Total Scene
Of thee I sing: A guide to US patriotic songs, from ‘The Liberty Song’ to Jay-Z and Kanye West
NEW YORK | The history of American patriotic songs offers a lesson about the different ways you can say you love your country. Composers have celebrated endurance under fire ( “The Star-Spangled Banner” ) and invoked divine approval (“God Bless America”). While Toby Keith’s “Made in America” dares anyone to question American eminence, Woody Guthrie’s […]
Rei Ami from ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and comedian Ken Jeong take a bite out of ‘Shark Week’
NEW YORK | Rei Ami, whose voice helped fuel the hit movie “KPop Demon Hunters,” recently found herself facing plenty of real hunters — watching from the ocean floor as about 16 reef sharks went on a feeding frenzy. She was scared, sure. But more than that, she was brought to tears. “I thought I’d […]
Music Review: Charli xcx remains one of pop’s great contrarians on ‘Music, Fashion, Film’
NEW YORK | When Charli xcx released the barely two-minute, glitched-out “Rock Music,” the first single from “Music, Fashion, Film,” she was almost immediately labeled a provocateur. The song, with its hyperpop affectations and cheeky, lyrical dedication to craft — “I think the dance floor is dead/So now we’re making rock music” — confused and […]
Detective says D4vd ordered chain saws, body bags in hearing to decide if singer should go to trial
LOS ANGELES | Singer D4vd ordered a body bag, chain saws, an inflatable pool and a shovel online in the days after the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a homicide detective testified Tuesday. Prosecutors say D4vd, a 21-year-old whose legal name is David Burke, used the items to dismember Rivas Hernandez’s body after he […]
10 songs to get hyped for the World Cup final
NEW YORK | Regardless of World Cup allegiances, there is one thing everyone can agree on: There’s nothing better than a themed playlist to get pumped for Sunday’s big match. The Associated Press has you covered there. Whether you’re hoping Argentina will become the first repeat champion since Brazil in 1958 and 1962, or that […]
Latin and country surge in the US as more music is being streamed than ever before
NEW YORK | Halfway through 2026, a few music, film and TV streaming trends have become clear, according to Luminate’s 2026 Midyear Report, which was released Wednesday. Notably, more music is being streamed than ever before, both in the U.S. and globally. In terms of genre: The combination of R&B/hip-hop remains on top in the […]
What to Stream: ‘Heartstopper Forever,’ ‘Lucky’ and Steve Lacy
A new album from Steve Lacy and the conclusion of the “Heartstopper” series are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: “Lucky,” which stars Anya Taylor-Joy, the game “D-topia” […]
Heat forces yodelers at annual Swiss festival to sing in fountains
BASEL, Switzerland | City fountains became impromptu rehearsal spaces this weekend as yodelers at a festival in Basel, Switzerland, squeezed in last-minute practice while cooling off during Europe’s June heat wave. At one fountain, a folk band dipped their toes in the water on Saturday, as festivalgoers clapped along or cooled their hands under the […]
Inside country legend Alan Jackson’s triumphant finale concert
NASHVILLE, Tenn. | The time has come for country music superstar Alan Jackson to hang up his signature Stetson hat. The genre traditionalist from Newnan, Georgia, whose career kicked off in the 1980s and exploded shortly thereafter in the oft-cited ’90s country wave with heartfelt songs for the working man who’d rather be drinking, or […]
What is the 2026 song of the summer? AP offers some predictions
NEW YORK | What is 2026’s song of the summer? There’s no easy answer. Algorithmic division is certainly a factor in why there isn’t an obvious pick this year. Where have the songs like “Despacito” in 2017 or “Old Town Road” in 2019 gone? Last year, some even wondered if Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” — a […]