Music – Page 925 – 105.7 WDNY

Metallica’s Colorado blood drive biggest in history of Denver Red Cross

June 27, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Metallica‘s blood drive in Denver ahead of their two shows at the Colorado capital’s Empower Field at Mile High stadium was the biggest in the history of the Denver Red Cross, according to a press release.

The two-day drive, held Monday and Tuesday, marked the finale of Metallica’s blood donation campaign, which took place in cities across the U.S. in connection with the metal band’s M72 tour. Those who donated had the opportunity to receive a limited-edition Metallica T-shirt.

Earlier in June, Metallica announced that the initiative had passed the 1,000 donations mark.

“Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, and the need for blood donations increases during the spring and summer months,” Metallica said in launching the campaign. “By participating in these drives, the Metallica Family will help trauma victims, those facing cancer, new mothers, people living with sickle cell disease, and so many more.”

Metallica’s Denver shows take place Friday and Sunday, and currently mark the last scheduled U.S. dates on the M72 tour.

Music notes: Sabrina Carpenter, Ed Sheeran and more

June 27, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Sabrina Carpenter is back on top in the U.K. After her song “Manchild” knocked Alex Warren‘s “Ordinary” out of the #1 spot on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart after a record 12 weeks, it was then replaced by “Ordinary” last week. But “Manchild” has regained its top position, while “Ordinary” has fallen to #9. “Manchild” is Sabrina’s fourth #1 U.K. hit in the past year.

Ed Sheeran has created a custom charity cocktail in memory of his late best friend, Jamal Edwards, who died in 2022. The cocktail, which you can only get in the bar of a luxury hotel in London, is called the Tingly Jam and is made with Ed’s Tingly Ted’s brand of hot sauce. Sales of the drink benefit the Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust.

It’ll be months before the Grammy nominations are announced, but Gracie Abrams has already made her pick. On her Instagram Story Friday, she shared a photo of Lorde‘s new album, Virgin, and wrote, “This is a huge deal.” The next photo shows her with her hand to her face — presumably in awe — with the letters “AOTY” — “album of the year.”

Ariana Grande‘s 32nd birthday was celebrated by millions of fans on Thursday — and one building. The TikTok account for New York’s Empire State Building shared a video of the iconic structure lit up in multiple colors, soundtracked to a medley of Ari’s hits. “HAPPY B DAY QUEEN” read the caption.

Fans who were already puzzled by Justin Bieber‘s nonstop posts on Instagram were thoroughly confused by the fact that he’s changed his Instagram handle from “Justin Bieber” to “lilbieber.” The name change may have been done to match the handle on the new account for Justin’s 10-month-old son, Jack Blues: @liljblues.

Peter Gabriel takes fans ‘In the Big Room’ with new live album

June 27, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Peter Gabriel has surprised fans with a new live album.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just released In the Big Room to digital services. The album is a recording of an intimate fan club show that took place in November 2003 in the Big Room at his Real World Studios in the U.K.

“I’d not really taken advantage of the Big Room as a performance space myself and when, in 2003, the opportunity came up, we grabbed it and offered the small number of seats to members of the Full Moon club,” Gabriel shares. “It was not part of a big tour so we weren’t as polished and rehearsed as we might have been while on tour, but it made for a more awake and edgy performance, as we were fully concentrating on what we were doing.”

Unlike his usual live shows, Gabriel notes that the performance didn’t include an “elaborate visual show,” instead “the whole focus was about making it sound good.”

The 14-track album features songs Gabriel performed during two tours: the 2002-03 Growing Up Live tour and 2004’s Still Growing Up Live tour. The album features performances of songs like “In Your Eyes,” “Shock the Monkey,” “Digging in the Dirt” and “More Than This.”

Here is the track list for In the Big Room:
“Burn You Up, Burn You Down”
“More Than This ”
“Games Without Frontiers”
“Downside Up”
“Mercy Street”
“Darkness”
“Digging In The Dirt”
“The Tower That Ate People”
“San Jacinto”
“Shock The Monkey”
“Signal To Noise”
“Secret World”
“Father, Son”
“In Your Eyes”

Watch trailer for new Paramount+ series ‘Hip Hop Was Born Here’

June 27, 2025 by WDNY Radio

LL Cool J is showing you where hip-hop was born in a new docuseries on Paramount+. A trailer for Hip Hop Was Born Here finds the rapper taking a trip to the park in the Bronx where DJ Kool Herc founded the genre. Also featured in the clip are Rev. Run, who discusses block parties in his native Queens; Jadakiss, who talks about people using hip-hop as an outlet when music education programs were nixed; and Roxanne Shante, who took credit for giving birth to most MCs.

Hip Hop Was Born Here will chronicle the evolution of the now-global genre, with Big Daddy Kane, Grandmaster Caz, Salt of Salt-N-Pepa and Marley Mal set to make appearances and discuss their contributions to the culture.

“Who would ever think that we could be world famous doing something that we love?” Method Man asks toward the end of the trailer. “I would’ve never imagined that.”

Hip Hop Was Born Here, executive produced by LL Cool J, is set to premiere on July 22.

Teen arrested in connection with 2024 Taylor Swift Austrian concert terror plot

June 27, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Taylor Swift had to cancel her three shows in Vienna, Austria, last year after officials discovered that the event was the target of a terrorism plot. A teenager in Germany has now been arrested in connection with that plot, according to The New York Times.

The suspect, originally from Syria, has been identified as Mohammad A by authorities. He allegedly served as an interpreter for the main suspect. Among the things he’s accused of interpreting were instructions on how to build a bomb and an oath of allegiance of the Islamic State terrorist group.

He’s been charged with supporting a foreign terrorism organization and helping to “prepare a serious act of violence endangering the state,” according to the Times. Because he is a minor, he hasn’t been taken into custody. The main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian citizen who planned to set off explosives at Taylor’s concert, remains in jail.

After Taylor canceled the dates, she said in a statement, “Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows. But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.”

Selena Gomez to appear in ‘Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’ season 2

June 27, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Selena Gomez is returning to Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.

The actress is reprising her role of Alex Russo in season 2 of the Wizards of Waverly Place spinoff. She made the announcement of her return to the Disney Channel show through posts shared to her Instagram Story on Friday.

“Just feels right,” Gomez wrote over a photo of her holding Alex’s signature red wand while sitting on the show’s set.

She also shared a photo of her sitting next to her on-screen brother, David Henrie.

“We want to do this forever… luv you brudder,” Gomez wrote.

Gomez previously made two guest appearances in season 1 of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. Notably, Alex introduced her brother, Justin Russo (Henrie), to the show’s protagonist, Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown), in the pilot episode.

Season 2 of the series will find Billie grappling “with the fact that being part of the Russo family might be more complicated than she thought — especially now that she’s not the only wizard in the house,” according to its official synopsis. “Thanks to Roman (Alkaio Thiele) and Milo’s (Max Matenko) new magical powers, Justin is now tasked with training three young wizards for the Family Wizard Competition. As the stakes rise inside and outside the family, a mysterious new threat emerges — one that could unravel the Russos forever.”

Gomez and Henrie both serve as executive producers on the sequel series.

Rod Stewart admits he stole one of his signature songs, claims he ‘never earned a penny’ from it

June 27, 2025 by WDNY Radio

While making the press rounds ahead of his performance at the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival on Sunday, Rod Stewart openly admitted to ripping off one of his most famous songs — but he seems to think it’s OK because he didn’t profit from the theft.

While talking to The Times of London, Rod’s #1 hit “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” comes up. The paper notes that the chorus of the song is “remarkably similar” to the chorus of a song called “Taj Mahal,” by Brazilian singer Jorge Ben. In fact, Jorge sued Rod over it, and the case was settled amicably.

Rod claimed in his 2012 autobiography it was “unconscious plagiarism” because he was at Brazil’s Rio Carnival in 1978 and must have heard it then. But now he’s dropped the whole “unconscious” part of the story altogether.

Speaking to The Times, Rod comes right out and admits, “Oh yeah, I nicked it.” But, he added, “Never earned a penny out of it. All the royalties went to UNICEF.”

It’s worth noting, though, that Rod only began donating the royalties from the song, which was released in 1978, in 1979, after Ben sued him.

Nashville notes: Morgan Wallen’s cover + Bailey Zimmerman’s Diplo collab

June 27, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Blake Shelton‘s new music video for “Stay Country or Die Tryin'” is out now.

Morgan Wallen‘s cover of “Graveyard Whistling,” originally performed by British rock band Nothing But Thieves, is now available on Amazon Music.

Bailey Zimmerman has just released “Ashes” with Diplo as the latest preview of his new album, Different Night Same Rodeo, which arrives Aug. 8.

Talking Heads release live ‘Take Me to the River’ from ‘More Songs About Buildings and Food’ box set

June 27, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Talking Heads have shared another track from the upcoming super-deluxe edition of their sophomore album, More Songs About Buildings and Food.

The latest is a live recording of their cover of Al Green‘s “Take Me to the River,” from the band’s Aug. 10, 1978, concert at Entermedia Theatre in New York, part of the bonus live album featured in the set. The song is now available via digital outlets.

Dropping July 25, More Songs About Buildings and Food (Super Deluxe Edition) is being released as part of the band’s continued celebration of their 50th anniversary. The three-CD/Blu-ray set will include the remastered album, as well as 11 rarities, four of which are previously unreleased versions of album tracks, and the Entermedia Theatre concert.

The Blu-ray includes Dolby ATMOS and 5.1 surround sound mixes of the album, and footage from the Entermedia concert and a concert recorded at Sproul Plaza at the University of California, Berkeley.

The set will also be released as a four-LP vinyl edition, featuring the original album, rarities and the live New York concert. There will also be a second version, available on the band’s website, featuring the bonus reissues of four international 7-inch singles, as well as a two-LP black vinyl version and a red vinyl pressing.

More Songs About Buildings and Food (Super Deluxe Edition) is available for preorder now.

Released in July 1978, More Songs About Buildings and Food was a top-40 hit for Talking Heads, peaking at #29 in the U.S. Their cover of “Take Me to the River” was the band’s first big hit, also peaking at #29 on the singles chart.

Teddy Swims and partner Raiche welcome first child: ‘We love you lil man’

June 27, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Forget about “Lose Control” — Teddy Swims is about to lose a lot of sleep. The singer and his partner, Raiche, who’s also a singer, have welcomed their first child.

The couple posted a black-and-white photo of the newborn boy on Instagram Friday. It shows both their hands next to the baby, who’s gripping one of Raiche’s fingers. There’s also a photo of the couple’s hands holding the baby’s foot, and one of them cradling his tiny head.

“6.23.25 We love you lil man,” reads the caption, indicating the baby arrived on Monday. No word yet on the baby’s name.

The announcement of the baby’s arrival came on the same day Teddy released his deluxe album, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Complete Edition), which has 32 songs, including six new tracks.

In March, Teddy told the U.K.’s Capital Radio that he hopes the baby can come with him on some of his tour dates later this year. And the singer, who’s from Georgia, told The London Evening Standard that he and Raiche bought a home in Nashville in preparation for the baby’s arrival.

“I just want my son to grow up with a Southern accent,” he explained. “I wanna have land, I wanna have a yard and a garden and a creek and a pool. I want that baby to have a trampoline.”

Teddy also shared that he and Raiche were working on creating a healthy emotional environment for the baby, as well.

“Me and my girl even have started doing couples therapy together,” he revealed. “To make sure that we’re bringing this baby into the most beautiful, healthiest, communicative home.”

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