Daily Music Headlines June 30, 2026

**Eileen Rivera** (0:01)
It's Tuesday, June 30th, 2026 I'm Eileen Rivera, and here are your music headlines for today. The Pretty Reckless released the music video for Dear God, the title track of their fifth studio album. The song led by Taylor Momsen's powerful vocals explores themes of desperation and the desire for something greater. The band is currently on their Dear God Tour and has had a successful year including performances at the Music Cares Person of the Year Gala and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Beyoncé's Parkwood Entertainment won a lawsuit regarding the sample used in her song, Alien Superstar. The lawsuit brought by High Rose Enterprises LLC claimed ownership of the sample and sought compensation. However, the judge dismissed the case due to a legal defect as High Rose Enterprises was not formed until after the lawsuit was filed. Twista, the Chicago rapper, pleaded guilty to five counts of tax evasion for failing to pay taxes between 2019 and 2023, owing over $440,000. He faces up to five years in prison and will be sentenced on October 22nd. The IRS claims Twista used advances on future royalties to purchase luxury cars instead of paying taxes.
GWAR has launched a fundraiser for Chuck Varga, a founding member and sex executioner who is battling cancer. Fans can support Varga by purchasing a shirt featuring his artwork, bidding on his stage prop acts or making a cash donation. The funds will help cover medical expenses and living costs for Varga and his wife Bambi. Metallica performed a snippet of Tom Jones, Delilah during their Cardiff Whale show despite the song being banned at Principality Stadium since 2023 due to its depiction of domestic violence. The band followed a 2015 removal from playlists and intensified scrutiny on the Welsh Rugby Union. The performance was shared online sparking discussion about the song's controversial lyrics.
New Order announced that Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert will not be joining their show at Primavera in Chile in November due to personal health reasons. Bernard Sumner will perform with Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman at the festival. The band did not specify which member is experiencing health issues or the nature of the issues. Tidal will label tracks it identifies as 100% AI generated starting July 15th, but will demonetize them immediately. The platform aims to ensure royalties go to the original works and will enforce proper labeling and AI generated music by content distributors. Tidal will also remove or block AI generated music associated with fraudulent activity such as deceptive content or unusual streaming patterns.
The Latin Recording Academy announced the 2026 Special Awards recipients including Alaska, Francisco Céspedes, Lila Downs, Daniela Mercury and Chichi Peralta, who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Omar Alfano will receive the Trustees Award and a music educator will be honored with the Latin Music Educator Award. The award ceremony will be held on November 9th in Las Vegas.
Olivia Rodrigo has partnered with LEGO to create a collection of sets inspired by her music and albums. The collection features five sets including minifigures and custom details capturing Rodrigo's iconic looks and performances. The sets designed for ages 9-14 will be available globally on August 1st. And finally, let's take a look at the top albums this week on the Billboard 200 chart. At number five, The Great Divide by Noah Kahan. At number four, I'm the Problem by Morgan Wallen.
At number three, Dandelion by Ella Langley. At number two, Iceman by Drake. And at number one, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love by Olivia Rodrigo.
Want to be the first to hear about future live streams, discuss the latest news, talk about music and help shape the future of the show? Join the Daily Music Headlines Discord at tiny.cc slash dmhdiscord. This episode was produced by Hammond Chamberlain and written and hosted by me, Eileen Rivera. Thanks for listening. That's it for today. We'll catch you on the flip side.

**SPEAKER_2** (4:19)
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