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.

Veteran rockabilly musician Brian Setzer has revealed he’s currently unable to play guitar, with an unspecified autoimmune disease halting his celebrated abilities.

Setzer shared the news on social media on Thursday (Feb. 13), giving fans an update as to his current status following a few months away from the stage. In his post, he revealed that towards the end of the Stray Cats’ 2024 summer tour (which wrapped in August), he was left with cramping hands and a diminished ability to play guitar.

“I’ve since discovered that I have an auto-immune disease. I cannot play guitar,” he told his followers. “There is no pain, but it feels like I am wearing a pair of gloves when I try to play. I have seen some progress in that I can hold a pen and tie my shoes. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I was at a point where I couldn’t even do that. 

“Luckily, I have the best hospital in the world down the block from me. It’s called the Mayo Clinic. I know I will beat this, it will just take some time.”

Setzer first rose to fame at the start of the ‘80s as the guitarist and vocalist of New York rockabilly outfit Stray Cats. Following a string of successful albums and singles (including Hot 100 top ten hits “Rock This Town” and “Stray Cat Strut” from their 1981 self-titled debut), the group split in 1984 before reforming two years later.

Alongside further splits and reunions, Setzer has also been the leader of the eponymous Brian Setzer Orchestra since 1990. His most recent solo album, The Devil Always Collects, arrived in 2023, while Stray Cats returned in 2019 with 40, their first studio album in 26 years.

Setzer’s battle with an auto-immune disease isn’t the first time the acclaimed musician’s health has kept him away from the stage. In 2019, he was forced to cancel 26 dates of his Christmas Rocks! Tour due to being diagnosed with a severe case of tinnitus – a condition that causes sufferers to hear a constant noise or ringing in their ears.

“I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience this has caused all of the amazing people who make my tour happen and to my unbelievably loyal and devoted fans,” Setzer wrote at the time. “I hate to let you down and I hope you’ll understand.”

Though no touring plans have been affected by Setzer’s recent diagnosis, his positive demeanor bodes well for a swift return to the stage.

Back in September of 2021, during the Billboard Latin Music Awards in Miami, Paquita la del Barrio — all 4 feet, 11 inches of her — struggled to reach the too-high microphone set up for her to accept her Lifetime Achievement Award.

It was one of those totally impromptu TV moments, and for a few seconds, the stage and the audience froze, uncertain of what to do. Then, Bad Bunny bounded up from his front row seat, climbed onto the stage, lowered the microphone and held it up for Paquita as she delivered a teary thank you.

There was a one-foot height gap between Paquita at 4′ 11″ and Bunny at 5′ 11″, and a 47-year age gap between Bunny, 27 at the time, and Paquita, 74. But standing side by side — Bunny, in an elegant cream suit, and Paquita, resplendent in a pink evening gown adorned with sequins — they were both unicorns in their respective worlds.

By now, of course, the whole world beyond our Latin corners knows all about Bad Bunny, superstar. But they were just starting to wake up to the exploits of Paquita la del Barrio, the diminutive ranchera singer whose death was announced today (Feb. 17) at 77 years old.

Although she released more than 30 albums throughout her career, and performed thousands of shows, the life of the woman born Francisca Viveros Barradas in Veracruz, Mexico, was little-known outside the Latin realm until last year, when Netflix released a series memorializing a hard-scrabble, colorful life.

Born poor, and married young to a man 18 years her senior — who, as it turned out, had another family — and pummeled by life and hardship, Paquita rose against all odds, thanks to a powerful voice and an impervious stage presence.

That alone would have garnered fame. But Paquita became legendary because she loudly and publicly excoriated men with extraordinarily harsh songs whose titles, like “Rata de dos Patas” (Two-Legged Rat) and “Piérdeme el Respeto” (Lose My Respect), often said it all. Paquita knew what she sang. She’d given her heart to a two-timing scoundrel, after all, and in every song that voiced her anger and the deceit (“Horrible rat, crawling animal, scum of life, misshapen monster”), she voiced the anger and deceit experienced by legions of fans.

But she could also sing of love and lust: “Lose my respect,” she begged in “Piéerdeme el Respeto.” “Stop being coy and ask of me, I beg you, the most indecent proposals.” She was also sweet and emotional, often breaking down in tears during interviews.

In the realm of Latin music, where women so often have to fit into a glamorous, beautiful mold, Paquita defied convention. Her nickname was literally Paquita from the barrio, of the people. She was a portly, elegant matron who notched her biggest hits — including “Taco Placero” and “Rata de Dos patas” — when she was well in her 50s.

Many of those hits were written expressly for her by songwriter Manuel Toscano, who once told Billboard: “I write specifically for each artist. Particularly what I write for Paquita la del Barrio. Through her songs, women love me, but men hate me!”

Except, they didn’t. Paquita triumphed in the world of regional Mexican music, which continues to be a notoriously tough nut to crack for women. But Paquita didn’t care about tradition or niceties. She just let it all out, and men loved her for it. In the vastly male-dominated live concert circuit of Mexican music, she was often the headliner, and men flocked to her shows.

On the charts, however, Paquita struggled as an unconventional woman. She placed eight releases on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums charts, but none of them made the top 10. She never had a top 10 on the radio charts, either.

Paquita eventually found her love. Her second marriage lasted 30 years, until her husband’s death. And her power and influence was such that in 2021, Billboard honored her with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

That night, Bad Bunny couldn’t figure out how to lower the microphone stand for Paquita. “You’re useless,” she deadpanned, referencing the famous line in “Rata de dos patas,” in which she shouts, “Are you listening to me, useless one?”

Bunny shrugged, and valiantly held that mike. Coming from Paquita, he knew this was the ultimate compliment.

Lil Wayne has joined the eclectic roster of musical guests to share a career-spanning singles medley on Sunday night’s (Feb. 16) SNL50: The Anniversary Special.

Wayne was joined by The Roots and DJ T. Lewis for his performance, which opened with 2018 single Uproar, and saw Weezy run through other tunes from his Tha Carter series of albums, including his lone Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper as a solo artist “Lollipop”, followed by “6 Foot 7 Foot” and “Mrs. Officer”.

The lion’s share of the set was devoted to closer “A Milli”, which currently serves as Wayne’s standard set-closer, almost 17 years since it was first released. His non-musical contributions to the SNL50 appearance were limited, with the musician closing out his set with a simple, “Thank you, happy 50th”.

This performance also marks Wayne’s fourth time appearing on a Saturday Night Live broadcast as a musical guest, having first made his debut back in 2008 as part of season 34 opening episode. Featuring Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps on hosting duties, Wayne performed “Got Money” and “Lollipop” during that initial appearance.

Two years later, he appeared with Eminem and also shared a solo performance of “6 Foot 7 Foot”, in an episode which saw Jeff Bridges as host. Wayne would return again in 2018 to appear in a Liev Schreiber-hosted episode where he performed “Can’t Be Broken” with Halsey and “Uproar” with Swizz Beatz.

Earlier this month, Lil Wayne confirmed that he would be releasing his highly-anticipated Tha Carter VI album on June 6, announcing the news as part of an ad for Cetaphil. The third, fourth and fifth installments of Tha Carter each topped the Billboard 200 and the Drake-assisted “She Will” has had a second life vaulting the 2011 track to top the TikTok Billboard Top 50 on the Feb. 8-dated tally.

SNL50: The Anniversary Special is airing Sunday night, following Friday’s SNL50: The Homecoming Concert on Friday night.