Author: admin

  • A Closer Look at Issues With the Expanding Role of Precision Medicine in Cancer Management

    A Closer Look at Issues With the Expanding Role of Precision Medicine in Cancer Management

    It would be difficult for any objective observer of the current cancer management paradigm to suggest that precision medicine is not playing an important role in defining optimal therapeutic strategies for individual patients. Further, it is virtually certain that cancer drug development in the future will have a continued focus on obtaining detailed molecular data from the tumor/germline to assign specific treatments. Finally, it is highly likely that precision medicine will increasingly affect other aspects of cancer management, including the recommendation to employ specific prevention and screening strategies, or receive/avoid specific drugs based on germline profiles (pharmacogenomics).

    However, in the opinion of this commentator, there are aspects of the growth of precision cancer (“molecular”) medicine, two of which are highlighted here, that raise concerns deserving of additional discussion as this revolution in management moves forward.

    The first question relates to the societal value of the specific focus of precision medicine on the biological and pathological effects of molecular abnormalities within the tumor/germline of individuals with or at risk of developing cancer vs an alternative far more global public health perspective on reducing the burden of malignant disease.

    Clearly, this issue has multiple components, including the priority given to research funding and to the level of financial support provided at the federal, state, and local levels to public health strategies for cancer prevention and early detection.

    Although one can certainly make the argument that there should be no irreconcilable conflict between the goals of molecular-based and population-based approaches to cancer control, an objective assessment of both the current health and cancer care landscapes would provide a strong dissent to this conclusion, with the realistic requirement for society to thoughtfully prioritize both limited financial and personnel resources.

    In addition, one might reasonably suggest that as a greater proportion of cancer-associated health care dollars is allocated to expensive precision medicine therapeutic strategies, there will likely be less available for public/ population-based approaches more focused on prevention. One can only imagine, for example, the financial burden on third-party payment (including government sources) associated with such novel approaches as CRISPR-based personalized antineoplastic agents.1

    The thoughtful but provocative words of James Tabery, author of the recently published book Tyranny of the Gene: Personalized Medicine and Its Threat to Public Health, emphasize a perspective worthy of additional discussion2:

    “My thesis is that there have been and remain powerful financial, political, technological, and scientific forces that are driving this embrace of personalized medicine and promoting the idea of medicine as something genetic while simultaneously impeding the study of environmental determinants of wellness and disease. Genes have become far easier to study than environments. Probing DNA has benefitted from technical developments that have eluded environmental health research, and medical genetic research has been subject to less partisan politicization than environmental health research. The result of all this is a biomedical research industry that is now prioritizing the study of genetic causes of health and illness not because those causes play a particularly large role in health outcomes but because those causes are faster, cheaper, more profitable, and more politically palatable than the environmental alternative.”

    Importantly, others have reached similar conclusions regarding the status and complexities of critically relevant public health initiatives in this country.3 Societal support for such strategies, including continued efforts to reduce all forms of tobacco use, human papillomavirus vaccination, demonstrated effective cancer screenings, and obesity management, simply cannot be overstated.

    In summary, caution is advised that the situation highlighted above not become a competition, but rather effective complementary approaches to the cancer problem and that essential public health strategies never become a casualty of the precision medicine revolution. There is much to consider, and further discussion is warranted.

    Returning to the demonstrated remarkable success of precision cancer medicine in favorably affecting the survival of individual patients with advanced cancers, we observe a different but equally perplexing issue: that of the observed less than optimal utilization of essential molecular diagnostics (including next-generation sequencing [NGS]) in noninvestigative clinical practice.

    Consider for a moment the realistic potential for widespread standard-of- care utilization of NGS testing in routine oncology care, as demonstrated in a recent report of a health organization “pathologist-directed protocol system-wide [platform], where somatic testing was performed immediately at the time of diagnosis for all patients with advanced solid tumor[s].”4

    Approximately half of all patients in this analysis were found to have had “at least one actionable genomic biomarker-driven–approved and/or guideline-recommended targeted or immunotherapy,” with a similar percentage being potentially eligible for a molecular-based clinical trial. Further, for those individuals with at least 6 months of follow-up, 52% had been treated with either immunotherapy or a targeted therapeutic. Finally, while recognizing the critical fact that this was a heterogeneous population and the data were not generated from a randomized trial, individuals treated with a molecularly based targeted therapeutic experienced improved overall survival (P < .001) compared with those managed with chemotherapy alone. However, it must be noted that in this experience, “testing was also performed under the research protocol at no cost, to remove potential reimbursement-related barriers….”

    So, the critical question to be asked here is: How many of the individuals able to benefit from the results of the molecular analysis would have been denied this opportunity if the required third-party payment for NGS testing had been denied or was insufficient for the procedure to be undertaken?

    There are a number of reasons for the failure of clinicians to obtain somatic and germline molecular testing despite strong evidence of its clinical utility,5,6 including the absence of adequate decision-support tools, and concern for payment of these relatively expensive tests must surely be high on the list of physician concerns. The potential tragedy associated with the failure to identify a clinically relevant molecular abnormality that may result in effective treatment with the increasing number of regulatory-approved tumor-agnostic antineoplastic therapeutics is a concern that cannot be overstated.7

    References

    1. Ledford H. CRISPR cancer trial success paves the way for personalized treatments. Nature. 2022;611(7936):433-434. doi:10.1038/d41586-022-03676-7
    2. Tabery J. Tyranny of the Gene: Personalized Medicine and Its Threat to Public Health. Alfred A. Knopf; 2023.
    3. Fineberg HV. Setting public health priorities in the United States. JAMA. 2025;333(12):1025-1027.doi:10.1001/jama.2025.0485
    4. Dowdell AK, Meng RC, Vita A, et al. Widespread adoption of precision anticancer therapies after implementation of pathologist-directed comprehensive genomic profiling across a large US health
      system. JCO Oncol Pract. 2024;20(11):1523-1532. doi:10.1200/OP.24.00226
    5. Hage Chehade C, Jo Y, Gebrael G, et al. Trends and disparities in next-generation sequencing in metastatic prostate and urothelial cancers. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(7):e2423186. doi:10.1001/
      jamanetworkopen.2024.23186
    6. Klatte DCF, Starr JS, Clift KE, et al. Utilization and outcomes of multigene panel testing in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. JCO Oncol Pract.2024;20(8):1081-1090. doi:10.1200/23.00447
    7. Gouda MA, Nelson BE, Buschhorn L, Wahida A, Subbiah V. Tumor-agnostic precision medicine from the AACR GENIE database: clinical implications. Clin Cancer Res. 2023;29(15):2753-2760.doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-0090

    Continue Reading

  • NASA mission to deflect Dimorphos asteroid resulted in very unexpected findings

    NASA are constantly working on a number of projects and missions, though some take more precedent than others.

    One of these important missions took place three years ago, when the space organisation decided to slam a spaceship into an asteroid to alter its course.

    It ultimately was successful, with NASA correctly predicting that it is possible to redirect celestial objects.

    The asteroid known as Dimorphos was approximately the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza, and the impact caused massive boulders to fly off, which were around one to seven metres in size.

    But in a new study published in The Planetary Science Journal, scientists have delved into the lasting impact of pushing these boulders into different directions.

    Apparently, it could lead to complications in other asteroid deflection missions carried out by other world space organisations.

    The final images of Dimorphos before the DART mission (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

    The final images of Dimorphos before the DART mission (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

    What did the paper find?

    The paper, published by a large research team headed up by Tony L. Farnham, acknowledges that ‘full accounting of the total momentum in all directions’ must be carried out, but added that the ‘ejecta cone spreads out sideways’ and in the direction of the spacecraft.

    Analysing the locations of 104 boulders that were imaged by the Light Italian Cubesat for Imaging of Asteroids (LICIACube), following the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), they found that boulders shot away at speeds of up to 116 miles per hour at impact.

    Redirecting the asteroid was anticipated, but the direction of the boulders was not as expected.

    Writing about the results in the paper, the team explained: “A significant component of the momentum, possibly several times that contributing to the β factor, was carried out perpendicular to Dimorphos’s velocity vector.

    “To fully understand the impact’s effect on Dimorphos’s orbit, it is necessary to explore the spatial distribution of the debris field and use it to ascertain the net momentum of all its components,” they detailed.

    Debris of the asteroid was predominantly found in two clusters (Jim Watson/Getty)

    Debris of the asteroid was predominantly found in two clusters (Jim Watson/Getty)

    ‘Something unknown’ has occurred

    Lead author Farnham said they noticed that the boulders weren’t in random positions in space.

    The research scientist at University of Maryland’s Department of Astronomy explained in a statement that they were instead ‘clusters in two pretty distinct groups’, with no material elsewhere.

    He added: “Which means that something unknown is at work here.”

    70 percent of ejected objects were found in these debris clusters, which are headed south at high speeds, as they are suspected to be the remains of large boulders that shattered with DART’s solar panels.

    Jessica Sunshine, another author and a professor of astronomy and geology at UMD, explained: “DART’s solar panels likely hit two big boulders, called Atabaque and Bodhran, on the asteroid,

    “Evidence suggests that the southern cluster of ejected material is probably made up of fragments from Atabaque, a 3.3-meter-radius boulder.”

    Scientists behind the paper have highlighted the importance behind doing more research before future missions (Nicholas Forder/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

    Scientists behind the paper have highlighted the importance behind doing more research before future missions (Nicholas Forder/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

    Significant alteration of the asteroid’s course

    It was found that the boulders made by the impact had over three times the momentum of the spacecraft that impacted the boulders.

    The mission mat have tilted Dimorphos’ orbital plane by up to one degree, which would have sent it tumbling through space, as Sunshine spoke about the importance of ‘subtleties’ like this in the future, especially with asteroids headed for Earth.

    “You can think of it as a cosmic pool game. We might miss the pocket if we don’t consider all the variables,” she highlighted.

    Sunshine spoke about the complicated dynamics involved with these missions.

    The deputy principal investigator on NASA’s Deep Impact mission, she added: “Here, we see that DART hit a surface that was rocky and full of large boulders, resulting in chaotic and filamentary structures in its ejecta patterns.

    “Comparing these two missions side-by-side gives us this insight into how different types of celestial bodies respond to impacts, which is crucial to ensuring that a planetary defense mission is successful.”

    The team say that more analysis the momentum of the surface boulders is required to better inform them on future events, as Farnham spoke of the changes in physics that must be considered.

    This will have to wait, as the European Space Agency are launching their Hera mission, which will arrive at the asteroid in 2026 to take a deeper look at the impact.

    Continue Reading

  • This 19-year-old’s space company just raised millions to keep satellites connected 24/7

    This 19-year-old’s space company just raised millions to keep satellites connected 24/7

    Apolink, a Y Combinator-backed space-tech startup founded by a 19-year-old Indian-origin entrepreneur, has raised $4.3 million in an “oversubscribed” seed round at a $45 million post-money valuation to build a real-time connectivity network for satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).

    The startup is tackling a persistent problem in space communications. Satellites frequently go offline during parts of their orbit due to dead zones — periods when they are not in the line of sight of a ground station. While relay satellites and global ground station networks help reduce this downtime, they only provide partial solutions.

    That gap has become critical as the space industry evolves. For years, NASA relied on its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system to maintain near-continuous contact with satellites in geostationary orbit. But in 2022, the agency announced it would gradually phase out TDRS and transition to commercial providers for satellite communications. Most of these commercial systems still focus on geostationary or medium Earth orbits. Apolink, formerly known as Bifrost Orbital, aims to change that by providing 24/7 connectivity to LEO satellites — with each orbital ring designed to handle 256 users at 9.6kbps.

    “LEO has its own advantages,” said Apolink founder Onkar Singh Batra in an exclusive interview. “It’s much closer than geostationary orbit, which means closing the link between the customer satellite and our constellation is way easier… that’s where you make the power requirements limited, and that’s where the compatibility comes in as well.”

    Apolink’s approach stems from Batra’s early recognition of this connectivity challenge. At the age of 14 in 2020, he developed an interest in space. In 2022, when he was in 12th grade at a defense school in the northern Indian city of Jammu, he created a satellite system named InQube, which emerged as India’s first open source satellite. He also taught space ecosystems to engineering students as a guest professor at IIT Jammu between 2022-23.

    Apolink team, with founder Onkar Singh Batra second from Left Image Credits:Apolink

    While working on his first satellite system, Batra recognized the satellite connectivity problem and noticed that existing solutions did not provide backward compatibility, requiring specific hardware to enable network access in orbit.

    According to Batra, the issue remains because all other inter-satellite links (ISLs) lack interoperability and are not compliant with the Space Development Agency’s requirements.

    “We solve this [through] our hybrid-RF optical architecture and no user terminal, hardware-independent approach,” he stated.

    Some startups have tried to address dark zones by building new ground stations. However, Batra noted that ground stations are “very cumbersome to work with and can’t guarantee a 24/7 link.”

    “The maximum you can afford is a reliable continuous link to the ground during the window,” he said.

    Founded in 2024, the Palo Alto-based startup plans to solve the problem with a constellation of 32 satellites that include lasers and radios to enable connectivity even for satellites that lack specific hardware.

    Apolink, which literally means Apogee-plus-link, aims to offer almost 99% uptime and 10-15 seconds of latency. The latency will be further reduced to 2-3 seconds once the network is established.

    Companies, including Amazon’s Kuiper and SpaceX’s Starlink, are also building inter-satellite links to address connectivity issues for satellite customers. However, Batra said that most players with multipurpose constellations do not dedicate them to virtual relays, resulting in limited bandwidth available for customers. They also require customers to have an optical terminal installed on their site for connectivity.

    “Other ISL players focus on Ku/Ka-band and use optical terminals for EO image downlink, and we don’t,” he told TechCrunch.

    The startup has its own FCC license, eliminating the need for customers to fulfill additional licensing requirements. Furthermore, it produces satellite components, including lasers and radios, in-house to ensure they are compatible with its algorithms.

    In Q2 2026, Apolink aims to launch its initial demo mission via a SpaceX rideshare. The mission will feature a 3U technology demonstration satellite, LinkONE/IPoS, designed to confirm the backward-compatible radio-frequency relay in low Earth orbit, Batra said.

    A second demo is expected in June 2027, featuring two satellites. In 2028, the startup will roll out its commercial constellation, with the entire constellation of 32 satellites expected to be launched in 2029.

    Despite being in the early stages, the startup has already secured more than $140 million in letters of intent from companies in the Earth observation, communication, and spatial data sectors, including Astro Digital, Hubble Network, and Star Catcher Industries.

    Its new seed round was backed by Y Combinator, 468 Capital, Unshackled Ventures, Rebel Fund, Maiora Ventures, and several angel investors, including Laura Crabtree (CEO of Epsilon3), Benjamin Bryant (co-founder of Pebble Tech), and Kanav Kariya (president of Jump Crypto).

    Apolink operates with a core team of four (each with more than five years of industry experience and from companies including Maxar, Audacy, and Astra), located within a 4,000-square-foot R&D facility. The company currently focuses on spacecraft integration and testing and is working with early partners to validate its system in orbit.

    Continue Reading

  • Dentons – Page not found


    Leaving Dentons

    Beijing Dacheng Law Offices, LLP (“大成”) is an independent law firm, and not a member or affiliate of Dentons. 大成 is a partnership law firm organized under the laws of the People’s Republic of China, and is Dentons’ Preferred Law Firm in China, with offices in more than 40 locations throughout China. Dentons Group (a Swiss Verein) (“Dentons”) is a separate international law firm with members and affiliates in more than 160 locations around the world, including Hong Kong SAR, China. For more information, please see dacheng.com/legal-notices or dentons.com/legal-notices.

    Continue Reading

  • New wristband offers real-time insights for diabetes and heart health

    New wristband offers real-time insights for diabetes and heart health

    Wristband monitors diabetes and heart health in real time: ©An-Yi Chang

    A flexible new wristband developed by engineers at the University of California San Diego could improve how people with diabetes manage their health by continuously monitoring glucose and key cardiovascular signals in real time. The technology, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, combines painless microneedle sampling with ultrasonic and ECG sensors in a single wearable device.

    The device samples interstitial fluid beneath the skin using a replaceable microneedle array, allowing for real-time monitoring of glucose, alcohol, and lactate. Simultaneously, it uses an ultrasonic sensor to measure blood pressure and arterial stiffness, while ECG sensors track heart rate. These metrics offer a more comprehensive view of health than traditional glucose monitors alone.

    “Comprehensive and effective management of diabetes requires more than just a single glucose reading,” said An-Yi Chang, co-first author and postdoctoral researcher in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering at UC San Diego. “By tracking glucose, lactate, alcohol and cardiovascular signals in real time, this pain-free wristband can help people better understand their health and enable early action to reduce diabetes risk.”

    The project was a collaboration between the labs of professors Joseph Wang and Sheng Xu. Wang’s team focuses on chemical biomarker detection, while Xu’s group specializes in wearable ultrasound devices. Their joint effort created a platform that integrates metabolic and cardiovascular monitoring for round-the-clock insights.

    The wristband’s readings have shown strong alignment with standard commercial devices, including glucose meters, breathalyzers and lactate monitors. Researchers plan to expand its functionality and eventually power it through sweat or sunlight while integrating AI to analyze personal health trends.

    A new era in diabetes wearables

    The UC San Diego wristband reflects a growing trend in the health care sector: next-generation wearables that go far beyond step counts and heart rate. As chronic disease management increasingly moves outside clinical settings, researchers and companies alike are racing to develop smart, continuous monitoring tools tailored for real-world use.

    One of the biggest recent advancements is the ability to measure multiple biomarkers simultaneously. Traditional continuous glucose monitors have already transformed diabetes care, but their scope is limited to blood sugar. Adding alcohol and lactate levels provides important context about behavior, diet, and exertion, while cardiovascular indicators like arterial stiffness and blood pressure reveal longer-term health risks often invisible to glucose data alone.

    What sets newer devices apart is the integration of sensors once thought too bulky or complex for wearables—such as ultrasonic arrays and microneedles. Innovations in materials science and miniaturization are making it possible to incorporate hospital-grade diagnostics into discreet, user-friendly formats.

    The use of artificial intelligence is also on the horizon. Future devices may analyze trends across thousands of data points collected every day, alerting users to early signs of heart disease, insulin resistance or poor recovery from exercise. Combined with telemedicine, these insights could help providers customize treatment or intervene before a crisis occurs.

    As devices like UC San Diego’s wristband advance toward commercial viability, the healthcare sector is likely to see a surge in multi-sensor platforms that empower individuals to take more proactive roles in managing complex, chronic conditions like diabetes.

    Continue Reading

  • Best Buys to reduce risks, prevent NCDs and promote health – PAHO/WHO

    Best Buys to reduce risks, prevent NCDs and promote health – PAHO/WHO

    Register here

    Join us on Friday, July 25, 2025, at 11:00 am (EDT) on the webinar Best Buys to reduce risks, prevent NCDs and promote health, to facilitate the exchange of experiences in NCD prevention and learning among countries in the region, identifying successful strategies that integrate health promotion and intersectoral action to address the social determinants related to tobacco use, diet, physical activity, and alcohol. 

    Objectives of the webinar

    • To make visible and recognize good practices that contribute to reducing the main risk factors for NCDs, through cost-effective, sustainable and adaptable interventions to the local context. 

    • Promote the adoption of evidence-based policies for the reduction of NCD risk factors, which articulate public health interventions with public policies from other sectors for the prevention of NCDs. 

    • Promote the use of the Good Practices in Public Health Portal as a tool for peer-to-peer learning, technical cooperation, and informed decision-making in the design and implementation of public health interventions.

    HOW TO PARTICIPATE

    Agenda

    Coming soon!

    Background

    Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases – represent the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Region of the Americas. Their growing burden poses significant challenges for health systems, especially in contexts of inequity and limited access to quality services. 

    The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has developed various strategies to address this problem, including the “Better Care for NCDs” initiative, which promotes a comprehensive approach from Primary Health Care (PHC). These actions are aligned with the commitments made by Member States at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) high-level meetings on NCDs, and seek to accelerate progress towards more resilient, equitable, and people-centered health systems. 

    This webinar is the first in a series organized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to promote the exchange of experiences and good practices in the prevention, comprehensive management, and surveillance of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the Region of the Americas.  

    In this first session, focused on the prevention of NCDs, some of the Good Practices selected and validated by PAHO at the regional level, available on the Portal of Good Practices in Public Health, will be presented. These initiatives, implemented in different countries, have proven effective in tobacco control, promoting healthy eating, encouraging physical activity, and reducing harmful alcohol consumption through the application of cost-effective interventions (Best Buys) and the promotion of multisectoral action strategies. 

    Time in other cities

    • 10:00 a.m. – Los Angeles, Vancouver
    • 11:00 a.m. – Belmopan, Guatemala City, Managua, Mexico City, San José (CR), San Salvador, Tegucigalpa
    • 12:00 p.m. – Bogotá, Panama City, Kingston, Lima, Quito
    • 1:00 pm. – Bridgetown, Caracas, Georgetown, Havana, La Paz, Port of Spain, Port-au-Prince, Nassau, Ottawa, San Juan, Santiago, Santo Domingo, Washington D.C.,
    • 2:00 p.m. – Asunción, Buenos Aires, Brasilia, Montevideo, Paramaribo
    • 7:00 p.m. – Geneva, Madrid

    For other cities, please check the local time on this link.

    Continue Reading

  • NVIDIA Unveils Helix Parallelism Enabling 32x Faster AI Inference with Multi-Million Token Contexts

    NVIDIA Unveils Helix Parallelism Enabling 32x Faster AI Inference with Multi-Million Token Contexts







    NVIDIA Unveils Helix Parallelism Enabling 32x Faster AI Inference with Multi-Million Token Contexts – StorageReview.com






































    Continue Reading

  • Live: Trump visits Texas after deadly flash floods, FEMA in focus – Reuters

    1. Live: Trump visits Texas after deadly flash floods, FEMA in focus  Reuters
    2. Death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas over the July Fourth weekend surpasses 100  AP News
    3. Mexico Sends Help to Texas to Deal With Floods: What to Know  Newsweek
    4. Kerr County has an emergency alert system. Some residents didn’t get a text for hours  Texas Public Radio | TPR
    5. Fears grow that death toll from floods in US state of Texas could surge beyond 110  Dawn

    Continue Reading

  • Why Understanding AI Doesn’t Necessarily Lead People to Embrace It

    Why Understanding AI Doesn’t Necessarily Lead People to Embrace It

    Artificial intelligence has become an invisible assistant, quietly shaping how we search, scroll, shop, and work. It drafts our emails, curates our feeds, and increasingly guides decisions in education, healthcare, and the workplace. As companies increasingly integrate AI into their products and services, a critical but often overlooked question emerges: Why do some people embrace AI enthusiastically while others seem more hesitant?


    Continue Reading

  • With ‘No Sign Of Weakness,’ Burna Boy Blazes A Tale Of Endurance, Ego & Grit

    With ‘No Sign Of Weakness,’ Burna Boy Blazes A Tale Of Endurance, Ego & Grit

    From major comebacks to bold debuts, July is shaping up to be an exciting month in an already stellar 2025 in music. Two-time GRAMMY nominee Kesha kicks the month off with . (PERIOD), her first album after departing RCA and Kemosabe Records. Mid-month, Backstreet Boys will revisit their legacy on Millennium 2.0. and rising phenomenon Alex Warren will release his debut LP, You’ll Be Alright, Kid. The original Alice Cooper Group will round out July with their first album in 50 years, The Revenge of Alice Cooper. 

    Elsewhere in the month, several artists will bravely share deep, vulnerable feelings on new releases. Those include Jessie Murph’s Sex Hysteria, Jackson Wang’s MAGIC MAN II, Indigo De Souza’s Precipice, Dean Lewis’ The Epilogue, and FLETCHER’s poignant Would You Still Love Me If You Really Knew Me?

    Others will embrace fantasy and fun, such as Wet Leg’s sophomore LP Moisturizer, GWAR’s chaotic The Return of Gor Gor, Laura Jane Grace in the Trauma Tropes’ Adventure Club, Paul Weller’s Find El Dorado, and Fitz and the Tantrums’ Man on the Moon. What’s more, July might be the month where rapper Roddy Ricch finally shares The Navy Album with the world.

    To guide you through these fruitful upcoming four weeks, GRAMMY.com put together a list with the 15 Must-Hear Albums of July.

    Kesha — . (Period) (July 4)

    This year, Independence Day will mark another celebration for pop icon Kesha. Her upcoming album, . (PERIOD), will arrive on July 4 through her own Kesha Records under exclusive licensing to ADA Warner Music. It also marks her first record since departing RCA and Kemosabe Records in 2023.

    The 11-song tracklist will include 2024’s hit “Joyride,” “Yippee Ki-Yay” with T-Pain, “Delusional,” “Boy Crazy,” and the recent Slayyyter and Rose Gray collaboration, “Attention!” In a press release, the album is described as “a defiant act of self-expression that refuses to adhere to expectations or play it safe.” Kesha is “at her most powerful best, turning her experiences into vibrant, audacious art with a spiked heel at the neck of pop culture,” the release continued.

    In support of the album, Kesha announced TITS OUT, a co-headline tour with Scissor Sisters starting on July 1. “I’m going TITS OUT this summer to bring as much safety, fun, acceptance, love, connection, and celebration to this country because we are just as much the fabric of this FREE nation as anyone else,” she shared in a statement. “We will not be quiet, and we will fight through joy!”

    Learn more: Kesha Reveals The 10 Most Important Songs Of Her Career, From “Tik Tok” To “Eat The Acid”

    Burna Boy — No Sign Of Weakness (July 11)

    Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy is also making a return in July with No Sign of Weakness, has been teased since last year, and was preceded by singles “Bundle by Bundle,” “Update,” “Sweet Love,” and “TaTaTa” featuring Travis Scott.

    A follow-up to 2023’s I Told Them…., No Sign of Weakness promises a fresh take on the artist’s Afro-fusion sounds, solidifying his presence as one of the world’s most exciting and influential artists. In order to commemorate the release, Burna Boy has announced a historic 16-city North American headline run. Beginning on Nov. 12 at Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Burna will become the first Nigerian artist to ever headline the venue, and will continue through cities like Seattle, Oakland, Houston, and Los Angeles. 

    With the exception of the Red Rocks show, all performances will feature a custom-designed 360-degree stage in the middle of the arena floor, creating an immersive and intimate experience for fans.

    Backstreet Boys — Millennium 2.0 (July 11)

    As unbelievable as it sounds, Backstreet Boys’ chart-topping, GRAMMY-nominated, and signature album Millennium has turned 25 this year. To celebrate this milestone in true “Larger Than Life” fashion, the eternal boy band announced a deluxe version titled Millennium 2.0.

    Read more: How Pop Ushered In Y2K: Revisiting Songs & Performances By Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Backstreet Boys & More

    Millennium 2.0 will fittingly comprise 25 tracks, including all 12 remastered originals, live recordings from their 1999-2000 tour, demos, B-sides, and their latest single, “HEY,” which can be heard upon pre-saving the album. “Thank you for still loving this album more than 25 years later and we can’t wait to make a ton of new Millennium Memories with you!” the band shared on Instagram. “It’s time for (us) to go to work y’all…”

    The album drops just as BSB kick off their Into The Millennium residency at Las Vegas’ The Sphere. Totalling 21 shows — with three extra dates due to overwhelming demand — they will become the first pop act to perform at the venue.

    Learn more: 25 Years Of Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way”: 10 Covers By Ed Sheeran, Lil Uzi Vert & More

    Wet Leg — Moisturizer (July 11)

    The Isle of Wight five-piece Wet Leg, founded by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, will heat up the summer with their sophomore record, Moisturizer. Following their GRAMMY-winning 2022 self-titled debut, the album was also produced by Dan Carey, and is spearheaded by singles “Catch These Fists,” “CPR,” and “Davina McCall.”

    The new LP was written while the band lived together in the remote English town of Southwold. There, they would work by day, and watch horror movies by night. “We were just kind of having fun and exploring,” Chambers said in press materials, while Teasdale concurred: “We focused on: Is this going to be fun to play live? It was very natural that we would write the second record together.”

    Joined by musicians Ellis Durand, Henry Holmes, and Joshua Mobaraki, Wet Leg spent the greater part of the past few years touring, “evolving into a feral, electrifying live force.” Moisturizer is said to capture that energy, “delivering a sound that’s tighter, bolder, and more self-assured, yet still brimming with the same quick wit and raw, unrefined energy.” The band will kick off a 19-stop North American tour starting Sept. 1 in Seattle.

    Jackson Wang — MAGIC MAN II (July 18)

    “I created MAGIC MAN to figure out my pain, as a mask representing my darkest emotions, my internal emotions,” said Hong Kong-born musician Jackson Wang in a statement. That 2022 sophomore record plunged him into experiencing “nothing but the crucial reality of what humanity is.”

    “I was in a very dark place mentally and physically. I thought I could never recover,” he added, explaining that this was the reason he took a year-long break to figure himself out. The result of his time off is MAGIC MAN II, an album about “being true to myself, listening to my heart and accepting all the good and the bad.”

    The album is structured in four chapters that explore different stages of grief — from manic highs, to losing one’s identity, to ultimately finding acceptance. For a preview of those sounds, Wang has released a handful of singles, including “High Alone,” “GBAD,” and “BUCK” featuring Indian singer Diljit Dosanjh. 

    Jessie Murph — Sex Hysteria (July 18)

    Jessie Murph is set to give this summer some Sex Hysteria. According to a statement, the 20-year-old singer goes through “a bold departure” from her first record, 2024’s That Ain’t No Man That’s The Devil, and opens up for the first time about “themes of sexuality, generational trauma and self-discovery with a vulnerability and honesty that marks a new chapter in her artistic evolution.”

    The 15-track LP is said to be “both a provocation and a reclamation,” with Murph confronting family wounds and reclaiming her body and her desires. The sophomore record pushes back “against the shame and stigma that often silence women who dare to be loud, sexual, or emotionally honest.”

    Sex Hysteria will include Murph’s trap country hit “Blue Strips,” as well as “Gucci Mane” and “Touch Me Like a Gangster.” Starting July 27, she will embark on a worldwide tour, crossing North America, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand throughout the rest of the year.

    Laura Jane Grace in the Trauma Tropes — Adventure Club (July 18)

    The upcoming album by Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace and her new band, Laura Jane Grace in the Trauma Tropes, is a retelling of the quartet’s experiences in a life-changing songwriting retreat in Greece. Made possible by a grant through the Onassis Air Program, Adventure Club was recorded in Athens, and features Grace’s wife Paris Campbell Grace on vocals, as well as Athens-based musicians Jacopo “Jack” Fokas (bass) and Orestis Lagadinos (drums).

    Read more: For Laura Jane Grace, Record Cycles Can Be A ‘Hole In My Head’ — And She’s OK With That

    The 12-song collection is “a record about learning to take up space, about feeling free to be yourself as the bullshit of our ahistoric moment mounts,” per a release. “Protest songs and personal tunes have never been a binary for Grace, and she delivers some of her most profound — and, yes, playful — work ever at that particular intersection here. But the most prominent thread through Adventure Club’s dozen tracks is one of evolution, of letting yourself become something new.”

    Adventure Club follows Grace’s 2024 Hole in My Head. In August, she and the Trauma Tropes will hit the road for a string of concerts across North America alongside Trapper Schoepp, Team Nonexistent, and Murder by Death.

    FLETCHER — Would You Still Love Me If You Really Knew Me? (July 18)

    Queer icon FLETCHER poses a poignant question on her new album: Would You Still Love Me If You Really Knew Me? The LP is her most intimate and honest work so far, as she shared on a handwritten note: “this is my heart split open on record” and is “both an open wound and an act of liberation.”

    The singer born Cari Elise Fletcher built her career on sexual fluidity and singing about relationships had exclusively with women. However, things took a turn in her personal life last year, when she found herself falling for a man instead. The result was the single “Boy,” one of the biggest, rawest revelations she makes on Would You Still Love Me If You Really Knew Me? “I kissed a boy,” she sings. “And I know it’s not what you wanted to hear/ And it wasn’t on your bingo card this year/ Well it wasn’t on mine/ I fell in love.”

    Learn more: FLETCHER Is “F—ing Unhinged” & Proud Of It On ‘In Search Of The Antidote’

    In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, FLETCHER acknowledged that “There will be people that feel disappointed and feel confused and have questions. Girl, I had questions and I was confused too. It shocked me just as much as anybody else.” But by staying true to her feelings and fully sharing her journey, FLETCHER welcomes a stronger, truer version of herself to the world.

    Alex Warren — You’ll Be Alright, Kid (July 18)

    Alex Warren’s much-anticipated debut studio album is just around the corner. You’ll Be Alright, Kid arrives via Atlantic Records, and adds 10 new tracks to his 2024 EP of the same name.

    The 21-song record will also include Warren’s recent viral hits “Ordinary” and “Bloodline” with Jelly Roll, as well as new single “On My Mind” featuring BLACKPINK’s Rosé. And while You’ll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1) focused on dealing with grief, the LP expands upon themes of healing and resilience. Most of the album was co-written by Warren in partnership with Cal Shapiro and Mags Duval, and produced by Adam Yaron.

    Throughout the summer, Warren will play sets at several festivals around the world, including Lollapalooza Paris and Chicago, Norway’s Slottsfjell, and Canada’s Osheaga. The singer will also perform live in a string of North American cities during September and October.

    Roddy Ricch — The Navy Album (July 18)

    After several delays, Roddy Ricch was set to drop his much-awaited third LP, The Navy Album, on April 25, but the release was postponed once again. Two months later and it finally seems like the album will come out on July 18, as pre-save links on his Instagram note.

    In December 2024, after announcing another postponement, the Compton rapper shared second single “Lonely Road,” featuring Terrace Martin on the saxophone. The track joins 2024’s “Survivor’s Remorse” — which samples Kelly Clarkson’s 2023 song, “Me” — as the sole previews of the album so far. According to Apple Music, Ricch’s other 2024 single, “911,” didn’t make the final tracklist.

    Following 2021’s Live Life Fast and 2022’s mixtape Feed Tha Streets III, the upcoming album was produced by Terrace Martin, Turbo, Omar Grand, Evrgrn, and others, and will be released via Atlantic Records and Bird Vision Entertainment. Most recently, Ricch shared “Underdog” as a part of the star-studded F1: The Movie soundtrack.

    Bush — I Beat Loneliness (July 18)

    Rock band Bush are gearing up to release their tenth studio album, I Beat Loneliness. In advance, they shared “60 Ways to Forget People,” an impactful track that explores  “the complexities of heartbreak, personal transformation, and the painful process of letting go,” per the band’s press release.

    “What I feel about this record is it addresses the common struggles we all have,” said frontman Gavin Rossdale. “‘60 Ways to Forget People’ is an ode to sacrifice and a dedication to the focus it takes to be better. All the time and in all things.” Produced by Rossdale and Erik Ron, the record includes 12 tracks that deepen the band’s post-grunge sound into more mature, sleek productions, as can heard on lead single “The Land Of Milk And Honey.”

    Following the release, Bush will tour North America until the end of August, and then head over to Europe for a series of shows from September through November.

    Indigo De Souza — Precipice (July 25)

    In 2024, Hurricane Helene flooded Indigo De Souza’s home and destroyed many of her belongings. Forced to cancel events and launch a fundraiser to help with the costs, it was a liminal experience in her life  — one of the many that shaped her upcoming fourth studio album, Precipice.

    “I feel constantly on the precipice, of something horrible, or something beautiful — something that will change my life for better or for worse,” De Souza said in a statement. “Music gives me ways to harness that feeling. Ways to push forward in new directions.” To harness that spirit, she tried blind studio sessions in Los Angeles and found a seamless connection with producer Elliott Kozel.

    “I’d been wanting to work on more pop-leaning music for a while, so when I came out to L.A. I made sure to meet with people that could help bring that to life,” she said. “I wanted to make music that could fill your heart with euphoria while you dance along.” A preview of those sounds can be heard on pre-releases “Crying Over Nothing” and “Heartthrob.” De Souza will also tour 10 U.S. cities in October, with support from alt artist mothé.

    GWAR — The Return of Gor Gor (July 25)

    Legendary shock rockers GWAR are celebrating their 40th anniversary with The Return of Gor Gor. The multi-format album and 32-page comic book chronicles the comeback of Gor Gor, GWAR’s long-lost Tyrannosaurus Rex pet, who mysteriously disappeared following the death of their former frontman, Oderus Urungus.

    Current vocalist Blöthar The Berserker commented on the album: “The last time I saw Gor Gor, he was just a wee fart dragon. He had crawled on the hood of my Kia Soul and was holding on for dear life while I drove to the store to buy Clamato. I bathed him in wiper fluid and used my wipers to knock him off my sweet ride. Next thing I know, he’s a 20-foot tall trans-species prostitute working a pickle park. Apparently, he’s all grown up and looking for revenge. This record chronicles his struggles as a young Dino-American trying to make his way in a cruel world.”

    In support of Gor Gor and the new release, GWAR will headline a North American tour kicking off Oct. 18 in Salt Lake City and wrapping up Nov. 22 in Norfolk, Virginia.

    Fitz and the Tantrums — Man On The Moon (July 25)

    Pop-rock group Fitz and the Tantrums’ sixth studio album, Man On The Moon, arrives July 25. The follow-up to 2022’s Let Yourself Free is described as the band’s “most daring” yet in press materials, a “no-nonsense collection of soulful, pop-inflected masterpieces” that reflect “a band that’s confident in their signature style, yet unafraid to venture into bold new territory.”

    “I decided I was simply going to write for my heart and for my soul and nobody else,” explained frontman Michael “Fitz” Fitzpatrick. “At this point in our career, myself and the band feel we have complete creative license. Because, c’mon, nobody knows what the rules are anymore. So I’m not going to chase some vapor in the wind. I’m going to just do what I want.”

    “We’ve never wanted to be stuck in a box. We refused to do that,” added co-lead vocalist Noelle Scaggs. “With this project, we’re daring to be different.” A taste of this new sound can be heard on the title track and lead single, as well as March’s “Ruin the Night.”

    Fitz and The Tantrums will embark on a summer tour right before the album drops and hitting 31 North American cities. The tour will feature Aloe Blacc and Neal Francis as special guests on select dates, and Ax and the Hatchetman, SNACKTIME and Gable Price and Friends as openers.

    Alice Cooper — The Revenge of Alice Cooper (July 25)

    It’s not every band that has the luxury of reuniting five decades after their rise to fame. The original Alice Cooper Group understands this privilege, and is making sure to come back in the most chaotic, boisterous way. The Revenge of Alice Cooper channels “a high-voltage journey into vintage horror and classic ’70s shock rock, capturing the sound, energy, and mischief” that made the band legendary, according to a press statement.

    Comprising 14 tracks, including singles “Black Mamba” and “Wild Ones,” the LP also features a posthumous appearance by Glen Buxton, the band’s original guitarist who passed away in 1997, on “What Happened To You.” Furthermore, the box set and limited smart formats of the album include two exclusive new tracks: a long-lost 1970 version of “Return of The Spiders,” and the vintage blend “Titanic Overunderture.”

    The Revenge of Alice Cooper is said to be “a celebration of friendship, nostalgia, and the timeless sound that solidified Alice Cooper as a rock icon,” and fan can expect a “powerful and nostalgic experience that bridges the gap between the band’s storied past and their vibrant present.”

    Latest News & Exclusive Videos


    Continue Reading