It’s hard to believe it’s taken this long, but Rick Astley‘s 1987 video for “Never Gonna Give You Up” has finally hit one billion YouTube views.
The cheese-tastic clip for Astley’s number-one hit earned a second life online starting in 2007 thanks to the popular RickRolling meme, where you’re directed to click on a link but instead of getting what you expect to see, you get Astley’s video instead.
This year alone, the clip received 2.3 million daily views on April Fool’s Day.
This makes “Never Gonna Give You Up” only the fourth music video of the ’80s to join the Billion Views Club, following Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child o’ Mine”, a-ha’s “Take on Me,” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.”
The Black Keys have premiered the video for “Stay All Night,” a track off the band’s new album, Delta Kream.
The clip finds Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney jamming along to the tune inside the Blue Front Café in Bentonia, Mississippi, cut with sweeping footage of the surrounding town, including the grave of blues legend Junior Kimbrough, who originally wrote “Stay All Night.”
Delta Kream is a tribute album to Mississippi hill country blues artists including Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside. It was released in May.
The Black Keys will be playing Oxford, Mississippi this September on their three-show World Tour of America. Each stop on the outing, which also includes shows in Athens, Georgia, and St. Petersburg, Florida, is named after a city from another country.
Whitesnake‘s ongoing deluxe reissue campaign continues with a four-CD/DVD collection focusing on the band’s 1997 studio album, Restless Heart, which will be released on October 29.
Restless Heart: Super Deluxe Edition features newly remixed and remastered versions of the album, plus a variety of unreleased demos and studio outtakes, and a DVD containing official music videos, fan videos, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the record that includes new interviews with frontman David Coverdale.
Restless Heart originally was intended to be Coverdale’s third studio album, but it was released as a new Whitesnake record due to label pressure. It was never issued in the U.S. at the time.
The super deluxe reissue’s first disc features a 2021 remix of Restless Heart that’s closer to how Coverdale originally intended for the album to sound. It includes three bonus tracks, which were originally available on the Japanese version of the record.
The original musicians who contributed to the project included guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, drummer Denny Carmassi and bassist Guy Pratt, while Coverdale tapped guitarist Joel Hoekstra and keyboardist Derek Sherinian to add their talents to the updated tracks.
Disc two features a remastered version of Restless Heart, while the third and fourth CDs boast demos and outtakes that help show how the tracks evolved to their final stage.
In addition to the aforementioned music videos and making-of feature, the DVD offers a trio of acoustic performances from the 1997 live acoustic album, Starkers in Tokyo, originally only available in Japan.
The set comes with a hardbound book featuring rare and unseen photos.
The Restless Heart reissue, which you can pre-order now, also is available as a two-CD set, a two-LP silver-vinyl release and a single CD.
Here the Super Deluxe reissue’s track list:
Disc 1: Restless Heart — 2021 Remix
“Restless Heart”
“You’re So Fine”
“Can’t Go On”
“Crying”
“Take Me Back Again”
“Anything You Want”
“Too Many Tears”
“All in the Name of Love”
“Your Precious Love”
“Can’t Stop Now”
“Woman Trouble Blues”
“Stay with Me”
“Oi (Theme for an Imaginary Drum Solo)”
“Don’t Fade Away”
“Can’t Go On (Unzipped)”
Disc 2: Restless Heart — 2021 Remaster
“Don’t Fade Away”
“All in the Name of Love”
“Restless Heart”
“Too Many Tears”
“Crying”
“Stay with Me”
“Can’t Go On”
“You’re So Fine”
“Your Precious Love”
“Take Me Back Again”
“Woman Trouble Blues”
“Anything You Want”
“Can’t Stop Now”
“Too Many Tears ’95 (Live & Drunk in the Studio featuring The Horny B’stards)”
Disc 3: Dancing on the Titanic — Early Arrangements & Getting Drum Tracks in the Studio
“Restless Heart “
“You’re So Fine”
“Can’t Go On”
“Crying”
“Take Me Back Again”
“Anything You Want”
“Too Many Tears”
“All in the Name of Love”
“Your Precious Love (Soul Version)”
“You Precious Love”
“Can’t Stop Now (Instrumental Version)”
“Woman Trouble Blues”
“Stay with Me”
“Oi (Instrumental)”
“Don’t Fade Away”
“Snakes Down South (Unreleased Demo)”
Disc 4: Restless Heart — Evolutions
“Restless Heart”
“You’re So Fine”
“Can’t Go On”
“Crying”
“Take Me Back Again”
“Anything You Want”
“(Red Light Green Light)”
“Too Many Tears”
“All in the Name of Love”
“Your Precious Love”
“Can’t Stop Now”
“Woman Trouble Blues”
“Stay with Me”
“Oi (Instrumental)”
“Don’t Fade Away”
Disc 5: Restless Heart — DVD-Video
“All in the Name of Love” (Fan Video)
“Anything You Want” (Fan Video)
“You’re So Fine” (Music Video)
“Restless Heart” (Fan Video)
“Too Many Tears” (Music Video)
“Don’t Fade Away” (Music Video)
“Can’t Go On” (Acoustic Slideshow)
“Restless Heart” (Lyric Video)
Starkers Trilogy
“Too Many Tears”
“Can’t Go On”
“Don’t Fade Away”
Britney Spears‘ fight to end her 13 year conservatorship apparently began just as soon as it was enacted.
According to alleged voicemails that the pop star shared with her self-proclaimed ex-manager, Sam Lutfi, she’s been fighting since at least 2009. In the first clip shared to Lutfi’s Instagram, a voice Lutfi claims is Britney states, “I want out of this conservatorship.”
The “Toxic” singer, who shares sons Sean and Jayden with ex-husband Kevin Federline added, “I’ve been blackmailed by visitation with my babies by the conservatorship. I’m confined, restrained, and stripped of my civil rights. And I demand the state of California to review this case because I feel it’s illegal. Bye.”
In a second unverified message purported to be Britney, she checks in to make sure that the ball is rolling on ending her conservatorship, which is run by her father Jamie Spears, who she claimed “threatened me several times that he’ll take my children away.”
The pop icon then requested new representation from John Eardley and John Patterson in a third audio post that Lutfi said is from 2009.
In the fourth post, Britney again allegedly makes an impassioned plea to remove herself from the conservatorship, maintaining, “I am of sound mind and body. I do not want a conservatorship.”
She also reiterated the claim that her “civil rights are being violated” and that she’s being “held against my will.”
Lutfi expressed his frustration that none of these voicemails were taken seriously and were thrown out by judges despite being “time and phone number stamped.”
“These calls are to my phone, these calls cost me a ton of money in court, tarnished my name further but also tore my soul apart, I had no idea where to turn, no one was listening no one seemed to care,” he wrote.
Marilyn Manson has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought against him by Game of Thrones alum Esmé Bianco. In February, the actress accused him of sexual assault and sexual battery — claims Manson’s legal team previously said are “provably false.”
TMZ obtained the latest round of court documents pertaining to the shock rocker’s case. Manson, born Brian Warner, claims in the dismissal request that Bianco filed her lawsuit too late and, therefore, outside the statute of limitations.
Warner, who is also facing lawsuits from model Ashley Morgan Smithline and his former assistant, Ashley Walters, claims he is being victimized by a “coordinated attack.” The singer expressed in the documents that the women have launched a smear campaign against him and are “cynically and dishonestly seeking to monetize and exploit the #MeToo movement.”
According to the files, the 52-year-old insists Bianco took her accusations a step further, claiming she “spent months plotting, workshopping, and fine-tuning” her allegations into “twisted tales that bear no resemblance to reality.”
Earlier this year, Bianco told ABC News that Warner had physically, sexually and psychologically abused her during their three-year relationship. “I was coerced, I was defrauded, I was transported from the U.K. to the U.S., I was harbored, and then I was coerced into involuntarily servitude, which included sexual abuse and physical abuse,” she said.
Bianco’s allegations came after Warner’s ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Woodpublicly stated he had “horrifically abused [her] for years.”
A ruling has yet to be made on the rocker’s latest filing. Bianco has not yet responded to Warner’s claims.
Warner denies all wrongdoing and claims his relationships with all four women were “consensual.”
For anyone affected by abuse and needing support, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or if you’re unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 1-866-331-9474.
Lil Nas X set the internet abuzz again with the video for his new song “Industry Baby” — in particular for its NSFW prison shower dance sequence featuring pixelated nudity.
Now, Lil Nas is teasing an “uncensored” version of the video. For those curious enough to click, the video starts off as normal but once it gets to the shower scene the screen freezes as if it’s buffering — but the song continues.
Yep, he trolled us. Well played, Lil Nas.
The “uncensored” video has nearly four million views on YouTube, and fans were left laughing in the comments.
“If it’s one thing Lil Nas is gonna do, it’s TROLL lmaooo. we knew this was gonna be click bait and yet here we are,” one wrote.
Another added, “This is daylight robbery. He really got ad revenue and streams TWICE. Nas is a genius.”
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for EJAF, Rich Fury/Getty Images
Elton John is the latest celebrity to condemn the homophobic remarks made by rapper DaBaby at Miami’s Rolling Loud Festival over the weekend.
The “I’m Still Standing” singer explained that spreading homophobic misinformation is harmful to the LGBTQ community — especially those with HIV.
Taking to Instagram Wednesday, Sir Elton shared an post that read, “HIV misinformation and homophobia have no place in the music industry. We must break down the stigma around HIV and not spread it. As musicians, it’s our job to bring people together.”
“We’ve been shocked to read about the HIV misinformation and homophobic statements made at a recent DaBaby show. This fuels stigma and discrimination and is the opposite of what our world needs to fight the AIDS epidemic,” the five-time Grammy winner continued in a lengthy caption.
“HIV has affected over 70 million people globally: men, women, children and the most vulnerable people in our communities,” he expressed. “In America, a gay black man has a 50% lifetime chance of contracting HIV. Stigma and shame around HIV and homosexuality is a huge driver of this vulnerability. We need to break down the myths and judgements and not fuel these.”
“You can live a long and healthy life with HIV,” he continued. “Treatment is so advanced that with one pill a day, HIV can become undetectable in your body so you can’t pass it onto other people.”
Sir Elton reiterated that rather than spread misinformation, musicians should “bring people together.”
“Homophobic and HIV mistruths have no place in our society and industry and as musicians, we must spread compassion and love for the most marginalized people in our communities,” he closed.
DaBaby has since apologized for his weekend remarks, tweeting on Tuesday night, “What I said was insensitive.”
Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies 🙏🏾
But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.
Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for 2016 Essence Festival
Rapper and singer Tink made her return in 2021 with her Yung Bleu-assisted single, “Selfish.” Now, the Chicago native is ready to drop her new album, Heat of the Moment.
The new project will features appearances from Jeremih, Kodak Black and Nigerian superstar Davido. Hitmaka, who produced EricBellinger’s 1-800-EAZY, will serve as executive producer.
It’s been months since we last heard from Tink on her December 2020 EP, A Gift and a Curse, and her Valentine’s Day 2021 follow-up, Hopeless Romantic. The 26-year-old also released a handful of singles, including “Bottom B****”, “I Ain’t Got Time Today,” and fan-favorite, “Cut It Out.” Yet Tink’s widely known for singles such as “Treat Me Like Somebody,” and the Timbaland-produced track, “Million,” which samples Aaliyah‘s “One in a Million.”
Journey returns to the concert stage this week for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with two shows in Chicago — one tonight at the Aragon Ballroom and the second on Saturday at the Lollapalooza festival in Grant Park.
The concerts also will mark Journey’s first live performances since three new members were welcomed into the band — bassist Randy Jackson, drummer Narada Michael Walden and keyboardist Jason Derlatka. However, keyboardist Jonathan Cain tells ABC Audio that Jackson — who previously played with Journey during the mid-1980s — will be missing the Chicago gigs.
“Unfortunately, Randy’s not going to be there, ’cause he’s got back surgery,” Cain reports. “Marco Mendoza, a good friend of ours [who] plays great, he’ll fill in for now.”
Cain says he finds it interesting that Journey will launch its new chapter in Chicago, where he was born.
Journey recently released its first single with the new lineup, “The Way We Used to Be,” and Cain says the band likely will include it in their sets this week, as well as plenty of the group’s classic hits. Jonathan also notes that Journey will be playing a longer set at the Aragon Ballroom — which is considered an official Lollapalooza “Aftershow” event — so they may dig deeper into their catalog for that performance.
Journey guitarist Neal Schon, meanwhile, tells ABC Audio that he’s hoping the band will be jamming more and be doing more extended sets in the future.
“I think Journey is capable of being one of the greatest jam bands in the world ever,” he declares. “And everything in my intuition is telling me that it’s time to…encompass it all in one concert, be daring, go out on a limb with no net and create…in front of people.”
Dierks Bentley’s Beers on Me tour kicks off in just a few short weeks, and the singer says he’s especially excited about the company he’ll have on the road: opening acts Parker McCollum and Riley Green.
Talking about his role as tour boss, Dierks points out, “I try to make sure that the tour’s really fun. For some of these guys, it’s their first big tour. I know for Parker, it’ll be the first time he’s gone to some of these states before!”
Mentoring up-and-comers isn’t a job Dierks takes lightly, and that’s partly because of his experience on the road with Kenny Chesney back when he was a newcomer himself.
“I want to make sure they look back on this tour the same way I look back on the Chesney stuff, how well Kenny treated me and how much fun it was,” he says. “An emphasis on music and fun.”
But keeping the emphasis on music and fun shouldn’t be too hard: Not only does Dierks admire Parker and Riley as artists, but they’re his buddies, too.
“It’s just two great guys,” he says. “I really love both their music and their spirit. They’re people I text with regularly, so it’s a real natural thing.”
Dierks explains why it’s important to have camaraderie with the people you’re sharing the stage with, noting, “I think [it] translates when you get out there on the road. Fans can see that.”
To get a glimpse of the obvious camaraderie between the three singers, look no further than their high-impact cover of Jerry Reed’s “Eastbound & Down.” The Beers on Me tour kicks off August 13 in Salt Lake City.
