What’s New in the Music World?

The end of the year means a busy time for the music industry between new albums, concert announcements, and much more. Come look at what’s new in the music industry. 

 

Superbowl

From San Fran to Puerto Rico–The NFL has just released its 2026 Super Bowl Headliner. On Sunday, September 28th, the NFL released a promo video containing Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny sitting on a goal post, announcing that he will headline this year’s Super Bowl. It is confirmed that he will give a full Spanish performance, the first person to do so in the Super Bowl. This has raised mixed feelings, but many are excited to see him perform. 

 

Selena Gomez

Love You Like a Love Song–Singer-Songwriter Selena Gomez has recently tied the knot with her long-time lover, producer Benny Blanco. The two had been dating since 2023, and worked together on Gomez’s last album, I Said I Love You First. From Gomez’s Instagram, it seemed to be a beautiful day surrounded by friends and family. 

 

Taylor Swift

In her Showgirl Era, Taylor Swift’s long-awaited 12th album comes out on October 3rd. This is Swift’s first album since her worldwide tour, The Eras Tour, wrapped up in December of 2024. She announced the album on August 12th on her fiance’s, Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receiver Travis Kelce’s, podcast “New Heights.” This is Swift’s first album in over a year, and many fans are excited to see what Swift has been up to. 

 

Ozzy Osbourn

Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourn recently passed away on July 22nd. Osbourn was most known as the founder and lead singer of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, renowned for his song “Crazy Train.” Osbourn was last seen on July 5th, where he made an appearance at the charity concert, “Back to the Beginning,” and had a reunion with Black Sabbath. Osbourne passed away at his home in the UK, surrounded by family. 

 

Daniel Ek

Hitting the Pause– Daniel Ek, founder of the popular music streaming site, Spotify, announced that as of January 1st, he will be stepping down as CEO. Ek founded the company 2 decades ago, and hopes to see the company expand across the world, as well as more technology and AI implementation. He will be replaced by Chief Product and Technology Officer Gustav Söderström and Chief Business Officer Alex Norström. 

 

Ariana Grande

A Grande Fiasco– Ariana Grande has recently announced her first tour in seven years. On August 28, Grande took to Instagram to announce she will be going on tour in 2026 supporting her 2024 album, “Eternal Sunshine.” However, there was much chaos involved. Fans faced high demand and prices, and encountered many problems with counterfeit and resale tickets. Grande took to Instagram and acknowledged the problem, stating that she and her team are working to get tickets into the hands of fans.

 

Sabrina Carpenter 

Man’s Best Album–Grammy-winning pop artist Sabrina Carpenter recently released her 7th studio album. On June 11th, Carpenter took to Instagram and shared that her newest album, “Man’s Best Friend,” was available for pre-sale. While many were upset about the inappropriate album cover, many were excited to see what Carpenter had in store for us. On August 29th, the album was released. The album reached 64.4 million streams, and almost every song hit the Global Top 20. Carpenter also broke the record for the biggest debut from a female artist on the Spotify platform in 2025.

 

Coachella

Bieber’s Back–Coachella, one of the biggest music festivals, has recently announced its 2026 lineup. The lineup includes headliners such as Sabrina Carpenter, Karol G, Justin Bieber, Anyma, and more. On September 18th, previous attendees had early access, with regular access on sale the next day. However, by September 22nd, tickets reportedly were all sold out. This was the fastest the festival has sold out since 2015. Fans speculate that this was due to the high demand for performer Justin Bieber’s return to the stage.