MARIA SHERMAN

AP Entertainment Writers

10 holiday gifts to hit the right note for music lovers

Music fans should be easy to shop for this holiday season, right? Wrong! What do you pick up for the friend who knew about that rapper months before the rest of the world?

‘Tis the season for holiday albums, from Jennifer Hudson to Toby Keith and Jimmy Fallon

It’s not the holiday season until the house is full of festive music, from classics to covers and reimaginations across genres, for all to enjoy.

Music Review: Linkin Park returns on ‘From Zero,’ their first album since Chester Bennington’s death

Linkin Park, the inventive American rap-rock band who wove electronica into its heavy, melodic compositions, return with their first new album in seven years, “From Zero.”

Juan Luis Guerra 4.40 wins album of the year at the 2024 Latin Grammys, a 25th anniversary party

Juan Luis Guerra 4.40 won album of the year at the 2024 Latin Grammys, not long after receiving record of the year for “Mambo 23.”

Dolly Parton sings her family’s story on ‘Smoky Mountain DNA.’ She says it is her ‘favorite album’

Dolly Parton’s musical story starts further back than most might expect — to the British Isles of the 1600s. That’s where her ancestors hail from, eventually landing in the hollers of East Tennessee and its familiar mountain ranges.

My Chemical Romance returns with ‘The Black Parade’ tour

Nearly two decades ago, My Chemical Romance released their career-defining rock opera, “The Black Parade.” It cemented their shift from mainstays of the emo scene to mainstream recognition.

The Latin Grammys return to Miami for their 25th anniversary. Here’s what to know

Latin music has taken the world by storm. Across platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, numbers have skyrocketed, making it the fastest growing streaming genre in the United States.

The Beatles, ‘BRAT’ summer, country and more: All of the 2025 Grammy nomination snubs and surprises

It looks like the 2025 Grammy Awards may be a different kind of award show. Beyoncé leads the nods with 11, bringing her career total to a record-breaking 99 nominations.

Beyoncé leads the 2025 Grammy noms, becoming the most nominated artist in the show’s history

NEW YORK (AP) — Welcome toBeyoncé country. When it comes to the 2025 Grammy Award nominations, “Cowboy Carter” rules the nation. She leads the nods with 11, bringing her career total to 99 nominations.

Minneapolis musician Tyka Nelson, Prince’s sister and only full sibling, dies at 64

Minneapolis musician Tyka Nelson, Prince’s only full sibling, died Monday. She was 64. Her son President Nelson says she died at a hospital in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. A cause of death was not immediately available.

Beyoncé channels Pamela Anderson in ‘Baywatch’ for Halloween video asking viewers to vote

In a new video posted early Election Day, Beyoncé channels Pamela Anderson in the television program “Baywatch” – red one-piece swimsuit and all – and asks viewers to vote.

On the night before Election Day, Kamala Harris brings in celebrities. Donald Trump is unimpressed

On the night before Election Day, at campaign events across the country, celebrities turned out in force for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.

Andrea Bocelli on his new album, film and 30 years of making music: ‘I like to think to the future’

To mark 30 years of his career, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli has released a new compilation album, “Duets,” featuring previously released and new collaborations across some of his best-known work. There are also a few surprising contemporary covers.

Remembering Quincy Jones: 10 career-spanning songs to celebrate his legacy

Few artists have legacies so mammoth their very name could be considered synonymous with the music industry, but then again, most musicians are not the prodigious producer Quincy Jones.

Willie Nelson on his new album, cannabis cookbook, Kris Kristofferson and what makes a good song

Willie Nelson, who is 91, will release “Last Leaf on the Tree” on Friday, his second studio album this year. It’s also his 76th solo studio album and 153rd album overall.

Beyoncé, Shaboozey and Post Malone topped country in 2024. How will Grammy voters respond?

Country music has become a dominant force, bleeding into pop music’s mainstream. Artists who were once not associated with the genre, like Beyoncé and Post Malone, have recently released country records.

Nicky Jam withdraws endorsement of Donald Trump over comedian’s ‘garbage’ comment about Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican reggaeton singer Nicky Jam has withdrawn his endorsement of Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election a month after appearing at a rally for the candidate.

Beyoncé endorses Kamala Harris in joyful speech at Houston rally: ‘I’m here as a mother’

Beyoncé has spoken at a Houston rally for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, telling the crowd: “I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother.”

Music Review: In illness, Halsey tells deep truths on ambitious, reflective ‘The Great Impersonator’

Halsey’s fifth studio album, “The Great Impersonator,” was made over the last two years, while the pop singer was privately battling both a form of lupus and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder.

Pixies’ Black Francis on ‘The Night the Zombies Came,’ 35 years of ‘Doolittle’ and Steve Albini

NEW YORK (AP) — The undead, Medieval-themed suburban restaurants, the mall. Druidism, decapitated chickens, rebirth. Church, sheep slaughter, science fiction.

Lana Del Rey did marry alligator swamp tour guide Jeremy Dufrene in Louisiana, document shows

It is official. Lana Del Rey and alligator swamp tour guide Jeremy Dufrene did marry in Louisiana last month.

MusiCares names The Grateful Dead 2025 Persons of the Year

MusiCares, an organization that helps music professionals who need financial, personal or medical assistance, will honor the Grateful Dead as its 2025 Persons of the Year.

BRELAND went to Selma to find himself. His ‘Project 2024' is music based on what he saw and felt

For BRELAND, the last few years have been a whirlwind. He released his debut album, 2022’s “Cross Country,” a fluid approach to country music that now feels prescient because it’s the direction the genre continues to move in.

One Direction was the internet’s first boy band, and Liam Payne its grounding force

One Direction member Liam Payne was found dead this week after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at just 31. In life, Payne was critical part of One Direction, a boy band unlike any other.

How Jose Iglesias’ ‘OMG’ became the perfect anthem for the underdog Mets

It’s a pop hit like many others, with an ascending chorus, an addictive hook, a warm rhythm. But “OMG” has become the perfect anthem for Jose Iglesias’ New York Mets. The infielder performs the song under the musical moniker Candelita.

Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee shot multiple times in Las Vegas

former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne Jake E. Lee was shot multiple times in Las Vegas but is expected to recover. Las Vegas police said in an emailed statement that he was shot around 2:40 a.m. Tuesday and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Music Review: Charli XCX’s ‘Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat’ remixes, ranked

Charli XCX’s “Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat” is a deluxe, remixed, double-album version of her culture-shifting album “Brat.”

Jon Batiste’s ‘Beethoven Blues’ transforms classical works into unique blues and gospel renditions

When Grammy-award winner Jon Batiste was a kid, say, 9 or 10 years old, he moved between musical worlds. He’d participate in local classical piano competitions by day, then was “gigging in night haunts in the heart of New Orleans.”

The Grammys’ voting body is more diverse, with 66% new members. What does it mean for the awards?

For years, the Grammy Awards have been criticized over a lack of diversity, a a reflection of the Recording Academy’s electorate. An evolving voting body is working to remedy that.

Chappell Roan returns to the stage after All Things Go cancellation: Photos

On Tuesday, Roan launched into an animated set at the FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville. She didn’t address the cancellations directly, rather, focused her attention to the queer community in the crowd, thanking them for allowing her to do her job.