New Music Friday August 14: Carly Simon, Sheryl Crow, Becky G, KATSEYE, Phoebe Bridgers, benny blanco and More

Happy New Music Friday! The weekend is here, which means more streaming, new playlists and the best that music has to offer — and ET has you covered for everything in between.

Taylor Swift will be the youngest inductee ever when she gets inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Class of 2026 in the contemporary songwriter/artists category this fall. Taylor shared, “From the time I started writing songs as a child, I fixated on Nashville as the perfect place to be. I wanted to learn with and from the best and get to immerse myself in a community of storytellers, and thankfully Nashville turned out to be exactly what I’d dreamed of. A town that validated and prioritized hard work, determination and imagination. Where the writers show up to work every day even when the mysterious muses and the magic don’t. To be honored by this city I love so much is a beautiful thing, and I’m very grateful.”

Over the weekend, Usher and Chris Brown had two sold-out nights at MetLife Stadium for their R&B Tour. Special surprise guest appearances included Future, Mary J. Blige, Method Man, 50 Cent with Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda, Ashanti, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Lil Baby, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Mario, Tank and Eric Bellinger.

Justin Ongeri

The Woody Guthrie Center announced that Bette Midler has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize. Bette has been an advocate for environmental conservation, public spaces, LGBTQ+ rights, public health initiatives, humanitarian causes, and more. Bette shared, “I am so honored to have been chosen to receive the Woody Guthrie Prize this year. I loved his music, and I loved the way he lived his life, always seeking to spread the word that justice could and should be served and that every American, no matter what their station, deserved a fair shake in life.” The 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize event will take place on October 16 in Tulsa, OK.

The Academy of Country Music announced additional appearances for the 19th ACM Honors. Flatland Cavalry, Logan Ledger, Sheryl Crow and Zach John King have been added to the lineup as performers. Carter Faith will pay tribute to Kacey Musgraves with a performance of “Merry Go ‘Round,” Sheryl Crow will celebrate Eric Church with a performance of “Drink in My Hand,” Dierks Bentley will honor his friend Brett James with a performance of “I Hold On.” ACM Honors hosted by Carly Pearce and Parker McCollum will take place on August 19 at The Pinnacle in Nashville.

Jason Aldean is celebrating a new wave of RIAA certifications, including 6X platinum certification status of his My Kinda Party album and the title track now certified 5X Platinum. Jason also followed up his 32nd #1 at country radio with his new single, “Anytime Soon,” from his latest album Songs About Us, which debuted as the most added at Country Radio last week. The certifications come ahead of the September 18 vinyl release of three landmark albums, 4X Platinum Jason Aldean (2005), the newly certified 6X Platinum My Kinda Party (2010), and Platinum They Don’t Know (2016), marking the first time each title will be available on vinyl. Jason is currently on his Songs About Us headlining tour and his stadium tour, the Double Down Tour with Luke Bryan.

Plus, new music from Carly Simon, Becky G, KATSEYE, Sheryl Crow, benny blanco, Gracie Abrams, Jon Batiste, Luis Fonsi, Troye Sivan, Nick Carter, Phoebe Bridgers, Quavo, Little Big Town, Brian Kelley, Tinashe and more.

Comes In Waves – Carly Simon