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The Beatles And Apple Corps Officially Embrace Global Beatles Day This June 25

Eric Alper
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The Beatles And Apple Corps Officially Embrace Global Beatles Day This June 25

On June 25th, 1967, The Beatles walked into Studio One at Abbey Road Studios in London and sent a message to the world. Broadcast live as part of the BBC’s “Our World,” the first international satellite television broadcast of their song, “All You Need Is Love” reached an estimated 400 million people around the globe. For a few extraordinary minutes, the world was watching together.

Decades later in 2009 lifelong fan Faith Cohen decided this day deserved to be commemorated. From that belief, Global Beatles Day was born. A fan-made, fan-run celebration dedicated to the band, their music, and a message that continues to resonate across generations and around the world: love is all you need.

From tribute concerts in Tokyo to Beatles-themed exhibitions in New York City, singalongs in Buenos Aires, and fan gatherings in Liverpool, Global Beatles Day has continued to grow organically. Its growth has been built on an enduring love for John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr and their message, and evolved into an annual event embraced by fans spanning generations and continents.

Now, in a major milestone for the celebration, Apple Corps Ltd, the company founded by The Beatles to manage their creative and business ventures, has formally acknowledged Global Beatles Day. 

On June 25th, alongside online and in-person events around the world that celebrate the band, The

Beatles will also release a colorized version of their BBC “Our World” performance of “All You Need Is Love” for free on YouTube. The first time the iconic performance has been made available online, it will celebrate the iconic performance’s anniversary, mark Global Beatles Day, and give fans around the world the chance to relive that spectacular, global moment from 1967 and share their reaction in the live chat.

Writing to Faith Cohen this week, Apple Corps CEO Tom Greene praised the fan-led initiative, writing: “More than ever, the message of The Beatles, and of ‘All You Need Is Love’ speaks to something vital for community, connection, and the power of bringing people together. That is what makes Global Beatles Day so special. It asks nothing more than for people, wherever they are, to stop, listen, and share a little joy.”

The recognition feels fitting for a band whose enduring impact remains unparalleled.

The Beatles remain one of the most successful and influential acts in history. More than five decades after their split, their music continues to resonate across generations, from fans who lived through Beatlemania in the 1960s to new audiences discovering “Hey Jude” and “Let It Be” through streaming and social media or “Two of Us,” currently used in the hit film “Project Hail Mary.” Beyond record sales, they reshaped fashion, youth culture, songwriting and album production, sparked the “British Invasion” in America, and redefined popular music with groundbreaking albums like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Their legacy continues to draw millions of visitors to landmarks such as Abbey Road Studios, where fans still flock to recreate the iconic Abbey Road crossing photo. In an announcement made earlier this month 3 Savile Row, the location of their iconic rooftop concert, is to be made into the first official fan experience, opening in 2027. Looking ahead, an eagerly anticipated four-film Beatles cinematic event is set for release in April 2028 through Sony Pictures Entertainment and Neal Street Productions. The project marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film. Directed by Sam Mendes, it will star Harris Dickinson (John Lennon), Barry Keoghan (Ringo Starr), Paul Mescal (Paul McCartney) and Joseph Quinn (George Harrison).

Global Beatles Day started as a simple idea that has become a global movement built on joy, togetherness and connection, values that feel increasingly relevant today. And on June 25th, millions of fans worldwide are expected to do exactly what Global Beatles Day encourages: celebrating The Beatles, their music, and a message that continues to resonate across generations and around the world: love is all you need.

Sign up to be part of the Global Beatles Day movement HERE

Texas Country Star Dylan Gossett Heads Home On Tender New Single “Honeysuckle”

Eric Alper
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Texas Country Star Dylan Gossett Heads Home On Tender New Single “Honeysuckle”

Sometimes the best songs point straight back home. Multi-Platinum singer, songwriter and producer Dylan Gossett unveiled his new single “Honeysuckle” today via Big Loud Texas / Mercury Records. You can listen now.

While his 2025 debut album ‘Westward’ chronicled the whirlwind of becoming one of Texas Country’s most compelling new voices on the road, “Honeysuckle” finds the Austin native circling back to his roots and reflecting on home, love and the relationships that matter most. The song marks a more personal, intimate direction in his writing.

Gossett wrote it on the tour bus following his monumental 2025 Stagecoach debut. The track began as an escape from the California desert and grew into one of his most distinctly Texas songs yet, full of vivid lines drawn from the sunsets he watches over his property in Wimberley, Texas. He built it as a love song to his wife, singing about a Southern sweet, Texas drawl that takes him home.

Earlier this spring he dropped the deeply personal “My Boy,” celebrating the birth of his first child and dedicating it to his growing family.

The new single glows with warmth and homespun detail, the sound of a writer settling comfortably into his own story.

Gossett’s rise has been remarkable. He has nearly 1.5 billion streams across his catalog, and his breakout single “Coal” recently picked up a 2x Platinum certification in the United States, along with Gold in the U.K., Platinum in Australia, and 2x Platinum in both Canada and Ireland. “Coal” marked his first entry on the Spotify U.S. Top 200, the Billboard Hot 100 and the U.K. Official Singles Chart Top 100, and broke into the top 5 of the Spotify Viral 50 charts in the U.S. and globally. His single “Beneath Oak Trees” recently went RIAA Gold. Spotify and Amazon tagged him an Artist To Watch in 2024, MusicRow named him to its Next Big Thing Class of 2025, and he has sold over 200,000 tickets worldwide.

The 27-year-old has packed a lot into a few years, with a Grand Ole Opry debut, festival sets at Stagecoach, SXSW, CMA Fest and Austin City Limits, and support slots for Noah Kahan and Morgan Wallen.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

June 6, Boulder, CO, Folsom Field (Mumford & Sons)

June 8, Fort Worth, TX, Dickies Arena (Mumford & Sons)

June 9, Rogers, AR, Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion (Mumford & Sons)

June 11, Chicago, IL, Wrigley Field (Mumford & Sons)

June 13, Toronto, ON, Rogers Stadium (Mumford & Sons)

June 14, Burgettstown, PA, The Pavilion at Star Lake (Mumford & Sons)

June 16, Bangor, ME, Maine Savings Amphitheater (Mumford & Sons)

June 18, Syracuse, NY, Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview (Mumford & Sons)

June 19, Bristow, VA, Jiffy Lube Live (Mumford & Sons)

June 20, Hershey, PA, Hershey Park Stadium (Mumford & Sons)

June 22, Boston, MA, Fenway Park (Mumford & Sons)

June 27, Glasgow, UK, Bellahouston Park

June 28, Chelmsford, UK, Hylands Park Chelmsford

June 30, Leeds, UK, Millennium Square

July 2, Rotselaar, Flanders, Rock Werchter

July 3, Dublin, IE, Iveagh Gardens

July 5, Belfast, UK, Custom House Square

July 17, Jackson, WY, Snow King Mountain

July 18, Big Sky, MT, Big Sky PBR

Aug 16, Sioux Falls, SD, Denny Sanford Premier Center (The Red Clay Strays)

Aug 18, Grand Forks, ND, Alerus Center (The Red Clay Strays)

Aug 19, Bismarck, ND, Bismarck Event Center (The Red Clay Strays)

Aug 22, Missoula, MT, Adams Center (The Red Clay Strays)

Aug 28, Lubbock, TX, Cook’s Garage (Charles Wesley Godwin)

Aug 29, New Braunfels, TX, Whitewater Amphitheater (Charles Wesley Godwin)

Sept 2, West Valley City, UT, Maverik Center (The Red Clay Strays)

Sept 4, Stateline, NV, Lake Tahoe Outdoor Amphitheater (The Red Clay Strays)

Sept 11, Sacramento, CA, Golden State Arena (The Red Clay Strays)

Sept 12, Ontario, CA, Toyota Arena (The Red Clay Strays)

Sept 16, San Diego, CA, Pechanga Arena (The Red Clay Strays)

Sept 17, Phoenix, AZ, PHX Arena (The Red Clay Strays)

Sept 23, Baton Rouge, LA, Texas Club

Sept 26, Nashville, TN, The Pinnacle (Charles Wesley Godwin)

Sept 29, New York, NY, The Rooftop at Pier 17 (Charles Wesley Godwin)

Oct 1, Raleigh, NC, Red Hat Amphitheater (Charles Wesley Godwin)

Oct 2, Asheville, NC, Hellbender (Charles Wesley Godwin)

Oct 16, College Station, TX, Farmer’s Fest

Nov 20-22, St. Petersburg, FL, St. Pete Country Fest

Dec 3, Perth, AUS, Ice Cream Factory

Dec 5, Brisbane, AUS, Fortitude Music Hall

Dec 6, Sydney, AUS, On The Steps At Sydney Opera House Forecourt

Dec 8, Melbourne, AUS, Festival Hall

Dec 11, Auckland, NZ, Town Hall

Dec 12, North Canterbury, NZ, Waipara Winehouse

Ellie Goulding Sharpens Her Focus On New Single “Black Prada Dress”

Eric Alper
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Ellie Goulding Sharpens Her Focus On New Single “Black Prada Dress”

A studio became the refuge. Globally acclaimed singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding returns with her new single “Black Prada Dress,” arriving alongside news of her highly anticipated sixth studio album ‘I Know Too Much,’ due September 4. You can listen now.

She premiered the track during her set at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend over the bank holiday, and clips spread fast across social media. On Sunday, June 7, Ellie returns to “Later… with Jools Holland” to perform the single, a full-circle moment for an artist who first appeared on the show in 2009 ahead of her debut album.

“Black Prada Dress” digs into the tension between perception and reality, a caustic, self-aware portrait of the fractured selves people build to survive, perform and protect themselves, unravelling in real time. Ellie wrote the song and album executive producer Jack Rochon produced it. She discovered Rochon on TikTok while he was still relatively unknown, trusting the same instinct for emerging talent that led her to producer Starsmith early in her own career, and the pair shaped the album together over the past couple of years.

“‘Black Prada Dress’ really sets the tone for I Know Too Much,” Ellie says. “The album came from the idea that maybe we can know too much. There is a certain kind of freedom in the ease of not knowing. This album is a collection of songs that represent a crossroads in my life where I realized what the freedom of not knowing has gifted me in the past, yet a time when I am at the precipice of understanding the true power in knowing. Through the chaos of this great change, I went to my comfort zone and found my refuge in the studio. My initial instinct was I didn’t know where it was all going, but I just knew I needed to be in the studio. Writing a song has always been my best form of therapy.”

The single arrives with the sharp, emotionally precise songwriting that has defined her catalogue, a striking opening statement for the era ahead.

Ellie’s numbers are staggering. She’s one of the most successful artists of the 21st century, with over 55 billion streams globally and more than 44 million albums sold. Among the top five most-streamed British female artists in the world, she holds the UK record for the most number 1 albums by a British female artist, tied with Adele, along with the most UK Singles Chart entries of any British female solo artist in history.

Her catalogue stays remarkably alive online. “Starry Eyed” recently returned to the UK Official Charts after hitting number 1 on TikTok earlier this year, underscoring her standing as one of pop’s most enduring voices. Her reach extends through collaborations with Calvin Harris, Kygo, Skrillex, Diplo and Major Lazer, and her songs have been sampled by artists including Drake and Jay-Z.

R&B Trio FLO Turn The Dancefloor Into A Confessional On New Single “Don’t Break Her Heart”

Eric Alper
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R&B Trio FLO Turn The Dancefloor Into A Confessional On New Single “Don’t Break Her Heart”

Sisterhood comes with backup. GRAMMY-nominated trio FLO just released their new single and video “Don’t Break Her Heart,” lifted from their forthcoming album ‘Therapy At The Club,’ out July 24 via Island Records. You can listen now.

The track reunites FLO with producer Julian Bunetta and songwriter Steph Jones, who worked with the group on lead single “Leak It.” “Don’t Break Her Heart” plays as an ode to friendship and sisterhood, with the trio warning potential lovers to treat their girls right. Director Troy Roscoe turns the video into a playful caper, casting FLO as an investigative agency for women seeking answers as they take on a case to expose an unfaithful man.

“DBHH is our favourite sisterhood anthem,” FLO said. “It really encapsulates our love for each other and the lengths we are willing to go to protect the hearts of our sisters.”

The single follows the announcement of ‘Therapy At The Club,’ out next month. The album reimagines the club as a site of confession, release and self-possession across the emotional arc of a night out, from pre-game to morning after. Leaning into dark, euphoric R&B and pop with diaristic storytelling, the record explores desire, heartbreak, confidence and healing in real time. FLO wrote it alongside Amy Allen, Steph Jones, Julian Bunetta and Boy Matthews, with contributions from previous collaborators Skippz, Oak Felder and Sevyn Streeter, plus extensive songwriting and production credits from the trio themselves.

“We’re incredibly proud to finally share Therapy at the Club, our sophomore album with the world,” FLO said. “It’s a body of work that feels super personal to us, it’s been a labour of love. For us, the club is more than just a night out, it’s like therapy. I mean, where else do you feel more understood than in a girls bathroom on a night out, that’s the vibe. We’ve been very hands on with the writing and creation of this project alongside our very special collaborators, and that’s made it even more meaningful to us. This album represents where we are right now, honest, evolving, and unafraid to feel everything. We really hope you love it.”

The track glows with attitude and warmth, a confident showcase for three voices that lock together effortlessly.

Last month’s announcement arrived with a cinematic album trailer and the title track “Therapy At The Club,” first performed on their acclaimed NPR Tiny Desk set. That followed lead single “Leak It,” which became FLO’s highest-charting solo single in the UK to date and gathered over 9 million views on its music video in under four weeks.

The past 12 months have rewritten the record books for the British pop-R&B trio. Their debut album ‘Access All Areas’ earned a nomination for Best Progressive R&B Album at the 2026 GRAMMY Awards, the first GRAMMY nomination for a British girl group in 20 years. They performed at the 2026 MOBO Awards and won their first MOBO for Best R&B/Soul Act, and their headline Access All Areas Tour became the biggest US headline run by a British girl group in nearly two decades, alongside sold-out shows across the UK and Europe.

Holly Humberstone Reimagines Four Favorites On New EP ‘it’s a real Cruel World’

Eric Alper
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Holly Humberstone Reimagines Four Favorites On New EP ‘it’s a real Cruel World’

Four songs, stripped to their bones and built back up. Award-winning singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone just released ‘it’s a real Cruel World,’ a strikingly intimate EP that reimagines four standout tracks from her critically acclaimed second album ‘Cruel World.’ The collection offers fresh versions of fan favorites “White Noise,” “Red Chevy,” the title track “Cruel World,” and “To Love Somebody,” her biggest-ever single launch, putting her singular songwriting and unmistakable voice front and center.

The release lands during a landmark stretch for Holly. Over the past few months she’s delivered striking performances on “Later… with Jools Holland,” the season one finale of SNL UK and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and taken the stage at Coachella and Radio 1’s Biggest Weekend, cementing her status as one of Britain’s most compelling live artists.

In April she released ‘Cruel World,’ which debuted at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and has since gathered more than 83 million streams. A richly detailed exploration of love, longing and self-discovery, the album traces the fine line between pain and pleasure, mapping the emotional terrain of modern relationships with razor-sharp lyricism and expansive, cinematic production.

Place has always anchored Holly’s storytelling. From her breakthrough EP ‘Falling Asleep At The Wheel,’ a portrait of a girl growing up in a “haunted house” in Grantham, through ‘The Walls Are Way Too Thin’ and her number 3 debut album ‘Paint My Bedroom Black,’ she documented the dislocation of leaving home in fragments of hotel rooms, late-night messages and new cities. Now 26, Holly has built a home of her own in South-East London, restoring a dilapidated house alongside her sisters and best friend Scarlett.

These new versions glow with warmth and quiet precision, the sound of a writer fully at home in her own songs. The album also draws deeply on love, romantic, platonic and feminine, written through daily studio sessions with collaborator Rob Milton, and shaped by years on the road supporting the likes of Sam Fender, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift.

Holly’s run of honors runs deep. She earned an Ivor Novello nomination for her debut EP and won the BRIT Rising Star award in 2022, performing “London Is Lonely” live to millions at the BRIT Awards that year. This summer she plays festivals including British Summer Time, Reading & Leeds, Mad Cool and Governors Ball, and she supports Gracie Abrams at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles this December.

Tracklist:

“it’s just White Noise”

“at least you got To Love Somebody”

“back in your Red Chevy”

“it’s a real Cruel World”

USA Tour Dates:

June 3, Boston, MA

June 4, Montreal, QC

June 6, All Things Go, Toronto

June 7, Governors Ball

June 9, Philadelphia, PA

June 10, 9:30 Club, Washington

June 12, Variety Playhouse, Atlanta

June 13, Bonnaroo Fest

June 15, Majestic Theatre, Detroit

June 16, The Vic Theatre, Chicago

June 19, Varsity Theater, Minneapolis

June 21, Gothic Theatre, Englewood

June 22, The Complex – The Grand, Salt Lake City

June 24, The Showbox, Seattle

June 25, The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver

June 26, Roseland Theater, Portland

June 28, The Fillmore, San Francisco

Festival Tour Dates:

July 4, London, BST Hyde Park

July 10, Madrid, Mad Cool Festival

July 14, Athens, Ejekt Festival

August 14, Tokyo, Summer Sonic Festival

August 15, Osaka, Summer Sonic Festival

August 23, Darmstadt, Golden Leaves Festival

August 27-30, Reading & Leeds

European Tour Dates:

September 15, Paris, Trabendo

September 16, Amsterdam, Paradiso

September 17, Brussels, Botanique

September 20, Cologne, Stollwerck

September 22, Copenhagen, Amager Bio

September 23, Oslo, Parkteatret

September 24, Stockholm, Nalen

September 26, Hamburg, Gruenspan

September 27, Berlin, Festsaal Kreuzberg

September 28, Munich, Technikum

Gracie Abrams Support Tour:

December 18, Los Angeles, CA, Kia Forum

December 19, Los Angeles, CA, Kia Forum

December 20, Los Angeles, CA, Kia Forum

Jeff Goldblum Lights Up The Late Hours On New Album ‘Night Blooms’

Eric Alper
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Jeff Goldblum Lights Up The Late Hours On New Album ‘Night Blooms’

The piano man is back behind the keys after dark. Jeff Goldblum just released ‘Night Blooms,’ the companion album to 2025’s top 10 and jazz number 1 record ‘Still Blooming,’ out now on Universal’s recently relaunched Fontana label. His longtime band The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra joins him throughout.

The record lands hot on the heels of Goldblum’s second turn as the Wizard in ‘Wicked: For Good.’ Starring in a major screen musical deepened his lifelong love of playing piano and singing, helping turn a 30-year passion project into a thriving parallel career.

‘Night Blooms’ builds on the musical bonds Goldblum formed on the Wicked set, including with co-star Cynthia Erivo, while opening new relationships with singing sensation Charlie Puth, British artist dodie and jazz legend Melody Gardot. The album offers dazzling new takes on beloved standards from Hollywood’s golden era, all carried by Goldblum’s loveable vocals and versatile, seasoned piano playing.

The first single “Misty” features Gardot. Erroll Garner’s classic gets reimagined as a funky jazz boogaloo with a new arrangement by bassist Alex Frank and organist Joe Bagg, and Gardot’s urbane vocal adds a fresh layer of sophistication to the famous opening line.

The collaborations keep delighting. Cynthia Erivo duets playfully with Goldblum on “If I Only Had A Brain,” Haley Reinhart takes a pop detour through songs by Taylor Swift and Loreen, dodie reinvents the standard “Mean To Me,” and Charlie Puth layers complex 5-part harmonies onto the Rodgers and Hart classic “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.” The album closes with a treat, four songs from ‘Still Blooming’ including Scarlett Johansson’s version of “The Best Is Yet To Come,” now reshaped into intimate late-night versions that conjure a jazz club in the small hours.

These performances sparkle with warmth, wit and real musicianship, the sound of a band at its most playful and adventurous yet.

The Night Blooms World Tour is well underway, carrying Goldblum and the band to iconic international venues. The run includes one-night-only performances alongside The Metropolitan Orchestra, conducted by Sarah-Grace Williams, at the Sydney Opera House, and with a 50-plus-piece orchestra at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Added UK dates brought the show to packed venues in Wolverhampton, Glasgow and Manchester.

2026 World Tour Dates:

April 24, Melbourne, AUS, Palais Theatre

April 28, Perth, AUS, Riverside Theatre

April 30, Brisbane, AUS, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre

May 2, Adelaide, AUS, Festival Theatre

May 5, Sydney, AUS, Sydney Opera House

May 28, Wolverhampton, UK, UW At The Halls

May 30, Dublin, IRE, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

June 1, Glasgow, UK, Theatre Royal

June 3, Manchester, UK, Palace Theatre

June 30, London, UK, Royal Albert Hall

July 2, Madrid, ES, Venue TBA

July 5, Barcelona, ES, Auditori Fòrum CCIB

July 7, Antwerp, BE, Queen Elizabeth Hall

July 9, Paris, FR, Salle Pleyel

Tracklisting:

“Misty” feat. Melody Gardot

“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” feat. Charlie Puth

“If I Only Had A Brain” feat. Cynthia Erivo

“Over The Rainbow” feat. Jeff Goldblum

“Mean To Me” feat. dodie

“As Time Goes By” feat. Jeff Goldblum

“Tattoo” feat. Haley Reinhart

“Lover” feat. Haley Reinhart

“We’ll Meet Again” [Late Night Session] feat. Cynthia Erivo

“I Don’t Know Why (I Just Do)” [Late Night Session] feat. Ariana Grande

“Stella By Starlight” [Late Night Session] feat. Maiya Sykes

“The Best Is Yet To Come” [Late Night Session] feat. Scarlett Johansson

Niall Horan Throws Open The Doors On New Album ‘Dinner Party’

Eric Alper
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Niall Horan Throws Open The Doors On New Album ‘Dinner Party’

The table is set and everyone’s invited. Chart-topping global superstar Niall Horan released his fourth solo studio album ‘Dinner Party’ today via Capitol Records, a cinematic and organic record full of songs that play like memories being gently formed. Writing in The Rolling Stone Interview with Niall Horan, Larisha Paul called the album a celebration of life and love. You can listen now here.

Horan’s longtime collaborators Julian Bunetta and John Ryan served as executive producers. His other creative partners and co-writers included Afterhrs, Amy Allen, Ian Franzino, Andrew Haas, Steph Jones, Rocky Block and Joel Little.

The songs are already drawing warm notices. Clash described the title track as lush guitar effervescence wrapped in dulcet, 90s-tinged production, comparing it to a lost Crowded House track that gives Horan room to dial into the thrill of connection. GQ praised “Little More Time” as an anthem for any 30-something staring down midlife, with Horan stretching each melody like it’s stuck in honey and begging for one more song like a reveler facing last call at his favorite karaoke bar.

There’s plenty of television ahead. Horan appears as a talk guest and performs on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Wednesday, June 10, then takes the stage at New York City’s Rockefeller Center on Friday, June 12 as part of the Citi Concert Series on “TODAY.” His recent visit to “Later… with Jools Holland” is up now.

Horan’s path runs deep. He first rose to fame in One Direction before building a powerhouse solo career, selling more than 90 million records worldwide. His Platinum-certified debut ‘Flicker’ carried the triple-Platinum hit “Slow Hands,” and he followed with ‘Heartbreak Weather’ and ‘The Show,’ both of which topped Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart and the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, plus ‘The Show: Encore.’ His 2024 global trek “THE SHOW” Live On Tour packed arenas across multiple continents and sold over 1.2 million tickets worldwide.

These songs glow with melodic ease and grown-up charm, the work of a singer fully comfortable in his own voice.

Niall Horan Dinner Party Live On Tour kicks off September 22, 2026 in Birmingham, England at Utilita Arena Birmingham, produced by Live Nation. The North American leg begins March 17, 2027 in St. Paul at Grand Casino Arena and runs through arenas including Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 4 and The Kia Forum in Los Angeles on May 22, wrapping May 29 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Tickets are on sale now at livenation.com, with VIP packages available at vipnation.com.

Track Listing:

“Tastes So Good”

“Dinner Party”

“Monochromatic”

“She Gets It from Her Mother”

“Better Man”

“Little More Time”

“Flowers”

“Boys Are Fun”

“Fighting Over Nothing”

“Pretty”

“Die If I Don’t”

“End of an Era”

Tetris Marks World Tetris Day With New Games, Global Events, And Award-Winning Wins

Eric Alper
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Tetris Marks World Tetris Day With New Games, Global Events, And Award-Winning Wins

520 million copies. Over 50 platforms. More than 40 years of falling blocks. Tetris arrives at World Tetris Day on June 6 as one of the most widely distributed video game franchises in history, and The Tetris Company is marking the occasion with a global wave of new games, fan events and partnerships.

“What makes Tetris so remarkable is its ability to bring people together through a shared experience that transcends generations and cultures,” said Maya Rogers, CEO of The Tetris Company. “It’s incredible to see how the brand continues to evolve through new experiences, technologies, and partnerships while remaining true to the gameplay that has resonated with players for decades. As we celebrate World Tetris Day, we’re grateful for the passionate community that continues to embrace Tetris in new and unexpected ways around the world.”

Several partners have lined up celebrations. Mobile developer PLAYSTUDIOS is launching a retro-inspired Time Travel Album event in Tetris Block Party, with themed gameplay, exclusive content, and a tournament offering real prizes like a home theater set and AirPods Max. The official Tetris app is running its own special challenge that converts gameplay into real-world rainforest protection through a partnership with Dots.eco.

Competitive play keeps growing too. The fan-led 2026 Classic Tetris World Championship, now in its 17th year, runs June 5 through 7 in Pasadena as part of the SoCal Gaming Expo, with three days of competition before a live audience and thousands of online viewers. Maya Rogers attends on June 6 to celebrate alongside the players, and the event also hosts a TETRIS THE GRAND MASTER 4 -ABSOLUTE EYE- tournament.

Fans can also stream ‘Blue Scuti: Tetris Crasher’ on Amazon Prime Video. Produced by Legendary Entertainment, the documentary follows Willis “Blue Scuti” Gibson, the first person ever to crash the original NES version of Tetris, one of the most celebrated moments in video game history.

The brand keeps spilling into the real world. Bubble tea giant Gong cha just launched EnerTeas, a line of energy drinks created with The Tetris Company, along with three limited-edition Tetrimino-shaped straw toppers available at US locations through June 19. Enhance, the team behind Tetris Effect: Connected, debuted a redesigned digital home at TetrisEffect.game, with new community and music pages for its award-winning soundtrack.

There are fresh ways to play, too. Arika’s TETRIS THE GRAND MASTER 4 -ABSOLUTE EYE- landed on Nintendo Switch this week, and Nintendo added the rare V-TETRIS and 3-D TETRIS to its Virtual Boy library for Switch Online members. Earlier this year Tetris reached AirConsole, letting Škoda drivers and passengers across Europe play through their vehicle infotainment systems, and it expanded into spatial computing via Retrocade by Resolution Games on Apple Vision Pro.

The recognition keeps coming. Tetris was named Best Interactive or Digital Brand at the Licensing International Excellence Awards for a second consecutive year, and its sustainability collaboration with La Poste Groupe earned honors in three categories at The One Show. That campaign packed delivery trucks more efficiently, tripling capacity and cutting 15,000 tons of CO₂ per year.

Dexter Wansel, Philadelphia International Architect Whose “Theme from The Planets” Helped Build Hip-Hop, Dies at 75

Eric Alper
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Dexter Wansel, Philadelphia International Architect Whose “Theme from The Planets” Helped Build Hip-Hop, Dies at 75

Dexter Wansel, the Philadelphia keyboardist, producer, arranger and synthesist whose work helped define the sound of Philadelphia International Records and laid one of hip-hop’s foundational beats, died on May 31, 2026 at the age of 75.

Born in Philadelphia on August 22, 1950, Wansel started out as an errand boy backstage at the city’s Uptown Theater, running between dressing rooms for his step-uncle, the legendary DJ Georgie Woods, from 1959 through 1963. The artists he met there pushed him toward music, and by high school he was performing in bands with his friend Stanley Clarke.

After an honorable discharge from the United States Army in 1970, he joined the small circle of pioneering synthesists alongside Wendy Carlos and Dick Hyman, programming the EMS VCS 3 ‘Putney’ and the ARP 2600 for sessions at Sigma Sound Studios. He played keyboards for Instant Funk, Yellow Sunshine and MFSB before signing with Philadelphia International as an in-house songwriter, producer and arranger, where he built a lasting songwriting partnership with lyricist Cynthia Biggs and collaborated with Bunny Sigler, Kenneth Gamble and others.

In 1977 he produced Lou Rawls’s Grammy-winning album ‘Unmistakably Lou,’ and across the decade he wrote, arranged and synthesized hits for a deep roster of soul and R&B artists. His 1975 “Theme from The Planets,” with its instantly recognizable drum intro, is celebrated as one of the first foundation beats of hip-hop, later sampled by Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, J. Cole, Eric B. & Rakim and many more.

As conductor of the MFSB Orchestra, Wansel served as music director for the historic 1979 White House show commemorating the first Black Music Month, and from 1978 through 1980 he ran A&R for Philadelphia International, overseeing releases by MFSB, the Stylistics and others under Gamble and Huff. His space-funk landmark ‘Life on Mars’ reached a young Jay Kay of Jamiroquai, who credited the record with sparking his love of jazz and funk.

In 1981 Wansel wrote and arranged “Nights Over Egypt” for the Jones Girls, and he kept creating across the decades, signing a new deal with Digital Jukebox Records in 2021 and publishing a novel, ‘Shortwave,’ in 2011. He was the father of Grammy-nominated producer Pop Wansel and the brother of author Teri Woods. This June, a live tribute to ‘Life on Mars’ will be held as part of “Blacktronika: Philadelphia Now and Then,” curated by King Britt.

Tech N9ne Resurrects ‘Anghellic’ For Its 25th Anniversary

Eric Alper
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Tech N9ne Resurrects ‘Anghellic’ For Its 25th Anniversary

25 years ago, a singular voice came roaring out of Kansas City. Tech N9ne released his third album and proper national debut ‘Anghellic’ on August 28, 2001, a dark, cinematic, technically ferocious and deeply personal record that helped lay the groundwork for one of hip-hop’s most successful independent careers.

Now he’s revisiting that pivotal chapter. ‘Anghellic: The Resurrection (25th Anniversary Remaster)’ arrives August 28, 2026 via Strange Music, exactly 25 years to the day after the original. Tech personally oversaw the remixing and remastering of the original recordings alongside engineer Ben “Bengineer” Cybulsky, bringing fresh dimension to the album while preserving the uncompromising vision that made it a fan favorite. Order it here.

The record sits at the heart of the Tech N9ne mythology. Its descent through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven turned a deeply personal inner conflict into a fully realized world, pairing rapid-fire precision and theatrical darkness with vulnerability, melody and an unmistakable Kansas City identity. The album cracked the top 60 of the Billboard 200 and reached number 50 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

The sprawling 22-track project delivered enduring fan favorites including “Einstein,” “Psycho Bitch,” “Sinister Tech” and “This Ring.” The haunting “Psycho Messages” and “Psycho Bitch” weave in John Carpenter’s iconic Halloween theme, while “Einstein” became a live staple and a showcase for the complex, high-velocity delivery that turned into one of Tech’s signatures. XXL later named “Psycho Bitch,” “Sinister Tech” and “This Ring” among the 30 most essential Tech N9ne songs.

The remaster still hits with the same theatrical force that made it a cult classic, sharpened now for a new generation of listeners.

The anniversary release comes in multiple limited-edition physical configurations, including the God Complex Package, It’s Alive Package and Stamina Package, plus a variant-color vinyl edition and a CD edition.

Tech recently wrapped the Strange Wid’ It Tour, his co-headlining North American run with E-40. This summer he returns to his hometown stage for four appearances at the FIFA Fan Festival Kansas City, with full performances on June 12 and July 11 and short sets on June 19 and June 25.

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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