Music

The Weeknd is opening up about his sobriety and past drug use in GQ’s September cover story.

While Demi Lovato has taken to describing themself as “California Sober,” The Weeknd prefers the term “Sober Lite.” He says he drinks “occasionally” and smokes weed, but has left other drugs behind.

“Drugs were a crutch,” he tells the mag. “It was me thinking that I needed it. And not doing the work to figure out how not to need it. And I’ve spent the last few years realizing that and thanking God that I don’t need it. Because for a lot of people, it’s hard to shake it. But I knew I didn’t want it.”

The Weeknd, birth name Abel Tesfaye, adds that he also wants a family someday. “I know I say I don’t, but I know I do,” he says. “I want children.”

After teasing a new single and a new era Sunday, The Weeknd also gives GQ some hints about what his next album will sound like. The mag describes the project as being “packed” with “Quincy Jones meets Giorgio Moroder meets the best-night-of-your-f*****-life party records.”

“It’s the album I’ve always wanted to make,” The Weeknd says.

 

 

 

 

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Rage Against the Machine was supposed to headline Coachella in 2020, but of course, the festival was canceled due to the pandemic.  The good news, though, is that the band is back on the bill for next year.

An interview with Coachella co-founder Paul Tollett in the Los Angeles Times includes this information, and also adds that rapper Travis Scott will be back to co-headline, as originally planned in 2020.  A third headline act will be announced in the future. 

“Right now, it’s the Wild West,” Tollett tells the paper. “I’m just trying to be as fair as I can to artists and to the fans to make sure that eventually they get to see everyone that we talked about.”  He notes that some artists whose careers have blown up since the lineup was announced in 2020 — like rapper Megan Thee Stallion — may need to be moved up on the bill.

Coachella 2022 will take place over the weekends of April 15-17 and April 22-24, 2022.  When tickets went on sale in June, they all sold out, even without any performers being named.  After being canceled in 2020, Coachella was supposed to return in April 2021, but California government officials wouldn’t allow it to go forward.

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Ingrid Andress and Sam Hunt are “Wishful Drinking” in their new collaboration. 

The pop-leaning song finds Ingrid taking lead on the first verse, longing for a lost love over a glass of something strong. Sam takes on the second verse, echoing Ingrid’s sentiment of “when I’m a couple in I get optimistic/Like me and you are realistic.” 

The “Wishful Drinking” video was released in conjunction with the track. Filmed at the Flamingo Cocktail Club in Nashville, the 70s-inspired clip finds the two singing alone at opposite ends of the venue before uniting on stage. 

“The sad bop you’ve wanted all summer is finally outttt! @SamHuntMusic you make everything sound better tbh thank u for being my first collab ever on a song,” Ingrid declareda on Instagram. “’Wishful Drinking’ out now for all you sad/happy hunnies out there.”

“I heard Ingrid’s music a while back and knew right away she was a very talented singer and songwriter. When the opportunity came along to be a part of this song with her I was all in,” Sam wrote on Twitter.

Ingrid will launch her headlining The Feeling Things Tour in the fall. She’ll also serve as an opening act on Dan + Shay‘s The (Arena) Tour, beginning in September.

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Papa Roach has released the first song from their upcoming new album.

Titled “Swerve,” the defiant rap-metal track features vocals by Fever 333‘s Jason Aalon Butler and LA rapper Sueco, aka Sueco the Child.

“This track came at the very end of the writing process for our upcoming album and truly feels like the culmination of years of experimenting with our sound coming back to a new version of Papa Roach,” says frontman Jacoby Shaddix in a statement. “We’re kicking off this new chapter of our careers with a next-level track, and couldn’t imagine doing it with anyone other than Jason and Sueco.”

“This is one of the favorite songs I’ve ever made,” Sueco adds. “Papa Roach has been an inspiration of mine since I was a kid, so working with them was super dope and a dream come true!” 

As for Butler, he says of Papa Roach, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — this band has somehow managed to be a legacy AND relevant all at once. So, naturally, when I got the call to hop on this track there was no question.”

Butler adds, “With Sueco doing his thing the track’s got 3 different vibes that all work together. This s**t is different and that’s exactly what rock needs. More DIFFERENT S**t. Thanks to these modern legends for making sure it happened.”

Papa Roach is also announcing that they’ve reactivated their early 2000s label, New Noize Records. No word yet on when we can expect the new album, which will be the follow-up to 2019’s Who Do You Trust?

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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It took a while, but The Kid LAROI officially has a number-one album.

His F*ck Love album, which just released its fourth incarnation last week, jumped from number 26 to number one on the Billboard 200 chart this week. The first version of the album dropped in July 2020, but this marks the project’s first time on top of the list.

The Australian rapper had an interesting way of celebrating the milestone, posting a photo of himself in the restroom of a private jet.

“taking a s*** on a jet because WE HAVE THE NUMBER ONE ALBUM [MIXTAPE] IN AMERICA!!!!!!” the 17-year-old captioned it. “WTF?!?!?! I LOVE YOU ALL BEYOND WORDS CAN F***** EXPLAIN MAN.”

He continued, “if someone told me that I’d have a number one ANYTHING let alone an album 3 years ago when I was in Australia I’d say that’s bloody ridiculous. but seriously I know I say this a lot, but thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am nothing without you guys & it makes me so mf happy that this project has connected with y’all in the way that it has. again, thank you and I love you I love you I love you.”

After releasing F*ck Love on July 24, 2020, LAROI released F*ck Love (Savage) in November 2020, followed by F*ck Love 3 on July 23 of this year and F*ck Love 3+ on July 27. Each version added more songs to the collection.

 

 

 

 

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Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn are set for a final bow in Las Vegas.

The legendary country acts are teaming up for a final run of their REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: Together in Vegas residency in December. The trio will close out the year with a string of nine shows from December 1-15 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, performing more than 30 of their hit songs.

The shows take place on December 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14 and 15. Tickets go on sale to the public on August 6 at 1 p.m. ET. 

“I can’t wait to be back in Vegas with my buddies @BrooksAndDunn for our final shows at the @ColosseumatCP Dec 1-15!” Reba shares on Twitter. “Don’t miss your last chance to see us #TogetherInVegas!”

Launched in 2015, Together in Vegas has since become the longest-running country residency in Las Vegas.

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Foo Fighters had a new lead singer — temporarily — on Sunday for their set at Lollapalooza: Dave Grohl‘s 15-year-old daughter.

Violet Grohl joined her dad and his band mates to sing “Nausea,” by pioneering L.A. punk band X.  In April, Violet performed the song on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, backed by her dad, his ex-Nirvana bandmate Krist Novoselic, producer Greg Kurstin, and Mr. Bungle drummer Dave Lombardo.  They recorded the song for Grohl’s documentary, What Drives Us.

Sunday was also the seventh birthday of Grohl’s daughter, Ophelia, and after leading a “Happy Birthday” singalong for her, Grohl introduced Violet by saying, “If you stick around long enough, maybe your daughter will join your band, too.  So since my daughter Violet Grohl is now in the Foo Fighters, we thought, ‘Why don’t we come out and sing a song for Lollapalooza tonight?'”

Dave described Violet as “the most bad-a** person I know in my life,” and boasted that “she likes to listen to the punk rock music that I like to listen to.”  After claiming that he and X drummer DJ Bonebrake are related — which may actually be true — he then let Violet take the mic for “Nausea.”  She acquitted herself admirably in true rock-star style, and seemed totally unfazed by the massive crowd.

Foo Fighters’ tour continues August 3 in St. Louis, MO.

(Violet’s song with the band starts at 1:32:18 into the video.)

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Maroon 5 is taking Ava Max along on their North American headlining tour.

The “Kings and Queens” singer will be the opening act on the tour’s four stadium shows, including Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL on August 30; Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, PA on September 5; Fenway Park in Boston, MA on September 12; and Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, CA on October 2.

The trek kicks off August 10 at White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, WA, and runs through October 8 at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, CA.

In other Maroon 5 news, the band just achieved their first RIAA-certified Diamond single with their 2011 hit “Moves Like Jagger,” featuring Christina Aguilera.

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