Music

When Ingrid Andress isn’t writing new songs or touring, you can probably find her enjoying a hobby she picked up as a home-schooled kid: cross-stitching.

“I used to cross-stich when I was younger, and now I love cross-stitching rap lyrics,” the singer says. “It’s just so funny to me. I don’t know why my brain thinks that’s hilarious, but cross-stitching weird, raunchy rap lyrics with, like, flowers and hearts around [them] just brings me so much joy, and I have no idea why.”

Hopefully Ingrid’s friends and family feel the same way — she says she likes to spread that joy around, especially during the holidays.

“I used to do them as Christmas gifts,” she continues, explaining that she either keeps it in the hoop she uses to make it so the gift recipient can hang it on their wall, or she cross-stitches a pillow or napkin for them.

Ingrid says she’s waiting for the perfect cross-stitch craft to make for herself. “I haven’t kept one for me yet. Usually I just give them away,” she continues.

Ingrid may be cross-stitching in her free time, but she’s currently hard at work on musical pursuits. She released her latest new song, “Seeing Someone Else,” earlier this month.

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Metallica is once again teaming up with Walmart for an exclusive run of colored vinyl.

The collection includes new wax variants of 1996’s Load, 1997’s Reload, 2003’s St. Anger and 2008’s Death Magnetic, as well as the 1998 covers compilation Garage Inc.

Each of the five titles will be available separately or altogether as part of a bundle. They’ll be available in Walmart stores and online beginning June 17. You can preorder your copies now via Walmart.com.

Metallica previously linked up with Walmart in 2020 for exclusive colored vinyl reissues of their first five albums, from 1983’s Kill ‘Em All to 1991’s Black Album, as well as their latest release, 2016’s Hardwired… to Self-Destruct.

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Queen Elizabeth II‘s Platinum Jubilee celebration, which will mark her 70th year on the British throne, just got a lot more star-studded.

The lineup for the Platinum Party at the Palace, a massive concert set for June 4 in front of Buckingham Palace in London, has been revealed. Sir Elton John and Sir Rod Stewart are among the performers, as are, fittingly, Queen + Adam Lambert.

The bill also includes Duran Duran, Diana Ross, Elbow, Alicia Keys, Andrea Bocelli, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Also part of the lineup are several pop artists who are well known in the U.K. but less familiar in the U.S., including Sam Ryder, Mabel, George Ezra, Craig David, Sigala & Ella Eyre, Mica Paris, Celeste and Mimi Webb.

There are just 10,000 tickets available, which are being allocated on a first come, first served basis. Visit the BBC’s website for more information. It’s not clear yet if the BBC’s broadcast of the event will air in North America.

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Selena Gomez once again teamed up with the Biden administration to highlight the importance of mental health. The Grammy nominee met with first lady Jill Biden, as well as Ambassador Susan Rice, to rally for positive change.

Selena was in Washington, D.C., to host the first Mental Health Youth Action Forum on Wednesday, which brought together 30 mental health youth activists to share their experiences and ideas on how to improve accessibility and bring resources to those in need.

USA Today reports Biden opened up about her personal struggles with mental health before introducing Selena. “The darkness inside of us can feel heavy at times, but we can share the weight of it together,” the first lady said. “It takes courage to be honest about the struggles that you’ve faced and to tell your stories. And it takes courage to understand that your voice can make a difference, and to show your creativity and talents to all of the world.”

Selena used her time to change the dialogue on openly discussing mental health, saying that normalizing these conversations will help those who are struggling in silence.

“Bringing attention to mental health through media or just talking about your own journeys can help. It sets the example that it’s a topic that can and should be discussed freely and without shame,” she said in a speech that brought tears to her eyes.

She also rallied to increase resources to address the nation’s mental health needs, saying, “I want to ensure that everyone, no matter their age, their race, religion, sexual orientation, has access to services that support their mental health.”

The “Wolves” singer previously teamed up with the Biden administration in 2020, joining Vice President Kamala Harris for a virtual discussion on destigmatizing mental health.  

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Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan are expected to return to American Idol, reports Deadline.  The ABC series was renewed for another season. Although their return hasn’t formally been announced, ABC Entertainment President Craig Erwich said, “We’re looking forward to having that same chemistry next year.”

Kelly Clarkson opened up about the early days of remote learning and told People, “I was like, ‘Dear God, I hope my nanny doesn’t quit!'” Kelly super appreciates educators, saying teachers have “a crazy hard job.”  She’s since teamed with Norwegian Cruise Line to give 100 teachers a much-needed vacation via its Giving Joy contest. Nominate those who are most deserving on the official website. 

Harry Styles admits fans will see his “bum-bum” in his new film My Policeman — but assured nothing else will be shown on the big screen. He also told Howard Stern he had to “wear a gas mask” while getting tattoos airbrushed all over him, adding that they come into play for his steamier scenes. The movie’s due out this year.

Jennifer Lopez dropped the trailer for her Halftime documentary, which arrives on Netflix June 14. The movie covers the singer’s preparation for her Super Bowl halftime performance and the career wins that led to the moment. The doc will take a deep dive into Jennifer’s life, psyche and dreams for the second half of her career.

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Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebration, which will mark her 70th year on the throne, just got a lot more star-studded.

The lineup for the Platinum Party at the Palace, a massive concert set for June 4 in front of Buckingham Palace, has been revealed. Sir Elton John, Diana Ross and Sir Rod Stewart are among the performers, as are Duran Duran, Alicia Keys and, fittingly, Queen + Adam Lambert. 

Andrea Bocelli and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber will also perform, as will Lin-Manuel Miranda.

British pop and rock artists who are super-famous in the U.K. but somewhat less well known in the U.S. will be on hand as well, including Sam Ryder, Mabel, the band Elbow, George Ezra, Craig David, Sigala & Ella Eyre, Mica Paris, Celeste and Mimi Webb.

There are just 10,000 tickets available, which are being allocated on a first come, first served basis. Visit the BBC’s website for more information. It’s not clear yet if the BBC’s broadcast of the event will air in North America.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Another Pearl Jam member has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the band to cancel upcoming shows in Sacramento, California, and Las Vegas.

The grunge rockers announced Wednesday that bassist Jeff Ament had contracted the virus, a week after drummer Matt Cameron tested positive. While they had kept the tour going without Cameron by using guest drummers — including original Ten drummer Dave Krusen, and ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist and current PJ touring member Josh Klinghoffer — Ament testing positive means Pearl Jam’s whole rhythm section is now sidelined.

“This is horrible for everybody involved and we are especially sorry to those out there who have made plans to attend these shows,” Pearl Jam writes. “Our attention to staying inside the bubble has been constant. We have truly done all that we could have to remain clear of infection.”

The Sacramento date was scheduled for tonight, May 18, while the Las Vegas show was supposed to happen this Friday, May 20. Refunds will be issued to ticket holders.

“We are so very sorry,” PJ’s statement concludes. “Be safe out there.”

The Vegas concert was also the last stop on the first leg of Pearl Jam’s North American tour, which was already rescheduled from 2020 due to the pandemic. The next leg is set to launch September 1 in Quebec.

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Luke Bryan was among the many performers who turned out at a ceremony on May 12 honoring Lionel Richie, this year’s recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. PBS aired the event on Tuesday night.

During his time onstage, Luke performed “Lady,” a classic from Lionel’s catalog with a country connection. The song was recorded by Kenny Rogers in 1980, becoming a massive cross-genre hit for both artists.

Before he sang, Luke briefly spoke about his relationship with the honoree. “You know how we all have bad days? I wake up and have a bad day, and then I tell myself, ‘Somewhere, Lionel Richie ain’t having a bad day, so you better have a good day,’” he told the crowd.

“This guy is everything you believe he is, I promise you,” Luke added.

The country superstar also marked the moment on his social media, posting some snapshots of his performance and video of the hug he shared with Lionel after the song.

“I’ve got nothing but love for you [Lionel Richie]!” Luke wrote in the caption of his post. “It was an incredible experience getting to honor you at the #GershwinPrize concert.”

The country genre was well represented during the ceremony, which featured a massive cast of performers from all genres. Garth Brooks and Chris Stapleton were also on hand to tribute the pop legend.

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Lizzo will star in her very own documentary this fall on HBO Max.

The Untitled Lizzo Documentary will follow the singer, songwriter, rapper, flute player and actress on her “meteoric rise to stardom,” according to a press statement.

“Growing up I never dreamed I’d get to experience all of the things I’ve accomplished in my life, and I’m just getting started. I’m so excited I get to share and relive my journey with my fans and HBO Max,” the “About Damn Time” singer says in a statement.

She adds, “From ‘Cuz I Love You to my dramatic world tour, losing and gaining love, and creating my new album Special, y’all get to see the amount of time, patience, blood, sweat and tears that went into this process. It takes 10 years to become an ‘overnight success,’ and hopefully I can inspire other young creatives to keep going.”

This is Lizzo’s second project with a streaming platform: She also has a deal with Amazon, which resulted in her recent unscripted series, Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.

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