Kelly Clarkson‘s 4th of July opening of her Studio Sessions concert series, a residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, was canceled shortly before she was expected to take the stage Friday night. The singer said both of her shows this weekend, scheduled for July 4 and July 5, would not go on.

Clarkson’s announcement was released around 6:30 p.m. local time. Ticketmaster lists her show time as 8 p.m.

“We have been working 24/7 to make Studio Sessions the most intimate and extraordinary experience with and for my incredible fans. I am beyond grateful that you always show up for me and I am devastated to have to postpone tonight and tomorrow’s opening at Caesars,” the pop star, who’s the original American Idol and now a daytime talk show host, wrote in a statement shared on Instagram Friday evening (July 4).

“The prep and rehearsals have taken a toll on my voice,” said Clarkson. “I want the shows to be perfect for y’all and I need to protect myself from doing serious damage so I am taking this weekend and next week to rest up so that we can deliver what you all deserve.”

She added, “The show is truly incredible. The musicians and singers are outstanding, and I want us all to start out strong.  I can’t wait to be back next weekend and show y’all what we’ve been working on.”

Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions was announced in early February. Clarkson had expressed excitement about returning to Vegas following her 2023 and 2024 residencies at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

The residency was set to kick off on the 4th of July and run through mid-August, before a break that would have her going back to The Colosseum for four dates in November.

Clarkson is now expected to open the show on Friday, July 11.

Bad Bunny has dropped a powerful political statement on Friday (July 4) with the release of his new video “NUEVAYol.”

In the video, which celebrates Latin culture in New York, the global superstar pays tribute to the Puerto Rican diaspora and delivers a sharp critique of Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant policies.

One of the most striking moments in the video happens when a voice that sounds like Trump echoes through a vintage ’70s radio. The message is clear and direct: “I made a mistake. I want to apologize to the immigrants in America,” says the AI-powered Trump voice. “I’m in the United States. I know America is the whole continent. I want to say that this country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans…”

Aside from being an artistic gesture, it is a Fourth of July statement at a time when immigrant communities in the United States are the target of an aggressive deportation campaign. Just Thursday, Congress passed Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which bolsters ICE’s power with 10,000 new agents and 100,000 additional detention center beds.

This is not the first time Bad Bunny has spoken out against the inhumane treatment of immigrants. In June, the artist slammed ICE in a video recorded in Carolina, Puerto Rico, where officers are seen detaining several people in the streets. “Those mother—-ers are in these cars, RAV4s. They came here… sons of bi—es, instead of letting the people alone and working,” Benito says in the video.

In the “NUEVAYol” video, directed by Renell Medrano, Bad Bunny not only critiques anti-immigrant policies, but also proudly celebrates his Puerto Rican heritage. In one standout scene, the Statue of Liberty’s forehead is draped with a massive Puerto Rican flag. The video closes with a powerful message in Spanish: “Together We Are Stronger.”

Watch the video for “NUEVAYol” below:

David Joseph, longtime chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK, has been appointed CEO of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), beginning in September. Joseph brings over 17 years of leadership in the music industry, having transformed Universal Music UK into a global force before leaving the biz completely late last year. Known for his collaborative approach, Joseph has also championed social impact initiatives, including neurodiversity in the workplace through UMG’s “Creative Differences” handbook and community advocacy as chair of the Grenfell Foundation. He served as executive producer of the Oscar-winning Amy documentary and has produced the acclaimed BRIT Awards. Joseph succeeds Andy Haldane and will lead the 271-year-old nonprofit’s global mission to drive social progress through ideas and action in education, the arts, manufacturing and commerce. “David’s commitment to effecting social change, his compassion and his commitment to nurturing people is exemplary,” said Lloyd Grossman, chair of the RSA. “We are thrilled that David will join us, knowing that he will foster a collaborative and caring culture that speaks to our fellows, partners, staff teams and the wider world.”

Chrysalis Records, part of the Reservoir group, bumped up Tina McBye to senior vice president of commercial music operations. Based in London, she will report to COO Alison Wenham and continue leading commercial music operations across the group, including Blue Raincoat Music, Blue Raincoat Artists and labels like New State and Tommy Boy. Since joining in 2023, Tina has built a robust department supporting releases, catalog acquisitions and neighboring rights management. With a background at PPL and PRS, she brings deep expertise in neighboring rights. “Since [McBye] joined the company, she has made an enormous and transformative contribution to the development of our operations capability,” said Alison Wenham, chief operating officer, adding that she’ll continue focusing on the Chrysalis roster but will also take the lead in shaping and overseeing commercial music operations across the broader Blue Raincoat Group.

Rusty Gaston, the CEO of Sony Music Publishing Nashville, was named to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s board of officers and trustees. Jody Williams Songs founder Jody Williams was reelected as board chair, while other re-elected executive officers include Vince Gill (president), Al Giombetti (evp), David Ross (secretary) and Ernie Williams (treasurer). Ross, Ernie Williams and Jody Williams were also reelected as trustees. Other returning trustees include Mark Bloom, David Conrad, J. William Denny, Rod Essig, Al Giombetti, Ken Levitan and Mary Ann McCready, while returning officers include Earl Bentz, Sara Finley, Becky Gardenhire, Lon Helton, Clint Higham, Cindy Mabe, Gary Overton, Jim Seabury, Bill Simmons, Clarence Spalding, Chris Stewart, Troy Tomlinson, Jay Turner, Marcus Whitney and Tim Wipperman. –Jessica Nicholson

NASHVILLE NOTES: PR executive Krista Dykes launched the podcast booking and publicity agency She Laughs Media. Dykes most recently served as senior media relations manager at PLA Media and served as media relations manager at the Country Music Association from 2015-2023 … Big Machine Label Group hired director of digital marketing Sarah Bertrand. She spent the last three years with UMGN, where she was a digital marketing manager … Ailie Birchfield joined MCA as a publicist, marking a return to the company. She served as director of media marketing when it was known as UMGN, prior to a 2021 move to New York. She also runs the Nashville-based PR firm The Birchfield Group. (Want more Nashville-centric industry news? Subscribe to Tom Roland’s Country Update newsletter here.)

WMA, a global digital marketing and creative agency, appointed Andy Saiker as head of PR, socia and marketing for the UK and Europe. Effective immediately, the Londoner will oversee the PR and social teams and help expand WMA’s global marketing operations in the region. He brings experience from Warner Music, BMG Production Music and most recently, TikTok, where as senior partnerships manager for the last few years he led successful campaigns like Team GB x TikTok and StemDrop. “Andy’s deep understanding of music and digital culture makes him an incredible addition to the agency,” said Crystina Cinti, global vp at WMA.

Sotaro Nishida is now executive officer and senior vp of audio at Yamaha Corporation of America (YCA), a newly established role in which he will lead both the consumer and professional audio divisions, focusing on expanding the company’s presence in the U.S. market.Previously CEO of Yamaha Unified Communications, Nishida brings over 20 years of global experience, including roles in Europe, Japan and Latin America. His leadership follows YCA’s 2024 integration of unified communications operations. Based in Southern California, Nishida is expected to drive growth in the U.S. market, building on Yamaha’s strong presence in live sound, commercial and home audio.

Wiles + Taylor, a Nashville-based entertainment business management firm, elevated Lizzy Stone and Amy Gellick to account manager as part of five internal promotions. Stone, who joined in 2018, is active in several industry organizations and was part of the 2024 ACM LEVel Up Cohort. Gellick, with the firm since 2016, serves on the boards of the Women’s Music Business Association and SOLID. Karla Stafford, a 20-year veteran of the firm, is now director of financial reporting and compliance, while David Zeigler and David Murray have both been promoted to business manager. Zeigler joined in 2018 and is known for his passion for live music and travel, and Murray, a CPA, has been with W+T since 2016.

Audacy is shutting down Pineapple Street Studios, its podcast production arm, as part of a broader restructuring effort, resulting in approximately 30 layoffs. Founded in 2016 and acquired by Audacy (then Entercom) for $18 million in 2019, Pineapple Street was known for producing original and companion podcasts for major streaming platforms, including House of the Dragon, Severance and The Last of Us. The closure follows earlier reports of a potential sale and the February departure of co-founder Jenna Weiss-Berman, who has since joined Paper Kite Productions. Audacy will continue select Pineapple Street projects under its newly formed Audacy Podcasts division, including The Severance Podcast, now produced in collaboration with Red Hour and Great Scott.

Zebralution, a digital music distributor, announced key leadership changes to support its global expansion. William Hallström has been promoted to head of international business development while continuing as svp for the UK, Ireland and the Nordics. In this dual role, he’ll connect global teams with the Berlin headquarters and strengthen international operations. Hallström, who reports to Michael Schick in Berlin, brings experience from Universal Music and Sony Music. Additionally, Harry Barrett joins as sales and marketing manager UK/Dance Stores, bringing expertise from IDOL, while Zhenya Ivanova, formerly a playlist editor at Spotify, becomes sales and marketing manager in the U.S., based in New York. Both Barrett and Ivanov report to Lisa Riepe, head of sales and marketing.

The California Copyright Conference (CCC) announced its newly elected officers and board of directors for the 2025–2026 season. Carolyn Soyars (Disney Music Group) will serve as president, joined by Jonathan Lane, Alexandra Guzman, Sarah Brockman and Janelle Hawkes in key officer roles. Re-elected board members include Kristina Benson, Reggie Calloway, and Cheryl Dickerson. New board members are Lily Kline-Koenig, Melanie Santa Rosa, Patrick Smith, and alternate Jack Mangikyan. Several members are continuing their second terms. CCC, founded in 1953, has over 300 global members and provides educational events and resources on copyright and music industry developments.

Last Week’s Turntable: Jody Gerson Joins Ancestry Board

One week after multiple outlets reported that Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom had ended their relationship after nine years together, reps for the pair confirmed the split in a statement.

“Due to the abundance of recent interest and conversation surrounding Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry’s relationship, representatives have confirmed that Orlando and Katy have been shifting their relationship over the past many months to focus on co-parenting,” they said in a statement to Billboard. “They will continue to be seen together as a family, as their shared priority is — and always will be — raising their daughter [Daisy Dove] with love, stability and mutual respect.”

After weeks of rumors about trouble in their romance, People, TMZ and Us Weekly all independently confirmed in late June that the pair had ended their engagement and gone their separate ways. The two first began dating in 2016 and split briefly in early 2017, but were spotted getting cozy just months later. The Grammy nominee then teased in an Instagram post in February 2018 that she and the Pirates of the Caribbean star had gotten engaged on Valentine’s Day, with the photo focused on a flower-shaped ruby and diamond ring on her finger and the actor snuggling into her. She confirmed the engagement later that month during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, revealing that Bloom had proposed to her during a romantic helicopter ride.

The two welcomed daughter Daisy Dove in August 2020, with the happy news revealed via an announcement from Unicef, for who Bloom and Perry were Goodwill Ambassadors. The pair never married.