Katy Perry couldn’t be more thrilled about her experience attending Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which she caught during a brief trip to Sydney in February 2024.

In a new interview, the 40-year-old pop star shared her excitement about being part of the historic stadium tour and her emotional reunion with Swift.

“I actually went and did a show in Australia very quickly and I had one day off before the show and I was like, ‘Hey girl, I’m gonna come to the show,’” Perry revealed in a TikTok video shared by U.K. radio station Capital on Friday (Jan. 17).

“And [Swift] was so excited and I was so excited,” the “Dark Horse” singer added, showing a photo of the two stars embracing at the show.

Perry also took a moment to praise the fans at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, describing them as “an adorable, sweet community.” She fondly remembered exchanging friendship bracelets with some of the Swifties in attendance, with some even gifting her their handmade creations.

“I was so excited. People gave me bracelets, and I think Rita Ora gave me a bracelet. I loved it. It’s just like a big community,” she told Capital.

Beyond the concert, Perry and Swift had a chance to catch up, with Perry expressing her deep affection for the singer. “I love her so much,” Perry said.

After attending Swift’s Eras show in 2024, Perry also shared several photos and videos from the concert on Instagram, including a joyful backstage selfie with Swift.

Swift’s Eras Tour, which grossed $2 billion, concluded in December 2024 after an extensive run across the globe. The tour marked an incredible year for Swift, which also saw her win 10 Billboard Music Awards in December, including the coveted Top Artist honor.

Perry’s comments come after the two pop stars mended their relationship following a highly publicized feud. The pair reconciled in 2018, and a year later, Perry made a memorable cameo in Swift’s music video for “You Need to Calm Down,” where they appeared together in matching hamburger and French fry costumes.

Perry has also expressed gratitude for how their friendship evolved. In a 2020 interview with Howard Stern, the singer said, “What I’m so grateful for is we did get to make up publicly and got to be an example of redemption for young girls.” Perry added, “I always wanted the best for her and now we can talk about the best we want for each other.”

Tim Finn, the celebrated New Zealand singer and songwriter, has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Kobalt.

Announced this week, Kobalt will administer Finn’s entire catalog of songs, which includes Split Enz’s “I Hope I Never,” “I See Red” and “Six Months In A Leaky Boat,” and Crowded House’s “Four Seasons In One Day,” “It’s Only Natural,” and “Weather With You”.

“We are thrilled to announce this new partnership with Tim Finn, a legendary figure in the world of music,” comments Simon Moor, managing director of Kobalt for the APAC region. “From his groundbreaking work with Split Enz to his contributions to Crowded House and his illustrious solo career, Tim has consistently showcased his incredible songwriting talent.”

Adds Finn: “Simon Moor and his team at Kobalt are energised music lovers. I’m excited to see what we can do together. It feels like a new chapter is waiting to be written for me and my songs.”

Finn formed Split Enz in his homeland in the early 1970s. By the time Split Enz called it a day in December 1984, the band had banked a treasure chest of hits, including “Message to My Girl,” “My Mistake”, “Dirty Creatures” and many more.

At that stage, Finn had already launched his solo career. His debut from 1983, Escapade, cracked the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 161.

Finn briefly joined forces with his younger brother and former Split Enz bandmate Neil on the third Crowded House project, Woodface, released in 1991. Woodface hit No. 82 on the Billboard 200.

Split Enz was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2005. Crowded House’s elevation came in 2016.

Finn’s latest work has included songs and soundtracks for film, television and musical theater, including Ladies in Black, for which he received a Helpmann Award for best new Australian work. His most recent solo album, 2021’s Caught by the Heart, is a collaboration with Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, who produced the Split Enz album from 1976, Second Thoughts.

Boasting 13 global offices, Kobalt serves over 1 million songs, representing the likes of Roddy Ricch, Max Martin, Karol G, Andrew Watt, Stevie Nicks, Phoebe Bridgers, The Lumineers, Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney and others.

Mac Miller’s estate has finally gifted fans with Balloonerism, a posthumous album that has been the subject of speculation for years.

Released on Jan. 17, the album arrives days ahead with what would have been Miller’s 33rd birthday. The Pittsburgh rapper died in 2018 at age 26 of an accidental overdose.

Balloonerism is a 14-track journey that showcases Miller’s experimental side, blending neo-soul and jazz elements. The album kicks off with “Tambourine Dream” and features standout tracks like “5 Dollar Pony Rides,” “Friendly Hallucinations,” “Mrs. Deborah Downer,” “Stoned,” “Manakins,” and “Rick’s Piano.” Notably, the album includes collaborations with artists such as Thundercat, SZA, and Ashley All Day.

The origins of Balloonerism trace back to 2014, a prolific period for Miller during which he was also working on projects like Faces. Despite its significance, the album was shelved in favor of other releases, leaving fans to piece together unofficial versions circulating online.

Following the circulation of leaked songs amongst fan communities, the record’s official release was teased with a trailer at November’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival.

Miller’s family previously shared a statement on his Instagram explaining why they’ve decided to release the project. “Many of Malcolm’s fans are aware of Balloonerism, a full length album that Malcolm created around the time of the release of Faces in 2014,” they wrote.

“It is a project that was of great importance to Malcolm — to the extent that he commissioned artwork for it and discussions concerning when it should be released were had regularly, though ultimately GO:OD AM and subsequent albums ended up taking precedence.”

They added, “We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist. Given that unofficial versions of the album have been circulating online for years and that releasing Balloonerism was something that Malcolm frequently expressed being important to him, we felt it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world.”

Based on the lyrics and music of Miller, and directed by Samuel Jerome Mason, the animated Balloonerism “follows a group of school friends who are transfigured by the music of a chord organ and launched into a shadow world”, a synopsis of the film reads. “Swallowed by the turtle of time, they must plod through the underbelly of adulthood.”

The film was released on Jan. 15 throughout the U.S., with international fans receiving it one day later. A series of “One Night Only” advance theater screenings were scheduled around the world, including in New York City and Miller’s native Pittsburgh, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Ireland, France, Canada, and the U.K.

Miller’s debut studio album, Blue Slide Park, topped the Billboard 200 upon its release in back in 2011, the first independently distributed debut album to do so since 1995. Over the course of five studio albums, Miller evolved into one of the most eclectic artists of the 2010s, delving into alt-rap, soul and R&B with equal fervor.

Following Miller’s untimely death in September 2018, his music saw renewed interest on the charts. His album “Swimming” re-entered the top 10 of the Billboard 200, jumping from number 71 to number 6.

Fans can cop a physical version of the album, which includes a limited-edition deluxe two-LP pressing that features a rainbow foil-wrapped slipcase with white splatter cloud vinyl and a 32-page color booklet featuring photos and lyrics, as well as a limited one-time pressing that features clear vinyl available now on balloonerism.com.

Stream Balloonerism below.

When Devo opened their 1978 album Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! with “Uncontrollable Urge”, few listeners could have foreseen how much money it would generate decades down the line – especially not its writer.

Fans of Devo would note that “Uncontrollable Urge” was never released as a single, despite its status as one of their most played songs. Nor was it their most successful track on the charts – that honor belongs to 1980’s “Whip It”, which peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 after being issued as the second single from Freedom of Choice. However, it’s far from their biggest earner.

As co-founding Devo vocalist Mark Mothersbaugh told Rolling Stone, even though “Whip It” became a staple of the burgeoning MTV network in the early ’80s, his biggest success has indeed come via the channel, but in a manner that was wholly unexpected: MTV’s ubiquitous Ridiculousness.

When Ridiculousness first launched in 2012, the viral video series used a cover of “Uncontrollable Urge” by host Rob Dyrdek. Over 12 years later, the program boasts over 1,500 episodes, becoming a staple of MTV in the process. Famously, the show saturates the network so much that in August 2020, The Ringer noted it was played on repeat for 36 hours straight. Two months earlier, Variety noted that 113 of a single week’s 168 hours (or 67.3%) were filled with episodes of Ridiculousness.

For Mothersbaugh – who has penned music for beloved series such as Rugrats and Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and scored films for directors such as Wes Anderson – the revenue from the ubiquity of Ridiculousness generates around $1 million annually, according to estimates from his wife and manager Anita Greenspan

“I’ve written so many other songs for films and television shows,” Mothersbaugh explained. “I would’ve been shocked [years ago] if you told me this is the one that would become this prime source of income.”

“It’s ironic and kind of funny,” adds Greenspan. “In the beginning of MTV you saw a lot of Devo because they were early to make videos, but MTV started questioning the videos Devo were making. [The videos] were subversive, they didn’t like them and wouldn’t play them anymore. Now ‘Uncontrollable Urge’ is easily the most-played song on MTV, so [Devo] wins.’”

Despite the massive exposure the world has had to “Uncontrollable Urge” thanks to Ridiculousness, it’s far from the first big earner that Mothersbaugh has had in the world of music. As Greenspan told Rolling Stone, his theme song to Rugrats managed to pay for their home back in the ’90s.