As Jimmy Buffett‘s Coral Reefer Band prepares for its first national tour since his death on Sept. 1, 2023, at the age of 76, its mission to maintain the spirit of Margaritaville is clear.

“The prime directive, really, is to honor the legacy that Jimmy did such a fine job of building,” singer-songwriter Mac McAnally, a Coral Reefer since 1994 — and who performed as part of Buffett’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honor last October — tells Billboard. “There’s clearly no replacing him. We’re gonna leave his mic open in the center of the stage and his guitar on a stand. He specifically wanted the music to live on and we want the music to live on. I think it’s a great benefit to humanity for his music to live on.”

McAnally and the other Coral Reefers — a 13-member troupe that includes Buffett collaborators Will Kimbrough, Scotty Emerick and Nadirah Shakoor sharing lead vocals with McAnally — have performed sporadically since his passing at the age of 76, including at Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett at the Hollywood Bowl in April 2024 and at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival the following month. On Monday, Aug. 4, they will hit the road with the Doobie Brothers, with dates through Sept. 18 in Toronto. “It’s just a really cool pairing to play with the Doobies,” McAnally explains, “because at various times Jimmy has opened for them, and I think they, at one point, opened for him along the way, too. They’re one of the great American rock n’ roll bands, and we’re very honored to try to set the stage for them.”

Notably missing from the Coral Reefer lineup is keyboardist and chief collaborator Michael Utley, who along with McAnally produced Buffett’s posthumous 2023 album Equal Strain on All Parts. “He was ready to go home and do the golden years with his lovely wife already, but we just left it so he can come any time he wants to — but he’s not gonna be touring full-time anymore,” McAnally says. Utley’s son Mick has taken his place, and the senior Utley is fully supportive of keeping the Coral Reefer Band alive.

“I think it’s great they’re still doing that. I wanted that to happen,” Michael Utley says. “The fans want it. They miss Jimmy, like we all do, but they need that music and the escapism.”

McAnally, who also plays Buffett songs during his own shows — and recently released a new version of “Oysters and Pearls” that he and Buffett wrote together for 1999’s Beach House on the Moon album — says the Coral Reefer shows have been “a family reunion” for Buffett’s ardent Parrothead fan base.

“Jimmy built a fanbase that wasn’t based on hit records or selling anything in particular — although he was good at selling all kinds of things. But it was really based on a guy you knew was coming to town and was going to have at least as good a time as you. He was the happiest guy in the building most times we ever played, and that made people want to come and be connected to that. It is like a family reunion for his fans and the band to go sing these songs that brought so much joy, and have so much joy left in them to move forward.”

McAnally adds there may well be more of the music to hear in the future, from Buffett’s vaults — including what he says is “a gorgeous version” of Joni Mitchell’s “Amelia.”

“There’s a few (songs) around,” he says, “not as many as, like, the giant backlog they talk about with Prince. There’s nothing like that. But there’s enough recorded and unreleased material to make an album. Most of that record stuff I have, and I’ve got to go back and address it. I wouldn’t want to assemble a project that was just a release for its own sake; some of it (Buffett) never considered a final vocal, so I wouldn’t want to put anything out that I feel like he wouldn’t be happy with. But there’s definitely some good stuff that’s there, and at some point it’ll get put together.

“At this point we’re more concerned about keeping the party going, as he put so well. So the tour comes first, then in the break from the tour I’m gonna open some hard drives and some old analog tape and see what we have under the hood.”

In addition to McAnally, Kimbrough, Emerick, Shakoor and Mick Utley, the current Coral Reefer Band includes Eric Darken on percussion, Doyle Grisham on pedal steel, Robert Greenidge on steel drums, Tina Gullickson on backing vocals, Peter Mayer on lead guitar and backing vocals, Jim Mayer on bass and backing vocals, Roger Guth on drums and John Lovell on trumpet. The group’s tour dates with the Doobie Brothers include:

8.4.25 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
8.6.25 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
8.7.25 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
8.9.25 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
8.10.25 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach
8.12.25 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre
8.13.25 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
8.15.25 – Boston, MA – Xfinity Center
8.17.25 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
8.18.25 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC
9.4.25 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
9.5.25 – Ridgedale, MO – Thunder Ridge Nature Arena
9.9.25 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheatre
9.10.25 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheater
9.12.25 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
9.13.25 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
9.15.25 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheatre
9.17.25 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
9.18.25 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage

Donald Trump has once again insulted Taylor Swift, this time dragging the pop superstar’s name into a discussion about Sydney Sweeney’s widely criticized ad campaign with American Eagle.

In a heated post on Truth Social on Monday (Aug. 4), the president compared the two women’s politics in an attempt to prove that conservative women are more “hot.” “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the ‘HOTTEST’ ad out there,” he wrote. “It’s for American Eagle, and the jeans are ‘flying off the shelves. Go get ‘em Sydney!”

Though the Euphoria star has not commented on it publicly, a recent piece from BuzzFeed reported that she has been a registered Republican since 2024, when Trump won his second of three presidential runs. The report came shortly after Sweeney made headlines for her controversial American Eagle commercials, in which the actress — who is a white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes — boasted about having both “great jeans” and “great genes” — something that upset many consumers who compared the ad’s messaging to Nazi propaganda.

Trump, however, is clearly a fan of the campaign. As for Swift, who has opposed his policies numerous times, the twice-impeached POTUS wrote Monday, “Just look at Woke singer Taylor Swift.”

“Ever since I alerted the world as to what she was by saying on TRUTH that I can’t stand her (HATE!),” he continued. “She was booed out of the Super Bowl and became, NO LONGER HOT. The tide has seriously turned — Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Billboard has reached out to Swift’s rep for comment.

Trump’s message is far from the first time he’s dissed the 14-time Grammy winner. Her first time speaking about politics was to endorse Democratic candidate Phil Bresden for Senate in 2018, shortly after which the president said he liked her music “25% less.”

In the years since, Trump’s attacks on the singer have heated up as she’s repeatedly endorsed his opponents for president, most recently backing Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. A few days after she posted in support of the former VP, he wrote on Truth Social, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” And this past February, he claimed that fans at the Super Bowl booed her “out of the stadium,” when, in reality, the musician stayed for the entire game and only received boos from a few Philadelphia Eagles fans who were this year’s rivals to Swift’s team of choice, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Finally, in May, Trump again lobbed insults at Swift, posting out of the blue: “Has anyone noticed that, since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?’”

It’s unclear why, months later, Trump is bringing the Eras Tour headliner back up on his social media platform, or how she’s related to the controversy surrounding Sweeney and American Eagle. The fashion brand, for it’s part, recently responded to the backlash, posting a statement on Instagram asserting that the campaign “is and always was about the jeans.”

“We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way,” the company added on Aug. 1. “Great jeans look good on everyone.”

What was clearly intended as a loving tribute to a beloved fellow English music legend turned sour last week when Rod Stewart’s homage to late heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne drew rebuke from some commenters. As seen in fan video of the moment, during Stewart’s show in Charlotte, N.C. on July 29, the 80-year-old singer posted a bizarre AI-generated video of Osbourne — who died on July 22 at age 76 of undisclosed causes — mugging for selfies in heaven with a variety of fellow deceased pop, rock and hip-hop stars including: Prince, Tina Turner, Bob Marley, Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur, Aaliyah, Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, George Michael and XXXTentacion, among others.

The comments on one woman’s video said it all: “This… looks like one of the drug induced psychosis that led Ozzy to rehab. Outstanding, 7/10. Could have been a 10 if they randomly added Princess Diana and someone who hasn’t died yet,” as well as, “Weekend at Bernie’s vibes. Prince didn’t even want his music on Spotify and changed his name to a Symbol to protect his intellectual property I’m 100% sure he wouldn’t have signed off on Rod Stuart Puppeteering his face for this tacky.”

On X, comments ranged from “We are truly in the end times,” to “I’ve seen some s–tty AI visuals in concerts but this is a new low” and “This is bizarre for many reasons, not the least of which being the fact that Rod Stewart has performed with Ozzy Osbourne. Instead of blasting AI images of Ozzy in heaven, they could show this real & quite lovely picture of Rod Stewart with his arm around the actual Ozzy Osbourne.”

According to the Charlotte Observer, Stewart ended last week’s Ozzy AI tribute by saying, “Very sad. A lot of those people died ’cause of drugs… I’m still here, though!”

Since Osbourne’s death last month tributes have been pouring in from all over, including more traditional ones from Stewart, who has been dedicating his performances of “Forever Young” to Ozzy at his concerts in the weeks since; on July 22, on Instagram Stewart wrote, “Bey, bye Ozzy. Sleep well, my friend. I’ll see you up there — later rather than sooner.”

Just a few days earlier than the Charlotte stop, during a July 26 show at the XFinity Center in Mansfield, Mass., Stewart dedicated “Forever Young” to Ozzy, saying that “we lost a really, true legend this week in Ozzy… I knew his family very well,” as a photo of Osbourne filled the screen. “I”ll be with you soon… but not too soon,” Stewart quipped before launching into the song as the stage screens filled with colorful, postcard-style images of his band members.

At press time, spokespeople for Osbourne and Stewart had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment.

Calvin Harris and his wife, Vick Hope, are celebrating the birth of their first child. The Scottish superstar producer shared the news by posting a photo of himself holding the newborn, a boy named Micah, in an Instagram post Monday (Aug. 4).

“20th of July our boy arrived. Micah is here!” Harris’ caption reads. “My wife is a superhero and I am in complete awe of her primal wisdom! Just so grateful. We love you so much Micah.”

The photo carousel also includes photos of Hope in a water birth tank, along with an image of what looks to be Hope’s placenta, which Harris then shows chunks of in a food dehydrator, with the final image of the carousel being a jar of supplements presumably made from said placenta. Placenta consumption is not uncommon, with some believing that benefits can include helping new mothers in the postpartum period.

This isn’t the first time Harris has shared his alternative health habits. Last year, he revealed that he drinks raw egg yolks to stave off jetlag, typically stashing six eggs in his carry-on bag.

The comments section on Harris’ birth announcement post is naturally buzzing with congrats, with fellow artists including Armin van Buuren, Chris Lake, Sonny Fodera, Kygo and many others chiming in with well wishes.

The news follows Harris and Hope getting married in England in 2023. It is the first marriage for both.

Meanwhile on the charts, Harris’ latest single “Blessings” is currently in its eleventh week on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. The song, a collaboration with singer Clementine Douglas, is currently at No. 5, down from its apex position at No. 3.

What were some of the most notable trends on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart in the first half of 2025?

Hit Songs Deconstructed, which provides compositional analytics for top 10 Hot 100 hits, has released its Mid-Year 2025 State of the Hot 100 Top 10 report.

Here are five takeaways from Hit Songs Deconstructed’s latest in-depth research.

Country Surges Past Hip-Hop & Pop

In the first six months of 2025, country was the most common primary genre in the Hot 100’s top 10, contributing to 29% of all top 10 hits.

Hit Songs Deconstructed notes the genre’s “dramatic rise from just 4% in 2021–22. This surge was driven largely by Morgan Wallen, who appeared on nine of the 11 country top 10s” from this January through June.

Also, notably, Latin songs, which had no presence in the Hot 100’s top 10 in 2024, rebounded to an 8% share in the first half of 2025 thanks to three Bad Bunny hits: “Baile Inolvidable,” “DtMF” and “Nuevayol.”

If country holds on through the end of the year, it will make for a new genre champion. Looking back through the past decade, hip-hop led in 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024, while pop wrapped on top in 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2023.

As for hip-hop and pop in the Hot 100’s top 10 over the first six months of 2025, both fell in prominence. “Pop has been on a general decline since 2020, decreasing from 40% of songs to just 24% during the first half 2025,” Hit Songs Deconstructed analyzes. “Hip-hop, after rising to 38% in 2024, dropped back to 26%.”

Solo, So High

“Songs with a solo lead vocalist continued to rise for the fifth straight year, reaching their highest level in over a decade, at 74%” of Hot 100 top 10s in the first half of 2025, Hit Songs Deconstructed finds. “Conversely, songs with multiple lead vocalists dropped to their lowest level during the same time period at just over one-quarter.”

Hot 100 top 10s with multiple lead singers last held a majority in 2021, eking out a 51% – 49% win. Such No. 1s that year included The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” and Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby.”

From this January through June, while two duets logged lengthy runs atop the Hot 100 — Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” (13 weeks) and Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” (five weeks) — Wallen (nine top 10s) has helped boost the share of top 10 hits by solo lead vocalists, along with, in addition to Bad Bunny, three each by Sabrina Carpenter and Drake.

A Major Development

“For the first time in a decade, top 10s in a major key surpassed those in a minor key, with a 53% – 45% split between them,” Hit Songs Deconstructed notes of the Hot 100 during the first half of 2025. (Top 10s driven by both keys have ranged between 0% and 3% over the past five years.)

Digging deeper, the mid-year report finds that despite the climb for major-key Hot 100 top 10s, the two most common keys were both minor: F-sharp minor and A minor, accounting for 13% and 11% of songs, respectively. Three of the five top 10s in F# minor peaked at No. 1: “4×4” by Travis Scott, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey and “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims.

Introspection Increased

What did Hot 100 top 10s sound like, lyrically, in the first six months of 2025?

“The theme of introspection rose to its highest level in over a decade, at 42% of songs,” Hit Songs Deconstructed’s report shows. “The theme traversed an array of genres and styles,” via songs including Doechii’s “Anxiety,” Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” and Wallen’s “Smile.”

Introspective songs have bounded from a 33% share of Hot 100 top 10s in 2024 and a 12% take in 2022.

Roomy Writers’ Rooms

“Songwriting teams of five or more writers accounted for 61% of 2025’s top 10s, up notably from 37% in 2024,” per Hit Songs Deconstructed’s Hot 100 review.

“Conversely, those credited to a single writer dropped from 10% to 5% of songs — both attributed to Drake: “Nokia” and “Gimme a Hug,” the mid-year research reveals.

The next most common totals of songwriters behind Hot 100 top 10s in the first half of 2025 after five-plus: two (16%), three (11%) and four (8%).

Groups of five or more writers have dominated this decade, also leading in 2023 (38%), 2022 (54%) and 2021 (56%). No other combination in that period has claimed more than 23% of Hot 100 top 10s (two writers in 2024).

Meanwhile, producer teams of two were the most represented over the first half of 2025, with a 32% share of top 10s. Twosomes likewise led for all of 2024 (27%), 2023 (41%) and 2022 (40%).