musicMonday, June 29, 2026

BET Awards and Lorde's demos dominate music news

The BET Awards 2026 gave us performances, fashion, and Druski's megachurch skit, while Lorde dropped 49 demos from her album Virgin. Elsewhere, Lizzo opened up about disappointing sales and a Dutch survey showed support for AI music labels.

Sources

BET Awards 2026

The BET Awards brought drama, fashion, and a viral entrance, setting the tone for the night.

#01www.rollingstone.comJun 29

Cardi B Brings ‘Am I the Drama?’ to the 2026 BET Awards With Fiery Performance

Cardi B performed at the BET Awards with a theatrical set from her album *Am I the Drama?*, including a pointed diss at BIA.

by Jeff Ihaza4 min readRead original

#02deadline.comJun 29

BET Awards 2026 Red Carpet Photos: See All The Looks Here

The BET Awards red carpet featured stars like Teyana Taylor and Janet Jackson, with Druski hosting.

60 min readRead original

#03balleralert.comJun 29

Druski Revives Megachurch Skit With Wild BET Awards Entrance

Druski opened the show by reviving his megachurch parody skit, descending in a theatrical entrance that leaned into the controversy.

Artist updates

Lorde and Lizzo made headlines with very different kinds of releases and reflections.

#04pitchfork.comJun 29

Lorde Uploads 49 Demos From Virgin for Album’s Anniversary

Lorde uploaded 49 demo tracks from Virgin to a new page called XRAYS, calling them 'skeletons' of the final album.

#05eu.usatoday.comJun 29

Lizzo speaks out on 'soul-crushing' poor album sales

Lizzo described the poor sales of her album 'Bitch' as 'soul-crushing' in a candid interview, despite heavy promotion.

Industry shifts

A Dutch survey signals growing unease with AI in music, while K-pop fan culture gets a closer look.

#06nltimes.nlJun 29

Majority in Netherlands want labels for AI-generated music

A Dutch survey of 2,000 people found majority support for labeling AI-generated music on streaming platforms, alongside a preference for human-made music.