A source confirmed to Rolling Stone that the artist sold her catalog to Pophouse and plans to launch an immersive avatar concert

Sia has sold a 50 percent stake in her music catalog for a whopping $180 million, Rolling Stone has confirmed. News of the sale was first reported by TMZ. The star closed the deal with Pophouse, the Swedish music catalog investment firm co-founded by Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus, and will be collaborating with the firm to launch an immersive digital avatar production based around her music. An official announcement is expected imminently.

The singer-songwriter’s plans to crossover into the digital realm will include a show incorporating her songs as an artist and as a writer, according to a source familiar with the deal, and utilize her vocals on global hits like Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” which has reached more than 2 billion Spotify streams. The show’s debut is at least a couple years out, adds the source, and may tour to select cities, though it’s still in the early stages of planning.

Pophouse’s stake in Sia’s catalog is limited to publishing and master recording rights, and does not include name and likeness. An insider estimates Sia’s songs bring in $18 million annually in writing and performance royalties. In delivering all of her top hits using her vocals and new versions of her songs, it’s poised to be a highly lucrative move for both Pophouse and Sia, who boasts some of the most impressive streaming numbers in the music industry.

Many of Sia’s songs have hit more than a billion streams on Spotify including her collaboration “Titanium” with DJ David Guetta that sits at 2.4 billion streams. “Unstoppable,” “Chandelier,” “Dusk Till Dawn” with singer Zayn, and “Cheap Thrills” have all surpassed 2 billion, while the “Cheap Thrills” version with Sean Paul, Flo Rida-collab “Wild Ones,” “Elastic Heart,” and “Snowman” have more than 1 billion streams.

Pophouse is a founding investor of Abba Voyage, a popular virtual residency that launched in 2022 and uses “ABBAtars” of the Swedish hitmakers (as they appeared in 1979) performing in a custom-built arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.

The company has continued to land partnerships with some of the most popular acts in music. In 2024, Pophouse acquired the music catalogue, brand name, likeness, and trademarks of Kiss, and has plans to kick off the Kiss Forever immersive avatar show in Las Vegas in 2028.

In March, the firm announced that it had become an majority owner, alongside BMG, in the “music interests” of Tina Turner’s catalog — as well as the rights of Turner’s name, image, and likeness. In a press release, Pophouse CEO Jessica Koravos hinted at future projects involving the twice-inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. “We will now set in motion a series of creative projects to celebrate Tina Turner’s remarkable music and persona and secure her legacy as the Queen of Rock n’ Roll,” said Koravos.

Pophouse also acquired a stake in Iron Maiden’s publishing and master music rights, and the name, image, and likeness rights back in July. The company has plans to create a digital universe centered around the band’s mascot Eddie.

Following through on plans first reported by Rolling Stone, a California judge ruled that the $12.9 million in damages awarded to a housekeeper attacked by a dog outside Chris Brown’s home was excessive and should be reduced by several million based on the evidence presented at trial. If the housekeeper rejects the reduced award, the judge said, Brown will be entitled to a new trial limited to damages.

According to documents obtained by Rolling Stone, Los Angeles County Judge Huey P. Cotton has given Avila the option to choose a a reduced $9.5 million damages award or retry her claims against Brown. “The court finds that the jury’s award to Maria Avila is excessive,” the judge’s order stated. “The court elects to issue a conditional order granting a new trial, as to Maria Avila only, on the issue of damages unless Plaintiff consents to a reduction of the jury’s damages to $9.5 million.”

Cotton kept a separate $855,000 award by the jury to Avila’s sister, Patricia Avila, who was working with Maria when the attack happened, intact. The amount was for past economic damages and emotional distress.

Avila’s lawyer, Nancy Doumanian, previously disputed the judge’s tentative finding that there was insufficient evidence Avila had suffered permanent nerve damage. Doumanian pointed to testimony from the surgeon who treated Avila on the night of the attack and continued caring for her through reconstructive procedures on her face and arm.

During the two-week trial last June, Avila took the witness stand and broke down crying as she recounted for jurors the Dec. 12, 2020, mauling at Brown’s home in the Tarzana neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley. Avila said the attack left her with severe injuries to her arm and face, extensive scarring, and post-traumatic stress disorder. In Tuesday’s decision, Cotton said Avila should be compensated for emotional distress and “persistent pain” from the attack, but that there was “insufficient evidence of extensive permanent nerve damage.”

Before trial, Brown admitted negligence under California’s dog-bite statute. He continued to dispute the extent of Avila’s injuries and claimed he had warned Avila and her sister — both Spanish speakers — not to go outside without asking him first because his dogs were not friendly. The women denied the conversation took place.

Cotton also rejected an argument by Brown’s lawyers that jurors were biased because Brown’s felony conviction for his 2009 domestic violence assault on his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, was mentioned. During the trial, jurors didn’t hear details of that incident, only that the conviction was on Brown’s record.

A lawyer for Avila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A representative for Brown did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mike Smith attends BET's ONE SHOT screening on Aug. 22, 2016.

The North Carolina man who used artificial intelligence to create thousands of fake songs by invented artists, then unleashed an army of bot accounts to stream the tracks billions of times and siphon millions from royalty pools meant for legitimate artists, should face “significant punishment,” prosecutors say.

In a new letter filed Tuesday and obtained by Rolling Stone, Manhattan federal prosecutors urged a judge to sentence Michael Smith to at least 46 months behind bars for his admitted scheme. Smith’s defense is asking for no jail time, only probation. Federal probation officials are recommending 24 months in prison. Smith’s sentencing is set for Oct. 6 in Manhattan federal court.

In their letter, prosecutors said Smith became so adept at artificially inflating streams of his music on platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music that his share of subscription-funded royalty pools sometimes exceeded shares allotted to the industry’s biggest stars. In April 2023, for example, Taylor Swift’s entire catalog drew 9.3 million streams from YouTube Music family-plan subscribers, prosecutors said, while Smith’s catalog generated 80.9 million.

Prosecutors said Smith pocketed more than $8 million in unearned royalties overall, perpetrating his “massive fraud” for more than six years. They argued that a stiff sentence is necessary “to provide just punishment” and deter other white-collar criminals in the future.

“Imposing a substantial term of incarceration will send a clear message that defrauding social services programs, no matter who you are, will result in significant punishment,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo and Kevin B. Mead wrote in their letter to the court. “If the public is watching this case, as the defendant claims, a lenient sentence will send precisely the wrong message: streaming fraud will not result in meaningful punishment.”

Smith accepted a deal from prosecutors in March, pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. He also agreed to pay $8,091,843.64 in forfeiture.

In defense filings last week, Smith and his lawyers said he was “profoundly sorry” for his conduct but that he “did not set out to commit a federal crime.”

“He believed his initial efforts to be lawful,” his lawyers Noell P. Tin and Justine Harris wrote to the judge. “Indeed, Mr. Smith consulted with a well-known music attorney with extensive experience in legal operations at music publishing companies. Although he ultimately ended up rationalizing conduct that he knew was wrong — false statements to distributors and increasingly deceptive conduct to avoid scrutiny — his conduct began at a time when the legal parameters were unsettled.”

Prosecutors disputed that in their Tuesday filing, arguing that Smith’s “own words and conduct reveal that he knew from the very beginning that his scheme was a form of fraud.” They said he knowingly carried out the fraud on a daily basis during the six years.

“Michael Smith generated thousands of fake songs using artificial intelligence and then streamed those fake songs billions of times,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in March. “Although the songs and listeners were fake, the millions of dollars Smith stole was real. Millions of dollars in royalties that Smith diverted from real, deserving artists and rights holders. Smith’s brazen scheme is over, as he stands convicted of a federal crime for his AI-assisted fraud.”

Caleb Flynn in court on Sept. 28, 2026, in Troy, Ohio.

The former American Idol contestant and church worship leader who texted his mistress that he wanted his wife dead before she was shot twice in the back of the head was convicted Tuesday on all counts, including aggravated murder with a firearm.

The jury deliberated for less than three hours before returning its unanimous verdict after a two-week trial. Caleb Flynn was found guilty of aggravated murder, murder with a firearm specification, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence. He closed his eyes and began visibly crying as he listened to the verdict while standing in the courtroom in Troy, Ohio, according to a livestream from Court TV. His sentencing was set for Oct. 5.

Flynn, 40, did not testify in his own defense, but his lawyers argued that an intruder had entered the house and killed his wife, Ashley Flynn, on Feb. 16. Prosecutors said Flynn shot her as she lay in bed and then tried to stage the scene to resemble a botched burglary.

The bullets recovered from Ashley Flynn’s killing were 9-millimeter rounds, but the gun used in the murder was never found. Prosecutors said Flynn kept a 9-millimeter handgun in the center console of his truck, which was found open and empty when police arrived.

“If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat. That is how dark and how hateful I feel,” Flynn wrote to his mistress, Alleigha Botner, in May 2025.

Three months later, in August, he wrote: “All I want is you. I’m sorry I’ve hurt you. I was up until 4 a.m. last night crying, literally thinking of ways to kill her and not go to jail.” In another message, he added, “I hate every second of this life I have to live.” Prosecutors said the messages were among more than 100,000 that Flynn exchanged with Botner in the year before Ashley’s death.

In testimony streamed live by Court TV, Botner told jurors last week that she now believed Flynn had killed his wife, though she said that during their affair she had not thought him capable of violence.

Botner, 24, said she met Flynn at their church in the summer of 2022. She described a secret affair that began in March 2024 and included matching Harry Potter lightning-bolt tattoos. She showed jurors hers, on her right forearm, and said Flynn had his placed near his armpit because “he didn’t want Ashley to see.”

She also walked jurors through the lyrics of a song Flynn had written for her. Prosecutors later played a version set to AI-generated music, prompting what appeared to be secondhand embarrassment, barely suppressed smiles, and pained expressions as the camera panned across the gallery.

Botner testified that Flynn repeatedly refused to leave his wife to be with her, straining their relationship. The day before Ashley was killed, prosecutors said, Flynn texted Botner, “I choose you,” and “actions will come tomorrow.”

Both sides rested on Monday, with the defense declining to call any witnesses. Prosecutors, by contrast, called dozens. They said investigators found no evidence that an intruder had fled the scene and that damage to a garage side door, which was found open that night, appeared to have been made with multiple tools rather than by a single act of forced entry.

Flynn told police that he had been asleep in his daughters’ room when he heard the gunshots and called 911 shortly afterward. But Joseph Wilhelm, a digital forensics examiner with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, testified that Flynn’s electronic devices recorded 196 steps during the hour before the call. The devices recorded another 346 steps around the time Flynn called 911, at about 2:30 a.m.

Flynn was a contestant on Season 12 of American Idol in 2013. He qualified for the early pre-taped rounds but was eliminated before the season reached its televised live shows.

In his “Road to Hollywood” interview posted by American Idol on YouTube, Flynn said he auditioned for the popular talent contest because he loved to sing. “Msybe my wife kinda nudged me a little bit too,” he added, referring to Ashley.

He mentioned Ashley twice more in the two-minute video, saying he loved her “more than anything.” He then described himself as eager to learn from the show’s judges, adding, “When I want something, I’m gonna go after it.”

Harry Waters and Roger Waters, 2008.

Former Pink Floyd singer-songwriter Roger Waters has worked with his son, Harry, to develop a new touring show called “Legacy — A Pink Floyd Show” that will be performed by the Harry Waters Band. The group will exclusively play music from the Pink Floyd albums The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall. Roger’s team worked on visuals for the tour that include ones he created while in Pink Floyd along with new images inspired by the repertoire.

The tour will launch in February with dates booked in more than 100 cities in North America and Europe. Tickets for the North American gigs go on sale Friday and full details are on the Roger Waters Legacy website.

“These songs have meant so much to so many people for so many years, and I’m excited for audiences to come together and experience them live again,” Roger said in a statement. “Harry has assembled a terrific band, and I can’t wait for fans around the world to see the special show we’ve created together.”

In addition to Harry, who will sing and play organ, the band features his longtime collaborator, drummer Graham Broad, who helped conceive the two-hour show’s set list with him. “We are going to authentically recreate the albums as close to note-for-note as we possibly can,” he said. More than 3,000 singers auditioned to be the lead vocalist for the group. Waters revealed Tuesday that the gig went to Clifton David Broadbridge, a Canadian who now lives in Nashville. He will lead the 10-person ensemble.

“I fell in love with the music immediately,” Harry said. “It really had an impact on me, irrespective of any bias because it was Dad’s music. I still love it deeply to this day. Collaborating with Dad on this new production is such an honor, and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to bring this music to fans old and new, around the world.”

Harry’s own legacy with his dad’s music dates back at least to when Pink Floyd recorded his voice on The Wall’s “Goodbye Blue Sky.” He later spent more than 15 years playing keyboards and organ in his father’s solo band. Although Harry told Rolling Stone, “I was fired” from Roger’s band, along with several other musicians, he nevertheless remained committed to performing Pink Floyd’s music. He performed the band’s Animals album live with Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade and Sean Lennon in 2023 and performed with the tribute group, Brit Floyd.

Legacy — A Pink Floyd Show North American Tour Dates

Feb. 15 – Columbus, GA @ RiverCenter for the Performing ArtsFeb. 17 – Clearwater, FL @ The BayCare SoundFeb. 19 – Fort Myers, FL @ Caloosa Sound AmphitheaterFeb. 20 – St. Augustine, FL @ The St. Augustine AmphitheatreFeb. 21 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Broward Center for the Performing ArtsFeb. 23 – Orlando, FL @ Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing ArtsFeb. 25 – Atlanta, GA @ Fox TheatreFeb. 26 – Montgomery, AL @ Montgomery Performing Arts CentreFeb. 27 – Nashville, TN @ The TruthFeb. 28 – Huntsville, AL @ Von Braun CenterMarch 2 – Green Bay, WI @ The WeidnerMarch 3 – Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum TheatreMarch 4 – Peoria, IL @ Prairie Home Alliance TheaterMarch 6 – Chicago, IL @ The Chicago TheatreMarch 7 – Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre at Old National CentreMarch 9 – Louisville, KY @ The Louisville Palace TheatreMarch 10 – Knoxville, TN @ Knoxville Civic AuditoriumMarch 12 – Midland, MI @ Midland Center for the ArtsMarch 13 – Windsor, ON @ The Colosseum at Caesars WindsorMarch 14 – Columbus, OH @ Mershon AuditoriumMarch 18 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand PrairieMarch 19 – Midland, TX @ Wagner Noël Performing Arts CenterMarch 20 – San Antonio, TX @ The Tobin CenterMarch 21 – Houston, TX @ The Hobby Center for the Performing ArtsApril 6 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Benedum CenterApril 7 – Scranton, PA @ Scranton Cultural CenterApril 9 – Portland, ME @ Merrill AuditoriumApril 10 – Mashantucket, CT @ Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort CasinoApril 11 – Medford, MA @ Chevalier TheatreApril 13 – Buffalo, NY @ UB Center for the ArtsApril 14 – Albany, NY @ Palace TheatreApril 16 – Newark, NJ @ New Jersey Performing Arts CenterApril 17 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Ocean Casino ResortApril 18 – Lancaster, PA @ American Music TheatreApril 20 – Charlotte, NC @ Ovens AuditoriumApril 21 – Tysons, VA @ Capital One HallApril 23 – Orillia, ON @ Casino Rama ResortApril 24 – Ottawa, ON @ Hard Rock Live OttawaApril 26 – Baltimore, MD @ The Paramount BaltimoreApril 27 – Rochester, NY @ Kodak CenterApril 29 – Utica, NY @ The Stanley TheatreApril 30 – Richmond, VA @ Altria TheaterMay 1 – Virginia Beach, VA @ The Dome by Rutter MillsMay 2 – Wilmington, NC @ CFCC’s Wilson CenterAug. 31 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth TheatreSept. 2 – Wenatchee, WA @ Town Toyota CenterSept. 4 – Portland (Troutdale), OR @ McMenamins EdgefieldSept. 7 – San Francisco, CA @ Golden Gate TheatreSept. 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek TheatreSept. 12 – San Diego, CA @ The Rady Shell at Jacobs ParkSept. 15 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Eccles TheaterSept. 16 – Las Vegas, NV @ Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino ResortSept. 19 – Denver, CO @ Buell TheatreSept. 21 – Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs PavilionSept. 24 – Sylvania, OH @ Centennial TerraceSept. 25 – St. Louis, MO @ The Fabulous Fox

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky on January 18, 2026 in New York City.

The woman accused of firing 20 rounds from an AR-15-style rifle at Rihanna’s Los Angeles home, allegedly striking an exterior wall of a nursery and the windshield of an Airstream trailer occupied by the singer and her partner, A$AP Rocky, has been found competent to stand trial.

Ivanna Ortiz, 36, appeared in court Tuesday wearing a yellow jail uniform and handcuffs as Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Maria Cavalluzzi informed the parties she had received a Sept. 23, 2026, report from Dr. Phani Tumu. Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott and Deputy Public Defender Derek Dillman said they did not contest its findings.

“Based on the evidence, the court finds the defendant is presently competent to stand trial,” Judge Cavalluzzi said as Ortiz looked on and appeared to be smiling at times. “Criminal proceedings are reinstated.”

When the judge said she would transfer the case back to a downtown Los Angeles courtroom that handles felony probable-cause hearings, Bott asked instead that the parties be ordered to appear before the supervising judge of criminal operations.

“Why are we doing this?” Judge Cavalluzzi asked.

“I can’t say, due to the nature of the proceedings, but they will be informed tomorrow,” Bott replied.

The supervising judge’s department is sometimes used as an initial stop for cases involving grand jury indictments. Grand jury proceedings are secret, but if an indictment is returned, it’s generally unsealed when prosecutors bring the defendant into court for arraignment. It was not immediately clear whether Ortiz was expected to face such a proceeding Wednesday.

Before she was referred to mental health court for an evaluation, Ortiz pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted murder, 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling. Prosecutors say she drove to Rihanna’s home on March 8 and fired the rounds while the property was occupied by the famous couple, their three young children, and Rihanna’s mother.

According to a police report obtained by Rolling Stone, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, were inside the Airstream trailer parked outside the home when Rihanna heard “approximately ten loud sounds like something banging on metal.” She opened the curtains and “observed bullet holes in the windshield directly in front of where she had been standing,” then “grabbed Rakim out of bed, told him they were being shot at, and pushed both of them to the ground,” the report said.

“They shooting at us,” Rihanna warned as she pulled Mayers to the floor, the report said. The couple then ran into the garage and moved quickly to secure their children and staff, police said.

At an earlier hearing, Bott called the incident “an extremely dangerous deliberate shooting in occupied homes.” He said the gunfire lasted several seconds and could have been deadly. “This was calculated conduct,” Bott previously told the court. “She brought a loaded rifle, ammunition, and even a disguise in the form of a wig, which demonstrates planning.”

Bott said Ortiz showed “a willingness to use a high-powered rifle in a residential neighborhood, putting numerous lives at risk.” He argued that the shooting “could easily have resulted in multiple homicides.”

Witnesses to the March 8 shooting reported seeing a white Tesla Model 3 with a paper license plate fleeing the area. A police helicopter quickly located the vehicle, leading to Ortiz’s arrest. Investigators later found six bullet holes in the vehicle gate at Rihanna’s home and a seventh in a pedestrian gate, according to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone. Inside the property, police found three bullet holes in a wooden fence obscured by tall hedges.

Before the shooting, Ortiz posted erratically on social media, addressing and tagging Rihanna directly. “Listen, Rihanna. When you die, God is taking me to my future. You want to kill me. Shut the fuck up,” she said in a YouTube video titled “Praying Woman’s Journal, Day 39,” posted on Jan. 4, 2026.

Ortiz worked as a licensed speech pathologist in California before the alleged attack. In a filing obtained by Rolling Stone, an executive officer with the state’s Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology asked the court to bar Ortiz from practicing while the criminal case is pending, including through sentencing and any appeal. A different judge granted the request.