Music

If you’ve been keeping up with Dierks Bentley’s social media channels lately, you’ve probably seen glimpses of all the on-stage fun as the singer embarks on his 2021 Beers on Me Tour.

He’s even had an extra-special guest with him now and again: Dierks’ 12-year-old daughter, Evie joined him onstage earlier this month. She showed off her impressive vocal talents in a live rendition of Dierks’ “Different for Girls,” where she filled in for her dad’s studio duet partner on the song, Elle King.

But in an interview with Good Morning America, Dierks says that as much as he loves singing with Evie and the rest of his kids, he’s not forcing them to follow in his country music footsteps.

“All my kids love performing. Evie’s got a pretty special voice right now,” he says. “We don’t really practice or rehearse a bunch…she’s just a kid, and I like her doing kid stuff.”

Still, the singer says, he’s impressed by his daughter’s affinity for the spotlight.

“She’s got a great voice, a great stage presence. She’ll jump out onstage sometimes and sing in front of 15,000 people, and I’m more nervous than she is,” he jokes. “She’s kind of a natural at it. It’s a special thing to get to share together.”

Dierks’ Beers on Me Tour continues this summer, with opening acts Riley Green and Parker McCollum. He also recently notched his 20th number-one country radio hit with “Gone.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

From Maroon 5 to Machine Gun Kelly, to All Time Low, Kane Brown and Tate McRae, blackbear seems to be the go-to collaborator these days — but he’s putting out his own EP next month.

The singer, songwriter and producer will release misery lake on August 13. It will feature his previously released collaboration with Tate, “u love u,” and five new tracks, including “ghost town” with Sasha Alex Sloan and “imu,” featuring the equally ubiquitous Travis Barker.

Blackbear’s new single with Kane Brown, “Memory,” isn’t included on the package.

As previously reported, blackbear will join Maroon 5 on their upcoming tour, which kicks off August 10 in Auburn, WA.  The artist, born, Matthew Musto, is featured on the song “Echo” on Maroon 5’s new album JORDI, and co-wrote and co-produced their current hit, “Beautiful Mistakes.”

Here’s the track listing for misery lake:

“alone in a room full of people”
“@ my worst”
“u love u” ft. tate mcrae
“ghost town” ft. sasha alex sloan
“imu” ft. travis barker
“bad day”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Rob Thomas is celebrating his wife Marisol on Instagram today, the 23rd anniversary of the day he proposed to her.

“23 years ago today, in 1998, in a rented SUV in the rain I asked her to marry me,” Rob wrote alongside a series of photos of himself and Mari through the years. “I’d carried the ring around with me for a week or so waiting for the right time.”

“Everyone thought we were nuts and rightfully so, considering we had only been dating 2 months,” he continues. “She said yes and we started the year and a half of wedding plans. But I would have married her in that car that night.”

“A lot of years have passed now,” writes Rob. “Good times and heartache. But she is my partner in crime. She’s my other. Thanks, Mari, for saying yes.”

The Matchbox Twenty frontman and Marisol, a former model who’s inspired many of his songs, including “Smooth,” tied the knot October 2, 1999.  The couple, who are passionate about animal rescue and advocacy, have stuck together, even as Marisol has battled a number of debilitating tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease.

Rob and Matchbox Twenty’s planned 2021 tour was rescheduled for 2022; it’ll now begin May 17 in Vancouver, B.C.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Rob T (@robthomas)

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Gemini Syndrome will release a new album called 3rd Degree — The Raising on October 15.

In a statement, vocalist Aaron Nordstrom describes the upcoming record as being about “death and rebirth.”

“In the process of this record I made some major life choices,” Nordstrom explains. “Mainly to stop killing myself slowly with alcohol. Two years without a drink, and a couple near death experiences later, I think I have ample experience to talk about a subject as elusive as death.”

Gemini Syndrome has already released three songs from 3rd Degree, including the current single “Die with Me.” A fourth cut, titled “Abandoned,” is out today via digital outlets.

3rd Degree is the follow-up to 2016’s Memento Mori, which spawned the single “Remember We Die.”

Here’s the 3rd Degree — The Raising track list:

“Reintegration”
“IDK”
“Die With Me”
“Baptized in Fire”
“Children of the Sun”
“Abandoned”
“Broken Reflection”
“Sum Quod Eris”
“Best of Me”
“Absolution”
“Hold the Line”
“Where We Started From”
“Fiat Lux”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Lil Nas X has a few words for his younger self. 

Before releasing of his new track, “Industry Baby,” the 22-year-old rapper, born Montero Lamar Hill, shared a heartfelt note he wrote to his younger self, titled, “dear 20 year old montero.” 

“I wrote a song for us,” he begins, before reflecting on life after his smash hit “Old Town Road” and the beginning of the global pandemic. 

“I know sometimes you feel like it’s all downhill from here,” he writes. “I know your sexuality has made you feel like an outcast amongst your peers. I know going from having the biggest song in the world to being trapped in your apartment is weighing heavy on you. And I know if you hear the phrase ‘one hit wonder’ one more time, you might combust.”

The “Call Me By Your Name” singer then switches gears and urges himself to get out of his funk and push through all the negative feelings in order to be an inspiration to those who follow him.  

“But I need you to keep going. I need you to realize that you have the opportunity to be the person that you needed growing up,” Lil Nas X writes. “I need you to stop feeling sorry for yourself. And I need you to remember that the only person who has to believe in YOU is YOU.” 

He signs the note with his moniker initials, followed by the trophy and white heart emojis.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

A Great Big World will release their third album, Particles, on August 27.

The Grammy-winning duo have also dropped “Glowing,” a new single from the project.  They’ll perform it for the first time on Live with Kelly and Ryan on July 29.

A Great Big World’s Ian Axel says of “Glowing,” “It started off as a lullaby I used to sing to my son when he was a newborn. I just wanted him to feel safe and loved. In a way, I was also singing it to myself.”

“When writing it I always imagined a love shield of sorts surrounding us, getting brighter and brighter while deflecting the scary things around us,” he adds. “We wanted to capture that in the recording. The track starts off really simple, and ends with lush, sweeping orchestrations.”

As for the album, A Great Big World’s Chad King explains, “The songs…written from an incredibly honest and vulnerable place. It was a cathartic and therapeutic process for us. Our hope is that by being vulnerable, others can connect with us and we can all feel a little less alone in the universe.”

Ian says the album’s title, Particles, was inspired by his and Chad’s belief that “the entire universe and all of its mysteries exist in every particle, and each of us is made up of tiny particles containing the whole.”

In addition to “Glowing,” Particles will also include the duo’s recent single, “Boys in the Street,” as well as their 2019 duet with Christina Aguilera, “Fall On Me.”  Ian joined Christina onstage at the Hollywood Bowl last weekend to perform their Grammy-winning duet from 2013, “Say Something.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Garth Brooks is headed for Wyoming on Friday night, where he’ll play the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo. It’s the 125th anniversary of the 10-day event, and this year’s festivities are dedicated to the late country star and rodeo champ Chris LeDoux.

As he gears up for his sold-out set, Garth says he can’t help but think back on all the memories he made at the rodeo with Chris, who died in 2005 at the age of 56. In fact, one year, Garth was nervous he might have to miss the rodeo because his wife was about to go into labor with the couple’s daughter. Just in case he had to drop out, Chris came to town to play understudy, Garth remembers.

“1996 we’re playing Cheyenne Frontier Days…worried that our youngest daughter, Allie, is going to be born while we’re there and I’d have to fly out and miss the show,” recounts Garth. “So Chris LeDoux brings him and his band up there just in case. We get the word about 2pm in the afternoon [that] everything’s great, so we go ahead and play the show…with Chris LeDoux.”

This weekend, Garth will honor Chris by being a part of the official unveiling ceremony of a bronze statue dedicated to the rodeo legend. He’s also playing his Friday night show with country singer Ned LeDoux, who’s Chris’ son. 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Prepare yourself for new Porno for Pyros music.

The group, one of  Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell‘s many side projects, has begun working on fresh material, according to a social media post from guitarist Peter DiStefano.

“Working on new Porno For Pyros songs with [drummer Stephen Perkins] in his front yard to send to [Farrell],” the post reads.

Perkins, of course, also plays with Farrell in Jane’s.

Porno for Pyros hasn’t released an album since 1996’s Good God’s Urge. The band reunited for their first live performance since 2009 during the 2020 Lollapalooza livestream.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

This week’s new music roundup includes new collaborations by Kiana Ledé, Kehlani, Drake, Gunna and more. 

Kehlani goes back and forth contemplating the consequences of cheating in a relationship on Kiana Ledé’s R&B jam, “Ur Best Friend.” Both women find themselves singing about infidelity and returning to their male partners after stepping out with each other. 

“And he’s almost perfect, and that’s why it hurts / And he calls me family that’s what makes it worse/ ohhhh its wrong but I make you feel right/ You textin’ my phone while right beside him/ Wish it was anyone besides him,” Kehlani sings.

Kehlani also goes back and forth on “Beautiful Lies,” from Yung Bleu’s debut project, Moon Boy, which is out now. This time, the two vocalists discuss their relationship, which revolves around mistakes, apologies, and little white lies. 

Moon Boy also features appearances from John Legend, H.E.R., Moneybagg Yo, Kodak Black, Davido, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and more. 

Meanwhile, rising Toronto rapper Smiley links up with Drake and Grammy-nominated producer Tay Keith on his new single, “Over the Top,” while Gunna and Polo G maintain their unique rapping styles and natural chemistry on “Waves,” the latest single off NBA player Kawhi Leonard’s compilation album, Culture Jam. 

And lastly, Tinashe has officially dropped the release date for her new album, 333, accompanied by her new single, “I Can See the Future.” 333 arrives Aug. 6 and will include Tinashe’s singles, “Bouncin‘” and the Buddy-assisted track, “Pasadena.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.