Music – Page 1914 – 105.7 WDNY

So “Cruel”: Taylor Swift passes Pink for new chart record

August 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

It’s four years old, but Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” has just helped her set a major chart record.

The song has climbed to #1 on Billboard‘s Adult Pop Airplay chart. It’s Taylor’s 11th career number one on that chart, making her the solo artist with the most number ones ever in its history, which dates back to 1996. The record was previously held by Pink.

Now, the only act that has had more #1s than Taylor is Maroon 5, with 15.

“Cruel Summer” is the first song from Taylor’s 2019 album, Lover, to top the Adult Pop Airplay chart. She previously had four top 10s: “You Need to Calm Down,” “Lover,” “Me!” and “The Man.”

On the Billboard Hot 100, “Cruel Summer” is Taylor’s only current top 10 hit: It stands at #3. It outranks the two singles from her most recent album Midnights: “Karma” and “Anti-Hero” are at #13 and #18, respectively.

Lil Nas X documentary to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival

August 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Lil Nas X is going from the old town road to the silver screen.

Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, a documentary that follows the star on his first-ever global tour, will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Directed by Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel, the doc movie was shot over the course of 60 days, and according to a press release, it follows Nas “on an emotional odyssey through the creation and performance” of his 2022 Long Live Montero tour production.

Cameron Bailey, CEO of the festival, says in a statement that the documentary is “a triumphant ode to the extraordinary power of self-expression, music, and identity.”

Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero will officially premiere September 9 at Roy Thompson Hall in downtown Toronto.

Lil Nas X documentary ‘Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero’ to premiere at Toronto Film Festival

August 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Lil Nas X, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, announced his documentary Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month.

Shot over the course of two months, the film follows Lil Nas as he embarks on his first-ever global tour, providing viewers an inside look of his trek and travel journey while navigating personal life matters, such as family, expectations, identity and his place as a Black, queer performer.

“Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero is a triumphant ode to the extraordinary power of self-expression, music, and identity,” said TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey. “In this groundbreaking documentary, we witness Lil Nas X challenging boundaries and reshaping the artistic landscape. The film’s captivating journey underscores the profound impact of Lil Nas X, who fearlessly brings audiences together through the universal language of music. We are thrilled to host Lil Nas X at TIFF this year.”

TIFF 2023 takes place in downtown Toronto from September 7 through September 17, with multiple showings of Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero starting Saturday, September 9, at the Roy Thomson Hall.

Blake Shelton + Gwen Stefani cover The Judds’ iconic “Love Is Alive”

August 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani have brought their romance into the studio for a cover of The Judds‘ 1985 hit, “Love Is Alive.”

“The Judds are one of the greatest country acts of our lifetime,” shares Blake. “80’s country music is my favorite decade, and I’ve been singing Judd songs for as long as I can remember. ‘Love Is Alive’ was on their first album, and we wanted to stick pretty close to the original version, and Gwen just nails the vocal.”

“I have always admired The Judds, and I am so thrilled to be part of this album,” adds Gwen. “‘Love Is Alive’ is an iconic track and performing the song with Blake is a perfect way to honor their timeless discography.”

Blake and Gwen’s rendition of “Love Is Alive” is the first preview of the upcoming Judds covers album, A Tribute To The Judds. Due out October 27, the 14-song collection will feature a slew of superstars, including Wynonna Judd, Ashley McBryde, Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Carly Pearce, Trisha Yearwood and Cody Johnson.

A Tribute To The Judds can be presaved now.

Rival Sons’ ’DARKFIGHTER’ companion ‘LIGHTBRINGER’ due out in October

August 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Rival Sons have shared the details for LIGHTBRINGER, a companion to the band’s latest album, DARKFIGHTER.

LIGHTBRINGER is set to arrive October 20, four months after DARKFIGHTER dropped in June.

“When you do two albums back-to-back like this, there are a lot of things to think about,” says guitarist Scott Holiday. “The first record has to pack enough of a punch and tell enough of a story for the second half to have an even bigger impact. We balanced them out with energy and meaning, but the follow-up always needed to deliver a bigger blow. I think LIGHTBRINGER provides this.”

You can listen to the first LIGHTBRINGER single, “Sweet Life,” now via digital outlets.

Rival Sons are currently on tour opening for The Smashing Pumpkins.

Here’s the LIGHTBRINGER track list:

“Darkfighter”
“Mercy”
“Redemption”
“Sweet Life”
“Before the Fire”
“Mosaic”

Steve Miller gives fans insight into the making of ‘The Joker’ track “Sugar Babe”

August 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Steve Miller is sharing another taste of his upcoming box set celebrating the 50th anniversary of his classic album The Joker.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is giving fans some insight into the album’s opening track, “Sugar Babe,” with the release of Sugar Babe Suite, a collection of three songs that demonstrate how the tune evolved during the making of the album. The trio includes an early version recorded in a hotel in 1972, a live performance from December 1973 and the album cut.

“Sugar Babe turned into a powerful electric riff in the studio, but in this first recording it’s just a small seed of an idea,” Miller shares. “Eventually it got defined on the stage and in the studio and that’s what you hear.”

You can listen to “Sugar Babe Suite” now via digital outlets.

Miller’s box set, J50: The Evolution of The Joker, will be released September 15. It will feature not only the original album, but 27 previously unreleased recordings, some of which were taken from Miller’s personal songwriting tapes, along with studio outtakes and more. There will also be six audio commentary tracks, with Miller taking fans through the “evolution” of the album.

J50: The Evolution of The Joker will be released digitally and as a two-CD or three-LP set with a seven-inch single. All formats are available for preorder now.

Very busy Cher gives update on memoir, biopic and Christmas album

August 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Cher just sold her catalog and launched her own brand of gelato, but she’s busy with multiple other projects, including animal activism.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Cher explains that she and her charity’s initiative Free the Wild are working right now to get an elephant at the LA Zoo transferred to a sanctuary because he’s “in deep physical and emotional pain.” Rescuing animals from zoos is a passion project for Cher, who in 2020 rescued an elephant in Pakistan. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she rescued six lions, a panther and a tiger.

Cher is also working on her first holiday album, which she tells The Hollywood Reporter is “not your mother’s Christmas album.” She explains, “It’s a Cher Christmas album, whatever that brings along with the name. It’s definitely my idea of a Christmas album. I had to do what I felt. There’s no ‘Silent Night.’”

As for her long-in-the-works biopic, Cher says, “We are kind of starting again. It just wasn’t working out, and we needed to adjust some of the things.” However, the project will have to wait for the strikes to be over.

Another long-in-the-works project is Cher’s memoir, which she first announced in 2017.

She laughs, “Well, we’re almost finished because [my publisher] goes, ‘Cher, how long are you going to work on this?’… we’re so close.”

The politically-aware singer also shares that she’s very concerned about the state of the country.

“It’s scary. If you have gay friends, if you have a trans child, you almost have to divide your mind a little bit so that you’re not fighting every battle at one time,” she says.

“I don’t know what’s going on in America right now,” she adds. “It’s not what I dreamt of.”

Howard Jones celebrates 40th anniversary of debut single “New Song

August 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

August 19 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Howard Jones’ debut single, “New Song,” and even he can’t quite believe it’s been that long.

“I guess, you know, some people say, ‘Well, where does all the time go?’ But I mean, I just filled those four decades full exciting things,” Jones tells ABC Audio. “So I feel really good that I’m still here fighting my corner, you know, after forty years”

Jones says when the song was first released, all he really thought about was getting to play “proper gigs” and being “on the telly” and “on the radio with my music.”

He absolutely remembers the first time he heard “New Song” on the radio, noting it was on BBC Radio One, on a program where guests shared their thoughts on whether a tune would be a hit. That week’s guest was Gary Numan, best known for the single “Cars.”

“He said, ‘Oh, I think I think this is going to be a huge hit,’’’ Howard shares. “And I was just absolutely over the moon. I’ll always be grateful to him because that was a wonderful boost for me.”

Fans of Howard Jones can hear him play “New Song” and all his other hits on the road right now. He’s currently on the Letting It Go Show with Boy George & Culture Club. The tour hits Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday, August 18. A complete list of dates can be found at howardjones.com.

On This Day, August 18, 1962: Ringo Starr plays his first show with The Beatles

August 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

On This Day, August 18, 1962…

Ringo Starr played his first live gig with The Beatles at the Horticultural Society dance in Birkenhead, England.

Ringo had been invited to join the band just four days earlier, on August 14, by John Lennon, with manager Brian Epstein firing the band’s drummer, Pete Best, two days later.

Starr went on to remain with The Beatles until their breakup in 1970. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the band in 1988, and as a solo artist in 2015.

Ringo will launch the fall leg of his latest tour with his All-Star Band in September.

Dolly Parton shares “Let It Be” cover featuring Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr

August 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Fans are finally getting to hear Dolly Parton’s reunion of The Beatles. The singer just dropped her cover of The Beatles classic “Let It Be” featuring Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with special guests Peter Frampton and Mick Fleetwood.

“Well, does it get any better than singing ‘Let It Be’ with Paul McCartney who wrote the song? Not only that, he played piano!” Dolly shares. “Well, it did get even better when Ringo Starr joined in on drums, Peter Frampton on guitar and Mick Fleetwood playing percussion. I mean, seriously, how much better does it get? Thanks guys!”

“Let It Be” is one of many rock classics Dolly covers on her upcoming album Rockstar, which she decided to record after being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. Other artists on the album include Steven Tyler, Steve Perry, Sting, Stevie Nicks, Richie Sambora, Elton John, John Fogerty, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and more.

Rockstar will be released November 17. It is available for preorder now.

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