Music – Page 54 – 105.7 WDNY

Brandy honored with ‘Essence’ Legend Award, key to Mississippi hometown

July 8, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Brandy is reflecting on receiving the Legend Award at the Essence Black Women in Music event over the weekend.

In an Instagram post, she opened up about reaching this stage in her life and career.

“Standing in this moment, I realize the greatest honor isn’t simply being recognized… it’s becoming the woman God always knew I could be,” she wrote, alongside a video of her accepting the award. “Every season, the celebrated ones and the quiet ones, was preparing me to stand fully in my own light, rooted in faith instead of fear…purpose instead of proving.”

Brandy said that she’s grateful her daughter, Sy’Rai Smith, has been able to witness “what’s possible when you trust God” and “honor your heart.” She added that she’s thankful “that my parents know that everything I am is because of the love, faith, and foundation they gave me. Making them proud will always be one of my life’s greatest blessings.”

Brandy also thanked Essence, writing, “To be celebrated by a community that has uplifted the beauty, brilliance, and divinity of Black women for generations is something I will carry with me forever.”

“Here’s to becoming. To purpose. To faith. And to the quiet miracles that shape us long before the world ever notices.”

Brandy performed on the Essence stage Sunday before returning to her hometown of McComb, Mississippi. She was honored on Monday by the City of McComb, the Mississippi Legislature and Pike County, which awarded her a key to the city.

While accepting the key, she reflected on a valuable lesson that has served her throughout her career.

“McComb taught me something that the world would spend years trying to teach me,” she said. “Slow down.”

Listen to new Tim Montana song, ‘Long Long Year’

July 8, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Tim Montana has released a new song called “Long Long Year,” a track off his upcoming album, Entire State of Tim Montana.

“This one is special so turn it up, stream it loud, and if you’re feeling it, share it with someone who needs to hear it!” the “Devil You Know” rocker says.

“Long Long Year” marks the third song to be released from Entire State of Tim Montana, following “Break Me Down” and “Brown Sugar” featuring Slash and ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons. The album will arrive in full on July 31.

Entire State of Tim Montana also includes contributions from actors Martin Sheen, Charlie Sheen and Robert Patrick.

Montana will be touring the U.S. alongside Alter Bridge starting in November.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

OK Go announces deluxe 21st anniversary ‘Oh No’ reissue

July 8, 2026 by WDNY Radio

OK Go has announced a deluxe reissue of the band’s 2005 album, Oh No, in honor of its 21st anniversary.

The expanded set, dubbed Oh No (Extra Nice Edition), is due out Aug. 28. It includes various B-sides, acoustic recordings and live tracks.

The original Oh No spawned the single “Here It Goes Again,” which went viral thanks to its accompanying video, which featured the OK Go members dancing on treadmills.

“Spending our lives chasing ideas simply because they’re inspiring or beautiful is something we all dream of when we’re young,” frontman Damian Kulash says in a statement. “A few people are lucky enough to get a shot at it, but it almost always gives way to other agendas and more practical concerns. To be midlife and spending our days in pursuit of wonder or spectacle or catharsis simply for their own sake… it’s such a privilege, such a gift.”

OK Go’s most recent album is 2025’s And the Adjacent Possible, which marked their first record in 11 years.

The Rolling Stones talk longevity, the future and more

July 8, 2026 by WDNY Radio

The Rolling Stones are opening up about the secret to their longevity in a new Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe.

Ronnie Wood says one reason they get along so well is they have their own lives outside the band.

“When we do get back together, it’s like no time has gone by,” he says. “We love to interact.”

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have been making music together for over 60 years, and Richards acknowledges that their relationship is “a marriage of a kind.”

“Who’s wifey and who’s husband is another thing,” he says. “But maybe that’s what keeps it going.”

“But when you meet the guy that has the same taste in music and the same feel for it as you do it’s more than double the pleasure,” he continues. “You can’t put your finger on it but at the same time it is a mystery and I think maybe long may it be a mystery.” He noted that trying to figure it out is “pointless.”

The Stones will release their 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues, on Friday, and it sounds like the band isn’t ready to stop recording.

“I think you always think that this could be the last record,” Jagger says. “I’m not saying it is, but I mean I thought Hackney Diamonds was probably our last record and then we weren’t scheduled to make this record.”

Richards is also up for making more records.

“Anytime the whistle blows, I’m there, I’m up for it,” he says.

As for whether they’ll tour again, Jagger says he’d love to get back out on the road, while Wood jokes, “I’ll be out there as soon as I get my call-up papers.”

Richards adds, “Next year’s wide open, so I mean it is, it’s up for grabs really.”

Music notes: Jonas Brothers, Charli XCX and more

July 8, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Jonas Brothers have added a third Madison Square Garden show to their The Burning Up Tour All Over Again concerts. They’ll play Saturday, Aug. 22, in addition to the previously announced Aug. 20 and 21 shows. “The response from our fans this week has been unreal, and we didn’t want anyone to miss out,” the trio says in a statement. Tickets go on sale Friday.

Charli XCX has revealed an alternate cover to her Music, Fashion, Film album. The new version of the cover features Charli posing with Martin Scorsese, Marc Jacobs and John Cale. The original cover features the three men without Charli. “the special edition cover of Music, Fashion, Film is available now,” Charli writes on social media. “i can’t believe this image existssss xx.”

Niall Horan made his Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville Tuesday night. He posted photos from the night on social media Wednesday, writing, “such an honour to make my debut at the grand ole opry last night ! i never could’ve imagined i’d ever get the call to do this, what a dream come true.” Country star Thomas Rhett joined him onstage for the performance.

With ‘Choosin’ Texas’ spending its 12th week at #1, Ella Langley’s ‘Loving Life Again’

July 8, 2026 by WDNY Radio

“Choosin’ Texas” just may be the best decision Ella Langley ever made.

The lead single from Dandelion is now spending its 12th week atop Billboard‘s Hot 100, continuing an impressive run that started back in February.

“Choosin’ Texas” is one of only 25 songs to top the chart for a dozen weeks or more since the chart’s beginning in 1958. It’s also one of only five by solo women, and the only one on the list by a country artist.

While it’s impossible to know what’s ahead for the song with seemingly never-ending staying power, we do know what Ella’s next single will be. It shouldn’t be long before you start hearing “Loving Life Again” on country radio — and probably pop radio, too, given Ella’s impressive track record.

Hummingbird Dark + Whiskey JYPSI: Eric Church recreates a favorite guitar for the masses

July 8, 2026 by WDNY Radio

If you’d like to play a guitar like the one Eric Church has taken with him on tour for the past couple years, it’s now possible with the arrival of the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Eric Church Hummingbird Dark.

The limited-edition acoustic-electric guitar was created in the image of The Chief’s beloved Gibson Hummingbird, which came out a decade ago.

“For me, a great guitar is about expression—finding something honest and putting it out into the world,” he says. “We’ve been working on this Epiphone Hummingbird Dark, and it’s been with me out on the road for the past two years, part of that journey every single night.”

“It’s where songs take shape,” he continues, “where ideas turn into something real. I’m excited for other players to get their hands on it and see where it leads them, because that’s what this is all about—finding your voice and having the right partner to help you say it.”

The new Eric Church Hummingbird Dark costs $800 and is available at authorized Epiphone dealers, at Gibson Garage locations and online.

To celebrate the guitar, Eric’s Whiskey JYPSI brand teamed up with Gibson to create a custom case that holds a guitar strap, two rocks glasses and a special bottle of whiskey. You can find out more online.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to pay homage to Luther Vandross

July 8, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Luther Vandross is to be honored at a winter gala hosted by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

The company has teamed with the Luther Vandross Estate and Primary Wave Music to premiere Power of Love, a new ballet that will debut on Dec. 4 at New York City Center.

Choreographed by Jamar Roberts and named after Luther’s 1991 song, the hourlong tribute will bring Luther’s discography to life through movement in celebration of his legacy. According to a press release, the ballet features new arrangements of songs including “Never Too Much,” “Here and Now,” “Dance With My Father” and “A House Is Not a Home,” created by his longtime collaborators Marcus Miller and Ron Gillyard.

“The Luther Vandross Estate is thrilled to see Alvin Ailey, the country’s pre-eminent modern dance company, create a production built around the music of Luther Vandross,” David Gottlieb, manager of the Luther Vandross Estate, said in a statement. “The serendipity is special: both Luther and Alvin Ailey were born in 1950’s New York and grew to be forces in entertainment, respectively transforming R&B music and modern dance for all to experience. This creative partnership is bound to be memorable and unforgettable.”

A gala celebrating the Power of Love premiere and the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater’s season will take place Dec. 2 at Ziegfeld Ballroom. The ballet opens Dec. 4 at New York City Center, where it will run through Jan. 3, 2027, before launching a North American tour later in 2027.

Tickets go on sale Sept. 8.

Warren Haynes reveals details of new album, ‘Dreams & Songs: A Symphonic Journey’

July 8, 2026 by WDNY Radio

After teasing fans by releasing songs from his upcoming symphonic album, Warren Haynes is finally sharing details about the record.

The Gov’t Mule frontman has announced that the album, Dreams & Songs: A Symphonic Journey, will be released Sept. 18.

The 16-track record was recorded in 2019 at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville, North Carolina, Haynes’ hometown. It has him backed by the 64-piece Asheville Symphony Orchestra, as well as musicians Oteil Burbridge, John Medeski, Jeff Sipe and Greg Osby. Edwin McCain and Jasmine Muhammad join on background vocals.

Haynes has already released two tracks from the record, the Gov’t Mule song “Banks of the Deep End” and a performance of the Grateful Dead classic “Shakedown Street.” Now he’s sharing a third, a full orchestration of Gov’t Mule’s “Raven Black Night,” which originally appeared on their 1998 album Dose.

“Raven Black Night” is now available via digital outlets.

“I love the arrangement for the piece and really enjoyed singing ‘Raven Black Night’ in that light, because the original recording had no drums and was very stripped-down. It had a little percussion thing in the middle and no bass,” Haynes says. “Whereas this arrangement is just full-bodied, full orchestration – the opposite of the original – and it really takes it to a place that completes it and turns it into another thing.”

Dreams & Songs: A Symphonic Journey is available for preorder now.

Since the initial 2019 orchestra concerts, Haynes has put on several other symphonic shows and has two more planned for 2027. The Warren Haynes Dreams & Songs Symphonic Experience will come to Nashville for two nights, March 11 and 12. Tickets are on sale now.

Ariana Grande teases two new songs off ‘petal’

July 8, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Ariana Grande has teased a cappella snippets of two new songs off her upcoming album, petal.

In an Instagram carousel posted Wednesday, she revealed an alternate picture disc of the album available for preorder, as well as the song teases. She shared a portion of the lyrics in the post’s caption.

The first snippet is from track five on the album, titled “oh well.” We hear her a cappella harmonies as she sings the lyrics, “Good things can replace dysfunction, obsession/ Thanks but I’ll see you right out/ Good luck on your way to hell/ Oh, well.”

The other snippet is from track seven, titled “freak.” On it she sings, “Someday all the seeds will open/ All of the human life I’ve dreamt of/ Will be real if I start over/ How will it feel?”

Petal, featuring her current single “hate that i made you love me,” comes out July 31.

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