Weekly Music News Recap
September 9 to 15, 2025

⚡ Fast Facts

• Sweden’s rights society STIM launched the first collective AI license for music, letting AI firms train on works with consent and royalties.
  ReutersSearch topic
• Mercury Prize 2025 shortlist includes Pulp, Wolf Alice, CMAT, Sam Fender and FKA twigs.
  ReutersSearch topic
• Spotify introduced lossless listening on Premium, rolling out higher fidelity audio across the service.
  Spotify NewsroomSearch topic
• Bad Bunny led the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards finalists with a record 27 nominations.
  TelemundoSearch topic
• Kendrick Lamar won an Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show.
  Television AcademySearch topic

🗞️ Big 5

• Pop: Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the chart dated September 13.
  BillboardSearch topic
• Hip Hop: Kendrick Lamar’s Emmy win added another milestone to his career for live music direction.
  PitchforkSearch topic
• Rock or Alt: LCD Soundsystem announced a 12-night New York residency at Knockdown Center this winter.
  PitchforkSearch topic
• Country: Shaboozey headlined Empire’s 15th anniversary concert in San Francisco and received a diamond plaque.
  SFGATESearch topic
• Global or Indie or EDM: The UK Official Singles Chart for September 12 placed HUNTR X’s Golden at No. 1.
  Official ChartsSearch topic

📈 Charts & Streams

• Billboard Hot 100 for September 13 placed HUNTR X’s Golden at No. 1.
  Billboard ChartsSearch topic
• Billboard 200 for the same week crowned Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend.
  BillboardSearch topic
• UK Official Singles Chart dated September 12 showed Golden still at No. 1.
  Official ChartsSearch topic

🎟️ Tours & Festivals

• LCD Soundsystem set a New York residency for November and December with 12 nights at Knockdown Center.
  PitchforkSearch topic
• System of a Down announced a European stadium tour for summer 2026 with Queens of the Stone Age among support.
  BlabbermouthSearch topic
• Sea Hear Now festival ran September 13 to 14 in Asbury Park with daily schedules and set times posted in advance.
  Sea Hear NowSearch topic

🆕 New Releases

• Ed Sheeran released Play on September 12, with reviews noting a back-to-basics approach and new influences.
  NMESearch topic
• Twenty One Pilots returned with Breach on September 12 alongside heavy fan interest.
  The High NoteSearch topic
• JADE released That’s Showbiz Baby to strong UK pop reviews.
  NMESearch topic

💼 Biz & Tech Moves

• STIM’s AI music license created a framework for legal training with consent and royalties, with Songfox named as an early adopter.
  MBWSearch topic
• Spotify added lossless audio to Premium, signaling expansion alongside pricing and tier experiments.
  SpotifySearch topic

📝 Editor’s Take

This week turned on two axes: invention and validation. On one side, a European rights group offered a plan for AI-era licensing while Spotify finally delivered the fidelity upgrade listeners have long requested. On the other, charts and honors rewarded momentum, from Golden’s chart run to Sabrina Carpenter’s first week surge and Kendrick Lamar’s Emmy win. The live market stayed assertive with a marquee residency and a stadium tour announcement from System of a Down. Together it reads like a scene resetting itself — artists and platforms negotiating control while fans reward clarity and scale.

Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar, HUNTR X, LCD Soundsystem, Pulp, Wolf Alice, CMAT, Spotify, STIM, Bad Bunny