Music

Ryan Hurd is following up his chart-topping Maren Morris duet, “Chasing After You,” with another new track off his Pelago album called “What Are You Drinking.”

The singer shared the music video for the song this week, setting its introspective lyrics against shadowy footage of himself playing piano in a dark basement. As the song plays out, the basement starts to flood, the light coming narrowly through windows as the song hits its emotional peak.

“Are you raisin’ up champagne? Is there a tear in your Tanqueray?” Ryan sings in the chorus of his new song. “Are you heartbroke? Are you doin’ fine? / I wanna know, what are you drinking tonight?”

You can hear “What Are You Drinking” live at a show near you: Ryan just kicked off his headlining Tour de Pelago. Earlier this month, the singer also stopped by ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! to perform another track off the album, “Pass it On.”

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The war of words continue between sisters Britney Spears and Jamie Lynn Spears.  After the “Toxic” singer sent a cease-and-desist letter over her baby sister’s new book, Things I Should Have Said, and slammed her on Instagram — Jamie Lynn has responded via her lawyer.

In a letter TMZ obtained to Britney’s attorney, Mathew Rosengart, Attorney Brian Freedman condemns the pop singer’s actions.  He also called out Attorney Rosengart for saying his client was “going to take the ‘high road.'”

Referencing Britney’s vitriolic Instagram post, where she stated she should have “slapped” Jamie Lynn, Freedman states, “To be clear, social media posts that include cyber bullying which cause death threats to Jamie Lynn and her family, is neither the ‘high road,’ nor anything that will be tolerated.”

“It was also disappointing to see your Letter plastered all over the media,” he continued, calling the letter “insensitive.” 

Freedman encouraged Britney to read the memoir, stating, “Jamie Lynn is a member of the Spears family. Your Letter ignores a critical fact: Jamie Lynn has suffered through her own experiences, and her own trauma. Had you taken the time to read the Book prior to sending your Letter, you would know that the Book is not about Britney, but instead about Jamie Lynn’s own experiences growing up in the same family and describing what life for her was like as part of that family.” He attests the book depicts the Grammy winner in a positive light.

“Jamie Lynn hopes that there will be no further postings or inflammatory letters being sent to the media,” Freedman closes, “Jamie Lynn supports Britney and as always, she hopes she can get the healing, peace, and freedom she rightfully deserves.”

Britney has not reacted to the letter.  Attorney Rosengart did not respond to ABC Audio’s request for comment.

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After teasing it for months on TikTok, Charlie Puth has finally released his new song and video “Light Switch.”

“On the songwriting level, it was really cool to share this song with the fans while I made it, so they felt like they were involved at the very beginning of the song, like they almost wrote it with me,” Charlie says of the new track.

The song is the first single from Charlie’s upcoming album CHARLIE, which will be his third full-length release.  In an installment of one of Vogue‘s “24 Hours With” series, Charlie notes that the album is his most personal yet.

“I’ve never had a chance to put out music that is truly me,” he explains. “And every song on this album is my personality with some melody attached to it.”

As for the “Light Switch” music video, the Grammy nominee portrays a man who sinks into a deep funk after losing the love of his life.  He is thrust into action after an ad for Light Switch Aerobics flashes on the television and the instructor puts him through self-care boot camp.  The hilarious video sees Charlie undergoing a much-needed makeover, shedding his beer belly and reclaiming his confidence.

But there’s a twist — once Charlie is back in fighting shape and tries to win back his love, he discovers she’s already fallen for someone else.  

The infectious single is about being unable to walk away from someone who strings him along like a plaything.

“You turn me on like a light switch/ When you’re movin’ your body around and around/ You got me in a tight grip/ You know how to just make me want you, baby,” he sings in the upbeat chorus.

“Light Switch” is available to stream and purchase now.

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Snoop Dogg is doing double duty on Super Bowl Sunday.

In addition to performing in the halftime show with Dr. Dre. Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige, the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” rapper is also hosting Puppy Bowl XVIII (18) with Martha Stewart.

Snoop and Martha will also be the coaches for Team Fluff and Team Ruff, according to Entertainment Weekly. The Puppy Bowl debuts on Discovery+ and Animal Planet on Sunday, February 13 at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. It is designed to raise awareness for pet adoption with a football game featuring 118 dogs from 67 shelters across the country.

As previously reported, Pepsi dropped a cinematic trailer for the Super Bowl halftime show on Tuesday. Directed by Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray, the trailer is titled “The Call,” and it features four of the halftime headliners — Snoop, Eminem, Blige and Lamar — all receiving a mysterious call that makes them rush off by plane, car and bicycle to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the site of the big game.

As each performer appears in the trailer, we hear one of their hits: “Rap God,” “The Next Episode,” “Family Affair” and “HUMBLE.”

The call comes from the fifth headliner, Dr. Dre, introduced by his hit “Still D.R.E.” He meets the other performers outside the stadium as we hear the classic “California Love” Dre produced for Tupac. 

“Each time I collaborate with Dre, it seems to mark an important moment in entertainment history, from projects like Friday, Set It Off, Straight Outta Compton, to now the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI (56) Halftime Show,” Gray said in a statement. “I consider it an honor and privilege to authentically build and create this moment with five of the most legendary artists in music history.”

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If you’ve ever thought that Tom Morello looks like someone from Jersey Shore, then at least one other person agrees with you.

The Rage Against the Machine guitarist was apparently mistaken for a cast member from the infamous MTV reality series when he happened upon one of those celebrity home tours that frequent Hollywood and Los Angeles.

“The driver says on the bullhorn ‘Hey I recognize you from somewhere!'” Morello recalls in a tweet, adding that the driver then asked if he was “one of those Jersey Shore guys.”

“I reply, ‘Absolutely,'” Morello shares. “And everyone in the van took a photo.”

That then begs the question: which Jersey Shore cast member did the driver think Morello was? Pauly D? The Situation? Truly, a great mystery for our time.

While his 2022 is off to an unexpected start, Morello was busy in 2021, releasing two solo albums: The Atlas Underground Fire, and The Atlas Underground Flood.

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Kelsea Ballerini continues to find success with her third album, kelsea: The project has officially notched RIAA Gold certification, with over 500,000 units sold.

She put out that project, and its introspective, reimagined version, ballerini, in 2020. The track list includes her current single, a duet with Kenny Chesney called “half of my hometown,” which is currently approaching country radio’s Top 5.

Meanwhile, it’s been a year of new experiences and ventures for the singer. She put out her first-ever book of poetry, Feel Your Way Through, in late 2021.

Next up, she’s staying in the literary world for a while, as she co-stars in the audio book of Dolly Parton’s upcoming novel, Run Rose Run. She plays the role of protagonist AnnieLee Keyes. You can hear Kelsea’s voice when the audio book — as well as its written component — arrives on March 7.

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Nathaniel Rateliff and Patti Smith will be performing at the 2022 Tibet House US virtual benefit concert, taking place on March 3.

The bill also includes Phish‘s Trey Anastasio, Laurie Anderson, and country artists Jason Isbell and Margo Price, as well as actor Keanu Reeves, who you may remember played bass in the ’90s alt rock band Dogstar.

Additionally, Iggy Pop and New Order‘s Bernard Sumner will be providing “special greetings” during the event.

Influential composer Philip Glass is the event’s artistic director.

Now in its 35th year, the annual concert raises money for Tibet House US, a non-profit organization that works to preserve Tibetan culture. It’s usually held in-person at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, but is taking place online for the second straight year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can watch the 2022 Tibet House US concert via the streaming platform Mandolin. For more info, visit Mandolin.com.

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It’s been over two years since The Chainsmokers put out new music and, after bowing out of social media in 2020 to give their new album their full attention, they confirmed the news fans have been dying to hear… TCS4 is done.

“It’s finally done now. Thank you for giving us time to rediscover ourselves, our music, and our love for why we do this. The truth is, we could have only made this album now. And we can’t wait to share it with you,” Alex Pall and Drew Taggart wrote in a joint statement on Thursday.

The message came in a multi-part chain that saw the Grammy winners explaining why they took their time developing their fourth studio album, which they admit they “wish we could have made… four years ago.”

As for why the group retreated from the public eye in 2019, they said they “felt a little bit lost” at the time.  “We decided we needed to take some time to reflect and rediscover what made us most excited about this project,” they shared in a follow up tweet. “We escaped to Hawaii with some friends and gave ourselves permission to not create anything at all if we didn’t want to.”

The Chainsmokers say they lasted four days before they felt the urge to make music and produced a song fans will hear “soon.”  They said the track made them fall back in love with music, adding, “We hadn’t felt that way since the beginning of our career” and that they created “the backbone of this album” while in Hawaii.

They said they then spent the next two years “picking apart every song” and making “them the absolute best they could possibly be.”  An announcement regarding the album’s name and release date is forthcoming.

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While some people started the new year with a new romance, others may have experienced the opposite — and one company has quite the job offer for those brokenhearted individuals.

FinanceBuzz is looking for their new DJ of Heartache, who will be tasked to indulge in sad, breakup tunes for 24 hours.  In return, they’re offering a $1,100 salary.  So, what’s the minimum requirement?  All applicants must be freshly single.

“Breakups are never easy, and they can be costly! We’ll pay the hired DJ of Heartache $1,100 to listen to some of the most infamous heartbreak hits, then categorize them into 5 new playlists to become the soundtrack of every breakup phase,” the job posting reads. “We’re looking to ease both the emotional and monetary pain for one heartbroken soul.”

Among the 24-hours worth of “infamous heartbreak hits” are tracks from both Adele and Taylor Swift. 

FinanceBuzz explains they arrived at the $1,100 salary because, statistically, that’s how much a person typically spends before getting back on their feet.  “Since it’s clear relationship splits have a breakup bill… we’ll help cover the costs associated with their breakup,” they generously offer.

The playlists the so-called DJ of Heartbreak must create will reflect the five stages of breakup — which borrows elements of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, relapse, depression and acceptance.  Adds FinanceBuzz of the latter stage, “We like to call it moving on!”

The company will accept applications on its website until midnight EST on January 31.  Those interested in applying must be over the age of 18 and be a U.S. resident.  They will pick their lucky new employee on February 2.

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Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin are headlining the 2022 Upheaval Festival, taking place July 15-16 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Other artists on the bill include Three Days Grace, Theory, Nothing More, Starset, Nita Strauss, Avatar, Ayron Jones, Escape the Fate, Fire from the Gods, All Good Things and Butcher Babies.

For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit UpheavalFest.com.

The inaugural Upheaval Festival took place in 2021 after being postponed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Headliners included Rob Zombie and Korn.

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