Music – Page 3694 – 105.7 WDNY

The Weeknd and Doja Cat lead 2022 ‘Billboard’ Music Awards nominations

April 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

With 17 nods, The Weeknd will be the act to beat at the Billboard Music Awards next month, but Doja Cat and her 14 nods will give him fierce competition.

The “Blinding Lights” singer is a finalist in several major categories, including top artist, top R&B artist and top radio songs artist. His “Save Your Tears” collab with Ariana Grande earned him six nods — including top Hot 100 song, top streaming song and top radio song.

Doja Cat is up for a majority of the same big awards as The Weeknd — such as top artist and top R&B artist — and her “Kiss Me More” collab with SZA earned her plenty of recognition, including top collaboration and top viral song.

Tied with the third-most nominations are Olivia Rodrigo, Justin Bieber and Kanye West, with 13 each. Meanwhile, Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran are tied with nine nods, while The Kid LAROI follows up with eight. BTS and Taylor Swift have each been nominated seven times.

Taylor is the most-awarded female artist in Billboard Awards history, earning 25 wins over her career. She’s also now scored her eighth top artist nod, making her the most-recognized person in that respective category. This year, she’s also been nominated in some country categories thanks to her re-released albums Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version).

The BBMAs will air Sunday, May 15, starting at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and on the Peacock streaming service. A host for this year’s ceremony has yet to be announced.

Check out new video for Geezer Butler’s collaborative song with Apocalyptica, “I’ll Get Through It”

April 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The music video for “I’ll Get Through It,” Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler‘s new collaboration with the symphonic metal band Apocalyptica, has premiered online.

The clip features dramatic portraits of Butler and the cello rockers, as well as singer Franky Perez, who handles lead vocals on the track. You can watch it now streaming on Apocalyptica’s official YouTube channel.

“I’ll Get Through It,” which was released last month, was written by prolific hit songwriter and 13-time Oscar-nominee Diane Warren, whose long list of credits includes Aerosmith‘s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” Chicago‘s “Look Away,” Cher‘s “If I Could Turn Back Time,” and many, many others.

Apocalyptica’s most recent album, Cell-0, was released in 2020. The band will launch a U.S. headlining tour Thursday night in Atlanta. Perez, who sang on Apocalyptica’s 2015 record, Shadowmaker, will be the vocalist for the tour.

As for Butler, he’s written a graphic novel called The Antibody that’s which is being released as a multi-part NFT collection via the NFT marketplace YellowHeart, the first chapter of which was made available last month at yh.io. The digital book tells the story of a mutated antibody that goes on to wreak havoc on humanity. Each episode will feature original music composed by Geezer.

Toto’s smash album Toto IV, which features “Africa” and “Rosanna,” celebrates 40th anniversary today

April 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Toto‘s landmark fourth studio album, the aptly titled Toto IV, was released 40 years ago today.

The album yielded four top-40 singles, including the melodic rock band’s two biggest hits, “Africa” and “Rosanna,” which peaked at #1 and #2, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100. Toto IV also included “I Won’t Hold You Back” and “Make Believe,” which reached #10 and #30 on the chart.

Toto IV peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200, and has sold over 3 million copies in the U.S.

“Africa” was co-written by Toto keyboardist David Paich and drummer Jeff Porcaro, and features Paich sharing lead vocals with founding frontman Bobby Kimball. Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit contributed backing vocals to the track, as well as to two other songs on the album, “I Won’t Hold You Back” and “Good for You.”

In 2020, “Africa” was certified six-times Platinum by the RIAA.

The song enjoyed a resurgence in popularity over the last couple of decades, at first as part of the “yacht rock” craze, and then after alternative rock band Weezer covered the tune in 2018.

In 2019, founding Toto guitarist Steve Lukather admitted to ABC Audio that he didn’t understand the enduring popularity of “Africa.”

“That was the weirdest tune we’ve ever cut,” he said. “We buried it…on side two on the IV album. The fact it was hit the first time was just staggering to me, but the fact that all these years later it’s become this thing [baffles me.]”

Reflecting on why the “kitschy” tune is so beloved, Lukather posed, “It’s not about love or politics or the end of the world. It’s just a silly song to make people dance and sing and forget about things for four minutes, I guess.”

Here’s Toto IV‘s track list:

“Rosanna”
“Make Believe”
“I Won’t Hold You Back”
“Good for You”
“It’s a Feeling”
“Afraid of Love”
“Lovers in the Night”
“We Made It”
“Waiting for Your Love”
“Africa”

Man accused of shooting Lady Gaga’s dog walker mistakenly released from jail, still at large

April 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The man accused of shooting Lady Gaga‘s dog walker, Ryan Fischer, while stealing two of Gaga’s French bulldogs last year was mistakenly released from jail on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

A clerical error was responsible for the release of James Jackson, says the LASD. Jackson had attended a hearing on April 5 but was then “inadvertently” released from custody. The Major Crimes Bureau is now working to track him down. As of Friday, they were still looking for him.

In previously sealed grand jury testimony Fischer provided in October 2021, which was obtained by Rolling Stone last month, Fischer said he was trying to grab one of the dogs, Koji, when “the man with the gun shot me as I was reaching.” Fischer says Jackson and his accomplices took Koji and another dog, Gustav, when he went down.

“I immediately tried to call for help but realized I was bleeding out of my lung and that I was losing more and more air quickly,” Fisher testified. He was subsequently rushed to the hospital, where, he says, “part of my lung” was removed, causing him to continue to struggle with “breathing issues.”

Jackson, Jaylin White and Lafayette Whaley face attempted murder charges in connection with the incident. White’s father, Harold White, as well as Jennifer McBride are charged as accessories to attempted murder: McBride claimed she “found” the dogs and tried to claim the $500,000 reward Gaga offered for their return.

Lil’ Kim talks ‘American Gangster: Trap Queens’ season 3

April 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The BET+ Original Series American Gangster: Trap Queens is back for its third season, chronicling the captivating, yet tragic rise and fall of some of the most notorious female criminals.

Rap legend Lil’ Kim returns to narrate this season of the true-crime series. Asked if the second time around is like riding a bike, she tells ABC Audio it’s not, “’cause there’s always so much to learn and there’s always new things to learn.”

“Child, I be falling’ off with the training wheels still — in a good way, though,” she jokingly adds.

The new season of American Gangster: Trap Queens features 10 new stories, one of which revolves around Lil’ Kim’s best friend, something the artist says was a “very emotional” experience.

“Narrating her story was very emotional and near and dear to my heart….It was really emotional for me. Very different than the first season too. Never did I have to do something like that,” she explains. “Narrating it when there’s somebody that is close to you and like near and dear to you, I never thought that that would even be a thought like I never did anything like that before, so, you know, it was different, very different.”

One thing that’s not different and has remained consistent throughout Lil’ Kim’s career, however, is her support for other women, which is why it was important for her to support a project like Trap Queens.

“That’s one thing that I’ve always been is in support of my women and, you know, making sure that, you know, in this season and narrating these women stories, getting their story and their message across was very important to me,” she shares. (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)

The first five episodes of American Gangster: Trap Queens are available to stream now.

Camila Cabello’s new album, ‘Familia,’ has arrived!

April 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Camila Cabello‘s new album, Familia, has arrived!

The new project, which dropped at midnight, is Camila’s third studio effort and taps deeper into her Cuban-American roots and culture. It features 12 songs, including the previously released “Don’t Go Yet” and the Ed Sheeran-assisted bop “Bam Bam.” She also has genre-bending collaborations with WILLOW and Maria Becerra on “psychofreak” and “Hasta Los Dientes,” respectively.

The 25-year-old singer also brings more Latin flavor to her junior album, singing the song “Celia” entirely in Spanish.

Familia is Camila’s first album since her breakup with Shawn Mendes, whom she dated for two years. To help her heal from the heartbreak, the Grammy winner told Entertainment Tonight she turned to her music for comfort.

“For me, my process is really cathartic,” she said of recording Familia. “It’s me kind of singing anything that I think about and feel into a microphone. I do, like, seven takes of that. I do that for, like, 25 minutes, and then me and my collaborators talk about it. Then we are like, ‘Oh, you said this, that was really cool.’ We brainstorm, we fill it in and then that becomes a song.”

Camila said “there was no barrier of pressure, of anxiety” when making her new album. “It was very unfiltered,” she noted, adding, “[I]t was literally what I was feeling that day. And I think that comes through in the music.”

Familia is available to stream now.

Edgar Winter says Taylor Hawkins singing on his ‘Brother Johnny’ album is “like a tribute within a tribute”

April 8, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Edgar Winter‘s upcoming album, Brother Johnny: An All-Star Tribute to Johnny Winter, is a loving homage to his late older sibling that features an impressive cast of guest musicians joining him on versions of various original tunes and covers that Johnny Winter recorded throughout his career.

Among the many artists who contributed to the album was Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died unexpectedly on March 25 at the age of 50. Rather than playing drums on the project Hawkins lent his vocal talents to a rendition of “Guess I’ll Go Away,” a Johnny-penned tune that appeared on his 1970 album Johnny Winter And.

Edgar tells ABC Audio that with Hawkins passing away before the Brother Johnny album’s April 15 release, it makes the track “sort of like a tribute within a tribute.”

“It’s such an odd happenstance,” Edgar notes. “I mean, here’s a guy that’s singing a tribute song to my brother, Johnny, and he sings the song and then…passes away himself. And in similar circumstances, in a hotel room, on the road. It’s just bizarre, and very compelling.”

Regarding the experience of working with Taylor, Edgar says, “I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to meet him, because he had such energy, just pure love of music…And it touched my heart.”

He adds, “It’s probably one of his last performances, and it means the world to me to have him on the song.”

The 75-year-old rocker also points out that Hawkins’ performance brought an element he felt was missing from the project.

“I wanted a more modern approach to the vocal, rather than an old school blues-style approach,” Edgar explains. “And that was perfect for Taylor.”

Brother Johnny can be pre-ordered now. Here’s the album’s full track list:

“Mean Town Blues” — featuring Joe Bonamassa
“Alive and Well” — featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd
“Lone Star Blues” — featuring Keb’ Mo’
“I’m Yours and I’m Hers” — featuring Billy Gibbons & Derek Trucks
“Johnny B. Goode” — featuring Joe Walsh & David Grissom
“Stranger” — featuring Michael McDonald, Joe Walsh & Ringo Starr
“Highway 61 Revisited” — featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd & John McFee
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Hoochie Koo” — featuring Steve Lukather
“When You Got a Good Friend” — featuring Doyle Bramhall II
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” — featuring Phil X
“Guess I’ll Go Away” — featuring Taylor Hawkins & Doug Rappoport
“Drown in My Own Tears”
“Self Destructive Blues” — featuring Joe Bonamassa
“Memory Pain” — featuring Warren Haynes
“Stormy Monday Blues” — featuring Robben Ford
“Got My Mojo Workin'” — featuring Bobby Rush
“End of the Line” — featuring David Campbell Strings

New Gilbert O’Sullivan album, ‘Driven,’ due in July; lead single featuring KT Tunstall out now

April 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Gilbert O’Sullivan, the Irish-born U.K. pop veteran best known for his 1972 chart-topping ballad “Alone Again (Naturally),” will release his 20th studio album, Driven, on July 22.

In advance of the record, O’Sullivan has released as a lead single “Take Love,” an upbeat, R&B-infused pop gem that finds him duetting with Scottish singer/songwriter KT Tunstall.

The track is available now via digital formats, while a music video for the tune has premiered at Gilbert’s official YouTube channel.

In a Facebook post, O’Sullivan says of the clip, “It was such a joy to have the very talented KT alongside me in this video. Even though we had never met before, you can see how well we got on and the fun we had together filming it. We both love what came out of it. We hope you do too.”

Driven is a 13-track collection that also features a duet with Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknall — a song called “Let Bygones Be Bygones.”

The album was produced by Andy Wright, whose previous projects include albums by Simply Red, Simple Minds and Echo and the Bunnymen.

Driven, which can be pre-ordered now, is a follow-up to O’Sullivan’s 2018 self-titled album. It will be available on CD, on cassette, via digital formats, and as an LP pressed on standard black vinyl or limited-edition clear vinyl.

Last month, Gilbert mounted a brief U.S. tour, and he was supposed to have launched a short series of U.K. dates this past Wednesday, but revealed via Facebook that he had to postpone the first three shows because he was battling “a nasty viral infection.” Check out his tour schedule at GilbertOSullivan.co.uk.

Here’s Driven‘s full track list:

“Love Casualty”
“Blue Anchor Bay”
“Let Bygones Be Bygones” — featuring Mick Hucknall
“Body and Mind”
“What Are You Waiting For”
“Let Me Know”
“Take Love” — featuring KT Tunstall
“Back and Forth”
“If Only Love Had Ears”
“You Can’t Say I Didn’t Try”
“You and Me Babe”
“Hey Man”
“Don’t Get Under Each Other’s Skin”

Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson’s new band, Envy of None, releasing vinyl single to benefit Ukrainian relief efforts

April 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson‘s new band, Envy of None, will release a seven-inch single pressed on yellow-and-blue vinyl, reflecting the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

The limited-edition disc, which will be available on July 7, features two tracks from Envy of None’s upcoming self-titled debut album: “Enemy” and “You’ll Be Sorry.” The latter song is one of five bonus tracks appearing on the deluxe versions of the album.

Proceeds from sales of the single will be donated to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to support the organization’s Ukraine emergency response.

The “Enemy”/”You’ll Be Sorry” vinyl single can be ordered at VisionMerch.com. Only 500 copies will be available — 250 signed copies priced at $100, and 250 unsigned discs costing $50.

Envy of None will match the funds raised by the single for the UNHCR’s Ukrainian relief efforts.

In addition, fans will have the opportunity to purchase a 30-minute Zoom chat with Lifeson and his Envy of None band mates for $1,000, with the money raised going to the UNHCR. Only 10 slots are available.

Also, Envy of None will discuss the album during a livestream Q&A taking place this Sunday, April 10, at 12 p.m. ET at nugsnet’s YouTube channel. The event is free to anyone who donates to the UNHCR.

The band says in a joint statement, “As another generation witnesses first had the horrors of yet another war, we can strive to temper our helplessness by supporting the difficult, but necessary work UNHCR provides to lessen the burden for millions of displaced people.”

Envy of None will be released on Friday, April 8. You can pre-order it now.

“A great day for America, a proud moment in our history”: Stars, Congress members honor Ketanji Brown Jackson

April 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson made history on Thursday, after she was confirmed as the first Black female Supreme Court Justice. Applause and cheers broke out in the White House when Kamala Harris, the first Black and South Asian woman vice president, announced the voting results, while virtual applause and congratulations circulated the internet in honor of the history-making news. Here’s a glimpse at some of the congratulatory messages on Twitter:

Michelle Obama: “I was so moved to see Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed this afternoon. Like so many of you, I can’t help but feel a sense of pride — a sense of joy — to know that this deserving, accomplished Black woman will be a part of the highest court in the land.”

Barack Obama: “Congratulations to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for her appointment to the Supreme Court. This is a great day for America, and a proud moment in our history.”

Hillary Clinton: “Congratulations to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman and first public defender on the Supreme Court. Without the commitment of voters and organizers to take back the Senate and White House, this historic moment might not have happened. Well done. Onward.”

Adrienne Lawrence, Esq.: “In a land where all are purported to be equal, it took 233 years for the United States to finally elevate a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court. Despite that, I will not let the hypocrisy of our nation overshadow the magnificence of this moment.#JusticeKetanjiBrownJackson”

Stacey Abrams: “Anchored by intellectual rigor, compassion and fortitude, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson joins the U.S. Supreme Court and the annals of history. We are grateful for service that brought her here and the work yet to come. Congratulations, America! #KetanjiBrownJackson #SCOTUS”

Sen. Chuck Schumer: “Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is a groundbreaking and remarkable jurist. She is brilliant. She is beloved. She belongs on the Supreme Court. And today, the Senate will confirm her as the 116th Supreme Court Justice!”

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley: “Watch your step, concrete ceiling just shattered. Congratulations to the Honorable SUPREME. COURT. JUSTICE. Ketanji Brown Jackson. Now read that again.”

Derrick Johnson, NAACP President: “Judge Jackson is now JUSTICE Jackson. We made herstory today! #ThisIsPower”

John Legend: “Congratulations to Ketanji Brown Jackson on her historic and well-deserved ascension to our nation’s highest court!”

Octavia Spencer: “Congratulations #JusticeKetanjiBrownJackson You persevered!!!!”

Congresswoman Cori Bush: “Happy Ketanji Brown Jackson Day”

Yvette Nicole Brown: “She. Has. Risen. @sistascotus Welcome NEW Supreme Court Justice #KetanjiBrownJackson”

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.”

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