Music News Catch-Up: October 1st – 15th

The first half of October has been unusually busy even by music-news standards. Artists are fighting labels and publishers in court, streaming platforms are scrambling to decide what to do with an avalanche of AI-generated music, one of hip-hop’s longest-running murder cases has finally reached sentencing, and RAYE discovered that apparently even registering for concert tickets now requires defending yourself against robots.

There were some considerably lighter developments mixed in. Blondie are preparing their first studio album in nearly a decade, Grand Theft Auto VI is turning its soundtrack rollout into an event of its own, Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland returned to Houston for a project with roots stretching back to the Destiny’s Child years, and Miley managed to make chart history in a way nobody particularly wants to make chart history. 

Here’s what happened in music from October 1st through October 15th.

RAYE’s Royal Albert Hall Registration Was Apparently No Match for the Bots

RAYE expected demand for her October 23rd Royal Albert Hall show, but she didn’t expect nearly 1.8 million registrations for a venue that holds around 5,000 people.

The singer said the registration system had been “overwhelmed” by AI-powered bots being used by scalpers, prompting her team to abandon its planned presale rather than give automated buyers an easy route to tickets that could later appear at inflated resale prices. Their solution is almost aggressively low-tech for a problem created by increasingly sophisticated technology: manually review the registration list and identify people who appear to be actual fans.

“I have never witnessed bots on this scale,” RAYE wrote while explaining the decision. The Royal Albert Hall backed up the broader concern, saying it routinely battles automated traffic and has previously blocked 38 million bot requests in a single 24-hour period. Even with those systems in place, the venue said tickets still regularly end up advertised at extreme markups.

Ticketing has been an easy target for fan frustration for years, but this particular mess feels like a preview of the next version of it. Fans are no longer competing only with other fans and traditional ticket touts, and now artists and venues are trying to decide whether the millions of people asking to buy a ticket are even people.

Music Platforms and Labels Are Getting Much More Aggressive About AI Music

Three separate developments over the past two weeks make one thing fairly clear: the music business is moving past the stage where AI-generated music can be treated as a weird side issue.

YouTube Music began rolling out labels on October 14th identifying music created primarily with generative AI, including tracks where generative models produced the composition and vocals. The disclosures will appear directly on player pages and are expected to expand to the main YouTube platform as well. YouTube says it is using both information supplied by music partners and its own detection tools.

Deezer, meanwhile, is going even further. The service plans to introduce a global toggle allowing listeners to remove fully AI-generated tracks, albums, and related artists from their search results entirely. Deezer already excludes music it identifies as fully AI-generated from editorial playlists and algorithmic recommendations, and says nearly 90,000 fully AI-generated tracks are now being uploaded to the service every day. For perspective, it was detecting about 10,000 per day when it introduced its AI-detection system in January 2025.

Then there’s Sony Music, which revealed that by the end of September it had asked digital platforms to remove more than 260,000 AI-generated tracks impersonating its artists, including Harry Styles, Adele, and Michael Jackson. That figure was 135,000 at the end of March, meaning the volume of requested deepfake removals nearly doubled in six months. Sony says it intends to keep enforcing its artists’ rights and expects platforms to stop removed material from simply reappearing.

Those are three different responses to three related problems: being transparent with listeners about what they’re hearing, letting them opt out of it, and removing AI material that crosses into impersonation. None of these actions, however, answer the bigger question of what streaming platforms will look like if synthetic music keeps arriving at anything close to its current pace.

Bill Withers’ Publisher Says Olivia Dean’s “I’ve Seen It” Copies “Just the Two of Us”

Olivia Dean’s “I’ve Seen It,” the closing track on her 2025 album The Art of Loving, is now at the center of a copyright lawsuit.

Mattie Music Group, doing business as Bleunig Music and one of the publishers of Bill Withers’ “Just the Two of Us,” filed suit on October 1st against Capitol Records, UMG, Sony’s publishing operation, and Kobalt. The complaint alleges that “I’ve Seen It” copies significant portions of the melody of the 1981 Withers classic. Dean and her co-writers Bastian Langebæk and Max Wolfgang are not currently named as defendants.

According to the filing, the publisher hired a musicologist who found what it describes as substantial similarities in protectable musical expression. The defendants had not publicly responded when the complaint was reported. Mattie Music Group is seeking profits and damages, with the option to pursue statutory damages, and is also asking for an injunction against further alleged infringement.

Music copyright lawsuits routinely turn apparently simple listener reactions – those songs sound alike – into much more technical arguments about which musical elements can actually be protected, how distinctive the similarities are, and whether resemblance is evidence of copying or simply musicians drawing from the same vocabulary. It’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out.

Summer Walker Is Fighting LVRN and Interscope Over Her Record Deals

Summer Walker’s relationship with the companies behind her career has moved firmly into litigation. In a lawsuit filed against Love Renaissance Records, better known as LVRN, Walker alleges fraud, breach of contract, fraudulent concealment, and breach of fiduciary duty, accusing the label and management company of misappropriating money from her budgets and withholding revenue connected to Amazon merchandise and a YouTube page using her name and likeness. Her attorneys say the larger goal is to have her September 2017 agreement with LVRN declared void and unenforceable.

At nearly the same time, Interscope and parent company UMG sued Walker after she notified the label that she intended to stop providing services under her recording agreement, citing California’s so-called seven-year rule. Interscope argues Walker still owes recordings under a deal that, after amendments, required five studio albums; the company does not count Last Day of Summer or CLEAR toward that total and says an early exit could leave Walker liable for at least $50 million in damages. Walker’s attorney Keith Moten has said she plans to fight those claims and countersue, while an Interscope spokesperson said the company filed in order to preserve its contractual rights and still hopes for an amicable resolution.

The case is worth watching beyond the spectacular dollar amount. It puts several recurring arguments around major-label contracts in the same dispute: how long an artist can remain bound to an agreement signed early in their career, which releases actually satisfy album commitments, how revenue is accounted for, and just how different a deal can look once the artist who signed it becomes considerably more successful.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis Sentenced to 40 Years to Life for Tupac Shakur’s Murder

Nearly three decades after Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in Las Vegas, the only person ever charged in connection with his murder has been sentenced.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis received 40 years to life on October 13th after being convicted in August of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon. Prosecutors argued that Davis orchestrated the September 1996 drive-by shooting as retaliation for an earlier casino altercation involving his nephew, Orlando Anderson. Davis was not accused of being the person who actually fired the gun; the prosecution’s case instead centered on his role in arranging the attack, with his own years of public interviews and a memoir becoming important evidence against him. Davis has said he intends to appeal. 

Shakur was 25 when he died, and the killing became one of the most infamous unresolved cases in music history, intertwined for decades with the mythology surrounding ’90s hip-hop and the East Coast-West Coast rivalry. The sentencing does not answer every question that has followed the case – including definitive legal resolution of who fired the fatal shots – but it marks the closest the case has come to a judicial conclusion since Shakur’s death.

Blondie Are Releasing Their First Studio Album in Nine Years

Blondie are returning with High Noon, their first studio album since 2017’s Pollinator. The 13-track record arrives February 26th, 2027, with “Spectral Eyes,” written and performed with Johnny Marr, serving as its first single. Other contributors include Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock and Beirut’s Zach Condon.

The album will also carry particular significance within Blondie’s history: it contains the final recordings of cofounding drummer Clem Burke, who died in 2025 at age 70. Debbie Harry described the project as drawing from the band’s many different influences and periods while still being shaped by where they are now, which is probably as fitting a description of Blondie as any. They have spent decades absorbing punk, disco, pop, reggae, rap, and whatever else caught their attention without ever sounding too interested in remaining preserved inside one period of their own career.

Drake Is Sitting Out the Grammys Again

Drake released three albums at once this year, watched them debut in the top three positions of the Billboard 200, and apparently still has no interest in sending any of them to the Recording Academy.

According to reporting from Billboard, Drake did not submit Iceman, Maid of Honour, or Habibti –  or songs from any of the three – for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards. It continues a long-running break between Drake and the institution: he has not submitted a solo album since withdrawing his Certified Lover Boy nominations ahead of the 2022 ceremony.

This is less surprising once you remember Drake has spent years criticizing the Grammys. During his 2019 acceptance speech for “God’s Plan,” he argued that artists should not treat awards as the final measure of their success, and he later backed The Weeknd during his own dispute with the Recording Academy.

His absence will not be the only conspicuous one at next year’s ceremony. BTS are also sitting out submissions, though for their own reasons and within a separate controversy surrounding the Grammys’ new Asian pop category.

Enter Shikari Will Go on Indefinite Hiatus After 2027

Enter Shikari have decided that 2027 will be the end of the road for the foreseeable future, although the band is deliberately avoiding calling it a breakup.

The group announced on October 1st that after another year of music and performances, it will “fall dormant as a recording and performing entity.” Frontman Rou Reynolds had previously spoken about burnout and health struggles contributing to the band’s quieter 2026, and Enter Shikari said its members’ priorities and capacities had shifted enough that difficult conversations about the future became necessary.

There is no meticulously planned farewell world tour hiding behind the announcement either. The band joked that if it were better at planning, perhaps there would be one, but hopes to revisit some favorite places before going inactive. Enter Shikari formed more than two decades ago and released Lose Your Self earlier this year; they’ve also already indicated that more music is still coming before the hiatus begins.

Grand Theft Auto VI Is Quietly Becoming One of the Most Interesting Music Rollouts of the Year

Grand Theft Auto VI doesn’t arrive until November 19th, but Rockstar has been treating its music almost like a separate album campaign, and October 15th brought the biggest reveal yet.

Justice composed the game’s original score, taking over a role that was split among multiple artists on Grand Theft Auto V. The French duo also released “Flower in a Hurricane,” a frankly absurd-on-paper collaboration with Tame Impala, SZA, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard that soundtracks the new launch trailer. Rockstar is simultaneously rolling out Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, a 34-song collection of original music releasing alongside the game.

Nine songs have now been revealed: Yung Lean with Future and Metro Boomin’s “That’s It,” Travis Scott’s “RHYNO,” CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso with PinkPantheress, Fred again.., and Etienne de Crécy’s “Sexy Magic,” Justice’s “Flower in a Hurricane,” Morgan Wallen’s “Last Thing You Need,” Fuerza Regida’s “Suzuki,” Rauw Alejandro’s “Macacoa 2000,” Cardi B’s “Don’t Chart,” and Keith Richards’ “Bright Lights, Big City.” Rockstar has also confirmed in-game stations hosted by or associated with artists including Bad Bunny, Robyn, Lana Del Rey, Burna Boy, Trick Daddy, and Trina.

The early singles are producing very different reactions. Cardi B’s Timbaland- and Vinylz-produced “Don’t Chart” has been especially divisive in online hip-hop spaces: some listeners like the old-school swagger, while others have criticized the beat and called it generic. 

“Flower in a Hurricane,” on the other hand, received an almost comically enthusiastic first response, with commenters immediately calling the feature combination wild and some already naming it their favorite song released from the soundtrack so far. There are dissenters – because this is still the internet – but pairing Justice, Tame Impala, SZA, and King Gizzard on the song that also reveals Justice scored the entire game is a very effective way to make people pay attention to a video-game soundtrack before the game is even playable. 

Miley Goes From No. 1 to No. 157 – Yes, You Read That Correctly

Miley’s Bass Persuades debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, giving her first chart-topper there since Bangerz in 2013. One week later, it landed at No. 157.

The 156-position fall is the largest second-week drop ever for an album that debuted at No. 1 on the chart. Even its original victory was exceptionally close: Bass Persuades reportedly beat Ella Langley’s Dandelion for the top spot by only about 70 equivalent album units.

There are plenty of reasons modern albums can experience dramatic chart volatility – first-week sales campaigns, physical releases, fan buying, and an immediate decline once those concentrated purchases disappear – so a huge drop doesn’t magically erase the No. 1. Still, going from the very top of a 200-position chart to almost the very bottom in seven days is insane.

Chris Brown’s Former Housekeeper Wants a Warrant Issued in Their $9 Million Judgment Fight

A years-long legal dispute stemming from a dog attack at Chris Brown’s home has moved into an unusual new phase.

Brown’s former housekeeper Maria Avila has asked a court to issue an arrest warrant, alleging that the singer has failed to cooperate with efforts to examine his finances as she attempts to collect a $9 million judgment. Avila previously sued after saying she was attacked by a dog while working at Brown’s Los Angeles property in 2020. A jury initially awarded her $13 million before the amount was reduced to $9 million.

According to Avila’s latest filing, Brown has not provided dates to appear with financial records, and she argues the documentation already supplied raises questions about income connected to his touring. 

The request for a warrant is exactly that at this stage: a request to the court, not an arrest order already issued.

Diamond Brown Alleges Threats and Harassment Amid Child-Support Dispute With Chris Brown

In a separate case, Diamond Brown – the mother of Chris Brown’s 4-year-old daughter, Lovely – has accused the singer of harassment and threatening her romantic partners during an ongoing child-support dispute.

In an October 1st court declaration obtained by USA Today, Brown described behavior she says has left her feeling “under siege” and said she was considering seeking a domestic-violence restraining order if it continued. She also alleges Chris Brown has failed to provide sufficient financial support for their daughter’s needs.

Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland Return to Houston for the Opening of the Knowles-Rowland House

A project tied to Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland’s Houston roots has found a new purpose.

The Knowles-Rowland House officially opened on October 13th as a 31-unit permanent supportive-housing development for people experiencing chronic homelessness. The building began life as the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, created in 1999 through Bread of Life with support connected to the Knowles and Rowland families. After later suffering severe damage, the former gymnasium was redeveloped into apartments with on-site support services.

Beyoncé, Rowland, and Tina Knowles attended the ribbon-cutting in Houston, with Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter joining Beyoncé for the occasion. 

The facility will offer more than housing: Bread of Life has described wraparound support including mental-health resources, benefits enrollment, life-skills training, hygiene resources, and other services designed to help residents remain housed.

It’s a particularly full-circle piece of Beyoncé and Rowland’s history. Something originally carrying their names as a youth center during Destiny’s Child’s early years has, more than 25 years later, been rebuilt around a different need in the same city.