Fresh off his five Grammy wins, Jon Batiste has lined up his acting debut.
Rolling Stone reports the musician has joined the cast of the upcoming film adaptation of The Color Purple. He’ll play Grady, the “marijuana-loving womanizer” husband married to Shug Avery, who’s being portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in the film.
The cast also includes Fantasia Barrino, Aunjanue Ellis, Ciara, H.E.R. and Corey Hawkins. Production is underway in Georgia, with the musical set for a December 2023 release.
Batiste previously won an Oscar in 2020 for the musical score of Pixar’s Soul.
Katy Perry is known to turn heads whenever she attends the Met Gala, and it appears this year will be no different.
The American Idol judge has previously embraced a more outlandish vibe at the high fashion event — most notably as a chandelier with fully functioning lights, as well as a cheeseburger costume — but she assures Page Six that she’s switching things up for this year’s theme, which is “gilded glamour.”
“You know, it would be pretty obvious for me to go play the kooky, crazy, wild, big, fun, colorful card,” she admitted. “This time, I’m going to play a whole different card.”
The “Roar” singer joked, “Maybe I’ll just come in a suit of armor or something… Maybe I’m not even going, because I’m going to send someone the armor and they’re just going to pretend to be me!”
Katy, 37, also hinted she’s embracing a more “sophisticated and streamlined and sexy” wardrobe when hitting the red carpets and scheduled press appearances.
While she has yet to fully divulge what kind of head-turning look she’ll wear for this year’s Met Gala, set for May 2, Katy promised, “I know what the people want, and I know where I came from. I always want to put a good show on.”
“I take fashion risks all the time, but I never have any regrets,” she added.
May’s rendition of “Maybe Baby” will be featured on a bonus disc of the forthcoming deluxe reissue of his second studio album, 1998’s Another World, due out April 22. The song originally appeared on an EP called Retro Rock Special that Brian released under the alter ego T.E. Conway and that was only available at the time to those who purchased Another World.
“I’ve never done a Buddy Holly song, and I did ‘Maybe Baby,'” says Brian, reflecting on the cover. “That song more than probably any other, is the reason that I’m here doing this, playing guitar and being a rock star and being a very fortunate person.”
The “Maybe Baby” video features a montage of fan artwork capturing the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer at various ages, and in various styles.
The paintings and drawings appearing in the clip all come from the new book Another World: The Bri-Art Collection, which celebrates the new reissue and will be released the same day. The book features over 300 pieces created by both professional and amateur artists, and includes a number of images that can be viewed in 3-D with OWL Stereoscopic Viewer designed by May that’s packaged with the volume.
The Another World reissue, which you can pre-ordered now, features a remastered version of the original album, as well as a bevy of previously unreleased remixes, rarities, live tracks and covers.
G-Eazy honors his late mother on her birthday with the new song, “Angel,” out now. The song was written for his mom, Suzanne Olmsted, who passed away last fall. “There will never be enough words to describe the feeling of losing your best friend, or the desire to see them again… I tried to capture that feeling of longing in the lyrics of the song,” G-Eazy said in a statement. “‘Angel’ is so much more than a song or a tribute. My mom was more than just my mom, she was everyone’s mom.” He has since launched The Dandelion Scholarship in honor of Suzanne, which will award $15,000 to a high school senior pursuing an arts degree.
Cardi B is back on social media and teamed with rappers Kay Flock, Dougie B and Bory300 on the new song “Shake It,” which samples Akon’s “Bananza (Belly Dancer).” Cardi went back to her roots and used a drill beat for her explicit verse, which her fans are eating up on social media. The rappers also released the track’s music video.
Just in time for Coachella, Swedish House Mafia dropped their debut studio album, Paradise Again, and also the new dance-crazed track “Heaven Takes You Home,” which features vocals from Connie Constance. The EDM duo will co-headline Coachella with their “Moth to a Flame” collaborator, The Weeknd.
“Working with Corey Taylor was absolutely incredible,” Hyro says of the collaboration. “When I first heard him sing the words of the chorus we created, I got chills.”
“It’s always nice to collaborate with up-and-coming talent, especially when you’re a genuine fan,” Taylor adds. “I was stoked to hop on this song with Hyro the Hero. He embodies what a true artist is meant to do: make you feel something. This song is a great reminder that we’re stronger together when facing our demons.”
The joint track appears on Hyro’s new Kids Against the Monsters EP, which is out now via digital outlets. The four-song collection also includes Hyro’s previously released collaborations with Disturbed‘s David Draiman, HELLYEAH‘s Chad Gray and Fire from the Gods‘ AJ Channer.
Sheryl Crow released her cover of Rolling Stones‘ “Live with Me” Friday, featured on her eponymous documentary and its accompanying soundtrack, which arrives May 6. This new cover comes with a surprise — Sheryl asked Mick Jagger to accompany her on the track ; you can hear him on the blues harmonica.
Santana is back with a brand-new song, too, called “Yo Estare,” which features Fifth Harmony singer and Dancing with the Stars finalist Ally Brooke. The track, written by hitmakers Diane Warren and Claudia Brant, is the Spanish version of his song “Break.” The track is featured on his new album, Blessings and Miracles.
Yungblud has released a new EP called The Funeral, dedicated to his new single of the same name.
The four-track set, which is available now via digital outlets, includes the original tune, as well as an acoustic, demo and live version. You can watch a video for the acoustic performance streaming now on YouTube.
Yungblud first premiered “The Funeral” in March alongside a video featuring appearances by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne.
“The Funeral” is the follow-up single to Yungblud’s 2021 tune, “Fleabag.” His most recent album is 2020’s Weird!
With 10 number-one hits to his name and another — “Never Say Never,” with Lainey Wilson — quickly ascending to the top of the chart, Cole Swindell knows first-hand that songs can change lives.
But when he was making his new album, Stereotype, the power of music took on a whole new meaning for Cole. He got to know his now-girlfriend, Courtney Little, after he asked her to play the role of his love interest in the music video for his song, “Some Habits.”
“That was kind of like our first date,” the singer tells People, admitting that being in an on-screen relationship with someone he didn’t yet know well in person was “pretty awkward.” Still, they hit it off, and went out after filming wrapped.
“And we’ve been together ever since,” Cole continues. “It’s a pretty, pretty wild story, but you never know. They say songs are powerful. I feel like now, after meeting her, I can finally check all the boxes.”
Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett has released a new song called “High Plains Drifter,” the first preview off his upcoming debut solo EP, Portals.
The instrumental piece includes contributions from orchestra conductor Edwin Outwater, who previously collaborated with Metallica for their 2019 S&M2 concerts, as well as Queens of the Stone Age drummer Jon Theodore and members of the LA Philharmonic.
“The music for ‘High Plains Drifter’ initially came from a Flamenco piece I had written,” Hammett explains. “It was a two-and-a-half-minute piece, and I really liked it, but it was one of those riffs that would be hard to integrate into Metallica.”
“I knew I wanted to do something with it, even though it came out spontaneously,” he adds. “I had been sitting outside messing around with a Flamenco acoustic guitar I’d just bought, and it flowed out in the moment. I was determined it would have a life. It would have its moment.”
“High Plans Drifter” is available now via digital outlets. It’s one of four instrumental tracks included on Portals, which will be released in full on Record Store Day, April 23.
Marta Fernandez Jara/Europa Press via Getty Images/ Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage
Michael Bublé revealed some surprising secrets about himself and his career in a tell-all interview — including a duet with Cher that almost came to be.
Speaking to ET Canada, the “I’ll Never Not Love You” singer, who has several major collaborations under his belt, was asked if he’d ever jump into the studio with Madonna and Cher.
“I’m trying to think what that would be [like],” Michael laughed at the thought of all three of them performing together. While that may remain a pipe dream for many, he confirmed fans almost got to hear what a collaboration between him and Cher sounded like.
“I was very close to working with Cher just a little while ago,” he spilled of the “Believe” singer. “There was a Christmas thing or something I was doing and it didn’t happen.”
When discussing other future collaborations, Michael revealed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu is at the top of his wish list.
While that may be surprising for some, it should be noted the Grammy winner is a big Marvel fan and Liu is not only Canadian, he’s hosting the upcoming Juno Awards that Michael’s hosted multiple times. Also, Liu expressed he would love to sing with Michael one day.
The Grammy winner was open to the idea and then took it a step farther, adding, “I would leave my wife [for him].”
Michael also hailed his “wonderful, lifelong friendship” with OneRepublic‘s Ryan Tedder. When working in the studio together, the singer noted he not only walked away “with a hit song,” he left “12 pounds” heavier “because he kept bringing Chik-fil-A to the writing sessions… It is ridiculously good.”
