Why is the ‘Encanto’ soundtrack such a massive hit? “Some people just really know what they’re doing”

Why is the ‘Encanto’ soundtrack such a massive hit? “Some people just really know what they’re doing”
Why is the ‘Encanto’ soundtrack such a massive hit? “Some people just really know what they’re doing”
“Dos Oruguitas” singer Sebastián Yatra; Guillermo Legaria/Getty Images for Disney

Everyone talks about “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” but the Encanto song that snagged an Oscar nomination is the touching ballad “Dos Oruguitas (Two Caterpillars),” which appears on the soundtrack in both English and Spanish. Colombian star Sebastián Yatra, who sings both versions of the song, has a simple explanation for why Encanto‘s music is a massive hit.

“Y’know, there’s some people that just really know what they’re doing…One of those people is Lin-Manuel Miranda,” Yatra tells ABC Audio. “And he understands emotions and people, and he really understands kids and what can trigger all these emotions in the whole family, and take them somewhere special.”

Sebastián adds with a laugh, “I mean, it’s not a coincidence that he’s done what he’s done. So we’re following the leader on this one, and he did it right!”

As for why “Dos Oruguitas” was submitted for the Oscars and not “Bruno,” Sebastián describes it as the “heart and soul” of the movie, comparing it to an obscure album track that “not as many people have heard of,” but that has “a huge impact on their lives.” 

“I’m just happy about the whole soundtrack and the movie and Colombia being [in] the spotlight in such a positive way,” he adds.  He’s also happy that he’ll be attending the Oscars to see if the track wins. Meanwhile, he’s performing it on his just-launched tour, which hits the U.S. in August.

“It was amazing to sing…the whole crowd just sings [along]…and the kids go berserk!” he says.

And if “Dos Oruguitas” is the first song you’ve ever heard by Sebastián and you’d like to hear more, he advises, “Listen to my new album Dharma from start to finish and go to the tour…I feel like you guys are going to get something really special out of it.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Carl Palmer on Asia’s new Official Live Bootlegs box set: “We just went for the best live recordings”

Carl Palmer on Asia’s new Official Live Bootlegs box set: “We just went for the best live recordings”
Carl Palmer on Asia’s new Official Live Bootlegs box set: “We just went for the best live recordings”
BMG

Asia recently released a 10-CD box set titled The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1 featuring recordings of five full concerts by the prog-rock supergroup’s original lineup from various years of their career.

Drummer Carl Palmer, who helped put the collection together, tells ABC Audio that choosing shows from various locations or with diverse set lists weren’t important criteria for what made it to the box set.

“We just selected the best live recordings, and wherever they came from, they came from,” he explains. “We didn’t really go for certain countries, we just went for the best live recordings. So that’s how it’s made up.”

Palmer adds, “[I]f there was a better set list but the sound wasn’t as good, then that wouldn’t make it…[W]hen you’re talking about live recordings, you’ve got to go for the best sound, not necessarily the best set list.”

That being said, the five concerts all come from different years and locations, with at least some set variations between each show.

The first concert was recorded at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, New York, in May 1982. The second show was held at The Centrum in Worcester, Massachusetts in August 1983.

The other three concerts were captured after Asia’s classic lineup reunited for its 25th anniversary — in March 2007 at the Credicard Hall in São Paulo, Brazil; in May 2008 at the International Forum in Tokyo; and in December 2010 at The Forum in London.

Palmer says the timing of the box set’s release was appropriate, with Asia celebrating its classic 1982 self-titled debut’s 40th anniversary, noting that versions of many of the songs from first album are featured on the live recordings.

As previously reported, the current Asia lineup will launch a 40th anniversary tour this summer.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Check out 5 Seconds of Summer’s new song and video “Complete Mess”

Check out 5 Seconds of Summer’s new song and video “Complete Mess”
Check out 5 Seconds of Summer’s new song and video “Complete Mess”
Andy DeLuca

5 Seconds of Summer are back with a new single, the first from their upcoming fifth album.

It’s called “Complete Mess,” and it’s the first song to be entirely written and produced by the band — specifically, guitarist Michael Clifford produced it.  “For this record we realized if you want something done that truly represents how you feel, you’ve got to do it yourselves,” the Aussie group says in a statement.

“We wanted that expansive sound that we naturally gravitate towards when we play together, so we had to learn how to record that,” they add. “This new music is so authentically us. It’s exactly the kind of music we want to be making right now and it’s a good song to be able to reconnect to our fans after such a long time of not releasing music. We can’t wait for everyone to hear what we’ve been working on.”

The song’s chorus goes, “You make me complete/ You make me a complete mess,” a phrase inspired by a t-shirt that singer Luke Hemmings used to wear. 

A music video for the tune also debuted today. The clip, which you can watch on 5 Seconds of Summer’s official YouTube channel, features the band members wandering around in the desert.

5SOS will launch the North American leg of their 2022 World Tour on June 11 in Vancouver, Canada. The trek is set to wrap up July 24 in Maryland Heights, Missouri.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Smash Mouth introduces new singer, Zach Goode; releases “Never Gonna Give You Up” cover

Smash Mouth introduces new singer, Zach Goode; releases “Never Gonna Give You Up” cover
Smash Mouth introduces new singer, Zach Goode; releases “Never Gonna Give You Up” cover
Smash Mouth in 2016 with original singer Steve Harwell; Earl Gibson III/WireImage

Hey now, Smash Mouth has a new singer.

The “All Star” outfit announced Tuesday that Zach Goode will now be fronting the band. Goode takes the place of founding vocalist Steve Harwell, who announced his retirement last fall to focus on his health issues.

Goode has played in a number of bands throughout his career, including several tribute acts. One of his groups, called Geezer, is described as blending “rock, comedy, rap and barbershoppe to hilariously swing the entire history of popular music from AC/DC and Dr. Dre back to Buddy Holly and the Beatles, mashed up mid-song with spot-on Weezer and Beastie Boys hits.”

Smash Mouth’s first song with Goode on vocals is a cover of Rick Astley‘s ever-memed classic “Never Gonna Give You Up,” which certainly sounds like a joke, but is, in fact, a real thing. You can listen to it streaming now on YouTube.

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Listen to SHAED’s Fleetwood Mac-meets-Daft Punk cover of Nirvana’s “Come as You Are”

Listen to SHAED’s Fleetwood Mac-meets-Daft Punk cover of Nirvana’s “Come as You Are”
Listen to SHAED’s Fleetwood Mac-meets-Daft Punk cover of Nirvana’s “Come as You Are”
Photo Finish Records

SHAED has released a cover of the Nirvana‘s “Come as You Are,” which was first released as a single 30 years ago today.

The “Trampoline” trio certainly put their own spin on the Nevermind classic, turning the grunge rocker into a dancey, disco-esque tune.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re 13 or 70 — chances are you’ve heard ‘Come as You Are’ and can sing along — it’s just that good and timeless,” SHAED says. “We wanted our version to feel classic but danceable and we landed on something that we hope feels like the love child of Fleetwood Mac and Daft Punk.”

You can listen to the cover now via digital outlets.

In other SHAED news, band mates and husband-and-wife Spencer Ernst and Chelsea Lee have welcomed their first child together. The baby, named June River, was born January 29.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Wendy Williams’ ex-husband is suing, Laverne Cox will apologize to Jada and Will, and more

Wendy Williams’ ex-husband is suing, Laverne Cox will apologize to Jada and Will, and more
Wendy Williams’ ex-husband is suing, Laverne Cox will apologize to Jada and Will, and more
John Lamparski/WireImage

Wendy Williams’ ex-husband Kevin Hunter is suing production company Debmar-Mercury for wrongful termination from The Wendy Williams Show.

In court documents obtained by ABC News, Hunter claims his firing was based strictly upon his marital status. He also believes that Sherri Shepherd’s upcoming Debmar-Mercury-produced daytime show will benefit from concepts he created for The Wendy Williams Show.

Per the document, Hunter seeks “compensatory, punitive damages, an award of costs, interest and attorney’s fees, and such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper.”

Actress Laverne Cox took to Instagram Live on Wednesday to address the joke she made about “entanglements” to Will and Jada Pinkett Smith on Sunday’s SAG Awards carpet.

“I’ve been thinking about it…No one is above critique, I like to hold myself accountable… I think my error was, I had so much I wanted to say to the Smiths,” the actress said. “This is not an apology, if the Smiths need an apology from me, I’ll find out privately and I’ll do that privately.”

In an effort to wrap up her SAG pre-show interview with the couple, she mentioned, “We can’t wait for more Red Table Talk and more, more entanglements.”

She was immediately scrutinized on social media; fans thought the joke was untimely and unnecessary.

Kanye’s new music video features an unlikely co-star — Pete Davidson. Sort of. The 44-year-old rapper released the music video for his new song “Easy,” and posted it on his Instagram page for his 15 million followers to watch him bury a cartoon version of Davidson.

“God saved me from that crash, just so I can beat Pete Davidson’s a**,” Ye says in the song of his ex Kim Kardashian‘s new boyfriend.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Check out “Look Inside,” the latest song from Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson’s new band, Envy of None

Check out “Look Inside,” the latest song from Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson’s new band, Envy of None
Check out “Look Inside,” the latest song from Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson’s new band, Envy of None
Kscope

Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson‘s new band Envy of None has released a second advance track from its forthcoming self-titled debut album, an ominous, atmospheric tune called “Look Inside.”

The song, which is available now as a digital download and via streaming services, showcases singer Maiah Wynne‘s ethereal, dreamy vocals, which are accompanied by swirling layers of electronic and reverb-laden instrumentation.

Envy of None has posted a snippet of “Look Inside” on its and social media pages and on the Kscope label’s official YouTube channel.

As previously reported, the Envy of None album is an 11-track collection that will be released on April 8. In addition to Lifeson and Wynne, a Portland, Oregon-based singer/songwriter, the band also features bassist Andy Curran of the veteran Canadian rock group Coney Hatch and guitarist/keyboardist Alfio Annibalini.

Prior to releasing “Look Inside,” Envy of None debuted another track from the album, titled “Liar.” Check out a lyric video for the latter song on YouTube.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Justin Bieber shares birthday wishes from celebrity pals…and Martha Stewart

Justin Bieber shares birthday wishes from celebrity pals…and Martha Stewart
Justin Bieber shares birthday wishes from celebrity pals…and Martha Stewart
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Justin Bieber

Tuesday, March 1, was Justin Bieber‘s 28th birthday and on Wednesday, he used his Instagram Stories to share some of the nice shout-outs he received from his celebrity pals.

Justin’s “Intentions” duet partner Quavo of rap trio Migos wrote, “Love this guy, always keep it 100, never switched up! Real Day 1 [Partner] HBD my boy!”

The Kid LAROI, who teamed with Justin for the smash number-one hit “STAY,” wrote, “Happy Birthday to a living legend. Thank u for changing my life. Words can’t describe how grateful I am for you. Love you dawg.”

Diddy wrote, “Happy birthday, King!” while Big Sean wrote, “Happy birthday, JB.” Actor Evan Mock of HBO Max’s Gossip Girl wrote, “HBD J Fever,” and DJ Khaled, who teamed with Justin for two big hit songs, wrote, “Happy b day, love brother.”

Kanye “Ye” West simply posted a picture of himself smiling at a photo of Justin in a ball pit.

One of Justin’s friends posted a photo of Justin posing with Martha Stewart, of all people, who was one of the celebs who took part in his 2015 Comedy Central Roast. The friend got the picture from Stewart’s own Instagram: She posted a photo of herself with Justin after running into him at the restaurant where he was celebrating his birthday.

“Looking skinny yet fit and happy with a very attractive bunch of friends @justinbieber was at sushi park restaurant celebrating his 28th birthday!” the lifestyle guru wrote. “Happy birthday !!”

And of course, Justin’s mother, Pattie Mallette, and his wife, Hailey Bieber, also posted heartfelt wishes to Justin.  Pattie wrote, “You are a delight and a true joy in my life. So grateful you were born! This world would NOT be the same without you.” Aww.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Metallica side project The Wedding Band announces California show

Metallica side project The Wedding Band announces California show
Metallica side project The Wedding Band announces California show
Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Metallica‘s Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo have announced a new show with their covers side project, The Wedding Band.

The concert takes place May 27 in Napa, California, and is an official after-show of the BottleRock Napa Valley festival, which Metallica is headlining.

Tickets go on sale this Thursday, March 3. For more info, visit BottleRockNapaValley.com.

Along with Hammett and Trujillo, The Wedding Band features a rotating lineup, including Queens of the Stone Age drummer Jon Theodore, Bad Wolves guitarist Doc Coyle and Ugly Kid Joe vocalist Whitfield Crane. The group’s sporadic live shows consist entirely of covers.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Lionel Richie to be saluted by Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, Luke Bryan & more at Gershwin Prize concert

Lionel Richie to be saluted by Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, Luke Bryan & more at Gershwin Prize concert
Lionel Richie to be saluted by Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, Luke Bryan & more at Gershwin Prize concert
ABC/Eric McCandless

Lionel Richie will be receiving the Library of Congress’ prestigious Gershwin Prize for Popular Song next week, and now we know who’ll be honoring the singer at an all-star tribute concert that’s part of the event.

The March 9 show in Washington, D.C. will feature performances from Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, Andra Day, Yolanda Adams, Miguel, country star Chris Stapleton and Lionel’s fellow American Idol judge, country superstar Luke Bryan. 

Anthony Anderson will host the concert, and Lionel himself will perform. It’ll air on PBS on May 17 at 9 p.m. ET, as well as on PBS.org and the PBS Video App.

The Gershwin Prize honors a “living musical artist’s lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of entertainment, information, inspiration and cultural understanding.”  Past recipients include Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Smokey Robinson and Paul Simon.

This is yet another accolade for Lionel, who’s already won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and four Grammy Awards, and is nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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