Niko McKnight, the estranged son of singer Brian McKnight, died on Thursday after a yearslong battle with cancer. He was 32.

Niko’s mother, Julie McKnight, confirmed the tragic news in a statement on social media, writing, “Nikolas was a cherished husband, son, brother, grandson, uncle, and nephew whose warmth, laughter, and love touched the lives of all who knew him. Nikolas was a self taught artist of music and photography. His passing is an immeasurable loss to his family and all those who held him dear.”

After asking for “privacy and continued prayers,” Julie concluded the statement by writing, “Mama Bear and the entire family appreciate the outpouring of love and support from friends, fans, and the public.”

Hours before the statement was released, Niko’s uncle, Claude McKnight, also spoke about his nephew’s death in a TikTok video, explaining that the musician had been “bravely battling cancer for the past two years or so.”

“Niko was one of those amazing kids — quirky and curious and ridiculously talented,” Claude, the lead singer of a cappella group Take 6, continued. “Amazing singer, amazing guitar player. Had a great eye as a photographer. And one of those kids, at least in my estimation, that you always wanted to be around, and so it really sucks that he’s no longer with us.”

Brian McKnight has yet to break his silence on Niko’s death, though the pair had reportedly been estranged for a number of years, dating back to the elder McKnight publicly referring to his oldest kids — Niko and older brother Brian Jr. — as “products of sin” on social media.

In April 2024, the “Back at One” singer claimed his ex-wife Julie (Niko and Brian Jr.’s mother) had “forced” him to stop contributing to Niko’s cancer treatments. She responded by slamming the claim as a “false narrative.” At the time, Niko himself tweeted, “When I was about to die in the hospital from complications from my cancer, I just wanted to bury the hatchet and hear him say he loves me and he told me he couldn’t arbitrarily tell me he loves me. Still cuts so deep.”

In addition to his parents, Niko is survived by his wife, siblings and various other extended family members.

Amidst new reports about a South Korean investigation into its chairman, HYBE shares fell 6.8% to 266,000 KRW ($192.69) during the week ended May 30. That was the biggest decline for a music stock in a week marked by modest gains and losses. 

Reports out of South Korea this week said police in Seoul have resubmitted a search and seizure warrant for HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk in an investigation into allegations of fraudulent stock transactions by the music mogul. Bang allegedly misled previous shareholders about HYBE’s intention to go public, which caused them to sell HYBE shares ahead of the company’s initial public offering in 2020. Sources told Yonhap News Agency that Bang netted $291 million in 2020 from deals with private equity firms to share a portion of the gains from HYBE’s IPO. 

The 20-company Billboard Global Music Index (BGMI) was unchanged at 2,800.84 as the index had an even number of winners and losers. In a week with a remarkable amount of unremarkable movement, the majority of companies fell within a narrow band between a 2% gain and a 1% loss. 

Music stocks underperformed numerous market indexes. In the U.S., the Nasdaq gained 2.0% to 19,113.77 and the S&P 500 rose 1.9% to 5,911.69. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 climbed 0.6% to 8,772.38. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index jumped 4.1% to 2,697.67. China’s SSE composite was flat at 3,347.49. 

But music stocks have posted big gains in 2025. The BGMI is up 31.8%, far surpassing the gains of the Nasdaq (14.2%) and the S&P 500 (up 12.0%). Spotify, the index’s most valuable component, has risen 42.8%. Universal Music Group (UMG), the BGMI’s second-largest company, has gained 17.8%. 

The lone music company to report earnings this week, Reservoir Media, rose 7.9% to $7.80. The quarterly earnings released on Wednesday (May 28) showed a 10% revenue gain and a 14% improvement in adjusted EBITDA. Meanwhile, the only company to post a double-digit gain was Cumulus Media, which rose 15.4% to $0.15. Cumulus tends to have wild swings, however, since it was delisted from the Nasdaq on May 2 and began trading over the counter. 

iHeartMedia jumped 6.5% to $1.31. Spotify, the BGMI’s fourth-best performer, rose 1.9% to $666.25. Madison Square Garden Entertainment improved 1.5% to $37.11, and UMG gained 1.4% to 28.16 euros ($31.95). 

Live Nation fell 5.4% to $137.24, lowering its year-to-date gain to 6.0%. On Thursday, the company fell 2.9% on heavier-than-average trading volume following reports that it canceled concerts at Boston’s Fenway Park by Shakira and Jason Aldean due to safety concerns about the venue’s stage. 

Both Chinese music streamers had off weeks that reduced their stellar year-to-date performances. Tencent Music Entertainment (TME) fell 4.0% to $16.82, lowering its year-to-date gain to 50.9%. Netease Cloud Music, the BGMI’s biggest gainer of 2025 at 88.2%, fell 2.9% to 211.20 HKD ($26.94).

Just over 20 years since its release, Mariah Carey has revisited her chart-topping tenth album, unveiling The Emancipation of Mimi (20th Anniversary Edition).

Released April 12, 2005, The Emancipation of Mimi marked a pivotal comeback moment in her career. Spending two weeks atop the Billboard 200, the project won three Grammys and spawned one of the longest-running Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits of all time, the 14-week leader “We Belong Together.”

One day shy of the record’s 20th birthday, Carey announced its anniversary reissue, with dozens of bonus tracks, remixes and collaborations set to appear on the package. 

“I’m really happy to celebrate ‘Mimi’s Emancipation’ with this special anniversary re-release,” Carey said in a statement at the time. “While working on this edition, I got to relive all the memories from this pivotal moment in my personal and professional life.”

Indeed, the anniversary edition of the album is a walk down memory lane for all Carey fans, with the first half of the record featuring its original 14 tracks, along with an additional five bonus cuts. Almost identical to its 2020 vinyl reissue, the first disc is completed with the addition of “Don’t Forget About Us,” “Sprung,” “Secret Love,” the Jermaine Dupri-featuring “Makin’ It Last All Night (What It Do),” and an additional remix of “We Belong Together.”

The second disc serves as a veritable treasure trove of material for diehard fans, launching with the long-awaited official release of “When I Feel It,” which was reportedly left off the original release due to sample clearance issues. 

Remixes from the likes of Solange, Kaytranada, David Morales, and Scott Storch are also included, along with a cappella renditions of “Shake It Off,” “Circles,” and “Joy Ride,” while her 2024 American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special performance of “We Belong Together” closes the package.

“This album has some of my biggest hits to date, as well as some personal favorites that are very special to me,” Carey added of the new reissue. “Forgotten gems, unreleased bonus tracks and different remixes with incredible collaborators — all of these and more are now available in one place for the first time ever!”

Listen to Carey’s The Emancipation of Mimi (20th Anniversary Edition) below.

Miley Cyrus‘ latest work of art is finally here, with the pop star dropping her new album Something Beautiful first thing Friday (May 30).

Featuring 13 tracks, the project — described by Cyrus as a “one-of-a-kind pop opera fueled by fantasy” — was led by singles “Prelude,” “Something Beautiful,” “End of the World” and “More to Lose.” On “Walk of Fame,” the Hannah Montana alum teamed up with Alabama Shakes guitarist Brittany Howard, and for “Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved,” supermodel Naomi Campbell guested.

Something Beautiful is also accompanied by a film, which will premiere in theaters for one night only on June 12 in the United States and Canada, followed by another single-day screening internationally on June 27. Cyrus had long teased that she wanted to make a visual album prior to the project’s release, revealing back in November that her vision was to take inspiration from Pink Floyd’s The Wall — just “with a better wardrobe and more glamorous and filled with pop culture.”

The new record marks the “Flowers” singer’s first LP since 2023’s Endless Summer Vacation, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. But while performing old tracks and playing new songs from Something Beautiful at an intimate Chateau Marmont show in Los Angeles Wednesday (May 28), Cyrus revealed that she’s already thinking about her next album.

“My next album is about to be extremely experimental, so have fun with that,” she told the crowd of superfans gathered in the room, noting that Something Beautiful is “just the appetizer.”

Listen to Cyrus’ Something Beautiful below.