Travis Barker is headed to the MTV Video Music Awards.
The Blink-182 drummer is among the presenters at this year’s ceremony, along with artists, athletes and celebrities including Billie Eilish, Avril Lavigne, Megan Fox, Hailey Bieber, 50 Cent, Ashanti, Simone Biles, Conor McGregor and Ja Rule.
Barker is also set to perform at the VMAs when he joins Machine Gun Kelly for a rendition of the “Bloody Valentine” rocker’s new single, “Papercuts.”
Other VMA performers include Foo Fighters and Twenty One Pilots. The show airs live from Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday, September 12, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.
Drew Barrymore reveals she’s been privately supporting Britney Spears during her conservatorship battle.
The actress and talk show host tells Entertainment Tonight that she’s been sending Britney video messages.
“I appreciate all the people that have been supporting Britney on social media,” she says. “I took a different turn. I’ve actually been sending her personal videos.”
Drew says she’s sent messages of “encouragement and just telling her that I think she is the key to her freedom.”
“[I wanted to] really show her I’m someone who has understood what a journey is like and I don’t compare myself to her, but I’m here to support her if there’s anything she needs in private,” Barrymore says.
Drew says Britney has responded to the videos with “little smoke signals.”
Meanwhile on Instagram, Britney thanked another celebrity for supporting her publicly: Iggy Azalea. She posted a photo of the two performing their song “Pretty Girls” together.
“It was so much fun working with such a strong, bada** woman like her …. I haven’t met her new baby but if she’s reading this God bless you and thank you for all your kind words,” Britney wrote.
On Tuesday, Britney’s father, Jamie, filed to end the conservatorship of the pop star’s estate that has been in place since 2008 — a huge legal victory for Britney.
Archbishop Carl Bean is greeted by church member in 2004; Carlos Chavez/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Carl Bean, the man whom Lady Gaga revealed was the true inspiration for her hit “Born This Way,” has died at age 77, reports The New York Post.
This past May, while celebrating the 10th anniversary of her album Born This Way, Lady Gaga revealed that the title track of the album was inspired by as disco song called “I Was Born This Way,” recorded by Bean in 1977.
“Born This Way, my song and album, were inspired by Carl Bean, a gay black religious activist who preached, sung and wrote about being ‘Born This Way,’” Gaga wrote on Instagram. She continued, addressing Bean, “Thank you for decades of relentless love, bravery, and a reason to sing. So we can all feel joy, because we deserve joy. Because we deserve the right to inspire tolerance, acceptance, and freedom for all.”
“I Was Born This Way” was written by Chris Spierer and Bunny Jones and released in 1975 by an artist called Valentino. Carl Bean released his own disco version in 1977. Bean’s version has since been remixed and re-released several times, both in the ’80s and the ’90s. The song’s lyrics go, “I’m happy and I’m gay/I was born this way.”
Bean became an AIDS activist and founded the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, which focused on the LGBT and Black community. His autobiography is titled I Was Born This Way: A Gay Man’s Journey through Gospel Music, Disco Stardom, and a Ministry in Christ.
According to The New York Post, the Unity Fellowship Church Movement announced that Bean died September 7 “after a lengthy illness,” and added, “Archbishop Bean worked tirelessly for the liberation of the underserved and for LGBTQ people of faith and in doing so, helped many around the world find their way back to spirituality and religion.”
Lainey Wilson never imagined being anything but a country singer. The Louisiana native moved to Nashville right out of high school, living in a camping trailer while she honed her craft as a singer and songwriter. But through all the highs and lows, she never doubted she would someday make her dreams come true.
“There’s been times when I probably should have packed my bags and went home,” Lainey told Idaho Mountain Express. “But I never had not one doubt in my mind that I was gonna be okay. I knew I was gonna find my way.”
Lainey, who released Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ earlier this year, was also not dissuaded by the reign of male artists on the charts. Growing up listening to artists like Lee Ann Womack and Dolly Parton, the 29-year-old knew her time would one day come as well.
“I think it’s a great time for female country singers like myself,” Lainey maintained. “No matter what the sound is, people want a good story. That’s what country music has been from the beginning. A dang good story.”
Lainey’s instincts seem to be paying off. Her single, “Things a Man Oughta Know,” is currently in the top 5.
“I just wanna tell real stories,” Lainey said. “I want it to be raw and honest. Even if that makes your skin crawl a little bit, my goal is to make you feel something.”
Anita Baker has won her long legal battle with her record label, and the eight-time Grammy winner has proudly announced she now owns her own music masters and has full control of her songs.
“They no longer ‘Own, My Name & Likeness,’” Baker wrote on her private Twitter account, as captured by Essence. “And, by Law…30 yr old, Mstrs are 2B Returned, 2 Me Unfortunately, They’re gonna make me Fight 4 it. I’m Prepared, 2 do that.”
The “Giving You the Best That I Got” singer previously asked fans not to stream or buy any of her music because of her legal fight.
“All My Children Are Coming Home,” Anita wrote with a photo of her first five studio albums: 1983’s The Songstress, The Rapture from 1986, 1988’s Giving You the Best That I Got, Compositions from 1990, and her 1994 release, Rhythm of Love.
When a follower asked if now she wants fans to stream her music, Anita replied, “Yes. Chil’ren…Stream.”
Baker also announced that a new compilation of her music will be available soon on Rhino Records.
Maroon 5 will be one of the artists performing onShine a Light, a special that will air on CNN on Saturday, September 11, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“We feel deeply moved by this opportunity to use our music to help shine a light and support a broadcast that is coming from and for the 9/11 community,” the band says in a statement.
Other acts that’ll be performing on the special include country star Brad Paisley, and Oscar and Grammy-winning musicians H.E.R. and Common.
Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, who appeared on stage together at the all-star Concert for New York City the month after the attacks, will team up to deliver a message of support on the special, while ex-New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning will be a presenter.
In addition to the musical performances, the Shine a Light special will feature films and interviews with those directly affected by the attacks, who’ll share their stories. Viewers will be encouraged to visit 911day.org during the broadcast to post and share simple acts of kindness, charity and service in tribute to those killed and injured, and to the first responders to rushed to help.
In other Maroon 5 news, the band had been set to perform at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Friday, but that show has been canceled with no explanation.
Walker Hayes’ song, “Fancy Like,” quickly became the hit heard around the world, after a dance Walker and his daughter, Lela, did to the song on TikTok, which mentions Applebee’s, went viral. Walker and his wife, Laney, even filmed a commercial for the restaurant chain, but Walker doesn’t need to get paid to profess his love of Appleee’s.
“We grew up in Mobile, Alabama, a Southern town,” Walker tells Ad Age. “And as a family, we didn’t eat at home a lot. I was usually getting out of basketball or track or some sport and we would go to dinner as a family and Applebee’s is one of the regular ones. On most nights we would go to a cheap Mexican restaurant or a cheap Chinese buffet, but on a fancier night, it was Applebee’s.”
Walker’s love of Applebee’s even carried through to his dating relationship with his now-wife, when the restaurant became a popular date-night destination.
“If we went to prom or something like that, Applebee’s was definitely on the list of ‘where are we going to go grab a bite?'” Walker says. “That’s what people like me did, and we still do. I guess it’s a testament to how simple we are, but we just love chain restaurants.”
Now, thanks to Applebee’s generosity, Walker and Laney and their six children get to visit the restaurant as well — and often.
“Applebee’s has hooked my family with some sick gift cards, so we’ve been putting those to use. I mean, why would I go anywhere else?”
Elton John has just scored his second #1 hit of 2021 on the U.K.’s biggest chart countdown show, and he couldn’t be happier.
Elton’s collaboration with U.K. pop star Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart,” toppedThe Official Big Top 40 countdown radio show, which measures downloads, streaming and radio airplay, and is most similar to America’s Billboard Hot 100.
Reflecting on his achievement, 74-year-old Elton told the show, “Well, at my age, having one number-one song in the singles chart is an incredible surprise and for me, an achievement. So, two is ridiculous. I mean, this is a dream come true.”
Earlier this year, Elton’s collaboration with British act Years & Years on a cover of the Pet Shop Boys‘ “It’s a Sin” topped the same chart.
“‘Cold Heart,” created by Australian dance duo PNAU, is a mashup of three Elton songs: “Sacrifice,” “Rocket Man” and “Where’s the Shoorah?” On Instagram, Elton wrote, “Thank you for streaming and listening to ‘Cold Heart.’ Even after all this time making music and putting it out there, a number 1 still means so much and I couldn’t be prouder of the song, Dua and PNAU for what we’ve produced.”
Elton also teased, “Big things coming and I’m so excited to share them all with you.”
Michael Ray co-wrote two of the seven songs on his latest release, the Higher Education EP, but one of those songs changed him forever. The Florida native penned both “Picture” and “Didn’t Know I Was Country,” and he says the latter had a profound impact on his life and career.
“It was in that moment when I really felt a change in my songwriting,” Michael tells American Songwriter, recalling when he wrote “Didn’t Know I Was Country” with Ashley Gorley and Taylor Phillips. “I was just being very honest and wasn’t hesitating. In the past, I worried about ‘If I do this, will these people like me?’ Finally, I was like I’ve been through enough and I’ve survived it. Let’s just try being yourself.”
Higher Education is Michael’s first release since his 2018 album, Amos. Ironically, it was after he released that record, which included the hit single “The One That Got Away,” that he realized he needed to switch directions.
“I am super proud of Amos as an album, but the pandemic made me really think about how I would feel if that were my last record ever,” Michael reflects. “And I realized, I can’t say I would be okay if that was my last collection ever.”
Lana Del Rey has announced the details of her long-teased new album, Blue Banisters.
The follow-up to this past March’s Chemtrails Over the Country Club, which was originally scheduled to drop on July 4, is now set to arrive on October 22.
Blue Banisters includes the previously released title track, as well as the songs “Text Book” and “Wildflower Wildfire.” A fourth cut, titled “Arcadia,” is also out today, along with a video directed by Del Rey herself. You can watch that streaming on YouTube.
Here’s the Blue Banisters track list:
“Textbook”
“Blue Banisters”
“Arcadia”
“Interlude — The Trio”
“Black Bathing Suit”
“If You Lie Down with Me”
“Beautiful”
“Violets for Roses”
“Dealer”
“Thunder”
“Wildflower Wildfire”
“Nectar of the Gods”
“Living Legend”
“Cherry Blossom”
“Sweet Carolina”
