Arts & Entertainment
Whole lotta covers
Many returning acts stick to tried-and-true material for new releases
Out singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright returns with his seventh studio album "Out of the Game" to be released May 1. (Photo by Tina Tyrell; courtesy the Karpel Group)
This spring brings the release of several albums from icons, “American Idols,” Broadway divas and more. Some artists, such as Madonna and Adam Lambert, are releasing long-awaited returns to the music scene, while others are reworking their sound or releasing covers projects.
After a successful performance at the halftime show of the Super Bowl this year,Madonna’s long-awaited new album, “MDNA” drops March 26. The album will have 15 tracks, including first single “Give Me All Your Luvin'” and her Golden Globe-winning, “Masterpiece.”
Adam Lambert, of “American Idol” fame, has his second album, “Trespassing,” slated for a March 20 release. The out singer acted as an executive producer and co-wrote many of the tracks, working with guest artists such as Pharrell Williams, Sam Sparro and Bruno Mars.
Tony winner Idina Menzel, best known for her work on Broadway in “Wicked” and “Rent,” has a new CD and DVD coming out March 6 for her PBS special, “Idina Menzel Live: Barefoot at the Symphony.” The concert, recorded in Toronto, will feature Broadway numbers and reworkings of songs such as Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” and Sting’s “Roxanne.” Taye Diggs, Menzel’s husband, also makes a guest appearance.
Another “American Idol” alum Clay Aiken has a new album “Steadfast” coming out on March 26. This new album comes on the heels of the out singer’s participation on the NBC’s reality series “The Celebrity Apprentice.” The album is an extension of Aiken’s previous album, “Tried and True,” with an original song, “Bring Back My Love” and covers of songs by Neil Sedaka and Connie Francis.
Gay singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright has teamed up with producer Mark Ronson for his newest album “Out of the Game” to be released May 1. This is Wainwright’s seventh studio album and features musicians such as the Dap-Kings, Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Wainwright’s sister, Martha Wainwright.
Local gay indie singer/songwriter Tom Goss releases “Lost Songs and Underdogs” on April 3. Goss holed up in a one-room cabin in rural Virginia, turned off his phone and computer and wrote the project during a time of soul searching. He calls it “direct, honest” and his “most intimate” project yet. It’s available in a couple editions with various bonus tracks and perks. Go to tomgossmusic.net for details.
Pop singer Katy Perry is releasing a special edition of her album “Teenage Dream” on March 27. The new album, entitled “Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection,” will feature the original 12 tracks plus three new ones, a Tommy Sunshine megamix of Perry’s previous six singles, the Kanye West version of “E.T.,” the Missy Elliot version of “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” and an acoustic version of “The One That Got Away.”
Grammy-winning R&B singer Macy Gray returns with a new album “Covered,” set to release March 26. The album features 16 covers including Gray’s take on the Eurythmics’ “Here Comes the Rain Again,” the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Maps” and even Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters.”
Lionel Richie has a new album coming out on March 26, “Tuskegee.” The album includes 13 tracks, each one featuring a different country act with Richie, such as the Rascal Flatts joining him on “Dancing on the Ceiling,” Jennifer Nettles on “Hello” and Shania Twain on his classic duet with Diana Ross, “Endless Love.”
Bruce Springsteen is back on March 6 with “Wrecking Ball,” his 17th studio album. The album features 11 new recordings including “We Take Care of Our Own” and two bonus tracks on the special edition.
Coming off a touching tribute to Etta James at the Grammys, Bonnie Raitt has a new album, “Slipstream” slated to drop April 10. This is her first studio album in seven years and will feature renditions of classics songs by artists such as Bob Dylan and more.
The Counting Crows have a new album, also coming out April 10, entitled “Underwater Sunshine (or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation).” They too are covering Bob Dylan with their own rendition of “You Ain’t Going Nowhere,” as well as Big Star’s “The Ballad of El Goodo” and “Ooh La La” by The Faces.
And don’t forget local drag queen Shi-Queeta-Lee’s debut single “My Name is LOVE,” about making a difference and stopping the hate and bullying. The single is available for download at cdbaby.com/cd/shiqueetalee for $1.29.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
The Washington Blade will update this article with additional reaction when it becomes available.
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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