Ariana's 'eternal sunshine' tour, The Weeknd as Forbes' highest paid musician, Olivia and The Cure's collaboration

Ariana Grande opens the ‘eternal sunshine’ tour

For years, fans wondered whether Ariana Grande would ever return to life on the road. On Saturday night in Oakland, California, they finally got their answer.

The pop superstar officially launched her Eternal Sunshine tour, ending a seven-year absence from major live touring and signaling a new era in a career that has expanded far beyond music. Since concluding her last tour in 2019, Grande has largely shifted her focus to acting, earning widespread acclaim for her role in Wicked, which brought her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She later reprised the role in Wicked: For Good and has since lined up several high-profile projects, including Focker In-Law, an animated adaptation of Oh, the Places You'll Go!, and the next season of American Horror Story.

Despite her Hollywood success, the opening night of the tour proved that music remains at the center of Grande's connection with fans. The show blended songs from her 2024 album Eternal Sunshine with career-defining hits including “Into You,” “Dangerous Woman,” “7 Rings,” and “Thank U, Next.”

The tour also arrives ahead of another major milestone. Grande is preparing to release her eighth studio album, Petal, on July 31.

Following the concert, the singer shared an emotional message with fans.

“Oakland, night one … ♡ it feels impossible to find the words at this time … so for now, just thank you. from the bottom of my heart,” she wrote on Instagram. “I love you all more than words can ever possibly say. And I missed you. Thank you.”

For Grande, the night was more than the start of a tour. It was a reminder that even after conquering film, television, and awards season, the stage still feels like home.

Forbes hails The Weeknd as highest paid musician of 2025

The Weeknd is ending 2025 on top of the music industry, but the superstar's latest achievement comes with growing speculation that one of pop music's most recognizable names may soon disappear.

According to Forbes' annual rankings, the chart-topping artist earned the title of the year's highest-paid musician, fueled by a blockbuster world tour, a new album, and a massive deal involving his music catalog. The financial milestone arrives as the singer, born Abel Tesfaye, continues to expand his empire beyond traditional music releases.

A key factor in his record-setting year was a reported agreement with investment firm Lyric Capital, which saw him sell a stake in his existing catalog in a deal valued at approximately $1 billion. Unlike many recent catalog sales, Tesfaye will reportedly retain ownership interests in his master recordings and continue to control how the music is used, while future releases remain outside the agreement.

The achievement coincides with a period of personal and creative transition for the artist. While promoting his film Hurry Up Tomorrow, a project he co-wrote, produced, and starred in, Tesfaye suggested that the persona known as The Weeknd may be nearing its final chapter.

“It felt like I had nothing else to say,” he explained. “I’ve said everything I can say as this person and now it’s time for me to take the next step.”

As his earnings reach new heights, the artist appears to be preparing for something even bigger: life beyond The Weeknd.

Olivia Rodrigo collaborates with Robert Smith of The Cure

What began as admiration has evolved into a full-fledged musical collaboration for Olivia Rodrigo and Robert Smith.

Fans attending Primavera Sound were treated to one of the biggest surprises of Rodrigo's career when the singer unveiled a previously hidden feature on her upcoming album. Midway through the live debut of “What’s Wrong With Me,” Rodrigo revealed that the unmistakable voice joining her on the track belonged to Smith, frontman of legendary band The Cure.

The revelation ended months of secrecy surrounding Rodrigo's third album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, which arrives later this week. While the album's track list had already been released, Smith's involvement had been kept completely under wraps.

“It’s really special to me for so many reasons, primarily because it’s the first song I’ve ever had a feature on,” Rodrigo told the crowd before unveiling her surprise guest.

The collaboration feels like a natural progression of Rodrigo's long-documented admiration for The Cure. Earlier this album cycle, she released singles “Drop Dead” and “The Cure,” both of which nodded to the band's influence on her music. Last year, she and Smith also shared the stage at Glastonbury for performances of the band's classics “Just Like Heaven” and “Friday I'm in Love.”

SEVENTEEN’s ‘V8’ debuts with a new album

A new chapter is about to begin for SEVENTEEN as members Vernon and The8 prepare to step into the spotlight as the group's newest sub-unit.

The duo, officially named V8, will make its debut on June 29 with a self-titled EP that promises to showcase a different side of both artists. While SEVENTEEN has become known for experimenting with smaller units over the years, V8 arrives with a concept centered on growth, reinvention, and the complicated emotions that come with youth.

According to their label, the project explores the idea of moving forward after periods of uncertainty, transforming youthful instability into a sense of freedom and momentum. "Rather than defining spent youth as simply time that has been lost, the album captures the energy to move forward, transforming the instability and precariousness of youth into a surging sense of freedom," PLEDIS wrote.

The launch of V8 continues a tradition that has become a hallmark of the group's career, following successful pairings involving members such as Jeonghan and Wonwoo, Hoshi and Woozi, S.Coups and Mingyu, and DK and Seungkwan.

ICYMI:

• Sources close to Hudson Williams have addressed a resurfaced high school photo showing a swastika drawn on his face, telling TMZ that the actor was unaware of the symbol at the time it was allegedly drawn. According to those sources, the image originated from a campout where intoxicated teenagers were scribbling on one another as a prank, claiming Williams “had no idea what was being drawn on his face at the time” and that the offensive symbol was the result of other teens drawing inappropriate images “in an attempt to get laughs and shock reactions.”

• According to a report by The New York Times, recent U.S. intelligence assessments have raised concerns that Israeli intelligence agencies may have intensified efforts to monitor American officials involved in negotiations with Iran. The report states that officials were particularly concerned about alleged attempts to eavesdrop on senior U.S. figures, including Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s chief negotiator, as Washington pursued talks with Tehran.

— Bea Bertuldo

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