Jessie Ware returns with her new album ‘Superbloom’ – the crescendo of her latest era out 10th April via Island EMI Records.
Superbloom’ erupts into a glittering rush of Studio 54-inflected groove-pop. Expanding Ware’s increasingly euphoric body of work as she explores our shared craving for touch, pleasure, intimacy and connection.
The album features recent single ‘I Could Get Used To This’, hailed as her “ultimate entry into divahood” and the first track to fully capture the record’s assured, expansive spirit, carried by cascading strings and a sense of full-bodied release. Ware explains of the album: “Since ‘What’s Your Pleasure?’ I’ve been trying out this fantasy world and escapism. I’m not the most by-the-book ‘pop star’, but I do like to play with dress-up, glamour, and fun, While I love dance music, I wanted to dig deeper with this record; to connect with real relationships and appreciate the love I have, and the fears I have of losing it.”
Continuing a practice she’s upheld since 2020, Ware A&R’d the record herself, firmly maintaining creative control. Alongside Ford, she collaborated with Barney Lister, Karma Kid, Jon Shave (Charli XCX), and Stuart Price, while Ben Baptie (Sault, Little Simz, Adele) mixed the album. The record arrives almost three years after Ware’s critically acclaimed ‘That! Feels Good!’, which debuted at No. 3 on the Official UK Albums Chart and marked her highest-ever entry on the US Top Album Sales chart. The album was widely praised by The Guardian, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, NME, USA Today and more, and cemented Ware’s position as one of the most vital voices in contemporary pop.
From landmark live moments at Glastonbury, Primavera and the British Fashion Awards, to the runaway success of singles including ‘Free Yourself’, ‘Pearls’ and ‘Begin Again’. That momentum carries forward here, but with a renewed clarity of purpose.
‘Superbloom’ goes beyond celebrating pleasure, framing it as something earned, intentional, and transformative. This is Jessie Ware in full bloom.
Multi-platinum rapper Wale has dropped the official music video for “Watching Us” featuring Leon Thomas. Originally arriving in November 2025 via Def Jam Recordings, “Watching Us” emerged as a standout from Wale’s eighth studio album ‘everything is a lot.’, instantly cementing its status as a critic and fan favorite. The song’s romantic vibe is anchored by a nostalgic sample of Goapele’s classic song “Closer”, providing the perfect canvas for Wale’s introspective lyricism and Leon Thomas’s buttery vocals. Directed by Hidji, the cinematic visual juxtaposes the stillness of relationship intimacy at home with the glare of the nightlife scene, capturing the complexities of maintaining a private connection while in the public eye.
With Leon Thomas fresh off his two Grammy wins at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards and Wale continuing to cement his status as one of hip-hop’s greatest storytellers, the music video serves as a victory lap for two of music’s most essential voices. Upon its initial release, “Watching Us” was met with fan love and critical acclaim, with Complex calling the track “a cuffing anthem that reimagines Goapele’s classic and could rank among Wale’s greatest hits,” and VICE declaring it “a vibe-heavy romantic tune… that you will definitely want to add to your date night playlist.” The track showcases why Wale has been one of rap’s most versatile and enduring artists since his breakout 2008 mixtape ‘A Mixtape About Nothing’.
Wale has blended striking social commentary, confident lyricism, and anthemic storytelling throughout his career, helping merge backpack rap with mainstream success and earning Platinum and Gold plaques along the way. Born Olubowale Victor Akintimehin to Nigerian immigrant parents in Washington, D.C., he pursued football in college before shifting to music. After aligning with Rick Ross’ MMG, he delivered Platinum hits like “Lotus Flower Bomb” and “My P.Y.T.”, proving his staying power across albums including ‘Attention Deficit’, ‘Ambition’, ‘The Gifted’, and ‘The Album About Nothing’. Following a brief hiatus after ‘Folarin II’ in 2019, Wale returned in 2023 with a new deal at Def Jam, a number one Nigerian hit, and a Kennedy Center headline show celebrating ‘The Gifted’.
With ‘everything is a lot.’ representing his highly anticipated eighth album, Wale continues his next chapter as one of hip-hop’s greatest writers. The “Watching Us” video arrives as another testament to his ability to craft songs that resonate both critically and commercially while maintaining the nuanced perspective that has defined his career. The visual proves that nearly two decades into his career, Wale remains one of rap’s most compelling voices.
Jamey Johnson releases “More Of What Matters,” a powerful and poetic reminder of what’s truly important in life.
Produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys, Johnson co-wrote the song in 2007 with Keith Follese and Jon Stone and had been saving it for just the right moment. That moment is now, and Johnson’s vocal delivery reflects his fresh insights from maturity, life experience and wisdom.
“Back then, I wrote that from the perspective of somebody who needed to find more things that matter,” Johnson says. “Looking back on a perspective of 20 years down the road, that guy was naive and didn’t know the gravity of what he was writing. At this age, it hits home. It’s time.
“(The Mavericks’) Raul Malo was a dear friend and passed away at 60,” he says. “There’s a clock ticking on my life too, and I don’t know when it will be over. I’ve got to reset my priorities and do what is important to me or I will be a life unlived. I don’t want to be too busy and distracted on the road to forget the things that really matter.”
The lyrics include, Well, I woke up one morning with everything I own around me I had a pocket full of money and a cold and empty heart. I spent a lifetime chasing rainbows, watching life go by through windows And I bet a rich man’s fortune on this worthless house and cars. It took me way too long to find that the best things in life are free, And the rest ain’t worth a dime. I need more of what matters every moment that I have it ‘Cause it’s all that you take with you when you go. If spinning wheels and climbing ladders is all there is, well then I’d rather Go to heaven emptyhanded, knowing that I got it right. I need more of what matters, more of what really matters in my life.
“At that time, it was an awareness of what happens in our business,” Johnson says. “Those lines came to me, Keith and Jon in that writing room in a very honest way. That was exactly where I was at the time, looking around and recognizing, man, you can chase that star forever and never catch anything that was worth a dime.”
This is a message Johnson now heeds in his own life. He spent the last two decades of his life on tour, taking him away from his home and family much of the year. He married attorney Brittney Eakins in 2025 and remains determined to keep his priorities in check.
“Now there’s a big part of me that wants to come home and focus on that for a while. I’m still going to tour, but I’m not going to do it so much, and not let it take me as much from home.”
Johnson originally recorded the song in 2007 and intended on including it on his critically acclaimed 2008 album called That Lonesome Song, which was certified 2x-platinum.
“I’m not really sure why I didn’t, but I’m glad now that I didn’t so that I still have it to release today,” says Johnson, who re-recorded a new version of the song for this release. “But I guess at the time I was focusing on something else.
“Lonesome Song and Guitar Song both did really well. I’m not sure that song would’ve fit either album at the time, as far as its content and message. It really fits now for sure.”
This marks the start of a new year full of new music from Johnson, who joins Kris Kristofferson as the only two writers to have won both the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Association Song of the Year Award twice in the same year, with Johnson winning for “In Color” and “Give It Away.”
This continues his collaboration with Warner Records Nashville and his own Big Gassed Records, which began with Midnight Gasoline in 2024. That album, his first new album of solo material in 14 years, was ranked No. 4 on Billboard’s list of Top Country Albums of 2024.
Since releasing Midnight Gasoline, Johnson has written and recorded more than 50 songs at the Cash Cabin studios in Hendersonville, Tenn. While he has performed a few of these new songs during his tour, he will release many recorded versions throughout this year.
“I’ve been hearing people say for the longest time, ‘I wish you’d put out new music,’” he says. “Well, here goes!”
Award-winning singer/songwriter Jamey Johnson has served as country music’s north star for nearly two decades, inspiring a generation of artists with his unforgettable albums that have built a bridge connecting traditional country with the music of today.
The 10-time GRAMMY nominee has been called “one of the greatest country singers of our time,” by The Washington Post. As rock legend Don Henley says, Johnson is “the nearest thing” we have to late country icon George Jones. His music has garnered international acclaim and is embraced by fans of classic and contemporary country, as well as Americana and mainstream rock.
The Grand Ole Opry member is also widely regarded as one of the greatest country songwriters of his generation. He is one of only two people in the history of country music (along with Kris Kristofferson) to win two Song of the Year awards in the same year – for “Give It Away” and “In Color” – from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.
Following the success of their recent single “Dead”, Atreyu returns with “Ego Death”, a bruising but cathartic new track that digs into the idea of shedding who you were to become who you’re meant to be. Built on crushing riffs, a surging groove, and a massive melodic hook, the song balances the band’s heaviest instincts with one of their most emotionally resonant choruses to date. The band says, “Sometimes a piece of you has to die in order for you to truly live. ‘Ego Death’ is peace.” The single arrives alongside a music video. This release showcases exactly why Atreyu remains a driving force in heavy music, delivering intensity and melody in equal measure.
The Southern California band recently announced a spring tour supporting Sevendust kicking off April 20 in Indianapolis before concluding in Knoxville on May 20. The run includes appearances at Welcome to Rockville on May 7 and Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival on May 15. Atreyu has pushed well beyond their DIY roots since forming around the turn of the millennium, earning multiple RIAA Gold records, Top 20 Billboard 200 debuts, and spots on major film and video game soundtracks. With over a billion streams worldwide and a fanbase that keeps growing, the band recently wrapped a triumphant co-headlining U.S. run and tore through massive festivals like Download, Hellfest, Welcome to Rockville, and Inkcarceration.
Their latest album ‘The Beautiful Dark of Life’, released in 2023 via Spinefarm, debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums and has already racked up over 75 million streams. Singles like “Gone” and “Watch Me Burn” lit up rock radio and flagship playlists like Spotify’s “Volume” and Apple Music’s “The Riff”. Atreyu’s riffs, hooks, melodies, and relentless energy continue to define what modern heavy music can be. “Ego Death” stands as another powerful statement from a band that refuses to stand still.
Tour dates supporting Sevendust:
4/20 – Indianapolis @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
4/21 – Lexington, KY @ Manchester Music Hall
4/22 – Birmingham, AL @ Iron City Bham
4/24 – Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen Music Hall
4/25 – Destin, FL @ Club LA
4/28 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
4/29 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
5/1 – Denver, CO @ Summit
5/2 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
5/4 – Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
5/5 – Springfield, MO @ Regency Live
5/7 – Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome to Rockville
5/9 – North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
5/11 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
5/12 – Harrisburg, PA @ XL Live
5/14 – McKees Rocks, PA @ Roxian Theatre
5/15 – Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival
World-renowned ukulele artist Jake Shimabukuro released his highly anticipated new album ‘Calm Seas’ and is out now. The acoustic ambient album marks a reflective new chapter in Shimabukuro’s creative journey, rooted in simplicity, peace, and the quiet strength of connecting nature to the human spirit. Recorded in Hawai’i, the project features 13 original compositions with 12 additional versions included on the digital album. Each track evokes cinematic landscapes and meditative soundscapes, showcasing Shimabukuro’s unmistakable ability to push the ukulele beyond convention with performances that are both technically breathtaking and deeply personal.
Shimabukuro explains, “Calm Seas was an eye-opening and healing project for me. It rekindled my connection and relationship with nature. As a kid, I spent a lot of time outdoors, swimming in the ocean, camping in the mountains. Some of my favorite memories include sleeping on the beach to the sound of the waves, and waking up to the light of the rising sun.” The album flips his typical creative process. He says, “Usually, when I think of adding the sounds of the ocean, waterfalls, or the sound of native birds to any music score, I write the music first, and later add the background sounds. However, for this project, we recorded nature first and created the music around it. The sound of the birds and the ocean waves served as the leading melodic content for each piece.” Songs like “Sounds of Hakalau” blend his signature ukulele artistry with calls of critically endangered native Hawaiian bird species, creating an immersive soundscape that transports listeners directly into the lush rainforest. Shimabukuro returns to the road in March 2026 promoting the album.
It may be cold outside, but warmer days are ahead with the month of July sizzling with some incredible country entertainment! On July 10 the Emmy award-winning group Little Big Town treats fans to their iconic hits. Then on July 23, country music sensation Parker McCollum arrives to deliver a selection of his many hit songs. Tickets go on sale for all performances on Friday, February 6 at 10:00am through ticketmaster.ca.
“Little Big Town brings such a unique performance with their intricate harmonies, energy and audience connection and Parker McCollum brings incredible storytelling to his music and performances. Fans of country music are in for some incredible entertainment choice – or choose both!” says Cathy Price, Vice President of Marketing & Resort Operations, Niagara Casinos.
On July 10, enjoy the incredible music of the award-winning group Little Big Town – consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook. Known for smash hits such as “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Good As Gone” and the Grammy-nominated “Little White Church” with incredible accolades to date. Little Big Town has earned more than 45 award show nominations and has taken home over 20 awards. To celebrate their 25th anniversary, Little Big Town released their first-ever career-spanning Greatest Hits album in the fall of 2025, which features collaborations with Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, and Sugarland.
Arriving on July 23, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Parker McCollum has reached the ranks of a bona fide country music superstar by connecting with fans and critics alike through his relatable and authentic sound. Known for his explosive platinum hit “Burn It Down,” the accolades haven’t slowed down. In 2022, McCollum earned his first ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year, took home “Breakthrough Video of the Year” (a fully fan-voted honour) at the 2022 CMT Music Awards and scored two back-to-back CMA Awards nominations for New Artist of the Year. Other chart toppers include “Pretty Heart,” “To Be Loved By You,” and “Handle On You.” McCollum has just released his self-titled fifth studio album, PARKER MCCOLLUM, which is an artistic achievement and includes his current radio single, “What Kinda Man.”
Show dates & performances Little Big Town Date: Friday, July 10, 2026 Showtime: 8:00pm Venue: OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino
Parker McCollum Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026 Showtime: 8:30pm Venue: OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino
Tickets for all performances go on sale Friday, February 6 at 10:00am.
Globally celebrated composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi will make his venue debut at Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on October 7, 2026. The acclaimed musician performs a special one-night-only show titled “Ludovico Einaudi: Solo Piano” beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 6 at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster starting at $69.95 plus applicable fees. Einaudi is renowned for his mastery of contemporary classical music, blending classical, pop, and rock elements into a signature sound that has led to a prolific career composing scores for high-profile film and television productions including “Doctor Zhivago”, “I’m Still Here”, and the Academy Award-winning films “Nomadland” and “The Father”.
Einaudi recently announced his latest solo album ‘Solo Piano’, featuring works spanning his illustrious 30-year career. His first-ever collection of solo piano works releases on February 27, 2026. As one of the world’s most-streamed classical musicians, Einaudi creates ambient, cohesive soundscapes that transcend traditional genre boundaries. Fans can expect a career-spanning setlist featuring his most iconic compositions. The 1,480-seat Encore Theater ranked number one as Billboard’s Top Venue under 2,000 capacity in 2025 and has hosted performances by icons including Diana Ross, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, and comedic acts like Ali Wong and Nate Bargatze.
Multi-Platinum artist Russell Dickerson is bringing his high-octane live show home to Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater on May 8 for a birthday celebration he’s calling the “Nash-Birthday Bash”. The hometown blowout promises cakes, candles, and carnage, with Dickerson delivering an all-out performance alongside Tyler Hubbard, Adrien Nunez, and Kevin Powers. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 6. The show caps off a massive run of festival appearances including C2C’s three-day festival with stops in Glasgow, London, and Belfast, plus RODEOHOUSTON, Tortuga Music Festival, and The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. His RUSSELLMANIA TOUR 2026 launches April 23 in Raleigh, North Carolina, hitting amphitheaters and the biggest venues he’s headlined to date.
On Friday, Dickerson releases “The Roses”, an intimate piano-driven track written alongside Michael Hardy, Chase McGill, and Jordan Schmidt. The song captures the beauty of finding purpose through deep connection and commitment, spotlighting Dickerson’s vocal range with him front and center on piano. His current single “Worth Your Wild” marks his 10th career single to reach the Billboard and Mediabase Country Charts, continuing a run that includes number one hits “Yours”, “Blue Tacoma”, “Love You Like I Used To”, “Every Little Thing”, and “God Gave Me a Girl”. With nearly 4 billion career streams and a reputation for lyrical brilliance paired with sold-out showmanship, Dickerson’s rise centers on his fourth studio album ‘Famous Back Home’, which fuses country-soul, ’80s rock, and modern pop while showcasing his signature heart-on-sleeve sincerity.
Toronto’s summer festival calendar just got a major upgrade. All Things Go Festival has announced the lineup for its 2026 Toronto edition, returning June 6–7 to RBC Amphitheatre with a stacked, thoughtfully curated bill and one of its most fan-friendly features intact: no overlapping set times.
Saturday is headlined by Kesha and Toronto favorites The Beaches, joined by Rachel Chinouriri, Holly Humberstone, Sofia Camara, and Bella Kay. Sunday brings another heavy-hitting lineup led by Lorde and Wet Leg, alongside Del Water Gap, Jade Lemac, Momma, and Flower Face.
Beyond the music, All Things Go has built its reputation around community and inclusion, centering female, LGBTQ+, gender-expansive, and marginalized artists long before it became a trend. The festival again partners with Live Nation Women, reinforcing its commitment to representation both onstage and behind the scenes. With praise from outlets like Billboard Canada and NOW Toronto, and a growing presence beyond its DC and New York roots, the Toronto edition continues to feel like a natural expansion rather than a corporate copy-paste.
Fan Presale begins Thursday, February 5 at 10am ET, with general on-sale following Friday, February 6 at 10am ET. Tickets are expected to move fast. For fans who want a weekend of great music without impossible schedule choices, All Things Go Toronto 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most satisfying festival experiences of the summer.
Broken Social Scene have announced the May 8, 2026 release of their new album Remember The Humans via Arts & Crafts. Marking their first new studio album in nearly a decade, the LP reunites the Toronto collective with producer David Newfeld, who helmed their breakthrough You Forgot It in People (2002) and self-titled 2005 album. Across the 12 tracks the arrangements are dense and enveloping – a lattice of horns, guitars, voices, and electronics – yet melody always remains sovereign, refusing to be swallowed by the sheer sound. When the music drifts towards abstraction, a grounding bass line arrives to anchor the listener, reminding us always that there are human hands on the controls and that, however artful, this is still rock and roll.
This sensibility crystallizes in Remember The Humans’ opening track and lead single “Not Around Anymore,” where Broken Social Scene’s co-founder Kevin Drew incants about the disappearance of possibility in a world where “it’s all gone away.” But the nostalgia hinted at by the lyrics is gently resisted by the music: by invoking a past that has vanished, the song unexpectedly floods the present with a glow that rivals the very greatness being lamented.
The video for the song was directed by Jordan D Allen, Rachel McLean and Kevin Drew.
In addition to the new music, Broken Social Scene, Metric & Stars have announced the All The Feelings North American Tour, promoted by Live Nation. A celebration of lifelong friendship and creative communion amongst the Toronto legends, the tour kicks off in Austin at the Moody Theatre on June 8th and ends with a glorious homecoming at RBC Amphitheatre in Toronto on August 7th. Highlights include The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on June 16th, The Brooklyn Paramount in Brooklyn on July 30th and The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on August 4th. All dates are listed below. Tickets are on-sale Friday, February 6 at 10am local and will be available here.
Remember the Humans was shaped by reunion and loss in equal measure. When Drew and Newfeld reconnected after nearly 20 years apart, one hangout became what they call “a hurricane of fun.” During the recording, both lost their mothers – a shared grief that drew them closer. As Newfeld recalls, “our moms would have wanted us to do this, and get it right after 20 years of not working together.”
As ever, Broken Social Scene operates less as a band than as a community and songs evolve by ceding control to whoever can best carry them forward in the moment. Drew may be the designated driver, but collaborators on Remember the Humans, including Hannah Georgas, Lisa Lobsinger, and Feist, step into the foreground throughout the record, shaping songs with a sense of collective authorship that has always defined the group’s ethos.
The songs work because no one fully commands them. But this is where Newfeld matters most. As BSS’s Charles Spearin puts it, “his production suits the chaos of our songwriting so well…he’s got a childlike energy that is really contagious, when you get a piece of music that he loves, Oh my God, he’s bouncing like a little boy.”
The same unruly energy that keeps a band young can also trap it in its own past. Yet on Remember the Humans, Broken Social Scene have evolved with a deep sense of intention. It is the sound of a band deepening rather than reinventing, exploring the emotional implications of forms they’ve spent twenty years shaping. “There’s a different kind of honesty in this record,” says Spearin, “we’ve had success, we’ve lost friends, we’ve lost parents, we’re at this ‘what happens next?’ stage in life.” Remember the Humans is adult music in the best sense: contradictory, wounded, expansive – hopeful in a way that feels earned rather than declared. And it is also, in its refusal of control and its embrace of the ungovernable, a testament to something increasingly rare: art that is not optimized, not streamlined, not strategic.
BSS’s own evolution mirrors something happening outside it. After years of oversaturation and noise, the culture itself seems to have looped back to a craving for the raw, the communal, and the unguarded. The conditions that made You Forgot It in People feel necessary in 2002 have, in altered form, returned in 2026. According to Drew, “in 2026, you’re going to see a lot of resurgence of people going back to the roots of who they are, because things in their lifetime have gotten quite lost. I think we’ve let each other down, and I think it’s art that always tries to prevail, and tries to get us back on track.”
In a culture defined by abstraction and distance, Broken Social Scene have made a record that insists on the analog fact of human presence. It asks, gently, but insistently, that we remember each other, that we remember the human.
BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE TOUR DATES:
6/8 – Moody Amphitheater – Austin, TX 6/9 – South Side Ballroom – Dallas, TX 6/11 – Fillmore Auditorium – Denver, CO 6/13 – Sandy Amphitheater – Sandy, UT 6/16 – The Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA 6/17 – Arizona Financial Theatre – Phoenix, AZ 6/19 – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre – San Diego, CA 6/21 – The Masonic – San Francisco, CA 6/24 – Hayden Homes Amphitheater – Bend, OR 7/24 – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL 7/25 – Fox Theatre – Detroit, MI 7/27 – MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston, MA 7/28 – The Met – Philadelphia, PA 7/30 – Brooklyn Paramount – Brooklyn, NY 8/1 – The Anthem – Washington, DC 8/3 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA 8/4 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN 8/7 – RBC Amphitheatre – Toronto, ON
