Music

Want to own a handwritten copy of lyrics to songs by Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Walker Hayes, Kelsea Ballerini or another one of your favorite country stars? Now’s your chance.

Today’s biggest stars and country music legends are coming together to contribute handwritten copies of their song lyrics to a charitable cause. Julien’s Auctions announced its third annual online charity auction event, Handwritten Song Lyrics Benefitting Music Health Alliance, this week.

Highlighted songs include Kelsea’s “Peter Pan,” Walker’s “Fancy Like” and Florida Georgia Line’s “Meant to Be.” Also on offer are handwritten lyrics to Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like I Do,” ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man,” Martina McBride’s “Concrete Angel” and more.

There’s also a copy of Kenny Rogers’ “Twenty Years Ago,” written by songwriter Wood Newton and signed by all four co-writers in honor of the late singer’s memory.

The auction will open on October 1 and will start closing in real time on October 24. Proceeds benefit the Music Health Alliance, which advocates for music industry members’ access to health care and financial support through medical procedures.

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Iron Maiden has announced a deluxe, three-LP vinyl reissue of their 1982 breakout album The Number of the Beast in honor of its 40th anniversary.

The package includes an updated track list of the original album, subbing out the song “Gangland” for the cut “Total Eclipse.”

“On this vinyl release we get the chance to put ‘Total Eclipse’ in its rightful spot on the album for the first time,” says bassist and songwriter Steve Harris.

“The reason it didn’t make it in the first place was that it was all a mad rush when we were finishing the record and we had to get the ‘Run to the Hills’ single out before the tour and we basically had to pick a B-side and it was between ‘Gangland’ and ‘Total Eclipse’ and we just picked the wrong one, really!” Harris adds. “I think ‘Total Eclipse’ is a stronger song and the album would have been stronger if it had been on there.”

Metalheads the world over will tell you that The Number of the Beast is already pretty strong, having spawned the Maiden classics “Run to the Hills” and the title track. The RIAA Platinum-certifed record also marked the debut of vocalist Bruce Dickinson.

Along with the revised track list, the reissue includes the live album Beast Over Hammersmith, which is making its vinyl debut after dropping as a CD in 2002. Beast Over Hammersmith was recorded in March 1982 just days before The Number of the Beast was released.

The Number of the Beast reissue will be released November 18.

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Ed Sheeran showed off how important the world of Pokémon is to him in his new and nostalgic song, “Celestial.”

The song is about the comfort the franchise continues to bring him and why it stuck with him since he was in primary school. 

“You make me feel/ Like my troubled heart is a million miles away/ You make me feel/ Like I’m drunk on stars and we’re dancing out in the space,” Ed croons as his day flashes between real life and his imagination — where he is assisted by his Pokémon pals in a pseudo-animated world.

Cameos include Pikachu, Charmander, Snorlax, Lapras, Bulbasaur, Eevee, Charizard, Machamp, Hypno and his favorite one of all, Squirtle.

The music video culminates with him creating a new song about his Pokémon pals then falling into a fully animated dream world, where he recreates the climax of 1999’s Pokémon: The First Movie. Ed heroically throws himself between the franchise’s two most powerful Pokémon — Mewtwo and Mew — in order to stop their destructive fighting.

Ed mostly salutes the first generation of Pokémon, the original 151, as that was the era he fell in love with the franchise. He does make a nod to the eighth generation of Pokémon by including the three starters of Sword and Shield, which was released in 2019.

“I loved the whole world they created; it kept me distracted if there was negative stuff happening in my life/school that I wanted to avoid. It was a world I could escape into and I’ve played it ever since,” the Grammy winner expressed in a statement. 

He then revealed on Instagram that “Celestial” will be featured in the upcoming games Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, which arrives November 18.

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Coolio was working on new music prior to his death on Wednesday. 

In a July interview with The Irish Examiner, the late rapper spoke about his upcoming project, a collaboration with Christy Dignam of the Irish rock band, Aslan. 

“We’ve just got into it,” Coolio said. “We’re working on a track. We haven’t even started writing any lyrics. The track is being built as we speak. Somewhere within the next four to six weeks we should have something tangible we could work with.”

Coolio, born Artis Levon Ivey Jr., told The Examiner that Dublin was like a home away from his hometown of Los Angeles. He’d frequent the city over the years since he started touring in 1995 with his hit single, “Gangsta’s Paradise.” 

“On my days off on tour, when I’m in Europe — instead of going back to America for a couple of days, I come to Dublin,” he said. “And I spend my time here.”

Though still in the works at the time, Coolio seemed optimistic about the new project: “It’s probably going to be a banger,” he thought. “I don’t know if it’s going to be dark and deep or if we’re going to go clubby and happy — that remains to be seen. I’m more inclined with being dark and deep and still being a banger.”

News of Coolio’s death on September 28 was confirmed by his longtime manager, Jarez Posey, who said the rapper died at a friend’s house Wednesday evening. He was 59. A cause of death has not yet been determined.

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Are we about to hear more new music from Britney Spears? If will.i.am gets his way, then our chances are looking good.

The Black Eyed Peas artist appeared on Good Morning Britain, and the hosts were buzzing about the possibility. To recap, will.i.am and Britney teamed for the 2012 hit song “Scream & Shout.” With the Grammy winner now rising up the charts with her new Elton John collab, “Hold Me Closer,” it begged to question if this really is the beginning of Britney’s comeback.

Speaking of his old collaborator, will.i.am expressed, “We’ve done cool things together, and I’m so happy that she’s on this new journey and shining.”

“She’s still got hurdles, but you know what, we’re all there to support her,” he continued, adding that her husband, Sam Asghari, has his seal of approval. He emphasized, “Sam is awesome!”

With will.i.am confirming he’s kept in touch with the “Toxic” singer, he was then pressed if the two have chatted about making music together again.

“Yeah. There have been things in the works.  Things that we’ve done in the past,” he coyly teased while looking anywhere but the camera. Unfortunately for us, he refused to divulge a single detail about what those “things” are.

“I can’t reveal,” he announced with a laugh. “I live a very private life.” When pressed if fans should circle a date about a future announcement, will.i.am jokingly looked side to side and quipped, “Announcement to what?”

As for Brit’s collab with Sir Elton, will.i.am gave a glowing review. “Yo, that song is awesome,” he raved.

will.i.am and Britney’s “Scream & Shout” arrived in November 2012 and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The song is currently RIAA-certified thrice Platinum and has since sold over 8 million copies worldwide.

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Among the many highlights from Foo Fighters‘ Los Angeles tribute concert to late drummer Taylor Hawkins Tuesday was pop star Miley Cyrus joining Def Leppard members Joe Elliott, Phil Collen and Rick Savage for a rendition of English rockers’ classic “Photograph.” As it turns out, the collaboration and song choice was anything but random.

In a tweet Wednesday evening, Cyrus shared a voicemail that Hawkins had left her when they used to be neighbors in LA. In the message, Hawkins shares that he was listening to “Photograph” and encourages Cyrus to put her own spin on it.

“You could kill that one,” Hawkins says.

Hawkins’ prophecy came true during Cyrus’s tribute performance, which also featured Foo frontman Dave Grohl and Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson.

“Growing up on a farm I never could see the light of another house nearby, but living by Taylor for the years that I did out in LA were some of the most fun times of my life,” Cyrus says. “I miss Taylor so much like everybody else. It was such an honor to celebrate him last night and perform [with Def Leppard]. So lucky to have known him not just as a superstar but to have spent time watching him just be a dad and a husband!”

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“As It Was” may be ruling the Billboard Hot 100, but over on one of the publication’s other charts, a different Harry Styles song is on top.

Harry’s track “Late Night Talking,” another song from his album Harry’s House, has topped Billboard‘s Adult Pop Airplay chart. That makes Harry the only artist so far this year to score two number ones on that chart, the other being “As It Was.” Last year, both Olivia Rodrigo and The Kid LAROI doubled up at the top.

Meanwhile, “Hold Me Closer,” Elton John‘s collaboration with Britney Spears, reached the top 10 on that same chart. It’s Elton’s third top 10 on the chart overall and his second this year: “Cold Heart,” his collab with Dua Lipa, reached number one in March.

But surprisingly, “Hold Me Closer” is Britney’s first-ever top 10 on the Adult Pop Airplay chart. The highest she’d ever gotten previously was #19, with 2011’s “Till the World Ends” featuring Nicki Minaj and Kesha.

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Muse has announced a 2023 North American arena tour with support from Evanescence.

The outing launches February 25 in Chicago and wraps up April 20 in Salt Lake City. Tickets go on sale next Friday, October 7 at 10 a.m. local time. You can also register for a presale beginning Tuesday, October 4 at 10 a.m. local time now via WillofthePeopleTour.com.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit Muse.mu.

Muse will be touring behind their new album, Will of the People, which dropped in August. The record includes the singles “Won’t Stand Down” and “Compliance.”

Evanescence, meanwhile, dropped their latest album, The Bitter Truth, in 2021. It marked the first all-original, full-length effort from the “Bring Me to Life” rockers in 10 years.

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Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t have much to say when it comes to Ime Udoka and Adam Levine‘s recent cheating scandals. 

On the latest episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, the former NBA star decided to “step down” from the conversation due to his own previous indiscretions.

“I was a serial cheater,” said O’Neal, who split from wife Shaunie O’Neal in 2011. “It would be crazy and blasphemous for me to get up here and say, ‘Boom, boom, bam.’ I can’t do that.”

The New Jersey Native added, “I know these guys personally. I know they’re going through a lot because I went through a lot.”

“I’m never the guy that’s going to get up here because of my platform and fake it. I did it. I was the best at it. I’m not proud of it. I lost my family doing it and I lost valuable and important years with my children from doing it,” he continued. “So, I refuse to get up here and be like ‘You shouldn’t do this, you shouldn’t have done that.’ I’m not that guy. I’m real with the situation.”

Although Shaq wouldn’t dish out advice for Udoka and Levine, he did “wish the two fellas the best.”

“I hope they do not lose their families over what was done,” he added.

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