Jimmy Eat World will put fans in the middle of a big celebration this summer as the group tours to commemorate the 25th anniversary of its breakthrough and top-selling album, Bleed American.

The Mesa, Arizona-formed alt-rock quartet hits the road June 9 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado for a lengthy trek celebrating its fourth album, Bleed American (full dates below). The 11-song set was the band’s first top 40 effort on the Billboard 200, launching the Billboard Hot 100 top 5 hit “The Middle” and giving Jimmy Eat World headliner status. Bleed American has sold 1.7 million copies to date, according to Luminate.

“It changed our lives,” frontman Jim Adkins, who co-founded the band in 1993, tells Billboard via Zoom from his home in Phoenix. “It put us on a map. It gave us a new, broad audience of people that found something in it that they connected with. People have grown up with this record, right alongside us growing up, and I feel like it’s important to celebrate it. It’s important to acknowledge to people that we appreciate that, despite the obvious commerce involved.”

Adkins and his bandmates — guitarist Tom Linton, drummer Zach Lind and bassist Rick Burch — plan to play Bleed American in its entirety, but probably not sequentially, during the tour. Support acts on the outing include Sunny Day Real Estate, Rise Against, the Get Up Kids, Thrice, Girls Against Boys, Hey Mercedes, Motion City Soundtrack, Illuminati Hotties, Mom Jeans, Jay Som and Pup. The itinerary includes four Vans Warped Tour stops, three performances in the U.K. (its already sold-out Aug. 15 show in Cardiff Wales will be the band’s biggest U.K. concert ever) and one in Mexico City. Jimmy Eat World will also perform at the Hello Summer Music Festival in Alberta, Canada, the Louder Than Life Festival in Kentucky and Shaky Knees in Atlanta, where it will not be performing Bleed American.

The summer shows will rekindle plenty of memories for fans, and with the tour’s announcement we drew on a few of Adkins’ own remembrances from what was a dramatic time for the group.

The Band Was Without a Label

After two albums Capitol Records dropped Jimmy Eat World following 1999’s Clarity. But Adkins maintains that the move, not entirely unexpected, did not level his band.

“I could see how people would think, ‘Oh, their record label dropped them. What are they gonna do now?!’” he says. “That’s not how it was, at all. Everything with the record label was happening in the background, and we were just focused on the next gig we were gonna do that night. And what we saw was every time we’d come back to a city we’d be playing a slightly bigger venue, or we’d be opening for a slightly bigger headlining act. We were building opportunities and we were getting to go to new places. We felt momentum. So all that stuff happening with the record label is just noise.”

Capitol would, interestingly, try to re-sign the band after Bleed American was completed, but it inked instead with DreamWorks.

It Had To Pay For Bleed American Itself

Without the support of a label, Jimmy Eat World supported itself and funded the album with an independently released Singles compilation, by touring and by taking day jobs. “Tom and Rick worked at a temp agency,” Adkins recalls, “which is really convenient when you’re going on tour all the time. So they would always have wacky stories about where they’d show up, sorting postal things or light industrial, bagel bakery things.” Lind worked for an auto dealership, while Adkins was at an art supply store.

“I would give ’em plenty of notice when we had a tour coming up, and when we came back they would rehire me because I had so many skews memorized,” he says. “Those things are so scorched in my memory I can’t get rid of them.”

Mark Trombino, who produced Clarity and 1996’s Static Prevails, also cut Jimmy Eat World a break to help make ends meet. “We were very fortunate that (Trombino) agreed to basically do it for free up front and just figure it out later,” Adkins says. “He believed in us and believed in the record we wanted to make, so he put his time and energy into building it with us.

“To be honest, it didn’t seem like a freaky or scary thing to do. It didn’t seem like, ‘We’re putting it all on this, and if it doesn’t happen, oh well.’ It wasn’t like that. Whatever happened with it, we felt like we were just gonna keep (making music), no matter what.”

The Plan

Though the songs on Bleed American, which was recorded at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles and Harddrive in North Hollywood, were notably tighter and more focused than on preceding albums, Adkins says that Jimmy Eat World “didn’t have an album in mind. There wasn’t, like, a concept or goal we were trying to achieve.” Instead, he explains, the band and Trombino took “a song-by-song approach,” even using digital technologies “to make the best versions of those songs that we could.”

“We made Bleed American to the best of our ability with what we knew about making records, with what we knew about writing songs, with our ability as physical players,” Adkins adds. “I feel like we did the absolute best we possibly could, given our knowledge and our ability. And we were proud of it, ’cause that’s what you have to achieve as a musician, I feel. Is this rewarding? Are you proud of this? If so, put your name on it and send it forth and see what happens.”

“The Middle”

After Bleed American’s title track reached No. 18 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, its successor, “The Middle,” put the album and Jimmy Eat World on the map, hitting No. 1 on the same chart and No. 5 on the Hot 100. It was not the band’s pick as the song most likely to succeed, however.

“‘The Middle’ came together really fast and felt at the time like a solid song,” Adkins remembers. “There was nothing wrong with it; I think when something arrives quickly and just feels right, that’s that. Cool. There’s something that feels maybe not as important as (a song) that’s a creative puzzle that you spend a lot of time to solve. But when someone’s listening to an album, they don’t care about that. I don’t know if we just underestimated (‘The Middle’) or what. It’s a solid song.”

A Mellencamp Moment

Bleed American‘s “The Authority Song” makes direct reference to (then) John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Authority Song” from his 1983 album Uh-Huh — as well as to the Jesus and Mary Chain’s 1989 album Automatic. “That’s another one that came together pretty quickly, maybe around the same time as ‘The Middle,’ actually,” according to Adkins. “It really is a journal entry of being a kid in the Tempe area in the late ‘90s and trying to figure out life in the social circle and the insecurities that come with your early twenties and all that.”

Adkins says Mellencamp has never acknowledged the shoutout, nor has Jimmy Eat World ever crossed paths with him.

Haden Help

Rachel Haden from That Dog, which was on hiatus while Jimmy Eat World was recording Bleed American, provided backing vocals on five of the album’s tracks. “I had met her through some mutual friends in the L.A. area,” Adkins recalls. “There were some vocal harmonies I really wanted to have a different character than just me or Tom cutting them; the That Dog material led me to her. She came in and it was like, ‘Oh wow, this really works. Do you have another hour you can hang out? I have this other thing I want you to try.’ We wound up with her doing backups for most of the record, which was great.”

By Any Other Name…

Bleed American was already a success when the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., took place, which led to copies issued from December 2001 on being titled simply Jimmy Eat World, while the title track was changed to “Salt Sweat Sugar.”

“The whole word was shaken, and we had no idea what was going to happen,” Adkins says. “We were very proud of our album. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11 we felt like people should make their mind up about our music based on just that. We worked too hard on this to have something (like the title) get in the way of people having that experience for themselves. And the solution we came to was turning the album into self-titled.

“It was sort of a punk rock thing to do back then. Album titles? Whatever…We felt like it might be slightly subversive, just calling it what it is. It’s our name.”

The Bleed American title was reinstated for a deluxe edition of the album in 2008, which featured a second disc of unreleased live and studio material, demos and covers of songs by Wham!, Guided By Voices and the Wedding Present.

For the North America dates, tickets are available starting with an artist, CITI and American Express presale beginning Wednesday (Feb. 11). Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on-sale on Friday (Feb. 13) at 10 a.m. local time. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets in the U.S. beginning Wednesday (Feb.) 11 at 10 a.m. local time until Thursday (Feb. 12) at 10 p.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit citientertainment.com. For the Canada shows, American Express card members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Wednesday (Feb. 11) at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday (Feb. 12) at 10 p.m. local time. Updates and additional information can be found at jimmyeatworld.com.

The full itinerary for Jimmy Eat World’s 25 Years of Bleed American Tour includes:

June 9 –– Denver, CO –– Red Rocks Amphitheatre
June 11 –– Chicago, IL –– Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
June 12 –– Sterling Heights, MI –– Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
June 13-14 –– Washington, D.C. –– Vans Warped Tour
June 16 –– Brooklyn, NY –– Brooklyn Paramount
June 17 –– New York, NY –– The Rooftop at Pier 17
June 19 –– Philadelphia, PA –– Highmark Skyline Stage at Mann
June 20 –– Boston, MA –– MGM Music Hall at Fenway
July 3 –– Calgary, AB –– Spruce Meadows
July 4 –– Fort McMurray, AB –– Hello Summer Festival
July 17 –– Bend, OR –– Hayden Homes Amphitheater
July 18 –– Seattle WA –– WAMU Theater @ Lumen Field
July 19 –– Vancouver, BC –– Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
July 22 –– Sandy, UT –– Sandy Amphitheater
July 24 –– Concord, CA –– Toyota Pavilion at Concord
July 25-26 –– Long Beach, CA –– Vans Warped Tour
August 14 –– Halifax, UK –– The Piece Hall
August 15 –– Cardiff, UK –– Cardiff Castle
August 16 –– London, UK –– Gunnersbury Park
August 22 –– Montreal, QC –– Vans Warped Tour
August 23 –– Toronto, ON –– RBC Amphitheatre
September 6 –– Phoenix, AZ –– Chase Field (supporting My Chemical Romance) September 9 –– Austin, TX –– Moody Amphitheater
September 10 –– Dallas, TX –– The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
September 12-13 –– Mexico City, MX –– Vans Warped Tour
November 12 –– Nashville, TN –– Venue info TBA
November 14 –– Tampa, FL –– MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
November 14-15 –– Orlando, FL –– Vans Warped Tour

Country songwriter Marty Brown shared the spotlight with his son during a touching audition on Monday night’s episode of American Idol.

The Kentucky-born singer and songwriter, best known for co-writing Tracy Byrd’s 1994 hit “I’m From the Country,” appeared alongside his 22-year-old son Christian during the Feb. 9 episode of the ABC competition series.

Christian, a delivery driver from Franklin, Kentucky, described his father as “a great songwriter, a great singer and a great dad” ahead of their performance.

The father-son duo began their audition together, performing Brown’s song “Wildest Dreams” for judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood. What started as a duet quickly turned into an emotional moment when Bryan briefly joined in, harmonising with the pair from the judges’ table.

After the performance, Christian explained that choosing one of his father’s songs was deeply personal.

“It’s my way of telling him I love him,” he said on the show. “I would not be where I am today without him.” As Christian sang, Brown stood nearby, visibly emotional, watching his son take centre stage.

When the final notes ended, Brown proudly exclaimed, “That’s my boy,” drawing applause from the judges and audience.

All three judges voted to send Christian through to Hollywood Week, though they encouraged him to continue developing his vocal confidence and stage presence. Richie told him he wanted to hear more from his vocals moving forward, while Bryan added that he was looking forward to seeing Christian grow throughout the competition.

Marty Brown is no stranger to televised talent competitions. He previously appeared on America’s Got Talent in 2013, where he advanced to the semifinals during Season 8. His songwriting career spans decades, with “I’m From the Country” becoming a staple of ’90s country radio after its release by Byrd.

American Idol, now in its 24th season, has increasingly leaned into personal storytelling during its audition rounds, spotlighting family connections alongside vocal performances. Brown and his son’s appearance marked one of the most emotional moments of the season so far.

American Idol airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, with episodes available to stream the following day on Hulu.

50 Cent added fuel to post–Super Bowl chatter on Monday (Feb. 9), mocking Stefon Diggs following the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl LX loss — and amid renewed speculation surrounding Diggs’ relationship with Cardi B.

On Monday (Feb. 9), the Queens rapper shared an image of the pair via Instagram that appeared to reference Diggs’ difficult weekend. In the caption, 50 Cent wrote, “Can you imagine waking up this morning and you done lost this b—h and the Super Bowl. I would tell everybody get away from me, have a drink and go back to sleep. LOL.”

Fans first noticed the mutual unfollow between Cardi B and Diggs on Feb. 9, one day after the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss, during which Cardi B attended the game at Levi’s Stadium and appeared during Bad Bunny’s halftime performance.

The two had gone public with their relationship in 2025, making their first official appearance together at a New York Knicks playoff game in May of that year. Cardi later confirmed the relationship via Instagram, sharing photos of the couple aboard a yacht. In November, the pair welcomed their first child together. Neither party has confirmed the split at the time of writing.

Meanwhile, 50 Cent’s Instagram jab was not his only Super Bowl-related shot.

The rapper appeared in a DoorDash commercial, which was released on Thursday (Feb. 5), promoting the food delivery company’s Big Beef initiative, leaning heavily into his long-running feud with Sean “Diddy” Combs. In the ad, 50 pulled various items from a DoorDash delivery bag, including Cheese Puffs and a pack of hair combs — a reference widely interpreted as a dig at Combs, who is currently incarcerated.

“Delivering quality beef, it’s more of an art than a science,” 50 said in the commercial. After discovering the combs, he added, “They sell combs. What a coincidence.”

The trolling continued into the early hours of Monday morning, when 50 posted a 15-second follow-up video to his Instagram Story addressing Patriots fans. Sitting in front of a large orange DoorDash logo, he said, “Hey, sorry New England, I know it’s tough to lose.”

He then paused before adding with a grin, “Well, actually I don’t. But just because you lost the game doesn’t mean you have to lose the beef.”

The professional breakup between Dina LaPolt and a former mentee at her law firm has intensified with new racial discrimination claims against the powerhouse music attorney.

Two months after LaPolt sued lawyer Mariah Comer for defamation and breach of contract, Comer hit back with her own lawsuit alleging she was subjected to “egregious racial discrimination” during her time at LaPolt Law. Comer is Black and Mexican.

“Throughout plaintiff’s employment, defendant LaPolt held Black employees, including plaintiff, to different and higher standards than white employees, while simultaneously paying them less and providing them fewer opportunities,” reads Comer’s Friday (Feb. 6) complaint, first obtained and reported by Billboard.

LaPolt maintains that she never engaged in any racial discrimination. Rather, she alleges that Comer fabricated the defamatory claims after she left the firm and started her own practice due to “pride, ego and an overblown sense of her own importance.”

Comer first joined LaPolt Law as an intern in 2019, and she was promoted to partner in 2022. Comer claims she was paid less than white employees at the same level while also allegedly facing racism, such as one incident in which LaPolt allegedly commented during a client meeting that Comer only got into Cornell Law School because of affirmative action.  

According to the lawsuit, LaPolt treated Comer as the “diversity face of the firm,” expecting her to regularly meet with and court Black prospective clients. Comer also alleges LaPolt required only the Black employees come into the office, while white employees were allowed to work remotely.

The undisputed key inflection point in LaPolt and Comer’s relationship was a 2024 licensing matter for an unnamed artist who was releasing a cover of an existing song. LaPolt claims Comer botched this project, while Comer’s lawsuit alleges it was LaPolt who gave the wrong guidance and then blamed her for the mistake.

After it became clear in fall 2025 that this song had not been properly cleared, LaPolt assigned a senior partner to oversee Comer and decreased her commissions as a result. Comer claims this decision was “motivated by racial animus and stereotypes about Black employees” and that it sent her into a “mental health crisis,” ultimately leading her to resign and open up her own practice instead.

Comer is now bringing a slew of racial discrimination claims, and she alleges that LaPolt’s December defamation lawsuit was an unlawful act of retaliation for her complaints of bias. Comer also claims she is entitled to past-due commissions from LaPolt Law, including for a “significant catalogue sale transaction” that she negotiated.

“As a direct and proximate result of defendants’ extreme and outrageous conduct, plaintiff suffered severe emotional distress, including severe anxiety, depression, humiliation, and mental anguish requiring ongoing therapy sessions, psychiatric care and prescription medication,” reads the lawsuit.

In a statement to Billboard on Monday (Feb. 9), Comer’s attorney Rodney Diggs said, “This lawsuit seeks accountability and sends a clear message that discrimination and retaliation cannot be ignored, regardless of the setting or the stature of those involved.”

“Ms. Comer’s case exposes a disturbing reality: even in 2025, even for a Cornell Law School graduate, and even at the partner level, Black attorneys can still face blatant racial discrimination in elite professional settings,” said Diggs.

Meanwhile, LaPolt’s attorney Christopher Frost told Billboard in a statement Monday that LaPolt “believed in Ms. Comer’s potential” and provided her with “considerable support.”

“Ms. LaPolt’s complaint outlines that Ms. Comer faced consequences for her lack of judgment and questionable professional behavior,” added Frost. “She then added insult to injury by choosing to leave her job, start a competing law firm, try to extract a severance, and defame and disparage Ms. LaPolt — her longtime professional supporter and a career-long advocate for artists and songwriters, women, the LGBTQ community, and racial diversity and equality. Ms. LaPolt sincerely hopes that Ms. Comer will learn to refocus her energy on her wellness and moving forward.”