Song

• Ariana Grande condemned a White House video that featured her song "Bye," describing the clip as "barbaric" and "heinous nonsense." • Grande joins a growing group of musicians who have demanded that Donald Trump's administration cease using their music for promotional purposes. • The backlash highlights a broader conflict between the former president's team and artists over the unauthorized use of intellectual property for political messaging.

• Public broadcasters from Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna. • The boycott was triggered by the decision to allow Israel to participate in the competition. • This event marks the largest political boycott in the history of the contest, shifting the focus from music to geopolitical tension.

• Taylor Swift has made history as the youngest woman ever to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. • During her acceptance speech, the singer tearfully thanked her family for their support throughout her career. • This achievement follows her record-breaking success as the first performer to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year four times.

• Bulgaria has been announced as the host country for the Eurovision Song Contest 2027. • The event will feature a dedicated Eurovision Village and Euroclub, though the specific city and arena are yet to be finalized. • Early interest is already growing, with 9 countries expressing their intention to participate in the competition.

• Olivia Rodrigo discusses her songwriting process and struggles with writing happy songs in a recent interview. • The pop star revealed she has already chosen her wedding song, despite often singing about heartbreak in her music. • Rodrigo also shared her experience with anxiety, including an attack she had at Glastonbury.

• The 70th Eurovision Song Contest has achieved significant success, particularly among younger audiences, as it celebrates seven decades of the event. • The group Bangaranga dominated the charts following the competition, reaching Number 1 on Spotify Daily Charts in 11 countries, including Germany, Sweden, and Ukraine. • The group also secured Top 5 positions in five additional nations, such as Greece and Poland, and entered the Top 10 in the United Kingdom and Norway.

• The Eurovision Song Contest is commemorating its 70th anniversary by releasing two special celebratory videos. • The event traces its origins back to May 24, 1956, when seven broadcasters first gathered at the Teatro Kursaal in Lugano, Switzerland. • This milestone highlights the contest's evolution from a bold television experiment into the world's largest live music event, reaching hundreds of millions of viewers.

• The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest will be available for viewers in the United States via specific TV channels and live streaming platforms. • The broadcast will cover both the competition's semifinals and the grand final, though specific dates and times have not yet been detailed. • The event remains a significant global launchpad for musical talent, citing past winners like ABBA (1974), Celine Dion (1988), and Måneskin (2021) who achieved international stardom.

• The European Broadcasting Union has announced the launch of Eurovision Asia, a new branch of the iconic international song contest. • While the specific host country and presenters have been confirmed, the announcement aims to expand the competition's global reach beyond its traditional European roots. • This expansion marks a significant strategic shift for the brand, potentially introducing a new demographic of viewers and artists to the franchise.

• Vienna is set to host the 70th Anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final in 2026. • The competition will feature 25 participating countries vying for a single winner's trophy. • TechRadar is providing guidance on how viewers can stream the event online for free from any global location.

• Austria's representative, JJ, won the 69th Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final held on May 17, 2025, at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland. • Following this victory, the competition is now shifting its focus toward the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, with early analysis of potential lineups and betting odds. • The event remains a global cultural phenomenon, and current updates are focusing on the specific voting rules and favorites likely to compete in the next cycle.

• The running order for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 semi-finals has been officially released, detailing the performance sequence and the planned semi-final introduction. • In a significant shift for the competition, five nations—Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland—have confirmed they will not participate in this year's event. • These withdrawals represent a notable loss of traditional contenders, potentially altering the competitive landscape and voting dynamics of the contest.

• Several European public broadcasters have confirmed they will not televise this week's Eurovision Song Contest. • The decision serves as a boycott specifically targeting the competition's decision to allow Israel to participate. • This move highlights growing geopolitical tensions and protests regarding Israel's ongoing actions and presence in the event.

• The 70th Eurovision Song Contest is returning, with the event featuring a Grand Final and two preliminary semifinals to determine the winner. • The first semifinal includes 17 countries, such as Sweden, Italy, and Israel, while the second semifinal features 18 nations, including the UK, France, and Australia. • This milestone anniversary celebration draws a massive global audience, prompting a search for official free streaming options to watch the competition online.

• Austria is hosting the 70th anniversary final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna this Saturday. • The event features a diverse range of pop music entries from across Europe and Australia, continuing a legacy that includes winners like ABBA in 1974 and Celine Dion in 1988. • This year's competition is marked by significant political tension, as five countries are boycotting the event to protest Israel's participation.

‘We know that Mark Carney wants to sort of embrace Europe,’ says competition director Martin GreenCanada is welcome to join Eurovision if it wishes, its director has said, months after the country revealed it wanted to “explore” joining the song contest in its federal budget.Eurovision director Martin Green told the BBC on Wednesday that Canada hadn’t yet applied, but would be welcome to. Continue reading...

• Colombian singer Shakira unveiled 'Dai Dai', the official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, on Thursday, May 8, 2026. • The track features upbeat rhythms blending Latin and global influences, aimed at uniting fans ahead of the tournament hosted by USA, Canada, and Mexico. • This marks Shakira's return to World Cup anthems since her iconic 'Waka Waka' in 2010, expected to boost international hype.

• Shakira announced a new collaboration with Afrobeats star Burna Boy titled 'Dai Dai' for the FIFA World Cup 2026, teasing it from New York. • The track is positioned as an official tie-in for the global soccer tournament set for 2026 across multiple host countries including the United States. • This marks Shakira's return to high-profile music projects following her past World Cup performances, blending pop with Afrobeats influences.

The musician was known for working-class anthem Take This Job and Shove It as well as hits like The Ride and othersDavid Allan Coe, the country singer-songwriter who wrote the working-class anthem Take This Job and Shove It and had hits with You Never Even Called Me By My Name and The Ride among others, has died. He was 86.Coe’s wife, Kimberly Hastings Coe, confirmed his death to Rolling Stone on Wednesday. Continue reading...

• Country star Jason Aldean released 'Songs About Us' last week, drawing from his 11-year marriage to wife Brittany. • The couple collaborated on a duet for the album after years of balancing agreement and disagreement in their relationship. • Aldean shared in a Fox News Digital interview how family inspired the deeply personal record.

Images in Helen Polley’s post included a marching band, people laying wreaths and ex-serving members giving speeches set to a track by US rapper ChingyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA federal Labor senator has deleted a social media video which mistakenly included audio of an explicit rap song over a carousel of photos of Anzac Day commemorations.Senator Helen Polley, a former shadow minister and current chair of parliament’s committee on law enforcement, posted a video compilation of images paying respect to Australia’s defence forces. Continue reading...

National broadcaster confirms it will not broadcast world’s largest live music eventNational broadcasters in Ireland, Spain and Slovenia will not air the Eurovision song contest this year, after they decided to boycott the event over Israel’s participation.Having already announced it would not submit a national entry, Slovenian broadcaster RTV confirmed on Thursday it would implement a broadcasting blackout of the world’s largest live music event and instead show a series of films about Palestine. Continue reading...

Chemicals known to affect brains of common garden birds, and to kill unborn chicks, found in most feather samplesConservationists have called for restrictions on pet flea treatments after research found songbird feathers widely contaminated with substances that can damage the birds’ brains and kill unborn chicks.Almost every feather sample tested from five common species of UK garden birds contained either permethrin, imidacloprid or fipronil – all insecticides that are banned for agricultural use but still common in pet tick and flea treatments. Continue reading...

• Billie Eilish and brother Finneas O'Connell won Song of the Year at the 2026 Grammy Awards held April 5 in Las Vegas for 'Ocean Eyes Reprise'. • Award marks their fifth Song win, beating nominees like Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar; Eilish said, 'This one's for the dreamers who never quit.' • Event viewed by 18.7 million, up 12% from 2025, highlighting music awards' TV resurgence.

As the original event faces discord and boycotts on its 70th anniversary, Bangkok will host the inaugural spin-offEurovision is seeking to expand into the Asian market by hosting a version of its song contest in Bangkok this year, just as the original annual event is being buffeted by discord and boycotts on the eve of its 70th anniversary edition.The grand final of the inaugural Eurovision song contest Asia will take place in Thailand’s capital on Saturday 14 November, the Switzerland-based organisation announced on Tuesday. Broadcasters from 10 countries have confirmed their participation. Continue reading...

Music’s most famous number is being repurposed to offer resources for patients and caregiversSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe telephone number immortalized in the enduring Tommy Tutone hit song 867-5309/Jenny has started connecting callers to a cancer support line – as one ad touting the news says it was time that music’s most famous digits “did some good”.Cancer Support Community (CSC)’s Instagram page announced the campaign with a series of posts on Monday alluding to the song about a guy who nervously ponders calling the phone number of a woman named Jenny, which is scrawled on a bathroom wall. Continue reading...

Recording of humpback whale from 1949 could also provide new understanding of how the huge animals communicateA haunting whale song discovered on decades-old audio equipment could open up a new understanding of how the huge animals communicate, according to researchers who say it’s the oldest such recording known.The song is that of a humpback whale, a marine giant beloved by whale watchers for its docile nature and spectacular leaps from the water, and was recorded by scientists in March 1949 in Bermuda, said researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Continue reading...

Stanley McChrystal said White House has a ‘we should do because we can’ approach to international relationsThe retired US army general who once led Nato forces in Afghanistan says the bellicose foreign policy Donald Trump has pursued during his second presidency can be summed up as “we should do because we can” – invoking the lyrics of the Dolly Parton classic Jolene to emphasize the point.Stanley McChrystal delivered those remarks on Friday at Tulane University’s New Orleans book festival during a fireside chat hosted by the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, who asked in part about US military strikes Trump has ordered in Nigeria, Venezuela and Iran since Christmas. Continue reading...