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Five Finger Death Punch & BABYMETAL’s ‘The End’ hits #1 on ’Billboard’ Mainstream Rock Airplay chart

November 18, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Five Finger Death Punch‘s collaborative single with BABYMETAL, “The End,” has hit #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. The Las Vegas metallers now have a total of 17 leaders on Mainstream Rock Airplay, including a streak of 13 in a row, while BABYMETAL becomes the first Japanese act to reach the top spot on the ranking.

Guitarist Zoltan Bathory tells ABC Audio how “The End” reflects the “visual” way in which he writes music.

“It’s almost like I’m always writing some kind of a soundtrack to a little movie that’s playing in my head,” Bathory says.

In writing “The End,” the image that came to Bathory’s mind was of a samurai battle.

“When we were talking about a possible feature, that, to me, was immediate, like, ‘Oh, man, if this would be BABYMETAL,’ because they could do it in Japanese,” Bathory says.

BABYMETAL vocalist SU-METAL sings on “The End,” and Bathory noticed how she adapted her voice specifically for the track.

“She didn’t sing in her style, she found a way to use her voice and sing something that would be fitting for this song,” Bathory says. “I see that in the comments … her fans are saying, like, ‘Wow, we’ve never heard her singing this way.'”

Not only was Bathory impressed with SU-METAL’s vocals, he and his bandmates had absolutely zero notes on BABYMETAL’s contribution, which he says is very rare in the world of collaborations.

“That’s unreal,” Bathory says. “We just got the tracks and we were like, ‘Yeah, perfect.’ There was nothing to say.”

“The End” is featured on FFDP’s new Best Of – Volume 2 compilation, which features rerecorded versions of some of the band’s biggest hits.

Mike Mills shoots down any thoughts of an R.E.M. reunion

November 18, 2025 by WDNY Radio

R.E.M. called it quits in 2011, and while fans may be holding out hope for a reunion, Mike Mills doesn’t see that happening.

“R.E.M. broke up because it was time, and we all recognized it and we all had thought about it before we ever mentioned it to each other,” Mills said on the latest installment of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast. “And, you know, it’s fine.”

Although the band did perform “Losing My Religion” together at their Songwriters Hall of Fame induction in 2024, Mills doesn’t see it as that big of a deal.

“We didn’t reform, we got together to play one song one time, because that’s what you do with the Songwriters Hall of Fame,” he says. “It’s churlish to go in there and not do the thing that everyone does when you play there. So we did … and it just completely reinforced our belief that we’d done the right thing.”

The interview had Mills, Hootie & the Blowfish’s Darius Rucker and former The Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman talking about their new band, Howl Owl Howl, which wrapped a U.S. tour Saturday in Atlanta. Their show in Athens, Georgia, on Friday included an appearance by R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry.

Mills reveals in the interview that it was his R.E.M. bandmate Michael Stipe who came up with the name for the new group.

“Stipe said, ‘Howl Owl Howl,’” Mills says. “And I was like, ‘OK, that’s it. That is so weird that I’m gonna send it to ’em and they’re gonna hate it.’ And they did.”

Gorman adds that he changed his mind after a couple of days, noting, “It was just in my brain. I couldn’t get rid of it. I was like, ‘Oh s***. Howl Owl Howl’s great.’”

Abracadabra, insecurity! Justice Smith talks approach to twisty ‘Now You See Me’ character

November 18, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Justice Smith plays one of the new, up-and-coming magicians in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, and without giving too much away, his character, Charlie, is certainly more than what meets the eye.

“[Director] Ruben [Fleischer] and I talked a lot about the specific nuances of Charlie’s front-facing personality,” Smith tells ABC Audio.

Smith describes Charlie as “the ultimate magic nerd” who “has such a reverence” for the Now You See Me franchise’s original characters, the Four Horsemen, played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Isla Fisher. Mostly, though, he “shies away from the spotlight” while he works behind the scenes for the benefit of the other members of his troupe, played by Dominic Sessa and Ariana Greenblatt.

“It was important for me to try and slip in as much insecurity as I could into Charlie,” Smith laughs. “Like, making sure I apologized in, like, every scene I could, or I freaked out … every time I met one of [the Horsemen].”

“Sorry” might be the word Smith says the most as Charlie in the film, much of which was off-script.

“All the fanboy moments I improvised, all the ‘sorries’ I improvised,” Smith says. “Except for the one in the scene with Isla. I think that was scripted.”

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, the third film in the franchise, is in theaters now. It opened at #1 at the box office.

Music Notes: Ryan Coogler, Pusha T, Cardi and more

November 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Tyler, The Creator‘s Camp Flog Gnaw has been pushed back to Nov. 22 and Nov. 23 due to bad weather. “Due to the fact this storm became an atmospheric rain torrential downpour we had 2 choices — cancel or move to next weekend,” read an announcement on the festival’s Instagram. “we chose the latter. we understand this is not ideal so we will offer refunds. for everyone else we will see you next weekend. full details at campfloggnaw.com.”

Ryan Coogler‘s next film is Black Panther 3, he revealed Saturday during Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles event. “If it was anybody but you, I would say I can neither confirm or deny. But we are working on it hard. Yeah, it is the next movie,” he told Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr. This will mark the third installment of the movie series, which kicked off in 2018 with Chadwick Boseman as the titular star.

Pusha T is having another boy. He shared the news in a letter on Instagram, where he tells son Nigel Thornton about his new role as a big brother. “It’s time to share them toys, teach your gifts, and love on the new best friend that mommy gave you,” he wrote. Push also addressed his wife, Virginia Thornton, thanking her for making “things very easy for” him as a dad. He then concluded, “See you spring 2026, my boy.”

Cardi B‘s album Am I the Drama? has been certified three-times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. It jumped from #10 to #8 on the Billboard 200, earning 30,000 album equivalent units in the United States, in the week ending Nov. 13, according to Luminate.

Bowling for Soup revisits ‘Sonic Unleashed’ song with Wheatus & Punk Rock Factory

November 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Bowling for Soup has released a new version of the song “Endless Possibility.”

The original song featured lyrics written and sung by BFS frontman Jaret Reddick for the 2008 video game Sonic Unleashed.

“I can’t tell you how many times I get asked about this song a day — and it’s more now than ever!” Reddick says. “I know people will always love the original; it’s part of their childhood. But I have to say, this new version keeps the song intact and, sonically (see what I did there), it’s gonna knock your socks off!”

The updated recording also features “Teenage Dirtbag” outfit Wheatus and cover band Punk Rock Factory. You can watch its video on YouTube.

Bowling for Soup also just released a cover of Taylor Swift‘s “Actually Romantic.”

Dayseeker announces 2026 tour supporting new ‘Creature in the Black Night’ album

November 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Dayseeker has announced a U.S. tour for 2026 in support of the band’s new album, Creature in the Black Night.

The headlining trek launches May 1 in Huntington, New York, and wraps up May 20 in San Diego.

“This is our first headlining tour for our new album Creature in the Black Night and we couldn’t be more thrilled to bring some of these songs to life in our live show with a stacked lineup,” Dayseeker says.

Presales are open now, and tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday at 10 a.m. local time. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit Dayseeker.band.

Creature in the Black Night was released in October. It includes the single “Pale Moonlight,” which currently sits in the top five on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

Earlier in November, Dayseeker announced that they’d parted ways with guitarist Gino Sgambelluri.

Cheap Trick announces dates for the All Washed Up tour

November 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Cheap Trick released their latest studio album, All Washed Up, on Friday, and now they’ve announced tour dates in support of the release.

The band will hit the road on the All Washed Up Tour starting Jan. 24, 2026, in Madison, Wisconsin. The tour includes stops in Tennessee, Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut and more, with cities confirmed through April 24 in San Diego.

An artist presale kicks off Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

A complete list of dates can be found at CheapTrick.com.

All Washed Up is Cheap Trick’s 21st studio album and their first since since 2021’s In Another World. They’ve already released two singles from the record, “Twelve Gates” and “The Riff That Won’t Quit.”

Cheap Trick still has a few dates left on their schedule for 2025. They’ll next play Anaheim, California, on Tuesday as special guest on Heart’s Royal Flush tour.

Progressive Chi Ossé considers primary challenge against Hakeem Jeffries: ‘Dire situation’

November 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — New York City councilmember Chi Ossé appeared to confirm he would challenge House Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries for his seat representing New York’s 8th congressional district in an X post on Monday.

Ossé responded to another post calling him out for saying last month that he was not going to run. This comes after Ossé’s name appeared on FEC filings launching a bid for NY-08 earlier Monday.

“How can Brooklyn voters take you at your word when just last month you said this? ‘It would take a very dire situation in order for me to even consider spending the rest of my 20s in DC. Just to be clear, I’m not running for Congress,'” a post said.

Ossé responded: “Seems like we’re in a dire situation.”

Ossé told Axios that he is “currently exploring” the challenge and that the filings are legitimate.

“The Democratic Party’s leadership is not only failing to effectively fight back against Donald Trump, they have also failed to deliver a vision that we can all believe in,” Ossé, who recently joined the Democratic Socialists of America, said in a statement to Axios.

“These failures are some of the many reasons why I am currently exploring a potential run for New York’s 8th Congressional District,” he told the outlet.

Ossé is floating a challenge without the complete and total blessing from progressives. New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s team has reportedly been attempting to discourage Ossé from running, and Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said in a statement that “it is not the right moment to launch a primary challenge to Hakeem Jeffries.”

Jeffries endorsed Mamdani in the last days of the New York City mayoral race.

Asked about Ossé’s FEC filings in a press conference on the Hill Monday afternoon, Jeffries appeared to welcome the challenge, saying, “Come on in, the water is warm.”

A spokesperson for Jeffries said in a statement to ABC News that they “welcome this primary challenge” from Ossé and “look forward to a rigorous debate.”

“Leader Jeffries is fighting hard to lower the high cost of living, address the Republican healthcare crisis, combat corruption and win back control of the House for the good of the country. We welcome this primary challenge and look forward to a rigorous debate about the type of serious leadership required to deliver for the people of Brooklyn and the nation,” said Justin Chermol, Jeffries’ spokesperson.

Ossé, 27, made waves as New York’s first Gen Z city councilmember when he was sworn into office in 2022 and led the charge on the FARE Act, which was passed last year and forces landlords to pay broker’s fees instead of tenants.

Ossé left the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America in 2020 “very shortly after signing up,” saying on X that he “wasn’t aligned with the organization itself.” He later rejoined NYC-DSA in 2025.

LA Sheriff’s Department investigating new sexual assault allegations against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

November 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says it’s looking into new allegations of sexual assault against Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Investigators say they received a report on Friday from a police department in Florida, where the alleged victim lives. The LA County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Bureau will be investigating the allegations.

A spokesperson for the Largo, Florida, police department told ABC News that the department assisted the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office with an investigation into Combs but that it is not investigating any alleged crimes independently.

Largo police took a report in September from a man who claims Combs sexually assaulted him in 2020. The victim’s name is redacted on the report, but music producer Jonathan Hay identified himself as the complainant in social media posts that have since been removed. Hay also identified himself as one of the John Does who filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in July.

According to the police report, Combs pleasured himself in front of Hay and asked Hay to “finish him off” in February 2020. Hay said he did not respond because he was in shock and that Combs then tossed a semen-stained shirt at him.

The report also details an alleged incident in March of 2021 in which Hay says C.J. Wallace, the son of the late rapper Christopher Wallace, aka Notorious B.I.G., took him to a location where two men put an item over Hay’s head before Combs came into the room and allegedly forced his penis inside of Hay’s mouth several times.

Hay provided Largo police with pictures and videos to show he was collaborating with C.J. Wallace on a music project, which he said led to him being introduced to Combs and the incidents occurring.

Wallace filed a counterclaim against Hay in Florida last week, denying what he said were Hay’s “wildly false and defamatory allegations” and calling them in part a “calculated smear campaign” intended to damage his personal and professional reputation. The complaint requests a jury trial as well as compensatory and punitive damages.

An ABC News sent requests for comment to Combs’ legal representatives and to attorneys listed for Wallace on his countersuit and did not immediately receive a response from any of the parties.

Combs was found guilty in July on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and is currently serving 50 months in prison following his sentencing in October.

Nashville Notes: Chase Matthew, Lauren Alaina and more

November 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Chase Matthew is thrilled that “Darlin'” has become his first-ever #1 hit. He posted a video reacting to the news, saying, “I’ve always dreamed of being a music artist but to have my name on a Billboard chart is really cool. ‘Darlin” is #1 right now and that is a Billboard plaque I cannot wait to hang on my wall.”

Lauren Alaina will host CMA Awards Backstage Live, which will take place during the CMA Awards on Wednesday on CMA’s TikTok page. Lauren will take viewers behind the scenes throughout the night live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Lauren also appears on ABC’s Center Stage: Countdown to the CMA Awards — Special Edition of 20/20, hosted by Luke Bryan and airing Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET.

Morgan Evans has released an unusual Christmas song. “How to Make Gravy” is a holiday classic in his home country of Australia that was originally written and recorded by Paul Kelly. The song is told from the point of view of an inmate calling his brother from behind bars. “It’s one of the greatest songs ever written,” Morgan says. “It’s not your typical Christmas song, but it’s always hit me right in the guts. Anyone who’s ever spent Christmas away from home knows that feeling.”

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