Lady Gaga’s new album might bring with it an eagerly-anticipated return to Australia.

The singer appeared on Australian radio network The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick program to discuss the release of her nascent Mayhem record, while also providing a hint as to whether she might be announcing her first Australian tour dates in over a decade.

“I can’t formally announce anything, but I can tell you that I’m going to be announcing… some things,” she responded with a laugh, before reflecting on her time in the country. “I miss my fans there so much, I really do. I have such fond memories of being in Australia, it’s a beautiful place and I really do want to come back soon.”

Currently, it’s been close to 11 years since Gaga first performed on Australian shores, last visiting in August 2014 as part of her artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball tour. While that tour was in support of her fourth album Artpop, the singer skipped over the country while touring for her next two – 2016’s Joanne, and 2020’s Chromatica.

Previously, Gaga had been a frequent presence within the country, appearing almost annually thanks to her album tour cycles, and even returning in between official visits for promotional appearances. In July 2011, Gaga’s visit to the New South Wales capital of Sydney saw her declared an honorary citizen of the city by Lord Mayor Clover Moore for her support of the LGBTQI+ community.

Gaga’s new album, Mayhem, arrives as her seventh, with every one of her previous solo studio albums charting atop the Billboard 200 (save for 2008’s The Fame, which peaked at No. 2). Speaking to Fifi, Fev & Nick, Gaga again touched on her previous claims that the album had been inspired by the likes of Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails.

“This album has so many different genres on it; from ‘90s grunge, industrial music, to funk music, ‘80s synth pop… it’s all my favorite things in a blender,” she explained. “It’s why I called it Mayhem – because it’s chaos.”

Speaking to Billboard ahead of Mayhem’s release, Gaga asserted her decision to make such a genre-shifting, kaleidoscopic body of work, noting she paid no mind to any of the expectations that may have been placed upon her for the record.

“I do think that I felt a lot of pressure, over the years, to prove myself as a musician,” she explained. “And that sometimes stopped me from having fun. So, I tried to have a lot of fun making this record.”

System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan has shared more insights into his fondness for U.S. President Donald Trump, despite the notably progressive views espoused by his band.

Dolmayan, who joined System of a Down in 1997, shared his recent opinions in a recent discussion with Australian YouTuber Lilian Tahmasian. Throughout the lengthy conversation, the drummer turned his attention to the ever-present topic of politics, addressing his support for the President and confirming that he voted for Trump during his 2024 campaign.

“I’m glad he won, because it brings a little sanity back,” Dolmayan explained. “Irrespective of what you hear out there, it’s much more sane with him than it was without him.”

As he continued, Dolmayan – who moved from Beirut to California as a two-year-old amidst the Lebanese Civil War – agreed with Trump’s border policy, explaining that while the U.S. thrives on immigration, he believes it must be done “a certain way.”

“We need law and order,” he continued. “Just like you lock your door at night, you don’t want somebody coming to your house when you have secure borders. We need people coming to this country. We all came to this country. And we need more people coming in. And the United States should always be a bastion for people that need it. Maybe they get oppression one way or the other in their countries and they need to leave. Or maybe they just want a fresh start. Or maybe they wanna be part of something that’s unique and interesting like the United States. And they should be allowed to do that, but do it a certain way — pay taxes, whatever you need to do, and live your life.”

Dolmayan’s outspoken support for Trump has been notable in recent years. In 2023, he took to social media to reveal he had lost friends and “hundreds of thousands” of followers due to his support for the President and his “unwillingness to accept the narratives [his followers] are now questioning the validity of.” Speaking to Tahmasian, however, Dolmayan explained that the left or right side of politics “makes no difference” to him, instead claiming he’s against “who’s doing wrong at this time.”

“If the conservatives go way off on the right and become too religious or whatever the case may be, where they’re infringing on people, then I’m gonna be with the Democrats at that point, because I’m not a politician and I don’t give a shit about the political parties. I’m a realist,” he explained. “And whatever’s good for people, that’s what I’m gonna fight for. So I’ll always be the enemy. I can never win.”

System of a Down released five albums between 1998 and 2005, with 2001’s Toxicity, and Hypnotize and Mezmerize (both 2005) all hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The group embarked on a four-year hiatus in 2006, later reforming in 2010 and continuing to perform live sporadically since.

In 2020, System of a Down released the singles “Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz,” though the band have shown no indication of recording a further studio album, with Dolmayan claiming that he’s felt “frustration” with the group’s lack of musical progress.

A Day to Remember’s Big Ole Album, Vol. 1 jumps 27-5 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated March 8) — and is the only title on the list charting solely from physical album sales. The set was surprise released on Feb. 18 exclusively on CD and vinyl, with its digital download and streaming versions slated for a March 21 release. (The March 8 chart reflects the sales week ending Feb. 27.)

In the tracking week ending Feb. 20, the album sold about 4,000 copies in the U.S., according to Luminate and yielded debuts on Top Album Sales (No. 27) and Indie Store Album Sales (No. 4). All sales generated in the Feb. 18-20 frame were from brick-and-mortar stores.

Then, in the week ending Feb. 27, as mail order sales kicked in, it sold nearly 10,000 copies (up 205%), largely from vinyl sales (almost 8,000). The set surges 27-5 on Top Album Sales, 4-2 on Indie Store Album Sales and bows at No. 4 on Vinyl Albums, No. 6 on Top Hard Rock Albums, No. 19 on Top Alternative Albums, No. 24 on Top Rock Albums and No. 30 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums. It also debuts at No. 155 on the all-genre Billboard 200 as the only title on the list charting from solely physical sales.

With the 27-5 jump on Top Album Sales for A Big Ole Album, Vol. 1, A Day to Remember earns its third top 10-charting effort on the list. The rock band also visited the top 10 with 2021’s You’re Welcome (peaking at No. 3) and 2016’s Bad Vibrations (No. 1).

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album (TEA) units and streaming equivalent album (SEA) units.

As for the rest of the top 10 on the latest Top Album Sales chart, Tate McRae’s new So Close To What leads the pack, as it debuts atop the list with 71,000 copies sold. Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping GNX is a non-mover at No. 2 with 19,000 (down 37%) and Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet falls 1-3 with 17,000 (down 77%). Chappell Roan’s former No. 1 The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess climbs 5-4 with nearly 10,000 (down 15%).

The Weeknd’s chart-topping Hurry Up Tomorrow is stationary at No. 6 with 9,000 sold (down 16%) and Stray Kids’ former No. 1 HOP is steady at No. 7 with 8,000 (down 8%).

Rock act Killswitch Engage debuts at No. 8 with This Consequence, selling nearly 7,000 copies. It’s the eight top 10-charting set for the group.

Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft falls one spot to No. 9 with 6,000 sold (down 23%) and G-DRAGON logs his first top 10 with Übermensch bowing at No. 10 with nearly 6,000 sold.

King Charles is taking on a new role in addition to monarch of the United Kingdom: DJ.

As announced Thursday (March 6), the British ruler is set to premiere a new radio show on Apple Music titled The King’s Music Room. Recorded in his personal office at Buckingham Palace, the show will showcase Charles’ favorite artists, from “1930s crooners to Afrobeats stars as well as disco divas and reggae icons,” according to a description.

In a trailer released Thursday, Charles personally introduces the show while seated behind his desk. “Throughout my life, music has meant a great deal to me,” he says. “It has that remarkable ability to bring happy memories, comfort us in times of sadness and take us to distant places. But perhaps, above all, it can lift our spirits to such a degree, and all the more so when it brings us together in celebration.

“In other words, it brings us joy,” the king continues. “This is what I particularly wanted to share with you: songs which have brought me joy. This seemed such an interesting and innovative way to celebrate this year’s Commonwealth Day.”

A press release adds that Charles’ show will be “shaped by his extraordinary experiences from around the world” and find the monarch sharing personal stories about the artists he features. Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue, Grace Jones, Davido and RAYE make up just a few of the musicians he’ll highlight.

“Human curation has always been a key pillar of our unique editorial approach,” said Rachel Newman, Apple Music’s global head of content and editorial, in a statement. “Apple Music Radio is where culture is happening worldwide, and we are honored that King Charles III chose to share his personal playlist with us, and with music fans around the world.”

The King’s Music Room will premiere on Apple Music 1 and Apple Music Hits at 6 a.m. GMT on Monday (March 10), with additional broadcasts throughout the day and Tuesday (March 11).

Watch the trailer below.

Julien Baker and Torres made a stylish stop at The Daily Show this week, suiting up—literally—for a performance of their latest single, “Bottom of a Bottle.”

The duo, both dressed in custom-designed Nudie-style suits by Union Western, delivered the introspective country ballad alongside a full band, set against a glowing stage backdrop.

The song is a highlight from their upcoming collaborative album, Send a Prayer My Way, due April 18 via Matador Records. Alongside “Bottom of a Bottle,” the album features 11 other tracks, including the previously released “Sugar in the Tank” and “Sylvia.”

The project has been years in the making, with its roots tracing back to 2016 when Baker and TORRES first played a show together. That night, the idea of making a country album was casually thrown out. Nearly a decade later, that passing comment has turned into a full-fledged record.

In conversation with host Michael Kosta, Baker and Torres—whose real name is Mackenzie Scott—shared how their friendship and Southern roots naturally led to the project.

“Julien and I have been friends for a while and when the pandemic lockdown occurred I texted her, kind of out of the blue, because I’d been thinking about making a country record for while,” Scott explained. “But I didn’t want to do it alone. And Julien was the first person I thought of because she’s from Tennessee. I’m from Georgia. It just made sense.”

The duo also addressed the album being labeled “queer country.” “I’m certainly proud of that,” Scott said. “We’re queer. But if it were up to me it would just be country.”

To support Send a Prayer My Way, Baker and Torres will embark on a North American tour starting April 23 at The National in Richmond, Virginia, and continuing through May 12 at The Admiral in Omaha, Nebraska. They also have a string of festival appearances lined up, including a set at Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, in late March and Zootown Music Festival in Missoula, Montana, in July.

Julien Baker is best known as a member of the indie supergroup Boygenius alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. Her 2021 solo album, Little Oblivions, debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on the Top Alternative Albums chart. Torres, an acclaimed singer-songwriter, has received critical praise for her 2021 album Thirstier.