Ian McKellen sat down with Stephen Colbert in February and delivered something television rarely makes room for anymore. Midway through an extended conversation covering his decades on stage and screen, McKellen performed the “Strangers’ Case” speech from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More, a 400-year-old monologue advocating for empathy toward immigrants and refugees that landed in the studio with the weight of a current headline. The extended interview is streaming now and well worth the full runtime.
Ian McKellen Stops The Late Show Cold With a 400-Year-Old Shakespeare Speech That Hits Like Today’s Headlines
UK Alt-Pop Trio Exploring Birdsong Confront Paranoia and Conspiracy on Cinematic New Single “42”
Exploring Birdsong have been building toward something bigger, and “42” is the clearest signal yet that they’ve arrived. The UK alt-pop trio release their striking new single alongside an official video, centered on Lynsey Ward’s arresting vocals and a richer, more expansive sound that marks a genuine evolution from their piano-led beginnings. This is cinematic, emotionally layered alt-pop with real ambition behind it, and it sounds like a group fully in command of where they’re headed.
The song tackles paranoia, conspiracy theories, and confirmation bias from the inside out. Ward wrote it from the perspective of someone who has lost touch with reality, seeing patterns everywhere but never quite grasping the full picture. “Conspiracy theories are more rife than ever,” she explains. “We wanted to present this as a sympathetic look at how something so simple can go so wrong, and where that desperation can lead: a state of anxiety, isolation, and losing touch with the world around you.” The great irony, as Ward notes, is that the group now find themselves noticing the number 42 constantly, updating each other every time it appears somewhere unexpected.
Exploring Birdsong sold out two headline shows at London’s St Pancras Old Church in minutes last year, following sold-out showcases in Manchester and London the year before. They’ve shared stages with Katatonia and Sleep Token and appeared on main stages at RADAR Festival and Euroblast. Lynsey Ward, Jonny Knight, and Matt Harrison have built a sound that draws comparisons to Everything Everything, Kate Bush, and Enter Shikari while remaining entirely unclassifiable, straddling pop, progressive rock, and something that genuinely defies easy categorization.
A headline UK tour follows in September, with dates in Glasgow, London, Bristol, and Manchester. Tickets are on sale now.
September 2026 UK Tour Dates:
September 23 – Glasgow
September 26 – Manchester
Grace VanderWaal’s “Prettier” Asks the Question That Hollow Admiration Can Never Answer
Grace VanderWaal has been in this space before, the space where clarity cuts through noise, and “Prettier” is her sharpest arrival yet. The internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter and actress returns with an intimate new song co-written with Julia Michaels, Grant Boutin, and Mark Schick, built around a single question that lands harder the longer it sits: “Do you feel prettier when you hold me?” It’s a song about being seen without being known, admired without being understood, and the quiet loneliness that lives inside that gap.
The imagery is vivid and cutting without overstating anything. “I’ve been sharing my body with somebody who sees it as glass, a fragile piece on your mantle” says everything about the dynamic VanderWaal is examining. Her voice stays restrained and resolute throughout, moving through crowded rooms and hollow praise with the kind of self-possession that makes the emotional weight land cleanly. “Prettier is written about being seen but not heard in a relationship, and wanting something more,” she says. That’s the whole song in one sentence, and the music earns every word of it.
“Prettier” follows “High,” a reflective, quietly euphoric track rooted in nostalgia and emotional stillness that marked the beginning of a new chapter last fall. Together the two singles build on the foundation of her critically praised album ‘CHILDSTAR,’ a body of work about growing up in public, reclaiming autonomy, and stepping fully into her own voice. Where ‘CHILDSTAR’ examined the scars, “Prettier” lives in the present tense, sharper, more self-aware, and completely unafraid to name what’s wrong.
Manhattan Dub and Groove Collective Nevaris Release “Remedy – Live” From ‘SoundSession’ EP
Nevaris arrives with something the music world genuinely needs right now. The Manhattan-based percussionist, keyboardist, and composer Agustín Nevaris releases “Remedy – Live,” the second offering from his ‘SoundSession’ EP, and the title says everything about the intention behind it. “The song speaks to the power of music to bring healing to our bodies and minds, especially during troubled times like the present,” Nevaris says. “We all need remedies in this world.”
Built on ultimate groove and rhythm, jazzy saxophone, a slick bassline, addictive lap-guitar, cinematic soundscapism, and turntablism, “Remedy” moves with the kind of warm, unhurried authority that only comes from musicians who know exactly what they’re doing. The ‘SoundSession’ EP marks the fourth collaboration between Nevaris, legendary bassist-producer Bill Laswell, and this particular nine-piece ensemble, which includes DJ Logic, Jonathan Maron, Will Bernard, Peter Apfelbaum, Angel Rodriguez, Jojo Kuo, Lockatron, and Matt Dickey. Recorded live in a single session at Laswell’s Orange Sound studio in West Orange, New Jersey with no edits or overdubs, every note captured exactly as it happened in real time.
The EP follows Nevaris’s 2023 debut album ‘Reverberations,’ released via M.O.D. Reloaded, which earned praise from Carlos Santana as “a work of supreme creativity.” Big Takeover Magazine called the sound “grooves and moves, ambience and addiction, brass and bass, analogue and digital, the old and the new, the timeless and the forward-thinking all subsumed into a dub sound.” That description holds completely for “Remedy,” which sits at the intersection of Afro-Latin, dub, funk, and jazz with the kind of effortless fluidity that makes the whole thing feel inevitable.
‘SoundSession’ is out now digitally. A second studio album featuring special guests is already in the works for later in 2026 via M.O.D. Reloaded.
‘SoundSession’ Tracklist:
- Ninth Sun – Live
- Remedy – Live
- Document
- Dub Orchestra
Sleep Theory Drop “Words Are Worthless” Video With European Tour Mostly Sold Out
Sleep Theory had one of the heaviest breakout years heavy music has seen in recent memory, and they’re not letting up. The four-piece release the video for “Words Are Worthless” from their debut album ‘Afterglow,’ a violin-enhanced power ballad wrapped in a goth noir visual that showcases exactly the kind of range that’s made this group impossible to ignore. The clip finds the group in full performance mode, dark, commanding, and completely in control.
‘Afterglow,’ produced by David Cowell and mixed by Zakk Cervini (Bring Me The Horizon, Bad Omens, Architects), has accumulated over 515 million global streams since its release last spring on Epitaph Records. Revolver called it “an exciting mix of metalcore, pop and R&B.” Kerrang! named Sleep Theory “one of the most compelling new acts in heavy music.” They covered Rock Sound, Kerrang!, Revolver, and Outburn in the same year. Praised by Jelly Roll and David Draiman, and having toured with Shinedown, Falling In Reverse, and Beartooth, they became the fifth most-played artist on Active Rock radio in under two years.
The European headline run with The Pretty Wild is mostly sold out, with several venues upgraded to meet demand, including sold-out nights at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town, Berlin’s Hole 44, Hamburg’s Uebel & Gefährlich, and Cologne’s Carlswerk Victoria. Radio shows with Three Days Grace and I Prevail follow, alongside a packed slate of U.S. and European festival appearances running through October, including Sick New World, Download Festival, Graspop Metal Meeting, and Pinkpop.
Cullen Moore is the kind of vocalist who changes the ceiling of what a heavy music front person can do, drawing on classic pop, R&B, and rock with a range that consistently outpaces the genre around him. With ‘Afterglow’ still building momentum, Sleep Theory are positioned to carry that upward trajectory well into the year ahead.
U.S. Festivals:
April 25 – Sick New World, Las Vegas, NV
July 18 – Inkcarceration, Mansfield, OH
July 19 – Summer of ’99 & Beyond Festival, Tinley Park, IL
October 24 – Sick New World, Fort Worth, TX
European Summer Festivals:
June 9 – Rock in Roma, Rome, IT (w/The Offspring, A Day To Remember)
June 10-14 – Download Festival, Leicestershire, UK
June 18 – Graspop Metal Meeting, Dessel, BE
June 19 – Pinkpop, Landgraaf, NL
June 26 – Vainstream Rockfest, Münster, DE
June 27 – Impericon Festival, Leipzig, DE
K-Pop Chart-Toppers i-dle Return With Minimalist New Single “MONO” Featuring skaiwater
i-dle are back, and they’ve stripped everything down to make the point louder. The internationally acclaimed K-pop group release “MONO,” featuring British rapper skaiwater, their first new music in eight months and a deliberate creative reset ahead of their 2026 world tour, 2026 i-dle WORLD TOUR [Syncopation]. Where recent hits like “Queencard” leaned into maximalist pop energy, “MONO” moves in the opposite direction entirely, built on a minimalist beat and a clear message: tune out the noise, release outside expectations, and listen to your own voice.
The collaboration with skaiwater brings real depth to the track. His raw, introspective delivery sits naturally alongside i-dle’s evolving sonic identity, and the pairing has already drawn attention across both global hip-hop and pop audiences. It’s the kind of feature that feels chosen rather than assigned, two distinct voices finding genuine common ground in a song about individuality and self-trust.
The music video matches the song’s philosophy with a striking black-and-white aesthetic. Each member leaves her mark on a massive circular canvas, a visual metaphor for individuality within unity, balanced against powerful large-scale choreography performed alongside a mega-crew. The contrast between intimate moments and collective movement gives the video the same tension the song carries.
“MONO” is a confident pivot from a group that’s never needed permission to evolve. With the world tour ahead, it reads as exactly the kind of statement i-dle wanted to make first.
Brit Floyd Celebrate 15 Years With “The Moon, The Wall and Beyond” World Tour Honoring Pink Floyd’s Greatest Albums
Brit Floyd are marking 15 years with their most ambitious production yet. “The Moon, The Wall and Beyond,” the world’s premiere Pink Floyd experience’s 2026 world tour, is currently underway across North America and beyond, celebrating two of rock’s most iconic albums, ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ and ‘The Wall,’ with a state-of-the-art laser and light show, massive LED walls, inflatables, and a theatrical concert experience built to fill the biggest rooms on the planet. Tickets are on sale now.
The tour delivers note-for-note renditions of timeless classics including “Time,” “Money,” “Comfortably Numb,” and “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2,” alongside fan favorites drawn from across Pink Floyd’s vast catalog, from ‘Wish You Were Here’ to ‘Animals’ and beyond. The assembled ensemble, anchored by co-founders Damian Darlington on guitar and lead vocals and Ian Cattell on bass and lead vocals, has spent more than a decade earning worldwide acclaim as the definitive live Pink Floyd experience. Cattell, a Syracuse native, was recently honored with his own day by Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and is among five inductees into the Syracuse Area Music Awards Hall of Fame this year.
Since launching in Liverpool in January 2011, Brit Floyd has performed over 1,500 shows across more than 40 countries, selling out tours across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and the Middle East. They’ve played London’s Royal Albert Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the latter of which they return to for two nights in June. Rolling Stone has called them “the world’s premiere Pink Floyd experience,” and more than a decade of sold-out shows backs that claim up completely.
The 2026 tour spans more than 130 shows. Upcoming highlights include two nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre in San Diego, and ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin. Special guests are expected to appear along the tour route.
Brit Floyd Upcoming 2026 Tour Dates:
June 4 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver, CO
June 5 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver, CO
June 6 – Maverik Center, Salt Lake City, UT
June 7 – Mountain America Center, Idaho Falls, ID
July 10 – Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
July 11 – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, San Diego, CA
July 12 – Arizona Financial Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
July 14 – Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center, Midland, TX
July 16 – ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Austin, TX
Force Following The Signs Release “Stuck In Place” From EP ‘Evolve’
Following The Signs are back with a point to prove. The Cork-formed nu-metalcore five-piece have released their new single “Stuck In Place,” taken from their EP ‘Evolve,’ both out now. It’s the most focused and ambitious work they’ve put their name to, and the single delivers the volatile blend of crushing metalcore, nu-metal groove, and progressive elements they’ve been sharpening since 2018.
‘Evolve’ expands on themes of societal pressure, survival, and rebellion across five tracks, with “Call To Rise” serving as a rallying cry for those living under oppression, whether imposed by individuals, systems, or governments. Punishing riffs, towering breakdowns, and searing vocals are balanced by atmospheric moments that give the record genuine dynamic range. This isn’t a group content to stay in one lane.
Following The Signs have been building their international profile steadily, with recent live performances in Warsaw and Kraków playing to their largest audiences yet. The response outside Ireland confirms what the Cork scene has known for a while: this is a group with real reach, delivering sonic aggression alongside a message that travels.
‘Evolve’ is out now. Following The Signs are Alan Jevens on vocals, Noel Crowley and Vincent Renoux on guitars, Rory Taylor on bass, and Chris Hanlon on drums.
Video: KATSEYE Prove the Sahara Stage Was Made for Them With “Touch”
If “Pinky Up” announced KATSEYE’s arrival at Coachella, “Touch” confirmed they had no intention of letting the moment slip. This is a group with a fanbase that mobilises fast and a live show that justifies every bit of the attention. The Sahara tent was their room on Friday night, and they knew exactly what to do with it.
Video: Sabrina Carpenter Owns the Coachella Main Stage With “Espresso”
Sabrina Carpenter headlined the Coachella main stage on Friday April 10th, and “Espresso” did exactly what it always does, lodged itself immediately and refused to leave. The live video crossed one million views within hours of going up on the official Coachella channel, with “House Tour” close behind. Those are headliner numbers by any reasonable measure, and Carpenter carried the weight of that slot with genuine ease. This is an artist who spent 2025 becoming one of the biggest names in pop, and Coachella 2026 is the kind of moment that cements it.