Irish rap group Kneecap – which has drawn a storm of criticism, support, attention and legal action over the past half-year – continued to speak out about the war in Gaza during an afternoon set at the Øyafestivalen in Oslo, Norway, on Friday (Aug. 8).

Right before the trio of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí took the stage, an English-language white-text-on-black-background message played on a video screen, accusing the Norwegian government of “enabling” the “genocide” against the Palestinian people via investments held in the county’s sovereign wealth fund (referenced as “oil pension fund” in the message). “Over 80,000 people have been murdered by Israel in 21 months,” the band’s message continued. “Free Palestine.” The message was greeted readily by a cheering audience. Most estimates (including those from health officials in the area) place the Palestinian death toll at more than 60,000. That number does not distinguish between civilians and Hamas militants. An estimated 18,500 of those killed were children.

While conflict between Israel and Palestinian territory has been ongoing for decades, the conflict escalated on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants entered Israel and killed 1,200 people, more than 800 of whom were civilians, and took 251 hostages, at least 40 of whom have been killed; around 50 hostages, both dead and alive, remain unreleased. Israel’s ensuing invasion of Gaza has killed an estimated 60,000 and led to an ongoing humanitarian crisis, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced and facing starvation. Gaza health authorities have reported that almost 200 people have died of hunger since the conflict began and the United Nations has estimated that some 1300 were killed while seeking food, though Israel has frequently disputed the UN’s figures. Israel’s security cabinet recently approved a plan to take complete control of Gaza City and forcibly relocate at least 600,000 Palestinians, a move decried by many world leaders.

The Norwegian government’s connection to the war in Gaza is complicated. While Norway has broken with the United States and Israel by recognizing Palestine as a state, the Government Pension Fund of Norway – which invests surplus revenues from the country’s petroleum industry and has more than $1.9 trillion in assets – is under scrutiny after a recent piece by Aftenposten, Norway’s largest printed newspaper, reported that the sovereign wealth fund invested around $15.2 million in Bet Shemesh Engines Ltd., a jet engines parts manufacturer supplying the Israeli military, between 2023-2024. While Norway’s Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg has ruled out wholesale divestment of Israeli companies, the newspaper’s revelation spurred the government to launch a review of the sovereign wealth portfolio to ensure that it was not investing in Israeli companies contributing to the war in Gaza.

Halfway through the Belfast group’s hour-long performance, they offered up more detailed thoughts on Norway’s purported connection to the conflict. “I don’t have to lecture you people,” said Kneecap’s Mo Chara, wearing a keffiyeh. “I can understand there’s people here like, ‘All right, we get it, I’m sick of yous going on.’ I wish I didn’t have to talk about this, I wish I didn’t have to get on stage every gig and talk about this. The fact is, as long as we’re on stage and as long as nothing is changing, Kneecap will always use this platform and this stage to call out the genocide and the war criminals. I don’t need to lecture you people when your oil fund is being used to fund the genocide.” The majority of Kneecap’s massive crowd greeted his speech with cheers and applause; many waved Palestinian flags as he spoke. The Israeli government has flatly denied committing genocide against Palestinians, and the term remains hotly debated. Some say those who accuse Israel of genocide are motivated by antisemitism, though two Israel-based human rights organizations recently began adopting the word with regards to the war in Gaza.

Mo Chara gave a “quick shout-out” to Øyafestivalen for “standing by Kneecap” despite calls for its removal from the lineup, but added that he thinks “it’s a disgrace and a shame that KKR” – a global investment firm that owns Superstruct Entertainment, which runs Øyafestivalen, among many other international music festivals – “is behind all these festivals. No company investing in Israel while they commit war crimes should be involved in and taking part in music festivals,” he concluded, with the crowd voicing its agreement.

Criticism of KKR wasn’t limited to Kneecap’s set. Outside the festival entrance on Friday, a small but vocal group of protestors gathered to urge people to boycott Øyafestivalen over KKR. At a different stage, more than an hour later Kneecap wrapped, Irish rockers D.C. Fontaines flashed an onscreen message of “Free Palestine,” which was also greeted enthusiastically by the crowd.

Mo Chara is currently facing a terrorism charge from the British government over purportedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in November 2024, where the group allegedly said “up Hezbollah, up Hamas.” Since then, the punk-leaning rap group released a statement declaring “we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah” and described video footage as “deliberately taken out of context.” Mo Chara alluded to the charges during the show, saying, “we love the English people, it’s the English government we don’t like.” Not long after Kneecap first hit the Øyafestivalen stage, they urged the audience to give them more of a response: “For f—k sake, we’re up in court on terrorism charges – give me a bit of energy.”

In July, Kneecap were banned from performing in Hungary over what a Hungarian politician described as “antisemitism and glorifying terror,” calling them a “national security threat.”

“The authoritarian government of Viktor Orban say we ‘pose a national security threat,’” the group wrote in a statement after the ban. “There is no legal basis for his actions, no member of Kneecap has ever been convicted of any crime in any country. We stand against all hate crimes and Kneecap champions love and solidarity as well as calling out injustices where we see it…. It’s clear this is political distraction and a further attempt to silence those who call out genocide against the Palestinian people.”

Canadians love Morgan Wallen.

In the first half of 2025 in Canada, the country star’s I’m the Problem was the most popular album, while Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” was the most-streamed song (by on-demand audio streams), according to Luminate’s Midyear Music Report.

The report, which covers a tracking period from Jan. 3 to July 3, 2025, boasts a variety of metrics, including a few insights into the Canadian music market.

In Canada, total album consumption increased 4.5%, hitting 57.2 million — up from 2024’s 54.8 million — which accounted for the period of Dec. 29, 2023, to June 27, 2024.

Wallen’s I’m the Problem earned 231,000 equivalent album units in the first half of the year. Released May 16, the country juggernaut’s impact has reached the charts, with the album peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart for eight weeks, only to be dethroned last week by Justin Bieber’s Swag. Problem reemerged atop the chart this week, however.

Canadians fare well on the albums list, including Scarborough native The Weeknd, who has two entries. His compilation album, The Highlights, is at No. 2 with 151,000 units, while his 2025 record, Hurry Up Tomorrow, came in at No. 7 with 118,000 units. PartyNextDoor & Drake’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U project came in at No. 4 (133,00 units), while Gen Z darling Tate McRae amassed 124,000 with her third studio album, So Close to What, at No. 6.

Top 10 Albums in Canada

Top 10 Songs in Canada

Read more here. – Heather Taylor-Singh

Juno Awards Add Latin Music Recording of the Year Category Starting in 2026

The Junos has a new category.

On Tuesday (Aug. 5), the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced the introduction of Latin Music Recording of the Year.

A CARAS media release notes that the new category “celebrates the vibrant and growing contributions of Latin artists to the Canadian music scene. This crossover category will recognize excellence across all Latin American genres and languages, giving artists a platform to shine on Canada’s biggest music stage.”

In a statement, Ricardo Taco (Live Nation Canada), who serves as co-chair of the committee, said, “We are extremely grateful to The Junos for giving us the opportunity to elevate our music and culture through the introduction of this new category. This recognition not only highlights the growing impact of Latin music in Canada, but also gives our artists a powerful platform to share their stories, rhythms, and heritage with a wider audience.”

The introduction of the category follows criticism around the Canadian award show’s lack of representation and support of the growing genre.

Last October, a new national report explored the rise of Latin music in Canada and the need for more industry support. Entitled “Understanding The Barriers and Opportunities of the Latin Music Community in Canada,” the report, commissioned by the group Speaking Non-English, emphasized the need for music industry investment to avoid “a massive missed opportunity.” It also identified structural and financial challenges in the Canadian music ecosystem and the lack of support and representation of Latin artists and industry professionals.

The report highlighted the Junos specifically as an institution lacking in support, with researchers noting that of the country’s top 11 genres, Latin music was the only one without its own category. “Many Latin artists already surpass the average Junos winner in terms of consumption — even without accounting for major names like Jessie Reyez,” said Martín Añón, co-founder/president of Speaking Non-English, at the time. “The community is aware of this disparity, which only heightens their frustration.”

Añón also said that a proposal for a Latin Music Recording of the Year category was in development, with more than 50 letters of endorsement from the music community.

The announcement of the new category follows a controversy that erupted last year after CARAS announced plans to put the reggae recording, Christian/gospel album and children’s album categories on hiatus. But after outcry from the industry — including some who raised inclusivity concerns around the removal of two predominantly Black-led genres — those plans were cancelled.

Last year, the Junos also introduced the South Asian recording of the year category, which was won by AP Dhillon.

CARAS is also refining submission guidelines for both rap album/EP of the year and rap single of the year. Starting this year, vocalists must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents to be eligible. 

Read more here. – Kerry Doole

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Did you miss Tyler, the Creator last week at Lollapalooza? Don’t worry, because now you can catch him live this weekend Outside Lands 2025 Festival with a front-row experience right from the comfort of your home.

For the fourth consecutive year, Amazon Music will livestream the Outside Lands festival from Golden Gate Park in San Francisco to provide fans a way to experience the jam-packed lineup of live performances. Headliners for this year’s festival include Tyler, Hozier and Doja Cat, with other must-see sets from Vampire Weekend, Gracie Abrams, Doechii and more.

To learn more about how you can livestream the Outside Lands festival for free, see below.

How to Watch Outside Lands 2025 Online

Whether you want to watch Doechii tear up the stage or Gracie Abrams serenade the crowd with her acoustic guitar, fans can catch every Outside Lands festival performance online. With Amazon Prime, new users can take full advantage of its 30-day free trial and watch the entire weekend of performances without spending a dime.

With a Prime membership, you’ll get exclusive deals and discounts, plus early access to Amazon’s Lightning Deals and Prime Day sales, access to Amazon Music, Prime Video and free video games and in-game items along with a free Twitch channel courtesy of Prime Gaming.

Outside Lands Festival Lineup

Today (Friday, August 8), the livestream will include performances from Doja Cat, John Summit, Doechii, Still Woozy, Marina, Vansire, Mannequin Pussy, Almost Monday, Inji, Destroy Boys and NewDad.

The livestream on Saturday, August 9, will feature Tyler, the Creator, Vampire Weekend, Gracie Abrams, Royel Otis, Wallows, Wasia Project, Bakar, Flipturn, Klangphonics, Paco Versailles and Matt Champion.

Finally, on Sunday, August 10, stream performances from Hozier, Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals, Glass Animals, BigXthaPlug, Bleachers, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, Hope Tala, Mayer Hawthorne, Naomi Sharon, Luna Li and Big Freedia.

Outside Lands 2025 Livestream Schedule (Friday)