Dorothy has revealed the details of the band’s next album.
The third full-length effort from the “Flawless” rockers is titled Gifts from the Holy Ghost, and will arrive April 22. It features the previously released single “Rest in Peace,” which currently sits in the top 20 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. A second cut, titled “Black Sheep,” is out today via digital outlets.
Gifts is the follow-up to 2018’s 28 Days in the Valley, which features the singles “Flawless” and “Who Do You Love.”
Dorothy is currently on a U.S. tour, which continues Saturday in Austin, Texas.
Here’s the Gifts from the Holy Ghost track list:
“A Beautiful Life”
“Big Guns”
“Rest in Peace”
“Top of the World”
“Hurricane”
“Close to Me Always”
“Black Sheep”
“Touched By Fire”
“Made to Die”
“Gifts from the Holy Ghost”
The track, which is available now via digital outlets, is the first fresh tune from Billie Eilish‘s brother/collaborator to follow his 2021 debut album, Optimist.
“Naked” arrives ahead of a few exciting weeks for FINNEAS. This Sunday, he and Eilish will perform on the Oscars, where their James Bond theme “No Time to Die” is up for Best Original Song, followed by a trip to the Grammys the next Sunday, where he’ll compete for Best New Artist and several other awards for his contributions to Billie’s nominated work.
Later in April, FINNEAS will play Coachella both as a solo artists and alongside Eilish.
Friday is Elton John‘s 75th birthday, so Billboard asked some fellow stars to pick their favorite songs by the Rocket Man. Here are just a few:
Billy Joel, who toured with Elton on and off for years, picked “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” He tells Billboard, “We used to play it together during the shows while we were on the ‘Face to Face Tours’…I always liked playing that unorthodox chord progression and singing the soaring melody in that song.”
He adds, “I still do it from time to time on my own — but it’s not the same without Elton there, too. Rock on, old friend!”
Lionel Richie picked “Your Song,” telling Billboard, “I fell in love with Elton’s music when I heard this song, and from that point on I was hooked.”
Sting chose “Come Down In Time,” from the album Tumbleweed Connection, which he later recorded his own version of. “I used to play a version of it on guitar when I played folk clubs in the early ’70s…,” he says, calling it a “beautiful song with lovely and mysterious lyrics.”
Jimmy Buffett also chose a song from Tumbleweed Connction, “Country Comfort.” Buffett says he first heard the song and album while working as a reporter for Billboard, and recalls that he was surprised by the record’s country-influenced sound.
“I like the pedal steel guitar on it,” Jimmy notes. “My thought at the time was, ‘Why isn’t anybody here doing this song?’ or ‘Why isn’t in on country radio?'”
Annie Lennox and Neil Diamond both chose “Rocket Man,” with Annie noting, “It’s a full-blown spiritual experience packed into a ‘song!'”
Foreigner launches a new eight-show Las Vegas residency tonight at The Venetian Theatre, and the veteran rockers have just announced that, in conjunction with the concerts, they will be partnering with the American Red Cross to help the organization’s Ukrainian relief efforts.
The band will donate $5,000 from each of its residency performances to the cause, and also will encourage fans attending the shows to donate money to American Red Cross reps who will be at the venue.
“The plight of everyone impacted by this conflict is an international tragedy,” says founding Foreigner guitarist and songwriter Mick Jones. “While we face our own ongoing struggles here at home, I am thrilled at the opportunity to work with the American Red Cross in doing our part in the relief efforts.”
He adds, “Our goal is to offer some solace or small comfort to traumatized people in the region. I could think of nothing more American than a gesture of such brotherly love to those who are feeling so displaced and alone in this world right now.”
The Red Cross is providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainians in need both in their own country and to those who have fled to neighboring countries during Russian’s military invasion. International crisis responders have been deployed by the Red Cross to Poland, Moldova, Hungary and Romania to provide relief. Visit RedCross.org for more info.
Foreigner’s Las Vegas residency show features a full performance of the band’s chart-topping 1981 album, 4, in honor of its 40th anniversary. The rockers also will play many of their other hits during the concert.
Tickets are available for now at Ticketmaster.com, VenetianLasVegas.com, at Venetian Resort box offices or by calling 702-414-9000 or 866-641-7469. The engagement runs through April 9.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts‘ recently announced first-ever acoustic album, Changeup, got its release today.
The album is a 25-track collection featuring new, unplugged versions of songs spanning Joan Jett‘s entire career, from her work with the trailblazing 1970s all-female group The Runaways through to some of her most recent songs with her backing band, The Blackhearts.
Changeup is available now as a digital download, via streaming services and in the immersive audio formats Sony 360 RA and Dolby Atmos. A vinyl version will be released at a later date.
Among the tracks on Changeup are acoustic versions of Jett’s classic early hit “Bad Reputation,” “Androgynous,” her cover of Tommy James and the Shondells‘ “Crimson and Clover,” the Runaways classic “Cherry Bomb,” the Bruce Springsteen-penned “Light of Day,” and a wide variety of deeper cuts.
Prior to Changeup‘s release, Joan released her unplugged renditions of “Bad Reputation” and “(I’m Gonna) Run Away,” a song from Jett and the Blackhearts’ 1981 debut album, I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.
In other news, Joan will be one of the guest performers at acclaimed New Orleans musician Trombone Shorty‘s sixth annual Treme Threauxdown concert, scheduled for April 30 at the Saenger Theatre in the Big Easy. The event, which also will feature Gary Clark Jr., Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Tank and the Bangas, takes place during the first weekend of the 2022 New Orleans Jazz Fest.
Meanwhile, Jett and her band have a series of spring U.S. headlining dates scheduled leading up to the group’s stint on The Stadium Tour, the major U.S. summer trek that also features Def Leppard, Motley Crue and Poison. The tour kicks off June 16 in Atlanta. Visit JoanJett.com for her full itinerary.
Here’s the complete track list of Changeup:
“(I’m Gonna) Run Away”
“You’re Too Possessive”
“Long Time”
“Victim of Circumstance”
“Coney Island Whitefish”
“Love Is Pain”
“Oh Woe Is Me”
“You Drive Me Wild”
“Frustrated “
“Bad Reputation”
“Fake Friends”
“Fresh Start”
“Soulmates to Strangers”
“Make It Back”
“Fragile”
“I Love Playin’ with Fire”
“Cherry Bomb “
“I Want You”
“Crimson and Clover”
“A 100 Feet Away”
“Androgynous”
“You Don’t Know What You’ve Got”
“School Days”
“Good Music”
“Light of Day”
From hot rap collabs to fast-paced movie soundtracks and even gospel ballads, check out this week’s New Music Friday for the culture’s latest & greatest in music.
New Music
— Kid Cudi, “Stars in the Sky“: The Ohio-based rapper delivered an upbeat ballad to accompany the game-based film Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which hits theaters April 8.
— Tory Lanez, “Taken Care“: After dropping a few bar-heavy projects recently, the Canadian artist took it back to his R&B roots in the new romantic-ish track “for the ladies.”
— DDG ft. Gunna, “Elon Musk“: Apparently they’re both “feeling like Elon Musk,” as per the new rap track. And while DDG hinted that he was a planning a trip to space, the rapper surely transported himself to the outer galaxy in the new song and video.
— Erica Campbell, “Positive“: She’s half of the beloved gospel duo Mary Mary, but on her new uplifting track, Erica delivers all alone. It’s the latest single from the singer’s upcoming album, which is expected in September.
— Denzel Curry ft. T-Pain, “Troubles“: T-Pain is known for hopping on tracks and adding his legendary sound and flare, and he did just that on Curry’s new single.
— Nigo, I Know Nigo: The long-awaited album from the Japanese producer may have changed the game. With features from Tyler the Creator, Pusha T and his good friend Pharrell, the 11-track album is more than pleasing to fans so far.
— Latto, 777: With the release of her 16-track second studio album, featuring Lil Durk & Lil Wayne and more, the Atlanta-based artist proves that she isn’t letting up anytime soon.
Tiffany Haddish has announced her second collection of essays, I Curse You with Joy, will be out this November.
The follow-up to 2017’s The Last Black Unicorn, this new book will feature candid personal stories from Haddish’s life and career. They include auditioning for SNL and then becoming the first Black female comedian to host it, reuniting with her estranged father after 20 years, and going viral on Instagram for shaving her head.
“After my first book, I knew I wanted to share more of myself in I Curse You with Joy,” Haddish says in a statement obtained by Rolling Stone. “I want to bring readers on a journey with me that is hahahas and highs and lows, so people know even through the hurt you can spread joy.”
Christina Perri is back with an all-new single, “Evergone,” and she credits Taylor Swift for influencing her new sound.
Speaking to Consequence, the “Jar of Hearts” singer explained that listening to Taylor’s sister albums folklore and evermore reignited her love of making music. “I could only listen to her when I was in my deepest, saddest season,” Christina explained. “I feel so selfish [thinking] she did those records for me.”
The singer announced in November 2020 that her daughter, whom she named Rosie, was stillborn. The devastating news followed a miscarriage Christina suffered at the start of the year.
The singer added, “I love Taylor Swift, but she never was my go-to, listen-to all the time and every day.” She said that changed when folklore was released because, “it felt like it was for me, I’m not gonna lie.” Christina added she would play with “a bunch of LEGOs” while listening to Taylor’s music “over and over and over again while I was healing.”
Because Taylor’s music is what pulled Christina from such a dark moment in her life, she looks forward to being able to “meet her and thank her for that because I feel like somehow she knew I needed that.”
The singer admits her music has always had a “melancholy” twinge, but said listening to Taylor’s albums “inspired me to keep going down the lane I’ve always loved. And it also made me feel like I don’t need to make happy music for people.”
Christina said her new music healed her and will be her way of telling fans everything she went through over the past few years. “I hope it reaches others and helps others,” she said.
“My Boy” made Elvie Shane a star, and its lyrics are personal, but the song’s not the only aspect of his story.
In the tune, the singer shares his message of love for his stepson, embracing the boy as his own though they’re not biologically related. While the story is a true one, Elvie says he doesn’t want to mislead fans into thinking he’s the perfect dad.
Sure, family’s a huge part of his life: “My mom and dad really taught me what it’s like to love someone unconditionally. I think that that’s a huge part of who I am,” he reflects to CMT.
Still, the song “may have painted a better picture of me than who I am at my core,” Elvie admits. “I’m definitely not the poster child for parenting. I just try to do my best.”
Elvie is shedding light on another aspect of his personality in his next radio single, “County Roads,” a track that recalls his early days as a kid in Grayson County, Kentucky.
Thomas Rhett has found a creative way to sign albums for fans!
Just one week shy of the release of his new album, Where We Started,the hit singer is literally taking to the floor in preparation. On Friday, Thomas shared a video of himself in the plank position as he signs multiple copies of the album.
“Thought I would see how many I could sign one-handed planks. Might as well get a work out in,” Thomas struggles to say as he balances on his hands and feet with a pen in hand, autographing a row of albums. “Oh, I’m out of shape,” he quips, hopping from one album cover to the next.
“I’m still sore from this,” he admits in the caption of the humorous video.
The superstar is set to drop Where We Started on April 1. Its lead single, “Slow Down Summer,” is in the top 20 of the country charts. His forthcoming headlining Bring the Bar to You Tour with Parker McCollum and Conner Smith will run from June through October.
