Does the world need new music from Lindsay Lohan? Well, it looks like we are set to find out soon enough.
After teasing fans last year by revealing a snippet of the yet-to-be-released song Xanax, Lohan cleared the decks – so to speak – to reboot her music career. Her normally colourful social media account has been scrubbed clean and replaced with a post showing a cryptic video in which she declares "she is back".
While Lohan, 33, has yet to make a statement regarding her latest move, the social media strategy and increased media appearances – she was a judge in the Australian version of The Masked Singer last year – point to this being a big year for the star.
If all roads lead to an album, here are four ways in which she could approach the project.
Keep it personal
From Marilyn Monroe to Madonna, songs about the struggles of fame are as old as pop music itself. When it comes to Lohan, she has no shortage of drama she could mine to glean some pop music gold. Subjects could include her childhood, celebrity, addiction or her recent spiritual awakening in the Middle East.
The Instagram video she posted points towards an introspective lyrical outlook. It features a trio of televisions playing news reports of her escaping the paparazzi and footage and images of her having fun with friends. It is all underscored by vague dance pop beats.
It will probably be club friendly
Lohan has always had an ear for the dance floor. Her previous two albums, 2004's Speak and 2005's A Little More Personal (Raw) sailed to the upper echelons of the charts on the back of its dance-ready sounds, such as the 2004 hit Rumours.
I suspect she won't mess with that formula. Xanax, which was previewed on the Kris Fade Show last year, maintained that club sound with its breathy vocals and standard issue EDM beats. Lohan also has a bigger stake in keeping the tunes club friendly. After all, she will want them to be played at her ritzy Mykonos beach club Lohan Beach House.
Who will she work with?
While there is no information yet about who her collaborators are and whether she recorded any songs in Dubai during her frequent visits to the Emirates, Lohan will probably call in the big guns for her musical comeback. She has done this before.
Her 2008 hit, electro-pop banger, Bossy, was written by none other than pop star Ne-Yo and Norwegian super producers Stargate. What we can also reasonably expect is a duet with her younger sister, Aliana, 26. The collaboration was hinted at last year in an interview Lohan did with Entertainment Tonight . "That is something we have talked about, her and I," she said.
Will she perform in Dubai?
Why not? She is here a lot of the time, anyway. And since she already has ties with Virgin Radio – due to her friendship with breakfast radio host Kris Fade – what better way to announce her return to the music world than with a short set at next year’s RedFestDXB. Even better, she could bring her sister along, too.
The event, held each February, would be the perfect gig for the Lohans. It would be relatively low-key industry-wise and she could perform in front of a crowd of star-struck teenagers. It’s a win-win.
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Read more:
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Revival
Eminem
Interscope
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Company profile
Name: Tharb
Started: December 2016
Founder: Eisa Alsubousi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Luxury leather goods
Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
The%20National%20selections
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MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
The biog
Favourite book: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Favourite holiday destination: Spain
Favourite film: Bohemian Rhapsody
Favourite place to visit in the UAE: The beach or Satwa
Children: Stepdaughter Tyler 27, daughter Quito 22 and son Dali 19
Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Dunbar
Edward St Aubyn
Hogarth
