The official merch supplier for Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band is pursuing a nationwide legal injunction to stop counterfeit sales during the Land of Hopes and Dreams American Tour – starting with the Boss’ hometown show in New Jersey.

Live Nation subsidiary Merch Traffic filed trademark infringement claims on Thursday (April 9) against a slew of anonymous bootleggers who’ve been dogging the Land of Hopes and Dreams trek. Such legal actions are a common strategy for authorized merch suppliers to crack down on knockoffs outside tour venues, by arming off-duty police officers with judicial orders to halt sales and seize the infringing products.

The lawsuit, obtained by Billboard, alleges that counterfeiters have been selling low-quality, underpriced knockoffs of official Springsteen t-shirts and hats outside arenas since opening night of the tour in Minneapolis on March 31. Merch Traffic is now suing in New Jersey federal court to get an injunction in effect for the famous Garden State native’s April 20 show at Newark’s Prudential Center.

Merch Traffic says this injunction should start with the New Jersey show, but it shouldn’t end after that night. Rather, the company’s lawyers want to keep seizing infringing merch through the end of Springsteen’s nationwide tour in May.

“Without the proposed seizure order, plaintiff will be forced to file separate civil actions throughout the United States at an estimated expense of well over $375,000 in legal fees and costs, imposing a great burden upon both plaintiff and the judicial resources of the federal courts,” reads the lawsuit.

A rep for Springsteen did not immediately return a request for comment on the matter on Friday (April 10).

Merch Traffic and other companies in its position frequently bring these types of legal actions to combat counterfeiters who crowd the parking lots during major artist tours. Injunctions were put in place for two prior Springsteen tours in 2016 and 2023, and similar lawsuits have been filed in the past year by the authorized merch sellers for Tate McRae, Dua Lipa and Benson Boone.  

Major League Soccer (MLS) and San Diego FC have partnered with recording artist SHAVONE, who will write and executive produce the track “SDFSHE” as part of the league’s Playmakers Music Collective. The song is the first original song ever commissioned and released through an MLS Playmakers initiative.  

SHAVONE — a Forbes 30 Under 30 technology executive, musician, Ford Model and Penguin author (Black Internet Effect) — has been named a founding artist in residence of the Playmakers Music Collective with her creative group Future of Creatives, who will help shape the Collective’s creative vision and music output for the long term. SHAVONE joins the Playmakers’ founding music collective that includes Tony Martinez, Dontae Ralston, Leon Goodrum, Ramel Wallace and Matthew “Beazie Beats” Arellano.

The announcement builds on San Diego FC and MLS’ growing momentum in entertainment, on the heels of announcing writer, producer and actor Issa Rae and Grammy Award-winning artist Tems as part owners of the team.

“The Playmakers initiative has always been about creating real pathways for the creative community in San Diego,” said Tony Martinez, founder of the San Diego FC MLS Music Playmakers Collective, in a statement. “Launching the Music Collective and releasing ‘SDFSHE’ is a natural extension of that. It’s about giving artists a platform to be seen, heard, and supported at a level that reflects the culture they represent. This is what it looks like when a club invests in its city beyond the game.”

“SDFSHE,” the debut track from the San Diego FC MLS Music Playmakers Collective, is an anthem in celebration of women artists in San Diego. The official music video for was shot and directed by San Diego FC at Snapdragon Stadium, the home of San Diego FC and the National Women’s Soccer League’s San Diego Wave. The track is the first in a planned, year-long series of original music releases, building toward a summer 2026 project release that coincides with the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S.

“‘SDFSHE’ is about building real opportunities for artists in San Diego, especially women. I wrote this record with a clear intention to bring together voices from across the city while maintaining a strong creative direction,” SHAVONE said in a statement. “This project is about creating access, amplifying local voices, and showing what’s possible when leagues invest in the creative communities that shape their cities. Through Future of Creatives and our collaboration with MLS and San Diego FC, we are soundtracking the season and evolving music’s role in one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.”

Check out the video for “SDFSHE” below.

Zac Brown‘s music reached new heights — literally — when the Artemis II space mission played his song “Free” for the astronauts on board, hundreds of thousands of feet above Earth.

On Friday (April 10), it was revealed that the 2010 Zac Brown Band hit — which reached No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 — had sounded over the speakers to wake up the crew for another day of work. The feel-good track was then followed by a message personally recorded by Brown for the astronauts.

“Good morning Reed, Victor, Christina and Jeremy,” he told them. “Zac from Zac Brown Band here, checking in from the USA. We hope that piece of our song, ‘Free,’ helps start your day with the right kind of lift. We just want to say how proud we are of you. It takes courage, grit, and freedom to chase the unknown. It’s the purest kind of American spirit.

“Millions back home are looking up and feeling more inspired because of you,” Brown continued in his wake-up call. “Keep flying strong. Keep flying safe. We can’t wait to welcome you home.”

The singer and his wife, jewelry designer Kendra Scott, shared a video of the historic moment on Instagram, as well as a clip of the couple reacting to the news. “Baby, wake up! They’re playing your song in space!” the businesswoman tells her husband.

“Found out that we got to wake up the crew with our song ‘Free,’” Brown adds in the video, shouting out the “brave people on this mission.” “What an incredible honor.”

The “Chicken Fried” artist is now one of a select few musicians who can say their songs have been played in space. The Artemis II astronauts — who are now the first humans to have ever seen the far side of the moon in daylight and have traveled farther from Earth than anyone else in history — also woke up on different days of their journey to “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan, “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie, “Working Class Heroes” by CeeLo Green and more. NASA recently shared a playlist of all the tracks they’ve played.

Edgehill has its first No. 1 on a Billboard chart, and it comes via the rockers’ maiden appearance on any ranking.

“Doubletake,” which arrived in 2025 and is included on Edgehill’s debut album Ode to the Greyhouse, released in February through Severance and Big Loud Rock, leaps three spots to No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart dated April 18.

The tune reigns in its 27th week on Alternative Airplay, after it bowed at No. 39 on the Oct. 18, 2025, tally, marking Edgehill’s first time on a Billboard ranking.

Edgehill becomes the third act to nab a first No. 1 on Alternative Airplay in 2026, following The Paradox with “Get the Message” in January and YUNGBLUD with “Zombie” in February. Like Edgehill, The Paradox led with its first song to reach Alternative Airplay, though the band had previous Billboard chart history via the song “Do Me Like That,” which appeared on the Rock Digital Song Sales and Alternative Digital Song Sales tallies.

As such, Edgehill becomes the first act to lead Alternative Airplay with a first song on any Billboard chart since sombr, whose “Back to Friends” topped the list last June.

Concurrently, “Doubletake” zooms 19-13 on the all-rock format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay thanks to 2.3 million audience impressions in the week ending April 9, a gain of 25%, according to Luminate.

Edgehill is set for a four-date run in Philadelphia, New York and Cambridge, Mass., May 5-9, including two nights at New York’s Bowery Ballroom, opening for Winyah.

All Billboard charts dated April 18 will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, April 14.