Former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon has dismissed his bandmates’ decision to reform with Frank Carter on vocals, likening the whole endeavor to “karaoke”.

News of a tour from the Sex Pistols emerged in 2024 when it was first announced that the band – featuring original members Steve Jones, Paul Cook, and Glen Matlock – were to reunite for a two-night affair to benefit West London’s Bush Hall. 

The reunion did not, however, feature Lydon, who served as the vocalist of the band under his Johnny Rotten moniker. Instead, the group was to be fronted by Carter, who has previously fronted acts such as Gallows, Pure Love and Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes.

The initial shows soon led to further dates around the U.K. and Europe, with the band billed as Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter. Further shows have since been announced for Australia, New Zealand, and other European countries throughout 2025. In January, Jones confirmed U.S. dates would follow, though specifics are yet to arrive.

Lydon, however, had remained largely quiet in regard to the nascent shows from the band. On Thursday (Feb. 13), he spoke to British publication The i Paper about the tour, explaining that he largely felt “annoyed” by the whole affair and feared it would tarnish the group’s legacy.

“When I first heard that the Sex Pistols were touring this year without me it pissed me off,” he explained. “It annoyed me. I just thought, ‘they’re absolutely going to kill all that was good with the Pistols by eliminating the point and the purpose of it all.’ I didn’t write those words lightly. They’re trying to trivialise the whole show to get away with karaoke but in the long term I think you’ll see who has the value and who doesn’t. I’ve never sold my soul to make a dollar. It’s the Catholic in me – that guilt I don’t want to trip.

“Like Nancy Reagan, I’ve always found it easy to just say ‘no,’” he continued. “If something challenges your heart and your soul and your mind and your sense of purity of what is right and wrong in the world, then just say no. Which, according to the corporate thinking which riddles the music business earns me the title of ‘difficult to work with’ – a title of which I’m very proud.”

The new tour is not the first time, however, that Sex Pistols members have performed songs with a different vocalist. In recent years, Jones and Cook teamed up with Billy Idol and Tony James of Generation X to form the supergroup Generation Sex. Though initially a one-off occurrence in 2018, the group would later embark on a European tour in 2023.

Lydon touched on both the nascent iteration of the Sex Pistols and the Generation Sex group in another recent interview with the Classic Album Review podcast, claiming it’s his presence that makes for the genuine article.

“I wrote the fucking songs, didn’t I? I gave them the image,” he explained. ”I was the frontman. I am the voice what made the whole world sing. And now [they’re] going out, as they did the year before with Billy Idol. It’s just karaoke, really.

“I would love to be embarrassed by high-quality songwriting from them,” he continued. “They’ve had long enough to get that together now, haven’t they? But no. They profess their hatred for me, but they can’t live without me. I am the punishment that goes on giving.”

The Sex Pistols initially existed from 1975 until 1978, releasing their sole studio album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols in 1977. Lauded as a pioneering punk outfit despite their short initial tenure, the band would later reform in 1996 for a world tour, and undertook sporadic tours until 2008.

Famously, the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, though refused to attend the ceremony, labeling the institution a “piss stain.”

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Backstreet Boys superstar Brian Littrell revealed on the Today show that his 22-year-old son, Baylee, will appear on the upcoming season of American Idol.

“He was just texting me last night, going, ‘Dad, dude, how do you do this? Like, it’s hard work,’” Littrell said of his son navigating the music industry. “He’s been busting his butt, and I’m super proud of him. He kind of gets a new sense of reality of what this is.”

Baylee, whom Brian shares with wife Leighanne Littrell, teased his time on Idol via Instagram earlier this month. Well guys recently I had the opportunity to audition for @americanidol Tune in to see the season premiere and what happens on 3/9/25,” he wrote alongside a screenshot of the show’s logo.

Brian sweetly supported his son in the comments, writing, “Bubba I can’t wait!!!!! Good Luck we’re all counting on you hahaha.”

Baylee released his debut single, a country song called “Don’t Knock It,” back in 2018. “My dad has always been my champion, so he’s always told me to just do what I want to do and follow my dreams, and to do my best and not overthink it,” he told People at the time. “It’s really just taken so much pressure off.”

The newest season of American Idol premieres March 9 on ABC, before it streams the next day on Hulu. This season marks the first with season 4 winner Carrie Underwood on the judges panel — replacing Katy Perry — alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.

The Backstreet Boys are taking over the Sphere in Las Vegas with their ‘Into the Millennium’ residency and their anniversary album ‘Millennium 2.0.’ Keep watching to see what fans can expect at their show and more!

Are you excited for their residency? Let us know in the comments!

Backstreet Boys: 

One incredible experience, sensory overload. You know you’re gonna get to hear the entire ‘Millennium’ album from start to finish, as well as some of our greatest hits and our new single. There might be some new adaptations of things. And oh, we haven’t told them about — we haven’t told them about that yet, but yes, well, make sure you pack something all white.

Tetris Kelly:

The Backstreet Boys are heading to the iconic Vegas Sphere in July, and we were lucky enough to chat with the fellas about their new single and album and what they’re bringing to the futuristic venue.

Backstreet Boys: 

Us, our families and our friends, lots of fans. One incredible experience, sensory overload. Yeah, we, you know, doing the ‘Millennium’ tour back in ’99 was such a like incredible moment to be in the round, to do a show like that, that no one had really ever done before, to now being in the most state-of-the-art, advanced, sonically overwhelming, visually outstanding venue on the planet, and to be the first pop band to be in there as well, and to commemorate 25 years of our biggest record, you know, you’re going to get to hear the entire ‘Millennium’ album from start to finish, as well as some of our greatest hits and our new single “Hey.” 

Keep watching for more!

A$AP Rocky (Rakim Mayers) has been found not guilty on both counts in the shooting case involving his former friend and associate A$AP Relli (Terrell Ephron).

The verdict, which the jury reached after about three hours, according to The Associated Press, was read in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom at 4 p.m. PT on Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 18).

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Upon the reading of the verdict, wild cheers of celebration broke out and an ebullient Rocky jumped over the railing toward his partner Rihanna, who was seated in the audience and has attended multiple dates during the trial, along with Rocky’s mother and sister. After taking his place back at the defense table, the emotional rapper embraced his attorneys and later folded his hands in prayer.

Rocky, who was arrested in April 2022 at Los Angeles International Airport after being accused of firing a handgun twice at Relli near a Hollywood hotel in November 2021, faced two felony counts of assault with a firearm and a maximum of 24 years in prison if convicted. The 36-year-old pleaded not guilty to all charges in August 2022. Last month, he turned down a final plea deal prior to the start of the three-week trial that would have landed him 180 days in county jail. On Feb. 11, the Harlem rapper waived his right to take the stand and testify.

Rocky’s legal team, led by attorney Joe Tacopino, had argued that the weapon in the case was a prop gun filled with blanks, which the rapper fired in an effort to defuse an escalating situation.

This is a developing story.

While the four members of BLACKPINK spent much of 2024 establishing themselves as soloists with new label ventures and partners, JISOO was quieter on the music front with more of a focus on her acting and modeling career alongside her newly established independent agency BLISSOO. Little did we know that the 30-year-old was quietly working on a highly anticipated comeback record, marking the second solo record to drop during the BP women’s next chapter.

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Released on Valentine’s Day 2025, AMORTAGE is the four-track EP that JISOO described as a “collection of stories about love — the highs, the lows and everything in between” in a press statement. With the title created as a portmanteau of the words “amor” (“love” in Latin and Spanish) and “montage,” the idea of a range of experiences gives the starlet space to play around with a spectrum of sounds, sentiments and vocal stylings through a mix of English and K-pop cuts.

Lead single “earthquake” aligns JISOO with prime Britney Spears material, while the impressive English tracks “Your Love” and “Hugs & Kisses” paint the picture of an increasingly more confident, globally focused superstar.

Ahead of AMORTAGE‘s release, JISOO announced she had signed a global label deal with Warner Records for her solo music, which will not only help the star reach more people with her music but could offer her additional international resources in terms of A&R and promotion after delivering such a strong solo record on her own. While fans worldwide can enjoy streaming AMORTAGE now, its physical version will be released in the U.S. on March 14, giving the EP even more legs and – hopefully — additional time to push even more songs and material off the record.

Check out our ranking of the songs off JISOO’s AMORTAGE album below.

Nick Cave is standing firm on his admiration for Kanye West’s music, even as the rapper continues to stir controversy with his inflammatory remarks and actions.

The legendary Australian singer-songwriter addressed his stance in response to a fan letter on his Red Hand Files blog, following his recent revelation that he wanted West’s “I Am a God” played at his funeral.

Since Cave’s initial comments, West has reignited outrage by doubling down on anti-Semitic remarks, openly declaring himself a Nazi, and selling a swastika-branded T-shirt on his website. One fan bluntly questioned Cave: “How the hell can you listen to the song without seeing the scum of a human being that Kanye has become?”

In response, Cave acknowledged the controversy while making it clear that he does not condone West’s actions. “Numerous letters have come in expressing, in no uncertain terms, disapproval of my fondness for Kanye West’s music,” Cave began.

“A lot of time and energy has been spent explaining the evil of Nazism, the harm of antisemitism, why it is wrong to sell t-shirts emblazoned with swastikas, and why it is unacceptable to coerce one’s girlfriend into standing naked on the red carpet at the Grammys.” he continued. “On that matter, it seems, we can all find some common ground. I agree.”

However, Cave pushed back against the idea of fully dismissing an artist’s work due to their personal failings. “The idea of an artist being divorced from their art is absurd,” he explained.

“However, the great gift of art is the potential for the artist to excavate their interior chaos and transform it into something sublime. This is what Kanye does. This is what I strive to do, and this is the enterprise undertaken by all genuine artists. The remarkable utility of art lies in its audacity to transfigure our corrupted state and create something beautiful.”

Cave went on to describe West as “an exemplar par excellence” of this concept, stating that despite his “brokenness,” the rapper’s music embodies the tension between “sin, transcendence, and genius.”

Still, he did not shy away from condemning West’s actions. “As odious and disappointing as many of Kanye’s views are, and as sickening as antisemitism is – in its sadly always-present, ever-morphing forms – I endeavour to seek beauty wherever it presents itself,” he wrote. “In doing so, I am reluctant to invalidate the best of us in an attempt to punish the worst. I don’t think we can afford that luxury.”

Cave’s comments come years after he previously referred to West as “our greatest artist,” praising his fearless creative approach. However, even then, he admitted that West’s troubling rhetoric made it difficult to listen to his music without hesitation.

As West’s latest actions spark further backlash—including his recent suspension from X (formerly Twitter), Shopify shutting down his Yeezy store, and his talent agency dropping him—many in the music industry continue to distance themselves from him. Ty Dolla $ign, West’s Vultures collaborator, has publicly condemned hate speech, while Charlie Puth and David Schwimmer have called for further consequences against the rapper.

Despite numerous controversies over the years, West’s music has long had a presence on the Billboard charts. His 2013 album Yeezus—which includes “I Am a God,” the song Cave wants played at his funeral—debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Singer-songwriter BD.ii walked onto The Voice stage with quiet confidence, but the moment he began singing Miguel’s “Adorn,” it was clear he was a standout contender.

His smooth, controlled delivery and effortless stage presence captivated the audience—and the coaches, who wasted no time turning their chairs.

Michael Bublé was the first to hit his button, recognizing BD.ii’s undeniable vocal ability. Kelsea Ballerini quickly followed, with John Legend and Adam Levine completing the four-chair turn. However, Levine was in for a surprise when he realized he had been blocked by Ballerini, leaving him visibly frustrated.

“I’m a sad, sad man, because you are world-class. You’re a badass,” Levine added as the other coaches laughed.

BD.ii, an Atlanta native whose singing career took off after an injury ended his basketball aspirations, delivered a version of “Adorn” that felt fresh yet true to its original essence. His tone, phrasing, and natural charisma made an immediate impact, prompting Bublé to make an impassioned pitch.

“He’s not the threat. I’m the threat,” Bublé joked. “We’re about to help grow the population of America with that voice.”

Ballerini emphasized her versatility as a coach, stating, “I am actively having crossover songs, for other artists and with other artists. I don’t believe in boxes.”

But it was Legend who ultimately secured BD.ii for his team, pointing out his personal connection to the song’s original artist. “I’ve written with Miguel,” Legend said. “You made it sexier, made it cooler.” With that, BD.ii made his decision. “Imma go with my boy John,” he announced, sealing the deal as Legend celebrated and Levine processed his disappointment.

Miguel’s “Adorn” became a defining track of modern R&B, spending 23 weeks atop Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and winning the Grammy for Best R&B Song. The track, featured on Kaleidoscope Dream, also peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.

With his undeniable talent and Legend’s guidance, BD.ii is already emerging as one of the season’s most promising contestants.

Watch BDii’s performance below.

Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum has dismissed suggestions that Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will ever return to the touring circuit.

Sorum’s claims arrived just weeks after Tyler made a return to the stage as part of his sixth annual Jam for Janie Grammy Awards Viewing Party. With Sorum serving as Musical Director, the event was only the second time that Tyler had performed live since a 2023 vocal injury which halted Aerosmith’s touring schedule, and the first time since the band announced their formal retirement in August of 2024.

Performing alongside Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt, Tyler sung covers of songs by Extreme and Led Zeppelin, and four Aerosmith staples, which saw the musician joined by the likes of Mick Fleetwood, Lainey Wilson, the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson, Jessie J, and Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton. However, despite the positive response from fans, Sorum told Joe Rock of Long Island radio station WBAB (via Blabbermouth) that the strain of global touring would prevent Tyler from performing on a large scale once again.

“Some fans were a little bit, like, ‘Well, he can sing.’ Well, let me just explain what’s happening with Steven Tyler, ’cause he’s a really good friend,” Sorum explained. “He went out and sang. And it was a really big moment for him because he hurt himself bad. Now, is he gonna tour again? No, he’s not. Because, and I explained this to people, Steven cannot put himself under the rigors of doing a full worldwide tour because there’s a lot of pressure. 

“And if you’re not a singer, you wouldn’t understand what he goes through, but he’s 77 years old and he’s a perfectionist. And if he doesn’t sing correctly, it bothers him. And he’s not gonna put it on tape, like 80 percent of the people that are out there taking your money. He will not be on tape, and he won’t change the keys of the song. That’s just who he is. He’s, like, ‘I’m an artist. I’m a singer. This is my band. I’ve been doing this for 50 years. And if I can’t do it perfect, I can’t do it.’ And I respect that. 

“I talked to him about it multiple times,” added Sorum. “I said, ‘So, just sing four or five songs tops.’ He says, ‘I can do that.’ And that was just one time. Maybe down the line, he’ll do it again and possibly do the same amount of songs.”

Initially, early reports of Tyler’s recent live appearance claimed that the performance would in fact be an Aerosmith reunion. If it were true, it would have been the group’s first live show since Sept. 2023.

While performing in Elmont, NY on Sept. 9 of that year, Tyler fractured his larynx, necessitating the postponement of shows on their Peace Out tour. Ultimately, these shows were canceled entirely when the band announced their retirement from touring in August 2024.

In January, Hamilton spoke to Boston’s WBUR to provide an update on Tyler’s health status, and to provide an insight into future Aerosmith activity. “Maybe Aerosmith will do something in the future, but it’s a big if and the last thing I want to be doing is to try and push Steven in that direction,” he explained. “If we do anything in the future, it would come from him.”

Tool bassist Justin Chancellor has provided an update into the band’s famously-protracted album release schedule, revealing that the Los Angeles quartet will be hitting the studio following their upcoming tour of South America.

Speaking to Summa Inferno, Chancellor explained that after Tool – whose last album arrived in 2019 – wrap up a run of March shows in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Brazil, they plan to “dedicate the next three months after that in the studio to organizing our ideas”.

“There are a lot of stages in the process,” Chancellor continued. “We all have ideas. When they’re good, when we like them, we kind of save them or memorize them. The really difficult process is when you actually get together and make decisions about how it’s going to end up. And that becomes a little more mathematical, a little more like in the classroom — there’s a blackboard and there’s numbers and you have to make decisions. So that’s the stage we haven’t completely pulled off yet, but we’re committed to do that when we get back.”

Noting that the band “have a really good pile of stuff” after its members shared their individual ideas with others, Chancellor noted that the next stage of the process is where things become a lot more complicated.

“You have to make those decisions, and you have to kind of wrestle with each other a bit to get to that next stage,” he explained. “And then you have to record it, which is a whole other thing as well. It’s like a pregnancy, almost. When you go to the studio, you have to make this final decision of how it’s going to sound and how you’re going to play it, and it’s going to live like that forever.”

Though Tool celebrate their 35th anniversary in 2025, their lengthy history has only brought with it a comparatively-meager five full-length records. Famously, a 13-year gap followed the release of 2006’s 10,000 Days, with fifth album Fear Inoculum giving the band their third consecutive Billboard 200 chart-topper upon its August 2019 release.

While the band were forced to contend with a long-running lawsuit that delayed the production of their most recent record, Chancellor – who joined Tool ahead of 1996’s Ænima – defended the length of time the band spends working on material.

“It’s a real delicate thing to be able to pull off,” Chancellor explained. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable that we take a long time at all. I think that’s only natural, and that’s why I’m proud of it, because it was worked on really hard.”

Tool’s Fear Inoculum record also scored the band a pair of Grammy nominations, including Best Rock Song for its title track, and Best Metal Performance for “7empest” – with the band winning the latter. 

Notably, upon the release of 10-minute-and-21-second lead single “Fear Inoculum”, it became the longest song to enter the Hot 100 – dethroning David Bowie’s 2015 single “Blackstar” by 24 seconds in the process.

Tool were themselves outshone by André 3000 by almost two minutes in 2023, when his New Blue Sun album opener “I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’ Album but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time” entered the chart at No. 90.

Rata inmunda, animal rastrero, escoria de la vida, adefesio mal hecho.”

Loosely translating to “filthy rat, creeping animal, scum of life, shoddy monstrosity” in English, these are the opening lyrics to one of Paquita la del Barrio’s most popular songs, “Rata de dos Patas.”

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Whether the lyrics to her songs — most penned by other composers, including Manuel Eduardo Toscano — were poetic is subjective, but they were very much the essence of Paquita. She was refreshingly honest, which made her one of the most unique artists of her generation.

It was announced on Monday (Feb. 17) that the great and oh-so-blunt Paquita la del Barrio had died at age 77, leaving behind a hefty catalog of female anthems that have soundtracked Spanish-language households in Mexico and beyond for decades.

“With deep pain and sadness, we confirm the sensitive passing of our beloved ‘Paquita la del Barrio’ at her home in Veracruz [Mexico], being a unique and irreplaceable artist, who will leave an indelible mark in the hearts of all who knew her and enjoyed her music,” reads a statement posted on her official Instagram account. “In this moment of great pain, we respectfully ask all media and the public to give us space and understanding so that her family can experience their mourning in privacy and peace.”

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Paquita la del Barrio was a force to be reckoned with in regional Mexican music, a genre historically and still dominated by men. Her perspective and take on rancheras — often calling out the macho culture — was not only unique, but extremely important. No one was else was singing what Paquita la del Barrio was singing about, and for that, she will go down in history as one of the most iconic singers in Latin music.

Injecting pathos into her delivery, Paquita made women feel seen. Our point of view mattered, too, she proclaimed, singing about the peaks and valleys of womanhood and, more often than not, singing directly to the men who disrespected her. “I should shut up like a lady would,” she sings in “Taco Placero.” “But now they will know that you are a dud in bed.”

While most of Paquita la del Barrio’s songs became anthems, here are five emblematic ones (in no particular order).