Music

Lzzy Hale has been named the first female Brand Ambassador of Gibson guitars.

The Halestorm frontwoman will create her own collection of acoustic and electric guitars across the Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer brands, including the Lzzy Hale Explorer, available in both Gibson and Epiphone models.

As part of her new role, Hale will also be part of Gibson Gives Artist Advisory Council, where she’ll help suggest charities that could benefit from Gibson’s support, such as non-profits that focus on youth education, wellness and musicians in general.

“I am beyond honored to be named a Gibson ambassador,” said Hale in a statement. “Ever since I was 16 years old, it was my dream to someday be a part of the Gibson circle. It’s an incredible feeling to know that this dream has become a reality.”

“Something magical ignites within me when I hold a Gibson guitar in my hands, the same guitars that my forefathers and foremothers of rock slung over their shoulders,” she adds. “With Gibson, I am the Rockstar I’m meant to be. It is a privilege to represent my genre, my gender, and the incredible power of music that unites us all, with my beautiful Gibson Family.” 

Lzzy and Halestorm are working on their fifth album; in the fall, they’ll tour with Evanescence.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Demi Lovato revealed when and where they feel the “sexiest” — and it just so happens to be in the middle of a bubble bath.

Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the “Confident” singer shared a makeup-free selfie they took during a relaxing bath.

Lovato, who came out as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, explained in the caption, “I feel the sexiest in the bathtub w no makeup, no extensions, no lashes.. naked.”

“Just me in my purest form,” the Grammy nominee continued. “I don’t always feel comfortable in my skin/body so I’m beyond grateful that in these moments, when I’m most vulnerable I can feel beautiful & accept myself as is.”

Lovato, who is a vocal supporter of body and self-acceptance, was praised by their fans for the vulnerable yet empowering update.

While the singer’s 110 million followers called them “beautiful” and “inspiring,” others thanked Lovato for serving as a source of motivation to overcome their own insecurities.

Lovato has consistently documented their journey of self-acceptance.  After coming clean about their years-long battle with eating disorders and self-esteem issues, Lovato bared it all in their latest album Dancing with the Devil…The Art of Starting Over, their first full-length project since 2017.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato)

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Backstreet Boys had some encouraging words for Britney Spears, who is currently embroiled in an intense legal battle over her long-standing and controversial conservatorship.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the boy band asserted that they are in Britney’s corner.

“Stay strong, support your ground, and we will pray for you,” said AJ McLean. “I hope she gets what she deserves, which is her freedom.”

Recently, McLean slammed Britney’s conservatorship, calling it “completely brutal” and “insane” during his appearance on Sirius XM’s Andy Cohen Live.  The singer also recalled the last time he saw Britney, saying their brief interaction “broke my heart.”

Bandmates Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson were present for the ET interview and nodded in agreement as McLean spoke against the conservatorship.

The Backstreet Boys join a growing number of celebrities and singers who have rallied in support of the pop star.

Most recently, Ariana Grande, Christina Aguilera and Madonna called for Britney’s freedom.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Lorde gave her new song “Solar Power” its TV debut on Thursday night on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

But rather than performing it in the studio, or sending in a pre-recorded performance, Lorde reached for greater heights: She delivered the song from the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, where Colbert’s show is based.

Wearing a two-piece midriff-baring yellow outfit, Lorde began the song standing by the roof’s parapet, before joining her band members, who were standing around the edge of a giant circle tiled with reflective round mirrors.

Lorde stood in the middle of a tiered platform tiled with the same mirrors as she sang. When she got to the line “Come on and let the bliss begin/blink three times when you feel it kickin’ in/That solar power!” she and the band were enveloped in soap bubbles, pumped towards them from four bubble machines, which viewers could see in a dramatic overhead shot.

Lorde’s new album, Solar Power, comes out August 20.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

After teasing an announcement for several days, Dan + Shay finally dropped their big news on Thursday night. The duo is planning to release their fourth studio album, Good Things, on August 13.

Dan + Shay shared the title track and its accompanying music video this week, too. Euphoric and pop-heavy, the anthemic new song gets an epic visual component that finds both band mates meeting in a desert, with people and families of all descriptions flocking to join them.

“Good Things” was co-written by band mate Dan Smyers, who had a hand in penning all 12 of the album’s tracks. Dan also was the primary producer for Good Things.

Dan + Shay have often toed the line between country and pop in recent years, so it’s fitting that the album’s credits are brimming with superstars from both worlds. Old Dominion band mate Brad Tursi and hit-magnet country songwriter Ashley Gorley both show up in the credits, but so do singer-songwriter Julia Michaels and pop star Shawn Mendes.

Dan + Shay’s smash duet with Justin Bieber, “10,000 Hours,” is on the track list for Good Things, as are two more familiar songs: “I Should Probably Go to Bed” and “Glad You Exist.”

Dan + Shay bring their just-released “Good Things” to the stage during an appearance on NBC’s Citi Music Series on TODAY on Friday, just hours after their album announcement.

You can pre-order Good Things ahead of release day. You can also catch Dan + Shay on the road this fall when they resume their Dan + Shay The (Arena) Tour.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Mark Hoppus shared an update regarding his ongoing cancer battle, telling fans during a recent Q&A that the cancer he’s fighting is the same type that his mother beat.

The Blink-182 bassist revealed he has an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. “The cancer isn’t bone-related, it’s blood-related,” he said.

“My classification is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) Stage 4-A, which means, as I understand it, it’s entered four different parts of my body,” the musician continued. “It’s entered enough parts of my body that I’m Stage 4, which I think is the highest that it goes. So, I’m Stage 4-A.”

Hoppus remained upbeat and revealed he’s grown even closer to his mother because, a few years ago, she battled DLBCL and won.

“I’ve been able to talk with her and bond with her quite a bit. Oddly enough, we have the exact same form of cancer that she had. And she beat it,” he said, noting she is also a three-time cancer survivor. “Twice for breast cancer and one for the same cancer that I have.”

Hoppus, who first revealed his cancer diagnosis last month, explained that he has a weakened immune system because of chemotherapy, so he has to lay low.

“I can’t get sick and I have to vigilantly take my temperature and make sure I don’t have a fever,” he explained.

Hoppus said he’ll soon know if chemotherapy is working, noting he will undergo a PET scan and hopes doctors will tell him, “Congratulations! Your chemotherapy has worked and you are all done and you’ll never have to think about this cancer again for the rest of your life.”

“We’re beating this cancer,” he assured. “It’s just a matter of time.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Since changing her controversial stage name from Mulatto to Latto, the Atlanta rapper says she’s ready to embrace her new name to reflect her upcoming music.

“Yes, I’m so, so, so excited for the new music. I feel like historically, the negative definition of Mulatto might have been holding me back,” she tells NME. “And this new name, Latto, short for “lottery,” can be forthcoming of good fortune; financially, spiritually, emotionally. I feel like this is [going to] be turning over a new leaf.”

Fans were first introduced to Latto as Mulatto on the first season of Jermaine Dupri‘s competition series, The Rap Game, in 2016. It wasn’t until last year that the 22-year-old considered changing her stage name after facing backlash over the term’s history due to its widespread use in the U.S. South during the era of slavery.

Latto says it’s been a “pretty smooth” transition from competing with others to earning her first platinum plaque for her 2019 breakout single, “B**** From Da Souf.”

“I want more plaques,” she declares. “I got my first plaque, and now I need to be in the studio more ‘cause I need to make more hits to get more plaques.”

“The Biggest” rapper says fans can expect to hear more elevation and growth on the follow-up to her gritty debut album, Queen of Da Souf.

“I’m actually in album mode right now, so the first project I’m about to drop is gonna be a plethora of flows, different [beats per minute],” Latto explains. “I’m from the South, so I tend to choose slower [beats per minute]. That’s very Southern or whatever. But I’m choosing different beats, working with different people, producers, artists. Everything is just [going to] be an elevation.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

For many bands, a best-of compilation marks a retrospective look at a career that’s at or close to the end. That’s why Dirty Heads vocalist Jared “Dirty J” Watson didn’t want to release one.

Watson admits to ABC Audio thathe was “so against” the idea of a Dirty Heads best-of when it was suggested by the band’s label.

“We’re not old,” Watson says. “They wanted to call it Greatest Hits, which is, like, ‘What?'”

“I think of, like, Led Zeppelin or Creedence Clearwater [Revival],” he adds. “It was just, like, ‘What are you talking about?'”

Watson eventually softened his stance when the label explained a best-of could be a “starter album” for new fans who’ve just heard Dirty Heads’ resurgent single, “Vacation” — which has gone viral in 2021 due to a TikTok trend —  as well as a collector’s item for older fans.

Watson was still hesitant, though, especially since Dirty Heads is sitting on a brand-new, recently-completed album. So, he struck a deal.

“I said, ‘If you guys wanna do a best-of album — which I think is super weird, but I get it — you have to put on two or three of these brand-new songs,'” Watson recalls.

The result is The Best of Dirty Heads, which is out today. Along with past singles including “Vacation” and “Lay Me Down,” the compilation also features several new recordings, including “Rage” featuring Blink-182‘s Travis Barker and Aimee Interrupter of The Interrupters.

“There’s acoustic guitars, and there are these reggae verses, but it is more aggressive and uptempo,” Watson says of “Rage.” “There is like a ska feel to it, but then there’s also a punk feel to it. So there’s enough of each person it it to where the features are perfect.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.