Roy Ayers, the multi-hyphenate composer and artist nicknamed the ‘Godfather of Neo Soul,’ has passed away at the age of 84.

News of Ayers’ passing was confirmed on Wednesday (March 5), with a statement shared via his official Facebook page.

“It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist, composer and producer Roy Ayers announce his passing which occurred on March 4th, 2025 in New York City after a long illness,” the post wrote. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. His family ask that you respect their privacy at this time, a celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming.”

Born in Los Angeles in 1940, Ayers was surrounded by music from a young age thanks to his pianist mother and trombonist father. Ayers himself took to the vibraphone at the age of five when he was gifted a pair of mallets from Lionel Hampton.

Performing music throughout high school thanks to a church choir and local bands, Ayers launched his musical career in earnest in 1962, serving as a sideman for saxophonist Curtis Amy and cool jazz outfit The Jack Wilson Quartet, releasing his debut solo album West Coast Vibes in 1963. 

By 1970, Ayers had formed his own group under the name Roy Ayers Ubiquity, and in 1973 he found wider fame after soundtracking Jack Hill’s blaxploitation film Coffy, starring Pam Grier. Roy Ayers Ubiquity experienced years of chart success in the latter half of the decade, starting with 1975’s Mystic Voyage, which hit No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and 1976’s Everybody Loves the Sunshine, which reached No. 10 on the same chart, and No. 51 on the Billboard 200.

The title track to the latter record would become one of Ayers’ best-known compositions, going on to be sampled by artists such as Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and Common, and covered by the likes of D’Angelo, Jamie Cullum and Robert Glasper. It also cemented his status as one of the more prominent figures in the neo-soul scene, with the likes of Pharrell Williams citing Ayers as one of his most influential artists.

While 1977’s Lifeline saw “Running Away” hitting No. 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, Ayers’ career continued as a solo artist in the coming decades, with his biggest chart success coming by way of 1980’s No Stranger to Love, which reached No. 22 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 

He remained a prominent force on the charts throughout the ‘80s, and while he never scored a track on the Hot 100, 1986’s “Hot” would hit No. 20 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while his Eric Benet collaboration “When You Think Of Me” would give him his last appearance on the same chart, peaking at No. 46 in 2000.

Ayers would continue composing and performing into the 21st century, working with the likes of Erykah Badu, Tyler, the Creator, Kerri Chandler, and more. He is survived by his wife Argerie, and their two children Mtume and Ayana Ayers.

Haim is back with new music and their characteristic sense of humor.

The sister trio took to Instagram on Wednesday (March 5) to post a photo in promotion of their upcoming single “Relationships.” In the snap, Danielle, Este and Alana Haim are seen walking in a parking lot, basking in the sun with huge smiles on their faces.

Of course, the photo is a tribute to a viral meme featuring Nicole Kidman, in which she is photographed the same way, widely believed to have been taken after the actress finalized her divorce from Tom Cruise in the early 2000s.

However, Kidman has since debunked the theory surrounding the photo, telling GQ last year, “That was not me; that was from a film. That wasn’t real life. I know that image!”

See Haim’s post here.

The group previously teased “Relationships” via another social media post, in which the siblings are seen lip-syncing along to the lyrics detailing the woes of a relationship gone sour. “I hear a voice in my head and it keeps asking/ Why am I in this relationship?/ Baby, how can I explain/ When an innocent mistake turns into 17 days/ F—ing relationships,” they sing over an airy synth melody.

Haim’s last studio album, Women in Music Pt. III, was released in 2020. It reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and received a Grammy nomination for album of the year. In 2021, Haim was honored with the international group award at the BRITs.

Fans can pre-save “Relationships” here.

Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin is working with FIFA to curate the first Super Bowl-style halftime show at the World Cup final next year.

The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — to be known as New York New Jersey Stadium for the World Cup — will host the final on July 19, 2026. FIFA is also staging what its president Gianni Infantino called a “takeover” of Times Square for the final weekend of the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

“I can confirm the first ever halftime show at a FIFA World Cup final in New York New Jersey, in association with [advocacy organization] Global Citizen. This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world,” Infantino posted on Instagram on Wednesday (March 5) after attending a FIFA conference in Dallas.

He didn’t clarify whether Coldplay would perform, but said Martin and Coldplay manager Phil Harvey would be involved in booking other artists.

“I also want to thank Chris Martin and Phil Harvey of Coldplay, who will be working with us at FIFA to finalize the list of artists who will perform during the halftime show, as well as at Times Square,” Infantino wrote.

Infantino didn’t say whether the show will require extending halftime beyond the usual 15 minutes.

The NFL’s Super Bowl has played host to decades of A-list artists at its halftime show, with Kendrick Lamar most recently headlining the 2025 halftime and Coldplay helming the 2016 show, with memorable appearances from Beyoncé and Bruno Mars.

Kimberly Burch, the fiancée of Faster Pussycat frontman Taime Downe, has died after going overboard on the first night of The ‘80s Cruise, a nostalgia-themed music cruise featuring performances from Faster Pussycat, Warrant, Dokken, Firehouse, Squeeze, Adam Ant, Tiffany, and Men at Work.

According to TMZ, the incident occurred around 11 p.m. on March 3, aboard the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas. A search operation was launched, involving the ship’s crew and two nearby vessels, but Burch was not found.

Burch’s mother, Carnell Burch, told TMZ that her daughter had been involved in a heated argument with Downe before going overboard. However, she emphasized that Kimberly “wouldn’t purposefully hurt herself.” Authorities have not yet confirmed whether she fell accidentally or jumped.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Group told THR: “Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort, is working with local authorities, and we are providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our guests’ family, we have no additional details to share.”

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson said the ship was approximately 20 miles from Freeport, Bahamas, when the incident occurred.

A Facebook post from Burch’s family on Tuesday said she “will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved her,” and asked for prayers “during this time for our family as we try to wrap our minds around this heartbreaking tragedy.”

Downe and Burch had reportedly been together for six to seven years. Just last month, Burch shared a heartfelt Valentine’s Day post featuring photos of the couple, writing, “Happy Every Day! From your first hello to me, I fell head over heels in love. You are my Valentine every day of my life. We are a tornado at times and pure raw love. I wouldn’t have it any other way. We do us like no other. I love you with my entire heart and soul.”

Faster Pussycat, formed in the mid-1980s, became one of the defining acts of the glam metal era, selling over two million albums worldwide and touring with rock legends like Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses, and Kiss.

Suzanne Vega is set to make a long-awaited return in May, announcing the release of her first album of new material in over a decade.

Titled Flying With Angels, the record is Vega’s tenth and arrives on May 2nd. “Flying With Angels is my first studio album of new songs in eleven years,” she said of the new LP. “Each song on the album takes place in an atmosphere of struggle. Struggle to survive, to speak, to dominate, to win, to escape, to help someone else, or just live.”

The record’s announcement has been accompanied by the release of its opening track, “Speakers’ Corner,” which itself features an animated music video by Michael Arthur. “A Speakers’ Corner is an area where free speech, open air public speaking, debate, and discussion are allowed,” Vega wrote on social media. “I guess we better use it now before we find it gone!”

“That’s something you don’t want in democracy: the shutting down of the Speakers’ Corner where people get a say,” she continued in a press release. “This is a moment in time when people are saying a lot, but sometimes they’re not making sense or not telling the truth. People should be accountable for what they say. They can’t just lie. One would think that that would be self-evident.”

Flying With Angels is Vega’s first new studio release since 2016’s Lover, Beloved: Songs from an Evening with Carson McCullers, which was based on Vega’s 2011 play Carson McCullers Talks About Love, written about the titular American poet. Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles, her most recent album of entirely new material, arrived in 2014.

Vega’s new album also arrived almost 40 years to the day since the release of self-titled debut record. It reached No. 91 on the Billboard 200, though Vega made a marked improvement on that feat with 1987’s Solitude Standing, which peaked at No. 11. The album’s success was largely thanks to second single “Luka,” which gave her a career-best when it hit No. 3 on the Hot 100. Three years later, she returned to the top of the charts, landing at No. 5 with the DNA remix of her a cappella track “Tom’s Diner.”

Vega has also announced an extensive run of tour dates in support of the new album. She’ll launch her Flying With Angels tour in East Greenwich, RI on Thursday (March 6), with a total of 40 dates currently planned for North America, Europe, and the U.K. throughout 2025.