NEWS
R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe has shared fresh details about his long awaited first solo album, revealing that the process has taken more time than he originally planned.
Since R.E.M. officially went their separate ways in 2011 on good terms, Stipe has only put out a small number of tracks under his own name. Among them is ‘I Played The Fool’, which he recorded with Andrew Watt, Josh Klinghoffer and Travis Barker for the recently released series Rooster earlier this week.
Even so, he has quietly been developing his debut solo record for quite some time. Speaking recently with The Times, he offered fans a clearer picture of how the project is coming along.
“I’m working on a solo album,” he said. “But it’s taken longer than I wanted.”
Talking about what slowed things down, he explained: “Covid didn’t help, but I’m finishing it. When the band split, I just needed a break. I took five years but I got pulled back into music. It’s been a struggle. That’s the main thing. I want it to be great, but I’ve got the pressure of having been in R.E.M. and it’s a high bar, because I want this to be as good as that, and that’s near impossible.”
“So it’s fucking exciting but also terrifying, and I’m doing the music for the first time too, and I think I’m good at it but not great,” he added. “But I love my voice. I don’t like my speaking voice but I love my singing voice, and I so want to immerse myself back into offering music to the world.”
The conversation also confirmed that Stipe still has eight tracks left to complete before the album is finished. He mentioned that he is now working toward a target date and is aiming for a release sometime before the end of 2026. He also joked that the project could possibly carry the title ‘Meet THE Michael Stipe’.
Earlier solo material from Stipe includes the 2019 release ‘Your Capricious Soul’, followed by ‘Drive To The Ocean’ in 2020. That same year he also collaborated with Aaron Dessner’s Big Red Machine on the track ‘No Time For Love Like Now’.
Reports suggest that Stipe continues to have a positive relationship with his former R.E.M. bandmates Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry. The group reunited publicly in summer 2024 when they were honored with induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
During that event, the four musicians surprised the audience with an acoustic performance of their 1991 hit ‘Losing My Religion’. It was the first occasion they had performed together since their appearance at the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.
Earlier this month, Stipe also made a guest appearance with Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy during one of their ‘Lifes Rich Pageant’ 40th anniversary shows in Brooklyn. Together they performed R.E.M. songs ‘These Days’ and ‘The Great Beyond’. The previous year he had also joined them for a performance of ‘Pretty Persuasion’.
Recently, Stipe has also been revisiting the lyrics of ‘It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)’ on Bluesky, pointing out that listeners have misunderstood several of the words for many years.
NEWS
Burna Boy gave fans an exclusive look inside one of the most important performances of his career, with Billboard there to capture the entire experience.
For a new Billboard video diary, the versatile musician walks viewers through his full routine as he got ready for the first FIFA World Cup Final halftime show on Sunday. The footage begins with his police escorted arrival and continues through the excitement of walking onto the field at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. It offers an honest look at everything that happened before and after the major performance.
Throughout the day, Burna enjoys several unforgettable encounters. He takes pictures with Shakira, his collaborator on the official 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem “Dai Dai.” The pair performed the track during Sunday’s halftime show, while it remains at the top of the Billboard Global 200 for a second week and leads the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for a fourth week. Burna also catches up with streamer iShowSpeed, shares a hug with Justin Bieber and meets Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis, who surprised the audience by introducing Bieber. Once the greetings are over, Burna fits in one last rehearsal before heading out to perform.
The footage continues as Burna walks onto the field and joins the celebration. He looks thrilled when the set concludes, making his way through the players’ tunnel and returning backstage. There, he receives compliments from Chris Martin, who organized the halftime show and helped write the finale song “We Dance” alongside his Coldplay bandmates.
Watch Burna Boy’s complete Day in the Life video through Billboard below.
