The 5 biggest music news stories of this week
From Sombr’s TikTok fight to the return of Rosalía, this is what The FADER editors are talking about.
Sombr getting into an argument with someone that compared him to Napoleon Dynamite
Sombr took the bait this week when he responded to a TikTok user who had some negative thoughts on his live show. The 25-year-old content creator expressed her surprise that so many people at the show she attended were pre-teens and also suggested that Sombr's crude sense of humor was a bit fit for an audience of young people. She also slammed his voice and dancing skills, comparing the latter to the gawky moves of Napoleon Dynamite.
In his response, Sombr urged her to "live a little, enjoy life” while hitting out at those that "need to find problematic people to hate on." The 20-year-old artist also referenced "25-year-olds" with enough youthful disdain to make the average millenial keel over and die (if their bad backs don't do the job for him).
Rosalía returning with details of new album
After three years away Rosalía is back with details of a brand new project. LUX, the follow-up to 2022's Motomami, will be released on November 7 and features Björk alongside an array of Spanish-speaking artists . The album promises to traverse "feminine mystique, transformation and spirituality" according to a press release. You can learn more about the featured artists on the album here.
Chappell Roan officially launching her Midwest Princess Project
Chappell Roan announced the launch of The Midwest Princess Project, a new nonprofit initiative that will support organizations that provide resources for trans youth and "uplift LGBTQ+ communities through action, care and connection." The Midwest Princess Project has already raised over $400,000 from a series of pop-up shows Roan played over the summer. That money will be donated to trans youth organizations across New York City, Los Angeles, and Kansas City.
Diddy appealing his conviction and prison sentence
On Monday, lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs formally filed paperwork to challenge both his conviction and four-year prison sentence for transportation to engage in prostitution.
Earlier this month Diddy was sentenced to 50 months in prison following his conviction on federal prostitution-related charges. He was acquitted of three more serious three racketeering and sex crimes charges, marking the conclusion of a RICO investigation that began nearly two years ago.
The NFL ignoring MAGA protests and backing the Bad Bunny the Super Bowl
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will not pull Bad Bunny's upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. The selection of the Puerto Rican artist has attracted intense criticism from conservatives across the United States since it was first announced but the league is standing by its choice.
“It’s carefully thought through,” Goodell said of the show on Wednesday. “I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching.”
"We’re confident it’s going to be a great show," Goodell continued. "[Bad Bunny] understands the platform that he’s on, and I think it’s going to be exciting and a united moment.”