Music

J-Hope just released his debut album, Jack in the Box, and says this marks a new chapter.

With BTS currently on an extended break, the K-pop artist spoke to Variety about how he plans to establish himself as an independent artist while juggling his responsibilities to his bandmates.

“I’m the first one to release a solo album. I do feel the weight on my shoulders. And I do want to start off successfully for all of our team members as well,” he admitted. “I don’t want to risk or undermine our reputation as a team with BTS. However, overall, I’m very confident and content with the album. I really poured everything into this album and conveyed the messages that I wanted to convey.”

J-Hope also revealed why he wanted “More” to be the first track released off his solo work. The song is moodier and infuses a mixture of rap and hip hop elements, which complements the “overall flow or style” of his upcoming work.

“I wanted to express a little bit of a darker side of me, as J-Hope, as an individual. This song is very powerful,” he explained. “This album is full of this type of particular style, and it definitely reveals a little darker side of me, a different aspect of myself.”

J-Hope also assuages fans’ concerns that BTS’ hiatus is indefinite — much like when One Direction split apart so its members could pursue solo ventures. “We’re not on hiatus. The team is going to remain active,” he assured. 

The pause, he said, is to allow everyone to hone their craft at their own pace so that when it is time to reassemble, BTS “will have a greater synergistic effect as a team.”

Jack in the Box is out now.

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After her trip to “Paradise City,” Carrie Underwood is taking the “Crazy Train” to cover another hard rock artist.

The country star has released a rendition of the classic Ozzy Osbourne power ballad “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” The performance is included on Underwood’s new Apple Music Sessions EP, which was recorded exclusively for the streaming service.

“I have always been an Ozzy Osbourne fan and ‘Mama, I’m Coming Home’ is one of my all-time favorite songs,” Underwood says.

“I’ve always thought it felt a lot like a country song, and I’ve wanted to cover it for a long time,” she adds. “This was a really fun opportunity for me to be able to finally make that happen. I hope we’ve done Ozzy proud and I hope he likes it.”

As previously reported, Axl Rose joined Underwood for performances of the Guns N’ Roses classics “Paradise City” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine” during her set at the Stagecoach festival in April. She then joined all of GN’R to sing both songs during the band’s concert in London earlier this month.

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The Killers and Phoebe Bridgers performed their duet “Runaway Horses” live for the first time Thursday at the Czech Republic’s Colours of Ostrava festival.

Footage of the onstage collaboration, which was posted to The Killers’ TikTok, shows frontman Brandon Flowers singing along with Bridgers amid heavy rainfall, adding even more emotional weight to the song.

“Runaway Horses” appears on The Killers’ latest album, Pressure Machine, which was released last August.

The Killers are currently on tour in Europe and will launch a North American tour in August They’re also planning to release a new single called “Boy,” which they debuted live earlier this month.

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Just two days after officially announcing her next album, Subject to Change, Kelsea Ballerini is off to the races — er, the rodeo — with a new song.

“Love is a Cowboy” is a tender ballad about the wild ride that is falling in love, comparing the euphoric freedom and the potential of getting hurt to a ride with a free-wheeling cowboy.

“Makes your heart feel like wild horses that you chase / Trying to catch it’s like trying to tame the Wild, Wild West / And when I’m with him, it’s like ropin’ the wind / Love is a cowboy,” Kelsea sings in the chorus.

As she was teasing her new album, Kelsea promised a return to more traditional country sounds; She makes good on that promise in her latest song, which features ample Western imagery, vivid lyrical storytelling and even a fiddle line.

In its subject matter, “Love is a Cowboy” has some common ground with “Heartfirst,” Kelsea’s lead single off Subject to Change. Both songs embrace love with both arms while also acknowledging the fact that falling in love means letting go of control.

Subject to Change is due out September 23. It’s available for pre-order now.

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What happens when you mix Broadway with Olivia Rodrigo? You get Michael Bublé‘s cover of “Drivers License.”

The Grammy winner covered Olivia’s debut single for BBC on Friday and was backed by the BBC Concert Orchestra for his inspiring rendition. With his smooth vocals and an entire orchestra complete with strings, horns, wind instruments and drums, Michael transforms the heartbreak anthem into a full-blown ballad fit for the Great White Way.

The “Sway” singer did modify a few lyrics, such as saying the object of his affection was hanging around “that blonde guy” that is “so much smarter than me” — instead of “that blonde girl” that is “so much older than me.”

In addition, Michael infused his own emotions when delivering his cover, which further amplified Olivia’s broken-hearted lyrics — especially during the song’s iconic bridge.

“Olivia is such a talented singer and songwriter. Her song was stuck in my head on repeat. So when I had the chance to do a cover live at the @BBC, I knew it had to be #driverslicense,” Michael expressed on Instagram when first announcing his cover.

The Canadian crooner is currently on his Higher Tour. Tickets are on sale now on his official website.

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The Queen of Da Souf, Latto, dropped her latest song “P***y” on Friday, and its message to misogynists is loud and clear. 

The powerful new track takes aim at any and all men who have a say in women’s sexuality and their reproductive system. In response to the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, the song arrives at a time when women all over the country are losing their rights to make choices about their reproductive health. 

Sampling Betty Wright‘s 1968 single “Girls Can’t Do What the Guys Do,” Latto raps in the first verse, “Girls, you can do what the guys do, and still be a lady.”

She continues, “N***a, who you is to clock p***y? Could barely pop p***y / N****s kiss and tell that s**t is not p***y.”

“‘Bout demand my respect, watch him pay me it’s crazy / Y’all sexualize lesbians but y’all entertain me,” and says “I ain’t your property, b***h, get mad and call me a b***h,” raps Latto.

Another notable line in the song reads, “My ovaries ain’t for you to bully, y’all the reason we make music teachin’ b*****s how to use it.” 

Upon sharing a teaser of the new track, Latto responded to fans who said she’s using the moment to profit off of women’s rights violations. 

“using serious issues to promote your song is wild…,” one user said, to which Latto tweeted back, “Orrrr I took my frustrations to the booth like a RAPPER & using my platform to spread awareness.”

“Y’all complain about female rap lacking substance but then say I’m ‘capitalizing’ when I speak on s**t help me understand???,” Latto said. 

“P***y” follows the raps star’s Best New Artist win at the 2022 BET Awards.

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Yungblud, Royal & the Serpent and Dead Sara are among the guests featured on Demi Lovato‘s upcoming new album, Holy F***.

The record finds the pop star going in more of a rock-influenced, guitar-driven direction, as heard in the previously released singles “Skin of My Teeth” and “Substance.”

Yungblud is featured on the album’s opening track, “Freak,” while Royal and Dead Sara guest on songs titled “Eat Me” and “Help Me,” respectively.

Holy F*** is due out August 19.

Royal and Dead Sara are also opening select dates on Lovato’s upcoming U.S. tour, kicking off in September.

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Are you ready for new Lizzo? Her fourth studio album, Special, is finally here, and it’s making major waves across social media.

“Special is here,” the Grammy winner raved on Instagram while sharing a silly outtake from her album cover shoot. 

Fans are hailing Special as a much-needed ray of sunshine because of its positive messaging and funk-like elements. A notable track is Lizzo’s retro-sounding love song “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready),” which takes fans into her mind when she began falling in love with her current boyfriend, Myke Wright. The song explores Lizzo’s self-doubt as she questions whether she is ready for a relationship.

“You found me, I was fed up with the fantasy/ What you wanna do? Think I’m ready/ Think you like that, think you like that/ When I clap back like that, let me know,” she chants in the dance track.

Lizzo further explores her romantic journey in the song “Coldplay,” which features Coldplay’s Chris Martin.  The sweet song is about all the little moments that make her feel loved.

Lizzo slows things down in her vulnerable track ”Naked,” which is about her finding and enjoying intimacy with her partner. “I’m naked/ Love how you look at me naked/ Come make this body feel sacred/ I’m a big girl, can you take it?” she sensually croons in the soulful track.

Special is also packed with feel-good songs that encourage listeners to feel good about themselves. “The Sign” is the Grammy winner’s pandemic track about how she bounced back from a heartbreak and is feeling more confident than ever. “I keep on writin’ these songs/ ‘Cause he keep on doin’ me wrong/ And my girls keep singin’ along/ I guess that I’m not alone,” she sings.

Special is now available across all major platforms.

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It appears that the mystery of Nita Strauss‘ new gig has been solved.

After announcing earlier this week that she was leaving her position as Alice Cooper‘s guitarist ahead of the shock-rocker’s upcoming fall tour, Strauss appeared on Thursday’s episode of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! alongside Demi Lovato.

Strauss joined Lovato to perform their new song called “Substance,” which will appear on the pop star’s upcoming rock-influenced, guitar-driven album Holy F***, due out August 19.

Strauss has not yet publicly commented on her new gig with Lovato, though she appeared to reference it Friday in an Instagram Story featuring a video of the classic Monty Python catchphrase, “And now for something completely different.”

When initially announcing her departure from Cooper’s band, Strauss shared that her “touring year is still VERY full,” suggesting that she’ll also join Lovato’s band on the road. That has yet to be confirmed.

Outside of her work in Cooper’s band, Strauss released her debut solo album, the instrumental Controlled Chaos, in 2018. Her 2021 solo single “Dead Inside,” which features vocals by Disturbed‘s David Draiman, became the first song by a solo female artist to hit #1 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in 32 years.

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