When Mackenzie Sol was just 4 years old, he auditioned for judge Simon Cowell on The X Factor. More than 20 years later, the now-25-year-old TikTok star was back in front of Cowell to try out for America’s Got Talent.

On Tuesday night’s (June 23) episode, Sol transformed sombr‘s breakout hit “Back to Friends” into a sensual R&B ballad, slowing down the tempo and adding a series of creative vocal runs, putting all the attention on the song’s heartbreaking lyrics. “Back to Friends” was sombr’s first song to hit the Billboard Hot 100 back in April 2025, eventually peaking at No. 7 in January this year.

Ahead of his performance, Sol was able to tell Cowell about their first encounter more than two decades ago. What he didn’t mention is that in the years since, he’s gone on to amass more than 12 million TikTok followers through his combination of comedy and music videos. He also previously auditioned for American Idol in 2024, making it to the top 20 of season 22 before he didn’t make the top 14 cut.

But he’ll be moving forward in AGT: Following the sombr cover, Cowell asked fellow judge Mel B of Spice Girls fame to share her thoughts, and she immediately went for the Golden Buzzer, automatically advancing Sol to the live shows.

Below, watch Sol’s full audition:

Brandon Flowers is stepping back into the scene as a solo artist with the announcement of his forthcoming album Thrasher.

This is The Killers frontman’s first solo project in more than a decade. On Tuesday (June 23), Flowers revealed that the 10-track project will arrive Aug. 21 via Island Records. This marks his first solo full-length release since 2015’s The Desired Effect. Alongside the announcement, Flowers confirmed that the album’s lead single, “Plans,” will be released Friday.

According to a press release, the album explores family relationships, loss, memory and life in a small town through a collection of songs. Several tracks are inspired directly by Flowers’ personal experiences, including reflections on loved ones, childhood memories, and the picturesque landscapes that formed him long before he achieved international success.

Thrasher traces its roots to earlier moments in Flowers’ life, when he lived in Nephi, Utah, during his childhood before eventually fronting one of rock’s most iconic bands. In the press release, Flowers reveals that he drew inspiration from the music he grew up hearing with his father, including classic country storytellers such as Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found my way back to my father’s music — ‘Country-Western’ (as he called it) — and discovered that the stories I carry really feel most at home in the skin of this beautiful American tradition,” Flowers said in a statement.

In the official album trailer, Flowers is seen taking a scenic drive in his car and revisiting places that connect him to his roots in Utah. In the video, he explains the reason for releasing Thrasher, making it clear that he’s not shying away from the genre that made him famous, but rather experimenting with others.

“This is not me running away from rock and roll. I don’t want to replace my old songs. I simply found room for more,” he says in the video.

Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, Thrasher reveals Flowers’ affinity for country and Americana influences, which have been modestly threaded through his songwriting for years. Produced by Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado, who are longtime collaborators, the album also features contributions from guitarist David Rawlings, pedal steel player Bruce Bouton and harmonica player Charlie McCoy.

Thrasher track list:

Watch the trailer for Thrasher:

Drake’s apparel company, October’s Very Own (OVO), is locked in a legal feud with an investor who recalled a $4 million loan and now says the rapper’s business owes double that amount.

OVO, the Toronto-based lifestyle brand founded by Drake, his manager Oliver El-Khatib and producer Noah “40” Shebib, made a deal last year with a Florida-based debt lending company called Applied Real Intelligence (A.R.I.). During a summer 2025 fundraise, A.R.I. lent OVO 5.2 million Canadian dollars ($3.7 million) via a series of convertible notes transactions.

Things went sour in early 2026, when A.R.I. claimed that OVO had defaulted on the loan due to late interest payments and demanded reimbursement. OVO acquiesced, entering into a repayment agreement with A.R.I. and wiring back $3.7 million this past May. But A.R.I. said this wasn’t enough; according to the lender, Drake’s company was also required to pay an additional fee of 5.3 million Canadian dollars ($3.8 million) as a consequence for defaulting.

On June 2, OVO sued A.R.I. in Toronto court, asking a judge to declare that it did not have to pay this additional amount, known as a make-whole fee. According to OVO, the company’s investment contract with A.R.I. stated that such a fee would only be due under a “specific circumstance” that did not occur here.

“In particular, although A.R.I. alleged defaults and expressly reserved its right to accelerate, A.R.I. did not accelerate the notes prior to negotiating and entering into forbearance terms,” reads the OVO lawsuit, obtained by Billboard. “Repayment in the context of and pursuant to the forbearance agreement does not trigger an entitlement to a make-whole fee.”

A.R.I. then responded on June 11 with a lawsuit of its own against OVO, this time in Vancouver. The lender is seeking in its case to force OVO to pay the make-whole fee, arguing that this amount was “designed to provide A.RI. with a minimum negotiated return and to protect A.RI. against the loss of the benefit of its bargain if the notes were repaid or otherwise terminated before maturity.”

In a statement announcing its lawsuit, A.R.I. says it “approached this transaction in good faith and viewed OVO as a compelling company with substantial brand value and long-term growth potential.”

“When defaults occurred, A.R.I. did not immediately pursue litigation,” continues the statement. “Instead, we worked extensively with OVO through a formal workout process and provided the company substantial time and flexibility to resolve the situation outside of court. OVO subsequently acknowledged both the defaults and the debt in writing under a formal forbearance agreement, made only a partial payment, and has now taken the position that millions of dollars remain unpaid despite clear contractual obligations. A.R.I. intends to fully enforce its legal rights and protect its investors through the courts.”

Reps for OVO and Drake declined to comment beyond the legal papers.

Clive Davis was a chart enthusiast even before he became a music industry legend. In his 1974 biography Clive: Inside the Record Business (which he co-wrote with James Willwerth), he explained his fascination with charts, which, he said, grew out of an earlier fascination with baseball statistics and Variety’s lists of top box-office hits.

“It was an extension of the star syndrome,” he wrote, “measuring how singers did against each other, watching their songs climb the Hit Parade. I was a reader of charts and statistics, and I found an excitement in them which is hard to explain, as if they represented a form of energy.” (Emphasis in the original.)

Since Davis was a chart fan to begin with, imagine what a kick it must have been for him to see his companies’ records ascend to the top spot on Billboard Hot 100, especially in the nearly four decades that he directly oversaw day-to-day operations at a succession of labels: CBS (Columbia and Epic), Arista and J Records.

According to Davis’ official bio, the exec was appointed vp and general manager of Columbia Records in 1966. In 1967, he was named president of the company. He oversaw Columbia and Epic and, in the early 1970s, signed a deal with Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff’s famed Philadelphia International Records, which had two No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 in 1972-73.

Davis was fired from CBS in May 1973 for reasons that have never been entirely clear, but which most certainly had nothing to do with his ability to do the job. Afterwards, he wasted no time in re-establishing his career: In January 1975, his Arista Records (named after his high school honors society) landed its first No. 1 Hot 100 hit with Barry Manilow’s “Mandy.” Again, Davis signed agreements that brought in more talent, especially in the burgeoning Black music area. He made an agreement with L.A. Reid and Babyface to form LaFace Records in October 1989. And in 1994, Davis and producer/entrepreneur Sean “Puffy” Combs (later known as Diddy) entered into a 50/50 joint venture that resulted in the creation of Bad Boy Records.

In 2000, Davis was forced out of Arista for age reasons (he was 68 at the time). But again, he wasted no time in re-establishing himself. That same year, he formed J Records (Jay was his middle name), which in August 2001 landed its first No. 1 Hot 100 hit with Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’.” (Both Manilow’s “Mandy” and “Fallin’” received Grammy nods for record of the year. In addition, “Fallin’” won song of the year.)

In November 2002, Davis became president/CEO of the RCA Music Group, assuming responsibility for RCA, Jive, Arista, LaFace and J. In April 2008, he was appointed chief creative officer of all of Sony Music Entertainment, which, as his official bio notes, represented “a change in operational responsibility but an expansion of the artists he would now creatively be responsible for.”

Our focus here is on the 36 years he was the top man at an individual label, not the later years when he oversaw entire label groups. He had 11 No. 1 hits by Whitney Houston in those years, more than any other artist. Elsewhere, he had four with TLC (on LaFace/Arista), and three each with Simon & Garfunkel, Sly & the Family Stone, Manilow, Billy Ocean (on Jive/Arista), Milli Vanilli and Puff Daddy (on Bad Boy/Arista).

Here’s a list of all the Hot 100 No. 1 hits at Davis-headed labels in those 36 years. The dates represent the date each single first reached No. 1, followed by the artist’s name and title of the record, the number of weeks the song held the top spot and the label.

Jan. 1, 1966: Simon & Garfunkel, “The Sounds of Silence,” (two weeks, Columbia)

Sept. 3, 1966: Donovan, “Sunshine Superman” (one week, Epic)

Oct. 21, 1967: Lulu, “To Sir With Love” (five weeks, Epic)

June 1, 1968: Simon & Garfunkel, “Mrs. Robinson” (three weeks, Columbia)

Feb. 15, 1969: Sly & the Family Stone, “Everyday People” (four weeks, Epic)

Feb. 14, 1970: Sly & the Family Stone, “Thank You (Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin)” (two weeks, Epic)

Feb. 28, 1970: Simon & Garfunkel, “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (six weeks, Columbia)

March 20, 1971: Janis Joplin, “Me and Bobby McGee” (two weeks, Columbia)

July 24, 1971: Raiders, “Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)” (one week, Columbia)

Dec. 4, 1971, Sly & the Family Stone, “Family Affair” (three weeks, Epic)

Aug. 26, 1972: Looking Glass, “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” (one week, Epic)

Sept. 23, 1972: Mac Davis, “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me” (three weeks, Columbia)

Nov. 4, 1972: Johnny Nash, “I Can See Clearly Now” (four weeks, Epic)

Dec. 16, 1972: Billy Paul, “Me and Mrs. Jones” (three weeks, Philadelphia International)

March 24, 1973: The O’Jays, “Love Train” (one week, Philadelphia International)

May 26, 1973: The Edgar Winter Group, “Frankenstein” (one week, Epic)

Jan. 18, 1975: Barry Manilow, “Mandy” (one week, Arista) 

Jan. 3, 1976: Barry Manilow, “I Write the Songs” (one week, Arista)

Jan. 17, 1976: The Bay City Rollers, “Saturday Night” (one week, Arista)

Sept. 23, 1977: Barry Manilow, “Looks Like We Made It” (one week, Arista)

July 25, 1981: Air Supply, “The One That You Love” (one week, Arista)

Aug. 11, 1984: Ray Parker Jr., “Ghostbusters” (three weeks, Arista)

Nov. 3, 1984: Billy Ocean, “Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run” (two weeks, Jive/Arista)

Oct. 26, 1985: Whitney Houston, “Saving All My Love for You” (one week, Arista)

Jan. 18, 1986: Dionne & Friends, “That’s What Friends Are For” (four weeks, Arista)

Feb. 15, 1986: Whitney Houston, “How Will I Know”  (two weeks, Arista)

May 17, 1986: Whitney Houston: “Greatest Love of All” (three weeks, Arista)

July 5, 1986: Billy Ocean, “There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)” (one week, Jive/Arista)

April 18, 1987: Aretha Franklin & George Michael, “I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)” (two weeks, Arista)

June 27, 1987: Whitney Houston, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” (two weeks, Arista)

Sept. 26, 1987: Whitney Houston, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” (two weeks, Arista)

Jan. 9, 1988: Whitney Houston, “So Emotional” (one week, Arista)

Feb. 20, 1988: Expose, “Seasons Change” (one week, Arista)

April 9, 1988: Billy Ocean, “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car” (two weeks, Jive/Arista)

April 23, 1988: Whitney Houston, “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” (two weeks, Arista)

July 1, 1989: Milli Vanilli, “Baby Don’t Forget My Number” (one week, Arista)

Sept. 23, 1989: Milli Vanilli, “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You” (two weeks, Arista)

Nov. 25, 1989: Milli Vanilli, “Blame It on the Rain” (two weeks, Arista)

April 7, 1990: Taylor Dayne, “Love Will Lead Me Back” (one week, Arista)

Dec. 1, 1990: Whitney Houston, “I’m Your Baby Tonight” (one week, Arista)

Feb. 23, 1991: Whitney Houston, “All the Man That I Need” (two weeks, Arista)

Nov. 28, 1992: Whitney Houston, “I Will Always Love You” (14 weeks, Arista)

March 12, 1994: Ace of Base, “The Sign” (six weeks, Arista)

Jan. 28, 1995: TLC, “Creep” (four weeks, LaFace/Arista)

July 8, 1995: TLC, “Waterfalls” (seven weeks, LaFace/Arista)

Nov. 25, 1995: Whitney Houston, “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” (one week, Arista)

July 27, 1996: Toni Braxton, “You’re Makin’ Me High” / “Let It Flow” (one week, LaFace/Arista)

Dec. 7, 1996: Toni Braxton, “Un-Break My Heart” (11 weeks, LaFace/Arista)

March 22, 1997: Puff Daddy (feat. Mase), “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” (six weeks, Bad Boy/Arista)

May 3, 1997: The Notorious B.I.G., “Hypnotize” (three weeks, Bad Boy/Arista)

June 14, 1997: Puff Daddy & Faith Evans (feat. 112), “I’ll Be Missing You” (11 weeks, Bad Boy/Arista)

Aug. 30, 1997: The Notorious B.I.G. (feat. Puff Daddy & Mase), “Mo Money Mo Problems” (two weeks, Bad Boy/Arista)

Feb. 14, 1998: Usher, “Nice & Slow” (two weeks, LaFace/Arista)

April 25, 1998: Next, “Too Close” (five weeks, Arista)

Oct. 3, 1998: Monica, “The First Night” (five weeks, Arista)

Feb. 13, 1999: Monica, “Angel of Mine” (four weeks, Arista)

April 10, 1999: TLC, “No Scrubs” (four weeks, LaFace/Arista)

Sept. 18, 1999: TLC, “Unpretty” (three weeks, LaFace/Arista)

Oct. 23, 1999: Santana feat. Rob Thomas, “Smooth” (12 weeks, Arista)

April 8, 2000: Santana feat. The Product G&B, “Maria Maria” (10 weeks, Arista)

Aug. 18, 2001: Alicia Keys, “Fallin’” (six weeks, J)

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If you’re looking to upgrade your TV for something more advanced, modern and sleek, you’ll want to consider some of the latest premium TV models from Sony. Available at Best Buy now, the new Sony TVs are made for gaming, watching movies and TV shows, though they’re also fine-tuned to let you stream your favorite music playlist and experience live sports at home, with pristine audio and picture quality. For a limited time, you can save up to $300 on select models at BestBuy.com.

Our pick: The Sony 65-inch BRAVIA 7 II True RGB 4K TV is the company’s latest TV that offers more vivid and brighter colors in picture quality. While sharpness and detail are important in a 4K Ultra HD TV, Sony’s new model shines with brilliant and precise color volume, thanks to its True RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) LED display.

The Sony big screen TV is on sale right now for $2,299.99 (regularly $2,599.99) at Best Buy. But act fast and shop now, as these Sony TV deals end on Sunday (July 5).

With True RGB, picture quality is brighter and vibrant with deeper, richer and more accurate color contrast that pops. This is ideal for gaming, especially with a PlayStation 5 since Sony makes both the 4K TV and console. Watching live sports, meantime, gets more immersive, with active color and action shifts for high-paced motion.

The Sony BRAVIA 7 II True RGB 4K TV is also great for rooms that get direct sunlight that would otherwise cut through picture quality and dull images. The contrasts on screen remain crisp and clear, even in daylight.

As far as audio, Sony’s newest 4K TV sounds as good as it looks with cinema-like audio, thanks to the company’s “Acoustic Multi-Audio+” feature that matches and balances picture with sound for a layered viewing experience.

It also has Sony’s “3D Surround Upscaling” settings for a wider range of audio that’s crisp, clear and detailed with advanced 3D audio. The TV also enhances dialogue and voices with its “Voice Zoom 3” feature, so you don’t have to turn up the volume to hear characters talking to each other in a movie or TV show. The Sony BRAVIA 7 II True RGB 4K TV makes your experience more memorable.

Other features to note: the 4K TV runs built-in Google TV with Gemini AI for voice navigation, controls and recommendations. It features popular video and music streaming apps, including Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, YouTube, Spotify and others.

Beginning on Monday, June 22, the Sony BRAVIA 7 II True RGB 4K TV is available with prices starting at $1,599.99 at Best Buy. It ranges from 50 inches to 98 inches in size (though we’re partial to the now-industry standard 65-inch model above). Learn more about Sony’s new 4K TV deals at BestBuy.com.

The Sony TV deals come on the heels of Best Buy’s “Tech Fest” savings event, which offer up to 50% off home theater products, gaming consoles and accessories, audio gear and more.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.