Music

Alicia Keys has teamed with American Greetings for a series of music video greetings that feature the Grammy-winning star singing a personalized message just for you — as long as your name isn’t something really, really weird.

Part of American Greetings’ “Smashups Music Video Series,” the Alicia Keys “Your Day” ecard shows Alicia performing a version of her song “New Day,” from her 2012 album Girl on Fire.  The video can be personalized so Alicia literally dedicates the song to you — that is, if your name is one of 1,000 names on the drop-down list, which starts with “Aalam” and ends with “Zooey.” 

The card can also be personalized so that Alicia dedicates the song to an endearment, such as “Babe,” “Sweetie” or “Honey,” or to a loved one’s title, like Grandpa, Dad, Mom, Buddy, Coach, Nana and more. Sadly, those celebs who named their kids “Bear” or “Apple” or “Lyra” are out of luck.

“I always wished I could celebrate birthdays and other special moments with each and every one of the people that love and support me and my music and I’m so excited that now I’m able to do just that with these incredibly special SmashUps,” Alicia says in a statement. “You are going to feel it and LOVE it!”

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Fender has announced the signature Kurt Cobain Jag-Stang guitar to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Nirvana‘s iconic 1991 album, Nevermind.

As its name suggests, the Jag-Stang is a combination of two popular Fender models: the Mustang and the Jaguar. Cobain used both guitars throughout his career before coming to Fender in 1993 to create the first Jag-Stang, featuring his favorite elements of both instruments.

The 2021 Jag-Stang replicates the specs of Cobain’s original model and comes in two colors: Fiesta Red and Sonic Blue. It’ll be available this October for $1,249.99.

For more info, visit Fender.com.

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Hootie & the Blowfish are here to help you stoke your ’90s nostalgia and get a tan at the same time.

Darius Rucker‘s iconic rock group is hosting HootieFest: The Big Splash, a “destination concert vacation event” that will take place at Moon Palace in Cancún, Mexico, from January 26 to January 29.  The four-day event will include three headlining performances from Hootie on the beach, as well as daytime entertainment and nightly concerts by Barenaked Ladies, Toad the West Sprocket, Spin Doctors, Better than Ezra, Sister Hazel, Blues Traveler and Toadies.

After their 2019 Group Therapy tour with the Barenaked Ladies, Hootie & the Blowfish’s members just can’t help but keep the party going.

“We were blown away by the response from fans during our last tour,” Darius says. “It was so special to be back on stage together and to know that people still love the music as much as we do. What better way to keep that celebration going than in Mexico!?”

Packages including accommodations, concert access, transportation and more go on sale Thursday, July 15, at 1 p.m. ET  A 24-hour pre-sale starts Wednesday a 1 p.m. ET. For more information, visit Hootiefest.com.

In his solo country career, meanwhile, Darius scored his ninth number-one hit this year with “Beers & Sunshine.” His current single, “My Masterpiece,” is climbing the charts.

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Jason Derulo and his girlfriend, Jena Frumes, welcomed their first child, Jason King, on May 8. Jason says he always knew that they’d have a boy, because he literally willed it to happen.

“My brother has girls, and my sister has a girl, so I knew we needed a boy to carry on the name, literally. We needed to have a boy because the Derulo name was out,” Jason tells People magazine. “I spoke him into existence.”

But then Jason went the extra step of naming the baby after himself, explaining, “I wanted my name to continue to thrive, and I also thought that it would bring me closer to him.”

As for whether little Jason will follow in his dad’s footsteps, the “Savage Love” singer tells People, “He seems to really adore music already…it’s the only thing that keeps him calm. He’ll be going crazy one minute and then you start playing some music and he’s okay.”

In fact, Jason says the baby has inspired him to start courting a new audience.  “I was actually thinking of making some kiddie music for him…He’ll be the first critic,” says Jason of the baby. “If he likes it, then I guess the other kids will like it.”

But Jason’s dreams for his son’s future have more to do with the gym than the recording studio.

“I want him to have a foundation in health and fitness,” he explains. “I want to see what he gravitates towards, but I want to expose him to a lot so that he can choose his own way. But for me, it is a must that he does sports, for health reasons.”

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Marilyn Manson posted bail after turning himself in on an arrest warrant over two counts of Class A misdemeanor Simple Assault, TMZ and Billboard report.

The warrant, which was reported in May, was issued by the Gilford Police Department in New Hampshire. In stems from an incident that took place during Manson’s show at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in 2019, during which the musician, born Brian Warner, allegedly spit on a videographer in the pit area.

At the time the news broke, Warner’s lawyer told Pitchfork that the claims were “ludicrous,” but assured that the rocker would “remain committed to cooperating with authorities.”

In June, Gilford PD announced that Warner had agreed to address the warrant by turning himself over to the Los Angeles Police Department. According to TMZ and Billboard, he did just that last Friday, and was released on personal-recognizance bail, the conditions of which included not committing any crimes, appearing at all necessary court proceedings, and refraining from contacting the alleged victim.

Warner, meanwhile, has been embroiled in personal and legal issues over the past few months after several women came forward accusing him of abuse and sexual assault, including ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood, who alleged that he had “horrifically abused [her] for years.”

Four different women — including actor Esmé Bianco, model Ashley Morgan Smithline and Warner’s former assistant Ashley Walters — have filed lawsuits against him.

Warner has denied allegations as “horrible distortions of reality.”

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Can Ed Sheeran take the heat? The singer appears on the latest episode of First We Feast’s popular web series, Hot Ones, where he chows down on progressively spicier wings as he answers questions from host Sean Evans.

During the interview, Ed recounts his unique path to fame. He says at 17, he was playing acoustic shows around London without much success, but things changed when he played a poetry show in Los Angeles.

“I was British, the only white guy in the room, with a guitar, with like crazy hair and I was like, ‘F***, I don’t think today’s gonna go well,'” he recalls. “I stood up on stage and I played the songs and it was the best reaction I got from any show.”

He continues, “So from there, when I got back to England I was like, I’m not gonna do any more acoustic nights. I’m gonna do comedy nights, I’m gonna do rap nights, I’m gonna do jazz nights…And within a year, it like kicked off.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Ed answers some questions from frequent collaborator Benny Blanco, discusses working with Eminem and 50 Cent and talks about the time he brought his pal Courteney Cox to his local Tesco supermarket.

In the end, he makes it through the hot wings lineup — but not without the help of some water and almond milk.

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It’s been 25 years since LeAnn Rimes released her career-making debut album, Blue, when she was just 13 years old. Now, in a new conversation with Kelleigh Bannen on Apple Music Hits, LeAnn says she stands behind who she was as an artist back then.

“When I was younger, people would say, ‘Oh, you’re really going to be able to sing amazing when you get older, because you’ll have this life experience to connect with it,’” she remembers, adding that the sentiment offended her at the time.

Now, she says, she can understand what they meant, but she’s still proud of the way she tapped into adult emotions as a young performer.

“I was able to really dig into emotion I didn’t know where to place as a kid, and act in a lot of ways,” LeAnn explains. “Then, as I grew, there was real truth to the power behind what I was singing.”

LeAnn goes on to say that only recently has she been able to fully appreciate who she was as a young artist.

“I really respect myself as a kid…I don’t think I’ve had the respect I have for her now until recently,” the singer reveals. “Because I was just in survival mode for 25 years and now being out of survival mode and being able to reflect…I’m kind of always looking to reconnect with what it was about her that was so clear and so powerful.”

Blue won LeAnn two Grammy Awards, including Best Female Country Performance for the title track, her version of the 1958 Bill Mack song “Blue.”

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Many are concerned about Wale after he shared that he was “extremely sick” on his Instagram Story Wednesday. 

According to HotNewHipHop, the “Angles” rapper told his four million followers that he will be taking a social media hiatus to focus on his health and well being. 

“I am out of commission. I been extremely sick since Saturday. I’ve missed many calls and texts,” Wale wrote. “Thank you to everybody who called wit[h] genuine concern. I ain’t sure how long I’ll be down but this…aint slight. Soon as I can come back strong, I’ll be back strong. As for now management will run my socials. Much love, see yall soon – Wale.”

Wale didn’t provide any details on his illness, but we wish him a speedy recovery so he can get back to sharing new music from his upcoming album, Folarin 2.

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Friendship truly never ends: The Spice Girls have taken to social media to celebrate today’s 25th anniversary of “Wannabe.”

“25 years! Can you believe it?!,” Mel C, aka Sporty Spice wrote. “With the help of our amazing fans this song catapulted us on our incredible journey, so much love and thanks to you guys today, the wonderful [‘Wannabe’ co-writers] Matt [Rowe] and Biff [Stannard], and my darling Spice Girls.”

She added, “So many memories! Happy Birthday Wannabe! Can’t wait until we Zig a zig ahh again!!!”

Geri Halliwell, aka Ginger Spice, posted two images of the group and one of a gold ring.  She wrote, “25 years of ‘Wannabe.’ Wow. The song that changed the lives of five girls from Britain. The first picture was taken in my back garden…we were all listening to the radio together that day we went to number 3 in the charts!!”

Ginger continued, “The black and white picture was from our first ever photoshoot! And…I bought a gold ring for each of the girls when we first got together, as a symbol of our friendship. It’s a special bond that continues to stand the test of time. I’m so proud of everything we have achieved together, girls.”

Emma Bunton, aka Baby Spice, wrote, “Zigazigahhhhhh!!! Feeling very emotional, what an amazing 25 years it has been. Thanks to our wonderful fans for making 5 girls’ dreams come true, loving the songs that we wrote, copying our dance routines and embracing our individuality!”

Even Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, who sat out the group’s sold-out 2019 stadium tour, posted a message, writing, “I can’t believe it’s been 25 years since Wannabe was released…the song that changed everything!”

Mel B, aka Scary Spice, has yet to weigh in.

 

 

 

 

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Lil Baby is making a name for himself in the music industry, which brings criticism from others about his music.

On Thursday, the 26-year-old My Turn rapper caught wind of a video clip from influencer Logan Paul criticizing his music last year during an episode of his podcast, Impaulsive. 

“Lil Baby, he’ll pop up on my Spotify…I’m scrolling through, and I…can’t get away from Lil Baby songs,” Paul said during a discussion about the saturation of hip-hop artists.. “I’m all for new artists but this one in particular I have no idea what he’s saying. I have none. And it all sounds the same, his tone is the same. It’s all the same. I give him a year.”

Paul’s comments lit a fire under the Grammy-nominated rapper to simply make more millions from his music.  Baby responded by tweeting, “Logan who?” before adding, “More like give em a year to have 100ms.”

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