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10 May 2024

Avril Lavigne Reveals Track List for First-Ever Greatest Hits Album

Avril Lavigne revealed the track list for her first-ever hits compilation, Avril Lavigne: The Greatest Hits, on Friday morning (May 10). The 20-track collection due out June 21 will feature such iconic favorites as 2002 breakthrough anthems “Complicated” and “Sk8er Boi,” as well as 2004’s “Don’t Tell Me,” 2007’s “Girlfriend” and 2011’s “What the Hell,” among others.

Several collaborations are in the mix as well, including “I’m a Mess” (feat. Yungblud), “Bois Lie” (feat. Machine Gun Kelly) and “Love It When You Hate Me” (feat. blackbear), as well as the Eragon soundtrack single “Keep Holding On.”

The Legacy Recordings collection will be available on 12″ vinyl — including a Target-exclusive neon green version — CD and digital formats, with the album packaging featuring new photos and a personal note from the singer to her fans.

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The singer will take her chart smashes on the road this summer with the 2024 Avril Lavigne: The Greatest Hits tour, which is slated to kick off on May 22 in Vancouver, BC at Rogers Arena and include stops in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Ottawa, Toronto, Nashville, Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis and Winnipeg before winding down on Sept. 16 at Rogers Place in Edmonton; the shows will feature support from All Time Low, Royal & the Serpent, Simple Plan and Girlfriends on select dates.

Before hitting the road Lavigne will make her debut performance at the May 16 59th ACM Awards alongside best new male artist nominee Nate Smith. Also coinciding with the hits LP, four of Lavigne’s studio albums — 2004’s Under My Skin, 2007’s Best Damn Thing, 2011’s Goodbye Lullaby and 2013’s Avril Lavigne — will be released on 12″ vinyl editions including bonus recordings previously available as digital-only tracks.

Check out the track listing for Avril Lavigne: The Greatest Hits:

Side A
1. “Sk8er Boi” (Let Go/single – Arista 2002)
2.” Girlfriend” (The Best Damn Thing/single – RCA 2007)
3. “What the Hell” (Goodbye Lullaby/single – RCA 2011)
4. “Complicated” (Let Go/single – Arista 2002)
5. “Don’t Tell Me” (Under My Skin/single – Arista/RCA 2004)
 
Side B
6. “I’m A Mess” (with Yungblud) (Love Sux Deluxe/single – Elektra/DTA 2022)
7. “He Wasn’t” (Under My Skin/single – Arista/RCA 2005)
8. “Losing Grip” (Let Go/single – Arista 2003)
9. “My Happy Ending” (Under My Skin/single – Arista/RCA 2004)
10. “Bite Me” (Love Sux/single – Elektra/DTA/2021)
 
Side C
11. “Nobody’s Home” (Under My Skin/single – Arista/RCA 2004)
12. “I’m With You” (Let Go/single – Arista 2002)
13. “When You’re Gone” (The Best Damn Thing/single – RCA 2007)
14. “Bois Lie” (feat. Machine Gun Kelly) (Love Sux/single – Elektra/DTA 2022)
15. “Smile” (Goodbye Lullaby/single – RCA 2011)
 
Side D
16. “Love It When You Hate Me” (feat. blackbear) (Love Sux/single – Elektra/DTA 2022)
17. “Rock n Roll” (Avril Lavigne/single – Epic 2013)
18. “Here’s To Never Growing Up” (Avril Lavigne/single – Epic 2013)
19. “Keep Holding On” (The Best Damn Thing/”Eragon” soundtrack/single – RCA 2006)
20. “Head Above Water” (Head Above Water/single – BMG 2018)

10 May 2024

The Game Sparks Rick Ross Feud With Explosive ‘Freeway’s Revenge’ Diss Track

Move over, Drake and Kendrick Lamar: There’s another feud entering the fold in hip-hop. The Game took aim at Rick Ross with the fiery “Freeway’s Revenge” to ignite his beef with the MMG boss on Friday (May 10).

Premiered by DJ Akademiks, Game forces his way into the conversation while all eyes on Drizzy and Kendrick to lyrically snuff Rozay after Ross has spent the better part of the last month trolling the 6 God.

“You 12 lemon pepper wings from a heart attack/ Akademiks, give this n—a an Ozempic starter pack,” he raps.

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Game sniped Ross about taking his rap name from a real Florida street hustler and claims he took The Notorious B.I.G.’s style. “You stole your name, I pulled your file/ You looked at B.I.G. and stole his style/ I smell p—y, that odor foul/ You ain’t sold no birds, you trolled the owl,” he spews.

Prior to the diss track’s arrival, the “My Life” rapper taunted Ross with a post to his Instagram Story featuring what appears to be an A.I.-generated image of Rozay in a police uniform — jabbing at his corrections officer past — running outside KFC while holding a bucket of fried chicken.

Rick Ross and The Game haven’t always been enemies, as they worked together in the past on tracks such as “Ali Bomaye” from the West Coast rhymer’s 2012 Jesus Piece album.

As of press time, Rick Ross is yet to address The Game’s “Freeway’s Revenge” diss track on social media.

Listen to “Freeway’s Revenge” below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=paVruQHvtLQ&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

10 May 2024

Executive Turntable: BMG Picks Top Communicator; Kidz Bop Man Finds GoodTalk; Allison Moorer Joins Country Hall

It’s time for another spindle around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music. On Thursday we revealed this year’s Country Power Players list, where Big Loud partner and CEO Seth England was named top executive and WME’s Jay Williams earned the peer-voted Power Players’ Choice Award.

BMG‘s new head of global corporate communications is Kristal McKanders Dube, who joins the music company following a six-year tenure leading media strategy for Warner Chappell Music. McKanders Dube will stay in Los Angeles but report to BMG’s Berlin-based chief executive Thomas Coesfeld; her main role will be to spearhead both internal and external communications effort while also connecting the dots between BMG and its parent company Bertelsmann. Prior to joining Warner, where she held the position of svp of communications and marketing, McKanders Dube worked in the consumer brand and luxury hospitality space with IHG Hotels & Resorts, and agencies MSL Group and Jackson Spalding. She succeeds Steve Redmond as BMG’s communicator-in-chief.

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“It’s an exciting time at BMG with the company uniquely positioned for growth in a rapidly evolving music landscape, and we’re happy to have Kristal join us at such a pivotal moment and bring a fresh perspective to our business,” said Coesfeld. “Kristal’s innate storytelling ability, coupled with her expertise in corporate and music publishing communications, makes her an invaluable addition to our team.”

Meanwhile…

Arista Records upped their co-heads of urban music, Kendell “Sav” Freeman and Khris Riddick-Tynes, to senior vp of A&R. The NYC-based Freeman and LA-er Riddick-Tynes will continue reporting to Arista president David Massey. Since first being named co-heads of urban music in 2021, the pair have added heat to Arista’s roster in the form of rising artists Lola Brooke, Hurry Hazan and Skylar Blatt, while Riddick-Tynes has been instrumental in developing Paul “Lil Boo Thang” Russell. “We are excited for Sav and Khris to begin this next chapter in further elevating our artists around the world,” said Massey. “They have played an integral part in helping build and develop an impressive roster here at Arista … and we look forward to their continued leadership.”

Allison Moorer

Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Recording Academy

NASHVILLE NOTES: Academy Award nominated singer-songwriter Allison Moorer (pictured in 2019) and Rolling Stone magazine veteran Jon Freeman joined the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum staff as writer-editors, responsible for wordsmithing across exhibitions, publications, social media and more. The Hall also promoted Brad Henton to senior director of culinary, event and museum sales; Paige Maillet to director of guest experiences; and Kayleigh Shoemaker to director of public programs … Julien’s Auctions hired Cristy Barber as vp of pop culture and business development for its new Nashville office. She was most recently with legacy firm Iconoclast as vp of global marketing and brand partnerships.

Cliff Chenfeld joined Jonny Shipes’ GoodTalk as partner and advisor at the full-service entertainment company. Chenfeld co-founded Razor & Tie, and for years served as co-CEO of the indie label and publisher. If you’re a parent, you can also (hiss/cheer) at him for developing — along with his R&T co-founder Craig Balsam — the ridonculously popular Kidz Bop compilation series, which the pair sold along with Razor & Tie to Concord in 2018. “I’ve known Jonny for 15 years and have been amazed at his ability to identify special artists, to stay on the tip of cultural developments and to expand his vision of himself and his business,” said Chenfeld. “In addition, he is a hell of a lot of fun and a good friend. I have been very selective with how I spend my time since selling Razor + Tie and Kidz Bop and working with Jonny was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

Sarah Mitchell is now head of BMG‘s rights and royalties operations across both music publishing and recordings in the UK and across Europe. Mitchell joined BMG in 2022 as svp of neighboring rights and in her tenure has already inked deals with Coldplay, Pete Townshend and Christine & The Queens, among others. In her new capacity as svp of rights and royalties, the London-based exec will handle rights and royalty management for most non-U.S. dealings, and she’ll work with clients on copyright administration, analytics and accounting across recordings and publishing. She reports to Sebastian Hentzschel and sits on the BMG UK board. Prior to joining BMG, Mitchell was director of membership & communications at UK neighboring rights society PPL. “Over the past two years Sarah Mitchell has proven to be a significant addition to BMG’s London-based leadership with an incredible network in the artist and business communities and an impressive ability to think differently and make things happen,” said Alistair Norbury, president of BMG UK.

Italian rock label Frontiers landed Tom Lipsky as its new head of A&R of North America. Lipsky is the former head of several rock and heavy metal labels, including Loud & Proud Records, Sanctuary Records and CMC International Records, which he co-founded, and the indie Carry On Music. Napoli-based Frontiers is the Italian home of a bevy of rock greats including Def Leppard, Winger, Night Ranger, Mr. Big, Blue Oyster Cult, YES and Electric Light Orchestra, among others. Lipsky’s remit is all about translating the label’s bellissima vision for North America. In a statement, Lipsky said he and Frontiers founder Serafino Perugino “share a common vision regarding the continuing relevance and value of veteran artists,” adding, “I look forward to working with him and his team to make Frontiers the label home of choice for the artist community.”

Tixr, the primary ticketing platform based in Santa Monica, Calif., hired industry veteran Steve Oberman as the new vp of partnerships. In his new role, Oberman is tasked with growing the fast-expanding company across music and other industries both in North America and internationally. He joins Tixr from See Tickets, where he was evp and head of music. Prior to entering the ticketing game, Oberman worked in day-to-day management of artists — Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver come to mind — at Frontline and Azoff Music Management. Other recent US-based hires at Tixr include Ravi Durga, also formerly of See Tickets, as director of partnerships; Amir Mozafari, ex-DICE, as nightlife partnerships specialist; and Matt Stallknecht, formerly of NASCAR, as partnerships executive. “Tixr’s platform is the future of modern ticketing and e-commerce,” said Oberman. “The team’s speed to innovate and ship products, eye for design, and unique approach to problem-solving is second to none.”

Label, publisher and distributor Empire Nashville promoted Heather Vassar to senior vp of operations and Sarah Beth Gerlecz to director of business and legal affairs. In addition, Hannah Galluzzi has been hired as director of A&R, having previously worked in A&R at Universal Music Group Nashville for six years. Empire artists Shaboozey, Reyna Roberts and Willie Jones were featured on Beyonce’s album Cowboy Carter, while Shaboozey has the current Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 song “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” The label has teamed with Magnolia Music Group to take “Bar Song” to country radio. –Jessica Nicholson

Four industry veterans launched Fixated, described as a one-stop shop for creators, fans and brands with a goal of “reshaping the digital entertainment landscape.” Co-founders of the company include CEO Zach Katz (ex-president and COO of FaZe Clan, president of BMG North America), president Jason Wilhelm (co-founder Talent X/Sway House and Content Labs), chief studio officer Dean Johnson (co-founder Content Labs), and chief content officer Luc Boulch (content creator). The leadership team of Fixated is rounded out by Phil Ranta and Ali Adab, as chief operating officer and chief growth officer, respectively. “We are this generation’s fans who went on to become creators,” said Boulch. “In doing so, we made virality our religion. And now, whether it’s talent, content or gaming, we have a science for driving traffic to our ecosystem like no one else.”

Music marketing veteran Joe Aboud officially launched consultancy firm 444 Sounds, with a roster including Sony Music, UnitedMasters, Major Recordings and artists such as Jung Kook and Enrique Iglesias. Aboud was most recently vp of marketing and streaming at HITCO, and prior to that worked as a marketing manager at Atlantic Records.

Music Venue Trust hired Sophie Brownlee as external affairs manager and Kimberley Goddard as fundraising manager. The UK charity with a laser-focus on protecting grassroots venues also said it promoted Sophie Asquith to venue support team manager. “These new appointments will bring real experience and energy to Music Venue Trust,” said Beverly Whitrick, COO of MVT. “It is vital that, at a time when the challenges facing the grassroots music sector continue to mount, we can offer support, expertise and guidance to the venues we work with.”

SAVOR, the hospitality arm of ASM Global, added Jason Dowd as senior vp of culinary and innovation, and Craig Condra as regional vp of food and beverage. Combined, the pair have roughly 46 years of experience in the culinary and hospitality business. “At SAVOR we take the force of decades of international experience and implement a hyper-local approach, offering our clients unique culinary innovations of the highest levels while also carefully tailoring services at each venue according to the region it operates,” said Shaun Beard, svp of SAVOR. “With Jason at the helm of the company’s culinary innovation program and Craig managing the facilities at the regional level, we are fully equipped to continue delivering this signature service and unparalleled experience to all of our clients.”

LIVE, a trade group advocating for 16 live music industry associations, appointed Ross Patel to lead sustainability issues as the org’s first-ever Green Impact Consultant. Patel has many hats on already as co-founder and CEO for Whole Entertainment and chief strategy officer at UMA Entertainment Group. Plus, in June 2021 Ross joined the Music Manager Forum as a board member to help them advocate for climate action.

ICYMI:

lu mota

Lu Mota

Pete Ganbarg is stepping aside as Atlantic Records’ president of A&R to launch Pure Tone Records, a joint venture with the label … Delia Orjuela is the new head of creative Mexican music/música mexicana at Warner Chappell Music … Luis “Lu” Mota left Columbia to join Atlantic as executive vp of A&R.
Last Week’s Turntable: Island Def Jamming With New VP

10 May 2024

How Nate Smith Went From Wildfire Survivor to ‘Wildfire’ Hitmaker

Nate Smith is hunkered down in a Nashville studio working on his forthcoming second album — but the rising country-rocker can’t help but revisit his past. This is the same studio, he says, where he recorded
his independently released debut EP, 2020’s Reckless, which included his breakout hit, “Wildfire.” When the longing, twangy song went viral on TikTok, it helped Smith score management, publishing and record deals. But that almost never happened.

“I was able to record that because my sister’s husband loaned me $4,000 and we made a little investment deal,” recalls Smith over Zoom, eyes widening in lingering astonishment. “They took a huge risk… But they were able to make enough to put a down payment on their house from [my music].”

During his wildly successful past few years, Smith, 38, has hit numerous milestones: He released his self-titled debut album in April 2023, kicked off his biggest headlining tour yet at the start of 2024 and topped Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “World on Fire” for 10 weeks in February, tying Morgan Wallen — for whom he’s currently opening stadiums — for the longest-leading No. 1 in the chart’s history. But despite all that, Smith is mostly just happy to “have a stable job” now. “I paid my car off yesterday. From music!” he exclaims. “I can pay my rent and I can buy Christmas presents. That, to me, is making it.”

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Smith learned to play guitar at 13 and became a worship leader at 16 in his hometown of Paradise, Calif., and as a young adult, he became a certified nursing assistant. But at 23, Smith moved to Nashville to fully pursue music. He scored a record deal with powerhouse Christian company Word Records and a publishing deal with Centricity Music, but without much success, so he moved back to Paradise in 2011.

He may have stayed, too, had it not been for the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. Smith and his family survived 2018’s Butte County Camp Fire, but he lost his home. “If I had stayed in that apartment another hour, I wouldn’t have lived,” he says. Two years later, Smith packed his car with his remaining belongings and headed out to Nashville for a second time — now with nothing left to lose.

Country Power Players, Rookie of the Year, Nate Smith

Nate Smith

Emily Dorio

The Camp Fire prompted Smith to write “Wildfire,” about how a love interest can generate a less-destructive kind of heat. Smith’s managers, The Core Entertainment’s Kevin “Chief” Zaruk and Simon Tikhman, recall receiving the song early in the pandemic and soon after requesting a Zoom meeting with the unknown artist. “He had this bushy, wide-eyed personality of a guy who you know has been told ‘no’ every single step of the way and suddenly had a little momentum,” Tikhman says. “We just kind of fell in love with the guy and were flying to Nashville a week later to meet with him.” By summer 2020, The Core signed Smith to a management deal. A Sony/ATV publishing deal soon followed, as did a Sony Music Nashville record deal in 2021.

“If you look at an artist like Nate and his tough road to get where he is today, that’s the country story,” Tikhman continues. “They call Nashville the ‘10-year town…’ It has been a 20-year town for Nate.” Adds Zaruk: “The music business is so hard. To see that it can work and to see it happen to someone not in their 20s… He is an example of how hard work pays off.”

Today, Smith’s work ethic and his own strain of rock-­infused country have helped him collect two Country Airplay No. 1s. An alt-rock disciple, he has injected edge into Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars,” revitalized Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box” and often played Foo Fighters’ “My Hero,” which he calls his “ultimate favorite” song, during his live sets. Smith is also an EDM and pop fan; he recently met Marshmello and would love to collaborate. Sustained radio success, paired with growing mainstream interest in country music, has, Smith figures, provided him with “a lot of leverage.”

“We’re a little hillbilly genre over here, but [pop stars are] wanting to be a part of it, and Beyoncé coming in and some other folks… it’s exploding the genre,” he says. “They’re still trickling in; Post [Malone] hasn’t put his album out yet. There’s an opportunity right now… it’s definitely the time to go DM your favorite pop star.”

Meanwhile, Smith and his management are working overtime to translate his current moment into a lasting career. “You can text Chief at 3 a.m., and he’s going to get back to you,” he says with a smile. “It’s kind of sickening, but we’re all like that.” He recently started a new protein-heavy diet and has given up drinking — for now. “The name of the game is don’t get sick and have endurance and be in shape,” Smith says. “This is an athletic thing, and I didn’t realize that… I love to party, but it’s just slowing me down.”

When Smith worries about losing momentum, his team reminds him where he was just a few years ago. “They always bring my perspective back,” he says, recalling Zaruk’s advice: “You were surviving before, working paycheck to paycheck and barely making ends meet. Now you’re living — we get to live.” Smith holds his freshly tattooed forearm to the camera, showing off some new ink that’s still healing: “Live. Don’t Exist.”

This story will appear in the May 11, 2024, issue of Billboard.

10 May 2024

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Kicks Off European Leg in Paris: 8 Best Moments

Seven songs from ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ made their live debut at Défense Arena.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift performs onstage during “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at La Defense on May 9, 2024 in Paris, France.

Kevin Mazur/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Taylor Swift’s Thursday (May 9) performance at the la Défense Arena in Paris marked the beginning of a new era – literally. At what she called “the kick-off of the European leg of the Eras Tour,” Swift added a new section of songs from The Tortured Poets Department, which debuted on the Billboard 200 with 2.61 million equivalent album units and is currently No. 1 for a second week, in between the Australasia shows and a string of European shows through the end of August. As if to underscore the special occasion, Swift pointed out that it was the first time she had played those songs on the Eras Tour — “or as I call it, Female Rage: The Musical.”

For a truly global superstar, Swift hasn’t toured much in Europe on a serious scale, but both French fans and a significant number of concert tourists from the U.S. knew what to expect. Even the normally minimalist French swapped their black dresses for pink frills and lyric-inspired outfits. (Respect to the Best Dressed Dads: One guy in a “Dad Reputation” T-shirt, another in one that said “Look What My Daughter Made Me Do”.)

As soon as Tortured Poets-style graphics came on the screens, the applause was deafening, and it stayed that way as Swift played “But Daddy I Love Him,” “So High School,” “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” “Down Bad,” “Fortnight,” “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” The screaming only got louder for “Paris.”

Based on the first night, it seems that the European shows on the Eras Tour will not be a break with the rest of the tour so much as an evolution – as Swift releases more music, the show needs to grow as she does. Here are some new, and a few familiar, highlights.

10 May 2024

New York Basketball & NBL Star Corey “Homicide” Williams Has Died, X Reacts

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Corey Williams, also known in the New York streetball ranks as “Homicide,” made his mark as a professional player overseas after fulfilling a promise to finish college ahead of his career. Williams, who had been battling colon cancer after a stage 4 diagnosis, passed away from the disease and several key figures on X are honoring the hoops legend.

Corey Williams was born August 3, 1977, and attended Rice High School in Harlem. While he didn’t receive any scholarship offers coming out of high school, Williams was invited to play at MCC–Penn Valley Community College, a junior college in Kansas City, Mo. Williams helped the team win the NJCAA Division II men’s basketball championship as a freshman and he made the JUCO first-team All-American as a sophomore.

Transferring to Alabama State University, a Division I school, Williams completed his criminal justice degree in 2000 as he promised to his mother. From there, Williams went undrafted and found growing fame in New York’s competitive streetball scene where he earned his Homicide nickname.

Through sheer will, Williams rose through the ranks of several basketball leagues such as the International Basketball Association and the United States Basketball League along with stints with the Harlem Globetrotters and playing briefly in the Dominican Republic. He also had stints in Brazil and Sweden

While Williams never made an official NBA roster, several teams added him to their summer and training camp rosters including the Denver Nuggets and the Toronto Raptors. He then joined the NBA Development League’s Dakota Wizards and helped the team win the 2006-07 D-League championship.

Much of Williams’ success came during his time playing in Australia’s National Basketball League and he was named the league MVP in 2010 while also making the All-NBL First Team. After his playing days were over, Williams worked as a commentator for the NBL then joined Fox Sports as a broadcaster in 2017.

According to reports, Williams was receiving colon cancer treatment as recently as two weeks before his passing. He is survived by two daughters, Bella and Gabi.

Currently on X, Williams’ nickname “Homicide” began trending. We’ve got reactions under the trending topic listed below.

Corey “Homicide” Williams was 46.



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Photo: Getty

10 May 2024

Watch Skylar Grey Cover Linkin Park’s ‘Numb’ for Tommee Profitt’s New Covers Album: Video Premiere

On Friday (May 10), producer-songwriter and TV/film composer Tommee Profitt released Covers, Vol. 2, a new 10-song collection of reworked hits featuring a variety of vocal collaborators. One of the highlights of the album is Skylar Grey’s gentle, stripped-down rendition of Linkin Park’s enduring smash “Numb,” which also received a sweeping music video on the day of the album release.

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Watch Profitt and Grey’s video for “Numb” below:

“I connected with Skylar a few years ago, and it was instantly clear that we both loved making cinematic music for movies and TV shows,” says Profitt, whose genre-twisting production work has landed synch placements in dozens of trailers and on multiple streaming platforms. “Skylar’s voice is perfect for the kind of music I love to produce.

“When I told her I was working on a covers album,” he continues, “we started brainstorming on what song we could do together, and it didn’t take long for ‘Numb’ by Linkin Park to come up. I could hear exactly in my head how her voice would sound on it… and yet she still over delivered. We wanted it to be both raw and beautiful, while climbing to an epic conclusion… It definitely feels like a movie! And the emotional depth of Skylar’s performance brings that to life in a way that most couldn’t. Her voice is so unique, and was definitely meant for this song; this was a perfect first collab!”

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Meanwhile, Grey — who has scored hits as a solo artist, featured performer and as a songwriter for Eminem, Rihanna and Dr. Dre, among others — has a long-standing connection to Linkin Park: she performed the iconic hook to “Where’d You Go,” the 2006 smash from the band’s Mike Shinoda under his Fort Minor project, when Grey was still performing under the name Holly Brook. A deal with Linkin Park’s Machine Shop Records helped start her career as a teen in the mid-2000s, years before Grey was able to pay tribute to the band alongside Profitt.

“Multiple people had been telling me, ‘You should work with Tommee Profitt,’ since I really love working in the cinematic music space… and he’s the best in the biz!” says Grey. “So we finally connected over Instagram and made it happen. I’ve had writers block for about a year, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to release a cover of one of my favorite Linkin Park songs. Linkin Park signed me to my very first record deal when I was 18, and I got to tag along on tour with them for a while, so there’s a huge nostalgic connection there.”

Linkin Park’s version of “Numb” peaked at No. 11 on the Hot 100 after being released on the band’s 2003 sophomore album Meteora. In addition to the collaboration with Grey, Covers, Vol. 2 features takes on Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (featuring Fleurie), Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” (with Ruelle) and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” (featuring William Joseph), among others.

10 May 2024

Here’s How to Watch the New ‘Demon Slayer: Hashira Training’ Movie Online for Free

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After taking in a reported $17.6 million box office in the U.S., Demon Slayer: Hashira Training hits home video to kick off season four of the popular anime series.

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Want to watch it online? The Demon Slayer: Hashira Training movie is streamable starting on Sunday, May 12, on Crunchyroll for subscribers only.

How to Watch Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Online for Free

If you’re not a Crunchyroll subscriber, you can take advantage of the streaming service’s seven-day free trial to watch Demon Slayer: Hashira Training and other anime, including My Hero Academia, One Piece, Penguin Highway, Fruits Basket and others. In fact, Crunchyroll has the largest collection of anime that’s ready to stream.

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Additionally, you can even watch new anime TV series live simultaneously when it airs in Japan, such as Kaiju No. 8. All anime is either in its original Japanese with English subtitles or dubbed in English.

After the free trial is over, you can either cancel it or keep watching with plans starting at $7.99 per month. Crunchyroll is also available as a channel add-on for Prime Video if you’re an Amazon Prime member. Amazon is offering a seven-day free trial too.

Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video and Prime Gaming; fast free shipping in less than two days with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market; access to exclusive shopping events — such as Prime Day and Black Friday — and much more.

How to Watch The Demon Slayer TV Series & Movie Online for Free

Want to watch past Demon Slayer seasons before you watch the new Demon Slayer: Hashira Training film? All three seasons of Demon Slayer, as well as the Demon Slayer: Mugen Training movie, are available to stream on Crunchyroll too.

Demon Slayer: Hashira Training follows the Hashira swordsmen, the best of the best in the Demon Slayer Corps, as the group prepares to battle Muzan Kibutsuji, the Demon King.

The new anime film also stars an English-language voice cast featuring Zach Aguilar, Abby Trott, Griffin Burns, Kira Buckland, Christopher Corey Smith, Ben Balmaceda, Brent Mukai, Zeno Robinson and others.

Available in Japanese with English subtitles or dubbed in English, Demon Slayer: Hashira Training is streamable on Crunchyroll starting on Sunday, May 12. In the meantime, watch a trailer for the new anime film below.

Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.

10 May 2024

Martin Lawrence Announces Return To Stand-Up Comedy With New Tour

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One of the greatest comedic minds is set to make a return to the stage. Martin Lawrence has announced a new stand-up tour.

As reported by TMZ, the actor is going back into his one-man act bag. This week, he announced Y’all Know What It Is!, a tour that will reunite him with his fans in 36 different cities. The stops include Dallas, Atlantic City, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Additionally, he will be joined by the likes of DC Young Fly, Jess Hilarious, Adele Givens, Ricky Smiley, Deon Cole and more.

In an exclusive statement to the celebrity news site Martin Lawrence detailed his excitement regarding the new tour. “Comedy gives me that instant gratification. Seeing the fans up close and in person, making people laugh, doing what I love most; this is what it’s all about for me” he said. While Martin Lawrence has primarily focused on film, he started as a stand-up comedian. In the 1990’s he hosted Def Comedy Jam and would go on to release two influential comedy specials, You’re So Crazy and Runteldat.

His newest film Bad Boys: Ride Or Die is coming out June 7. Tickets to the Martin Lawrence Y’all Know What It Is! tour go on sale starting Friday, May 17. You can purchase tickets here.

10 May 2024

Kai Cenat Won’t Face Prosecution For 2023 Riot In New York City

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The 2023 Streamy Awards - Arrivals

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Last summer, Kai Cenat found himself in quite the the legal pickle when a planned PS5 giveaway in New York City went left and thousands of teenagers rioted in Union Square and caused all kinds of ruckus.

Naturally, the NYPD detained Cenat over the stunt and charged him for inciting a riot, but luckily for him he won’t have to fight the case any longer. According to the Gothamist, the popular influencer won’t be prosecuted for the riot that went down last August that actually put him on the map for millions of people who had no idea who he was at the time (no shots). After coming out of pocket to pay for the damages caused by the wild teens, Manhattan prosecutors have decided to drop the charges against Cenat and let him go about his online life.

Gothamist reports:

District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said it would not prosecute the charges against Cenat and two others, Denzel Dennis and Muktar Din, after they paid more than $57,000 in combined restitution for damages to the square’s landscaping and posted a public apology about the incident on social media. The three have had no new arrests since the Aug. 4 incident that took residents and police by surprise and temporarily disrupted transit, according to the DA’s office.

The case was set to be dismissed after the apology — shared by Cenat on Snapchat and reposted by Dennis and Din — remained on the platform for 24 hours.

“I am from NY and would never want to see the city turned upside down due to unwanted, irresponsible, and dangerous behavior,” Cenat, a Bronx native, said in the post. “I wanted to do something cool and fun for people and did not think it was going to turn into something that caused harm to the city, and I should have thought more about the post before I announced it.”

Last August, thousands of teenagers took over Union Square in New York City after Kai Cenat promised to show up with free PS5’s and gift cards. By the time he showed up the crowd was antsy, and before anyone knew it chaos ensued, and the crowd overwhelmed both Cenat’s security team and the NYPD. After Cenat made a run for it, the teenagers went wild and caused havoc on the surrounding businesses and anything in sight. It was quite the spectacle.

Cenat was booked for inciting a riot, but after paying for the damages and making a public apology, he’s now in the clear. Easy-peasy. We’re sure Donald Trump wishes Alvin Bragg would let him slide on the Stormy Daniels case like he did Kai Cenat, but that’s not happening.

What do y’all think? Did Kai Cenat get off too easy, or was it fair and just? Let us know in the comments section below.