🎭 Culture & Entertainment
June 22nd, 2026
Today's top 5 stories, curated by Daily Direct.
Rolling Stone
SZA Urges Black Musicians to Reject AI After Learning Model Used Hundreds of Her Songs
SZA is calling on Black artists to boycott AI music tools after discovering that generative platform Suno trained models on hundreds of her songs without consent. The singer singled out producer Diplo and Suno in her public rebuke, framing the issue as both an intellectual property violation and a racial exploitation concern. Her statement adds a prominent voice to the growing backlash against AI companies profiting from artists' work without compensation or permission.
Read article →Hollywood Reporter
Olivia Rodrigo Is Launching a Music Festival Featuring Chappell Roan and Stevie Nicks
Olivia Rodrigo is launching her own music festival, Daisy Chain Fields, set for Irvine this August with a lineup that includes Chappell Roan and Stevie Nicks. The event doubles as a philanthropic effort, with net proceeds benefiting organizations such as Baby2Baby, Planned Parenthood, and the National Domestic Workers Alliance. It marks a significant expansion of Rodrigo's platform beyond music into cultural and activist territory.
Read article →Pitchfork
Olivia Rodrigo Launches Music Festival Daisy Chain Fields
Olivia Rodrigo is stepping behind the scenes with her debut festival venture, Daisy Chain Fields, built entirely around an all-female lineup. The inaugural edition brings together a striking range of talent spanning generations and genres, from punk pioneers Bikini Kill and rock legend Stevie Nicks to rising stars Chappell Roan and Doechii. The move signals a deliberate push to carve out dedicated space for women in live music at a moment when the conversation around industry representation is louder than ever.
Read article →Pitchfork
Team Dresch Return With First Album in 30 Years
Team Dresch are back. The pioneering queercore band will release *Furthermore* in September, marking their first studio album in roughly three decades. The return of one of punk's most influential queer acts is a significant moment for both the genre and the community they helped shape.
Read article →
Variety
Mike Leigh Collection Launched by Salaud Morisset With Studiocanal, BFI, Film4; Titles Include ‘Life Is Sweet,’ ‘Topsy-Turvy,’ ‘Vera Drake’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Salaud Morisset has teamed with Studiocanal, the BFI, and Film4 to bring a major Mike Leigh retrospective collection to international markets, spanning more than three decades of the British director's work. The lineup includes landmark titles such as "Naked," "Vera Drake," and "Topsy-Turvy," offering distributors a rare opportunity to acquire a cohesive body of work from one of cinema's most distinctive voices. The move signals growing appetite for prestige catalog titles as a commercial asset in global sales.
Read article →Get this delivered every morning
Join thousands of readers who get the world's most important stories, curated daily.
Start reading free →