Travis Scott is featured on a new track from Southside called “Hold That Heat,” marking his first official single since the Astroworld tragedy in November.

The song, which also features Future, was released on Friday, along with its music video.

“It’s what the game’s missing right now,” Southside tells Billboard. “It’s a breath of fresh air. If you couldn’t breathe and this was the last resort, this is it. It’s a fun record though and very full of energy.”

He says he and Travis made the song about eight months ago and it was Travis’ idea to get Future on the track.

“He ended up going around Future and getting it done and sent it to me like, ‘This [is] your single.’ Trav’s my real friend,” the Atlanta native says.

“Hold That Heat” follows Scott’s feature on the Kanye West song “Pablo” from his February album Donda 2, which was not widely released and only available for streaming on Ye’s Stem Player.

On November 5, 2021, 10 people were killed in a crowd surge at Travis’ Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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Demi Lovato is not only gearing up for a new music era, but a totally new chapter in life.  Since releasing their seventh studio album, Dancing with the Devil… the Art of Starting Over last year, Demi has committed to total sobriety and began exploring their sexuality and gender, most recently coming out as nonbinary and preferring they/them pronouns.

The Grammy nominee also told fans they’re embracing their punk rock roots and their new album will be a firm departure from their pop music.  Taking to their Instagram story, Demi revealed the importance of their upcoming work. “Getting emotional listening to my new album because I’m so proud of it.  It’s my absolute best yet and so representative of me, where I started and who I am today,” they wrote. 

The singer spoke of sharing a snippet of their forthcoming single “Happy Ending,” of which they described, “I wrote this in an incredibly dark place.”  Demi said they are “so grateful I’m no longer in that low, cold and lonely place.”

“I’m sure that no matter what happens in my life.. my happy ending is never having to fall into old habits again,” they closed, adding, “I can’t wait for everyone to hear.  I love you all.”

The album’s title and release date are currently unknown.

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Dollywood’s annual Flower & Food Festival kicks off today, bringing a dazzling array of blooms and flower sculptures to the park. Over 500,000 flowers make up the annual event, with a special show, called Bloom!, also on the way this year.

Once again, the festival will feature the park’s trademark Umbrella Sky, a walkway covered by a floating umbrella tapestry that provides one of the park’s best photo ops.

Last year, the Flower & Food Festival featured a sculpture that was particularly special to the park’s namesake, Dolly Parton: It paid tribute to her 1971 song “Coat of Many Colors,” and her late mother, Avie Lee.

The Flower & Food Festival will last through June 5. You can pick up your tickets now, and sample a wide array of foods while you’re there with a Festival Tasting Pass.

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Sunday marks Barbra Streisand‘s 80th birthday. The legendary diva and EGOT winner has, of course, recorded many number-one hits, but one that she passed on was “Right Here Waiting,” which became a chart-topper for its writer, Richard Marx. In his memoir Stories to Tell, Richard reveals how Streisand thought the tune had an “interesting melody,” but wouldn’t record it because she didn’t like the message it sent.

“The way she put it to me was, ‘I’m not going to be right here waiting for anybody,’ which is hilarious, which is a great line,” Richard tells ABC Audio. “But I’ve actually had people say, ‘You think she regretted [it?]’ and I was like, ‘Are you kidding?'”

Richard, who describes Streisand as “a real good friend,” explains why he felt that way.

“One, Barbra Streisand doesn’t need help from anybody. Barbra Streisand’s career is second to none,” Richard laughs. “But number two, of course she doesn’t regret it…she even said to me recently — sometimes I thank her for rejecting my song because of what it did for my career — and she’s like, ‘Yeah, honey, I still wouldn’t cut that song, no matter what’…I would never say that!”

He adds, “But that’s Barbra. I mean, that’s an artist. I would be the same way.”

Richard and Barbra have actually worked together several times: He contributed to her albums One Voice and A Love Like Ours.

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Parker McCollum is joining the lineup for an upcoming George Strait-helmed stadium show in Kansas City.

That means the show will be bookended by Texans: Parker is the first opening act, followed by Little Big Town and Chris Stapleton before George’s headlining set. A limited quantity of tickets remain for the event, which will take place July 30 at the city’s GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

It’s George’s first time playing the venue since 2001. During a rare interview, George recently told Pollstar that playing about eight shows a year is his sweet spot. “That’s about perfect,” he says. “I’ll have plenty of time off and still be able to scratch that itch I have for live shows.”

Even though his touring schedule isn’t as rigorous as it used to be, George’s fan base doesn’t seem to have diminished. Reports from Pollstar Boxoffice indicate that George has sold some 12 million tickets, dating back to 1983.

“It’s definitely not easy to process,” the singer says, when asked to reflect on his massive live appeal. “I’ve always said I have the best fans out there. They’ve been extremely loyal throughout my career — and they don’t seem to be slowing down any.”

When he’s not mounting his live shows, though, the King of Country is working on another aspect of his career. “I also want to make another record soon,” he notes. “I just re-signed with MCA Records, and I’m really excited about that and the fact that they still want me around.”

George’s most recent studio album was 2019’s Honky Tonk Time Machine. It was the singer’s 30th studio album.

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Despite being a globally known pop star, Joe Jonas admits his fans don’t know much about his private life — and he would like to keep it that way.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the DNCE frontman explained why he and wife Sophie Turner have revealed very little about their family.  They welcomed a baby girl in 2020 but never publicly revealed her name, and now the two are reportedly expecting their second child, news they again have yet to confirm.

“It’s almost like in pandemic words, but like your bubble.  You’re protecting your family, your friends and those around you,” Joe said about his reasons to keep his private life under wraps. “It’s really being decisive on what you want.”

Added the “Cake by the Ocean” singer, “You wanna be really protective over how much you wanna share in your personal life, and I feel like as artists, we get the opportunity to express our heart through our music, and so that’s where I’m personal and honest as I can be.”

“I don’t really try to hide too much,” admitted Joe, “but I think it’s about protecting what you keep close to your heart.”

While he says he’s “sorta always been” private about his life, he added, “But, I feel like in the last two years, you wanna take a little more time off. I’d say I love what I do, and I’m so grateful I get to do this every day and still perform and make music for a living, so I’ll take none of that away.”

Although he loves his career and fans, Joe said family comes first because, “If I’m able to get home sooner, then I’m always a little happier.”

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