Maren Morris’ Humble Quest: In Rare Form EP is out now. It features rootsy, instrument-forward new versions of seven of the songs on Humble Quest, like “Tall Guys.”
Kane Brown has joined the lineup of previously announced headliners for next June’s 2023 Gulf Coast Jam. Morgan Wallen, Miranda Lambert and Hardy are also leading the bill.
Brothers Osborne and The War and Treaty have released their version of “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It),” the first new song to come off the upcoming Stoned Cold CountryRolling Stones tribute album.
Alicia Keys has released her first holiday album, Santa Baby, exclusively streaming on Apple Music in spatial audio. You can also buy it on CD wherever they’re sold and preorder a vinyl version. She’s also released a video for one of the album’s four original tracks, “December Back 2 June.”
Jason Derulo has teamed up with Australian dance duo SHOUSE for “Never Let You Go,” a remix of SHOUSE’s song “Won’t Forget You.”
“Glimpse of Us” artist Joji has releasedSmithereens, his first new album since 2020. He’s also announced two headlining shows: one at New York’s Madison Square Garden on May 6 and one at L.A.’s The Kia Forum on May 13.
Mike Posner had Zedd and London-based producer/musician ellis remix and reimagine his latest single, “I’m Not Dead Yet.” “I’m Not Dead Yet (ellis edit)” also comes with a video that features Mike in all kinds of crazy makeup looks.
Australian singer/songwriter Dean Lewis, best known for his single Be Alright, is out with new album The Hardest Love, which features the single “How Do I Say Goodbye.”
Powfu, best known for his hit “Deathbed (Coffee for Your Head),” has released a pop-punk cover of Taylor Swift‘s hit “Mine,” from her Speak Now album. It’ll appear on his upcoming EP, surrounded by hounds and serpents. In a statement, Powfu says, “Growing up, I used to fall asleep listening to Taylor Swift, Maroon 5 and Yellowcard, so covering this song was nostalgic for me.” It was co-produced by Powfu’s dad, Dave Faber, of the band Faber Drive.
Darius Rucker has announced plans for a new studio album and elaborated a little bit on the special meaning behind the music.
Called Carolyn’s Boy, the project puts a spotlight on the singer’s late mother, Carolyn. “At the end of the day, I’m really still just Carolyn’s boy,” Darius explains, debuting the cover art for his project — a black-and-white portrait of his mom.
Darius shared the news in an interview on TODAYand also explained why planning a tribute to his mother was so important to him.
“I wanted to name the record Carolyn’s Boy because Mom never got to see any of my success,” he says. “She died before any of this happened, so it’s just another homage to the greatest woman I’ve ever known.”
The singer has been a part of country music for a while — his 10-year anniversary as an Opry member is coming up — and a musical figure for even longer, as the frontman of rock outfit Hootie & the Blowfish. But Darius says that now is the right time to release this poignant tribute.
“Years ago, I wasn’t really sure what my place in country music was, and I was trying to find it. Now I have found it — I know — and I think it’s time to give that record.”
Everclear has released a new song for the first time in seven years.
The politically charged track is called “Year of the Tiger,” and makes its intentions clear with lyrics including “We are where we are because of all the big lies” and “I had a dream I saw a tiger in a MAGA hat.” Its title also refers to the Chinese zodiac sign for 2022 and 1962, the year frontman Art Alexakis was born.
“After all of the events of the last almost 3 years with COVID, worldwide shutdowns, the political debacle of 2020 … emanating from in and outside of MAGA world, I felt I needed to write a song that not just explained my anger and frustration, but a song that served as a mission statement,” says Alexakis. “I feel like the tiger should be the new symbol of the new Democratic party. We will not back down, we will not forget, we hit back, we challenge lies, and we refuse to be intimidated by ignorance or loud voices.”
You can listen to “Year of the Tiger” now via digital outlets and watch its accompanying lyric video streaming now on YouTube.
“Year of the Tiger” follows Everclear’s 2015 album, Black Is the New Black. In 2019, Alexakis released his debut solo album, Sun Songs.
Earlier this year, Everclear reissued their 1993 debut album, World of Noise, and launched a 30th anniversary tour. Next week, they’ll kick off a United Kingdom tour with Soul Asylum.
Country newcomer Jelly Roll is stepping up with a new philanthropic effort aimed at benefiting youth in his hometown of Nashville, according to the Tennesseean.
This week, together with Impact Youth Outreach, the singer announced that he’s pledging $250,000 to programs that support underserved and incarcerated youth in Music City. Specifically, he plans to fund a recording studio inside Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center, where Jelly himself served a criminal sentence in his youth.
On top of that, Jelly is providing five $10,000 scholarships to graduating seniors in Davidson County, and he’s also contributing to Impact Youth Outreach’s seasonal holiday food resources and toy drive.
Jelly Roll raised money for this donation with the ticket sales from his upcoming Bridgestone Arena show, which is set for next month.
Selena Gomez‘s new AppleTV+ documentary, My Mind & Me, shows in unflinching detail the star’s health struggles, both mental and physical, over the past few years. But now she tells Rolling Stone about an unexpected consequence of trying to get her mind and her body under control.
Selena tells Rolling Stone the two drugs she needs to take for her bipolar disorder are likely to make it impossible for her to get pregnant and carry children herself. “That’s a very big, big, present thing in my life,” Selena says of not being able to have children in the traditional way.
But despite that, she says, “However I’m meant to have [children], I will.”
Selena also tells Rolling Stone that the kidney she received during her 2017 transplant may end up failing in 30 years, and adds, “Which is fine. I might be like, ‘Peace out,’ anyway.”
Oddly, Selena says she’s nicknamed the transplanted kidney “Fred,” after Portlandia star Fred Armisen. She notes, “I’ve never met him, but I’m secretly hoping he finds that out just because I want him to be like, ‘That’s weird.’”
Finally, Selena reveals to Rolling Stone that a 30th birthday party she threw herself over the summer was a bit more than just a party: “I thought I would be married by now, so I threw myself a wedding,” she notes. She wore a pink Versace gown, and there was a Barney cake, strippers provided by Cara Delevingne and a guest list that included Miley Cyrus, Camila Cabello, Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish.
“I would like to say it was a mixture of sophisticated and hysterical,” Selena says of the bash.
When Diddy says he “can’t stop, won’t stop,” believe him. The entrepreneur, born Sean Combs, is making waves in the world of cannabis, where he hopes to increase Black participation. He’s agreed to acquire licensed cannabis operations from two of the biggest cannabis companies in the U.S. — Cresco Labs Inc. and Columbia Care Inc. — as part of a deal worth $185 million.
According to Billboard, the buy-in gives Diddy a total of nine retail stores — four in New York, three in Massachusetts and two in Illinois. He’ll also acquire a production facility in each state. The operations will allow the Bad Boy CEO to grow, manufacture and distribute branded cannabis products to licensed dispensaries in New York, Chicago and Boston; he’ll also be able to run retail stores in those states.
“My mission has always been to create opportunities for Black entrepreneurs in industries where we’ve traditionally been denied access, and this acquisition provides the immediate scale and impact needed to create a more equitable future in cannabis,” Diddy said in a statement. “Owning the entire process — from growing and manufacturing to marketing, retail, and wholesale distribution — is a historic win for the culture that will allow us to empower diverse leaders throughout the ecosystem and be bold advocates for inclusion.”
Per Billboard, the deal marks Diddy’s first investment in the cannabis industry, and will create the first minority-owned and largest Black-owned cannabis company in the world.
It’s Friday, so you know what that means: another week of new music releases. Here’s some of what dropped; add to your rotation, if you please.
Alicia Keys, Santa Baby — The 15-time Grammy winner’s first holiday album is out, released under her self-titled record label. The album features 11 songs, including lead single “December Back 2 June,” which received the music video treatment.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By— The soundtrack to the Black Panther sequel includes over 40 features, including Rihanna, Burna Boy,Tems, Fireboy DML, Future. According to producer Ludwig Göransson, “When you listen to the soundtrack, you can close your eyes and relive the experience of the movie.”
Drake & 21 Savage, Her Loss — After teasing fans, the rappers came together for a 16-track album that includes “Circo Loco,” a song many believe references the shooting involving Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez.
Ciara ft. Summer Walker & GloRilla,“Better Thangs (Remix)” — A month after releasing the original version, Ciara returns, spicing up the song with a feature from Memphis’ own GloRilla. Much like her lyrics on “Tomorrow 2,” GloRilla’s heard rapping some inspiration. “Anything I tell myself is possible, is possible,” she spits.
John Legend & Sebastián Yatra,“Nervous (Remix)” — “Nervous,” which blew up on TikTok following an open verse challenge, now has a bilingual version, thanks to John’s collaboration with the Colombian-American singer. “Sebastian is such a gifted artist,” said Legend. “I’m so glad we could collaborate again on this special version of ‘Nervous’!”
A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Kodak Black, Lil Peep and NLE Choppa are among the other artists who dropped new music this week
Artists including Metallica and Fall Out Boy‘s Pete Wentz have teamed up with Vault Comics for a new graphic novel project called Headshell.
The endeavor aims to “present original stories inspired by artists’ careers and music, giving fans an all new way to connect with the artists and music they love.”
“Great musicians are storytellers,” the Headshell description reads. “But some stories need to be told on the page. Headshell works with iconic recording artists to create unique graphic novels that resonate with artists and audiences.”
Other artists taking part include Def Leppard, The Beach Boys and rapper Redman.
Tyler Hubbard has more details to share this week about his full-length album debut as a solo artist. The former Florida Georgia Line band mate is readying a self-titled project stacked with 18 songs.
Some of those fans have already heard, as Tyler released his Dancin’ in the Country EP this fall ahead of his opening stint on Keith Urban‘s tour. The track list includes “5 Foot 9,” his first single as a solo act.
Now, Tyler’s rounding out the project with a selection of several brand-new tracks, all of which he co-wrote. He’s a co-producer on the album, too.
As an artist who’s already a seasoned veteran in the country music industry, Tyler is aware of how important it is to make an artistic statement with a debut album.
“I know the importance and the value of this first album and really setting the foundation for what’s to come down the road,” he explains in a statement. “I’m really proud of this music, and first and foremost excited for everyone to get to know me.”
Tyler Hubbardis due for release on January 27. The singer also shared the cover art for the album this week: It’s a simple portrait of him wearing a white tee against a gray backdrop.
