
Beyoncé's surprise Morning Dew drop turns the B'Day anniversary into a streaming-era event
Her first new song in two years, dropped without warning on 4 July, opens the countdown to a 20th-anniversary B'Day reissue — pop monetising memory.
The latest music industry news, headlines and analysis from The NE Times.

Her first new song in two years, dropped without warning on 4 July, opens the countdown to a 20th-anniversary B'Day reissue — pop monetising memory.

His 1996 MTV Unplugged acoustic fetched a reported world record, while a Manchester City blue Epiphone sold for £12,000 at a separate sale.

Mariah Carey will play Christmas shows in Birmingham, London and Manchester, with general ticket sales opening on 25 September 2026.

Derek Safo, the north London rapper who became the first unsigned act to win a MOBO, has died at his home in Ghana, prompting tributes across UK hip-hop.

The Auckland club's Hoki Mai reopening on 10 July, rescued by community fundraising, shows what it takes to keep grassroots music infrastructure alive.

Tributes have poured in for record executive Clive Davis, who has died at 94, with artists and industry figures crediting him with discovering, developing and reviving careers across generations.

SZA, Kenneth Blume and other musicians have criticised the appearance of their work in datasets used by AI music systems, deepening the industry's rights fight.

The American Federation of Musicians has sued Universal and Warner over AI-related licensing, arguing session players should be compensated when recordings feed new technology.