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25 years on, does Backstreet Boys’ ‘Black & Blue’ still hold up? AJ McLean says yes

November 21, 2025 by WDNY Radio

In the midst of Backstreet Boys celebrating the 25th anniversary of their album Millennium with their Sphere Las Vegas residency, another one of their albums has also turned 25.

Black & Blue, the group’s fourth album, was released Nov. 21, 2000. It sold 1.5 million copies in its first week, making them the first group ever to have more than 1 million first-week sales with two albums back to back. The album produced the hit “Shape of My Heart” and has since sold some 15 million copies worldwide.

While Millennium seems to be universally beloved, does Black & Blue still hold up? “Yeah, it does,” says Backstreet’s AJ McLean.

“When I found that out [about the anniversary] a couple of days ago, I was like, ‘God bless it! 25?'” he tells ABC Audio. “Because you think Millennium‘s already 25 years. And now you got another record that’s 25 years. Like, wow. And every album has stood the test of time.”

“It really is truly a phenomenon,” AJ says of Backstreet’s continued popularity. “And we are so blessed and so grateful. Like, it just doesn’t happen. And to happen to five just regular guys just doing something that we love? It’s pretty freaking cool.”

But Backstreet is also looking forward in addition to looking back: They’re already discussing their next musical era.

“We’ve had some conversations,” AJ shares.

Despite his busy schedule — including the Nov. 27 release of his new solo EP, hi, my name is alex, and the Jan. 9 release of his solo album — AJ says, “There’s gaps in there where we could potentially make another album. Who knows? But we are definitely talking about new music and what that might look like.”

Adrienne Walker says Shanti ‘Showstopper’ has always been the ambitious drug player we see in ‘Force’

November 21, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Shanti “Showstopper” Page has come a long way since she was introduced as a disciplined boxer on Power Book IV: Force. She’s now working alongside boyfriend Jenard Sampson to take over the Chicago drug game, revealing an ambitious and fearless side of Adrienne Walker‘s character.

“Shanti was always that woman. … She’s playing chess, everyone else is playing checkers,” Walker tells ABC Audio. Though Shanti has identified the benefits of working with her partner, Walker clarifies that Shanti’s love for Jenard is real.

“Even though she has this love for Jenard that she’s had for years, she knows that she can use that to her advantage. … She does love him, but in the meantime, she still gon’ get what she wants,” Walker says.

“Shanti’s version of love is what you’re seeing,” she continues. “It’s selfish, it’s conditional, it’s violent at times, but that’s what she knows and that’s what she knows to be loved.”

With their romantic and working relationship ongoing, Kris D. Lofton, who portrays Jenard, says they have a pretty fiery dynamic in season 3.

“I think we’re gonna see moments of connection and true love that are revealed in ways that you may not necessarily understand or expect. Because there’s more than one way to show love. … Sometimes being in love with somebody is loving them enough to let them go, or loving them enough to help them. Or loving them enough to guide them on the right path,” he says. “I feel like we’re gonna see different levels of love between the two with a fiery, fiery, fiery backstory.“

A new episode of Force airs Friday on Starz.

Cage the Elephant, LCD Soundsystem join 2026 Okeechobee lineup

November 21, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Cage the Elephant and LCD Soundsystem have joined the lineup for the 2026 Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival, taking place March 19-22 in Okeechobee, Florida.

Previously announced artists on the bill include The Lumineers, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Young the Giant. Dirty Heads are also among the new additions.

Tickets are on sale now. For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit OkeechobeeFest.com.

You can also catch The Lumineers headlining the newly announced 2026 Zootown festival, taking place June 19-20 in Missoula, Montana. That lineup also includes RKS, as well as The Head and the Heart.

Head to ZootownFestival.com for the full lineup and ticket info.

System of a Down’s last album, ‘Hypnotize,’ turns 20

November 21, 2025 by WDNY Radio

If you’re just sitting in your car and waiting for a new System of a Down album, you’ve officially been waiting for two decades.

Hypnotize, the fifth and, as it stands now, final studio effort from the “Chop Suey!” metallers, was released on Nov. 22, 2005 — 20 years ago Saturday. System announced a hiatus a year later before returning in 2010, though new music didn’t materialize.

In 2018, frontman Serj Tankian issued a statement explaining the creative stalemate between the band members that has kept them from putting together another album, citing a desire for more equal creative input and publishing splits, among other factors.

In 2020, System finally released new music in the form of two singles raising awareness and funds for the members’ ancestral homeland of Armenia, which was at war with Azerbaijan at the time. Still, no album came.

If Hypnotize remains the last-ever System album, guitarist Daron Malakian tells ABC Audio he’s proud of what the band accomplished with its discography.

“We stopped making records after [Hypnotize], but within five albums, I think you listen to System of a Down, and you hear an evolution,” Malakian says.

“The first album [was] very raw, very heavy,” he continues. “Second album, heavy, but now we have all these textures and vocal harmonies. And so, you hear the band moving, not putting out the same thing, same thing. I didn’t write ‘Chop Suey!’ seven times because it was a hit.”

Even if they haven’t put out an album in 20 years, System of a Down remains a huge live act. Over the summer, they played giant shows at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Chicago’s Soldier Field and Rogers Stadium in Toronto.

New book celebrates 60 years of The Grateful Dead

November 21, 2025 by WDNY Radio

The 60-year legacy of the Grateful Dead is being celebrated in a new book.

The music magazine Relix, which started in 1974 as a handmade newsletter aimed at connecting people who recorded Grateful Dead music, is set to release 60 Years of The Grateful Dead Experience on Dec. 11. The 160-page softcover book comes from Relix‘s editor-in-chief, Dean Budnick, and Ricki Blakesberg.

The book features over 100 previously unpublished photos of the band to create a “visual chronicle” of their career from 1965 to 2025. It features photos from 40 music photographers, including Rosie McGee, Ron Rakow, Jay Blakesberg and Henry Diltz, who also offer up stories and reflections of the band. It includes archival interviews and insights into The Dead’s impact.

According to the description, the book is “designed to be treasured—whether you’ve followed the Dead since the Haight-Ashbury days or discovered the magic through new generations.”

Relix’s 60 Years of The Grateful Dead Experience is available for preorder now.

Brendan Fraser says ‘Rental Family’ is about eradicating loneliness

November 21, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Brendan Fraser stars as an actor struggling to find his purpose in Rental Family.

When he lands an unusual gig playing stand-in roles for real-life strangers, Fraser’s character, Phillip, finds himself forming genuine connections with his clients. It’s an original, feel-good movie of the like that studios aren’t putting out much of anymore, and Fraser told ABC Audio it is much needed.

“In the David and Goliath relationship of filmmaking, where the little guys normally get kicked to the side, I think we can stand up to the bigger, splashier films because people really are seeking an authentic connection, a story that moves them, a story that really does capture their attention,” Fraser said. “One that makes them think about it long after they’ve walked out of the theater.”

While Philip is not necessarily the greatest actor, the Oscar winner says there are other ways he can relate to his character. Fraser thinks many other people will be able to relate to his story, too.

“I think we’ve all felt like we’ve been on the outside looking in, and this is a film about wanting to belong. This is a film about eradicating loneliness, if that’s possible. This is about people who take a chance and say, ‘Hey, I need help, I’m going to go to this rental family agency, and I need a grandmother, I need a dad, something, anyone, to come and help me fill this void that I find myself in, living in a place as populous and busy as Tokyo is,'” Fraser said. “This is a film that is a love letter to loneliness, and it’s addressed to Tokyo, but it could be anywhere.”

Rental Family arrives in theaters everywhere on Friday.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Searchlight Pictures.

Evanescence wins Hollywood Music in Media Award with ‘Afterlife’ video

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Evanescence was among the winners at the 2025 Hollywood Music in Media Awards, which took place Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Amy Lee and company’s song “Afterlife,” which they recorded for the Netflix series Devil May Cry, earned the prize in the music video (independent) category.

“Afterlife” was also nominated in the song – TV show/limited series category, as was Twenty One Pilots‘ Arcane track “The Line,” but lost out to Lady Gaga‘s Wednesday song “The Dead Dance.”

Upon its release in March, “Afterlife” marked the first new original music from Evanescence in four years. It also gave Evanescence their first #1 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

CHVRCHES’ Martin Doherty launches The Leaving project

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Martin Doherty of CHVRCHES has launched a new project called The Leaving.

The outfit also features longtime CHVRCHES touring drummer Jonny Scott. You can listen to The Leaving’s debut single, “Saved,” out now.

“‘Saved’ is a look inside the mind of someone on the verge of mental collapse,” The Leaving says. “Paranoia. Hypochondria. Agoraphobia.”

The most recent CHVRCHES album is 2021’s Screen Violence. Frontwoman Lauren Mayberry put out her debut solo album, Vicious Creature, in 2024.

CHVRCHES announced in July that they were working on their upcoming fifth album.

The Paley Museum to hold special screening of ‘The Beatles Anthology episode 1’

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

The Paley Museum in New York has announced a special screening of the first episode of The Beatles Anthology, the ’90s docuseries that is being rereleased on Disney+.

The Anthology: Episode One screening will take place Dec. 2 at 6:30 p.m. ET. It will be followed by a conversation featuring a panel that includes Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg.

Following a presale for Paley members, tickets for the screening will go on sale to the general public Saturday at noon ET.

The original eight-part Beatles Anthology aired on ABC in 1995 and featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr telling stories of their life and career as The Beatles. The restored and remastered new version, which includes a brand-new ninth episode, will debut on Disney+ in three parts: episodes 1-3 on Nov. 26, episodes 4-6 on Nov. 27 and episodes 7-9 on Nov. 28.

Deon Cole to return as host for 57th NAACP Image Awards

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Deon Cole is coming back for another NAACP Image Awards. He’ll be taking on hosting duties at the 57th annual show.

“BET is honored to continue our longstanding partnership with the NAACP to bring the Image Awards to the world in a way that uplifts and celebrates our stories,” Connie Orlando, EVP of specials, music programming & music strategy at BET, says in a statement. “This show is a powerful reflection of our collective excellence, and we’re thrilled to have Deon Cole return as host of the 57th NAACP Image Awards. His authenticity, sharp wit and deep connection to our community make him the perfect guide for this unforgettable night.”

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson adds that “it is truly an honor” to have Deon host yet another NAACP Image Awards.

“His presence will guide us through an evening of unforgettable moments as we celebrate the visionaries and trailblazers who continue to define and revolutionize culture,” he says.

The 57th NAACP Image Awards will take place Feb. 26, 2026, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, with two new categories added to the show: outstanding literary work – journalism and outstanding editing in a motion picture or television series, movie, or special.

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