Pulse Music

Despite rumors, A$AP Rocky and Rihanna are NOT married or engaged. Rihanna has appeared in Rocky's new video "D.M.B." and there is a wedding scene in the clip -- and people started wondering if the two tied the knot in real life. Sources close to the couple say that they are not married and the wedding scene was just for the video.

Meanwhile, fans also wondered if Rocky threw a shot at RiRi's ex Chris Brown. On the song, he rapped, "I don't beat my b*tch, I need my b*tch."

Taylor Swift announced to fans on Thursday (5-5) that she's releasing a brand new line of retro clothing, accessories and trinkets. All items will be themed around two of her old albums… 1989 and Speak Now.

The announcement was in part, a celebration of her song, "This Love," a 1989 deep cut. It's being featured in the upcoming Hulu adaptation of The Summer I Turned Pretty, which begins streaming on June 17.

TL;DR:

• Taylor Swift is releasing a brand new line of retro clothing, accessories and trinkets.
• All items will be themed around two of her old albums… 1989 and Speak Now.

Twenty One Pilots will be the next featured artists for MTV Unplugged.

In this latest edition of the iconic series, Twenty One Pilots take the stage in Los Angeles to perform stripped-down versions of some of the biggest songs of their career.

The news comes as the duo gears up this summer and fall for a global tour, with stops across North America and Europe.

The MTV special will premiere globally on June 9 at 9 p.m. ET.

TL;DR:

• Twenty One Pilots will be featured artists for MTV Unplugged on June 9 at 9 p.m. ET.
• Recorded in Los Angeles.
• They'll perform stripped-down versions of some of the biggest songs of their career.

Ed Sheeran has joined forces with Ukrainian band, Antytila to releasee a new version of his song "2Step." Recently the band made news when they were denied their request to play a benefit concert featuring Sheeran.

When Sheeran found out, he posted to the band on social media. He wrote, "I can't wait to check out your music, guys, sending lots of love." Shortly after he invited the band to collaborate with him and even asked them to write a new verse of the song.

The video was filmed both in Kyiv and on the ground in northeast Ukraine where the band's frontman, Taras Topolia, is working as a medic.

The studio that the band usually uses, in the city of Hostomel, was under occupation, so they had to find another studio to complete the recording.

Sheeran and Topolia have since communicated through Instagram DMs.

TL;DR:

• Ed Sheeran has joined forces with Ukrainian band, Antytila to releasee a new version of his song "2Step."
• The band was denied their request to play a benefit concert featuring Sheeran. When Sheeran found out, he reached out.
• He invited the band to collaborate with him and even asked them to write a new verse of the song.

Charlie Puth has released the official music video for his new song, "That's Hilarious." The song was produced by Puth and co-written with longtime collaborator JKash.

It's about the pain of feeling betrayed by a breakup. Written from his own experience, it's considered to be Puth's most personal work yet.

"That's Hilarious" is from his album, Charlie, due out later this year.

TL;DR:

• Charlie Puth has released the official music video for his new song, "That's Hilarious."
• Written from his own experience, it's considered to be his most personal work yet.
• It's from his forthcoming album, titled Charlie, due out later this year.

Billie Eilish is heading to the UK to promote climate change awareness. She'll be presenting a six-day climate conference called Overheated in partnership with Support + Feed and REVERB. It will take place next month at London's O2 Arena.

The conference will feature musicians, climate activists, and designers discussing the climate crisis and how to make a difference.

Along with her brother Finneas, she'll introduce the conference that begins on June 10. Overheated coincides with each of Eilish's six shows at that venue, on her Happier Than Ever World Tour.

TL;DR:

• Billie Eilish is presenting a six-day climate conference called Overheated at next month at London's O2 Arena.
• The conference will feature musicians, climate activists, and designers discussing the climate crisis and how to make a difference.

Madonna has announced her upcoming remix collection titled Finally Enough Love. It will feature her 50 singles that have topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. The tracks span from 1989's "Like A Prayer" and "Express Yourself," all the way up to 2019's "Medellín."

Madonna is the only artist to ever have 50 #1 hits on any Billboard chart.

The record-breaking music set will be released at various times and in various formats, including digital, vinyl, and CD. The first set will start streaming on June 24.

TL;DR:

• Madonna to release a remix collection titled Finally Enough Love.
• Will feature her 50 singles that have topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.
• Madonna is the only artist to ever have 50 #1 hits on any Billboard chart.
• The first set will start streaming on June 24.

Dua Lipa quit smoking in order to keep herself healthy for the Future Nostalgia tour.

According to The Sun, the singer announced at her final show of the UK leg of the tour Monday (May 2nd) that she now feels "invincible after kicking the habit."

She told the crowd, "I had laryngitis in December and that kind of kickstarted me quitting smoking a month earlier than I was supposed to. Bit I did it and I have stuck to it."

Lipa added that she's also been tracking her habits with an app and doing regular yoga while on the road.

Justin Bieber says that his next album will feature John Mayer.

The "Peaches" singer told Apple Music's Ebro Darden on Tuesday (May 3rd), that Mayer contributed a "wicked guitar solo."

Bieber continued, "He's someone who I've looked up to for a long time. So we were at Henson the studio, and I was working on this song and he came in and he's like, ‘Can I go in the booth?' And I was like, ‘Yeah, bro, go in.' And so he went in the booth and then he came out and he laid a guitar solo and it was just like, it was mind-blowing to see him actually operate in his gift like that, being able to like see it first-hand, because like he is on another level. It's insane."

Cardi B took to Instagram to insist that she was joking after a video of her telling people to to "take a shot right now, everybody take a line" at her MET Gala afterparty at the Standard. Cardi told fans, "Fame has turned me into a prisoner. I make one joke as a hostess because I am hosting a party and it gets twisted. Why can't every celebrity joke around and say slick s–t?"

She continued, "I'm tired. I can't be myself anymore. . . . If I could click my f–king feet three times and go back to f–king 2013 when I was just a regular b*tch, dancing and making money every single night, that is where I want to be. That's when I was me."

She added, "I hate fame. I hate being famous. I really hate it. Let me tell you something: If you ever wish to be rich and famous, don't wish to be famous, wish to be rich. I feel like God cursed me with fame."

Coldplay's new Music Of The Spheres World Tour App is free and available to download now for iOS and Android devices via coldplay.com/app. The app comes just in time for the band's US leg of their global stadium tour, which kicks off in Dallas on Friday (May 6th).

The app was created as part of Coldplay's pledge to make their Music Of The Spheres World Tour as sustainable and low-carbon as possible since, according to studies1, fan travel accounts for the largest part of tour-related emissions. The app allows fans to plan low-carbon travel to and from shows, with those who choose green journeys rewarded with a merch discount code.

Coldplay said, "We're really proud of the Music Of The Spheres World Tour app. For the past few years, we've been figuring out how to put sustainability at the heart of our tour. The app is a big part of that. You can use the app to figure out the cleanest and greenest ways to get to and from the concert. It also allows us to see how people have travelled to and from the shows so that we can drawdown all those emissions. You can also get right to the heart of the tour with exclusive photos, performances and behind-the-scenes access."

The app was first made available to fans before the Coldplay's shows in Latin American in March and April. Tens of thousands of journey plans have already been submitted, with the average fan carbon footprint down around 50% from 2016/17's A Head Full Of Dreams Tour.

The app also offers Coldplay-themed games and AR experiences, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, photos and videos from every show, plus Coldplay news updates and tour info.

The band will also be streaming the full concert audio of an upcoming European date exclusively via the app in a presentation powered by SAP (full details to be announced soon).

Taylor Swift will screen All Too Well: The Short Film at the Tribeca Film Festival next month.

The lineup for the decorated film festival was released Monday (May 2nd) and includes "A Conversation With Taylor Swift." The event will take place at the Beacon Theater on June 11th and feature the 32-year-old Grammy Award winner as she explains the process of bringing the 13-minute track to the big screen.

POST MALONE IS GOING TO BE A DAD: Post Malone and his longtime girlfriend are expecting their first child together. In a statement to TMZ, Malone said, "I'm excited for this next chapter in my life. I'm the happiest I've ever been, and for as long as I could remember I was sad. Time to take care of my body and my family and friends, and spread as much love as we can every day."

LADY GAGA DROPS 'TOP GUN' TRACK: Lady Gaga released her new single, "Hold My Hand" Tuesday (May 3rd). The single, produced by Lady Gaga and BloodPop was written for the Top Gun: Maverick and will be featured throughout the film.

ASHE ANNOUNCES SUMMER TOUR: Ashe is heading out on the Is It Me Or Is It Hot sumer tour. The "Hope You're Not Happy" singer announced on Instagram Tuesday (May 3rd) that she'll kick things off with Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee on June 18th and hit cities like Washington, DC; Milwaukee, WI; and Detroit, MI before wrapping things on September 22nd in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

JACK HARLOW RELEASES TRACKLIST: Jack Harlow has revealed the tracklist for his forthcoming sophomore album, Come Home The Kids Miss You. The 15-track album is set to drop this Friday (May 6th) and will feature artists like Drake, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell and Lil Wayne. It also includes a track named for Dua Lipa.

Avril Lavigne has had to postpone a few shows "due to a positive Covid case within the tour," she tweeted on Sunday (May 1st), hours before she was scheduled to perform in Laval. Concerts in Moncton, NB and Halifax, NS were also affected. The show in Laval has already been rescheduled for Saturday (May 7th).

Lavigne tweeted, "I/we sincerely apologize and want you to know that this was not a decision we made lightly. We remain focused on everyone's safety and can't wait to see you all very soon."

Lavigne is currently on tour in support of her Love Sux album which was released in February.

Nicki Minaj attended the MET Gala last night for the first time since 2019. Last year, the annual event was hosted in September due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Nicki revealed that she wouldn't be attending because being vaccinated is a requirement.

At the time, Nicki received backlash for questioning the vaccine and adding that her cousin's friend in Trinidad allegedly had issues with his testicle problems after receiving the jab.

Nicki attended the ball with Italian designer Ricardo Tisci and wore an all black ensemble.

Harry Styles is doing a one night only performance in New York next month.

The former One Direction member, who is now a solo pop star, will be taking the stage at UBS Arena in Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. on Long Island on May 20th.

The ticketed event, which costs $25, will be in celebration of Harry's new album Harry's House that arrives on May 20th as well.

Olivia Rodrigo is currently on her Sour tour, which kicked off in San Francisco last month.

While on the road, Rodrigo has been performing Avril Lavigne's 2002 hit "Complicated."

During her tour stop in Toronto on April 29th, the pop star performed her cover of Avril's hit with the Canadian pop-punk artist making an appearance for them to perform together.

Before Avril touched the stage, Olivia introduced her by saying that Avril is someone "who broke down so many barriers, and opened so many doors for girls like me. I'm so, so, so lucky that she came here tonight to sing with me."

Both artists shared the moment on Instagram, with Avril writing a caption that said, "Jumped up to sing 'Complicated' on stage with @oliviarodrigo in Toronto tonight. It was very sweet to perform with you tonight on your SOUR tour!! Have an incredible tour gurl. Keep killing it. Sending you so much love."

Meanwhile, Olivia wrote, "toronto last night was special🥺 thank u dearest @avrillavigne for singing with me. look up 2 u so much💖."

Singer-songwriter Oliver Tree has called out The Kid Laroi's director for ripping off Oliver's music video "A**hole" with Lil Yachty.

According to Rolling Stone, Tree received messages from fans and people in the music industry, letting him know that The Kid Laroi's "Thousand Miles" video, which came out last month, copied the video for his collab "A**hole."

Apparently, those who know Tree were asking if he had helped direct Laroi's video.

On April 28th, Tree posted a side-by-side TikTok video of his 2021 video next to The Kid Laroi's to point out the similarities.

In the caption for the social media post, Tree wrote, "They steal that many shots and thought I wouldn't notice?"

He also told Rolling Stone, "The exact same frame, the exact same ambulance, the exact same thing. It just seemed a little bit odd that even the framing is exactly the same."

Oliver Tree doesn't blame Laroi, though. He points the finger at the video's director Christian Breslauer, who Tree says actually follows him on Instagram.

Tree also claims that the copying isn't a coincidence.

Metallica's Kirk Hammett says he got his "brain back" when he stopped drinking alcohol in 2014. During an interview with Kerrang!, during an interview with Kerrang!, when asked about how his new solo EP, Portals came about, given that Metallica split with Jason Newsted in 2001 because the band didn't want the bassist to pursue solo projects, he said, "We've all grown up, basically. So the question is, Were we not grown up back then? Of course not. We'll be the first ones – or at least I will – to put my hands up and say I only feel like I've reached maturity in the last 10 f*cking years."

He continued, "Also, I have to say I've been sober for seven and a half years now, and my mind is in a different place. I'm better focused. I got my brain back, I've gotten my memory back. So nowadays I'm in a better place."

He added that "when I got sober, I had so much more time. I was spending almost every night in a nightclub or bar and then I'd spend almost every morning recovering from that. Day in, day out, regardless of whether I was on tour or not. And now that's been removed from my life, I have all this extra time, so of course, I'm going to play my guitar more. It's what I love to do and as a consequence of that there's just a higher output."

It looks like Olivia Rodrigo has headed back to the studio. An image shared in an Instagram montage posted by the "Drivers License" singer Sunday (May 1st) night showed her flashing peace signs while standing in front of a sound board.

Rodrigo is more than halfway through the North American leg of the Sour Tour, and she celebrated Saturday (April 30th) night by sharing the stage with one of her idols. Avril Lavigne joined Rodrigo in Toronto to sing her 2002 hit "Complicated." Rodrigo thanked the pop-punk star on Instagram writing, "thank u dearest @avrillavigne for singing with me. Look up 2 u so much."

Lavigne announced Sunday (May 1st) that she has had to put some of her own Canadian tour dates on hold "due to a positive COVID case within the tour," including stops in Laval, Quebec, Moncton, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Halifax.

Selena Gomez and Rare Beauty are kicking off the Your Words Matter campaign for Mental Health Awareness Month.

The singer shared on Instagram Sunday (May 1st), "Words can be a barrier to people seeking help and increase the stigma associated with mental health. Many of these words have been normalized and accepted for far too long, but it's time we bring awareness to the words we use…because they matter."

Infographics shared by Gomez and Rare Beauty suggest we avoid using mental health terms to describe non-clinical situations and to alter our language to focus on the person and not their disorder. For example, one should say "a person who has bipolar disorder" instead of "a bipolar person."

Gomez added, "Just like all of you, I'm learning every day. We may slip up, and that's okay, what's important is that we try to do better and give ourselves compassion."

MADONNA JOINED MALUMA IN COLUMBIA: Madonna joined Maluma for two songs at his concert in Medellin, Columbia on Saturday night (April 30th). The Material Girl was brought on stage for their 2019 collaboration, "Medellin," off of Madonna's Madame X and her 2000 single, "Music." The entire show was also streamed live on Prime Video.

SHAWN MENDES MAKES 'WONDER: THE WORLD TOUR' CLIMATE POSITIVE: Shawn Mendes and The Shawn Mendes Foundation have announced a collection of sustainability and impact initiatives, to make the upcoming Wonder: The World Tour climate positive. This will be achieved first through a comprehensive approach to reducing its environmental footprint via less impactful practices, as well as sustainable merchandise, reduced travel emissions, use of innovative tech and investing, donating, and supporting local environmental organizations and activists. The tour will offset the unavoidable emissions that remain after these reductions to make the tour carbon negative (climate positive).

HARRY STYLES ANNOUNCES TRACKLIST FOR 'HARRY'S HOUSE': Harry Styles shared the tracklist for his next album, Harry's House, on social media Thursday (April 28th). The 13-track album features a Side B song titled, "Boyfriends," which made its debut at Coachella. Other titles on the A-side include, "Late Night Talking," "Little Freak," and "Matilda," among others. Harry's House is set to drop on May 23rd.