BTS’s fifth full-length album will arrive on March 20. That much we already knew.
We now know the collection will be titled Arirang.
“Arirang” is a traditional Korean folk song renowned, according to a statement from BigHit Music, which delivered an update on the album Friday, Jan. 16. “Transcending time and generations, the song has long been associated with emotions of connection, distance, and reunion,” the release continues.
The collection is said to be 14-tracks deep, “a deeply reflective body of work” that explores the K-pop superstars’ “identity and roots,” the statement reads.
Furthermore, the band will “draw on the emotional depth of ‘Arirang’ — its sense of yearning, longing, and the ebb and flow of life,” adds the message, the seven-piece ultimately choosing the title for its “strong resonance with their current journey.”
The new album marks the group’s reunion following a nearly four-year hiatus, during which members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook completed South Korea’s mandatory military service.
BTS’ big title reveal closely follows the announcement of another world tour, their first large-scale jaunt in nearly four years, since BTS Permission to Dance on Stage, which concluded in April 2022.
The forthcoming trek will get underway April 9 in Goyang, South Korea, then makes a stop in Tokyo before arriving in the United States in late April. The first stateside concerts will take place April 25-26 in Tampa, Fla., and closes its North American run with four shows in Los Angeles in September. All told, 79 shows are booked across the globe including Asia, North and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and more.
“The new release explores universal emotions of longing and love,” the statement continues, “and will resonate with the worldwide audience as a timeless legacy across generations and cultures.”
For his next trick, Charlie Puth takes us for a ride back to the late 1980s. Maybe early 1990s.
Dropping at midnight, “Beat Yourself Up” is brassy, bass-y, catchy, and could’ve stepped right out of a time when the Detroit Pistons were beating everyone up in the NBA, and muscles ruled Hollywood.
“Beat Yourself Up” is housed by the singer and songwriter’s forthcoming studio album, Whatever’s Clever! (via Atlantic Records), due out on March 27.
The fresh cut “started as something I wanted to tell a friend,” the award-winning artist explains. “We’ve never been the heart-to-heart types, so I wrote it in a song instead,” he continues. “I wanted to tell him that even though he has made mistakes along the way, he shouldn’t be so hard on himself. That things will get better and he’s not alone.”
It’s the second track lifted from his forthcoming album, following “Changes,” which arrived last October, coupled with his baby news.
While writing “Beat Yourself Up,” he continues, “I soon realized this wasn’t just for my friend but myself and so many others who can be hard on themselves. It’s a message to keep going and be kinder to yourself.”
“Beat Yourself Up” was co-produced by Puth and BLOODPOP, and follows the announcement of his biggest world tour yet.
Puth’s Whatever’s Clever World Tour will span nearly 50 arena dates, kicking off April 22 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, CA. Produced by Live Nation, the North American leg will see Puth graces the stages of Madison Square Garden in New York City and Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, with support from Daniel Seavey and Lawrence on select shows and Ally Salort on all dates.
The trek will also visit the U.K. and Continental Europe during the summer, concluding on July 30 at Progresja Summer Stage in Warsaw, Poland.
Before all that, he’ll perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl LX, which kicks off Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco.
Whatever’s Clever! is Puth’s fourth album, and the followup to 2022’s Charlie, one of his three top 10 appearances on the Billboard 200 chart. Pre-order here and stream “Beat Yourself Up” below.
Olivia Dean’s The Art Of Loving shows no signs of fatigue on the ARIA Chart, as the album collects a seventh non-consecutive week at No. 1, while her signature song “Man I Need” enters a ninth straight week atop the singles tally.
According to ARIA, Dean’s sophomore collection becomes the longest reigning title by an English female artist since Adele’s 30 also logged seven weeks at the top in 2021-22.
The top new release on the ARIA Albums Chart, published Friday, Jan. 16, belongs to The Kid Laroi, whose Before I Forget starts at No. 2. The Sydney-raised, Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter previously collected an ARIA Chart crown in 2021 with his F*ck Love mixtape, becoming the youngest Australian solo artist to do so (he was 17 years, 5 months and 22 days at the time). Before I Forget is the followup to 2023’s The First Time, which topped out at No. 3 on the ARIA Chart.
LAROI made a dash to his hometown last November for an exclusive performance at a Spotify showcase, the starting point in the 2025 ARIAs Week. By the week’s end, LAROI had added a fourth ARIA Award, for song of the year with “Girls.”
Meanwhile, U.S. country star Zach Bryan starts at No. 2 on the ARIA list with Heaven On Top, his sixth studio album. Bryan’s self-titled album hit No. 2 here in 2023, and The Great American Bar Scene reached No. 3 in 2024.
Yungblud has been playing venues across the country, and hitting headlines, for the six-date domestic leg of his IDOLS World Tour, produced by Frontier Touring. Those shows ignite interest in his fourth studio album Idols, which roars 69-12, still down on its No. 4 peak from 2025. The Brit’s tour continues Saturday, Jan. 17 with the first of two consecutive nights at Brisbane’s Riverstage, and wraps Tuesday, Jan. 20 at Perth’s ICF: Outdoor.
Melbourne singer-songwriter Steph Strings enjoys a top 20 start with debut album, Feel Alive. It’s new at No. 17, for her first appearance on any ARIA chart.
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Dean’s extends her run at No. 1, a streak by a solo female artist that hasn’t been seen since Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” spent 12 weeks on top in early 2023.
Although the song didn’t appear in the Stranger Things finale, Djo’s “End Of Beginning” enjoys a revival on the ARIA Chart, where it bounces 4-3, equaling its the peak position set in 2024. Djo is the stage name of Joe Keery, who played Steve Harrington in the popular Netflix series, which dropped its final episode Dec. 31.
The top debut on the single frame belongs to Bruno Mars, whose “I Just Might” just misses the top 10, opening at No. 11.
With that feat, Mars has chalked up 22 ARIA top 20 hits, a tally that includes including four chart-toppers: “Just The Way You Are” (2010), “Grenade” (2010), “Uptown Funk” with Mark Ronson (2014-15) and “APT.” with Rosè (2024-25).
Buzzy British artist Sienna Spiro enters the top 40 for the first time as “Die On This Hill” vaults 68-29, while Alabama country singer Ella Langley bags her first top 40 hit with “Choosin’ Texas,” up 46-30.
Just two homegrown cuts impact the top 50. The best belongs to homegrown producer and DJ Sonny Fodera’s “Think About Us” with D.O.D and Poppy Baskcomb, new at No. 48, while Tame Impala’s “Dracula” slips 47-50.
ENHYPEN promised THE SIN : VANISH, and ENHYPEN delivered.
The K-pop outfit’s seventh mini-album arrives at the stroke of midnight, one full month after its announcement, as the followup to June 2025’s sixth mini album DESIRE : UNLEASH.
According to a statement, the new release marks the group’s “most immersive and narratively driven chapter to date,” a concept album that specifically takes a big bite into vampire mythology.
“The album follows an unprecedented escape of vampire lovers, tracing the fragile balance between desire and consequence in a world bound by unbreakable rules,” reads the release.
This is no ordinary collection of works from JUNGWON, HEESEUNG, JAY, JAKE, SUNGHOON, SUNOO and NI-KI.
From start to finish, the 11-track collection blends music, narration, and cinematic storytelling, with songs meshed with narration and skits.
It’s presented in the style of a reporter discussing a vampire escape case, and presented in four languages: Korean (voiced by actor Park Jeong Min), English, Japanese (voiced by Kenjiro Tsuda), and Chinese (voiced by singer Lars Huang).
The experimental album gathers lead single “Knife,” which traces the beginning of the lovers’ escape as they face pursuit without hesitation; charges through “No Way Back (featuring So!YoON!)” (Alternative R&B), “Stealer” (Alternative Dance Pop), “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (Pop), and “Lost Island” (Pop) and closes with the introspective “Sleep Tight” (R&B), JAKE’s first self-written track, with additional lyric contributions from HEESEUNG.
Earlier, the group teased on YouTube excerpts from four narration tracks –“The Beginning,” “The Fugitives,” “The Voice,” and “The Beyond.”
The latest effort arrives after DESIRE : UNLEASH debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, just months after ENHYPEN made their historic Coachella Festival debut on the Sahara Stage. In addition to new music, the band will stay busy on the road this year with a stop at the inaugural edition of the Hello, Melbourne K-pop festival at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia on March 14 alongside TREASURE and Taemin.
Heated Rivalry, the smash TV series and pop culture phenomenon, has brought its music to the masses with its original series soundtrack out Friday (Jan. 16).
Released via Milan Records, the 34-track project features original music by artist and composer Peter Peter written for the Crave Original Series. The set marks Peter Peter’s debut scoring effort and is available via all streaming services and as a digital download for purchase. CD and vinyl editions of the album are in the works and will be released later this year.
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The buzzed-about series premiered on the Canadian streamer on Nov. 28 and bowed on the same day in the United States on HBO Max. The romantic drama is adapted from Rachel Reid’s hit Game Changers book series and stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams as hockey rivals Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, who navigate a secret romance out of the public eye.
Heated Rivalry’s creator, Jacob Tierney, personally selected Peter Peter to compose the show’s music. Tierney earlier told Billboard: “From the first day I started writing the show, I knew music would be as integral to the series as the actors themselves, and Peter’s work was what I had on repeat. His original score doesn’t just sit underneath the story; it carries the emotion, the rhythm and the pulse of the show. I honestly can’t imagine this series without it. Peter’s music is completely woven into what the show is and how the story comes alive on the screen.”
Peter Peter
Sarah Carrier
“The music I composed for Heated Rivalry uncovered a side of me I wasn’t certain I possessed, yet one I had always quietly wished was there,” Peter Peter shared with Billboard. “I’d never allowed myself such latitude in composition before. Jacob and Rachel deserved the very best of me, so I gave them every ray of light I had.”
Previous to Heated Rivalry, Peter Peter had released five solo albums, most recently with 2024’s Éther.
Stream the Heated Rivalry original series soundtrack below.
Dolly Parton will turn 80 on Jan. 19, and she’s celebrating early with the release of a new version of her 1977 song “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.”
This time she offers up the powerful message of hope and optimism alongside longtime musical colleagues and powerful collaborators, welcoming Lainey Wilson, Reba McEntire, Queen Latifah and Miley Cyrus.
The single and music video, which features David Foster on piano and The Christ Church Choir on background vocals, further heightens the original’s uplifting essence. The song, written by Parton, was produced by Parton and Kent Wells and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge.
Parton’s original recording of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” was featured on her 1977 album New Harvest…First Gathering and rose to No. 11 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart in June 1977.
“I wrote ‘Light of a Clear Blue Morning’ during a season when I was searching for hope, and fifty years later that message still feels just as true,” Parton said in a statement. “As I celebrate my 80th birthday, this new version is my way of using what I’ve been blessed with to shine a little light forward, especially by sharing it with some truly incredible women.”
Net proceeds from the song and its video will benefit the pediatric cancer research program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville.
Parton, of course, has a history of collaboration with each of the women who join her on this new version.
Cyrus is Parton’s goddaughter, and the two have previously collaborated on “Rainbowland” and a version of Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball.” Wilson and Parton teamed up for a rendition of “Mama He’s Crazy” as part of a The Judds tribute record two years ago. Parton and McEntire joined forces for a version of “Does He Love You,” which McEntire originally released as a collab with Linda Davis in 1993. She teamed with Queen Latifah on the 2012 movie Joyful Noise, where they portrayed warring choir directors over a small-town church choir.
Beyond music, Parton has her Songteller Hotel in the works in Nashville, and is taking her multimedia symphonic experience Threads: My Songs in Symphony, to more cities across the United States this year. She also recently released the book Star of the Show: My Life on Stage, with author and Billboard journalist Tom Roland.
Watch the video below:
The wait is over. It’s been 2,793 days to be exact, between A$AP Rocky’s Testing album in 2018 to Don’t Be Dumb‘s arrival on Friday (Jan. 16).
Rocky’s fourth studio album finally hit streaming services to give rap its first blockbuster release of 2026. While there’s no Rihanna appearance, it’s still a star-studded affair with features from Tyler, The Creator, Doechii, Bossman Dlow, Brent Faiyaz, Gorillaz, Jon Batiste, Slay Squad, Thundercat, Westside Gunn and Will.i.am.
The project boasts 15 tracks in total, including previously released singles “Punk Rocky,” which saw Winona Ryder star in the music video, and “Helicopter.” He allegedly displays six different alter egos across the project.
According to a press release, the Harlem native has already sold more than 130,000 units ahead of the album landing on DSPs.
Legendary filmmaker Tim Burton also played a role in the album’s creation, with Rocky previously thanking him for his assistance. “SORRY 4 THE WAIT DON’T BE DUMB FINALLY HERE! THANKS TIM BURTON FOR HELPING ME MAKE THIS MOVIE,” Rocky wrote to IG in December when revealing the album’s cover art, which Burton created.
Don’t Be Dumb serves as Rocky’s first album since 2018’s Testing, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. It’s unclear if he has plans to tour the album across the globe, but Rocky is booked to headline Governors Ball 2026 on June 7 in NYC.
Life is much different for Rocky these days compared to 2018, when his last album arrived. The Harlem rapper and partner Rihanna welcomed their third child together — daughter Rocki — in September.
Dive into Rocky’s world and stream Don’t Be Dumb below.
BLACKPINK’s DEADLINE is fast approaching.
The K-pop superstars will drop their third mini-album, DEADLINE, on Feb. 27. For BLINKS who just can’t wait, pre-orders open today.
The new collection marks their first as a group in almost four years, since BORN PINK arrived in September 2022.
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Marc Cuban “has made a significant investment” in Burwoodland, which produces “touring themed nightlife experiences” including Emo Night Brooklyn, Gimme Gimme Disco, Broadway Rave and All Your Friends, according to a press release. The company was founded by Alex Badanes and Ethan Maccoby. Past strategic partners have included Izzy Zivkovic (Split Second) and Peter Shapiro (Brooklyn Bowl), along with Justin Kalifowitz‘s investment and advisory platform Klaf Companies.
“It’s time we all got off our asses, left the house and had fun,” said Cuban in a statement. “Alex and Ethan know how to create amazing memories and experiences that people plan their weeks around. In an AI world, what you do is far more important than what you prompt.”
Goldenvoice, a division of AEG Presents, struck a deal with the City of Santa Monica for a new “large-scale” music and cultural festival to take place adjacent to the Santa Monica Pier in fall 2026. The festival is being envisioned as a single-day event with an estimated capacity of 30,000 to 35,000 attendees. Programming will include 12 to 15 artists, food and beverage, festival and artist merch, art installations and more. It would return in fall 2027 and fall 2028 as a yearly event.
“Partnering with the city of Santa Monica to bring a yearly music festival to the Pier is a true honor for us,” said Melissa Ormond, Goldenvoice COO and COO of festivals for AEG Presents, in a statement. “We can’t wait to bring world class music and artists to one of the most beautiful urban locations in the state.”
Read about more deals below.
