Blake Shelton is back for Season 21 of The Voice, this time joining fellow returning coaches John Legend and Kelly Clarkson, along with newcomer, Ariana Grande. For this season, Blake has added a “win cam,” for contestants to pose with him when they choose him as their coach.
“If you watch this show, you know that I brag a little bit when somebody chooses me as their coach, and so I wanted a win cam,” Blake tells People. “It’s something I can put in people’s face, like, ‘This artist chose me.’ That’s really what keeps me coming back.”
Apparently, Blake didn’t need to look farther than his own ranch to find his new camera.
“It’s a nice piece of security equipment I tore off my house,” he jokes, adding that, “It’s been good for me, it’s been good luck. It brings bragging to a whole new level.”
Lil Nas X‘s hit song “Industry Baby” as we know it features Jack Harlow, but in an alternate universe it could have sounded a bit different.
Lil Nas, who released his debut studio album Montero last week, hosted a Q&A session on Twitter on Tuesday and revealed that he attempted to get his idol on the track.
When a fan on Twitter asked, “Which song did u send Nicki Minaj,” the 22-year-old responded, “industry baby.” No further explanation was given on why a Lil Nas X and Nicki collaboration failed to come to fruition.
Although the song with Nicki didn’t happen, Montero is full of collaborations with other talented artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Miley Cyrus, Doja Cat and Elton John.
During the Q&A, the “Old Town Road” crooner also dished that he also wanted to team up with Lady Gaga on a record for his album “but [he] never finished writing to it & sending it to her.”
While Lil Nas clearly has no problem getting an assist from other artists on his songs, he surprisingly hasn’t done any features himself. Something he offers a simple explanation for when a fan inquired about it.
“[I] havent found the right song yet,” he replied. “i want it to feel like a moment.”
While there’s no doubt that’s an impressive accomplishment, the Louisiana native is even more astounded at the impact the song she wrote is having on listeners.
“The power and healing of music really is unbelievable,” Lainey reflects. “And the messages I get daily, like it just continues to blow my mind…”
“I’ve heard from mothers, from single mothers, from dads who are trying to teach their girls a few things a man oughta know,” she reveals. “I’ve heard from guys who gave up and got it wrong.”
“I’ve heard from this one lady,” Lainey adds, “who was about to get a divorce, and she sent the song to her husband, and he listened to it and kind of snapped out of it.”
“Things a Man Oughta Know” makes Lainey the first female solo artist to top the chart with her debut single since Gabby Barrett did in April 2020 with “I Hope.”
“I’m just so grateful that my song is given the opportunity to change lives,” Lainey says. “And it’s crazy how people can latch on to a song, and it can really just set them free in a crazy kind of way.”
“Things a Man Oughta Know” is from Lainey’s Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ album. She’s currently out on the Back in the Saddle Tour with Jason Aldean.
Here’s wishing a very Happy 70th Birthday to Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale.
Asked how he plans to celebrate the milestone, the British rocker tells ABC Audio, “I’m going to ignore it,” adding with good humor, “It’s not 70, by the way, it’s 69 plus one, so you can stick that in your old pipe…and light it. But the circumstances…just snuck up on me, and I’m just simply not prepared emotionally.”
Reflecting on reaching 70, David says, “I’m delighted to have made it this far, and legitimately was hoping to actually retire, as I thought was appropriate for the lead singer with Whitesnake, at 69.”
Coverdale notes that his plans to mount a farewell Whitesnake tour this past year were sidetracked because of the COVID-19 pandemic, “[s]o now, I’m just gonna have to go out…at the ripe old age of 70.”
He adds, “I’m assured by everyone that I’m still kicking a** and singing appropriately.”
David, who lives in Reno, Nevada, with his wife Cindy, tells ABC Audio that he does actually have plan to celebrate his birthday.
“Hopefully my son’s flying in. We’re gonna have a small private dinner of people who won’t mention 70,” he notes. “And I think social media will be fun that day.”
As for his perfect birthday gift, Coverdale says it would be “to fly my daughter and my grandchildren from Germany safely, to make the family celebration complete, but that’s gonna be virtual.”
Looking back at some career and personal highlights, Coverdale includes joining Deep Purple during the ’70s, getting inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with that group in 2016, “taking Whitesnake from playing 300 seaters to 30,000-seat arenas and stadiums,” “working with Jimmy Page [in the ’90s],” and “the birth of my children.”
Dave Grohl is taking part in this year’s edition of The New Yorker Festival, an annual week-long event held by the famed magazine.
On October 8, the Foo Fighters frontman will join New Yorker staff writer Kelefa Sanneh for a conversation about his upcoming memoir, The Storyteller. Grohl is also set to perform.
The event will be held live and in-person at an outdoor venue in Brooklyn, and will also stream online. Tickets are available now via Festival.NewYorker.com.
Grohl’s New Yorker Festival appearance will fall in the middle of his fall book tour in support of The Storyteller, which will also make stops in London, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.
The Storyteller, Grohl’s debut book, will be released October 5.
Hood narrates her own story, which will debut on the BET+ streaming service on October 6. Remy, who previously appeared in Empire, will be joined in the cast by singer Tank and veteran actress Debbi Morgan, whose long list of credits includes Roots: The Next Generations, All My Children, and Power.
The “All The Way” rapper recorded the song “The Godmother” for the film.
Like Hood, Remy also served time in prison. She was convicted of assault for shooting a member of her entourage over a financial dispute in 2007 and served six years of an eight-year sentence. She was released in 2014.
Don McLean is taking his “American Pie” to Europe.
The singer/songwriter has booked a 35-date European tour for 2022, to mark the 50th anniversary of his signature song “American Pie.” Technically, the single turns 50 in October of this year, but of course, many artists aren’t returning to the road in full force until next year.
McLean’s overseas tour starts in the U.K. — Wales, to be specific — next September, and then moves on to the continent in early October, wrapping up in November of 2022 in Austria.
Last month, McLean received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; he was introduced at the ceremony by his pal, “Weird Al” Yankovic.
Jay-Z is continuing his fight for social justice by taking legal action against the Kansas City Kansas Police Department
Team Roc, the philanthropic arm of his Roc Nation, filed a lawsuit on Monday against the KCKPD for alleged police misconduct. Team Roc attorney Alex Spirotold ABC News that the police department is covering up documents which could be used as evidence.
“Because of the [Kansas] Public Records Act that allows interested parties to look at various states and government documents, we’re allowed to see certain files and how the government handled certain issues,” Spiro said. “The government has attempted to block our access to those files, and so we’re suing to see what they don’t want us to see.”
The lawsuit alleges that the KCKPD has agreed to provide documents “pertaining to the complaints made against members of the Investigative Division,” but has “refused to produce documents pertaining to any steps that the City has taken in response to those complaints, including any investigations or disciplinary proceedings initiated as a result of the complaints.”
The suit references several reported incidents, including an officer who is charged with committing sex crimes involving a minor, two officers charged with a felony and misdemeanor assault over the mistreatment of an inmate, officers indicted on charges of stealing from homes where they were serving search warrants, and a federal lawsuit in which a Black female KCKPD officer sued the department for alleged race and gender discrimination.
Last year, Yo Gotti joined Team Roc in filing a federal lawsuit against the Mississippi prison system on behalf of 152 inmates, accusing the Parchman prison of subjecting inmates to alleged “barbaric” conditions
Ten years ago today, it felt like the end of the world for R.E.M. fans, as the college radio favorites-turned-rock icons broke up for good.
On September 21, 2011, the group — down to a trio of Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck following the 1997 departure of Bill Berry —posted a message on their website, reading, “To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band.”
“We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished,” they added. “To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening.”
Mills wrote, “We’ve made this decision together, amicably and with each other’s best interests at heart. The time just feels right.”
Stipe added, “A wise man once said, ‘The skill in attending a party is knowing when it’s time to leave.’ We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we’re going to walk away from it.”
And Buck wrote, “Being a part of your lives has been an unbelievable gift. Thank you.”
To mark the anniversary, R.E.M has posted a playlist of songs called “Ten Years Onward,” described as “songs still as resonant today as they were on September 21, 2011.” It’s a collection of singles, deep cuts, demos, live tracks and rarities from across R.E.M.’s entire catalog.
On his Facebook page, the band’s manager, Bertis Downs, wrote, “Disbandment Day — a bittersweet day in memory. But a good decision by the guys. And thankfully the music and the people live on.”
Over their 31-year career, R.E.M. won three Grammys, sold 85 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 Presented by Amazon Prime Video
Rihanna continues to build the excitement for her Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 fashion event, which promotes her Savage X Fenty line of lingerie.
RiRi dropped a trailer on Tuesday for Friday’s show, which will features performances by Nas, Daddy Yankee, BIA, Jazmine Sullivan, Ricky Martin, Normani, and Jade Novah. Normani also took part in last year’s show, which was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, which featured appearances by Roddy Ricch, Miguel, Ella Mai and Mustard.
Over the weekend, the “Umbrella” singer posted on Instagram, “Waiting for Vol. 3 to drop knowing y’all ain’t ready.”
Erykah Badu will also appear on the show, along with renowned models Adriana Lima, Gigi Hadid, Irina Shayk and many more.
Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 will stream on Amazon Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide beginning Friday, September 24.
