Music

Glass Animals‘ “Heat Waves” has been around since June 2020, but only recently broke into the top five on the Billboard Hot 100, thanks to a late 2021 surge on TikTok. It’s also earned the band a Grammy nomination, the number-one spot on Spotify’s Global Top 50 Chart and so many other accolades that frontman Dave Bayley can barely take them all in.

“I feel like I’m kind of holding on to its coattails at the moment and trying to keep up, so much has been happening,” Dave says of “Heat Waves.” “It’s totally blowing my mind!”

Dave initially wrote “Heat Waves” about missing a close friend who’d died, but he says the song’s success has given it a whole new meaning.

As he explains, “I think seeing people have such an amazing reaction to it…saying that the song really helped them, and…the way people have responded creatively: making remixes, covers, doing amazing things in the digital space, like creating Minecraft castles and even memes…all of that just makes what was a very sad situation so positive.”

And speaking of the digital space, Dave says he really enjoys the TikToks that focus on the “Heat Waves” line “sometimes all I think about is you.”

“I made one about missing my dog while we were on tour. So I’ve seen a few of those now…adorable,” he laughs. “I’ve seen some funny ones about somebody eating a salad and then they look out the window and…they’re looking at some really unhealthy burger joint — that was hilarious.”

Best of all, Dave says, “Will Smith did one the other day! About The Fresh Prince and kind of reminiscing about his time on that show…I love that show! Brilliant! So that was, like, super-special to me.”

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When ABC Audio spoke with Shinedown‘s Brent Smith at the end of March 2020, we asked him if the band’s next album would be called Isolation or Quarantine — then two words the world was just learning about. His response? “I don’t think anybody’s ever gonna wanna talk about this. Ever.”

Two years later, Shinedown will release Planet Zero, a record that could not help but be influenced by what’s been going on in the world since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“It ultimately was inspired by the last two years, that everybody on the planet Earth…what we’ve all dealt with,” Smith now tells ABC Audio.

Remembering back to those early days of the pandemic, Smith says that he and his band mates tried to “crystal-ball-method” writing new music.

“‘Let’s try and write three years from now,'” Smith recalls thinking. “‘No one’s going to want to talk about this, we’re going to want to move on.'”

“We attempted to do that,” he says. “But then everything just kept getting worse.”

The result became Planet Zero, a journey that reflects a world in crisis. For example, the record’s title track, which premiered earlier this week, is a reaction to media coverage of the pandemic.

“You can’t really tell who’s telling you the truth,” Smith says. “With the flip-flopping of everything that was going on, where certain outlets were, like, ‘Well it’s this.’ ‘Well, actually, no, it’s this.’ ‘Well, we thought it was this, but now it’s this.'”

“It’s about telling the truth,” he shares. “That’s what Planet Zero is about. Tell the truth.”

One thing Planet Zero does not do, though, is give up on humanity.

“There’s an empowerment to this album,” Smith says. “There’s a lot of triumph in this album.”

Planet Zero arrives April 22.

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What would you call Taylor Swift’s album evermore? Pop? Folk? Indie?  Well, according to British music fans, it’s “Americana,” and it was the best-selling example of that genre in the U.K. last year.

The U.K.’s Official Charts Company has officially announced evermore as the biggest U.K. Americana Release of the Year in connection with the U.K. Americana Awards, which took place Thursday. 

Evermore was Taylor’s sixth British number-one album, and she’s since gone on to score two more: the (Taylor’s Version) editions of Fearless and Red.  Taylor’s the first and only female artist to have had eight U.K. number-one albums this century.

As for what “Americana” is, the Americana Music Association UK describes it as “the genre that incorporates elements of various roots music styles resulting in a distinctive sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw.”

Other best-selling “Americana” albums in the U.K. this year were releases by Bruce Springsteen, The Lumineers, rock legends Robert Plant, Bob Dylan and Neil Young, and Phoebe Bridgers and Chris Stapleton — the latter two of whom Taylor collaborated with on Red (Taylor’s Version).

In the U.S., evermore is not even nominated in the Grammy category of Best Americana Album. It is, however, up for Album of the Year.

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Papa Roach has premiered the video for the band’s new single, “Stand Up.”

The clip finds Jacoby Shaddix and company rocking out in a warehouse in front of a fisheye lens. You can watch it now streaming on YouTube.

The song “Stand Up” was released last week. Shaddix described the track as being “inspired by the social unrest of marginalized people throughout the world.”

“Stand Up” is expected to be featured on the next Papa Roach album, alongside previously released tunes “Swerve,” “Kill the Noise” and “Dying to Believe.” The record, the follow-up to 2019’s Who Do You Trust?, is expected to arrive later this year.

Papa Roach will hit the road this spring on a U.S. tour alongside Hollywood Undead and Bad Wolves. The trek kicks off March 1 in Anaheim, California.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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After Brothers Osborne’s TJ Osborne came out as gay in early 2021 — becoming the first country artist signed to a major label to do so — the support he received help propel the duo towards releasing their song, “Younger Me.”

A reflection on the challenges of becoming comfortable with yourself, the song touched on TJ’s experience with navigating his sexuality. But the song was just as important to his brother and band mate John, the pair tell ABC’s Nightline in a new interview.

John, who has publicly discussed his battles with depression and anxiety, shared that for him, the song speaks to a bout of mental health challenges in late 2019 that nearly cost him his life.

“What were the lows like for me? I mean, in full disclosure, the lows were suicide,” John explains. “I went through a very serious bout of it at the end of 2019 which actually hospitalized me.”

One of the things that helped him surmount that difficult time, he says, was sharing his experiences, both in his songs and with the Brothers Osborne’s fan base.

“One of the biggest things that I have done for myself over the past year and a half is talk about it,” he reflects.

While there might be different meanings behind “Younger Me,” the two brothers feel an equally deep, personal connection to the song.

“Every line and syllable of that song applies to my story just as much as TJ’s,” John says.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even if it feels like it, you are not alone.

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Doja Cat, Saweetie and Summer Walker are being honored at Billboard‘s 2022 Women in Music Awards in March.

Doja will receive this year’s Powerhouse Award, and Saweetie will recognized as the Game Changer. Both artists are multi-Grammy nominees this year and collaborated on the hit, “Best Friend,” which scored a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song.

Summer Walker will be presented with the Chartbreaker Award. In November, the 25-year-old singer tied a record set by Taylor Swift for the most songs by a female artist simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100.

Walker had 18 tracks on the chart the week of November 14, tying the mark previously set by Swift in September 2019 from her double-platinum album, Lover. All the songs were from Summer’s second studio album, Still Over It, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

Hosted by Ciara on March 2, Billboard‘s 2022 Women in Music Awards will be available for the public to attend — a first in the ceremony’s history. The awards show, which will be streamed, will be held at the YouTube Theater at L.A.’s Hollywood Park. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

Information on how to purchase tickets, and watch the show online, will be shared on the award show’s official website.

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Following a petition created in November demanding that Travis Scott not be allowed to perform at the Coachella festival, a competing petition is asking for the rapper to be added to the 2023 lineup.

Scott fan James Connors launched the Change.org petition. He wrote, “Book Travis for 2023 or have Ye bring him out! After Coachella unfairly removed Travis Scott for Harry Styles, they need to do the right thing and rebook him immediately. Coachella switched Travis and Frank [Ocean] for Harry Styles and Billie Eilish? What kind of message does that send? Fans are demanding refunds and selling their tickets. Coachella needs to fix this asap. We all know Astroworld tragedy wasn’t Travis fault. Let him get back to performing on the biggest stages!”

Connors claims that he has more than 70,000 signatures; however, as of Thursday afternoon, the website listed less than 5,000 signatures.

Scott was originally scheduled to perform at this year’s Coachella, but following the Astroworld festival tragedy, which resulted in 10 deaths and numerous injuries, he was removed from the bill.

Over 63,000 people signed a previous Change.org petition asking Coachella promoter Goldenvoice to drop the Houston MC him from the event. 

“With the recent tragic and unnecessary death at Travis Scott’s Astroworld concert, due to Scott’s own gross negligence and sheer lack of compassion for human life, we ask AEG, [Goldenvoice CEO] Paul Tollett, and Goldenvoice to remove him as performer at all of their festivals,” petition creator Sendero Secreto commented.

After Coachella was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, the annual California festival will return in April with Kanye West among the headliners.

The lineup also features Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, 21 Savage, Ari Lennox, Baby Keem, Big Sean, City Girls, Cordae, Daniel Caesar, Giveon, Lil Baby and many more.

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Two Canadian superstars gushing over each other? We love to see it.

Michael Bublé recently posted a TikTok in which he takes on the Céline Dion Challenge, which requires you to dramatically lip-sync her hit “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” while doing an outfit reveal and having your hair blown around by a fan, hair dryer, leaf blower, or whatever you have available.  Well, not only did fans approve of what Michael did, but so did Céline herself.

As previously reported, Michael lip-synced to the song while standing in front of a hockey goal on skates with a hockey stick and gloves. He then throws them aside and grabs the Stanley Cup, while a guy with a Canadian flag run back and forth behind him and woman throws confetti at him.

Céline re-posted Michael’s video to her Instagram Stories and wrote, “He shoots, he scores! You’re amazing @michaelbuble. Love you! Celine xx.”  Then Michael posted her message to HIS Instagram Stories, and wrote, “I love you more…no you hang up…no you hang up.”

Fun fact: “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” was written by Jim Steinman, who penned the late Meat Loaf‘s iconic hits. Meat Loaf eventually recorded it himself as a duet with singer Marion Raven on his 2006 album Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose.

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