Music – Page 3691 – 105.7 WDNY

Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, BTS & more win Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards

April 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran and Billie Eilish were among the winners at the 2022 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, which took place over the weekend in Santa Monica, CA.

Olivia, fresh from her multiple Grammy wins the previous weekend, was named Favorite Breakout Artist, as well as Favorite Female TV Star in the Kids category for her role as Nini in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Billie Eilish won Favorite Album for Happier than Ever, and the album’s title track won her the award for Favorite Song.

Ariana Grande and Ed Sheeran were named Favorite Female and Male Artist, while BTS was Favorite Music Group. Justin Bieber and The Kid LAROI won Favorite Music Collaboration for “Stay,” while Adele was named Favorite Global Music Star.

The show, hosted by Rob Gronkowski and Miranda Cosgrove, featured performances by Jack Harlow and Kid Cudi, and appearances by Olivia, Charlie Puth, Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Sabrina Carpenter, Chance the Rapper, Chloe X Halle and Joshua Bassett, among others. There were also 1,000 slimings, and Charlie and Dixie were among those who got hit.

Listen to new Gerry Backley solo song, “Tickets from the Past,” featuring his America band mate Dewey Bunnell

April 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

America‘s Gerry Beckley has debuted a second advance song from his upcoming solo album, Aurora, a tune called “Tickets from the Past” that he co-wrote with his co-founding America band mate Dewey Bunnell, who also sings on the track.

“Tickets from the Past” is the first song that Beckley and Bunnell wrote together that won’t make its debut appearance on an America album. The track is available now via streaming services, and you can check out a video of Gerry and Dewey talking about the song now at Blue Élan Records’ official YouTube channel.

Bunnell says in the clip, “It’s been a pleasure working with Gerry on this solo project of his. It’s a little different from America projects, but very much the same. Been there before, but great song, Ger. I love Aurora, and I love singing on it.”

As previously reported, Aurora will be released on June 17. It’s an 11-song collection that Gerry recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic at his two home studios, in Sydney, Australia, and Venice, California.

The tracks on Aurora include tunes that began as unfinished demos and scratch recordings that date back as far as the early 1970s, as well as brand-new songs written during the past two years.

“Tickets from the Past” was preceded by “Friends Are Hard to Find,” which was released as a streaming single last month. You can pre-order Aurora now.

America currently is on tour in the U.S., and has almost 20 upcoming dates on its 2022 schedule. The band’s next concert is this Friday, April 15, in Houston. Visit VenturaHighway.com for a full list of shows.

Rush’s Alex Lifeson discusses new Envy of None album and the project’s “secret weapon,” singer Maiah Wynne

April 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Envy of None, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson‘s new band, released its self-titled debut album on Friday, April 8.

The project came together after Andy Curran, veteran Canadian band Coney Hatch‘s bassist and a longtime musical associate of Lifeson, began working with a young Oregon-based singer-songwriter named Maiah Wynne and asked Alex if he’d lend his guitar talents to a track.

“I sent it over to him, and he was floored,” Curran tells ABC Audio. “He said, ‘Andy, I think we’ve found a diamond in the rough here. This girl is a secret weapon.’ And that was the beginning of it all.”

Envy of None is quite a departure from Rush, with songs influenced by a variety of genres, including alternative rock, synth pop, Euro pop and industrial rock.

Lifeson tells ABC Audio, “I think what connects all of these different styles of music is [Maiah’s] voice. Her voice always sits right on top of what chaos the music is creating.”

The 68-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer says Wynne, 25, basically became his “muse” for the Envy of None project.

“[H]er sensibilities and her skill [are] such that she’s…very, very, very talented at a very early age,” he maintains. “[E]very song [she contributed to] had something that I wasn’t quite expecting.”

The album ends with the introspective instrumental “Western Sunset” that’s dedicated to late Rush drummer Neil Peart, whom Alex calls his “brother…good friend [and] working partner.”

Lifeson says he was inspired to compose the tune while watching the sunset during visits to an ailing Peart at his California home.

“It gives you a chance to catch your breath after listening to all this pretty intense material,” Alex notes of the song, “and just puts you in a very…contemplative mode.”

Maddie & Tae’s Taylor Kerr shares her birth story + the emotional backstory behind her baby’s name

April 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Last month, Maddie & Tae band mate Taylor Kerr and her husband Josh finally brought home their “miracle baby,” Leighton Grace, after a 53-day stay in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Leighton was born on January 17, three months earlier than planned, and to celebrate her due date last week, Taylor uploaded a 22-minute video to YouTube to share her complete birth story with fans.

In addition to detailing her lengthy hospital stay and the emotional and scary journey to welcoming her first daughter, Taylor shared the story behind Leighton’s name, which she and Josh hadn’t quite settled on when they checked into the hospital.

“Her middle name is Grace because God’s grace is all over her story, and she’s not even here yet,” Taylor explained from her hospital bed, during a month-long period of bed rest leading up to the birth.

“Josh and I really had a hard time deciding on the name. I fully expected to give birth to her and have to see her and feel her presence to be able to officially name her,” the singer continues. “…But the day we got admitted to the hospital, Josh and I both were like, ‘We need something tangible, to solidify this beautiful little girl.”

They also knew fans were praying for baby Leighton, and “we really wanted people to call her by name when they prayed for her,” Taylor goes on to say. “So we just felt really convicted to name her.”

In music news, Maddie & Tae released their latest album, Through the Madness Vol. 1, in January.

Kelsea Ballerini is bringing community celebration and big Dolly Parton vibes to the CMT Music Awards

April 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Kelsea Ballerini’s co-hosting this year’s CMT Music Awards with actor Anthony Mackie, and the singer says she learned how to host an awards show from the best: Dolly Parton.

“I mean, Dolly is the best,” Kelsea gushes to ABC Audio. “She’s all personality. She sets the tone for everybody to feel ready to celebrate community, and that’s always been the energy I’ve gotten from this show. It’s celebratory, it’s community, it’s all about the fans.”

Kelsea got an up-close look at Dolly’s hosting style during last month’s ACM Awards, where she performed a duet with the country legend. Dolly shared host duties with Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett at the ACMs.

“I feel like I’ve taken a lot of notes from Dolly this year,” Kelsea goes on to say.

But as much as she’s focusing on her hosting gig, the singer’s also looking forward to having a front-row seat for some truly epic performances.

“The Judds [are performing for the first time in] 20 years? That’s insane. It was just announced that Little Big Town, Jimmie Allen and Monica are performing together? Like, what?” Kelsea goes on to say, pointing out that unexpected live moments and team-ups are part of what makes this show special.

“It’s not just the songs you’ve heard on the radio for the last year. It’s album cuts. It’s new songs. It’s collaborations,” she elaborates. “It’s a true snapshot of what’s going on in country music.”

Tune in to the CMT Music Awards tonight at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Glass Animals’ Dave Bayley explains “complex,” “long-winded” approach to albums: “It really is all-consuming”

April 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

While “Heat Waves” was in the middle of its historic run to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Glass Animals released a new single called “I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance).” Speaking to ABC Audio, frontman Dave Bayley describes the latter tune as a “one-off” ahead of starting another album.

“When I start making a record, it really is all-consuming,” Bayley says. “There’s lots of themes, all the songs tie together in a certain way, there’s all the artwork and the artwork ties into the music, and then there’s the stage show that goes with it, and that ties into the music. It’s really quite a complex, long-winded thing.”

Having released Glass Animals’ latest record, Dreamland, in 2020, Bayley is preparing for the “daunting” prospect of “diving straight back into another album project.” Releasing “I Don’t Wanna Talk,” Bayley says, is part of gearing up for that process.

“I’ve always made a point of making something very quickly and then releasing it very quickly, ’cause it just breaks that pressure immediately, and that’s where [‘I Don’t Wanna Talk’] came from,” he explains. “Actually, the song is kind of about breaking that pressure.”

While Bayley hasn’t actively started the new album process for a Dreamland follow-up, he can’t help but think of new ideas.

“I do kinda have little bits,” Bayley says. “It never stops, really. I always feel like I’m just about to fall asleep and I’m feeling really comfy in bed, and then, boom, there’s an idea, and I have to, like, get up and get the microphone out.”

He adds, “It’s a good thing, I know, that that happens. I dread the day when that stops happening.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘Unlimited Love’ debuts at number one in the UK & Australia

April 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ new album, Unlimited Love, has debuted at number one in the U.K. and in Australia.

The record gives the “Under the Bridge” outfit their fifth chart-topper across the pond, and their seventh Down Under.

Unlimited Love‘s U.S. debut on the Billboard 200 is expected to be announced on Sunday. The Peppers have hit number one on the Billboard 200 just once in their career, with 2006’s Stadium Arcadium.

Lead single “Black Summer” currently sits at number one on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart, and number two on the Mainstream Rock Airplay ranking.

Unlimited Love is RHCP’s first album since 2016’s The Getaway, and their first with guitarist John Frusciante back in the band since Stadium Arcadium. They’ll launch a worldwide stadium tour in support of the record beginning with a European run in June, followed by a U.S. leg beginning in July.

Update: Bob Weir denies report that Dead & Company are planing to stop touring after 2022

April 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Earlier today, Rolling Stone reported that unspecified sources had confirmed that Grateful Dead spin-off group Dead & Company were planning to stop touring after 2022, but now one of the group’s main members, Bob Weir, posted a note on his Twitter feed suggesting that the report wasn’t true.

“News to me…,” the 74-year-old singer/guitarist wrote, and included a link to the Rolling Stone story.

The band, which includes three core Grateful Dead members — Weir and drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart — as well as popular singer/guitarist John Mayer, recently announced a U.S. summer trek running from June 11 through July 16. Tickets for the shows are available now at the group’s official website.

Last year, Kreutzmann missed some Dead & Company concerts because of heart-related issues, which also led him withdraw from his planned appearances at the group’s Playing in the Sand destination festival in Mexico this past January. The festival wound up being canceled because of COVID-related issues.

Dead & Company formed in 2015 and have been a very popular touring act ever since. The band’s other members are ex-Allman Brothers Band bassist Oteil Burbridge, and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.

Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Stevie Nicks, U2 and more stars take part in today’s Stand Up for Ukraine campaign

April 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Artists across social media took part in the Stand Up for Ukraine outreach effort on Friday to raise awareness about the toll of Russia’s war on that country.

Among those joining Global Citizen’s movement were Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Stevie Nicks, U2 and Elton John. The effort tasked A-listers to suspend normal social media posts and direct their attention on Ukraine, which continues to try to fend off Russia’s invasion that began February 24.

Springsteen posted a video message in which he stated, “Refugees in Ukraine and around the world need our help now. Join all of us on E Street and Global Citizen as we Stand Up for Ukraine, and stand up for those displaced globally, because everyone deserves safe and humane living conditions.”

Jon Bon Jovi also rallied for Ukraine, expressing, “We need you to answer the call from activists and advocates working to support refugees and take immediate action to help displaced people from Ukraine and around the world.” He also shared a video of his band performing “We Don’t Run” at a recent benefit concert.

Nicks shared an impassioned letter in support of Ukraine, writing, “At 73 years old I never thought I would see in my lifetime flashes of things my mother and father told me about World War II.” Stevie also said she feels she’s an “honorary Ukrainian,” noting that she “fell in love with their great spirit and incredible bravery,” adding, “I stand with them now and forever.”

U2 posted a video of Bono and The Edge performing an acoustic version of “Walk On,” and told fans, “The brave people of Ukraine are fighting for their freedom — and for ours — in the face of unspeakable violence and an unjust invasion. More than 4 million people, mostly women and children, have had to flee for their lives — a population nearly the size of Ireland.”

Elton shared footage of a 2007 concert in Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv, and wrote, “We are devastated to see the suffering of people in Ukraine as this conflict unfolds.”

Other artists who also have posted messages as part of the campaign include Annie Lennox, Carole King, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Green Day.

‘The Real’ canceled after eight seasons, Chris Brown confirms his third child and more

April 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

–After eight seasons of round-table discussions from the panel of all-women hosts, The Real will be coming to an end, Warner Bros. has decided, according to Variety.

The news comes not long after weeks of speculation about the show’s cancellation. Last month, one of The Real‘s hosts, comedian Loni Love, responded to rumors, saying at the time that a decision about the show’s fate hadn’t yet come down.

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

On Instagram on Friday, she confirmed the news, saying in part, “The Real cast & crew did everything we could.”

The Real is an hour-long daily talk show that airs on Fox stations and is hosted by Love, Jeannie Mai Jenkins, Adrienne Bailon and Garcelle Beauvais.

—Chris Brown has confirmed another addition to his growing family.

He shared a picture of his beautiful baby girl, Lovely Brown, to his Instagram story on Thursday, along with a series of red heart emojis.

The image was originally shared by Lovely’s mother, Diamond Brown, and Brown reposted it.

Chris has two other children — a son, Aeko, and a daughter, Royalty.

–TMZ is adding to its repertoire of media and celebrity news.

As reported by HiphopDX, the entertainment site announced a new daily music show called TMZ Hip Hop.

The show, which premieres Monday, April 11, will feature a panel of five co-hosts who will discuss some of the biggest headlines in rap.

Check out a preview of the new show on Fox’s YouTube channel.

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