Music

Bastille has released a racing computer game celebrating the release of the band’s latest single, “Thelma + Louise.”

In the game, you play as a pixelated version of one of the four band members as you race nine other drivers on a desert or city track. It doesn’t appear that you can drive off the Grand Canyon, as seen in the 1991 movie Thelma & Louise, but maybe we haven’t gotten to that level yet.

“Thelma + Louise” the song premiered in August. It’s the third new Bastille song of 2021, following “Distorted Light Beam” and “Give Me the Future.”

Meanwhile, a new Bastille album, the follow-up to 2019’s Doom Days, is in the works.

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Vandals seriously damaged destroyed Pop Smoke‘s gravesite over the weekend, and on Monday, his family spent the day cleaning the area.

“Whoever you are, you have my attention. Now what!?” his mother, Audrey Jackson, wrote on Instagram with photos and video of the destruction. “We sat and talked to each other and to him,” she added.

TMZ reports that Pop Smoke’s marble plaque, displaying his birth name, Bashar Barakah Jackson, at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, was broken. Police visited the cemetery Sunday afternoon after an employee discovered the crypt was vandalized. Damage is estimated at $500.

The five-time Billboard Music Award winner was shot and killed at age 20 on Feb. 19, 2020 during a home invasion in Los Angeles. Both of his albums, 2020’s Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, and Faith in 2021, which were released after his death, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.

Pop is also featured on Kanye West‘s new Donda album, and on September 30, the late rapper will be honored with the Voice of Hope award at the Songs of Hope gala in Los Angeles

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Faith No More and Mr. Bungle have canceled a batch of upcoming tour dates as frontman Mike Patton cares for his mental health.

“I have issues that were exacerbated by the pandemic that are challenging me right now,” Patton says in a statement. “I don’t feel I can give what I should at this point and I am not going to give anything less than 100 percent. I am sorry to our fans and hope to make it up to you soon.”

Patton notes that both bands “support me in this decision.”

“We look forward to working through this in a healthy way,” he says.

In their own statement, the other four member of Faith No More share that, while they were excited to return to the live stage, Patton’s health takes priority.

“We believe that forging ahead with these dates would have had a profoundly destructive effect on Mike, whose value to us as a brother means more to us than his job as singer,” the statement reads. “He can count on our 100 percent support to do what he needs to do to get things right. Just as we also ask for your support right now.”

The affected Faith No More dates run from a September 16 concert in Maryland Heights, Missouri, through their October 22 and 23 shows in Los Angeles with System of a Down and Korn. Mr. Bungle, meanwhile, will miss their September 17 headlining date in Chicago and a September 19 appearance at Riot Fest.

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Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde are teaming up over heartbreak in their new song, “Never Wanted to be That Girl.” 

On Tuesday, the duet partners shared a teaser of the song that finds them as women done wrong by a cheating man.

The song leans into pain and confusion as they come to terms with the fact that they’re the other woman, albeit unintentionally, reflected through such lyrics as “thought this kind of lonely only happens to somebody else,” and “thought I knew who I was, but it’s getting hard to tell.”

“This is the story of how a bad man happened to two good women,” Carly describes, calling Ashley her “incredibly talented friend.”

“You won’t want to miss this story,” adds Ashley.

The singers co-wrote the track with Shane McAnally. 

“Never Wanted to be That Girl” drops in full at midnight and is featured on Carly’s upcoming album, 29: Written in Stone. 

Additionally, Carly will make her solo late-night TV debut with a performance of her current single, “Next Girl,” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Wednesday night, airing at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Michael Bublé has been forced to cancel a concert later this month because he and the venue couldn’t agree on COVID-19 protocols.

In a message on Twitter, Michael explains that he’s had to cancel September 20 show in Austin, Texas, noting, “I am really sorry because I have always loved performing there.”

“I am not a political person,” he continued. “My commitment to complete my tour after all the postponements was agreed to under the terms that it would not put a single person in danger. Protocols were and continue to be in place for all my upcoming shows to ensure nobody will be put in harm’s way.”

The singer went on to say, “Though we tried, I was sadly unable to facilitate this for my Austin show. There was no other choice but to cancel. My conscience and my heart wouldn’t allow it.”

When Michael announced his rescheduled tour dates, he posted on his official website that everyone who attended had to either provide proof of vaccination or present the results of a negative COVID test.

The singer’s An Evening with Michael Bublé tour continues tonight in Milwaukee.

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Billie Eilish made an impact at the Met Gala last night in more ways than one.

Not only did the singer wear a glamorous peach-colored Oscar de la Renta gown, but she got the iconic fashion house to stop selling fur. According to The New York Times, the 19-year-old vegan and animal-rights activist only agreed to wear the designer on the condition that they agree to go fur-free.

“Thank you @oscardelarenta for designing this BEAUTIFUL dress and bringing my ideas and vision to life,” Billie wrote on Instagram. “it was an honor to wear this dress knowing that going forward oscar de la renta will be completely fur-free!!!!”

She ended her message by saying, “i am beyond thrilled that [creative directors Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim] and the entire team heard me on this issue, and have now made a change that makes an impact for the greater good, not only for animals but also for our planet and environment too. i’m honored to have been a catalyst and to have been heard on this matter. i urge all designers to do the same.”

 

 

 

 

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According to E!, Monday’s Met Gala wasn’t just the biggest fashion event of the year, it was also Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey‘s third wedding anniversary.  So the couple combined the two by walking the red carpet together — and then Justin took the stage for a surprise performance.

As E! notes, while both Justin and Hailey have attended the Met Gala separately or with other dates in the past, Monday night marked the first time they hit the A-list event together. Both wore black from head to toe — Justin wore a black suit with wide-legged trousers and sneakers, while Hailey chose a simple black column St. Laurent dress with a plunging neckline.

Later on, Justin performed for the crowd, as documented in the Instagram Story of social media star Jackie Aina, who shared footage of TikTok star Addison Rae screaming along with every word as Justin sang a throwback number, “Baby.”

According to Vogue, the surprise set also featured Justin performing his recent hits “Lonely,” “Hold On” and “Anyone.”  During the performance, he wore jeans, a denim jacket and, oddly, a black ski mask that completely covered his face.

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Kenny Chesney continues to fuel his passion for football in the upcoming film, More Than a Voice.

As part of the long-running sports documentary series SEC Storied, More Than a Voice spotlights famous SEC broadcasters including John Ward, the sportscaster at University of Tennessee that the country superstar grew up idolizing in his native Knoxville.  

“Within the SEC, I think everyone has that voice,” Kenny shares in the trailer for the 90-minute film that he also executive-produced. 

“It was important for me to be a part of this film because John Ward was such a big part of my life growing up and loving sports in east Tennessee. With his voice and his words, he painted a picture of Tennessee football that captured my imagination and the imaginations of so many,” Kenny explains in a statement. “Meeting him was one of the highlights of my life — and I’m thrilled to be a small part of this film that sheds light on his genius and so many of the other voices who have made the Southeastern Conference really special.”

More Than a Voice premieres on September 26 at 7 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.

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Jay-Z has set another chart record: He’s reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in four consecutive decades.

The Roc Nation CEO is featured on Drake’s “Love All,” from the Certified Lover Boy album, which debuted this week at number ten. Hova joins Mariah Carey as the only artist to earn top-ten singles in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and now the 2020s, according to Chart Data. His top tens include “Heartbreaker” in 1999 with Mariah, “Empire State of Mind” in 2009 with Alicia Keys, and “Holy Grail,” featuring Justin Timberlake, in 2013.

Jay is also one of only eight artists to achieve ten number-one albums on the Billboard 200. He has 14 number ones, second to The Beatles, who continue to hold the record, with 19.

As previously reported, the 51-year-old sports and entertainment mogul personally recorded his wife Beyoncé singing “Moon River” for the new Tiffany ABOUT LOVE campaign.

In other news, it’s rumored that Jay, who is a consultant to the NFL, is in talks to become pro football’s first Black owner. Front Office Sports reports that he’s among the potential suitors to buy the Denver Broncos for an estimated $4 billion.

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Mastodon has announced a U.S. tour for this fall.

The trek, which will be a co-headlining run with Opeth, is set to kick off November 16 in Asheville, North Carolina, and will wrap up December 5 in Denver. Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 17, at 10 a.m. local time.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit MastodonRocks.com.

Mastodon will be touring in support of their upcoming album, Hushed and Grim, which arrives October 29. The record includes the single “Pushing the Tides.”

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