Local Music Life: A music teachers’ co-op launches in Wirral and Cheshire to keep tuition alive amid redundancies. Streaming Deal: Amazon Music Unlimited offers four months free for Prime members (until Oct. 9).
Oasis Update: Noel Gallagher shut down hopes for new Oasis music, even as the band confirms a huge 2027 world tour with major stops including an 11-night Manchester Etihad residency and a return to Knebworth. New Music Drops: Soft Cell teases its final album Danceteria with “The Rainbow Room,” while Falling in Reverse lands “Joseph” featuring Corey Taylor and Serj Tankian. Tour News: Spin Doctors announce a 35th anniversary U.S. run for Pocket Full of Kryptonite. AI & Streaming Fight: Sony and Universal back a push against streaming fraud that inflates numbers for royalties, and Suno admits using audio data from YouTube in its AI training. Local Scene: A new music school opens in Shoreview’s Village Center, and Manchester venue renae launches Promoter Promise funding for underrepresented promoters. Festival/Live: Santa Monica’s Ocean Way Festival is canceled after hurricane-driven beach erosion. Big Releases to Watch: Big Ears reveals its 2027 lineup headlined by Jeff Tweedy, Robert Glasper, Jim James, and Norah Jones.
Ramayana (Bollywood): Ganesh Chaturthi brought the first big music drop for Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana Part 1—new “Siya Ram” poster and the devotional single “Jai Jai Ram,” composed by A.R. Rahman with vocals from Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal. K-pop Tours: Tomorrow X Together (TXT) announced its “Steal the Wind” world tour, starting with three Seoul dates in November, then rolling into North America and Europe. K-pop Releases: Illit will return with its fifth EP “Break Even” on Oct. 26. Disability & K-pop: Big Ocean, the world’s first deaf K-pop trio, released “Love Sign” and kicked off a sold-out US run with more dates through October and Europe in late fall. Music Business/Legal: ASCAP is pushing for a federal judge to order damages and a broadcast ban in a radio music licensing fight with a New Hampshire group. Indie Artist Strategy: Rapper Addy TPC (Aditya Nair) says he’s finally releasing after years of label delays—rolling out “Blitz 26” independently on a nine-days-apart schedule. Local Music & Community: Salisbury’s Victoria Park could host live music under a new premises licence application, while Ohio University students gear up for “Battle of the Greens,” a campus live music competition.
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