Olivia Rodrigo kicked off her global “The Unraveled Tour” this week with two sold-out shows at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut, opening with support act Wolf Alice. According to the announcement, the two-hour set spanned five acts themed around the changing seasons and included songs from her third studio album, “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,” released in June via Geffen Records, alongside earlier hits such as “good 4 u” and “drivers license.”

The tour now includes more than 85 dates across North America, Europe and the U.K. through spring 2027, following what the announcement describes as extraordinary demand that led to expanded runs in Boston, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Amsterdam, London, Paris and Barcelona. The label says the added shows sold out quickly, with 10-show runs planned in both Brooklyn and Los Angeles and 11 nights in London, which would make Rodrigo the first solo female artist to top 10 performances in a single tour at The O2, according to the announcement.

The album has sold more than 41.3 million copies globally to date and moved 485,000 units in its first week, making it the biggest solo debut of 2026, according to the announcement. Rodrigo’s label also credits her with becoming the first artist to have each of her first three lead singles debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and her first three albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Ahead of the tour, Rodrigo organized the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields charity festival in Irvine, California, featuring Chappell Roan, Doechii, Bikini Kill, The Breeders and Garbage, with a announced $20 million donated to organizations supporting women and girls.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Maya Sarin, LiveNation.com.

Ella Langley addressed a fan’s direct request for a date, with the exchange circulating online, as the country singer continues a career-high chart run. Her single “Choosin’ Texas” recently reached a new milestone on the Billboard Hot 100.

The moment adds to a string of viral attention around Langley as her single performance strengthens her profile within country’s current commercial wave.

Read the full story at Billboard.

Olivia Rodrigo launched her Unraveled Tour with a two-hour set in Hartford, Connecticut, running through her catalog of hits without a weak moment, according to a recap from the show.

The night’s standout production element was a dress that dissolved during the performance, a staging touch that stood out among several notable moments from the opener.

The Hartford date marks the start of a tour that will carry Rodrigo’s live show to additional markets in support of her recent output.

Read the full story at Billboard.

Chuck Varga, a founding member of shock-rock band GWAR, has died at 68 following a battle with cancer. Varga was best known for portraying the band’s Sexecutioner character, a role he held for nearly 40 years.

GWAR has built a decades-long career on elaborate costumes, theatrical stage shows and a rotating cast of characters performed under stage names, making Varga’s contribution part of the group’s core identity since its early days.

Read the full story at Billboard.

Global pop group KATSEYE will perform as musical guest on the season 52 premiere of “Saturday Night Live,” airing Sept. 26 with New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson as host.

The episode marks a high-profile television appearance for the group as it continues to build momentum on the strength of its rising streaming and chart presence.

Read the full story at Billboard.

KATSEYE performed on “Saturday Night Live” for the first time, running through “Animal” and “Hootie Frutti” for the late-night audience.

The group appeared as a four-piece for the appearance, with members Manon Bannerman and Sophia Laforteza sitting out while on hiatus.

Read the full story at Billboard.

Zappa Records/UMe has released a 60th anniversary edition of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention’s 1966 debut album “Freak Out!” The expanded reissue includes a six-disc Super Deluxe Edition (five CDs plus a Blu-ray audio disc) containing 105 tracks, with 90 additional live and studio recordings, many previously unreleased, according to the announcement.

The set was produced by Zappa archivist Joe Travers and includes new 2026 mastering of the original 15-track album, a rediscovered 1966 pre-master mix, a restored mono mix, rehearsal and demo recordings, and live material from three 1966 shows at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium. The Blu-ray disc features new Dolby Atmos and surround sound mixes of the album created by Karma Auger and Erich Gobel, along with archival mix variations and a previously unreleased surround track, “Groupie Bang Bang.”

The anniversary edition is also available in vinyl formats, including a 5LP box set and a 2LP multi-color variant, as well as high-resolution digital and Dolby Atmos digital options. The Super Deluxe box includes a booklet with photos and essays from Ray Leong, David Anderle, journalist Jason Pettigrew and Travers, plus a replica of the original fold-out artwork Zappa designed for the album.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Tim Plumley.

Itzhak Perlman has released a new recording of the George Gershwin standard “Someone to Watch Over Me” built around an archival vocal performance by Ella Fitzgerald, paired with new violin and orchestral arrangements. The track, out now via Green Hill Music, is the second single from Perlman’s forthcoming album “The Way We Were: My American Songbook,” due Oct. 30.

The album marks Perlman’s first new release in more than a decade and features interpretations of American songbook standards by composers including Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Stephen Sondheim, and Leonard Bernstein. It follows the album’s first single, “Summertime,” featuring Jon Batiste, and also includes a guest turn from Josh Groban. The 12-track collection was produced by David Lai and co-produced and arranged by Or Matias and Natalie Tenenbaum.

Perlman, a 16-time Grammy winner, said he approached the songbook material as a singer would, calling the violin “a singing instrument” suited to the project’s romantic and lyrical repertoire.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by The Press House.

Cherry Bomb, the solo project of MisterWives frontwoman Mandy Lee, will release her debut solo album, The Pursuit of Pleasure, on November 13. The Los Angeles-based artist shared the new single “Crash!” alongside the announcement.

Lee describes the record as a set of uptempo pop songs without ballads, written during a period of grief and personal change. She says the project explores finding pleasure and self-acceptance while processing pain.

Cherry Bomb will play an album release show at the Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles on November 18, with tickets going on sale October 2. She is also set to make her solo festival debut at All Things Go: NYC on September 27, appearing on a bill the festival describes as its first all-women lineup, alongside acts including MUNA and Carly Rae Jepsen.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Vic Borlando.