Hey friends. 👋
It is officially summer as of Sunday, which means it’s time to start crossing things off your summer bucket list. Or start one, if you haven’t already. Mine is… still being written. But I do know this: I want to actually do all the things this summer. Not just save the post, and keep DM’ing my friends with “we should go,” and then let three months go by.
Summer always feels like it comes with a little permission slip to be more spontaneous, more present, and maybe just a tiny bit less practical. So consider this your nudge to start crossing things off your list too, even if the list is still half in your Notes app and half in your head.
Let’s make this summer a good one!
THIS WEEK IN MUSIC NEWS & TOURS 🎤
Harry Styles wrapped his Meltdown Festival run at London’s Southbank Centre with the kind of orchestral glow-up that makes “career highlight” feel like an understatement. His Jules Buckley Orchestra-backed set brought the drama, the tenderness, and enough fan-service sparkle to keep Harries emotionally booked for the week.
BTS added one more show each in Jakarta and Bulacan, Philippines, after demand did what BTS demand tends to do: break the scale. The new dates are December 29, 2026, at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium and March 16, 2027, at Philippine Sports Stadium.
André 3000 released a 12-minute short film inspired by his 2025 EP 7 Piano Sketches, now streaming on Mubi. The visual follows him through New York City with a piano strapped to his back, because André’s current creative era remains charmingly allergic to normal.
SZA and Kenneth Blume spoke out after finding their music in AI training datasets, adding fresh heat to one of the industry’s messiest new fights. It is not the flashiest pop-star update, but it is extremely 2026: the songs are in the machine, and the artists are not having it.
Oliver Tree’s family announced a new artist grant honoring his final wishes after his death in a helicopter crash. The “Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant for Baby Geniuses” will support emerging artists.
Lewis Capaldi told the TRNSMT crowd that a new album is in the works, signaling the next chapter after his return to the stage. He kept it honest about stepping back for his health, then casually gave fans the update they had been waiting for: more Lewis heartbreak anthems are officially brewing.
Ed Sheeran brought his Loop Tour to Nashville with a hit-packed stadium show that leaned hard into the one-man-band wizardry. Between the looping, the crowd singalongs, and the epic camera moment, it was peak Sheeran: earnest, enormous, and engineered for mass karaoke.
Ariana Grande revealed the full tracklist for Petal, giving fans a clearer look at the next phase of her pop universe. Naturally, the internet immediately turned into a detective board of favorite titles, possible meanings, and deeply unserious emotional preparation.
Carly Rae Jepsen announced that her new album Day and Night will arrive as a 24-track double LP on September 18. Twenty-four Carly songs is not an album rollout; it is a public service for people who believe bridges, key changes, and crush-related melodrama should be protected resources.
Clive Davis died at 94, leaving behind one of the most towering legacies in modern music. From Whitney Houston to Bruce Springsteen to Alicia Keys, Davis helped shape generations of pop, rock, soul, and R&B — the rare executive whose fingerprints are basically all over the jukebox.
Recent Tour Announcements:
Rod Wave - Rod Wave is scaling up again with the 25-date Don’t Look Down tour, tied to his forthcoming album of the same name and joined by FRIDAYY. It’s the biggest, most arena-ready announcement in this batch, built around his emotionally heavy rap/R&B pull.
Brand New - Brand New’s newly announced run centers on the 20th anniversary of The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, giving one of 2000s alternative rock’s most enduring cult albums a full-scale North American moment. The tour follows the band’s recent comeback activity and leans heavily into legacy appeal.
Role Model - Role Model is taking Chuck On Tour across North America behind his upcoming album Chuck Timely & the Hourglass, with Samia and Keni Titus appearing on select dates. It’s a clear next-step tour for an alt-pop artist moving from buzzy songwriter status into bigger-room momentum.
Jose Madero - José Madero’s U.S. tour supports his new album Canciones Míseras, extending the former Panda vocalist’s solo run across a broad fall itinerary. The announcement gives Latin rock fans a sizable stateside moment from an artist with a deep catalog and strong cross-border following.
Born of Osiris - Born of Osiris are keeping the Through Shadows era moving with a compact September U.S. run built for the metalcore faithful. The routing is limited, but the band’s technical, heavy sound makes this a strong niche pick for harder-edged tour coverage.
Chelsea Wolfe - Chelsea Wolfe is taking her shadowy, heavy, goth-rooted world into a major new chapter with THE DARK World Tour, including a North American run with Jonathan Hultén. The tour continues the momentum around She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She, keeping her cinematic darkness in full bloom.
Turnover - Turnover are bringing their dreamy, guitar-washed sound back out on the road with the Down on Earth tour, tied to their newest album of the same name. With Nothing and Trauma Ray joining in support, this one has a strong lane for fans who like their alt-rock lush, nostalgic, and a little hazy.
Phillip Phillips - Phillip Phillips is lining up a substantial North American run behind his upcoming EP Let’s Go Far, giving his earthy pop-rock catalog a fresh touring push. The announcement lands as a solid next chapter for the American Idol Season 11 winner, whose live appeal has long centered on warm hooks and road-tested singer-songwriter energy.
Amanda Marshall - Amanda Marshall is celebrating the 30th anniversary of her Diamond-certified self-titled debut with The Dirty 30 Tour: A Pearl Anniversary, A Diamond Legacy. It’s a natural legacy moment for a Juno-winning Canadian vocalist whose debut era still carries plenty of emotional radio-rock pull.
Jacquees & K Camp - Jacquees and K Camp are teaming up for the co-headlining Us Over Dem tour, pairing two R&B/rap-world hitmakers with a built-in late-summer party feel. For Jacquees, the run also keeps the focus on his latest album Baby Making and his smooth, melodic R&B lane.
Skillet - Skillet are turning Comatose into a full anniversary celebration with the Comatose 20 Years: Still Screaming Tour. The platinum album’s big, urgent rock hooks make this one an easy fit for fans who want a loud nostalgia play with plenty of modern arena-rock muscle.
THIS WEEK IN RANDOM, BUT AWESOME, EVENTS ✨
Houston, please stretch accordingly. Texas Monthly Taco Fest South is taking over Discovery Green on July 25, which means one glorious evening of tacos, live entertainment, culture, and the very serious sport of deciding which bite deserves your entire personality for the next week.
The lineup pulls from taquerias featured in Texas Monthly’s taco coverage, including Houston favorites like The Original Ninfa’s, Cochinita & Co., El Nuevo Azteca, Maximo, J Bar M BBQ, Tacos Frontera, Huncho’s Tacos, and Papalo Taqueria, plus a few heavy hitters from across Texas. Basically, it’s less “grab dinner” and more “build a strategic taco tasting game plan.”
There’ll also be Latin music, ballet folklórico, a marketplace, and a chance to meet Texas Monthly taco editor José R. Ralat, which is exactly the kind of niche celebrity sighting I support. Come hungry, wear forgiving pants, and prepare to say “okay, just one more” with absolutely no credibility.
WIN SOMETHING! 🎁
Your summer/fall plans called. They would like a little upgrade.
This week’s giveaway lineup is doing the most in the best way: rooftop cabanas, festival passes, throwback icons, comedy nights, space-themed adventures, and even round-trip tickets because apparently your inbox is now a travel agent. Pick your city, enter the one that feels most like future-you’s best story, and let the universe handle the logistics.
Do317 (Indy)
Win your way into the Clay Terrace Summer Concert Series, aka the easiest “sure, let’s make it a whole night” summer plan.
Do312 (Chicago)
5 Seconds of Summer are coming through, and your inner Tumblr-era self deserves a little victory lap.
Do210 (San Antonio)
An intimate screening of High Fidelity with John Cusack? For anyone who loves music, movies, and emotionally complicated men in vintage jackets.
DoTheBay (Bay Area)
Life in Space at the Exploratorium sounds like the perfect night for anyone who likes science, curiosity, and pretending they totally understand the cosmos.
Do604 (Vancouver)
The Summer Sweepstakes is giving “enter now, thank yourself later” energy. Very low effort, potentially very high reward.
DoLA (Los Angeles)
TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, and En Vogue on one bill is not a concert, it’s a group text emergency. Enter immediately and assemble the nostalgia committee.
Do816 (Kansas City)
Louis Tomlinson’s How Did We Get Here? World Tour is coming through KC, and yes, the answer is probably “through years of dedicated fandom.”
Do214 (Dallas)
Win two round-trip tickets to Austin, Houston, or San Antonio, which is basically permission to plan a spontaneous Texas mini-escape.
Do615 (Nashville)
A rooftop cabana giveaway? Very “main character with sunglasses and a drink that looks better than it tastes,” and honestly, we support it.
Do215 (Philly)
The Made By Phila Staycation Sweepstakes is your sign to romanticize your own city without dealing with airport security.
Do617 (Boston)
Nikki Glaser live is sharp, chaotic, and exactly the kind of comedy night where you leave saying, “She really said that.”
Do713 (Houston)
Breakaway Music Festival is bringing the big festival energy, and this giveaway is your chance to be in the crowd instead of watching everyone’s stories with envy.
Do206 (Seattle)
Capitol Hill Block Party is one of those weekends that makes the whole neighborhood feel like it joined a band. Enter accordingly.
DoPDX (Portland)
Comedy Bang! Bang! live means wonderfully weird comedy, very specific bits, and the kind of show where explaining it afterward is half the fun.
Do303 (Denver)
Taking Back Sunday performing Louder Now live? That’s not just a giveaway, that’s an emotional support event with guitars.
And that’s just the tip of the free-ticket iceberg. Each city has hundreds more giveaways waiting to be discovered, so keep exploring and see what calls your name.
That’s it for this week.
Hope everyone gets to cross off one summer bucket list item this week!
Jess ✨
