Music

If you happened to be at Pennsylvania’s Schuylkill County Fair 25 years ago, you may have seen Halestorm‘s first-ever show.

In an Instagram post, frontwoman Lzzy Hale reflects on that debut performance, which took place August 9, 1997.

“It was just lil bro [drummer Arejay Hale] and I at the time,” Lzzy recalls. “We named the band Halestorm on the way to the gig, and stepped nervously on stage.”

“Well, I was nervous,” she adds. “I don’t think Arejay has ever been nervous in his life!”

During the set, the Hale siblings played a song called “Love Is Power,” which was the first track they’d ever written together.

“We were shaking with excitement after our performance, and to our surprise we even took home the 3rd place trophy!” Lzzy shares. “On the ride home and all throughout our family dinner that night, lil bro and I planned our mission.”

We’d like to see how many Grammys the first- and second-place winners have.

Halestorm is currently on tour in support of the band’s latest album, this year’s Back from the Dead.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

What do Kanye West, Lil Uzi Vert and Steve Lacy have in common? Aside from being musicians, the men now have the same tattoo. A picture shared on Lacy’s Instagram page shows the three posing together with their new ink.

“we here forever technically,” read the caption, which also happens to be the words L.A. artist Mez tatted on their left arms.

As of now, there is currently no musical collaboration between Kanye, Uzi and Lacy, but who knows? This may be the first step to a joint project.   

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

In a newly released song, DaBaby is talking about the situations that helped him develop “Tough Skin.”

“Growin’ up in that struggle made me have tough skin,” he raps on the track, also attributing his resilience to his big brother, uncles and mother. Despite the hard times, he learned to “turn nothin’ to somethin'” and defend himself, as the aforementioned men in his family taught him how to shoot.

“Tough Skin” is the first single off DaBaby’s upcoming project, the sequel to his debut album, Baby on Baby. It’s paired with an accompanying visual, which sees him depict his childhood days and includes a crucifixion scene.

“Let’s get this ‘Baby on Baby 2’ shit started,” DaBaby wrote while promoting the visual on Instagram. “Don’t trip, it’s just the warm up.”

The exact date for Baby on Baby 2 has not been announced, but the rapper previously told the Full Send podcast he was pushing to drop the project this month.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Looks like Joe Alwyn is Taylor Swift‘s “End Game.” 

US Weekly caught up with a source who is allegedly close with the couple, who dished on what’s going on in their ultra-private relationship.

“They love dividing their time between England and Nashville,” the source spilled. “That’s the way they both like it.”

Taylor was romantically linked to the Conversations With Friends star back in 2016, but the two have rarely been spotted together in public, let alone spoken of one another in interviews.

“Once Taylor and Joe started dating it became apparent to both of them that they were happiest doing their own thing in a low-key way,” the insider explained about why the two continue to keep things quiet. The source added that the couple has been able to do that because they keep their romantic lives and careers separate.

“That was a big reason why they bonded,” the informant added, noting this practice has strengthened their relationship. Because of this arrangement, the source says the two are “wildly happy together and are excited about their future together.”

But because the two are so secretive, their relationship status has been the subject of many rumors.

Last month, there was speculation the two were engaged — but neither Joe nor Taylor have confirmed the reports. In addition, the Grammy winner has not been seen wearing an engagement ring on her left hand.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Mumford & Sons frontman Marcus Mumford has shared that he was sexually abused at age 6.

In a new interview with GQ about his upcoming debut solo album, (self-titled), Mumford reveals that the record’s opening track, “Cannibal,” is about that traumatic experience.

“Like lots of people — and I’m learning more and more about this as we go and as I play it to people — I was sexually abused as a child,” Mumford says. “Not by family and not in the church, which might be some people’s assumption. But I hadn’t told anyone about it for 30 years.”

Writing “Cannibal” allowed Mumford to talk about what happened with his mother. He remembers a few days after he first played it for her, she asked him what the song was about.

“I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s about the abuse thing,'” Mumford recalls. “She was like, ‘What are you talking about?'”

He continues, “Once we get through the trauma of that moment for her, as a mother, hearing that and her wanting to protect and help and all that stuff, it’s objectively f***ing hilarious to tell your mom about your abuse in a f***ing song, of all things.”

That conversation with his mother then became the inspiration for the second (self-titled) song, “Grace.”

(self-titled) will be released September 16.

If you are in crisis or know someone in crisis, contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Cole Swindell has said that he hopes to find a way to involve ‘90s country star Jo Dee Messina in his new song, “She Had Me at Heads Carolina.” After all, the single pays a pretty big homage to her 1996 country hit, “Heads Carolina.”

As he gears up to put out the song’s music video this week, it looks like Cole just might have achieved his goal. A teaser for the video shows scenes of a night out, and there’s a familiar face tending bar in the clip: that’s right, it’s Jo Dee herself.

“THURSDAY,” Cole wrote in the caption for the teaser. “‘90s Country Fans. Let’s Go!”

Back when he put the song out, Cole said that he hoped the ‘90s great would be able to participate in “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” but he didn’t specify how he hoped to make that happen.

“I hope somebody I get to sing it — whether I do something, I want her to be involved, because we wouldn’t have the song without the writers and without her making it what it is,” he explained at the time.

At country radio, Cole’s updated version of the ‘90s hit is his fastest-rising single to date. Just eight weeks after being released, “She Had Me at Heads Caroline” is already inside the top-10 on the country chart.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Simon Cowell is dishing a few secrets about X Factor, a show that produced stars like Harry Styles and Camila Cabello.

Speaking with Extra, the mega producer explained that he is the reason Camila was able to audition. The “Havana” singer made a name for herself on the show’s second season as a member of Fifth Harmony, but Cowell said his first meeting with her wasn’t a happy one.

“I happened to go backstage and I saw her crying, asked her why she was crying and she said, you know, it was too late for her to audition because she was a reserve, whatever that meant,” he recalled. “She wasn’t really supposed to audition.”

Cowell must have seen something in Camila, because he personally intervened on her behalf. “I said to her, ‘Well, I’m one of the producers, you just got an audition,'” he revealed.

He said that is a clear example of why he loves doing reality competition shows.

“Seeing Camilla today or Harry Styles, Leona Lewis, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, there’s been so many times luckily where I’ve been there at that moment where their career is going to go in a completely different direction,” said Cowell. “If we didn’t have those things happen, then there’d be no point making the shows.”

Speaking of Harry, the producer said he saw greatness in the “Adore You” singer during his first audition. “I remember his audition like it was yesterday. He was very charming, he was very confident, he was very funny, and I liked him,” Cowell said. “I just thought there’s something … special about him … You never forget those moments.”

He added discovering some of the world’s biggest stars and helping them achieve success is what he’s “most proud of,” which he says adds more depth to his shows.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Every month, MTV Push connects the world to artists via live performances, interviews and other forms of content. This go-round, the platform is bringing fans closer to Saucy Santana via an exclusive chat that sees him discussing everything from his key to success to his single “Booty.”

Santana started his career as a makeup artist for City Girls and went on to release his first song in 2019. He followed up with a few more releases, breaking through to the mainstream with the help of the viral hit “Walk.” TikTok fans have also assisted in the success of “Material Girl,” which most recently resulted in him sharing a stage and remix with Madonna.

Saucy attributes his wins to simply embracing who he is. “It’s so easy to wake up every day and be yourself, that’s you, that’s the only person you know how to be,” he told MTV Push, “and that’s how I’ve gotten this far being Santana the only way I know how.”

Santana has been on a run, performing at shows like Summer Walker‘s New York concert and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Commonly on his set list is his recently released song, “Booty,” a Latto collaboration that serves different purposes.

“Booty is as loud as you can, driving around in the car,” he said of the song. “Booty is getting ready for the club, Booty is a work out, a lot of people I’m seeing are working out to the song … it’s a cardio record!”

Saucy Santana’s full interview can be found here.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.