Alright, rest time’s over, my darlings. July 2026 decided to shake things up, and as always, the world of rock decided to prove it’s a spectacle of comedy and tragedy in equal measure. Grab your lukewarm beer and come with me; it was that kind of week.
The Super Bowl Became a Pop Summer Festival
If you thought you’d seen it all, Consequence of Sound decided to rub our faces in the FIFA World Cup Final halftime show lineup: Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, and BTS. Yes, you read that right. The same Bieber who, according to Rolling Stone, joins the crew on July 19th. What used to be a stage for rock legends has now become the lineup for a festival your 12-year-old niece would build in Minecraft. Kermit the Frog was also confirmed, according to Pitchfork. Holy shit, Kermit? Seriously? I guess next up is the Painted Chicken.
And to top off the bizarre, Bad Bunny, the king of reggaeton, snagged nine Emmy nominations for his Super Bowl halftime show, breaking a record previously held by Lady Gaga, as Rolling Stone Brasil made sure to remind us. We live to see this, don’t we? Where are the “Free Bird!” shouts when we need them most?
Mastodon Falls Apart, and Brent Hinds’ Ghost Lingers
News that stings the rocker’s soul: Mastodon poured their hearts out about the loss of Brent Hinds, who left us in 2025. The guys were brutally honest in a new video, admitting they were exhausted. “We Were Exhausted,” they said. Which, let’s be honest, isn’t the kind of phrase you want to hear from a band that makes you want to tear down walls. Loudwire and Revolver Magazine also covered the farewell and the band’s reflection. It’s the kind of thing that makes you think that maybe rock isn’t as immortal as we’d like. Or maybe it is, but at a cost few are willing to pay.
Oasis: The Never-Ending Soap Opera or the Return of the Kings of Snark?
And just when you think sadness will swallow you whole, Manchester emerges with the promise of a miracle. Wikimetal dropped the bomb: rumors indicate that Oasis might play up to 20 shows in their hometown in 2027. Twenty shows. Twenty opportunities for Noel and Liam to curse each other out on stage and, in the end, deliver the performance of a lifetime. If that’s not the definition of rock’n’roll — genius mixed with pure fraternal chaos — I don’t know what is.
Meanwhile, Tony Bellotto, from Titãs, is “disappointed” with Roger and Lobão for supporting the right wing, according to Rolling Stone Brasil. Ah, the eternal ideological battle that turns heroes into villains, or vice-versa, depending on who you ask. It’s like rock: it always survives, but we’re still shocked by the scars.
The circus is set up, the crowd is screaming, and rock, well, rock keeps going. From the Super Bowl to the end of an era for Mastodon and the hope of a glorious Oasis comeback, we keep watching. And complaining. It’s our way.