Friday Music Guide: New Music From Zach Bryan, Kesha, A$AP Rocky and More

Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. 

This week, Zach Bryan delivers more fan treats, Kesha begins her Independence period, and A$AP Rocky comes back in fashion. Check out all of this week’s picks below:

Zach Bryan, Streets of London

After debuting “Streets of London” during his BST Hyde Park concert last month, Zach Bryan has offered fans a studio version of the track, as well as a pair of additional songs, “River Washed Hair” and “A Song for You”; he noted in an Instagram post that the tracks “didn’t belong on the record, and they didn’t fit on an EP either,” but the prolific superstar’s ability to constantly supply his fan base with rock-solid songwriting is one of the reasons why Bryan has ascended to stadium status.

Kesha, Period 

For longtime fans of Kesha, Period contains the type of club-friendly bangers that made her a pop supernova 15 years ago — but every song on her first release as an independent artist carries an undercurrent of growth and personal fulfillment, as if the party that comprises the fast-moving 11-song project is even more thrilling because of the effort it took to coordinate.

A$AP Rocky feat. Kaycyy, “Pray4DaGang” 

Released on Independence Day as a 24-hour exclusive on Apple Music after being unveiled at Paris Fashion Week, “Pray4DaGang,” A$AP Rocky’s new collaboration with Kaycyy, impressively re-centers the veteran rapper’s musical approach during a busy moment for his brand: his flow is nimble and his lyricism sharp, once again building hype for his long-awaited next full-length. 

Brent Faiyaz, “Peter Pan.” / “Tony Soprano.” 

The duality of Brent Faiyaz’s appeal is on display with the double single release of “Peter Pan.” and “Tony Soprano.”: whereas the former puts a modern twist on buttery soul music and places Faiyaz’s croon up high in the mix, the latter is cold, laser-focused rhythmic rap, with Faiyaz declaring over a trap beat, “These days, I’m numb to it all” and demonstrating his range.

Of Monsters and Men, “Television Love” 

Of Monsters and Men conquered different parts of the globe with their heartfelt sing-alongs a decade ago, and on their first new track in five years, the Icelandic indie-folk band returns with a viscous, slow-building amendment of their winning formula: “Television Love” may take longer to get going than “Little Talks” and “Mountain Sound,” but when it hits its stride, the song becomes another enveloping festival anthem.

Editor’s Pick: Sydney Rose, “Before & After You” 

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Sydney Rose scored a viral hit recently with her track “We Hug Now,” and may have another one with “Before & After You,” which was inspired by the hit HBO video game adaptation The Last of Us — but even if the names Joel and Ellie don’t mean anything to you, it’s not hard to get wrapped up in Rose’s elegant vocals and knack for conjuring simple, emotionally resonant lyrics in confined spaces.

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Alex Warren’s ‘Ordinary’ No. 1, Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Manchild’ Surging on Billboard’s Songs of the Summer Chart

What will be the No. 1 song of the summer of 2025? As of July 4, Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” maintains its lead in the race, per Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart.

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Summer Songs 1958-2024: The Top 10 Tunes of Each Summer

The 20-position Songs of the Summer running tally tracks the most popular titles based on cumulative performance on the weekly streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Billboard Hot 100 chart from Memorial Day through Labor Day (this year encompassing charts dated June 7 through Sept. 6). At the end of the season, the top song of the summer will be revealed.

(Titles that appeared on the 2024 Songs of the Summer chart or peaked on the Hot 100 during or before summer 2024 are ineligible to appear on this year’s Songs of the Summer ranking.)

“Ordinary” has ruled Songs of the Summer for four of the five weeks since the survey returned this season. It added a fourth frame atop the latest, July 5-dated Hot 100.

Morgan Wallen boasts the next two songs on the Songs of the Summer chart at the July 4 mark — “What I Want,” featuring Tate McRae (No. 2), and “Just in Case” (No. 3) — while his “I’m the Problem” places at No. 5. Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” is at No. 4.

Also notably, rounding out the Songs of the Summer top 10, Leon Thomas’ Hot R&B Songs leader “Mutt” ranks at its No. 10 high.

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Among hits scaling the Songs of the Summer survey beyond the top 10, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” bounds 16-11 — after it soared in at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in June; Ravyn Lenae’s “Love Me Not” lifts 19-17; and Benson Boone’s “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” debuts at No. 19.

Check out the top 10 summer songs every year throughout the Hot 100’s history (from the chart’s start in 1958); the top 500 Greatest of All Time Songs of the Summer; and the Songs of the Summer chart in its entirety each week throughout the summer.

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Lorde Scores Fourth ARIA No. 1 Album With ‘Virgin’

Lorde has extended her perfect streak on the ARIA Albums Chart, as Virgin debuts at No. 1 this week (chart dated July 4).

The Auckland-born singer-songwriter now boasts four chart-topping albums in Australia, following her breakout 2013 debut Pure Heroine, 2017’s Melodrama and 2021’s Solar Power.

“This album broke me apart and forged a new creature out of me,” Lorde wrote in a recent social media post. “I am so proud to stand before you today as her, grateful for this beautiful life spent singing to myself and to you, for as long as you’ll have me. Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, down to my cells.”

The ARIA triumph comes on the heels of Lorde’s surprise set at Glastonbury last weekend, where she warmed up for her Ultrasound World Tour kicking off in November in the United States. She also teased a forthcoming Virgin B-sides release, revealing that several tracks didn’t make the final cut for the album.

Trailing close behind Virgin is Kpop Demon Hunters, up 5-2 in its second chart week, making it the highest-charting soundtrack since Wicked hit No. 3 last year. Morgan Wallen’s former leader I’m The Problem holds steady at No. 3.

Teddy Swims’ I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Complete Edition) arrives at No. 11, while Bruce Springsteen’s The Lost Albums starts at No. 21. Australian representation on the albums chart comes courtesy of The Kid LAROI’s The First Time, rebounding to No. 47 following the release of his Thundercat collaboration, “How Does It Feel.”

On the ARIA Singles Chart, Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” claims a 15th consecutive week at No. 1, tying Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” as the third-longest reign in ARIA history. Only The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber’s “Stay” (17 weeks) and Tones And I’s “Dance Monkey” (24 weeks) have spent longer at the summit.

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Usher Cancels Long-Awaited Australian Arena Shows

Usher has scrapped plans for his long-awaited return to Australia, with all dates on his Past Present Future tour now officially canceled.

The R&B superstar was due to play 12 shows across Melbourne and Sydney in November and December, marking his first Australian tour in nearly 14 years. Tickets for the trek went on sale in May, with strong demand leading promoters to add four extra dates after the initial announcement.

Live Nation confirmed the news Friday (July 4), sharing a brief statement via Ticketek: “The promoter of Usher’s Australian tour regrets to advise that the scheduled shows to take place in November/December will no longer be proceeding.” No reason was given for the cancellation.

Fans who purchased tickets will automatically receive full refunds, with Ticketek advising customers to allow up to 30 business days for the funds to appear in their accounts.

The Grammy winner first announced the Australian leg of the Past Present Future tour back in March, telling fans he was “bringing the A to the AUS” on Instagram. The trek, which has already seen Usher perform in the U.S. and Europe, was set to kick off Nov. 19 at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena before moving to Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on Dec. 1.

Ticket prices for the shows ranged from approximately AUD $220 for standard seats to AUD $2,792 for the Ultimate Meet and Greet VIP Lounge Experience, sparking debate among fans about the high cost of entry.

While some fans expressed shock and disappointment on social media, others noted they weren’t surprised given the ambitious schedule. Popular Australian TikToker Jacinda Chenelle suggested the cancellation may have been influenced by “overzealous” planning and pricing.

Usher’s last tour of Australia was the OMG Tour in 2011. Since then, he’s continued to make his mark on the Billboard charts, most recently performing at the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show and scoring a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Good Good” alongside Summer Walker and 21 Savage.

Usher has not publicly commented on the cancellation.

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Pophouse Names Jessica Koravos as New CEO

Swedish entertainment company Pophouse has named a new CEO, Jessica Koravos, who will take over leadership of the company in January 2026.

A statement from Pophouse says that Koravos will “lead the company’s ambitious next phase of global expansion and its journey to become a world leader in music IP investment and development.”

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Koravos was previously president of Oak View Group International, president of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s The Really Useful Group and a board member for ABBA Voyage, the ABBA hologram show developed by Pophouse that debuted in London in 2022. (Pophouse was co-founded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus.)

Pophouse’s current CEO, Per Sundin, will remain in his current role until Koravos joins as CEO in January. The statement says Sundin will “support a smooth and orderly process, before assuming a new role” within the company. This new role “will be defined around his experience in and knowledge of the entertainment industry together with [Koravos].”

“I am truly delighted to be joining Pophouse at this exciting time,” Koravos says in a statement. “Having seen Pophouse’s tremendous growth — driven by their compelling strategy, powerful partnerships with global artists, inspiring board and excellent team. I look forward to driving the future expansion and success of the business.”

The company’s chair, Lennart Blecher, adds that “this leadership transition represents a pivotal moment in Pophouse’s evolution and underscores the company’s mission to redefine the entertainment landscape. Jessica brings a proven track record of driving sustained growth across entertainment and live production ventures on a global scale, and her leadership in securing international licensing partnerships and delivering iconic IPs to audiences throughout Europe, Asia and the U.S. aligns perfectly with our ambitious expansion goals — for example Mamma Mia! The Party and the upcoming KISS avatar show. I am truly thrilled to welcome Jessica to Pophouse.”

Blecher adds, “I would like to thank Per for all he has contributed to put Pophouse firmly on the map. We are delighted that Per will continue to be a vital part of the team and we all at Pophouse look forward to continuing our collaboration.”

In March, Pophouse announced that it raised $1.3 billion to invest in catalog acquisitions and develop entertainment experiences around those music rights. It simultaneously revealed that roughly 30% of this fund has already been deployed in partnerships related to the acquisition of rights to songs by KISS, Cyndi Lauper, Avicii and Swedish House Mafia.

In an interview with Billboard in May, Sundin said that the company hopes “to announce at least one catalog we’re buying by summer. But we don’t just want to buy it and put it on the shelf. We create a road map for five to 10 years, and then we execute that road map. From the beginning, we told our investors that we want to buy eight to 10 catalogs. We have four. That leaves six to buy. The record companies have thousands of catalogs.”

Pophouse’s current track record includes the aforementioned ABBA Voyage, The Avicii Experience tribute museum in Stockholm, Mamma Mia! The Party, an interactive dinner party in a London theater designed like a taverna in the Greek islands and ABBA The Museum, which opened in 2013. KISS also sold its name and likeness rights to Pophouse and has said that a virtual performance of its songs could launch in Las Vegas in 2027.

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‘It Was Horrific’: Radar Festival Speaks Out on Bob Vylan Cancellation

Manchester’s Radar Festival says it was left with no choice but to pull Bob Vylan from its 2025 lineup, following the punk-rap duo’s controversial set at Glastonbury Festival.

The pair sparked headlines during their performance on Glastonbury’s West Holts Stage, leading chants of “Death to the IDF” while also calling out the BBC, the US and UK governments, and more. Frontman Bobby Vylan told the crowd, “We are the violent punks, because sometimes you gotta get your message across with violence because that is the only language some people speak, unfortunately.”

The backlash was swift. Glastonbury organizers issued a statement condemning the chants, saying they “very much crossed a line” and that there is “no place at Glastonbury for anti-Semitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.”

Radar initially confirmed Bob Vylan’s removal with a brief statement on July 2: “Bob Vylan will not be appearing at RADAR Festival this weekend.” But in a new interview on the Two Promoters One Pod podcast, organizer Catherine Jackson-Smith shared that the festival did not want to cancel the group’s headline set.

“It was categorically one of the most horrendous professional discussions I’ve ever had,” she said. “I cannot express clearly enough that I wanted Bob Vylan to perform at our festival. But this was not our decision.”

According to Jackson-Smith, Radar was caught between behind-the-scenes conversations involving the venue, its co-owners AMG and Live Nation, and local authorities. The decision to drop Bob Vylan was presented as an ultimatum: either cancel the band’s appearance or risk losing the entire Saturday program.

“There was not an option for Bob Vylan to step on stage on Saturday; that became apparent at the beginning of the week,” Jackson-Smith explained. “If we continued with Bob Vylan as our headliner, we wouldn’t have the festival happening on Saturday.”

The festival, which runs July 4-6 at Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse, is independently operated by Jackson-Smith and co-founder Joe James. Canceling the band prevented what she described as a “precarious situation” that could have impacted 41 other acts and the viability of the event itself.

Adding to the complexity, Bob Vylan’s agency dropped the band in the wake of the Glastonbury controversy, forcing Jackson-Smith to have a direct conversation with the group about their removal.

“It was horrific as a conversation,” she said. “Bob Vylan knew that we didn’t want to pull them.”

In response, Bob Vylan posted on social media: “Silence is not an option. We will be fine, the people of Palestine are hurting. Manchester, we will be back.”

The Glastonbury performance continues to ripple across the industry. Alongside being dropped from Radar, Bob Vylan has reportedly been removed from the Kave Festival in France and a Gogol Bordello support slot in Cologne. Their US visas have also been revoked, and they are under criminal investigation in connection to the remarks.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy criticized the BBC for airing the performance, calling it “a problem of leadership,” while US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau described Bob Vylan’s remarks as “a hateful tirade.”

In a follow-up statement, Bob Vylan said they are “not for the death of Jews or Arabs or any other race or group” and called for “the dismantling of a violent military machine.”

Radar Festival has yet to announce a replacement headliner for Saturday. Jackson-Smith confirmed efforts are underway but acknowledged the difficulty of securing a last-minute act. “We might end up with someone that has no discernible political opinion at this point because if they’re free and they can play on Saturday, maybe that’s the only criteria,” she said.

Radar Festival told Billboard they will be making no further comment on the matter. The festival runs July 4-6 at Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse.

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Robert Plant Pays Tribute to Liverpool’s Diogo Jota Following Death at 28

Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant has paid tribute to Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota, who tragically died in a car accident in northern Spain on July 3. The Portuguese international was 28.

Plant, a lifelong Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter and Vice President of the club, expressed his grief on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “What a tragic loss. The dimming of a bright, shining light. Thank you for your magic, Diogo.”

The accident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning as Jota was traveling from Portugal to Santander, where he planned to take a ferry back to England for pre-season training. He had been advised not to fly following minor surgery.

His younger brother, Andre Silva, also a professional footballer in Portugal, was killed in the crash at age 25. According to CNN, Spain’s Guardia Civil said the accident was likely caused by a “burst tire while overtaking.”

Plant’s connection to Jota goes beyond music fandom. The rock icon has been a vice president at Wolves since 2009 and has attended countless matches at Molineux over the years. Jota’s time at Wolves was a pivotal chapter in his career; after arriving on loan in 2017, he helped secure the club’s promotion to the Premier League and stayed on to establish himself as a standout forward.

Tributes poured in from across the football and entertainment worlds following the news. Cristiano Ronaldo shared an emotional message: “It doesn’t make sense. Just now we were together in the national team, you had just got married. Rest in peace, Diogo e Andre. We will miss you.” Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp described Jota as “not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father.”

Jota’s sudden passing comes just 11 days after he married his long-time partner, Rute Cardoso. He is survived by Cardoso and their three young children.

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Here Are Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne’s Biggest Hit Albums on the Billboard 200 Chart

Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne (long the band’s famed frontman) have a heavy (metal) legacy of hit albums on the Billboard 200 chart, dating to when the group notched its first chart entry with its self-titled debut in 1970. Through the years, the band, and Osbourne with solo projects, has rocked the chart with a series of high-charting albums.

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The band logged a series of top 40-charting efforts over the decades, first reaching the top 10 in 1971 with Master of Reality, which climbed to No. 8. The group last hit the chart with the reunion project 13, released in 2013, which marked the group’s second top 10, and first No. 1.

Osbourne himself as a soloist has claimed nine top 10-charting sets on the Billboard 200, including at least one in every decade from the 1980s through the 2020s. He most recently hit the top 10 with the No. 3-peaking Patient Number 9 in 2022. Along the way, Osbourne also claimed a pair of top 10 charting songs on the Billboard Hot 100, with his Lita Ford duet “Close My Eyes Forever” (No. 8 in 1989) and his featured turn, alongside Travis Scott, on Post Malone’s “Take What You Want” (No. 8 in 2019).

Below is a combined top 10 ranking of both Black Sabbath and Osbourne’s biggest albums on the Billboard 200 chart. The ranking is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard 200 through the July 5, 2025, chart. Titles are ranked on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 200 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.

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Boldy James Finally Explains Why Amanda Seales Claims He Owes Her Money

We finally get some background behind Amanda Seales telling Shannon Sharpe and the rest of the world that Boldy James owes her some bail money.

The Detroit rapper sat down with Brian “B. Dot” Miller for his interview series Cover Lines and was asked directly if he owes her some bread.

“I’m glad you brought this up, Lord have mercy,” an exasperated Boldy replied as he shook his head. “She’s talkin’ about $2,000 of a bond she had to pay for me, right? I had a situation. She sent the money to help look out for me. But this is what ends up happening. This is the honest to God truth.”

He then went on to explain a complicated a tale of a business arrangement that fell through that ended up costing him thousands of dollars and expressed disappointment in her making their situation public, while also adding that he doesn’t have any ill will toward Seales.

Last April, the actress made an appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay and the topic of her dating life came up, during which she revealed that she has an interesting history with the Detroit rapper. “If I hate Black men, I want a refund, Shannon,” she told Sharpe. “You know how many brothers I have lifted up? I want a refund! I done paid probation fees because n—as could rap and I want them to be able to live in their talent and their truth. I done talked to a damn P.O. to vouch. Boldy James. And you owe me money.”

Fans of James were taken aback and realized that he was serious when he mentioned her character Deonne Wilburn from the cult classic Nickelodeon show My Brother and Me on his song “Guilt” from 2021 rapping, “Hundred a G/ ‘Member I got fronted the key/ ‘Fore the bag came, my gas tank was under the E/ Life took a ill turn on that Sunderland spree/ Now I’m f—in’ Miss Wilburn from My Brother and Me.”

You can watch the full interview below.

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HITS Act, Legislation That Gives Music Creators a Tax Break, Passes Congress as Part of Trump’s Megabill

The Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act, the long-in-the-works legislation that would allow musicians to deduct 100% of their production expenses in the year they’re incurred, passed in Congress as part of President Trump’s tax and spending cuts bill on Thursday (July 3). The milestone was quickly celebrated by Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, which has long lobbied for the bill to become law.

Co-sponsored by Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas), the HITS Act was first introduced in July 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many musicians struggled due to widespread shutdowns in the U.S. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate in December of that year by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Marsha Blackburn (R–Tenn.). It was reintroduced in the Senate in January after being dropped from several previous legislative packages and subsequently added to the Trump-endorsed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which now requires only the president’s signature to become law.

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“The Recording Academy is proud to have partnered with Reps. Estes and Sánchez and Senators Blackburn and Cortez Masto over many years to bring the HITS Act to life, and we are deeply grateful for their unwavering support,” said Mason in a statement.

The Recording Academy CEO also praised the removal of another component of the Republican-led bill: a clause that would have banned state-level AI protections for 10 years.

“As the industry navigates rapid technological advancements and an evolving musical landscape, this moment represents meaningful progress toward protecting creators and sustaining a vibrant music ecosystem,” Mason continued. He added: “We also thank Senators Blackburn and Cantwell for their thoughtful leadership in removing the AI provision that could have posed serious risks to the creative community. This is a powerful win for those who make music, and for the future of music itself.”

The HITS Act, which requires a change in the tax code, allows musicians to fully expense the costs of new studio recordings up to $150,000 in the year they were produced, with the goal of easing the financial burden on creators. The current tax code requires producers and artists to amortize production expenses for tax purposes over the economic life of a recording, which typically ranges from three to four years.

“We wanted to incentivize musicians to get back in the studio and put more music out into the world when we need it right now and give them an immediate financial benefit by having this deduction in the first year,” The Recording Academy’s then-chief advocacy officer Daryl Friedman told Billboard when the bill was first introduced in the House of Representatives. “But this will be an ongoing tax provision that will live beyond the pandemic and will be a benefit to artists for years to come.”

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