Music

J. Cole Reflects on Kendrick Lamar Feud & Confirms He’s Not Retiring: ‘I’m Not Using That Word at All’

• J. Cole says retirement is no longer in his plans.
• A sold-out arena tour helped change his mind.
• He reflected on apologising to Kendrick Lamar in 2024.

J. Cole says he no longer plans to retire, reversing his intention while making his 2026 album, *The Fall-Off*, to make it his final release. A sold-out arena tour after the album’s release helped change his mind, although he says he does not know when he will next…

4 Stevie Wonder Songs Not Every Fan Knows (But Every Fan Should)

• Four less familiar Stevie Wonder songs are highlighted.
• The choices range from instrumental funk to romance.
• The article connects Wonder’s songs with resilience and unity.

The article highlights four Stevie Wonder songs it considers underappreciated, arguing they reveal different sides of his music and outlook. The selections span funk, jazz, heartbreak, music’s ability to unite people and romantic devotion. “Contusion” is an instrumental from *Songs in the Key of Life*, while “Be Cool,…

In 1966, one of pop music’s most ambitious songs began with an old wives’ tale about dogs

• A childhood story about dogs may have inspired ‘Good Vibrations’.
• Brian Wilson said the idea of vibrations frightened him as a boy.
• The song’s precise connection to the story remains uncertain.

Brian Wilson’s 1966 hit ‘Good Vibrations’ may have drawn on a childhood story from his mother about dogs sensing feelings and vibrations people cannot detect. The anecdote offers a possible personal source for the song’s title and atmosphere, though the article presents it as a connection rather than…

My Chemical Romance Waves White Flag in Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Flap: ‘Agreement Reached’

• My Chemical Romance agreed to stop using the disputed costumes.
• The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ trademark owner sued over a stage skit.
• The agreement cancelled a scheduled court hearing.

My Chemical Romance has agreed to stop dressing its backup dancers in costumes resembling the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ uniform, ending a legal dispute before a court hearing. The disagreement centred on a staged gun battle at the band’s Hollywood Bowl show, where dancers in star-spangled outfits appeared with…

‘Pixels and Pencils’ Panelists Talk the Dangers of AI, Demanding Animation Processes and the Importance of Human Creativity

• Animators said human craft gives films their meaning.
• “Ray Gunn” took about 30 years to reach release.
• “Wildwood” used 2,800 stop-motion shots.

Filmmakers at a “Pixels and Pencils” panel in Savannah argued that animation depends on human creativity and painstaking work that artificial intelligence cannot replace. Their comments matter as the industry weighs how emerging technology may affect artists and filmmaking. The six panelists discussed the time and craft behind…

Maryland Is Getting Its Own (Mini) Sphere

• Maryland plans a 6,000-capacity Sphere at National Harbor.
• The project is projected to cost about $1.4 billion.
• Venue workers can organise under a labour agreement.

Prince George’s County Council has approved up to $215 million in funding for a smaller Sphere venue at National Harbor, on the Potomac River south of Washington, DC. The project would bring the immersive concert venue concept to Maryland and is expected to be part of a larger…

Pacific cables flagged as vulnerable; retatrutide eases sleep apnoea

A US commission warns of sabotage risks to cables backed by Google, Meta and Verizon, while trials find retatrutide cuts sleep apnoea symptoms. Chad Gray covers Christina Aguilera, Luigi’s Mansion returns on Switch 2, and Greta Thunberg’s activism draws scrutiny.

Who wrote the 1975 Rod Stewart song, ‘Sailing’?

• Gavin Sutherland wrote “Sailing”.
• Stewart’s version topped the UK chart for four weeks.
• The original was recorded by the Sutherland Brothers.

Rod Stewart did not write “Sailing”, the song most closely associated with his 1975 hit. It was written by Gavin Sutherland, bassist for the Sutherland Brothers, whose 1972 recording Stewart discovered after his girlfriend recommended the band. Stewart recorded his version at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama…

‘Nobody Wants This’ Creator Teases “Pivotal & Important” Role Written For Dax Shepard

• Erin Foster has a pivotal role in mind for Dax Shepard.
• The potential role is for an unconfirmed fourth season.
• Shepard says he is more open to acting after *Bad Monkey*.

Erin Foster says the writers of *Nobody Wants This* have devised a pivotal role for Dax Shepard in a potential fourth season, and have asked whether he would take part. Netflix has not renewed the series, so the role depends on a season being commissioned and Shepard agreeing…

The million-selling Billy Joel albums he never wanted released: “They’ll put out anything these days”

• Billy Joel says he did not authorise many greatest-hits compilations.
• He considers *Fantasies & Delusions* his last album.
• He says labels continue to issue collections under his name.

Billy Joel has criticised unauthorised greatest-hits compilations bearing his name, saying record labels keep releasing collections he did not approve. His comments highlight how artists’ back catalogues can continue to be repackaged and sold even when they are no longer regularly making albums. Joel said he considers *Fantasies…