The Prince estate is now asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by the late singer’s Purple Rain co-star Apollonia, who claims the estate is trying to “steal” her name.

In court filings Thursday, the estate (Paisley Park Enterprises LLC) says it has no intention of stopping the singer and actress (Patty Kotero) from continuing to use her stage name – and that her lawsuit was “improperly filed” over “hypothetical threats.”

“PPE has absolutely never insisted that plaintiff cease using Apollonia as her stage name, nor has PPE demanded that plaintiff cease any of her business activities,” writes L. Londell McMillan, a longtime Prince advisor and one of the managers of Paisley Park Enterprises. “I have personally told this to plaintiff several times.”

Apollonia, who rose to fame playing a character of the same name in Purple Rain, sued the estate last month, claiming it had “embarked on an aggressive campaign” at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel her trademark registrations to the name. “There is only one Apollonia,” she wrote at the time.

But in Thursday’s response filing, the estate says it wanted to peacefully co-exist with her – and that it only took action at the USPTO because her existing trademark registration on “Apollonia” was blocking the estate’s own efforts to secure a trademark for “Apollonia 6,” the name of the Prince-founded girl group that Kotero led.

The estate says it had valid grounds to seek to cancel Kotero’s trademark, which it claims she obtained “during [the] chaotic period following Prince’s death.”

“Following his death, certain people with no ownership interest in Prince’s trademarks registered or applied to register marks that rightfully belonged to Prince,” McMillan writes in the court filings. “These same individuals never attempted such improper actions during Prince’s lifetime.”

Prince died of a fentanyl overdose in 2016 without a written will, and his affairs spent more than six years in probate court, as heirs, advisors and others battled over how the valuable estate would be managed in the future. The estate is now split evenly between Paisley Park Enterprises and another group controlled by Primary Wave (which is not involved in the current dispute).

Apollonia, whose song “Sex Shooter” from Purple Rain spent six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984, filed her lawsuit in August, claiming Paisley Park Enterprises’s litigation seeking to void her trademark registrations was threatening “to disrupt not only Apollonia’s livelihood, but also her identity.”

But in Thursday’s court filings, the estate says it never made such threats, meaning Apollonia has no grounds to sue: “Defendant has not demanded that Kotero give up her name, nor has defendant accused plaintiff of infringement,” the estate writes. “Plaintiff’s case should therefore be dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.”

Kotero’s lawyers didn’t immediately return a request for comment on Thursday. They’ll have a chance to respond to the estate’s motion to dismiss in the weeks and months ahead.

Country superstar Jason Aldean is feeling right at home at BMG. The company announced on Thursday that it has acquired the recorded music catalog encompassing Aldean’s first big batch of chart-topping albums, along with publishing and recorded rights from a diverse group of nearly two dozen other artists and songwriters, totaling over 1,000 songs across multiple genres.

The deal brings Aldean’s full discography back under BMG’s umbrella, following its 2017 acquisition of BBR Music Group, which originally released Aldean’s music through its Broken Bow Records imprint. This acquisition spans nine studio albums, from Aldean’s platinum-certified self-titled debut in 2005 to 2019’s aptly-titled 9, four of which reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. BMG continued to release Aldean’s subsequent albums, including Macon, Georgia (2021–2022) and Highway Desperado (2023), which featured the Hot 100-topping hit “Try That In a Small Town.” In April, Aldean celebrated his 40th top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “Whiskey Drink.”

Aldean had previously signed a distribution and marketing deal with BMG in 2019, expanding the company’s rights beyond the U.S. and Canada. This new acquisition ensures BMG controls the full scope of Aldean’s recorded output and neighboring rights (the public performance rights associated with a sound recording).

BMG said the multi-layered acquisition is its largest catalog investment to date and part of broader investment strategy under parent company Bertelsmann’s Boost program, which has surpassed $1.5 billion in music rights investments since 2021. Financial details and the seller were not disclosed.

BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld called the deal a “landmark” moment that “sets a new level of catalog acquisitions” at the company. “By bringing together the iconic catalog of Jason Aldean, we are strengthening our footprint in country music while expanding across genres and deepening our investment in the U.S.,” he said. “This move highlights our ability to maximize the value of music rights and represents a powerful step in BMG’s strategy to be the most effective, artist-first music company in the world.”

Aldean said he was proud of the deal, noting the long-standing support from BBR and BMG. “Knowing all of my music is in the hands of my long-time label team makes this a full-circle moment,” he said.

Jon Loba, president of Frontline Recordings in the Americas, praised Aldean’s impact on country music, crediting his debut album with helping define the genre’s sound and adding that “while his signature style has remained a common thread across every release, Jason has consistently pushed the envelope both sonically and lyrically.”

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds — whose writing and production credits include music for the movies Waiting to Exhale, Boomerang and Soul Food — is adding another film project to his repertoire. The 13-time Grammy winner has written, recorded and produced the new song “Faithful,” featured on the five-song companion EP for the upcoming Netflix film Ruth & Boaz.

Singer-actress Serayah stars as title character Ruth Moably and performs “Faithful” onscreen. The song plays over the Ruth & Boaz end credits as well. Babyface also makes an appearance as himself in the film, produced by DeVon Franklin and Tyler Perry. Netflix will premiere the movie on Sept. 26 — the same day the EP, Ruth & Boaz (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film), becomes available. “Faithful” becomes available Sept. 19 on all DSPs.

Directed by Alanna Brown, Ruth & Boaz is a faith-based story involving rising Atlanta hip-hop artist Ruth Moably, her decision to pivot away from the glamourous, fast-paced music scene after a personal tragedy and start afresh in rural Tennessee as the caretaker for her surrogate mother Naomi, her late boyfriend’s mother. Then vineyard owner Boaz comes into Serayah’s life. Naomi is portrayed by Phylicia Rashad; Boaz by Tyler Lepley. The cast also includes Grammy-winning songwriter-producer Jermaine Dupri. The film was written by Michael Elliot and Cory Tynan.

It was friend and film producer Franklin who asked Babyface to participate in the project. Of writing “Faithful” specifically for the film, Babyface tells Billboard that he “loved and was inspired by the film’s faith-based romance. So the song is just that. It’s about someone being faithful to their relationship with one person because she finally found a relationship she could trust. I loved how they used it in the movie; it turned out to be very impactful.”

In her comments to Billboard about “Faithful,” Serayah — who starred on the Fox drama Empire that aired from 2015 to 2020 — notes that “lyrically and melody-wise I instantly fell in love with the record. It represents not only the unconditional love Boaz has for Ruth, but also the unconditional love God has for each and every one of us. Love has the power to come in and bring you back to who you are called to be if you let it. Babyface is an incredible writer [whose] genius makes it feel like a timeless record. I also enjoyed performing this record because I’ve never sung a country-influenced song. Now I want to explore it more.”

The EP also includes the Babyface-produced cover of the gospel classic “Goodness of God,” which he performs with Serayah in the film. The three remaining tracks are “Prayer for Your Journey,” written by Franklin and music producer Brett Nolan with a spoken word performance by Franklin and vocals by K-CI; “Money Rules,” performed by Serayah and Nijah Brenea; and “Wildflowers,” sung by Serayah.

Of shooting the studio scene in the film during which he and Serayah briefly sing together, Babyface describes it as “natural and organic — she has a beautiful voice.” Adds Serayah of meeting and then collaborating with Babyface in the studio scene, “I was self-conscious, I’m not going to lie! I was nervous about what he thought or felt about my voice. But also, [about] just living in such an organic moment that may or may not ever happen again. It was definitely a memory I will never forget. When you’re in the presence of a legend like Babyface, you just have to soak it all in.”

Watch the trailer for Ruth & Boaz below:

Madonna is going back to the start. Warner Records announced on Thursday (Sept. 18) that the pop icon is returning to her original label home after nearly two decades away. The best-selling female artist of all time has signed with Warner for what the label called her “highly anticipated, upcoming new dance album.”

Madonna celebrated the return in an Instagram post in which she wrote, “Almost 2 decades later — And it feels like home with Warner Records! Back to music, Back to the Dance Floor, Back to where it all began! COADF – Pt. 2 2026.” The post included a series of pictures of the 67-year-old superstar seated on mattress on the floor in a gauzy light pink nightgown staring at the camera with an old-fashioned typewriter at her feet, striking the kinds of sultry looks that have been her signature for more nearly half a century.

The final slide consisted of a snap of a pair of gold heels and what looked like a black purse with the message “P–sy Power” in rhinestones across the front.

Warner Records was Madonna’s home for the first 25 years of her career, starting in 1981, when she signed with the Seymour Stein-run label subsidiary Sire Records. She released her self-titled debut on the label in 1983, which spawned a series of indelible early dance pop hits, including “Everybody,” “Burning Up,” “Holiday,” “Lucky Star” and “Borderline.”

”From being a struggling artist in New York City to signing a record deal to release just three singles it seemed at the time my world would never be the same again and in fact that couldn’t have been truer,” Madonna said in a statement announcing the deal. “Since the beginning Warner Records has been a real partner with me. I am happy to be reunited and look forward to the future, making music, doing the unexpected while perhaps provoking a few needed conversations.”

The deal will bear immediate fruit with a new album due out in 2026, marking the singer’s first full-length collection of new songs since 2019’s Madame X. According to the release, the untitled new album will find Madonna re-teaming with producer/songwriter Stuart Price for the sequel to her Confessions on a Dance Floor LP, which featured the hits “Hung Up” and “Sorry.”

”We are honored to welcome Madonna back home to Warner Records. Madonna isn’t just an artist — she’s the blueprint, the rule-breaker, the ultimate cultural juggernaut. For decades, she has not only defined the sound of global pop music but also reshaped culture itself with her vision, innovation, and fearless artistry,” said Warner Records co-chairmen Tom Carson and Aaron Bay-Schuck in a statement. “This signing represents a historic, full circle moment, one that brings her back to the label where it all began and reaffirms her unparalleled influence, setting the stage for an exciting new era of creativity and impact.”

She remained on Warner through her record-setting run in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, during which time she released such iconic LPs as Like A Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), Like a Prayer (1989), Erotica (1992), Bedtime Stories (1994), Ray of Light (1998), Music (2000), American Life (2003), the original Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005) and Hard Candy (2008). She hopped to Interscope Records in 2012 for her MDNA LP.

At press time no release date has been announced for the upcoming album.

In July, Madonna released her long-rumored Veronica Electronica album, a collection of eight rare and unreleased remixes of songs from her beloved 1998 Ray of Light album.

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Clairo has signed with Atlantic Records, the label announced Thursday (Sept. 18).

“Clairo represents the rare kind of artist who reshapes the music landscape simply by being true to herself,” said Elliot Grainge, chairman and CEO of Atlantic Music Group, in a statement. “She’s not just one of the most important songwriters of her era, she’s an artist whose work and aesthetic is truly unique. As a leading voice in music today, we are honored that she has chosen the Atlantic family to be part of her next chapter.”

Clairo was previously signed to Republic Records, which released her 2021 album, Sling. Her self-released 2024 follow-up, Charm, received a Grammy nomination for best alternative music album.

“I’m so thrilled to begin this next chapter of my musical journey with Atlantic,” said Clairo. “From our first meeting, they immediately understood my vision, and it feels good to know I can continue to be as expressive and free with my ideas with a great new partner by my side.”

All three of Clairo’s albums to date have charted on the Billboard 200: 2019’s Immunity (No. 51), Sling (No. 17) and Charm (No. 8). All three also charted in the top five on Billboard‘s Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums tallies, with Sling spending one week at No. 1 on the latter. Charm also spent a week at No. 1 on the Independent Albums chart. The singer-songwriter has racked up 3 million equivalent album units (399,000 of that in traditional album sales), as well as 3.76 billion on-demand official streams in the U.S., according to Luminate.