Day: February 16, 2026

Billy Steinberg, the Grammy-winning songwriter who co-wrote such pop classics as Madonna’s “Like A Virgin,” Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” and the Bangles’ “Eternal Flame” that were some of the biggest, most indelible hits of the 1980s and beyond, has died, his attorney confirmed to Billboard. Steinberg, who was 10 days away from his 75th birthday,…

Austrian public prosecutors filed terrorism-related charges Monday (Feb. 16) against a 21-year-old defendant who they say planned to carry out an attack on one of Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna in August 2024. Vienna public prosecutors said in a statement that the unnamed defendant had declared allegiance to the Islamic State group by sharing propaganda material and videos via…

Songwriter Billy Steinberg, who died Monday (Feb. 16) from cancer, was responsible for some of the most indelible pop songs of the ‘80s and ‘90s, including “True Colors,” which became one of Cyndi Lauper’s signature hits and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986. But the Grammy-nominated song wasn’t the only tune…

Robert Duvall, the Oscar-winning actor of matchless versatility and dedication whose classic roles included the intrepid consigliere of the first two Godfather movies and the over-the-hill country music singer in Tender Mercies, has died at age 95. Duvall died “peacefully” at his home Sunday (Feb. 15) in Middleburg, Virginia, according to an announcement from his…

Beyoncé is unveiling a brand new hairstyle. On Friday (Feb. 13), the 44-year-old superstar shared a series of Instagram photos showcasing a chic new blonde bob. The gallery, dated Feb. 8 — the same day as Super Bowl LX — features Bey in a light green trench coat as she prepares for the big game…

UPDATE (Feb. 16): Alex Warren is the latest artist to join the 2026 BRIT Awards performer lineup. The “Ordinary” star will take to the stage at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on Feb. 28 and is nominated in the international song of the year category. It’ll be his first televised performance since the 2026…

YouTube Music has introduced an artificial intelligence-powered playlist generator for Premium subscribers on iOS and Android devices. The feature, announced via an X post, is accessible through the Library tab’s “New” button. It lets subscribers generate playlists by describing their preferences. Users can input requests via text or voice prompts. The launch makes YouTube Music…

Casey Wasserman is selling the talent agency he founded in 2002, giving up day-to-day operations after documents linking him to Jeffrey Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell triggered significant backlash from his company’s clients and staff. The sale was first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Friday (February 13), citing a memo to staff. Wasserman, grandson…

Sony Music Group‘s parent company, Japan-headquartered Sony Group, has reportedly developed technology to identify copyrighted music embedded in AI-generated tracks. That’s according to the financial news outlet Nikkei Asia, which reported on Monday (February 16) that the tech has opened a path for songwriters to claim compensation when their work is used without authorization. The newspaper…

Zara Larsson’s first full Australasian headline run just got significantly bigger. After selling out every announced Australian date of her 2026 Midnight Sun Tour within minutes — including multiple added shows — the Swedish pop star has upgraded three key markets to arena venues and added a new date in New Zealand due to demand,…