Lil Uzi Vert celebrates 31st with surprise EP after weather forces Lollapalooza cancellation
Plus: New Radicals resurface with first song in 28 years, Olivia Rodrigo joins Smashing Pumpkins at Chicago, and Boy George fires his label manager.
TL;DR
- Lil Uzi Vert's Lollapalooza performance was cancelled due to weather, but he joined Major Lazer and surprise-released birthday EP Maverick Almost Forever on August 2.
- New Radicals returned with their first new song in 28 years, One Night Only (Break Loose Break Free!), for the One Night Only rom-com soundtrack.
- Olivia Rodrigo joined Smashing Pumpkins for their Lollapalooza set, while Phish set a career record with their longest bustout streak.
- Boy George fired his label manager over a refused AI-generated pro-Israel reggae song, escalating tensions with industry figures.
Releases and charts
Lil Uzi Vert caps Lollapalooza chaos with surprise EP
Lil Uzi Vert's scheduled Lollapalooza headlining slot on August 2 fell victim to weather conditions, but the setback became a springboard. Rather than disappear, he joined Major Lazer's set to perform "Just Wanna Rock," then surprise-released the EP Maverick "Almost Forever" on his 31st birthday—his first project since 2024's Eternal Atake 2 and a full ten years after dropping The Perfect LUV Tape on the same date. (via Stereogum)
New Radicals return with first new song in 28 years. The '90s alt-rock act broke three decades of silence with "One Night Only (Break Loose Break Free!)," a collaboration credited to the full band appearing on the soundtrack for the upcoming rom-com One Night Only. Alexander, Brisebois, and Lashley co-wrote and performed the track, due August 7 alongside the film. (via Stereogum)
Charli XCX teases new album visuals. She released a video for "I Want Your Sex" from her album cycle, continuing to build momentum around the campaign. (via Stereogum)
Olivia Rodrigo takes the Smashing Pumpkins stage at Lollapalooza. The rising pop star joined the alt-rock legends for their August 1 set in Chicago, adding her voice to the festival's most anticipated collaboration. (via Stereogum)
Artists and industry
Boy George fires label manager over pro-Israel AI song
Boy George parted ways with Tony Pontius, manager of his indie label Boy George Presents, after Pontius refused to release his AI-generated pro-Israel reggae track "We Will Dance Again." In a social media statement, George explained the split: "I wanted to release 'We Will Dance Again' but he was unequivocal and said 'I want nothing to do with this song' and I responded 'ok, we are done'." After making the song available on Bandcamp, George escalated the conflict further by releasing an AI-generated diss track targeting Sean Dickson, lead singer of The Soup Dragons, who had criticized both the original song and George's pro-Israel stance. (via Stereogum)
Tours and live
Phish set career bustout record as Lollapalooza rolls on
Phish reached a career milestone on August 1 when the jamband set a 2,051-show bustout record—their longest stretch without playing a song—capping the achievement with an XTC cover that delighted fans tracking the milestone. (via Stereogum)
Scenes and genres
Tori Amos honours Glen Hansard with Swell Season cover
Tori Amos paid tribute to Glen Hansard with a cover of The Swell Season material, joining a wave of artists memorializing the Frames frontman after his death in a motorcycle crash on July 29. (via Stereogum)
