MUSIC

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Grammy winning artists Ed Sheeran and John Mayer, alongside producer Blake Slatkin, have shared new insight into the creation of their original song “Drive,” written specifically for the film F1. The track was released on June 20, 2025, as the fifth single from the movie’s soundtrack album and has already stood out as one of the most memorable songs connected to the project.

Speaking for Variety’s Behind the Song series, the trio explained that the idea for “Drive” came together quickly after Slatkin viewed the film. Slatkin revealed that he was invited by Atlantic Records, which was working on the soundtrack, to watch an early cut of the movie. The experience immediately sparked inspiration.

According to Slatkin, he walked out of the screening room and called Sheeran and Mayer right away, telling them they needed to make a song for the film. After being shown several scenes that would eventually include music, all three artists gravitated toward the same moment. It was the closing sequence featuring Brad Pitt’s character riding into the sunset. Slatkin recalled that this scene felt like the emotional landing point of the movie. Sheeran agreed, noting that it was the moment where the audience leaves the cinema with the song still ringing in their ears.

From the start, Mayer knew the track needed a strong rock and roll foundation. Within minutes of their first session together, he came up with a riff that became the backbone of the song. Mayer praised Sheeran’s songwriting instincts, saying that his ability to move from nothing to a finished song is almost instant. He described Sheeran as someone who simply starts writing without hesitation and lets intuition guide the process.

While the music came together quickly, the lyrics took shape under unusual circumstances. When Sheeran returned to England, the group had planned a session to write together. Instead, Sheeran ended up at a friend’s bachelor party at a budget holiday camp. Despite the setting, he wrote the lyrics on his own. Slatkin recalled waking up to find that the song was already finished, with Sheeran ready to sing it down the phone.

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An Australian man previously jailed in Singapore for rushing at pop star Ariana Grande has once again attracted attention after being removed from a Lady Gaga concert in Brisbane. Johnson Wen, a twenty six year old with a history of disrupting celebrity events, said on Instagram that he was escorted out of Suncorp Stadium before the show even began. His removal came despite no disturbance during the event itself.

Wen's notoriety grew last month when he was sentenced to nine days in a Singapore jail for grabbing Grande during the Asian premiere of Wicked For Good. He apologized to the court and promised not to repeat such behavior, yet his public history has continued to raise safety concerns. The venue in Brisbane stated that security had been alerted that a known serial offender might try to attend the concert and disrupt it. As a precaution, he was identified as a person of interest and denied entry.

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BTS has officially announced the release date for their long-awaited reunion album, marking the group's first full comeback in nearly four years. The K-pop superstars will drop the new project on March 20, 2026, following an extended hiatus to complete South Korea's mandatory military service.

The announcement was revealed through handwritten letters sent to select members of the group's official fan club, BTS ARMY, each bearing the date "2026.3.20." The news was later confirmed by South Korean media outlets.

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Spotify Wrapped has arrived for 2025 and it paints a clear picture of how the world listened this year. The biggest headline is simple. Bad Bunny is once again the most streamed artist on the planet. The Puerto Rican star pulled in more than 19.8 billion streams and reclaimed the global crown with ease.

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From veteran icons reclaiming their voice to newcomers reshaping modern pop, 2025 proved to be a year where critics looked past streaming dominance and rewarded ambition, risk and emotional depth. According to a wide ranging poll of polls conducted by BBC News, the best albums and songs of the year were not necessarily the biggest sellers, but the ones that pushed pop, rock and R and B into more thoughtful and adventurous territory.

The rankings were created by compiling more than 30 end of year lists from major music publications across the UK Europe and the United States. Over 200 albums and singles received votes, with points awarded based on chart position. The result was one of the closest races BBC News has ever recorded, particularly in the albums category.

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Olivia Dean has become one of the most powerful new voices in music this year and not just because of her chart success. The singer has taken direct aim at what she calls an exploitative and unequal ticketing system. Her stand has already delivered real results for fans who were hit with soaring resale prices for her North American tour.