A Rihanna track from last year’s Smurfs movie is at the center of a new lawsuit filed by the Grammy-nominated songwriter RØMANS, who says Paramount Pictures never paid him for writing it – and then falsely blamed Rihanna for the mess.

Sam Roman, who co-wrote Lewis Capaldi’s 2018 chart-topper “Someone You Loved,” claims that after talks with the studio stalled, Paramount used the song “Anyone” in the movie anyway, all without his permission and without “paying him a dime.”

According to the Friday lawsuit, obtained and first reported by Billboard, Paramount has since refused to fix the problem and instead has “pointed its finger at Rihanna,” claiming “outlandishly” that it’s her fault that he hasn’t been paid for his work.

“Paramount took the tack common to a toddler confronted with wrongdoing: Blame someone else. In this case, blame Rihanna,” writes Roman’s lawyer Jonathan Steinsapir. “Paramount decided to punish plaintiff — and brazenly infringe his copyrights by using them without consent and without paying him a dime — because the studio was mad at Rihanna.”

Smurfs, a live-action animated hybrid released in June to largely negative reviews, was a box-office flop, reportedly losing $80 million for Paramount. Roman claims the movie also features a second song he wrote – “Always on the Outside,” as performed by James Corden – without permission.

“Paramount knew full well that it had no right to use plaintiff’s intellectual property in this way. Indeed, Paramount credits plaintiff as the songwriter and producer of both tracks,” Steinsapir writes. “Despite these credits, Paramount has still not paid plaintiff even a penny.”

A rep for Paramount did not immediately return a request for comment Monday on the lawsuit’s accusations. Rihanna is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit nor accused of any wrongdoing; a spokeswoman for the star also did not return a request for comment.

Roman, who has co-written music with Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Demi Lovato, Maroon 5, Alicia Keys, John Legend, and Calvin Harris, claims that Paramount approached him in 2022 about writing a song for the Smurfs movie. He says the studio pitched him that it would be performed by Rihanna, be heavily promoted as part of the movie, and that he would retain “significant backend royalties.”

“To state the obvious, big-name performers significantly drive the commercial value of songs,” Roman’s lawyers write in Friday’s lawsuit. “Writing and producing just one hit for an artist like Rihanna can yield economic benefits for decades.”

But as the release of the film neared, Roman says he was told that “Anyone” would not be released commercially after all – a change that he says fundamentally altered the economics of the deal and caused negotiations to be “completely halted.” With no deal in place, he says Paramount “astoundingly” decided to simply release Smurfs anyway, with his songs featured in “key scenes.”

“Paramount has still not paid plaintiff a dime,” Roman’s lawyers write. “At no time did plaintiff consent in any way — expressly or impliedly — to Paramount releasing the songs and recordings without a written agreement.”

In the aftermath of the movie’s release, Roman claims that Paramount chose to “blame Rihanna” for the debacle. The studio allegedly told him that it was “very frustrated by the money it had supposedly spent on Rihanna’s participation” and that it felt it had “not gotten an appropriate return from her.”

“Paramount explained that Rihanna had supposedly required Paramount to waste a lot of money and go over budget on the movie,” Roman’s lawyers write in Friday’s complaint. “Because of that, Paramount explained, plaintiff was just out of luck.”

The case does not accuse Rihanna of doing anything wrong – and in fact, Roman’s attorneys go out of their way to say as much: “Plaintiff has no issue with Rihanna. His issue is squarely with Paramount.”

In technical legal terms, Roman is accusing Paramount of copyright infringement for using the songs without permission, as well as fraud and negligent misrepresentation over its alleged promises and the breakdown in negotiations.

Few modern artists embody the value of patience like Olivia Dean, whose rise is a lesson in letting potential unfold in its own time. The London-raised singer made headlines overnight as she scooped the coveted best new artist award at the 2026 Grammys, the first time a British name has won since 2019 (Dua Lipa) and just the fifth this century following Amy Winehouse (2008), Adele (2009), and Sam Smith (2015).

Sunday’s (Feb. 1) win became a crowning moment for Dean, capping off the stratospheric success of her second LP The Art Of Loving and cementing her place on the world stage after over a half a decade spent steadily building her craft. 

A victory like this is hard won, whatever form it takes – but it feels particularly emboldening to see the prize go to an act that has been well and truly put in the yards. Arguably, there was a moment five years ago where Dean’s career appeared to be in a state of limbo. At the start of 2021, the now 26-year-old topped dozens of U.K. outlets’ ‘Ones to Watch’ lists, buoyed by a fresh signing with EMI that promised to amplify her soul-pop sound and bring her music to a wider audience.

The previous summer, in what eventually transpired to be a shrewd move, Dean travelled the U.K. in a bright yellow truck with her name painted on the side, performing mini-gigs in seaside towns. Footage from this trek shows that the crowds were often sparse – and the shows held in rather unconventional venues, including a prawn restaurant – reflecting a period when Dean was still shaping her artist identity. 

She discussed her feminist upbringing in interviews and tested out various musical approaches and collaborations to see what resonated, but even in these early, explorative moments, her willingness to embrace both the successes and the missteps along the way was admirable. Signs of promise were there.

Dean’s third EP Growth, released in July 2021, performed well on streaming services but didn’t translate into widespread recognition, or cultivate a dedicated fanbase. By then, she’d been releasing music for three years, yet it would become clear that lockdown had stalled her live momentum; over time, touring allowed Dean to hone her sound, drawing critical praise and revealing the full force of her talent and charisma with a mega-watt stage presence. 

Yet her fortunes began to change following the sleeper success of 2023 debut LP Messy. You could pinpoint a number of breakthrough moments from that era: a Mercury Prize ceremony performance, which the crowd received with an increasing feeling of rapture; dedicating a rendition of her song “Carmen” at Glastonbury to immigrants and the Windrush generation; an electrifying three-night Hammersmith Apollo residency that was immortalised in a live EP. 

As her live credentials racked up, with Dean visibly more assured and radiant in herself, stardom was soon hers for the taking. Messy hit the top five on the Official UK Albums Chart, while the visibility she was gaining became amplified by her contribution (“It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be”) to the Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy soundtrack, her first top 40 hit on the Official UK Singles Chart. By the time she began work on The Art of Loving, Dean was certainly benefiting from heightened mainstream recognition, giving her the platform and confidence to push her sound further and reach new creative heights — bringing fuller, more cinematic instrumentation into her melodies. 

With “Man I Need” now propelling her toward a potential No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and a major arena tour in the works, on paper, Dean’s trajectory in the past year reads almost too incomprehensible to grasp — bordering on surreal. But behind her ascent lies a solid foundation built over years of careful work; for newer artists and their teams, there’s a lesson in how Dean was able to embrace making mistakes along the way, refining her sound through a series of considered EP drops prior to her first full-length record. When the spotlight finally found Dean, she was ready to step into it fully formed.

Looking at the list of Grammy 2026 wins for artists from the U.K., several parallels can be drawn between the rise of Dean and her contemporaries. Fellow BRIT School graduate Lola Young dabbled in multiple genres across five extended releases before her hit song “Messy,” which landed best pop vocal performance, took on a life of its own. Having landed a deal with Island at 18, both Young and her label held firm in their faith in her artist proposition, even if the payoff took almost seven years.  

Celebrations are also in order for Yungblud, who has previously told Billboard U.K. about feeling overlooked or misunderstood by critics, as he collected the gong for best rock performance for his rendition of Black Sabbath’s “Changes” at Ozzy Osbourne’s Back to the Beginning farewell concert. Four studio albums in, the rocker is currently hitting a fresh commercial peak with double-LP Idols, a love-letter to the rock music he grew up adoring, proving that artistic risk-taking and persistence can ultimately outlast skepticism.

In her moving acceptance speech, FKA Twigs, winner of best dance/electronic album for Eusexua, reinforced the importance of allowing artists to flourish on their own terms. “I know that to a lot of people I may be new, but I’ve actually been doing this a really long time,” she told the Grammys audience, referring to her 14-year journey. “So to any artist: Don’t give up, follow your vision, do you — because that’s what’s going to make the world fall in love with your art.”

All of these names form a new generation of British acts reaching unprecedented heights together, pushing forward a culture of growth and shared triumph. Dean’s story in particular speaks to what can be achieved when talent is nurtured and given the space and time to realise their vision. For any artists following in her wake, the future feels wide open.

Post Malone and newly minted Grammy winner Jelly Roll are hitting the road together this summer. The pair announced the sequel to their 2025 summer slam on Monday morning (Feb. 2), rolling out the dates for The BIG ASS Stadium Tour part 2.

The follow-up to last year’s run of gigs in football stadiums is slated to kick off on April 10 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. with the first of two stops at festivals with a headlining slot at the Tortuga Music Festival, followed by an April 26 appearance at the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, Calif. Other festival drop-ins will take place along the way, including the May 16 Boots in the Park Festival in Albuquerque, N.M., the Gulf Coast Jam in Panama City Beach, Fla. on May 31, Carolina Country Fest in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on June 7, the Barefoot Country Music Festival in Wildwood, N.J. on June 20 as well as Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wis. on June 27.

The tour’s first stand-alone show will take place at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas on May 13, followed by stops in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Indiana, Ontario, Connecticut, Ohio, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Montana and Alberta before winding down on July 28 with a show at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Last year’s Live Nation-produced tour drew more than one million fans across North America and grossed more than $170 million. This year’s event will feature opening act Carter Faith on all the headlining dates.

Tickets will go on sale with a Post Malone artist pre-sale on Friday (Feb. 6) at 10 a.m. local time; fans have to sign up here by Wednesday (Feb. 4) at 11:59 p.m. ET, with no code needed for the multiple artist pre-sales on Ticketmaster. There will also be a Citi pre-sale for the U.S. shows beginning on Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time through Monday (Feb. 9) at 11:59 local time here. An American Express pre-sale for the Canada shows will also kick-off on Wednesday beginning at 10 a.m. local time through 11:59 p.m. local time on Monday.

Check out the dates for the Big Ass Stadium Tour Part 2 below:

After demolishing the historic East Wing to make room for a massive ballroom and redecorating the White House with acres of marble and gold-plated tchotchkes, Donald Trump has his sights set on refurbishing the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The President announced on Sunday night (Feb. 1) that the arts center that he recently slapped his name on will close for two years to undergo construction and renovation. In one of his late night Truth Social posts, the real estate mogul who has been focused on gilding Washington with his signature ostentatious style wrote, “The Trump Kennedy Center will close on July 4th, 2026, in honor of the 250th Anniversary of our Country, whereupon we will simultaneously begin Construction of the new and spectacular Entertainment Complex.”

Though he said “financing is completed and fully in place,” Trump did not reveal any details about the construction project or what the budget is, even as he lamented what he called the shopworn state of the building. Saying that the decision came after input from many unnamed “Highly Respected Experts,” he wrote that the, “tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years,” will be transformed into a “World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment, far better than it has ever been before.”

Trump added that the closure is subject to approval by the board, which last year he stacked with loyalist after firing members appointed by former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, a panel that then promptly installed him as chairman. In addition, without going through the appropriate congressional approval process, the former reality TV star also added his name to the center honoring the nation’s slain 35th president.

For more than half a century, the Kennedy Center was a cultural mecca for D.C., hosting countless concerts, plays, operas and performances by musicians, poets and orchestras. But between the name change and the board revamp, the Kennedy Center has struggled since Trump’s second term began, with a reported dip in ticket sales and a raft of artist cancellations in protest of the Trump revamp.

The most recent cancellation came from legendary minimalist composer Philip Glass, who pulled a planned debut of an Abraham Lincoln-inspired symphony last week out of protest of Trump’s actions. In addition, soprano and actress Renée Fleming, a National Medal of Arts winner and 2023 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, cancelled her planned May performances with the National Symphony Orchestra over what she deemed “a scheduling conflict” after resigning last year from her role as an artistic advisor-at-large to the Center.

The pair joined an increasingly long list of artists, shows and events that have pulled the plug since the Trump takeover, a roster that includes a production of Hamilton, shows by the Martha Graham Dance Company, the Washington National Opera (which is leaving the Center after more than 55 years), performers Issa Rae, Béla Fleck, Rhiannon Giddens, Low Cut Connie, Sonia De Los Santos, Kristy Lee, Chuck Redd, Stephen Schwartz and a dozen more. In addition, the recently hired senior vice president of artistic programming, Kevin Couch, who was brought on to help book the Center, resigned after less than two weeks on the job with no explanation. Both the New York Times and Washington Post have reported that ticket sales have plummeted over the past year, with the Post saying that 43% of all tickets went unsold during a six week period last fall.

CNN reported that the growing artist boycott has “become untenable,” according to an anonymous source, who said that during his brief stint at the Center Couch “was frustrated because he was struggling to attract well-known artists.” It also reported that Kennedy Center staff learned about the shut-down from Trump’s post on Sunday.

According to Deadline, Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill act, passed last year with no support from Democrats, set aside $257 million for renovations and maintenance on the Center that opened in 1971, though its unclear if that is the final budget for the Trump revamp.

At press time it was unclear if the renovation will include the suspension of the annual Kennedy Center Honors, which has been a D.C. tradition since 1978. In keeping with his spotlight-loving persona, Trump became the first sitting president to host the event when he took the stage in December to oversee a show whose honorees he took a hand in selection after refusing to attend the event during his first term.

Trump, who until last year had never attended a single show at the Kennedy Center in either of his terms, added that the shut-down is coming after a year-long review of the venue he previously disparaged as dilapidated and too “woke.” The Center underwent a major $250 million renovation and expansion in 2019 that Trump has also belittled, with the president saying in his Truth post that he’d consulted with unnamed contractors, musical experts, art institutions and other advisors and consultants to determine whether to close the venue during reconstruction or keep it partially open and operating over a longer stretch of time.

“I have determined that The Trump Kennedy Center, if temporarily closed for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding, can be, without question, the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World,” Trump wrote. “In other words, if we don’t close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer. The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!”

JFK’s niece, journalist and former First Lady of California Maria Shriver, reacted to Trump’s announcement on X with barely concealed contempt and a heavy dose of sarcasm, writing, “Translation: It has been brought to my attention that due to the name change (but nobody’s telling me it’s due to the name change), but it’s been brought to my attention that entertainers are canceling left and right, and I have determined that since the name change no one wants to perform there any longer. I’ve determined that due to this change in schedule, it’s best for me to close this center down and rebuild a new center that will bear my name, which will surely get everybody to stop talking about the fact that everybody’s canceling… right?”