Music

The pandemic proved to be a time of introspection for Andy Grammer, and now he’s released a super-upbeat single inspired by what he learned about himself during that time.

The song is called “Damn It Feels Good to Be Me,” about which Andy explains, “The pandemic forced me to spend nearly two years stripped of the identity I had worked hard to create for myself in the world. I had the gift of time to re-examine a lot and realized that sometimes, in an effort to fit in with culture, I am tempted to turn myself down for the fear of not being accepted.”

“So, I wrote ‘Damn It Feels Good To Be Me’ as a reminder to myself to follow the beat of my own drum,” he adds. “I want this song to be for those who have come to that point in their life where they’re just FINALLY enjoying the freedom of self-acceptance.”

“I’m no good at being you/Ain’t got nothing left to prove/man, I’m finally free/damn it feels good to be me,” Andy sings in the song.

“Damn It Feels Good to Be Me” is the first official single from Andy’s upcoming fifth album, which will be out in early 2022. He previously released the song “Lease on Life,” inspired by the arrival of his and his wife’s second daughter, Izzy, during the pandemic last year.

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Twenty One Pilots has announced a virtual concert with Roblox, the massively popular online game platform.

The show is set to premiere next Friday, September 17, at 7 p.m. ET. Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun will perform five-song “dynamic” set list, meaning the tracks will be chosen by fans in real-time.

Those watching will also have access to “metaverse-spanning pre-concert quests involving some of Roblox’s most popular experiences that also feature custom portals that will transport users into the pre-concert venue,” which we assume makes sense to people who play Roblox.

“Twenty One Pilots is a band that has spent their entire career figuring out how to reach the most people possible,” says Mark Eshleman, the “Stressed Out” duo’s longtime creative director.

“From selling out the small room and moving to the big venue next door, to now launching a virtual experience with Roblox for millions of users, the goal has always been the same,” Eshleman continues. “The Roblox team has made an effort every step of the way to honor the band’s fans, its lore, and history to make sure this experience aligns with what people can expect from a show.”

For more info, visit Roblox.com/twentyonepilots.

Twenty One Pilots released their new album, Scaled and Icy, in May, featuring the singles “Shy Away” and “Saturday.” They’ll perform “Saturday” this Sunday at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards.

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Foo Fighters have announced an intimate, surprise show in Washington, D.C.

Dave Grohl and company will play the 1,200 capacity 9:30 Club tomorrow, September 9, in celebration of the legendary venue’s re-opening week. Tickets went on sale Wednesday morning and sold out immediately.

The Foos were scheduled to play a much bigger D.C.-area show last summer at FedExField to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary on July 4. However, that concert, along with the rest of their 2020 plans, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, Foo Fighters have been touring in celebration of their 26th anniversary. Following the D.C. date, the tour will continue September 15 in Syracuse, New York.

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Jimmie Allen is joining the 30th season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars! The news was announced on Good Morning America from one of Jimmie’s favorite places: Disneyland.

“It feels great,” Jimmie gushed. “I proposed to my wife at Disney. We had our baby reveal at Disney. I’ve gone like 70 times since 2012. It’s pretty bad. But there’s worst things to be addicted to. So why not give all my money to the Mouse?”

Jimmie has spoken to several former DWTS competitors, including some of his friends in the country music community.

“I talked to Chuck Wicks, he did it,” Jimmie says. “Lauren Alaina. I actually talked to AJ [McLean]. Rashad Jennings, Bobby Bones. I know Nelly did it last season. They said it’s gonna be difficult, but it’s fun, and they’re not lying. These rehearsals … I never ballroom danced a day in my life. It’s rough.”

Other cast members include JoJo Siwa, Sunisa Lee, Brian Austin Green, Amanda Kloots, Olivia Jade and more.

Season 30 of Dancing with the Stars will premiere on Monday, September 20, at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Last week, both Ed Sheeran and his pal Elton John told the media that Elton had criticized Ed’s utter lack of fashion sense, and helped hook him up with some decent threads.  Well, Ed’s come up with an outfit that Elton can’t possibly criticize — because it’s one of his signature looks.

On Instagram, Ed posted a photo of himself dressed like mid-’70s Elton John, complete with huge pink crystal-studded glasses, sequined trousers, a fringed silver leather jacket, sparkly black-and-gold shoes, and a huge feathered collar.

“My brand new single Shivers is out friday,” Ed captioned the pic. “I glammed up for the occasion.”

In a second photo, Ed is wearing a suit and sitting on a colorful couch, looking utterly dejected. Behind him is a parrot sitting on a branch. The caption on that pic reads, “The moment you realize your last single has been number one for 10 weeks and there’s now a lot of pressure on the next one not to flop.”

The photo appears to be a still from the “Shivers” video, as Ed goes on to note, “Shivers out friday, presave it, I rented a parrot for the video, don’t let that be a waste.”

“Bad Habits,” the first single from Ed’s upcoming album, = (Equals), has topped the charts for 10 weeks in his native U.K.

 

 

 

 

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Today would have been the 32nd birthday of Tim Bergling, the late superstar DJ and producer known to millions of fans as Avicii.  The Swedish artist is celebrated in today’s Google Doodle — the image that you see on the Google home page with the search bar.

The Google Doodle features a 90-second animated video showing scenes of Avicii’s life, soundtracked to his worldwide hit with Aloe Blacc, “Wake Me Up.”

The Google Doodle, which can be seen in more than 46 countries, was created by artist Alyssa Winans and coincides with National Suicide Prevention Week.  Avicii died by suicide in 2018 after struggling with mental health issues.

After his death, Avicii’s parents started the Tim Bergling Foundation, which works to remove the stigma attached to suicide and promote mental health awareness.  In a statement, Avicii’s father Klas says, “The Doodle is fantastic, my family and I feel honored and Tim would have been very proud and love it.”

He adds, “It is a friendly and warm story of a young man fulfilling his dream to be a DJ and at the same time telling us that our journey in life is not always easy despite fame and fortune.”

Aloe Blacc re-posted the video and wrote on Instagram, “Wow! For @avicii birthday he is honored with a Google Doodle. That’s a pretty big deal. Head to Google.com and check it out. Congrats, Tim!“

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even if it feels like it, you are not alone.

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Drake has a brand-new seasonal gig with sports giant ESPN.  Fresh off the success of his new album, Certified Lover Boy, the rapper will now work closely with the sports network throughout the NFL season.

Variety reports that Drizzy will help curate the playlist fans will hear during certain Monday Night Football games, selecting music that “encapsulates both the energy and mood” of the stadium.  He will chose music from his catalogue as well as songs from artists he admires or that have influenced his craft.

Drake’s picks will play during promo spots, pre-game shows and live telecasts, with his first batch slated to fire this week.

ESPN’s vice president of sports marketing, Emeka Ofodile, said in a statement, “Now we are here…the kickoff of the football season. And who better to curate music for Monday Night Football than Drake, who sits firmly at the intersection of music and sports…The music curator role has been a big hit with our fans with Diplo and DJ Khaled in previous years….and this season, we will be living inside the moment with Drake as our NFL on ESPN soundtrack.”

Drake is a major sports fan and is the official ambassador of his hometown NBA team, the Toronto Raptors.

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Selena Gomez hilariously reacted to her infamous Met Gala look from three years ago, when she was a little too enthusiastic with the self-tanner.

Speaking to Vogue, the “Lose You to Love Me” singer reflected on her 2018 look, calling it “a funny story.”

The actress, who was 26 at the time, was gearing up for the Met’s 2018 theme, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” so she wanted to embody a warm, glowing vibe.

“I was getting ready and we wanted to add some color, so I put on some of this tanning lotion, and it looked really beautiful and very even,” she dished. “As the evening kept going on, it was getting a little darker and darker and I didn’t notice it.”

Gomez admits she was blissfully unaware of her color-changing skin until she arrived at her seat — which meant she had already run the press gamut, rubbed elbows with fellow celebrities and walked the red carpet.

“I’m walking, trying to look all beautiful, and I look at a photo of myself when I sit down and I’m completely orange,” the Only Murders in the Building star lamented. “I was like, ‘This is gonna be terrible because I’m gonna get eaten alive about this.'”

To avoid becoming late night fodder, Gomez decided to get in on the joke and roped in her security detail to help turn her faux pas into a meme.

“So, I had my security take a video of me because my first reaction was just to get the hell out of there,” she laughed. “And so, I’m running to my car. I’m literally just hauling a** to get to my car and then I put it online. I was saying ‘This is my reaction after seeing my Met Gala photos.'”

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Lauren Alaina may now be Sitting Pretty on Top of the World, as the title of her third album suggests — but that wasn’t always the case. 

In fact, she candidly admits the title track was inspired by her struggles over the last few years.

“The chorus says ‘life of the party,'” she explains, “and I’ve always been the life of the party. And the last few years have had quite a few upsets. I lost two pretty significant relationships very publicly, and lost my step dad, and then this pandemic. And they were just a lot of things that had kind of happened in the whole time.”

“I was on Dancing with the Stars, I was on tour,” she continues. “I was the girl that makes everybody smile and laugh. And I was oftentimes kind of drowning in my emotions. Everybody saw me on stage, but behind the curtain, I was struggling.”

Eventually, “On Top of the World,” would come to mean even more to Lauren.

“I wrote that song about that, and it felt really representative of the rest of the songs,” she says. “And then the title now for me is just really empowering-sounding.”

“And I’ve found so much healing and I’ve gotten myself into such a great place emotionally that that title feels really representative of how I feel now,” she adds.

Sitting Pretty on Top of the World features Lauren’s latest hit with Jon Pardi, “Getting Over Him.” September 11, she stars in the new Hallmark Channel movie Roadhouse Romance, ahead of the arrival of her new book, Getting Good at Being You, in November.

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