Music

In addition to breaking multiple Billboard records, Foo Fighters‘ “Love Dies Young” has the honor of soundtracking the credits to the band’s new horror movie, Studio 666. As frontman Dave Grohl tells ABC Audio, the track was inspired by one of his personal favorite groups.

“I was basically trying to write a melody that was, like, a hard rock version of an ABBA song,” Grohl explains. “I think that’s as close as I’m ever gonna get.”

Grohl describes “Love Dies Young” as a “tortured love song,” with an ABBA-esque “structure” and “melody.”

“And the beat, it’s got that disco beat to it,” he says. “It’s basically an ABBA song with huge guitars.”

As for the track’s chugging riff, guitarist Chris Shiflett credits that to some goofing off in the studio.

W”e started doing that riff kind of as a joke, if I remember correctly,” Shiflett says. “We were sitting there tracking guitars, going into the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ thing or whatever, and then we were, like, ‘Oh wait, that’s kinda good!'”

Grohl adds, “If everyone’s in a good mood and laughing when you listen to something back, it’s probably a good idea to keep it.”

“Love Dies Young” is the current single off Foo Fighters’ 2021 album, Medicine at Midnight.

Studio 666, meanwhile, is in theaters now. It’ll be available on-demand beginning March 18.

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Jack White is urging the three major global record labels — Sony, Universal and Warner — to rebuild their own vinyl pressing plants.

The White Stripes/Dead Weather/Raconteurs rocker’s plea comes as vinyl production turnaround time has slowed immensely amid the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing bands to delay their album releases.

“Vinyl records have exploded in the last decade, and their demand is incredibly high,” White says in a video. “A small punk band can’t get their record for eight to 10 months. I now ask the major labels…to finally build your own pressing plants again.”

He adds, “As the MC5 once said, ‘You’re either part of the problem, or part of the solution.”

In an accompanying written statement, White shares how he founded Detroit’s Third Man Pressing plant in 2017 for “anyone and everyone who walks in the door and wants to press a record.”

“In the last year, I’ve doubled down and invested in even more record presses, more employees to run them, and more shifts to try and accommodate the insane growing demand for vinyl product,” White says.

While Third Man may “benefit in the short term” from being one of the few operational pressing plants, White writes, “In the long term it ultimately hurts everyone involved in the vinyl ecosystem given the bottlenecks and delays.”

“Something needs to be done,” White says. That something, he feels, is for Sony, Universal and Warner to “help alleviate this unfortunate backlog and start dedicating resources to build pressing plants themselves.”

“The issue is not big labels versus small labels, it’s not independent versus mainstream, it’s not even punk versus pop,” White writes. “The issue is, simply, we have ALL created an environment where the unprecedented demand for vinyl records cannot keep up with the rudimentary supply of them.”

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While Dua Lipa‘s “Levitating” recently made headlines for inspiring not one but two copyright-infringement lawsuits, it shows no sign of slowing down on the Billboard Hot 100. In fact, it’s just broken a longstanding record.

“Levitating” has just racked up its 70th week on the Billboard Hot 100, which is the most ever for a song by a female artist. The previous record of 69 weeks was sent in 1998 by LeAnn Rimes‘ “How Do I Live.” “Levitating” spent 41 of its weeks on the chart in the top 10 — again, the most ever for a song by a woman.

In the history of the Hot 100, which dates back to 1958, only four other songs have spent at least 70 weeks on the chart. Leading the pack is The Weeknd‘s “Blinding Lights” with 90 weeks, followed by “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons with 87 weeks, “Sail” by AWOLNATION with 79 weeks, and “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz with 76 weeks.

A couple of songs that are currently on the chart might just hang around long enough to challenge those numbers, though: Glass Animals‘ “Heat Waves,” which is number one for a second week, has spent 60 weeks on the Hot 100 so far, while The Weeknd and Ariana Grande‘s “Save Your Tears” has been on the chart for 62 weeks. It’s currently #17.

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Last year, Madonna threatened singer/rapper Tory Lanez over what she called his “illegal” usage of her song “Into the Groove” in his track “Pluto’s Comet.”  Now, Lanez is under fire for his alleged use of another ’80s classic by an iconic pop star.

Variety reports that the estate of the late George Michael is trying to get Lanez’s song “Enchanted Waterfall” taken down from digital streaming services for what it says is the unauthorized sampling of George’s 1985 smash “Careless Whisper.” 

A statement obtained by Variety states that the “requested permission for this use had been declined in June 2021,” noting that the estate is taking “immediate action…to prevent further exploitation,” adding, “We will not tolerate any unauthorized use of any songs within the catalogues of George Michael and/or Andrew Ridgeley.” George and his Wham! bandmate Ridgeley co-wrote “Careless Whisper.”

Variety notes that the song was removed from Spotify earlier this year, but it’s still up on YouTube and Apple Music.

Lanez already has enough legal problems: He’s been accused of shooting rap superstar Megan Thee Stallion in the feet in 2020. The next hearing in his trial is scheduled for April 5.

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Though rumors about the fate of the daytime talk show The Real have been circulating since last week, show host Loni Love says there is no official word yet. 

In an Instagram post on Sunday, the comedian solicited grace for more than 100 crew members who will be affected if the show does come to an end. 

“It’s been a busy few days but I got a call from the studio…no official decision has been made about #TheReal …I will be ok but please give grace to the 150 crew members this may affect,” Loni wrote. “We will finish Season 8 and wait for official word.”

The Real first aired on local Fox stations back in the summer of 2013, and then became a nationally syndicated show later that year; it has gone on to acquire NAACP and Emmy awards. The show originally featured current hosts Jeannie Mai, Adrienne Bailon and Loni Love, along with Tamar Braxton, who exited in 2016, and Tamera Mowry, who left in 2020. 

If The Real is canceled, it will be added to the list of recently canceled talk shows hosted by people of color, including Wendy and Nick Cannon.

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Luke Combs may have new music coming soon. 

In his response to a fan inquiring about his new album on Twitter, Luke provided insight into at where he’s at in the process, hinting that fans may have it sooner rather than later. 

“How are those final touches on LC3 coming along, @lukecombs?” the fan questioned. 

“We’re right at the finish line on ’em,” Luke replied. “I’m real proud of these tunes. Can’t wait for y’all to hear ’em.” 

The hitmaker is currently working on the follow up to his wildly successful 2019 sophomore album, What You See Is What You Get, which was named Album of the Year at the 2020 CMA Awards and ACM Awards. 

Luke’s current single, “Doin’ This,” is the first track released off his upcoming third studio album. It’s climbing its way through the top 20 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.

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Pearl Jam has announced the rescheduled dates for the band’s North American tour.

The outing, which was originally scheduled to kick off in March 2020 before being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will now launch May 3 in San Diego, and will wrap up September 22 in Denver. The itinerary includes an additional four stops along with the rescheduled shows.

Pluralone, the solo project of ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist and current PJ touring member Josh Klinghoffer, will be the tour’s opener.

Tickets will go on sale Tuesday, March 29, at 10 a.m. local time, exclusively via Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan platform. Registration is open now through Sunday, March 27, at 10 a.m. PT.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit PearlJam.com.

Pearl Jam will be touring in support of their 2020 album, Gigaton.

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Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was featured in a new interview segment on CBS Sunday Morning over the weekend, and he shared some interesting news about new music that he and Mick Jagger have been working on for their band’s next album.

Richards revealed that he, Jagger and new Stones touring drummer Steve Jordan had been collaborating the previous week and “came up with some eight or nine new pieces of material, which is overwhelming by our standards!”

Jordan, who stepped in for longtime Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts when Watts became terminally ill last year, also plays in Richards’ solo band, The X-Pensive Winos, and was Keith’s main songwriting partner on the guitar legend’s three solo albums.

Richards noted about Jordan’s involvement in The Stones, “It’ll be interesting to find out the dynamics now that Steve’s in the band — it’s sort of metamorphosing into something else.”

Keith also discussed the passing of Watts, who played with The Rolling Stones for 58 years before his death at age 80 in August 2021.

“I think he’d been trying to keep [his illness] under the wraps for a while last year, so that [his death] came…as quite a shock,” Richards noted. “He had had a round with cancer a year or two before. And he beat that one. He just got hit with a double-whammy, bless his soul.”

As for whether the band discussed possibly not touring after Watts died, Keith said, “For a brief moment. I think Charlie wanted us to go on the road; he wanted the tour to happen. That’s my feeling, the last time I spoke to him.”

As reported earlier today, The Rolling Stones will launch a 60th anniversary tour with a European leg that kicks off June 1 in Madrid.

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Kristin Chenoweth is sharing the advice she gave Ariana Grande ahead of her role as Glinda in the Wicked movie adaptation.


At Sunday’s Critics Choice Awards red carpet, Kristin — who originated the role of Glinda on Broadway — told Entertainment Tonight that she gave Ariana her blessing to make the character her own.


“I told her not to think about me. To find her own Glinda,” the actress said. “We talk about it, and we talk about life a lot.”


“I have known Grande since she was 10, so Ariana, I am very very proud of you. She knows,” Kristin added. “We talk every day and it’s an honor and a pleasure to pass the wand and the crown to you.”

Fans of Ariana know that she had long dreamed of playing Glinda. She tweeted nearly a decade ago, in December 2011, “Loved seeing Wicked again… amazing production! Made me realize again how badly I want 2 play Glinda at some point in my life!”

Cynthia Erivo is starring as Elphaba — the role originated by Idina Menzel — in the upcoming Jon M. Chu-directed adaptation.

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