Ariana’s ‘petal’ blooms at No. 1 as L.A. Jazz Festival is scrapped; Usher shuts down clone chatter
On a day of big wins and bigger pivots, Ariana Grande claims her seventh Billboard 200 No. 1, Los Angeles pulls the plug on its new jazz festival, and Usher brushes off lookalike rumors after a rain-soaked MetLife blow‑a
Ariana Grande’s ‘petal’ debuts atop the Billboard 200 — her seventh No. 1 and her biggest week by units this decade — as she drops behind‑the‑scenes studio footage to celebrate. The inaugural L.A. Jazz Festival was canceled hours before kickoff and pushed to 2027, while outside the headlines, stadium spectacle met internet speculation as Usher dismissed clone rumors following Night 1 of his joint MetLife stand with Chris Brown. Elsewhere, Taylor Swift’s team quietly muted her songs on Team Trump’s TikToks, Charli XCX popped up with The Strokes at Outside Lands, Travis Barker said Blink‑182 are back in album mode, and the day was dotted with culture‑crossers and caution flags — from a Whitney Houston Barbie unveil and a star‑packed Yoko Ono tribute to Billy Strings donning protective headgear after an onstage strike.
Ariana Grande’s ‘petal’ opens at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — her seventh chart‑topper and biggest units week of the decade — as she shares “petal forever” studio footage.
The citywide, multi‑week L.A. Jazz Festival — set to feature John Legend and Janelle Monáe — was canceled at the last minute and postponed to 2027.
Usher addressed fan claims of a lookalike/clone after his New Jersey show with Chris Brown, the same rain‑tested MetLife opener that stretched past 50 songs and saluted New York legends.
Taylor Swift’s team appears to have enforced music rights on Team Trump’s TikTok account, leaving posts that used her songs playing in silence.
Charli XCX made a surprise appearance with The Strokes at Outside Lands to perform “Take It Or Leave It.”
Travis Barker says Blink‑182 are working on a new album, with his Louder Than Fear documentary due later this week.
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