Trace Adkins just released his 25-track The Way I Wanna Go album. The record, which commemorates the 25th anniversary of his debut, Dreamin’ Out Loud, features an impressive list of guest artists, including Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Melissa Etheridge, Keb’ Mo’, Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg and Pitbull.
Adkins spent much of the last year working on The Way I Wanna Go, but he says it is his wife of two years, Victoria Pratt, who deserves the credit for the ambitious project.
“I can’t even begin to explain what a difference she’s made in my life,” Adkins tells People. “She rejuvenated me and inspired me to take whatever time I have left and make the most of it…and then just make the best music that I can make.”
Adkins is currently on the road, serving as the opening act on Shelton’s Proud to Be Right Here Tour. Adkins and Shelton duet on “If I Was a Woman” from The Way I Wanna Go.
Lester Cohen/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Motown legend Smokey Robinson is among the artists who will be recognized at this year’s Songs of Hope virtual gala.
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will receive the Clive Davis Legend in Songwriting award in acknowledgement of his career achievements as a composer.
Jimmy Jam will co-host the event, which will stream on September 30 starting at 6:30 p.m. PT.
The Songs of Hope gala was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. Previous Legend in Songwriting award honorees have included Burt Bacharach and Diane Warren.
The Songs of Hope gala raises money for the City of Hope charity’s mission to eliminate cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.
Philly rappers Meek Mill and Lil Uzi Vert do wheelies on motorcycles and ATVs as they are tracked by a police surveillance helicopter in their new “Blues Notes 2” video, which dropped Wednesday.
Meek opens the video flowing with swagger, rapping, “I’m not in competition with my homies/ I’m whippin’ the competition and the Rollie/ I know my opposition never knew me/ They wouldn’t be opposition if they know me.”
The song is the follow-up to Meek’s 2016 track “Blue Notes,” from his DC4 mixtape. That project also featured Vert with Nicki Minaj on “Froze.”
Mill and Uzi have collaborated several times, including on “Shared Locations,” the song they released last week that also features Lil Durk.
Meek’s flurry of new music may be a sign that he’s coming soon with a fifth studio project, following his 2018 Championships album.
After revealing the album art for his debut Montero, Lil Nas X has unveiled the album’s track list in a video posted to his socials. In the clip, a naked Nas tumbles from the sky and into the album’s paradise-like setting — and then just keeps on falling. The titles of the tracks flash by as he falls.
Montero, which will be released on September 17, will include the previously released singles “Industry Baby” and “Sun Goes Down,” as well as the hit title track. A wide variety of guests join the rapper on the album, including Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus and Elton John. Nas’ collaboration with Elton, “One of Me,” is also ill be included on the British pop-rock legend’s newly announced compilation album The Lockdown Sessions, due out October 22.
After posting the Montero track list, Nas took to Twitter to thank everyone for being so excited about his new music. “brooo the support all of my album content has been getting is next level,” he wrote. “i am so thankful! i really want to make you guys happy and invite you to my world.”
Here’s the full track list:
“Montero (Call Me by Your Name)”
“Dead Right Now”
“Industry Baby” (ft. Jack Harlow)
“That’s What I Want”
“The Art of Realization”
“Scoop” (ft. Doja Cat)
“One of Me” (ft. Elton John)
“Lost in the Citadel”
“Dolla Sign Slime” (ft. Megan Thee Stallion)
“Tales of Dominica”
“Sun Goes Down”
“Void”
“Don’t Want It”
“Life After Salem”
“Am I Dreaming” (ft. Miley Cyrus)
After teasing it on social media on Tuesday, Elton John has now confirmed plans to release a star-studded compilation called The Lockdown Sessions.
Due out on October 22, the album collects the many collaborations that Elton worked on after he was forced to put his Farewell tour on pause due to COVID-19. Among these are new songs that he recorded with Stevie Nicks and Stevie Wonder.
“The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album. But, as the pandemic went on, one-off projects kept cropping up,” Elton explains. “Some of the recording sessions had to be done remotely, via Zoom, which I’d obviously never done before. Some of the sessions were recorded under very stringent safety regulations: working with another artist, but separated by glass screens.”
He adds, “But all the tracks I worked on were really interesting and diverse, stuff that was completely different to anything I’m known for, stuff that took me out of my comfort zone into completely new territory.”
The Lockdown Sessions features Elton collaborating with more than 20 artists over 16 tracks, 10 of which are previously unreleased. The unreleased tracks include his collaborations with Nicks and Wonder, as well as with the late Glen Campbell, Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder, Nicki Minaj, Lil Nas X and Charlie Puth.
Also included is his new single with Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix),” and the all-star version of Metallica‘s “Nothing Else Matters” that he recorded with Miley Cyrus, Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, guitarist/producer Andrew Watt, and famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
In an Instagram message, Elton adds that he’s also working on a regular album with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, which will be his next release.
Here’s The Lockdown Sessions track list:
Elton John & Dua Lipa — “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)”
Elton John, Young Thug & Nicki Minaj — “Always Love You”
Surfaces feat. Elton John — “Learn to Fly”
Elton John & Charlie Puth — “After All”
Rina Sawayama & Elton John — “Chosen Family”
Gorillaz feat. Elton John & 6LACK — “The Pink Phantom”
Elton John & Years & Years — “It’s a sin” (global reach mix)
Miley Cyrus feat. WATT, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo & Chad Smith — “Nothing Else Matters”
Elton John & SG Lewis — “Orbit”
Elton John & Brandi Carlile — “Simple Things”
Jimmie Allen & Elton John — “Beauty in the Bones”
Lil Nas X feat. Elton John — “One Of Me”
Elton John & Eddie Vedder — “E-Ticket”
Elton John & Stevie Wonder — “Finish Line”
Elton John & Stevie Nicks — “Stolen Car”
Glen Campbell & Elton John — “I’m Not Gonna Miss You”
Summer Walker is demanding that her ex-boyfriend, London on da Track, stop threatening her and her family.
London produced her 2019 platinum album, Over It, and they have a six-month-old daughter together. She said in an Instagram video, “I went on a date and the next day I get all these threats. Leave me alone.”
”So if anything happens to me it was him. Ghetto baby daddy from hell,” Summer added in an Instagram story, according to The Shade Room. “I be minding my business & NEVER call him unless it’s about the well being of my child,” the “Girls Need Lover” singer continued. “Raising your child since 2 months cause you ain’t s**t & wouldn’t help me. You need to stop threatening people & tell him thank you, f***inG weirdo.”
Summer adds she wants to return the Mercedes-Benz SUV London gave her a few months ago.
“Come get this car, I don’t want nothing from you n this s**t ain’t even paid for. I like my cars paid OFF.”
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers announced that they were postponing for upcoming concerts “[o]ut of an abundance of caution — shows that had been scheduled for September 2 in Clarkson, Michigan; September 4 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania; September 5 in Toledo, Ohio; and September 8 in Cincinnati.
The tour features a reunion with former Doobie Brothers singer/keyboardist Michael McDonald, but it appears that McDonald may be the reason for the postponements. According to Minneapolis newspaper the Star Tribune, McDonald sat out the band’s most recent show, a performance Tuesday at the Minnesota State Fair, because had come down with COVID-19.
The paper reports that during the concert, Doobie Brothers member Patrick Simmons explained to the crowd that Michael was “recuperating and isolating,” adding, “We hope to have him back in a week or so.”
Simmons also noted that McDonald “had his vaccine…But the show must go on.”
According to The Doobie Brothers’ announcement, the tour is expected to get underway again on September 9 in in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Fans who have purchased tickets to the postponed concerts are being encouraged to hold on to them, as they will honored when the dates are rescheduled.
Prior to the Minnesota State Fair show, founding Doobies frontman Tom Johnston told the Star Tribune a COVID compliance officer is traveling with the group on the tour, and that all band members and crew personnel have been vaccinated.
The Doobie Brothers’ postponements come after KISS had to postpone a series of concerts because both Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons tested positive for COVID-19.
After a tease earlier this week, Eddie Vedder‘s collaboration with Elton John has been confirmed.
The Pearl Jam frontman is set to appear on the “Rocket Man” icon’s upcoming album The Lockdown Sessions, due out October 22. As the title suggests, the compilation collects various songs John had recorded with different artists while quarantining amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album,” Elton explains. “But, as the pandemic went on, one-off projects kept cropping up.”
“Some of the recording sessions had to be done remotely, via Zoom, which I’d obviously never done before,” he adds. “Some of the sessions were recorded under very stringent safety regulations: working with another artist, but separated by glass screens.”
Vedder’s contribution is a song called “E-Ticket.” The Lockdown Sessions also includes John’s previously released song “The Pink Phantom” with Gorillaz, as well as the all-star version of Metallica‘s “Nothing Else Matters” he recorded with Miley Cyrus, Metallica‘s Robert Trujillo, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, guitarist/producer Andrew Watt, and famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Other The Lockdown Sessions contributors include Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder, Nicki Minaj, Brandi Carlile, Dua Lipa and Lil Nas X.
Myles and Layne Ulrich, the sons of Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, have launched a band called Taipei Houston. From their Instagram page, the duo is a bass-and-drum two piece akin to Royal Blood.
Taipei Houston is set to perform next Thursday, September 9 in Long Beach, California.
Meanwhile, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and his son, Roman, took part in a “sweet improvisational jam” with viral child music sensation Nandi Bushell.
According to an Instagram post from Bushell, she and the Morello duo also wrote an “epic song together,” which will be released “soon.”
Bushell met up with Tom and Roman during her trip to the U.S. from her home in England, which also included performing “Everlong” live in Los Angeles with her drum battle opponent Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters.
The Doors will release a deluxe 50th anniversary reissue of their classic 1971 album, L.A. Woman, on December 3.
L.A. Woman: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition will be available as a three-CD/one-LP set that features a newly remastered version of the album on one CD, two bonus CDs of unreleased studio outtakes, and the new stereo mix of the original album pressed on 180-gram vinyl.
Released in April 1971, L.A. Woman was the last album The Doors recorded with their iconic frontman, Jim Morrison, who died on July 3, 1971, at age 27. The album reached #9 on the Billboard 200 chart, and yielded two hit singles, “Love Her Madly” and “Riders on the Storm,” which peaked at #11 and #14, respectively, on Billboard‘s Hot 100. Among the record’s other memorable songs is the title track, which remains a classic rock radio staple.
Among the unreleased tracks is the original demo of “Riders on the Storm,” which was recorded at Sunset Sound studio before The Doors relocated to their rehearsal space in Santa Monica, California, to make the album. The demo is available now as an advanced digital track, while an animated companion video has premiered on YouTube.
Other unreleased recordings on the reissue include covers of Junior Parker‘s “Mystery Train,” John Lee Hooker‘s “Crawling King Snake,” Big Joe Williams‘ “Baby Please Don’t Go” and Lee Dorsey‘s “Get Out of My Life Woman.” Also among the bonus tracks are multiple consecutive takes of “The Changeling,” “Love Her Madly,” “Riders on the Storm” and “L.A. Woman.”
Longtime Doors engineer Bruce Botnick, who originally produced L.A. Woman, also created the album’s new stereo mix. The reissue features liner notes penned by acclaimed rock journalist David Fricke.
Here’s the full track list of the L.A. Woman deluxe reissue’s CDs:
Disc One: L.A. Woman – Original Stereo Mix Remastered
“The Changeling”
“Love Her Madly”
“Been Down So Long”
“Cars Hiss by My Window”
“L.A. Woman”
“L’America”
“Hyacinth House”
“Crawling King Snake”
“The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)”
“Riders on the Storm”
Bonus Tracks
“Hyacinth House” (Demo)
“Riders on the Storm” (Sunset Sound Version – Original Demo)*
Disc Two: L.A. Woman Sessions, Part 1
“The Changeling”*
“Love Her Madly”*
“Riders on the Storm”*
“L.A. Woman” (Part 1)*
Disc Three: L.A. Woman Sessions, Part 2
“L.A. Woman” (Part 2)*
“She Smells So Nice”*
“Rock Me Baby”*
“Mr. Mojo Risin'”*
“Baby Please Don’t Go”*
“L.A. Woman” (Part 3)*
“Been Down So Long”*
“Get Out of My Life Woman”*
“Crawling King Snake”*
“The Bastard Son of Jimmy & Mama Reed (Cars Hiss by My Window)”*
“Been Down So Long”*
“Mystery Train”*
“The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)”*
