AGP Executive Report

New Music Drops: Quavo is back with solo album “Qrömelife” (Oct. 2), executive produced by Pharrell Williams, plus the single “Backwards” featuring T.I. Cover Watch: Jeff Tweedy shared a new cover of Twisted Teens’ “Wild Connection”, ahead of the duo’s The Holy Cross Tigers (Nov. 6). Album/Collab Buzz: Erykah Badu and The Alchemist finally release “Before The World Blows” after a long, twisty rollout. Big Screen-to-Soundtrack: Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana kicks off its music campaign with “Jai Jai Ram” (AR Rahman, Arijit Singh, Shreya Ghoshal) for Ganesh Chaturthi. Industry/Tech: Universal Music Group’s opt-in AI deal with ElevenLabs signals a shift from bans to negotiated access. Local Music Life: A music teachers’ co-op launches in Wirral and Cheshire to keep tuition alive amid redundancies. Streaming Deal: Amazon Music Unlimited offers four months free for Prime members (until Oct. 9).

Oasis Update: Noel Gallagher shut down hopes for new Oasis music, even as the band confirms a huge 2027 world tour with major stops including an 11-night Manchester Etihad residency and a return to Knebworth. New Music Drops: Soft Cell teases its final album Danceteria with “The Rainbow Room,” while Falling in Reverse lands “Joseph” featuring Corey Taylor and Serj Tankian. Tour News: Spin Doctors announce a 35th anniversary U.S. run for Pocket Full of Kryptonite. AI & Streaming Fight: Sony and Universal back a push against streaming fraud that inflates numbers for royalties, and Suno admits using audio data from YouTube in its AI training. Local Scene: A new music school opens in Shoreview’s Village Center, and Manchester venue renae launches Promoter Promise funding for underrepresented promoters. Festival/Live: Santa Monica’s Ocean Way Festival is canceled after hurricane-driven beach erosion. Big Releases to Watch: Big Ears reveals its 2027 lineup headlined by Jeff Tweedy, Robert Glasper, Jim James, and Norah Jones.

Ramayana (Bollywood): Ganesh Chaturthi brought the first big music drop for Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana Part 1—new “Siya Ram” poster and the devotional single “Jai Jai Ram,” composed by A.R. Rahman with vocals from Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal. K-pop Tours: Tomorrow X Together (TXT) announced its “Steal the Wind” world tour, starting with three Seoul dates in November, then rolling into North America and Europe. K-pop Releases: Illit will return with its fifth EP “Break Even” on Oct. 26. Disability & K-pop: Big Ocean, the world’s first deaf K-pop trio, released “Love Sign” and kicked off a sold-out US run with more dates through October and Europe in late fall. Music Business/Legal: ASCAP is pushing for a federal judge to order damages and a broadcast ban in a radio music licensing fight with a New Hampshire group. Indie Artist Strategy: Rapper Addy TPC (Aditya Nair) says he’s finally releasing after years of label delays—rolling out “Blitz 26” independently on a nine-days-apart schedule. Local Music & Community: Salisbury’s Victoria Park could host live music under a new premises licence application, while Ohio University students gear up for “Battle of the Greens,” a campus live music competition.

New Music Policy: Australia’s ARIA has stripped AI-made tracks from its charts unless they’re “substantially human-made,” after an AI-assisted Madonna “Like a Prayer” cover hit No. 4—sparking a backlash and a clear new standard for who counts as an artist. Big Tour News: My Chemical Romance teased a new album while wrapping the U.S. leg, and even brought King Diamond onstage for a “Mama” moment. New Releases: Remedy dropped an acoustic “My Devil Within” ahead of its Europe tour kickoff. Festival Cancelled: Santa Monica’s Ocean Way Festival got wiped out by coastal erosion after Hurricane Marie, with refunds already underway and a 2027 return planned. Global Pop Moment: Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim went viral singing Kishore Kumar’s “Khwab Ho Tum Ya Koi Haqeeqat” at the BRICS summit. Punk Legacy: The Raincoats, Slits, and X-Ray Spex members are teaming up as a supergroup for “God Save the Queens” in London. Cultural Spotlight: Varanasi launched “Kashika - Colors and Ragas” to push Kashi’s culture, art, and music to a new generation.

AI Music: Suno v6 launches with Warner, BMG and Believe as licensed AI music takes a bigger step toward rights-holder involvement, even as Suno’s earlier model fights with Universal and Sony continue. New Music From Rock: Slipknot guitarist Jim Root says surprise single “Arsenal” isn’t representative of the band’s upcoming eighth album and won’t make the record. Pop Culture x Diplomacy: Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim went viral at BRICS by singing Kishore Kumar’s “Khwab Ho Tum Ya Koi Haqeeqat,” adding Bollywood flair to high-level talks. Local Music Life: Chippenham’s new venue The Ruze opens its recording studio to the public on Sept. 23, while West Wales’ Peter Gould Music Trust closes after 30 years with a final promoted concert. Streaming/Discovery: Instagram Reels are reshaping how people “search” for food and culture, turning short video into a real discovery engine. Music + Community: Good News Big Band headlines a free “Music on the Lawn” concert at WBLUMC.

New Music Video: Jon Schaffer’s Sons Of Liberty dropped the official “Jekyll Island” video, based on G. Edward Griffin’s book. New Single/Visualizer: Swedish metal band Eleine released “Liars Linger” ahead of The Water Taste Of Blood (Dec. 4). Tour Moment: Harry Styles paused his NYC show for a heartfelt 9/11 tribute at Madison Square Garden. Music + Health: A Turkey trial suggests playing a living liver donor’s preferred music during surgery may ease stress responses. Local Vinyl Culture: The North Bay Record Show returns Sunday, Sept. 13, with bins of new and vintage vinyl. Tech Meets Music: YouTube Music highlights include uploading your own tracks and auto-downloading favorites overnight. Legacy Spotlight: Loretta Lynn’s You Ain’t Woman Enough hit No. 1 on its way to defining her signature era. Live Music Dates: Kelly Hunt’s HPPR folk tour brings banjo-led shows across Kansas and Oklahoma. Music Documentary: Russell Crowe’s What Love Builds premiered at Venice, tracing his lifelong bond with music.

Country Spotlight: The 2026 CMA Awards nominations are out, with Ella Langley leading the pack with nine nods (one shy of Alan Jackson’s record), plus Miranda Lambert close behind and Taylor Swift back in the country conversation via a Single of the Year nod. Viral Pop (India): Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia’s “Chhathi Maiya” has taken off, crossing 8 million views in 24 hours as fans debate how faithfully it captures Chhath Puja. Music + Film Crossover: Nani confirms Telugu action thriller Paradise will skip a trailer, with the team saying the final cut isn’t done yet. Live Music/Community: CozFest hits its 10-year milestone, honoring the late Corran “Coz” Powell with a decade of community, music, and remembrance. Festival Update: Ocean Way Fest in Santa Monica is canceled due to Hurricane Marie-linked beach erosion, with refunds underway and plans teased for 2027. Industry/Tech: UMG and voice-AI giant ElevenLabs are teaming up on a new AI-powered music creation platform using licensed works.

AI Music Shake-Up: HolaTune says it will distribute eligible AI-generated tracks (including Suno/Udio) to major platforms if creators follow copyright and DSP rules, while a separate industry piece frames this week’s Suno/ElevenLabs/UMG moves as an “AI reckoning” that’s reigniting fights over training rights and what listeners can trust. Posthumous Dolly Parton: Dolly Parton’s first posthumous single, “Bound to Ride,” drops two weeks after her death and appears on a Stanley Brothers tribute album releasing Oct. 16. 9/11 Through Song: At Flight 93’s 25th anniversary ceremony, Josh Gallagher’s new “Never Forget” moved the crowd, and multiple 9/11 remembrance events are pairing live music with tributes to first responders. Local Live Music: Newtown Music Festival returns with free rotating sets across Athens, plus community events like Wolf Fest and Monument’s “Pours in the Park” keep the weekend calendar packed. Debut/Release Watch: Hunnyboy shares “Peace of Mind,” Masicka readies “Forever Reign,” and the horror thriller “418” locks a Sept. 18 theatrical release with music by Venky GG.

Independent Music: AIM CEO Gee Davy is pushing the UK government for an “urgent, evidence-led investigation” into the economics of recording and releasing music, even as he praises the new “Turn It Up” Music Plan and the appointment of a government “music champion.” Live Music (Singapore): Music Matters Live returns to CQ @ Clarke Quay for four nights of free shows in October, with 40 acts from 15 countries plus new regional spotlights. Spoken-Word Spotlight (UK): The British Audio Awards 2026 (“Speakies”) will be hosted by Sally Phillips and move to the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, adding new categories for audio storytelling. Pop Culture/TV: Strictly’s new host Emma Willis admits she hasn’t heard of some 2026 celeb contestants, as the BBC tries to broaden appeal to younger viewers. Country Music: Dolly Parton’s first posthumous track, “Bound to Ride,” lands two weeks after her death, recorded for a Stanley Brothers tribute album. K-Pop: 1VERSE turns claw-machine frustration into the electronic pop anthem “LOOP,” its first release since January. K-Pop (comeback): LE SSERAFIM drops single album “Made My Night,” with an Overwatch-linked music video. Anime Music: ONE N’ ONLY performs the opening theme for the live-action “Ao to Midori” series.

Pop Releases: Tinashe drops two new tracks, “Pillow Fight” and “I’d Rather Be Alone,” as previews for her Popstar album, and she’s also set to open for Harry Styles in Phoenix next spring. Tour & Tickets: Victoria Monét announces her Frequency of Love Tour (27 dates starting Oct. 27 in Raleigh), with presales kicking off Sept. 14. Big Album News: Kings of Leon reveal their 10th studio album O My Beloved (Nov. 6) and share the first single, “My Whole World.” Metal Move: Slipknot surprise-releases “Arsenal” and confirms it’s the first release on their own label imprint, (Sic)est Records. AI & Rights: A fresh debate heats up over AI training and royalties, with Google’s latest push framed as a creator-pay problem. Local Music Scene: Boise gets a brand-new Bluebird Days festival in October featuring Passion Pit and more. Industry Chart Watch: Mike D’s solo debut Thank You lands on Billboard’s charts, led by strong vinyl sales. Cultural Spotlight: Lulu unveils the first blue plaque on Glasgow’s music heritage trail.

Apple Watch Series 12: Apple just rolled out “Audio Intelligence” with Live Rewind (a text recap of the last 15 seconds) plus Siri Recap, Sound Recognition, and Music Recognition—beta later in 2026. New Music: Ghana’s PBee drops “Lose My Mind” featuring SIICIE, an Afrobeats love track mixing Ghanaian English and Twi. Big Pop Tease: Shakira and Maluma are back with “Agua,” previewed ahead of a Sept. 17 release. Indie Milestone: Lucy Dacus marks the 10th anniversary of No Burden by announcing she now owns her master recordings. Live/Community: Mojo’s in North Fremantle is revamping into an all-week neighbourhood music bar, while Clarksville’s Reading Park hosts country gospel on Sept. 20. Tech for Creators: Sauceware Audio releases Scorch 2, a rebuilt sample-based synth instrument for rap producers. Country Spotlight: Tami Neilson lands a CMA Awards finalist nod for the Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award.

Slipknot Returns: Slipknot dropped “Arsenal,” their first true new song since 2022, with drummer Eloy Casagrande onboard and Sid Wilson/Craig Jones out; the M. Shawn Crahan-directed video stars Jackson White, and fans are split between hype and “underwhelming” takes. New Music Releases: Sylvie (Ben Schwab) announces full-length New Season with lead single “Rina” featuring Alex Amen; Mynolia readies debut album Salt Around My Bed with “Holy Line”; Josh Johnson teases solo LP Animative (out Oct. 23) via horn-led instrumental “Reece.” Live & Local: Donnie Iris headlines a preview opening for Pittsburgh’s new venue The Wylie; Grove City’s historical society kicks off a WWII “Big Band Era” speaker night; Machicomoco State Park hosts free “Music in the Park” with the Tom Euler Trio Sept. 19. Music Tech Buzz: Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 add “Live Rewind” (15 seconds of conversation as text) plus new heart-rate sensing and readiness scores. Remembering 9/11: A reflective piece marks 25 years since the attacks, focusing on what it felt like to witness it firsthand.

New Music Spotlight: Carly Pearce and Riley Green team up on the duet “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay,” sharing behind-the-scenes from the video shoot and teasing the song’s serious vibe with “very unserious people.” Chart Watch: Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” rockets back to No. 1 on U.S. country radio, her first on the format in 13 years, and tied to the Toy Story 5 soundtrack. K-Pop Live: Stray Kids launch the “Straycity” festival in Bogota before stops in Buenos Aires and Mexico City, with the group headlining each date. Indie/Global Releases: SAYELA drops “Say My Name Slow,” while D.D. MEC releases Francophone album “À Ma Façon” with multiple music videos, and Sibafo follows with “When Did I Become the Stranger?” plus an official visual. Live Music Culture: Busan orders a small venue, Obangarde, to suspend operations after audiences stood and danced—sparking calls to rethink rules for small performance spaces. Tech for Music Lovers: Marantz announces the compact MCR 60n system with CD, streaming, Phono MM, and HDMI eARC.

AI in Music Tech: fal says its H3 Max Turbo can generate 5-second video with synchronized audio faster than it plays—posting measured generation times to prove “real-time” speed. Metal & Visuals: At The Gates released an animated album film for “The Ghost of a Future Past,” continuing the posthumous tribute to late vocalist Tomas Lindberg. Hardcore Controversy: Southpaw FLHC vows to keep going after label fallout tied to racism accusations, shifting focus to writing for a 2027 album. Pop Video Buzz: Raye drops the “Joy.” official video, featuring her sisters and a London “Joymobile” stunt tied to Lime bikes. Local Live Music: Bluegrass on the Snake returns Sept. 11–13 in Rigby with workshops and a headliner set by Jake Workman. Community Music: CAFAC pushes the Chinese American Music Festival toward 2027 with more exchange, youth development, and cross-cultural programming. Streaming/Format Trends: CDs are back in a big way, with Luminate reporting CD sales growth outpacing vinyl. Music Business/Radio: KWBU and Texas Music Café launch the “Texas Music Café Radio Hour” to spotlight Texas artists and archives. Gaming Crossover: A fan-made Broncos fight song gets picked up for Madden NFL 27.

SZA: The singer says new music is coming this winter, teasing unreleased audio on Instagram and giving fans their clearest timeline yet. SB19: Josh Cullen hints at a new solo release with a cryptic “#JoshCullen” teaser, following fellow members’ solo rollouts. EU Music Business: New EU rules aimed at “greenwashing” are set to start applying Sept. 27, pushing clearer, certified sustainability claims for anyone selling to EU listeners. Live Music Mental Health: The Music Industry Therapist Collective’s Pay It Forward fund (backed by Radiohead’s Philip Selway, Live Nation, AEG and others) raises £272k to support smaller touring teams. Ice Spice: She’s launching a new vanilla-forward fragrance, In Ha Mood, tied to her song and childhood memories. Chart/Legacy: Bananarama’s 40th anniversary reissue of True Confessions hits No.6—now their highest-charting studio album ever. Community & Culture: A Cyprus first-time collaboration show brings Blockhead, ProleteR and Arms and Sleepers together for a new single made for the tour. Remembering: Georgia renames Stephen Foster State Park to Okefenokee, citing the racist minstrel legacy behind the old name. Tragedy in Music: Rahul Gandhi and the North-East community demand swift justice after Manipuri musician Vikram Singh was allegedly beaten to death in Delhi over noise complaints.

Streaming & Film: Mubi is acquiring Cameron Winter’s Carnegie Hall concert film (shot on 35mm/16mm) and will screen it globally in 2027, with premieres lined up for NYFF and BFI London; the companion live album drops Oct. 9. Tech Meets Music: A leak hints Apple Watch Series 12/Ultra 4 upgrades may include a new optical heart-rate sensor and 128GB storage, while Tesla’s Robotaxi account says riders can control climate and music via Grok. Chart Watch: Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away” is surging again on Spotify after a TikTok push. Pop Power Moves: Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” hits No. 1 on country radio, and Radiohead announces a big Australia return next May/June. Local Scene & Live: Hickory Music Club kicks off its season Sept. 8; Madison’s Unbroken Circle Music Festival draws big crowds; and ARC Music Fest keeps house/tech energy front and center in Chicago. Viral Sound Stories: Cape Town street-sound project Sayana is already turning everyday beats into a buzz that sounds like a record deal.