Music

Thomas Rhett got romantic on “After All the Bars Are Closed” and landed his 24th #1. Now, he’s getting philosophical with a buddy on the follow-up.

TR cowrote “Ain’t a Bad Life” on the road “with some good buddies” in 2024, then enlisted Jordan Davis to help record it.

“It just really is a testament to how I was raised,” he says. “And I think how Jordan was raised and kinda just taking an introspective look at our lives, going, ‘Man we might not have everything that we want, but we definitely have what we need.'”

“I think this song just explains … [to us that means] healthy kids and a wife that loves you, and a good job, some boots that you like,” he continues. “This song just kinda really resonates with me and hopefully resonates with a lot of people, and it’s been really fun to have Jordan Davis on this track. We’ve never gotten to collaborate before, so I kinda felt like this was our time.”

You can check out TR and Jordan hanging out on a tailgate in the “Ain’t a Bad Life” lyric video.

If you want to see them having some more fun, take a look at Thomas pranking Jordan — and some other country music folks — back in June on Instagram.

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Mötley Crüe is setting the record straight about accusations by their former bandmate Mick Mars that they don’t perform live in concert.

The accusations came out in Mars’ 2023 lawsuit in which he claimed he was forced out of the band he founded and that his bandmates were cutting his stake in the group.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Nikki Sixx acknowledges the band uses backing tracks, but says that doesn’t mean they aren’t playing.

“Anything we enhance the shows with, we actually played,” he says. “If there are background vocals with my background vocals, and we have background singers to make it sound more like the record. That does not mean we’re not singing.”

Sixx tells the paper that Mars’ accusations were “a crazy betrayal” to the band’s legacy.

“Saying he played in a band that didn’t play, it’s a betrayal to the band who saved his life,” he adds. “People say things like, ‘Well, if you guys are really playing, then I need isolated tracks from band rehearsal.’ … It’s ludicrous.”

Mötley Crüe kicks off a 10-show Las Vegas residency on Friday at Dolby Live at Park MGM. The shows were originally scheduled for the spring, but were postponed due to frontman Vince Neil’s health issues. Sixx says Neil’s been working “really hard” at getting back in shape for the shows.

“You can tell he’s working up the stamina, and a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, man, he’s not kicking a** like he used to,’ but it takes a lot of courage to have a doctor tell you you will probably never go onstage again and to fight through that,” Sixx tells the LA Times. “If he’s got some imperfect moments here and there. They’re getting erased as the days go with rehearsal.”

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Switchfoot‘s 2005 album, Nothing Is Sound, was released 20 years ago Saturday. While initially poised to build on the breakout success of the “Meant to Live” rockers’ 2003 effort, The Beautiful Letdown, Nothing Is Sound instead came to represent the giant crossroads the music industry was facing at the time.

In 2005, digital storefronts like iTunes were in their early days and the streaming revolution was still a decade away. Meanwhile, record companies were still grappling from the Napster phenomenon of the late ’90s and early 2000s, which saw listeners share music files with each other online instead of buying CDs.

In an effort to keep people from continuing to do that, Switchfoot’s label included copy protection software on Nothing Is Sound CDs. The software also allegedly included spyware that monitored listening habits.

“This is just wild, wild stuff,” frontman Jon Foreman tells ABC Audio in reflecting on the 20th anniversary of Nothing Is Sound.

Switchfoot addressed the controversy in a message board post by bassist Tim Foreman, Jon’s brother, which instructed fans on how to get around the copy protections.

“We had, like, lawyers following us around because my brother was telling people how to get the songs off of the CD,” Jon says. “It was just strange, strange times.”

Eventually, the situation led to a product recall.

“They pulled all the records off the shelves,” Jon says. “It sounds strange, but that happened.”

As for the actual music on Nothing Is Sound, the album did spawn one of Switchfoot’s most-played live songs, “Stars.” 

“When I think back to that time, I usually just remember the good stuff,” Jon says. “I try to, at least. There’s so many beautiful moments, and I truly do love the songs.” 

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Questlove will be the 2025 recipient of the Peabody Trailblazer Award, which recognizes “visionaries whose innovative storytelling styles impact culture and effect social change,” according to the Peabody Awards. 

He will receive the award at a ceremony on Oct. 10 in LA. Previous recipient Quinta Brunson will present him with the award, and he will chat with Angela Davis about his career and impact.

“Through his prodigious output of creative work across documentary filmmaking, publishing, music, and more, Questlove has emerged as one our most important voices in understanding American culture of the past and present,” Peabody Executive Director Jeffrey Jones said in a statement. “His work has focused our attention on the centrality of Black musical genius in shaping and defining music and culture across the world. We are thrilled to recognize Questlove with this special Peabody honor.”

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Ed Sheeran surprised fans in New York Wednesday by dropping by a Van Leeuwen ice cream shop to help launch his new flavor, Play Pink, inspired by the color of his new album, Play. He posted footage of himself posing with fans at the store while he doled out the new flavor, which is punch-flavored, and swirled with dragonfruit and guava cake. Thursday in New York he launched a pop-up store to sell a new capsule collection of merch he created with the brand KidSuper. It’ll be available online Sept. 19.

Sabrina Carpenter has posted a behind-the-scenes video of the making of her elaborate visual for “Tears,” which was inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show and costars Colman Domingo. You also get a look at her filming some of the different endings, in which her boyfriend dies in different ways.

Maroon 5 was set to do a surprise pop-up show Thursday in Nashville, but they had to cancel because Adam Levine got sick. He wrote in a message, “I picked up a bug and my throat is inflamed. I’ve been advised to rest and not travel.” He promised, “We will be back very soon. Owe you a big show!”

Women’s Wear Daily has published its 115th anniversary issue, which spotlights the fashion industry’s most influential people. The Newsmakers list, highlighting 115 people who are “shaping fashion, beauty and retail today,” includes Chappell Roan and Selena Gomez, while the Originals list, spotlighting 50 living legends who “continue to resonate globally,” features Cher, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ed Sheeran surprised fans in New York Wednesday by dropping by a Van Leeuwen ice cream shop to help launch his new flavor, Play Pink, inspired by the color of his new album, Play. He posted footage of himself posing with fans at the store while he doled out the new flavor, which is punch-flavored, and swirled with dragonfruit and guava cake. Thursday in New York he launched a pop-up store to sell a new capsule collection of merch he created with the brand KidSuper. It’ll be available online Sept. 19.

Sabrina Carpenter has posted a behind-the-scenes video of the making of her elaborate visual for “Tears,” which was inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show and costars Colman Domingo. You also get a look at her filming some of the different endings, in which her boyfriend dies in different ways.

Maroon 5 was set to do a surprise pop-up show Thursday in Nashville, but they had to cancel because Adam Levine got sick. He wrote in a message, “I picked up a bug and my throat is inflamed. I’ve been advised to rest and not travel.” He promised, “We will be back very soon. Owe you a big show!”

Women’s Wear Daily has published its 115th anniversary issue, which spotlights the fashion industry’s most influential people. The Newsmakers list, highlighting 115 people who are “shaping fashion, beauty and retail today,” includes Chappell Roan and Selena Gomez, while the Originals list, spotlighting 50 living legends who “continue to resonate globally,” features Cher, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jay-Z has opened up about his decision to team with Roc Nation, Caesars Palace and SL Green Properties to bid on a downstate casino license in New York. In an interview with City & State New York, he said his proposal to open a casino in New York City’s Times Square is his way of adding to the culture.

“New York City is the entertainment capital of the world, so the idea of a world class casino here makes perfect sense,” he argues. “I’ve always looked at opportunities that can shift culture while uplifting communities, and Caesars Palace Times Square is exactly that.”

He says the location is ideal because it’s the “heartbeat of New York – a place where millions of people come every year to see Broadway shows, shop, celebrate the new year, and experience the city’s unmatched energy.”

“We’re creating a hub that draws even more people into the neighborhood, generating new energy, new business, and new opportunities for everyone,” Jay said. He also described how he thinks it would be helpful to Broadway, noting, “The things Broadway needs – more ticket sales, added security, cleaner streets, and jobs that support workers between shows – are what this project will make possible.”

Hov says that just like the Barclays Center, which was a “dream come true,” he believes the “casino project will do far more good for the City.”

“I love New York and only want the best for the place that made me who I am,” he says.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jay-Z has opened up about his decision to team with Roc Nation, Caesars Palace and SL Green Properties to bid on a downstate casino license in New York. In an interview with City & State New York, he said his proposal to open a casino in New York City’s Times Square is his way of adding to the culture.

“New York City is the entertainment capital of the world, so the idea of a world class casino here makes perfect sense,” he argues. “I’ve always looked at opportunities that can shift culture while uplifting communities, and Caesars Palace Times Square is exactly that.”

He says the location is ideal because it’s the “heartbeat of New York – a place where millions of people come every year to see Broadway shows, shop, celebrate the new year, and experience the city’s unmatched energy.”

“We’re creating a hub that draws even more people into the neighborhood, generating new energy, new business, and new opportunities for everyone,” Jay said. He also described how he thinks it would be helpful to Broadway, noting, “The things Broadway needs – more ticket sales, added security, cleaner streets, and jobs that support workers between shows – are what this project will make possible.”

Hov says that just like the Barclays Center, which was a “dream come true,” he believes the “casino project will do far more good for the City.”

“I love New York and only want the best for the place that made me who I am,” he says.

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When the long-awaited Oasis reunion tour started in the U.K. in July, the band’s catalog scored a 71% surge in streaming, according to Billboard. But when the Gallagher brothers brought the show to the U.S., the numbers went “Supersonic.”

As per Billboard, the band’s catalog skyrocketed, hitting a high of 15 million streams after shows in Chicago and New Jersey. Compare that to how the band’s catalog did from January to late June: It was only getting 6 million on-demand audio streams per week.

The tour closed Sept. 7 with a show at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Introducing the final song of the night, Liam Gallagher told the crowd, “Nice one for having us, America. This tour’s been the f****** bollocks, man. I wanna thank you, man. All of us. For sticking with us over the years.”

“We must be a f****** nightmare to support and follow and we appreciate it – gettin’ to play these beautiful stadiums in front of you beautiful people … look after yourselves. Take care.”

Oasis on Thursday posted more photos from the two Rose Bowl shows and captioned the post, “LA… YOU LOOK GREAT ON 35MM.”

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