SNL’s season finale celebrated Paul McCartney more than its cast of players, with the Beatles legend performing three songs (rather than the standard two), in addition to getting monologue and sketch screen time, on the Will Ferrell-hosted episode Saturday night (May 16).

Paul McCartney appeared as musical guest for a fifth time on Saturday to wrap Season 51. His return to the Saturday Night Live stage came more than 13 years after his last performance slot on the late-night comedy show. McCartney was previously booked as musical guest for episodes in 1980, 1993, 2010 and 2012.

Now an SNL musical guest five-timer, he brought “Days We Left Behind,” the poignant lead single from his upcoming album The Boys of Dungeon Lane (out May 29), to the stage first on Saturday.

The second performance of the night was a lively “Band on the Run,” the 1974 Paul McCartney and Wings classic that was a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1.

The English music legend got extra time on camera Saturday night — in host Will Ferrell’s monologue, for which he took over a bit that had him confusing Ferrell with doppelgänger Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and in a sketch later in the episode that had him co-starring with Ferrell and Marcello Hernández as mechanics swindling clueless car owners.

At night’s end, viewers might’ve assumed they’d get one more quick glimpse of McCartney on the Studio 8H stage, saying goodnight with Ferrell and the SNL cast as the credits rolled — but the closing moments of the show were actually extended for a musical encore. McCartney kicked off the cast party early with a lively performance of his 1980 Hot 100 No. 1 “Coming Up,” with Saturday Night Live‘s performers dancing side-stage.

Watch McCartney’s May 16 SNL performances of “Days We Left Behind” and “Man on the Run” below. His show closer, “Coming Up,” wasn’t uploaded to Saturday Night Live‘s YouTube channel at press time.


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Kylie Minogue has accidentally confirmed she is planning to tour in celebration of her 40th anniversary in music — letting the news slip in a candid new interview ahead of the premiere of her Netflix documentary.

Speaking to The Sunday Times‘ Style magazine, the 57-year-old pop icon was asked whether she had plans to mark the milestone with a tour. “I’m probably not meant to say this, but yes, I am,” she said. Minogue launched her pop career in 1987 — while still starring in Australian TV soap Neighbours — with a cover of “The Loco-Motion,” which became a No. 1 hit in Australia. The 40th anniversary tour would take place in 2027.

The interview comes days before the premiere of KYLIE, a three-part Netflix documentary series dropping May 20, directed by Emmy and BAFTA Award-winner Michael Harte — the team behind BECKHAM, WHAM! and Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie — and produced by John Battsek’s Ventureland.

The series features insights from Dannii Minogue, Jason Donovan, Nick Cave and Pete Waterman, drawing on personal archives, home movies and new interviews with Minogue herself. The documentary covers Minogue’s 2005 breast cancer diagnosis and the personal loss and public scrutiny she has faced across five decades in the spotlight.

Minogue said she felt “a knot of excitement and nerves” about the series dropping. “There was so much to get through. How the hell do you tell the story?” she said. “I’ve been asked by so many people to do a documentary in the past, but I’ve never done anything like this before. Will I live differently? Will people relate to me differently? Some people will never have heard of me.”

She also revealed the emotional toll of writing a new original song for the documentary’s closing sequence. “I worked so hard on it, it was like rolling a rock up a hill,” she said. “I spent so many solitary hours, working, working, working.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Minogue spoke about her current listening habits — namechecking rising Australian artist Sombr, Wolf Alice and Coldplay — and revealed her ambitions to return to acting. “I would love to do a musical, to act again, to be in the hands of a director who can get me there,” she said.

Minogue has sold over 80 million records worldwide across a career spanning five decades, with her debut album, ‘Kylie,’ being released in 1988, and peaking at No. 53 on the Billboard 200 the following year.

Her 2001 single “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” reaching No. 1 across Europe and becoming one of pop’s most enduring anthems. Her most recent studio album, Tension, produced the viral hit “Padam Padam” in 2023. KYLIE premieres on Netflix on May 20.

Darwin’s Mindil Beach came alive on Saturday night (May 16) as BASSINTHEGRASS 2026 delivered another edition of the annual music festival, drawing close to 12,000 attendees to one of Australia’s most distinctive live music settings.

More than 20 international and Australian artists performed across the night, with US rapper Denzel Curry, Swedish electronic duo Galantis, the UK’s Venjent and Morty, US act AYYBO and South Korea’s Oktae joining Australian acts Peking Duk, The Teskey Brothers, The Living End, Ball Park Music and Mallrat for the all-ages event. Tourism and Events NT reported that one in five attendees were visitors to the Territory.

Galantis DJ Christian Karlsson was effusive about the experience. “It’s an absolutely mind-blowing experience,” he said. “I didn’t know anything, but I knew that Australia always, always deliver. I couldn’t even imagine how mind-blowing this would be. Hey, come to Darwin — Darwin is the number one spot.”

Playlunch lead singer Liam Bell was equally enthusiastic about the festival’s unique atmosphere. “It’s been amazing to be on the lineup with all these other amazing acts,” he said. “I’m not even sure we have stuff like this as good in Victoria. We’ve had some laksa, and it’s changed our lives — but also, obviously the people are amazing, the vibes are amazing.”

Tourism and Events NT CEO Suzana Bishop said the festival’s appeal went beyond the music. “Brilliant performances are just part of what makes BASSINTHEGRASS so memorable,” she said. “It’s the combination of world-class live music, Darwin’s natural beauty, warm dry season weather, location on Mindil Beach, incredible food and Top End experiences that makes it unlike any other.”

The festival capped off a massive weekend for Darwin, which also saw just over 11,900 locals and visitors attend the AFL clash between the Gold Coast Suns and Port Adelaide at TIO Stadium. Darwin hotel occupancy across the event weekend reached 70%, around 10 points higher than the previous year.

Bulgaria has claimed its first-ever Eurovision Song Contest victory, with pop star Dara taking out the 2026 Grand Final in Vienna on Saturday night (May 17) with “Bangaranga” — a high-energy electronic anthem infused with Bulgarian folk influences that became one of the breakout performances of the competition.

Performing at the iconic Wiener Stadthalle alongside 24 other finalists, Dara’s commanding staging and viral live performance propelled Bulgaria to a historic win, ending years of near misses and intermittent withdrawals from the contest. Israel finished in second place, while Romania rounded out the top three.

Results were determined through a combined vote from national juries and viewers across 35 participating countries.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Delta Goodrem delivered one of the night’s most celebrated performances, finishing fourth with her soaring power ballad “Eclipse” — the country’s strongest Eurovision result in several years.

Her cinematic staging transformed the Wiener Stadthalle from a moonlit dreamscape into a radiant gold sunscape, reflecting the song’s themes of transformation and strength. Goodrem wore a custom couture gown by Velani By Nicky and House of Emmanuele, adorned with more than 7,000 Swarovski crystals.

“Representing Australia on the Eurovision stage and being part of this incredible community has been unforgettable,” Goodrem said in a statement. “I’m so grateful for all the love and support from home and around the world — it has carried me every step of the way. Sharing Eclipse with you at this moment feels perfectly timed, and I’m excited to continue the journey we’ve started together and to share new music with you soon.”

“Eclipse” was written by Goodrem alongside Ferras Alqaisi, Jonas Myrin and Michael Fatkin, with Fatkin also producing. One of Australia’s most accomplished performers, Goodrem has previously written songs for Eurovision winner Celine Dion and collaborated with the late Olivia Newton-John.

The Eurovision campaign serves as the launchpad for a major new chapter in Goodrem’s career. She announced her upcoming eighth studio album Pure, set for release Nov. 6 — her first full-length project in five years. The 16-track record balances piano-led intimacy with widescreen cinematic production across themes of clarity, emotion and renewal. Ahead of its release, Goodrem will preview new material through a series of intimate “Pure: Prelude” performances.

The Grand Final airs in primetime on SBS and SBS On Demand on Sunday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Sydney metalcore outfit Ocean Sleeper have signed a new global recording deal with Rise Records and BMG, the band and label announced Friday (May 15). Their new single “Break the Cycle” is out now as the first release under the partnership.

The signing represents an expansion of Ocean Sleeper’s existing relationship with BMG, which previously partnered with the band across their debut album Don’t Leave Me This Way and EPs Maybe Death Is All I Need and Is It Better Feeling Nothing. The addition of Rise Records — home to Spiritbox, Sleeping With Sirens, Sum 41, Polyphia, Dance Gavin Dance and Memphis May Fire — gives the band a significant new foothold in the international heavy music market.

“We could not be prouder to announce we have signed a new global record deal with Rise Records & BMG,” the band said in a statement. “The essence of this band has always been independent and driven by a DIY attitude, but we are ready to level up with a team who we trust with our vision. Partnering with both a powerhouse in the industry and a label behind all our core favourite bands is an absolute honour.”

Heath Johns, President of Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia at BMG, called Ocean Sleeper “one of Australian heavy music’s best kept secrets” and said the combined resources of Rise Records and BMG would be taking the band “to every corner of the planet.” Sean Heydorn, SVP of Rise Records, praised the band’s “relentless work ethic, creative ambition, and a deep connection with their audience,” adding that Ocean Sleeper have “emerged as one of Australia’s standout metalcore bands.”

Since forming, Ocean Sleeper have built a devoted international following through sold-out headline tours in Australia and the U.S., appearances at Good Things Festival, and supports alongside Northlane, Parkway Drive, Polaris, Make Them Suffer and Thornhill. The band joins a BMG Australia and New Zealand roster that includes Chet Faker, Dope Lemon, Crowded House, Hockey Dad, The Cat Empire, Pacific Avenue and Ladyhawke.

On Christmas 2019, Drake shared something in his two-hour Rap Radar interview that anyone who paid attention to his catalog already knew. He has always been committed to two things: making melodic, R&B music for women and giving people bars on his rap records. We were introduced to him as Heartbreak Drake in his early days, and he was a lover boy before officially dubbing himself that in the lead-up to his 2021 LP Certified Loverboy.

In the past, he dedicated an entire side of an album to R&B, with the B-side of Scorpion in 2018. Last year, he linked up with his star signee PARTYNEXTDOOR for a full-length project within the genre, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U. It felt long overdue for Drake to lock in solely on R&B, and while the joint effort was successful, there was the question of whether he would ever do one on his own. 

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Well, here we are. On Friday (May 15), when fans thought they would just get ICEMAN, the 6 God surprised them with two other albums: Habibti and Maid of Honour. The former is his first-ever melodic, R&B journey with just his name on the bill. 

Sexyy Red, Loe Shimmy, Qendresa and PARTYNEXTDOOR join the ride for a display of emotions that supersedes anything Drizzy has previously done. There is a level of emoting, as well as grown-and-sexy sounds that show how much “The Boy” has evolved.

Read along for our ranking of Drake’s first-ever solo R&B album, Habibti, below.


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From the moment the curtain dropped on Harry Styles’ 169-date, Billboard Boxscore-smashing Love On Tour in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in July 2023, speculation surrounding the British singer’s next move mounted. Would he truly step away at the peak of his powers? And, perhaps more dauntingly, how could he eclipse one of the defining touring achievements of the decade?

As Love On Tour expanded from North American arenas to stadiums across the U.K. and Europe, it capped the former One Direction member’s most commercially and culturally dominant era yet. Over the course of a near decade-long solo career, the success of his 2022 album Harry’s House, which scooped the Grammy for album of the year, was the exception, not the rule: Unlike earlier hits such as 2019’s “Watermelon Sugar,” which steadily built momentum throughout lockdown, lead single “As It Was” arrived as an instant global phenomenon.

What changed was that Styles evolved from a charismatic, if tentative, figure transitioning out of a boyband past into a supremely assured live performer, and Love On Tour became the stage for that transformation. By the end of the two-year trek, that reputation had become central to his identity as an artist: loose, spontaneous and visibly confident in holding an audience, adding a slinky, flirtatious edge to songs like “Adore You” or “Daylight” and leveraging them to full crowd-pleasing potential. 

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Three years on, and Styles stands at the cusp of the residency-style Together, Together Tour, which opened up at Amsterdam’s 56,000-capacity Johan Cruijff Arena on Saturday (May 16). In support of his Kiss All the Time. Disco Occasionally LP — Styles’ fourth consecutive chart-topping album on the Billboard 200 — the show is set to hit seven key global markets throughout 2026, including a mammoth 30-night run at New York City’s Madison Square Garden this fall.

Echoing the pared-back approach of March’s One Night Only Manchester performance, with a mid-show ‘Dance’ section staged in the round with minimal, pulsing production reminiscent of a Fred Again..–style setup, the new show translated that intimacy into a full-scale stadium experience. A richly-textured string section gave the more subdued moments of the setlist (“Matilda,” “Sign of the Times”) a warmer elasticity, and in comparison with the adrenalised rush of Love On Tour, much of the set was more restrained in its pacing and overall feel; not diminished as such, but matured.

As the lights dimmed, Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” — the key inspiration for Kiss All the Time…‘s “Carla’s Song” — played while swirling, multicolored visuals took full effect across the giant video grid. Styles appeared seconds later, radiant in a red silk satin bomber — and it was on from there, a fervent, dizzying two-hour trip through his musical canon. 

Here are the best moments from the night.

Baker Boy headlined the second night of NBA House Australia on Friday (May 15), closing out the evening session at The Timber Yard in Melbourne with a live performance — marking one of the more unexpected but fitting intersections of Australian music and American basketball culture in recent memory.

The Northern Territory rapper and dancer, whose real name is Danzal Baker, took the stage at 8:30 p.m. as part of the NBA’s inaugural Australian fan experience, which is running across four days from May 14–17 at the Port Melbourne venue.

The 6,000-square-metre space features playoff viewing parties, basketball challenges, an NBA 2K26 gaming zone, streetwear showcases, photo opportunities with the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and appearances from NBA players.

Friday’s programming also included appearances from Atlanta Hawks center and Australian NBA representative Jock Landale, who participated in a “Courtside Stories” fan engagement session at 12:30 p.m., and four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, who appeared for crossover appearances in the afternoon before hosting another “Courtside Stories” session and photo opportunities in the evening. The Sacramento Kings Dance Team and Dunk Team also performed across the day.

NBA House Australia is headlined across the weekend by All-Stars Jaren Jackson Jr. and Cousins, who are appearing across the event for meet-and-greets, fan sessions and scheduled programming.

Jackson Jr. said ahead of the event: “I know Australian fans are some of the most passionate in the world, and I look forward to celebrating the excitement of the NBA Playoffs with them.”

The NBA appearance comes during a strong stretch for Baker Boy. The six-time ARIA Award-winner recently wrapped a 10-date Australian album tour behind his second record DJANDJAY and has been debuting new anthem “CURSE” in his live sets ahead of the forthcoming DJANDJAY (Deluxe), due later this year via Island Records/Universal Music Australia.

“Everyone has been going mad for it,” Baker Boy said of the track. “You know you got something good when people haven’t ever heard the track before, but you can see the whole crowd bouncing to it.”

Written and produced in Melbourne by Baker Boy alongside longtime collaborators Pip Norman (Troye Sivan, Missy Higgins) and Rob Amoruso (G Flip, Thelma Plum), “CURSE” also features acclaimed Toronto-based songwriter and producer WondaGurl (Rihanna, Travis Scott, SZA), who joined the sessions as part of the inaugural ARIA Collab Initiative.

Sequins and sheer ruffled silks, be gone! Harry Styles brought the heady, ambient world of 2026 LP Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally to Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff Arena on Saturday (May 16), heralding the next chapter in his live career with a transportive new show.

For Love On Tour, which ran between 2021 and 2023, both Styles and his audience embraced flamboyant fun, wearing everything from rhinestone cowboy hats, pink corsets and feather boas to garishly bright vests and all that’s in between. This time around? If opening night was anything to go by, the mood is business casual with a scrim of mischief: oversized ties, velvet flared blazers, short shorts and button-down shirts inspired by the mood and aesthetic of the Grammy-winning singer’s “Aperture” music video. Think: office siren, Styles’ version.

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Throughout a 21-song set, Styles took 56,000 fans from fantasy to reality and back again in a feverish haze of new songs and fan favorites, including reworked versions of “Matilda,” a mashup of “Carla’s Song” and “Satellite,” and “Treat People With Kindness.”

Ahead of the Together, Together tour’s launch, fans (including Billboard’s editorial team) were busy speculating about what the setlist would look like. How many of Styles’ biggest smashes would make the cut? Would he dig into deep cuts, the kind he’s occasionally revived at special live shows — like 2017’s “From the Dining Table” at One Night Only Manchester earlier this year? And which, if any, One Direction goldies would make an appearance?

With the tour now officially underway, Styles will remain in Amsterdam for a further 10 shows over the coming weeks. Then, in June, he’ll head to London for a record-breaking 12 nights at Wembley Stadium, before carrying on to residencies in São Paulo, Mexico City, New York City, Sydney and Melbourne throughout the year. The Johan Cruyff Arena has even installed a permanent pillar mural to celebrate the significance of serving as Styles’ first ‘home base’ for the tour.

As with Styles’ previous tours, there’s potential that the setlist may evolve from night to night, but below, check out all the songs — and which albums they belong to — from the Together, Together Tour’s opening night.


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Who will take home the top prizes on Sunday (May 17) during the ACM Awards?

This year, women lead the nominations, with Megan Moroney at the head of this year’s slate of nominees with nine nods, followed by Miranda Lambert with eight, and Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson with seven nominations each. This also marks the second consecutive year that a female solo artist leads the nominations (last year, Langley was the top-nominated artist, with eight nominations).

Wilson and Moroney are up against Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen for the coveted entertainer of the year accolade. If Combs wins, he’ll secure the ACM’s triple crown, as he has also previously taken home the new male artist of the year and male artist of the year accolades. Meanwhile, if Wilson wins, she would join Carrie Underwood as the only woman to win the entertainer of the year trophy three times, and would be the first woman to win it three consecutive years.

Several early winners have already been revealed, with Tucker Wetmore earning the new male artist of the year title, Avery Anna earning the new female artist of the year title, the music video for Stephen Wilson Jr.’s “Cuckoo” winning visual media of the year, and Jessie Jo Dillon winning songwriter of the year.

Shania Twain will host this year’s awards show, which will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show will stream live via Prime Video for the fifth consecutive year.

Here are Billboard’s predictions on who will emerge victorious in select categories, from Melinda Newman (executive editor, West Coast/Country) and Jessica Nicholson (associate editor, Country).