Music

Trent Reznor guests on a new version of the song “True,” by prolific film composer and Oingo Boingo frontman Danny Elfman.

The Nine Inch Nails frontman lends his signature growl to the tune while enhancing its industrial vibe. You can listen to the updated recording now via digital outlets, and watch its truly creepy accompanying video streaming now on YouTube.

The original “True” appears on Elfman’s new solo studio album, Big Mess, which dropped in June.

In addition to appearing on the same song, Reznor and Elfman have another thing in common: they’re both Oscar nominees. However, Reznor has Elfman beat when it comes to wins — Trent’s won two with his scoring partner and NIN band mate Atticus Ross, for The Social Network and Soul, while Danny’s been nominated four times but has yet to go home with a trophy.

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It’s the reunion we didn’t know we needed: Rob Thomas has re-teamed with his “Smooth” collaborator Carlos Santana for a brand-new song.

The track, “Move,” is the first single from Santana’s new album, Blessings and Miracles, and it’ll be out August 18. The track also features vocals from “Best Day of My Life” band American Authors, with frontman Zac Barnett singing the lead in the second verse.

“‘Move’ came about was very much like how ‘Smooth’ happened,” says Santana in a statement. “It was like divine intelligence behind the scenes, and I just knew I had to record it with Rob.”

“The song is about awakening your molecules. Ignite and activate yourself – you know, move,” the guitar legend adds. “When Rob and I work together, we have a sound that’s splendiferous.”

If “Move” is even half as successful as “Smooth,” it’ll be massive: It was number one for 12 weeks, won three Grammys and it was number two on Billboard‘s ranking of the top songs of the first 50 years of the Hot 100 chart.

Blessings and Miracles arrives October 15.  Meanwhile, Rob is working on his first Christmas album.

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Selena Gomez has two new fans in her Only Murders in the Building co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short.

Martin, 76, and Short, 71, told InStyle that they were blown away by Selena’s talent in the upcoming Hulu murder mystery series, before remarking that the 29-year-old has been acting for as long as they have.

“I knew her as a singer, but it’s not like I have the radio on constantly. When I looked up her performing work, I realized she’s been around almost as long as I have and she’s done as many movies as I have,” said Martin.  “She denies it, but I see her credits. They’re, like, 40 things. That’s what I have.”

Martin also hinted that he learned quite a bit from Selena. “We got to know a person who’s not only a different generation but different multi-generations away from us,” he said.

He explained, “It was a great experience to have her input, to have her awareness. Some of my favorite things in the show are when Marty and I are two, I’ll say, older guys, still kind of living in the vocabulary of the past, and she will correct us on camera!”

The praise didn’t stop there, with Martin calling Selena “extremely professional” before joking, “What you hope for in your acting partner is at least that they’re on time. And she definitely was. Beside her talent, she had that going for her.”

When describing the characters they play in the series, Martin teased, “Marty gets to be flamboyant. I get to be lonely. And Selena gets to be Selena.”

Only Murders in the Building premieres August 31.

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Lil Nas X says he already knows where he’ll take his music after dropping his debut studio album, Montero.

Taking to Twitter recently, the “Industry Baby” rapper remained tight-lipped about when fans can expect to hold a physical copy of his debut effort in their hands, but did admit he’s already mapped out his next music era.

“After i drop the album i will be finish[ed] with my gay era and returning to my cowboy era,” the 22-year-old teased.

The “cowboy era” that Nas referenced is most likely a nod to his RIAA-certified 14x Platinum hit “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus, which became the longest-running number one in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  He released two subsequent tracks, “Panini” and “Rodeo,” that are also considered part of his “cowboy era.”

However, fans were quick to point out this could be the rapper’s way of trolling those who say his new music is not up to par with his older work.

The declaration comes as Nas hit a new milestone in his music career.  His new single, “Industry Baby,” officially surpassed over 100 million streams on Spotify.  In addition, he replaced DaBaby as the streaming service’s most listened-to male rapper. Nas boasts 52 million monthly listeners, while DaBaby, who previously dethroned Drake, has 51 million.

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After recently reaching billionaire status, Rihanna has even more to celebrate. Her new perfume, named Fenty Eau De Parfum, has sold out, less than 24 hours after its launch on Tuesday. 

To celebrate the impressive achievement, the “Diamonds” singer took to Instagram to share three photos of herself in bed wearing sunglasses and rocking an oversize black hoodie while eating what appears to be caviar. 

Rih captioned the post, “how I woke up after #FENTYPARFUM sold out this morning!!!”

The Fenty founder first teased that she would be dropping a fragrance almost two weeks ago, sharing a few black-and-white photos of herself, with the simple caption “#FENTYPARFUM COMING SOON.”

A day prior to the perfume release, Rihanna posted a compilation of interview clips from various celebrities, including Lil Nas X, Cardi B, Jennifer Lawrence and Jim Parsons, all of whom had expressed that the singer smelled good — or in Nas X’s words, “like heaven.”

Fenty Eau De Parfum comes in a simple, yet elegant amber bottle and retails for $120. A restock date has not yet been announced.  

 

 

 

 

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With her solo career, Normani is getting to explore aspects of herself that she never got the chance to as part of the pop girl group Fifth Harmony.

In a new cover story for Allure, the singer says that she “didn’t get to really sing in the group” and felt like she was “overlooked.”

But now, with songs like “Wild Side,” featuring Cardi B, Normani finally feels like she’s becoming the artist she was meant to be.
 
“A lot of people aren’t expecting this [song] and that’s why I wanted to put it out first,” she says of “Wild Side.” “I went to [songwriter Starrah] and said, ‘I want something really sexy.’ I just felt this sense of me coming into my own. I feel like a woman now. That’s the record I need to also feel like a bad b****.”

Normani’s music also speaks to a higher purpose.
 
“My purpose in this work that I do is for other people that feel like they have Black women figured out. There’s so many layers to us, there’s so many textures, there’s so much that we’re capable of doing,” Normani says.
 
Normani is currently working on her debut solo album.

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The Black Eyed Peas are among dozens of acts who’ll be performing across six continents on September 25 as part of the Global Citizen Live concert series, which will encourage governments and the private sector to help with vaccine equality, famine relief and climate change. The Peas are performing at the Paris edition of the event, along with Ed Sheeran and Doja Cat, though frontman will.i.am says he’s a bit nervous about traveling now, while the pandemic is surging.

“Flying to Paris brings about angst. I’m not going to lie,” he tells ABC News. “[I’m feeling] angst to get on an airplane and be in front of 20,000 people, but then there’s this other part that’s joy. So there’s this equal emotion.”

He adds, “I’m just super-excited to share this moment, because if your job is to bring joy and give a little escape for a moment and shed light on issues, you have to do that.”

As an example, Will brings up the Peas’ breakthrough hit, “Where Is the Love?,” which was inspired by 9/11 and its aftermath.

“You can’t stay at home when there’s other problems to be solved. You have to go out there and solve problems,” he maintains. “When 9/11 happened, we could have stayed home afraid, but we went out…on the road and what came out of that was ‘Where Is the Love?'”

Will concludes, “It’s an honor to contribute and help on the cause at the same time that Ed Sheeran is gonna be there, and all the artists from around the world.”  (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1) 

Other acts who’ll be performing include Billie Eilish, Jennifer Lopez, Shawn Mendes and many more. You can either buy VIP tickets to the events, or earn free tickets by taking action. Find out how at GlobalCitizen.org.

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Cold War Kids have released a new song called “Wasted All Night.”

The winding track, which lasts over seven-and-a-half minutes, is available now for digital download, and is accompanied by an equally epic video. You can watch the clip streaming now on YouTube.

“Wasted All Night” will appear on the upcoming Cold War Kids release New Age Norms 3, the final installment in a trilogy of miniature albums, following 2019’s New Age Norms 1 and 2020’s New Age Norms 2. New Age Norms 3, which also includes the single “What You Say,” is due out September 24.

Cold War Kids are currently on tour opening for Kings of Leon.

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Jameson Rodgers is knocking back the second top ten of his career right now: “Cold Beer Calling My Name,” with longtime supporter and label mate Luke Combs. 

It’s quite fitting that Jameson and Luke are finding success with an alcohol-related tune, since having a drink or two is definitely part of their friendship. Back in 2019, Luke took Jameson on the road with him, and the relative newcomer was bracing for his first end-of-tour prank.

“I’d never been on a tour like that, and so I was nervous,” Jameson explains. “I was like, ‘Man, I’m about to be onstage in front of 12,000 people and they’re gonna come up here and do something crazy and embarrass me.'”

“And so I made the band take…like, three shots before the show,” he recalls. “I was like, ‘If they’re gonna come up here and do anything, at least we’re gonna be a little buzzed.'” 

That turned out to be a prophetic mistake.

“We get up there, play the first song, and here they come with a shot,” Jameson remembers. “And I was like… ‘That was an easy prank. One shot?'”

“So we play the second song,” he continues. “Here they come again with another shot. Third song, another shot.”

“And it was a different kind of liquor every time, too,” he adds. “So it’d be like vodka, Jack Daniels, tequila. I mean, it was just mixing ’em. And the last one was Jager. And it took everything in my body not to projectile vomit in front of 12,000 people in an arena in Omaha, Nebraska.”

Jameson confesses he doesn’t even remember playing the last two songs in his show that night.

“Cold Beer” is the follow-up to Jameson’s debut #1, “Some Girls.”

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