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HITS Act, Legislation That Gives Music Creators a Tax Break, Passes Congress as Part of Trump’s Megabill

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The Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act, the long-in-the-works legislation that would allow musicians to deduct 100% of their production expenses in the year they’re incurred, passed in Congress as part of President Trump’s tax and spending cuts bill on Thursday (July 3). The milestone was quickly celebrated by Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, which has long lobbied for the bill to become law.

Co-sponsored by Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas), the HITS Act was first introduced in July 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many musicians struggled due to widespread shutdowns in the U.S. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate in December of that year by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Marsha Blackburn (R–Tenn.). It was reintroduced in the Senate in January after being dropped from several previous legislative packages and subsequently added to the Trump-endorsed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which now requires only the president’s signature to become law.

American Music Tourism, MAIN Event Ticketing and HITS Acts Return to Senate

01/22/2025

“The Recording Academy is proud to have partnered with Reps. Estes and Sánchez and Senators Blackburn and Cortez Masto over many years to bring the HITS Act to life, and we are deeply grateful for their unwavering support,” said Mason in a statement.

The Recording Academy CEO also praised the removal of another component of the Republican-led bill: a clause that would have banned state-level AI protections for 10 years.

“As the industry navigates rapid technological advancements and an evolving musical landscape, this moment represents meaningful progress toward protecting creators and sustaining a vibrant music ecosystem,” Mason continued. He added: “We also thank Senators Blackburn and Cantwell for their thoughtful leadership in removing the AI provision that could have posed serious risks to the creative community. This is a powerful win for those who make music, and for the future of music itself.”

The HITS Act, which requires a change in the tax code, allows musicians to fully expense the costs of new studio recordings up to $150,000 in the year they were produced, with the goal of easing the financial burden on creators. The current tax code requires producers and artists to amortize production expenses for tax purposes over the economic life of a recording, which typically ranges from three to four years.

“We wanted to incentivize musicians to get back in the studio and put more music out into the world when we need it right now and give them an immediate financial benefit by having this deduction in the first year,” The Recording Academy’s then-chief advocacy officer Daryl Friedman told Billboard when the bill was first introduced in the House of Representatives. “But this will be an ongoing tax provision that will live beyond the pandemic and will be a benefit to artists for years to come.”

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Doechii Performs a Star-Making Set at Montreal’s Osheaga Festival

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Osheaga has a knack for booking budding superstars right as they blow up. Last year, it was Chappell Roan. This year, it was Doechii.

The Grammy-winning, Florida-born rapper took the stage on the first night of the Montreal music festival on Friday (Aug. 1), and it felt like a star-making performance. The Killers headlined the mainstage, but unlike Chappell Roan, who played for 40,000 people at 3:30 in the afternoon last year, Doechii did have the honor of closing out the festival on the secondary Forest Stage.

Her set was pushed back slightly to start at 10:10 p.m., meaning she was the final performer of the night before the noise curfew at 11 p.m. And for those who wanted to catch both acts, The Killers made it easy by playing their belt-along favorite “Mr. Brightside” as their first song and packing the first hour of their two-hour, 9:10 p.m. set with hits.

Doechii’s stage set was decked out to fit her Swamp Princess persona, covered in greenery and a large, elevated swampy platform for her to stand on. The crowd was packed in, so the fans stuck at the back still had a visual feast. “I look good from the nosebleeds,” she rapped from her 2025 hit “Nosebleeds,” and this show proved it.

Doechii performs at Osheaga 2025 in Montreal.

Charlotte Rainville @jailli

For a full hour, Doechii kept the energy up. She rapped a mile a minute, all live with almost no reliance on a backing track. She showed off her full skill set, from pure hip-hop to sung R&B/pop hooks, and comedic banter to thought-out stagecraft. She brought unbridled charisma, taking time to dance and twerk and show off some vogue moves as well. She showed off a reverence for classic hip-hop, rapping over Wu-Tang’s “C.R.E.A.M.,” and later screaming over a distorted guitar sample — almost veering towards nu-metal. She showed she can do it all.

The audience stayed captivated, rapping along and matching her energy throughout. It was Doechii’s first time in Canada, and you could tell she was impressed by the reaction. “As an artist, you can get so much hate and negativity,” she said. “Then you go out in real life and see your real fans.”

She took some time to thank her gay fans, her female fans, and the fans who brought their boyfriends. “If your boyfriend hates female rappers, then leave him immediately,” she said.

Seeing all the phones out, she seized her moment. “Ya’ll can’t be scared to stand up for what you believe in, you can’t be scared to say what matters,” she said. “Free Palestine.”

Doechii Osheaga 2025

Doechii performs at Osheaga 2025 in Montreal.

Charlotte Rainville @jailli

Doechii broke out her biggest hit, the Billboard Hot 100 top-10 charting “Anxiety,” and thanked all her fans for streaming it. The “Somebody That I Used To Know” sampling song is a bit of an outlier in her catalogue, but it’s a viral TikTok favourite, and she’s found a way to fit it perfectly into her set. After playing the song, she thanked Gotye for approving the sample.

The true highlight of the set was “Denial Is a River.” The song, which features Doechii rapping with her internal monologue, took on a whole new call-and-response dimension with fans chanting along to every word.

It felt like she was still just getting started when, midway through the next song, the beat cut out. “F— that, they cut me off!” she yelled. She put her thumbs down, inciting the crowd to boo, then threw her hands up. “Whatever,” she said, walking off the stage.

Unfortunately, Osheaga has a hard 11 p.m. noise curfew. It’s clear the next time she’s back, she’ll have to have a longer headliner-length set.

Doechii performs tonight (Aug. 2) at Lollapalooza in Chicago, where she’s teased a special guest. If Osheaga was anything to go by, her set will likely be all over social media soon.

This article originally appeared on Billboard Canada.

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Olivia Rodrigo Rocks Out With Weezer During Her Headlining Set at Lollapalooza 2025

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Olivia Rodrigo was joined by surprise guest Weezer during her headlining set at Lollapalooza 2025.

On Friday (Aug. 1), the 22-year-old pop superstar made her debut on the second day of the Chicago music festival at Grant Park. Toward the end of her evening set, she surprised the crowd by inviting Weezer to join her on stage.

Olivia Rodrigo Brings Out The Cure’s Robert Smith at Glastonbury 2025

Olivia Rodrigo Brings Out The Cure’s Robert Smith at Glastonbury 2025

Olivia Rodrigo performs on the orange stage at Roskilde Festival 2025 on July 04, 2025 in Roskilde, Denmark. (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)

Olivia Rodrigo Guitarist Says Singer Paid For Therapy For Crew On Guts Tour: ‘One of the Coolest Things That Has Ever Happened’

In a fan-captured video on TikTok, Rodrigo shared with the crowd that Weezer was the first band she ever saw live.

“You always remember your first concert. It’s a very, very special moment,” the “Drivers License” singer said. “I remember my first concert. It was a very memorable night. I watched this incredible band and I am so over the moon, because that incredible band is actually here tonight to play a few songs. Will you please say hello to Weezer?”

Weezer then joined Rodrigo for performances of their classic hits “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So,” both from the group’s 1994 self-titled album. She played guitar and harmonized alongside frontman Rivers Cuomo during the collaboration. Check out clips from the performances here and here on X.

This marked Weezer’s first Lollapalooza performance since they headlined alongside Widespread Panic in 2005.

This isn’t the first time Rodrigo has brought out surprise guests during her recent festival appearances. She recently invited David Byrne onstage at New York’s Governors Ball to perform Talking Heads’ 1983 hit “Burning Down the House,” and welcomed The Cure’s Robert Smith at this year’s Glastonbury Festival to perform “Friday I’m In Love” and “Just Like Heaven.”

During her Lolla set on Saturday, Rodrigo opened with “Obsessed” and “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl,” and also performed hits including “Driver’s License,” “Traitor,” “Bad Idea, Right?” and “Love Is Embarrassing.”

The Chicago festival continues Saturday (Aug. 2) with headliners Rüfüs Du Sol and TWICE, followed by closers Sabrina Carpenter and A$AP Rocky on Sunday.

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Kelly Osbourne Honors Dad Ozzy Osbourne With NSFW Post Days After His Funeral

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Kelly Osbourne is paying tribute to her father, Ozzy Osbourne, just days after his funeral.

On Friday (Aug. 1), the 40-year-old TV personality shared an NSFW photo on her Instagram Story in memory of the rock legend, who passed away on July 22 at the age of 76.

Celine Dion Pays Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne: ‘A True Original’

UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 01:  Photo of Ozzy OSBOURNE and BLACK SABBATH; of Black Sabbath, posed  (Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns)

Ozzy Osbourne Dead at 76, Just Weeks After Black Sabbath’s Final Concert

Tributes are left prior Ozzy Osbourne's funeral cortege is set to travel through his home city of Birmingham on July 30, 2025 in Birmingham, England.

Ozzy Osbourne Receives Rocking Send Off With Public Funeral Procession in Birmingham

The outdoor image featured a beautiful display of purple flowers arranged to spell out “Ozzy F—ing Osbourne,” set beside a serene pond surrounded by a rolling hill and trees.

In a second post, Kelly shared a heartfelt clip from The Osbournes, the MTV reality series that aired from 2002 to 2005. The snippet shows Ozzy lying in bed with his wife, Sharon Osbourne, offering words of wisdom.

“Listen, all you got to worry about is getting through today,” the Black Sabbath frontman says. “That’s all you got to worry about.”

Just days earlier, Kelly attended her father’s funeral procession in his hometown of Birmingham, England, where fans flooded the streets to pay their respects. Sharon, along with Ozzy’s other children — Aimeé and Jack — laid flowers at the Black Sabbath Bridge, which had been covered with tributes from mourners.

Shortly after Ozzy’s passing, Kelly posted another emotional tribute to her Instagram Story on July 24. “I feel unhappy I am so sad,” she wrote. “I lost the best friend I ever had,” the Fashion Police alum added, along with a heartbroken emoji. Her words echoed lyrics from Black Sabbath’s ballad “Changes,” which she and her father released as a duet in 2003.

Ozzy Osbourne died at age 76, just weeks after performing his final concert. His family confirmed the news in a joint statement. “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” they wrote. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

Just a month before his death, Kelly had honored her dad on Father’s Day with an Instagram post that included a slideshow of Ozzy spending time with her young son, Sidney, whom she shares with fiancé Sid Wilson.

“Happy Father’s Day daddy,” she wrote at the time. “I love you more than anyone or anything in the world! I am so proud to be your daughter and Beyond honored to watch you be the best #Papa in the world to my son!”

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