As National Coffee Day approaches on September 29, it’s no secret that many country artists run on caffeine with their busy lifestyles. 

Maren Morris, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan are among the artists who have strong connections to the beverage. Luke doesn’t mess around when it comes to coffee making, admitting that while on tour, the only people he trusts with his morning brew are himself and his tour manager. 

“I have my way of making it, and I’ll tell you this: When I make my coffee, there are some mornings where people come to this bus to see if there’s anything left over,” he says, revealing that his go-to brand is Starbucks Veranda Blend. “I can get bougie with my beans.” 

Maren also isn’t shy about her love of coffee, posting on National Coffee Day in 2018 a photo of herself enjoying “her favorite day + drink” by the pool. Carrie also likes to indulge in a cup of joe, especially when unwinding on vacation with a beachfront view.

“Why does vacation coffee always taste so much better?” she shared in 2016, adding, “yes, I just took a picture of my coffee…I’m one of those people.”

Another major coffee fan is Craig Morgan, so much so that he and his wife Mindy opened their own coffee shop in 2022 in Eagleville, TN, Grindstone Cowboy. Combining their love of music and coffee, the couple hosts live music events at the shop, including a sold out show headlined by Thompson Square. 

Also making a name for himself in the coffee business is Clint Black, who launched Cowboy Coffee in 2021 offering bags of a speciality dark roast blend. “Many a cattle drive and recording session have been fueled by coffee!” he says of the inspiration behind the venture. 

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Fitz and the Tantrums have announced a new album called Let Yourself Free.

The fifth studio effort from the “HandClap” outfit will arrive November 11. It includes the previously released song “Sway”; a second track, titled “Moneymaker,” is out now via digital outlets.

“For this record we really wanted to pull from our earliest influences and bring the through line of this band full circle,” says frontman Michael “Fitz” Fitzpatrick. “Tracks like ‘Silver Platter’ and ‘Steppin’ on Me’ really are a nod to our first album, Pickin’ up the Pieces, while tracks like ‘Moneymaker’ take that influence and blast it into the future!”

Let Yourself Free is the follow-up to 2019’s All the Feels. Fitzpatrick released his debut solo album, Head Up High, in 2021.

Fitz and the Tantrums have also announced a 2023 U.S. headlining tour in support of Let Yourself Free, running from January 21 in Portland, Oregon, to February 16 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 30, at 10 a.m. local time. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit FitzandtheTantrums.com.

Here’s the Let Yourself Free track list:

“Good Intentions”
“Heaven”
“Sway”
“Silver Platter”
“Let Yourself Free”
“Moneymaker”
“AHHHH!”
“Good Nights”
“Big Love”
“Is It Love”
“Steppin’ on Me”
“Someday”

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Corey Taylor has announced a livestream for his upcoming solo show in London on October 17.

The concert will air via the streaming platform Dreamstage beginning at 4 p.m. ET. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Taylor Foundation, which the Slipknot frontman founded in support of those battling post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

The show itself will feature Taylor performing songs off his 2020 debut solo album, CMFT, as well as Slipknot and Stone Sour tracks and various covers.

For more info, visit Dreamstage.live.

Taylor is currently on tour with Slipknot supporting their new album The End, So Far, which drops this Friday.

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Melanie C was almost kicked out of the Spice Girls because of an argument with Victoria Beckham.

Although the Dancing with the Stars alum said everything is fine between them now, there was a moment when her future with the girl group was thrown into question.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Melanie revealed, “Something happened quite early on in the Spice Girls’ journey, and I have a little bit of fall out with Victoria at the [Brit Awards] in ’96 — not the Union Jack dress [year], but year [the] before.”

Melanie said “few people knew us” at the time because they were “unreleased,” so when the drama reared its ugly head it was almost curtains for Sporty Spice. “There was a little fall out, and I was threatened to get kicked out the band,” she disclosed.

Melanie revealed the moment freaked her out. She said she realized, “I have to control myself. I have to control what I do.”

That impulse went into overdrive and morphed into an eating disorder in order to maintain her moniker as the “sporty” one of the group. “I was controlling what I ate. I was controlling how much exercise I was doing,” she explained. “I think because in a situation like that so much is out of your control, the things you can control I became very obsessive about.”

Melanie said she wasn’t “ready to accept” help for her eating disorder when it was first offered, noting, “You can’t really help somebody until they’re willing.”

The “Viva Forever” singer reflects on her rise to fame in the memoir The Sporty One: My Life as a Spice Girl. 

Looking ahead, Melanie is hoping for a Spice Girls reunion some day, saying the girls “would love that.”

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Time magazine revealed its 2022 TIME100 Next list on Wednesday, naming Keke Palmer, SZA, Jonathan Majors, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and more.

“She changed the world!” fellow musician Lizzo says of SZA. 

“The authenticity in her craft — the way she’s able to tell her story and the way she uses melody — is extraordinary. No one can replicate that,” Lizzo says. “When she’s onstage, she’s timeless. She’s someone who’s the real deal, and I think that she’s well on her way to being regarded as one of the greatest songwriters and singers of all time.”

Landing at the top of the “innovators” section of the list is multiple hyphenate entertainer Palmer.

Queen Latifah says she’s “one of the most talented human beings I’ve ever met.”

“Watching Keke evolve as a young woman has been a joy. She is the epitome of grace, poise, and honesty. To watch her grow as an artist, taking on a range of challenging roles — ­including her stunning performances in Akeelah and the Bee, Pimp, and the critically acclaimed 2022 blockbuster Nope — has been inspiring to me as a fellow actor.”

Michael B. Jordan calls fellow actor Majors a “chameleon,” referring to his on-screen abilities. 

“There’s a strong empathy to Jonathan and to his work,” Jordan writes. “He allows people to go on the character’s journey. That’s a really great quality for an actor to have because it invites you into the film’s world.”

“An absolutely beautiful man, inside and out,” says Jason Momoa of Abdul-Mateen II, who falls under the “artist” category. 

And what would a list be today without an influential TikToker like Khaby Lame? The social media star rose to fame with his viral reaction videos. 

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Miranda Lambert’s Velvet Rodeo Las Vegas residency is officially rolling: The country superstar kicked things off over the weekend with her first performance at the city’s Planet Hollywood.

So, what’s she loving most about the show? “The fire,” Miranda tells ET Online with a laugh.

“I mean, I get to have a lot of fire on the stage, and I’ve never had that before,” the singer goes on to say. “Except for, like, at awards shows and stuff. I’ve never taken fire on tour. So this is a treat, every night, to get to blow stuff up.”

Along with all those pyrotechnics, Miranda says she’s been enjoying spending time in Vegas with her husband, Brendan McLoughlin, who is planning to be in the audience for every single show.

Miranda recently teased that fans might get to see Brendan take the stage with her one night. “I’ve promised him he could bring me a tequila shot one night, but not yet,” she told Extra, admitting that her husband is a huge fan of being in the spotlight.

Miranda’s Velvet Rodeo is scheduled to run through April 2023.

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Fresh off Richard Patrick‘s live reunion with Nine Inch Nails, Filter has announced a new single.

The track is called “For the Beaten” and will arrive October 14. You can presave it now.

“For the Beaten” is the first new track from Filter in two years, following 2020’s “Murica” and “Thoughts and Prayers.”

“I spent a lot of time in the studio the last two years working on various projects and collaborations but at the core of it all, there is always Filter,” Patrick says. “We chose ‘For the Beaten’ as the first single because it’s dynamic, dark and heavy, just like the moment we are in.”

A new Filter album, the follow-up to 2016’s Crazy Eyes, is also in the works.

As previously reported, Patrick joined NIN along with several other former touring members of the band during their homecoming show in Cleveland over the weekend. Patrick played guitar on NIN’s first tour before leaving to start Filter.

The show featured a performance of Filter’s “Hey Man Nice Shot,” which NIN had never performed live before.

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R&B fans, rejoice! 

Ciara and Summer Walker decided to drop off their new single, “Better Thangs,” on Wednesday, two days ahead of its scheduled released this Friday. 

“Surprise!! You guys asked for it early, and it’s here!” Ciara wrote in her Twitter announcement. “#BetterThangs feat my girl @IAMSUMMERWALKER is out now!”

The “Level Up” singer shared a short video of what looks to be the two women riding in a golf cart, on the set of a music video. Ciara dons a plush yellow robe and head towel while Summer is draped in a matching green set. 

Fans showed excitement at the song’s early release but also expressed their love for the new track. 

“Cici this song is a smash, it’s already on repeat,” one user tweeted. 

“I never knew I needed a Ciara and Summer Walker collab. Love this!! Now this is the type of music we need Ci Ci…” another wrote. 

“Better Thangs” serves as the second Ci Ci/Summer collaboration, following Ciara’s almost 2-minute monologue, “Ciara’s Prayer,” featured on Summer’s chart-topping 2021 album, Still Over It. 

While the duo surprised fans with the new song Wednesday, the official music video is expected Friday, September 30. 

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Walker Hayes is launching his Glad You’re Here Tour on Thursday, and as fans might expect, his show will feature some choreographed dancing. After all, he got his big break on TikTok, dancing along to his song “Fancy Like,” using moves he dreamed up with his teenage daughter Lela.

One thing fans might not expect is that it’ll be them doing the dancing. Ahead of opening night of the tour, Walker shared a video of the dance moves to an unreleased song called “Show Me the Country.” He said he expects fans to have the dance down by the time they see him on the road.

“Learn it,” Walker wrote on Twitter. “Tour kicks off tmw & this is the first song of [the] set right here.”

Walker’s Glad You’re Here Tour lasts through mid-November, wrapping with a show in Everett, Washington. Parmalee will be the opening act.

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