Jennifer Hudson delivered a striking performance of the aria “Nessun Dorma” at We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert.
Joined by the New York Philharmonic, the Respect star belted the Giacomo Puccini opera tune to an audience of 60,000 people in Central Park. It was notably the same classical piece Aretha Franklin had performed at the Grammys in 1998.
On August 19th, Franklin performed the track as an encore at a special show at The Apollo in New York City. The concert came days after the release of the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, which she currently stars in as the Queen of Soul.
Hudson’s performance at We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert is just one of many. The evening’s star-studded lineup includes Paul Simon, The Killers, Polo G, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Journey, Wyclef Jean, Kane Brown, Jennifer Hudson, Cynthia Erivo, Elvis Costello, LL Cool J, Jon Batiste, Andrea Bocelli, Earth, Wind & Fire, Lucky Daye, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Barry Manilow, the New York Philharmonic, and Carlos Santana, who will be reuniting onstage with Rob Thomas.
In a press conference on July 27th, Mayor Bill de Blasio, music industry executive Clive Davis, and Live Nation and NYCEDC chair Danny Meyer announced the lineup at Central Parks Great Lawn. The announcement for the show, which de Blasio claimed would be “one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history,” came alongside a tweet from de Blasio requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination would be necessary to attend the concert.
To create “an all-time New York state of mind,” Davis told Rolling Stone that he “wanted every genre of music represented, so I reached out to artists across rock, rap, pop, Broadway, classical music.”
The feud between Cardi B and Akbar V has been going strong for years. The two artists have traded insults across social media since the early 2020s, and there are no signs that their rivalry is coming to an end. This week only added more fuel to the ongoing conflict, with both rappers exchanging fresh jabs online. On Friday, Akbar V decided to take things beyond social media by releasing her diss track, "You Ain't Pretty." She performs over the beat from "Pretty & Petty," a fitting choice considering the situation. Throughout the song, Akbar V targets Cardi B's personal relationships, childhood, and cosmetic procedures with a series of sharp lyrical attacks. The record pulls no punches, leaving many wondering whether Cardi B will answer with a response of her own.
Release Date: July 3, 2026
Genre: Hip-Hop
Album: N/A
Name a bitch who had more facelifts than Cardi B, gun pointed to your head (Bitch dead)
How it feel to be the ugly baby mama, left her hubby for a n**** who barely even want her
