Music

Chris Stapleton is using his headlining set at Pilgrimage Festival to draw attention to a cause close to his heart. 

The hit singer and Pilgrimage have partnered with Fandiem for a fundraising campaign in benefit of Chris and his wife Morgane Stapleton‘s foundation, Outlaw State of Kind. Fans can enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win the VIP Journey to Pilgrimage experience that includes two VIP passes to the festival in Franklin, TN along with round-trip travel and hotel coverage, a Gibson guitar signed by the hitmaker himself, a tour of the Gibson Garage in Nashville and more.

Donation levels start at $10, which equates to 100 entries, and goes up to $500, which is worth 10,000 entries. The proceeds go toward Outlaw State of Kind, a charitable fund the couple founded in 2016 that provides grants to a variety of organizations, including MusiCares Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Habitat For Humanity and more. 

The sweepstakes are open until September 7. Pilgrimage Festival takes place September 24 and 25.  

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Mars Volta may be teasing new music, in possibly the most Mars Volta way imaginable.

Over the weekend, the long inactive band posted a tweet with coordinates that led fans to Grand Park in Los Angeles, where, according to posts on Reddit, they were met with a large black cube with the words “The Mars Volta” etched into it in gold.

Reports from those who waited in line to get inside the cube — in which cell phones were not allowed — claim they heard new Mars Volta music.

If indeed The Mars Volta is teasing new music, it’ll be the first fresh material from “The Widow” outfit since the group went on hiatus following the release of the 2012 album, Noctourniquet.

The Mars Volta previously stoked reunion rumors in 2021 in leading up to the release of La Realidad De Los Sueños, a career-spanning vinyl box set.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

With BTS on a break so members of the septet can focus on their solo careers, RM and Jimin opened up about what they hope to accomplish during the hiatus.

The two shared their thoughts in separate interviews with Weverse Magazine. Jimin said during his conversation that “it’s important to take a breather like this.”  

“I think now’s the time to step back and clear our heads to think about the direction we want to take as a group going forward,” he continued, adding this period will also be used as a time to reflect.

Jimin is excited about what’s to come, teasing, “I’m going to try to take on a lot of new things. That’s why I’m meeting with different producers: I feel like I should take this challenge on, the proper way.”

The singer teased his new solo projects will be “just a little more explicit.” He clarified, “I just think I can show something a little more raw about me. That might include a more mature side, too… Something that shows the things I usually think about a little more honestly?”

As for RM, he said during his interview he’s working on himself. “I need to try taking a step away from myself for a minute,” he admitted. “I’m worried if I’m just doing the things I’m given and if I’m losing myself in a way… I think I’ve hit a kind of wall.”

RM also shared his hopes for BTS, saying he wants the group “to move beyond astonishing people and think again about what kind of messages we can send people now.”

BTS’ break comes as their new album, Proof, debuts atop the Billboard 200. It sold 266,000 copies and was streamed 52.84 million times in its first week.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

In addition to Juneteenth festivities this past weekend, stars and celebs with children celebrated Father’s Day proudly. 

Cardi B went all out for her husband, Offset, with whom she shares two kids, Kulture and Wave. Cardi first served up a gourmet breakfast-in-bed entree of bacon, eggs, sausage, potatoes and more, which the Migos rapper enjoyed alongside four of his five children. He was showered with a large golden balloon arch, a giant greeting card and big hugs from the kids. As seen on her Instagram Story, Cardi then whipped up a large pot of oxtails served alongside rice, which Offset graciously accepted while also showing off the new watch he was gifted. Safe to say, Father’s Day in the rapper’s household was a success.

Ciara took to her Instagram to share a compilation video of her husband, Russell Wilson, and their three children Sienna, Win and Future, whom Ciara shares with rapper Future. She penned a sweet message to the pro football quarterback, thanking him for being a “loving, caring and thoughtful Father.”

Lupita Nyong’o provided her father some great relaxation with a foot and leg massage on the special holiday.  She shared the loving moment in a video on Instagram, showing the two of them sitting on grass alongside a calming body of water. “Happy Father’s Day to the man whose feet I relish being at,” she captioned the post. 

Kendrick Lamar‘s fiancé, Whitney Alford, shared a heartfelt message to the rapper and posted a rare photo of them along with their two young children. The note reads in part, “Today I am more than happy to celebrate the men in my life…I choose to celebrate them for stepping up instead of stepping out, for providing, for assisting us women, for healing…”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Harry Styles reaffirmed to his LGBTQ+ fans that he’ll always be in their corner. The “As It Was” hitmaker helped an Italian fan come out during his weekend show at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Official Charts shared a video of the moment when Harry spotted a fan waving a sign that read, “From Ono to Wembley – Help me come out!” The Grammy winner is seen picking up the sign and flashing it to the audience before pacing around the stage to mull over how to make the moment special.

He then hands the sign back to the fan, identified as Mattia, so he could hold a rainbow flag. “When this flag goes above my head, you are officially out!… I think that’s how it works,” he proclaims and leads the crowd into a drumroll moment. Harry also does a few false starts to amp up the drama and excitement, which causes the crowd to go wild when he finally lifts the flag high.

“Congratulations Mattia, you are a free man,” he roars. “Holy moly, the adrenaline!” Harry also returned Mattia’s flag by draping it over him.

This isn’t the first time Harry assisted a fan in coming out. Last year, he helped a young girl come out to her mother. 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Parmalee is taking it to the top.

The group is back at #1 on the country charts with their latest single, “Take My Name,” marking their second consecutive #1 hit following “Just the Way” featuring Blanco Brown. Parmalee frontman, Matt Thomas, co-wrote “Take My Name” with Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson and David Fanning after his brother and bandmate, Scott Thomas, got married. It’s the third single off their 2021 album, For You.

“It’s OFFICIAL! YOU the fans have taken Take My Name up to #1 on Country Radio!!! Thank you to Country Radio, our label, our team, family, friends, and our fans!!” the North Carolina natives write on Instagram alongside a series of photos posing with members of their team as they each hold up one finger in the air. “We can’t thank you enough for making this happen!” 

Parmalee also topped the charts in 2013 with their first #1 song, “Carolina.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ari Lennox is taking a stand for her health. 

On Sunday, the R&B singer opened up to fans about her future performances, announcing in an Instagram Story captured by The Shade Room, “For my mental health and my sanity I will not be doing any shows that require me to fly.”

“I can not keep torturing myself with this huge fear of mine. It is literally destroying my health. Enough is enough,” she expressed. “I’m so sorry to all that are inconvenienced by this. Don’t know what this will mean for my career but I just can’t do it.”

Ari, who was scheduled to perform at Minneapolis’ AFROPUNK the same day, added that she was currently en route to fulfill her obligation before reaching out for help. 

“If there’s any peers or anyone out there who knows of a great hynotherapist, therapist and or fear of flying solutions I would be so grateful. I want to beat this,” she concluded.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Attendees of France’s Hellfest this past weekend were greeted by a new statue of the late Motörhead frontman, Lemmy Kilmister.

The giant, silver monument, which has a portion of Lemmy’s ashes enshrined in it, will be officially memorialized during a ceremony taking place at Hellfest on June 23.

Following a headlining set by Scorpions, Motörhead members Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee, who also plays drums in Scorpions, will take the stage to deliver a speech and a toast to Lemmy. A video tribute will also be shown.

Lemmy died December 2015 at age 70. He and Motörhead played Hellfest four times throughout his life, including its inaugural edition in 2006.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.