Ahead of her Super Bowl halftime show performance Sunday, Mary J. Blige has released her new album, Good Morning Gorgeous. The 13-song track list features collabs with Anderson .Paak, Usher, DJ Khaled and Fivio Foreign. Also out today is Blige’s video for “Rent Money,” featuring Dave East.
In addition to being featured on Mary J.’s album, Fivio Foreign has another collab out today: “City of Gods,” with Kanye West and Alicia Keys.
Nicki Minaj is once again teaming with Lil Baby for a brand-new song. After dropping “Do We Have a Problem” last week, the two released “Bussin” on Friday. They teased the new track at the end of the “Do We Have a Problem” video.
Future dropped a new song called “Worst Day,” where he shares his feelings about celebrating Valentine’s Day when you have more than one Valentine. “Valentine’s Day, the worst day, got too many to please,” he raps on the track. The song marks Future’s first original solo music since 2020.
K.Michelle is also celebrating Valentine’s Day with the release of her new song, “Scooch.” It’s the lead single off her sixth studio album, I’m the Problem, out this spring.
Chris Lane has officially been a dad since welcoming his baby boy Dutton in mid-2021, Now, he’s proving that his dad joke game is strong: His new song, “Howdy,” is a play on words, juxtaposing the title against sentiments like “How’d he ever let you go?” and “How’d he ever walk away?”
Though Chris didn’t write the song — it was penned by Sam Ellis, John Byron and Blake Pendergrass — it’s reminiscent of his real-life story of meeting Lauren Bushnell.
Back before the country star and his now-wife got together, Lauren was a contestant on The Bachelor in 2016, and during the season finale, she got engaged to Ben Higgins on the show. Their romance came to an end the following May, and Lauren subsequently found her happy ending with Chris, who’s previously used her as a creative muse for songs like “Big Big Plans.”
Since they first said “Howdy,” the couple have been inseparable, tying the knot in late 2019 and becoming parents in 2021.
As Chris continues his Fill Them Boots Tour, he’s also excited about his new song’s uptempo feel and potential as a live show hit.
“‘Howdy’ is a fun one — the play on words is super clever, and it’s going to be a great addition to my set list on tour,” Chris notes.
Last December, Chris released another new song, “Stop Coming Over.”
Underoath has released a new version of the band’s song “Hallelujah,” featuring guest vocals from musician Charlotte Sands.
“So stoked to be able to partner with Charlotte on this tune,” says drummer/vocalist Aaron Gillespie. “She’s the real deal, a crazy talent and a great person, she brought a different and really cool environment to this song.”
You can listen to the updated “Hallelujah” now via digital outlets.
The original “Hallelujah” appears on Underoath’s new album, Voyeurist, which just dropped in January. Underoath launches a headlining U.S. tour in support of the record February 18 in Dallas.
Sands, meanwhile, is currently on the road opening for Yungblud.
(NEW YORK) — You may not know Ralph Gilles by name but you may have owned (or admired) his cars: the Dodge Viper, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram truck, to name a few.
Gilles, the 52-year-old chief design officer of Stellantis, the automotive giant that owns the Chrysler, Peugeot and Fiat brands, has been sketching cars and trucks for more than 30 years. He started as a designer in 1992 and quickly climbed the ladder at Chrysler, becoming president and CEO of Dodge and the SRT Brand. He now oversees the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Maserati marques, shaping future product and directing a large team of designers.
He has another mission at company: to make it more inclusive. Gilles, who is Black, serves as the executive sponsor of the Stellantis African Ancestry Network Diaspora (STAAND) and is active on the Stellantis Global Diversity Council.
The company announced last month that it was launching two new programs to attract diverse talent and train Black and multicultural employees for future leadership opportunities. Stellantis was also recognized as a top diversity leader by DiversityInc magazine.
In 2019, Black employees accounted for 17.2% of workers in automotive manufacturing, higher than the overall labor market, according to government data. But the industry lacked gender and racial diversity at the leadership level, the report from the U.S. International Trade Commission said.
“I think our industry doesn’t seem to attract people of color as much as others because it’s a little more of a clandestine thing that we do,” he said.
Gilles, an award-winning designer and industry visionary who continues to push the limits, spoke to ABC News about his trajectory in automotive, his attempts to hire more women and people of color and whether the Dodge Viper will return as an electric sports car.
The interview below has been edited and condensed for clarity:
What obstacles did you face as a Black man?
A: I didn’t face any impassable obstacles. If anything, my color made me stand out, sometimes for the better actually. I was a leader very young at my age; at 30 years old I was a director so [race] didn’t hold me back. It was quite the opposite if anything. I was very keen and aware that everything I did was being watched but in a good way. In every action I took I felt I would be representing an entire culture, not just myself. So that was something I was aware of from a very early stage.
Tell me how you’re trying to increase diversity at the company.
A: We’ve been trying to create a wonderful environment for people of color. I’ve been part of our business resource group [Stellantis African American Network Diaspora] for over 10 years and what I find fascinating about the group is that it went from being an internal support group to more of a recruiting device. When the Black Lives Matters stuff really lit up, our CEO at the time, Mr. [Mike] Manley, wanted to understand more so he called on the team to sit with him and that started this desire to create a diversity group. Just having these conversations has opened the minds of all of our execs [to] think about recruitment differently. Once you set up a tolerant place to work it naturally attracts people to the company.
How would you describe the makeup of the design team?
A: We have quite a bit of diversity in certain areas. Our infotainment team is pretty diverse. The exterior design team not as much. We’re finding though that the schools are not generating the pool that we need. We’re trying to get kids in middle school excited about this type of career and educate them about the possibilities and the outstanding life you can have as a designer or an engineer. So getting the word out there that it’s an awesome job is working slowly but surely.
What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry since you started?
A: When I started in the industry we were known as the Big 3. Today I laugh, it’s more like the Big 7 or 8. Every company seems to offer a full suite of vehicle types. The competition is really intense. The modern automobile is so technologically laden it’s hard just to call it a car anymore. It’s really rolling technology. And we are feeling more and more like a tech company.
We have software and coding people who are now attracted to the auto industry. The electrification movement, the infotainment movement, the autonomous movement — it’s getting more interesting. You look at it as a mature industry but it’s actually quite the opposite. It’s evolving more than ever.
What will move the needle on electric vehicle sales in the U.S.?
A: I think it’s a combination of more delicious offerings, which is what I am trying to do. To me it should be a choice. Have people say that’s the better, more attractive car. The current suite of EVs out there tend to be a little bit bland and uninspiring — great performing vehicles but not necessarily heart-pumping in the cultural or aesthetical sense. So trying to find a way to make them desirable and affordable. The other thing is going to be the infrastructure. Governments are working quite hard on helping the infrastructure catch up because it is a very different system from what we have today. So trying to make the pain points of owning an electric car go away is something everyone has to collaborate on. It’s not just a Stellantis problem. It’s a societal thing.
How would you respond to criticisms that Stellantis has been slow to produce EVs?
A: I think we’re not interested in just making an EV. We want to make the best EVs. We’re taking our time and developing them properly. We may not have one on offer today but it’s going to be coming very, very soon. We’re going to have several coming at the right time. A lot of the first EVs have very modest ranges that aren’t really solving the problem for the real consumer. So affordability, range, function — that’s what we’re putting in our calculus right now. We’re launching them in Europe. We’re leaders, we’re No. 1 in Europe. As a company we’re actually not laggards. We’ve been quite aggressive. We’re trying to match the society’s take rate.
How is designing an EV different from a gas-powered vehicle?
A: Some of the things we’re running into is trying to give the vehicle a personality. Trying to give it an emotional quotient. EVs don’t make a sound. Part of an excitement of a vehicle, especially with our Dodge brand, is the aural part of it. It’s something we’re intrigued about.
On the Jeep side, it’s creating an EV that looks futuristic but still capable. Aerodynamics are absolutely paramount. The EV gives us a benefit — we have frunks now. We have good packaging solutions. The center of gravity is in a good place. It’s more giving the car personality while balancing the needs of physics.
The Dodge Viper sports car was discontinued in 2017. Could it return as an EV?
A: I can’t talk about future product. I love that people talk about this nameplate so much. So that’s inspiring to us.
What is your daily driver?
A: I have a mixture of vintage cars because I do like the analog. I like to time warp back to the analog times. I have a Grand Cherokee, with a plug-in coming, and I steal my daughter’s [Alfa Romeo] Stelvio because I love that car. I have a few Alfa Romeos, a Lancia Delta and a cute little Peugeot 205 that I restored myself.
Looking back, is there one vehicle you would have tweaked before production?
A: (He laughs). OMG I need a couch now. Are you asking about my failures? (laughs again). I would have fought harder to make the wheelbase of the Chrysler 200 another 2 inches longer. Let’s put it that way.
(PHOENIX) — Five Phoenix police officers were shot during an early morning barricade situation at a house, the department said.
Phoenix police said they were called to a home where a woman was reported shot.
When an officer approached to help, the suspect immediately opened fire, striking the officer multiple times, police said. That officer was able to get away to safety, police said.
Then a man came out of the house holding a baby, police said. The man put the baby on the ground and walked to police where he was detained.
When officers went to bring the baby to safety, the suspect again opened fire from inside the house, hitting four more officers, police said.
The suspect then barricaded himself in the home, police said. Once the scene was secured police said they found the suspect dead inside.
The woman who was the first reported to be shot was found critically hurt inside the home, police said.
Besides the five officers shot, at least three other officers were injured by bullet shrapnel, police said.
The conditions of the five officers shot were not immediately clear. Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams told reporters, “One of them is seriously hurt but is on the road to recovery.”
It’s officially Super Bowl weekend and the festivities have already begun. Halsey and Machine Gun Kelly kicked off multi-day celebration with the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest.
The two took over Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night and, according to Billboard, they had a blast. “I know it’s football time, but go Lakers!” Halsey joked during their 90-minute headlining set.
This performance marked the Grammy nominee’s first performance since giving birth in July. Halsey opened up to the audience about the magnitude of the moment. “Can you believe a baby came out of here? Sometimes I look at it while I’m in bed and think, “How did it fit?,'” the singer remarked while peeking between their legs. “Just kidding. Giving birth is, like, the most beautiful thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
Halsey admitted they were “really, really nervous” about their performance because they spent such a long time away from the stage. The “Without Me” singer explained that, after spending years touring nonstop without issue made them, “f****** arrogant as f***.”
“You just walk on stage like, ‘Can’t even tell me nothing,'” Halsey said, adding that that mentality is gone. “That’s not how I felt today,” they declared. “It’s been a long time and I’m so happy that we can be here together enjoying concerts because I didn’t know if we’d ever be able to do it again and I’m so happy.”
MGK also opened up on stage during his set, saying he went from a kid working at Chipotle while watching people play at the arena to headlining a concert there. “If you work at Chipotle right now, just know that you can do it like I did,” he told the crowd.
(PHILADELPHIA) — Six people were stabbed in a Philadelphia home early Friday in what police are calling a “very violent scene.”
Police received a 911 call just after 4 a.m. reporting a stabbing and responding officers found the victims, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters.
Three were hospitalized in critical condition and three were in stable condition, according to Philadelphia police.
Small said there were two bloody knives and one of the knives “is actually broken, which goes to show how violently these individuals were being stabbed.”
The “very violent scene” was “all on the second floor in the three bedrooms of this private residence,” Small said. “There’s blood on the floor, there’s blood on the walls, on the doors. The door to the master bedroom is completely knocked off its hinges.”
Police found the suspect “covered with blood” on a street and “he immediately surrendered,” Small said.
Police said the victims in critical condition were a 30-year-old woman stabbed multiple times in the back; a 32-year-old woman stabbed multiple times in the arms and chest; and a 49-year-old woman stabbed multiple times in the neck, head and back.
In stable condition were a 26-year-old man stabbed in the chest and back; a 57-year-old man stabbed in the forehead; and a 55-year-old woman stabbed in arm, police said.
So far there is no motive, Small said.
The suspect was positively identified by some of the family members, including some of the victims, and was taken to a hospital to be treated for cuts to his hands, Small said.
Today marks the 10th anniversary of Whitney Houston‘s death, and her estate is ensuring that we’ll be able to enjoy her music for many years to come, through the release of everything from new albums, to a Broadway show. It’s all being planned by Whitney’s estate, which has quadrupled its earnings over the past three years, Variety reports.
Most exciting for fans may be the news that two new Whitney albums will arrive in 2023, as Variety also reports. One will be the singer’s first gospel collection, while the other is a live album. The gospel collection will be a mix of unreleased tracks, some of which are live, plus songs recorded for her 1996 movie The Preacher’s Wife.
Meanwhile, the authorized biopic of Whitney, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, is due out this December, but its soundtrack will arrive a month before, reports Variety. Whitney’s mentor Clive Davis, who is co-producing the film, will also be involved in the soundtrack.
ALso, the estate is already working on a Broadway musical adaptation and is in talks to create a “Cirque-like” Whitney destination show in Las Vegas. A cosmetics line is expected to launch around the same time as the film.
Finally, starting today, you can purchase a Whitney Funko Pop Icon figure, exclusively at Target.
Pat Houston, the president of the Whitney Houston Estate, tells Variety, “Whitney would certainly be proud of the direction and momentum we have established for her brand: re-introducing her legacy to a new generation [by] capitalizing on the opportunities that continuously represent her gift in the best light.”
(SPOILERS AHEAD)Among the multiverse mash-ups that helped make Sony’s Spider-Man: No Way Home one of the highest-grossing movies of all time was Charlie Cox returning as Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer who moonlights as the Marvel hero Daredevil.
Cox’s portrayal of the vigilante and his tortured alter-ego was a fan favorite, as was the Netflix series that ended in 2018 after three seasons, so seeing Cox back on the big screen playing the legal counsel for Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker in one scene was a huge moment.
Cox tells The Hollywood Reporterthat the secret cameo started with a phone call from Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige way back in 2020 — which Cox initially thought was a prank. “It was a pretty surreal moment, I’m not going to lie,” the British actor tells the trade. “Kevin said, ‘…I wanted to make sure that you, in principle, are interested.’ And I was like, ‘I’m very interested.'”
Cox recalls, “And then I didn’t hear from anyone for two months. And I got to the point where I wondered if I dreamt it.”
Thankfully, it wasn’t a dream — except for fans, when Murdock’s brief appearance solidified Cox’s, and Daredevil’s, official entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Director Jon Watts even built in a few seconds’ pause in the dialog in anticipation of the audience reaction to Murdock’s surprise appearance.
“It’s a big moment, not just for me, but for the character,” Cox explains, anticipating the scene would be “great for Matt…I feel attached to him, even though that sounds a bit strange.”
Aerosmith‘s 1971: The Road Starts Here, a collection of seven recently rediscovered rare live performances that was first issued as a limited-edition vinyl disc and cassette for the 2021 Record Store Day Black Friday event, will get its official release on CD and digital formats on April 8.
The announcement of the release is the first in conjunction with the band’s 50th anniversary celebrations this year.
1971: The Road Starts Here features performances that were recorded in 1971 on guitarist Joe Perry‘s Wollensak reel-to-reel tape machine by early Aerosmith roadie Mark Lehman, either in the band’s Boston rehearsal room with a few friends in attendance or during a soundcheck for an early gig.
Among the songs Aerosmith performs on the recording are versions of five tunes that went on to appear on the band’s 1973 self-titled debut album — “Movin’ Out,” the classic anthem “Dream On,” “Mama Kin,” “Somebody,” and a cover of Rufus Thomas‘ 1963 hit “Walkin’ the Dog.”
1971: The Road Starts Here also includes a performance of “Reefer Head Woman,” which the band later recorded for the 1979 album Night in the Ruts, and a rendition of “Major Barbara,” a tune that appeared the group’s 1986 Classics Live collection.
The CD will feature previously unseen archival photos, images of the original tape box, and liner notes penned by Rolling Stone journalist David Fricke that includes new interviews and comments from the band members.
1971: The Road Starts Here can be pre-ordered on CD and vinyl and pre-saved now. Aerosmith’s early version of “Somebody” has been released as an advance digital single.
Aerosmith also has introduced a collection of special merch items inspired by the album that are available now at the band’s online store.
Here’s the full track list:
Intro/”Somebody”
“Reefer Head Woman”
“Walkin’ the Dog”
“Movin’ Out”
“Major Barbara”
“Dream On”
“Mama Kin”
